Founder & Artist
Deeply disturbed by the post-election violence in 2007/08 in Kenya, the young James Masaii starts voicing his pain and anger about his divided nation as a Hip-hop MC aka Hustlajay MauMau. Inspired by his grandfather being a powerful teacher and preacher in his county and international artists like Common, NAS, Immortal Techniques, he turns his poetry into deep metaphorical and deadly rhymes.
With his first album in 2010, Minyororo ya haki and early stage performances in 2011 at AmaniLazima meets Wapi in Kibera, supported by Sarakasi Trust and the Norwegian Embassy, 2014 Blankets and Wine in Nairobi and Fete de la Musique and the Annual Hip-hop Summit in Uganda under the mentorship of Babaluku in 2015, he began to establish himself within the ranks of conscious Hip-hop MCs.
Through his mostly Kiswahili lyrics and socio-political themes in his songs and videos, like Uhuru Africa 2012, Hewani 2012 and Continental Scares 2015 (produced by Tedd Josiah), the rising Street Philosopher from Mombasa, becomes known under many more names.
For the next years, he focuses on giving workshops, facilitating international collaborations and hosting events. He sheds all his former artist names from now on and brands himself as Jay Mau Mau, the conscious HIP Hop artist.
In Zanzibar, he gets to work with the Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA)on workshops for HIP HOP. On the Kenyan side, he ensures the smooth running of Africa is Now in Mombasa: Jay attends EPILEPSY AFRO FASHION FAIR to propel the myth of epilepsy out of the shadows of being a curse into the truth about the condition, thanks to Fredex Events Creations, Maha Events and Dr. Eddi. Together with the Albino community in Kenya and their event Beauty Beyond Skin Colour, the network around his community projects concerning Hip Hop and Health grew, and he is always working on intensifying more international exchange and enlightening marginalized groups on various health conditions, issues, and possible treatments.
The East African Media, like the Spice Magazine Kenya, keeps on picking up on his moves in activism and promoting Hip Hop as the new frontier for social change.
And truly, Jay Mau Mau is taking his message beyond Kenya: In 2018, he was invited by the Austrian Radio Station FM4 to be interviewed in their Hip Hop podcast. With this, he starts his Hip Hop journey all over Europe, with Austria being his base.
Later the same year, Greg from World Hip Hop Market networks referred to Hustlajay as a Human Rights MC, who is re-shaping the image of Hip Hop as a whole in Kenya and beyond. By this time, Hustlajay has already established Africa Is Now, a foundation for social change in Kenya and a platform for appraisal among the unprivileged ghetto-youth. He initiates the movement Hip-hop beyond the Mic, with first demonstrations and community activities in Malindi, like beach cleanings, active support for voter’s card registrations and open discussions about drug abuse and health care in the region. His foundation and movement intend to use the power of art and culture as an instrument for EDUtaining and enlightening people without formal education and who seem voiceless in their society.
In late 2016, Hustlajay became the Manager on the ground for Masa Music East Africa, one of the biggest music production labels in the region under the Swedish rapper Kenring. He will ensure the smooth running of the studio in Mombasa, arrange media tours, launches and other events, as well as oversee artist development and their work, like Duane Stephenson, among others. With his experience in artist management through Nyota Ndongo, X Plastaz Kamaa, Mstaafrika GP and Mamalao, he was the perfect fit for the label.
He performs at the Bbanga Hip Hop Show in Vienna and gets to shake hands with the former chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz. Through his charisma, he is invited to many more events in Stockholm, Sweden, to perform with Kenring, Portugal, Switzerland and Germany. He shares the stage with Mobb Deep in Zurich and performs at big cultural festivals in Vienna, Munich and Bern.
He initiates the movement Hip-hop beyond the Mic, with first demonstrations and community activities in Malindi, Mtongwe and Diani, like beach cleanings, active support for voter’s card registrations and open discussions about drug abuse and health care in the region. Together with his fellow MC GP Rowdix (Mstaafrica), he reignited the Arusha Poetry Club, holds conscious cyphers, and initiates hospital and street cleanings. Through spirituality, he grounds himself deeply at Mount Meru.
“Through sharing”, says Jay, “people come together, and solutions can be found, and wisdom gained.”
His genuine struggle and great achievements are further picked up by Professor O’Connor and the president of Rhyme and Reason in the U.S.A. Hustlajay is featured in her book Telling Our Own Stories (2016). The book shows the growth of Hip Hop as a way to voice socio-political issues and to protest non-violently.
As an indigenous Hip-hop practitioner, Jay sets out to Tanzania in 2016 to meet one of his great idols, the Black Panther Pete O’Neal, to gain more wisdom about some of the academic concepts behind Conscious Hip-hop, like Pan-Africanism, socio-political Identity, and bottom-up activism. During his stay, he pays his respect to 2Pac’s godfather Geronimo, who was doing community work with the O’Neal’s United African Alliance Community Centre (UAACC). Whose grave is in Imbaseni village.
With scholars like Julius Nyerere, Markus Garvey, Martin Luther and other critical thinkers like Credo Mutwa or herbalists like Dr. Sebi on his reading list he further expands his knowledge on African visionary minds.
Jay also hosts a radio show on WhatsGood Radio Kenya, “Tafakari Kwetu”, where he interviews and presents Hip Hop artists and talks on current socio-political affairs, trends, and culture.
In 2017, Jay released Nani Sio together with GP Rowdix regarding the teachings of telling our own stories, expressing that the beauty of Africa is not all about poverty and ignorance, but about rich cultures and a lush and diverse environment.
Later, he intensifies his artist management of Nyota Ndogo, X Plastaz Kamaa, Mstaafrika GP and Mamalao. He pushes their social media content and guides their online representation. All of them are focusing deeply on his vision that Hip Hop has a purpose and should follow an agenda of culture, nature and spirituality.
Jay attends various new artist collaborations, like the Soultrain Project – an art filled train ride from Nairobi to Mombasa with magnificent musical and artistic output through free exchange of styles, ideas and artforms. He performs at the Green Peace Festival and KINASA, a Kiswahili promoting event hosted by Nash MC in Daressalam.
In Austria he works with Youth on Hip Hop Projects and launches a song with them during 2020. Together with professional Videographers he releases new songs with a totally fresh style in music videos. This is recognized by the local media and his moves are again podcasted on big platforms.
Looking at Hustlajay’s story so far- we might just be lucky and are witnessing the making of a legacy.