Bongo Hip Hop Saviour

 When he dropped those infamous 16 bars on a featured track 'Ukweli na Uwazi' on the now classic 'Wachuja Nafaka' album, Bongo Hip hop was born again through the sharp lyricism of Fareed Kubanda aka Fid Q. 

'Hamjajua mtakula nini halafu nyie mnaponda mali hivi hiyo ni nini, utajiri nguzo, ubahili hivi ndo mnavyoamini, mmesahau kiama ni nini au mmesahau mafunzo ya dini...' spits Fid Q with rapid raw delivery over producer Pfunk's heavy boom-bap back drop. 

Little did Bongo Flava enthusiast know how much trouble they could find
themselves in by letting this humble hip-hopper through the golden gates...that's until 'FidQ.com' single was released. 

'Akupigaye ngumi ya jicho na we mpige ya sikio akikuuliza unaonaje na we mwulize anajisikiaje...' That level of cadence and nonchalance delivery, mixed with witty punchlines and simple -- yet complex lyricism, had not been heard in the game since the passing away of the Great D-Rob. 

Phone calls were ringing across the globe, hip hop pioneers nodded in agreement and smiled proudly to 
the arrival of Hip hop saviour. 

Here was a kid with passion for the art form. Here was a complete MC, an all rounder who didn't rely on cheesy singy-song choruses to compose a hit. Here was a guy taking the risk and using 'multi-syllabic rhyme schemes' in the audience that was getting so lazy to analyse the realness of Hip hop! 

In the era where bubblegum rap is prevalent and sugar coated R&B hooks define a hit, Fid Q is a breath of fresh air. In this over saturated Bongo Flava art form where 'nursery' rhymes earn you the title of 'King of Rhymes', Fid Q stands like a giant that no one comes close to even stare in the eye. 

Who else can rock the stage with no gimmicks but pure lyrics? Who in this game stands by themselves 
amongst well established artists that come on stage with hundreds of tag-alongs just to boost their confidence? 

The self declared 'one man army' ('Fid Q ni jeshi la mtu mmoja') rolls on stage for Dolo and owns the show with enough flows to confuse water down a bendy stream. 

When 'Chagua Moja' dropped, all the non-believers and those who thought the kid was a fluke, had to bite their tongues. 

'Fanya kazi kama mtumwa ili uje uishi kama mfalme, ukae au uchuchumae, umchukie au umpende akupendae, ufiche uchi au uvue chupi uzae...' raps Fid Q with so much charisma you almost kick yourself for not thinking of these lines before him. 

After ‘Chagua Moja’ Fid Q released ‘Mwanza Mwanza’ -- a tribute to his hometown. A track with a heavy Majani kicks and phat beat, Fid Q laced the beat with his ill lyrics and impeccable metaphors. 

The track addressed the fans on some matters, like his longevity in the hip hop game and industry as a whole. He begins the track by saying: 

‘Nilianza rap kabla mtoto wa Dandu hajafa, Sugu hajatoa Album, BoneLove hamjui Falsafa mlangoni 
msanii analipa, Professor anajiita Nigga...’

After that track it was no doubt to the audience Fid Q was the one doing the music that was missing 
in the industry for so long, and that was Hip hop, real Hip hop.

It was no longer a buzz; everyone was just patiently waiting for Fid Q to drop his highly anticipated album titled ‘Vina Mwanzo Kati Na Mwisho’. 

Due to his humbleness and the need to trigger the fans demand, Fid Q released a single called ‘August 13’ (his birth date) followed by ‘Vina Mwanzo Kati Na Mwisho’. 

It was like a blessing to the real Hip hop fans as the album was a top-notch, filled with clever, smart word-play mixed with conscious lyrics. 

After ‘Vina Mwanzo Kati Na Mwisho’ Fid Q was considered as a Hip hop messiah in Bongo.

His grind never ceased, the doors in other countries started opening widely, as he was recognized abroad too and enabled him to conquer some features from European artists.

Fid Q is the one and only artist from East Africa who managed to perform in the Big Brother house in 
South Africa and around the same year he and Witness managed to scoop an award for the Best Video -- 'Zero' -- with Channel O.

Being Ambassador of Virus Free Generation in Tanzania, he did a track with a German artist known as Prinz Pi. The song goes by a German title ‘Zu Hart’ which mean ‘So Hard’.

On his verse he begins with so much pain by saying: ‘Hana tofauti na wale sweet 16 wa kwenye movie, 
Hips zake hasifichwi na jeans, but she’s stupid, sasa hawezi hata kufufill what God gave her, waliodata na zake sex-appeal walitenga fedha’.

In December 2008, Fid Q toured Germany with Prinz Pi and managed to perform on places like Berlin, 
Hamburg and Duisburg. During the same tour he took some footage for his track ‘I Am A Professional’, 
which is loaded with all Hip hop elements, a heavy beat with massive scratches, a well sampled chorus embraced with sharp and raw delivery of plenty metaphors. 

After Fid Q released his 'Usinikubali Haraka' single, fans asked: Where is the album? Anticipation of his second album was beyond any solo artist in many years. 

Real Hip hop fans were hungry for those clever, thought-provoking, smart word-play mixed with so many conscious lyrics that make Fid Q almost prophetic without preaching.

Fid Q lived up to his promise and released the album, known as 'Propaganda', on February 25 this year. Other tracks in the album include 'Street Report', 'I Am A Professional' and many others. 

Fid Q is featured on a Ngweair track known as CNN, which is in heavy rotation for the moment. Fid Q blessed the track with a different flow and sharp lyrics as usual, he begins by flowing like this...

‘Usiniite halfman, niite man and a half, you think small and you remain small for life, hatuwezi piga same instrument but we can all be in the same key son, experience makes a person better or bitter, naweza flow slow lakini brain ina speed up’.


     Extract from www.eastafricaherald.com