Shingirayi (formerly known as Mau Mau) is a Zimbabwean artist who is a follower of Jesus Christ, a hip-hop musician, filmmaker and entrepreneur. Performing under the name “Mau Mau”, he first broke out on the Zimbabwean music scene in 1996 on the song “Blackness” with Prince Tendai Mupfurutsa, but it was the Fortune Mparutsa-produced hit single “Mau Mau”, in 1997 that the country got a real taste of what he was about. The song, the first hip hop song to be entirely sung in the vernacular Shona language in Zimbabwe, and full of the bold, revolutionary artistic expression that he has become know for, connected and spoke to the local audience in their own language. It is now viewed as the song that began the classic era of Zimbabwean hip hop. “Mau Mau” was followed by the full length album Mfecane, entirely performed in Shona, in 2001, and Coup D’Etat, which was an all English version of Mfecane, also in 2001. Both were recorded and self-produced in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Shona and English double album concept was another unprecedented artistic move that helped establish the artist as a pioneer and innovator in Zimbabwean hip hop. A video single from the Coup d’Etat album, called “Mau Mau Azodzoka”, was shot in Johannesburg, South Africa and was put on rotation on DSTV’s Channel O as well as ZTV. A video single “Sophinda S’bonane”, shot in Nairobi, Kenya followed in 2006 as part of the A Luta Continua album, recorded in South Africa, which had a limited release in the market in late 2006. Four years later, in 2010, from South Africa, and as part of a new group called “Super Magamba”, Shingirayi released two collaboration albums Shasha Dzengoma and Boyz Dzemujecha out of which came the two video singles “Nyama Yekugocha” and “Bepa”. However, having been born-again in 2005, and with his ever-growing faith and understanding of Christ, it became more and more difficult for Shingirayi to reconcile the worldly music he was performing with his Christian values. This brought about an intense spiritual and creative search with Shingirayi asking and enquiring of God as to how and where he should serve Him. In 2011, Shingirayi received the revelation that his purpose was to lead other’s lives to Christ through his music and art. He now believes that music can serve as a form of ministry, and that only a radical, bold Christianity will lead today’s hip-hop generation toward God. For him, hip-hop as a music genre fits in perfectly with this bold attitude that is required. His desire is to use each of his songs to bring the listener into an encounter with God and His love for mankind. In October 2013, having dropped the name “Mau Mau”, and now performing under his given birth name, Shingirayi realeased the single “Ndamutswa” featuring Alvina, which was well-received both on radio and the market, achieving massive airplay across the board. The follow-up “Ndamutswa Remix”, released in early 2014, featuring top Christian Hip hop artists Ill Ceey, J-Barz, Brythreesixty, Nowizz, and Alvina, also successfully launched on the market, winning awards for Best Collaboration at the Zimbabwean Hip Hop Awards 2014 and Best Remix at the Christian Hip Hop Awards 2014. In December 2014, Shingirayi released a video single for “Ndingatyei” as a third single, garnering thousands of views on YouTube as well as ZTV. Shingirayi will be launching his new album, “Born Again”, in December 2015. The album will be available for purchase on iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon.com, and Spotify, as well as local sales portals in Zimbabwe. “This is a new day. A new beginning for me. I am born-again. So this feels like my first-ever album for me. Unlike what some people think hip hop is about, this is not about money, fame or praise for me. This is just me, talking to you, about what I know and have seen. Talking with love. I hope you like it, you feel it, and more importantly, I pray that you are led to seriously consider where you are going to after this short life on earth.” Shingirayi, 2015