Wazulu The Ill Dravidian

WAZULU IS A RESPECTED VETERAN IN BOTH HIP HOP & WORLD MUSIC. He represents Zulu Nation and has worked with and produced for icons such as Rebel Crew, Lost Children of Babylon and DJ Jazzy Jay. He’s been featured by Jacob Edgar, Director at Putumayo World Music, on National Geographic’s ‘Music Nomad; by bellydancing star Sharon Kihara on her production, Tribal Fusion; and has toured festivals from Burning Man to Lightning in a Bottle to El Inicio Dominical Summerfest in Costa Rica.

ORIGINALLY FROM BANGALORE INDIA, AND FOREVER DEVOTED TO HIS MOTHERLAND, Wazulu represents his Dravidian roots by fusing Indian street rhythms with beats that drop so deep… he brings new meaning to the concept of hip hop “swing”. Wazulu has had a long journey, from being orphaned in at the age of four and adopted by american foster parents, to running away from home and making it through his own and the hip hop family he found, to being sent back to India in 2010. He now lives in Bangalore with his sister Kasturbi and niece Shoaba, whom he found along his PASSAGE TO INDIA.

WAZULU ALSO FOUND FAMILY WITH FELLOW DEPORTEE & HIP HOP HEAD, HERA, and his Crew (SlumGods) at Tiny Drops Hip Hop Community Center. Tiny Drops offers a space for kids in the ‘hood (Khirki, New Delhi & Dharavi, Mumbai) to practice, learn and innovate on hip hop dance and culture. Wazulu is one of the Center’s valued mentors, offering resources, knowledge and time, and serving as a positive role model of responsibility and integrity in a crazy world.

TINY DROPS/ SLUMGODS HAS RECEIVED A LOT OF RECOGNITION: the Crew recently won the Crank Dat Delhi Championship; featured in the New York Times and The Guardian (UK); starred in Jatin Puri’s award-winning music video, Life is Good; and performed with Sasha Perera (Jahcoozi) and Indian Ocean. BUT THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN FUNDS to establish a solid, on-the-ground structure.

PROCEEDS FROM PASSAGE TO INDIA WILL SUPPORT: Wazulu’s phenomenal work as a Producer + the work being done by Tiny Drops and its network to ensure a true-to-roots hip hop culture in India. What this looks like: functioning, well-equipped centers in New Delhi and Bombay, as a base for hip hop artists from the ‘hood to connect, create, and have a safe space. What will result is focused practice to take the craft to new levels; high-quality art and media that reflects real life; and the grounding to imagine possibilities of self-sustainable enterprise for the whole family.