Sugaspott

Zimbabwean rapper Shingirai Kaserera, aka Sugaspott, made his name as the first rap artist to headline the Brentford Festival. Sugaspott was born in the capital city Harare in 1984, and went on to spend much of his youth in Mutare, Manicaland, and it was there that his musical ambition began to flourish. By the time he was 20, Sugaspott had landed resident DJ spots at nightclubs in Mutare. In 2005 he moved to London to study, and began seeking out musical collaborators in the hope of furthering his music career, and he went on to collaborate with Apache Indian, Swami Baracus, and Navin Kundra. In 2009 he put out his first record, This Is My Story, demonstrating a positive lyrical approach that sought to eliminate stereotypes about Zimbabwe. The following year he released his follow-up record, Damage Limitation. That same year he headlined the Brentford Festival, and in turn was the first rap artist to do so. In 2010 he also represented Zimbabwe at the Goldborne World Music Festival. His determined self-promotion paid off when radio presenter Tom Robinson gave him a rotation spot on the BBC's Radio 6 Music. Sugaspott's third record, Damage Limitation 2: Broken Sanctuary, was released in 2014, and in 2015 he performed at London's famous Notting Hill Carnival. ~ Bekki Bemrose