Diamond Platnumz

About

Tanzanian artist Diamond Platnumz is best known for his "bongo flava" hits like "Number One" and "Kamwambie." Born Naseeb Abdul Juma near Dar es Salaam, Diamond combines elements of hip-hop, reggae, R&B, Afro-beat, dancehall, and African traditions like taarab and dansi into a dance-ready mix of energetic floor-fillers. His first major single was "Kamwambie," released in 2010 on his debut album of the same name. He followed that success with his sophomore effort, Lala Salama. As one of the highest-paid Tanzanian musicians, he's also one of the more decorated: at the 2014 Tanzania Music Awards, he became the winningest artist in the history of the awards, notching seven wins in categories like Best Male Writer, Best Male Artist, Best Song Writer, and Male Entertainer of the Year. In 2016, he scored another hit with "Kidogo," a collaboration with Nigerian R&B duo P-Square that borrowed from Lionel Richie's "All Night Long." ~ Neil Z. Yeung