Saba Saba

Saba Saba, also known as Krazy Native (born Alex Kirya, 5 August 1977) is a rapper and social activist from Uganda.

In 1992, Saba made his first hip hop performance a few months after he saw the movie Wild Style, a hip hop breakdance video.

Saba Saba began his hip hop career in 1993 with the group Bataka Squad.

Saba Saba is now a solo artist, but remains a member of Bataka Squad.

Saba Saba appeared in the film Diamonds in the Rough.

He currently lives in Kampala, Uganda and Los Angeles and continues to write, produce and perform.

In 1994, Saba Saba joined Bataka Underground.

It consisted of Babaluku, Momo MC, and Lyrical G. They were later joined by Newton, Chagga, Shillingz, Furious B from Burundi, Larat, Lyn, and Slob MC the youngest of the crew.

In 1994, Bataka crew had their first major performance in Mwanza in Tanzania.

The group recorded its first single ATOOBA, written by Babaluku and produced by Mukalazi.

The single did not receive any airplay in Uganda until three years later..

'ATOOBA'' became a favourite on the underground hip hop scene and is still regarded as a Ugandan hip hop classic.

It was one of the first major hip hop songs sung in Luganda or Lugaflow, the native Ugandan language.

In 1997, Bataka Underground recorded their second hit, Ssesetula.

They were able to perform at numerous clubs in Kampala, including Club Pulsations to Lido Beach, Club Silk, Botanical Gardens, Little Flowers, Bingo Cinema, and Sharing youth Center.

In 1998, Saba Saba won the 'Mr. Club Silk' Contest for his social-political ballistic rhymes of the day.

In 1999, Bataka crew released Bana Beka.

The same year, Saba changed his style of rhyme from the braggadocio lyricist to the social political conscious rapper.

They then began working on their major project, The Foundation.

It was released in 2000 including the songs 'Ndimubi' (Am bad), 'Lets ride', 'The Foundation', 'Eno Ensi' (This world), the hit singles 'Ssesetula' and 'Atooba'.

In 2001, Saba Saba, Chizo, DJ Benarda, alongside some of the Bataka crew, went for a tour in Kigali, Rwanda and Bujumbura, Burundi.

Bujumbura gave Bataka so much love and are still revered up to today.

The same year, they performed with Bujumbura group 'Niga Soul' in Havana and Casanova, Burundi.

After their East Africa tour, the Bataka crew performed two concerts with British rap/poetry crew 'Shrine'.

From 2002 to 2003, Saba Saba pursued a solo music career.

He said, "I'm really happy that I was there when this hip hop movement in Uganda began and I participated in all these memorable moments."

In 2003 Saba and Xenson, later joined by Jeff Ekongot, Francis Agaba, and the late Paul Mwandha, formed the Uganda Hip Hop Foundation with the mission of promoting Ugandan hip hop in Uganda and worldwide.

The foundation sponsored the first Ugandan Hip Hop Summit and Concert in 2003, featuring Klear Kut, Bataka Squad, Lyrical G, Maurice Kirya, Vamposs and Benon, Emma Katya and Extra Mile.

In 2004 Saba performed as a delegate of the Uganda Hiphop Foundation at the 'Rock against Aids' concert in Nairobi, Kenya.

In 2005 Saba Saba changed his stage name from Krazy Native to Saba Saba to reflect his growth as an artist and his increased political and social consciousness of his homeland Uganda and Africa as a whole.

That same year, Saba Saba and Frances Agaba represented Uganda at the UN's Global Hip Hop Summit in South Africa.

Saba Saba performed at the Summit.

In 2005 Saba Saba released a single and video "Tujababya".

He was nominated for both best hip hop artist and best hip hop single in the 2005 Pearl of Africa Music Awards.

Saba Saba released his solo album Tujjababya the Hard Way in 2006.

He released Bataka Revolution in 2008 with Bataka Squad, and is featured on the 2010 Afrolution Vol. 2: The Original African Hip Hop Collection.

Saba Saba was born in Jinja, Uganda, during the dictatorship of Idi Amin.

During his childhood, his family moved many times to avoid political turmoil and fighting.

Saba Saba attended Kabojja primary school and later Kasasa Secondary school.

It was in secondary school that he met Lyrical G, a member of the crew Bataka Underground – later the Bataka Squad.