GWM is short for Gangstas With Matatisu. The last word is Swahili and means problems. And it sure means problems if you try to be a gangsta rapper U.S. style in Dar. Nethertheless, GWM tries to stick to reality rap, strictly in Swahili. They deal with the daily hardships in the streets of Bongo, i.e. the slang name for Dar hinting at the fact that you have to be smart to survive in the city ("bongo" means smart, clever in Swahili).
We make our own texts and beats. We deal with problems in society. It's important to bring out points of wiev that differ from the official versions.

GWM has three members:
D CHIEF (real name Robert E. Makala) 21 years from Dar
EASY DOPE (real name Richard Makala) D Chief's older brother
K.R. (real name Rashid Ziada) with 20 years the junior in the group.

The Makal Brothers started to rap in 1993 while still in secondary school. Their father Edward Makala was an eminent expert on traditional music in Tanzania. K.R. joined them in 1995. In that year they won a talent contest arranged by Don Bosco, a Dar studio owner. This gave them a chance to record some songs backed by a wellknown band. The songs became quite popular.

GWM performed at paid gigs more than 20 times during 1997, which is quite a good track record for a Dar rap crew. Their fans are mainly secondary school, college and university students. That's also the case is with most other Dar rap groups.

GWM now has a contract with Mwawingu Studios and are trying to finish their first full length cassette. Their song Yemeni Kuta was a hit in November 1997. The song is about things they see in the streets of Dar and that bothers them. "Yameni Kuta" means "It bothers me".

Listen to a sample from Yameni Kuta (.wav format 570 kB).

GWM's plans for the future is to rap:
Rap is in our blood. To stop rapping would be like leaving your wife.