My Story

His earliest memories of falling in love with music stretch back to childhood, persistently asking his mother to bring home printed lyrics of Michael Jackson songs. But it was the daily Bajaj rides to primary school that solidified this passion. The driver’s music system would blast various tracks, and one particular day, he found himself captivated by Eminem’s “I'm Not Afraid.” At just over 11 years old, he asked the driver to replay the song repeatedly, memorizing it fully within four days of constant listening during those 15-minute rides.

Until 2020, Azu hadn’t fully accepted his own voice. For years, despite being confident in his songwriting and melodies, he preferred others to sing his parts. Back in 2016, during a secondary school break, he boldly told his father to give him three months to make it as a musician—a leap that didn’t happen, but it sharpened his skills in producing beats. By high school, his instrumentals were strong enough to attract interest, yet he often found himself unimpressed by how others performed on them. After moving to Chicago to work and study, he realized he couldn’t rely on finding artists to record his music. He dropped out of Harold Washington College to pursue his dream of music and, out of sheer faith, returned to Tanzania in August of 2021, a decision both bold and reckless in its conviction. From there, he continued to dedicate himself to learning to sing his own songs, gradually embracing his voice and refining his craft. Over hundreds of sessions, voice memos, and unreleased tracks, he evolved from creating good beats with weak vocals to delivering complete songs that prompted listeners to ask when they’d be released—marking a clear, hard-earned progression in his artistry.

There’s a reason Azu always emphasizes that whatever happens to someone creates a line they must cross to move forward, and often, that line becomes thinner and thinner. In late 2021, Azu faced significant setbacks, losing nearly half of his resources due to unfortunate circumstances of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It left him deeply heartbroken—he recalls mornings when he woke up desperately wishing it had all been just a bad dream. Yet, that difficult chapter soon gave way to a promising new beginning. During that period, Madebeats—a talented producer from Rwanda, in the midst of working on Diamond Platnumz’s record with The Ben titled “Why”—was in Azu’s orbit. Through sessions with Madebeats, doors opened, and Azu was introduced to Bruce Melody. This connection led to Azu flying out to Rwanda, where he had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with the acclaimed Bruce Melody. Azu went on to contribute to Bruce Melody’s 2025 album Colorful Generation, with standout songs including “Maya,” “Energy,” “Ulo,” and “Diva.”

In 2025, Azu continues to expand his musical versatility, effortlessly crossing genres—from heartfelt acoustic tracks like "Kisingizio," to catchy pop melodies such as "Like U," and rhythmic Afrobeat songs like "Jana." Singles are steadily dropping, further solidifying his presence following the momentum of last year's collaborative project "AXT," created alongside his long-time friend and fellow musician, Tridybane. Toward the end of last year, he delivered a memorable performance show, marking a milestone in his artistic journey. Currently, his creative process spans from crafting songs in the studio to designing cover art, animations, and engaging lyric videos featured prominently on his YouTube channel.