John Simon Mseke (born March 27, 1980), popularly known by his stage name Joh Makini, is a Tanzanian hip hop recording artist and composer.[1]
He is one of the members of the Tanzanian Hip Hop group called Weusi and also the founder and CEO of his record label, Makini Music.[2] Joh Makini is from Arusha Tanzania and is one of the most celebrated rappers in the country.[3][4]
Career
Joh Makini was born in Arusha Tanzania and was raised in a family with four siblings including his younger brother, Nikki Wa Pili who is also a rapper. His breakthrough came in 2006 after releasing a hit song, "Chochote Popote," which brought him to the limelight as a rising hip-hop star in Tanzania.[5][6]
In 2012 he joined forces with Nikki Wa Pili, Bonta Maarifa, Lord Eyez and G Nako to form a hip-hop group dubbed Weusi.[7][8] Weusi became notable as they performed in different music festivals around the country including FIesta [9][10]
Around 2014 Joh Makini started venturing into the African music market.[11] He collaborated with different African artists such as Nigeria's Chidinma in "Perfect Combo" [12] Davido In "Kata Leta" [13] and late South African rapper, AKA who he worked with in “Don’t Bother” [14] "Don’t Bother" became a hit that earned him a nomination at The African Entertainment Awards USA.[15]
In 2021, Joh Makini teamed up with Weusi to release their first album titled Air Weusi along with an accompanying tour around different regions in Tanzania.[16][17]
Personal life
Joh Makini is an older brother to Nikki Wa Pili, a Tanzanian rapper who is now a district commissioner of Kisarawe Dar es Salaam.[18] He is also known for his close ties with Navy Kenzo, Vanessa Mdee and Mimi Mars who he was rumoured to date in 2019.[19]
