Kingpinn

African hip-hop MC from Marondera, Mashonaland East Province, Zimbabwe. Widely considered one of the most prolific lyricists on the African continent, Tonderai was born 25 March 1980 in Leicester (U.K.) before returning to Zimbabwe with his family. Growing up in Marondera, KingPinn started to make a name for himself together with like-minded MC's Adopted One and Mundawg. He became a well-known artist in Harare, with a strong presence on Zimbabwe's Radio 3 program. He is the younger brother of Rassie Ai, a member of a pioneering hip-hop group in Zimbabwe called the Blackfoot Tribe, making his official debut featuring on a track off of Blackfoot Tribe's debut album. In 2000 KingPinn relocated to Cape Town, South Africa where he attended the University of Cape Town, majoring in Cinematography and Theater. During his stay in South Africa, King Pinn collaborated with South African cult crews such as The Others and Groundworks, while making a name for himself at local events, while his singles "I Salute You" and "Inauguration" received moderate radio play in both South Africa and Zimbabwe. On 12 May 2003 King Pinn committed suicide following a long spell of depression, having been widely considered to be one of if not the best MC from Zimbabwe during his lifetime.