Bebe Cool is a reggae and ragga artist from Uganda whose music achieved widespread popularity throughout many parts of Africa beginning in the mid-2000s. Prior to that, he was one of the first acts to be associated with influential Kenyan producers Ogopa DJs. Although he first built his name on a carefree and fun-loving style of songwriting, his popularity began to soar when he later transitioned into more socially conscious work and he subsequently became an almost-perennial winner at the Pearl of Africa Music Awards as well as the HiPipo Music Awards when they launched in the early 2010s. He typically sings in Luganda, Swahili, and English. Born Musa Ssali in Kampala, Uganda, Cool began his music career while living in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1997. Only 20 years old at the time, he was an early signee with the then-upstart Ogopa DJs production company and label. After a few years he returned to his native Uganda and continued recording and performing. His early style was often focused on living a carefree lifestyle, though after the 2004 release of "Sambagala," his crossover collaboration with veteran singer Halima Namakula, Cool's music began to include current events and socio-political issues. This began an extremely successful period for him; between 2004 and 2007, he was awarded Best Reggae Artist at the Pearl of Africa Music Awards four times in a row. Also during this era, he teamed up with Kenyan duo Necessary Noize to form the successful reggae group East African Bashment Crew, who produced hits like "Africa Unite" and "Fire" from their 2008 album Fire. That same year, he performed in London as part of the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute and was named by Mandela as one of the African Ambassadors of his 46664 HIV/AIDS awareness campaign. 2010 began with unexpected tumult as Cool was first shot in the leg by a policeman, then endured a terrorist bomb attack during a July concert in Kampala. In the early years of the decade, he remained an extremely visible act and took part in a couple of live Battle for Africa music contests where his popularity was pitted against other big stars like Bobi Wine and D'Banj. Meanwhile, Cool's recorded output remained prolific over the coming years with the release of albums like 2015's Go Mama and 2018's Mbozi Za Malwa, and popular singles like 2019's "Wire Wire." ~ Timothy Monger