Snazz D
| Snazz D | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Julian Du Plessis |
| Born |
13 March 1977 Cape Town, South Africa |
| Origin | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, Producer |
| Years active | 1993 – present |
| Labels | Unreleased Records, Concentration Camp, Fondle 'Em, Afrocentric Artz, Dictatio |
| Associated acts | Dark Seed, Audio Visual, GroundWorks, Cashless Society |
Julian Du Plessis, known by his stage names Snazz D or Snazz the Dictator, born 13 March 1977 in Cape Town, South Africa is a South African underground rapper and music producer.
Julian Du Plessis was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He grew up in Gugulethu a South African township on the Cape Flats, before moving to Mitchells Plain another township on the Flats. Inspired by the hip-hop movement and culture developing on the Cape Flats at the height of Apartheid, with groups such as Prophets of Da City and Black Noise emerging, he began rhyming as a young teenager in the early nineties under the moniker Snazzy D. In 1993 he relocated to Johannesburg, where his reputation grew. His first group was called Dark Seed together with rapper Fee and producer Iko. Their first single "Mic Device" was featured on "The Muthaload: A Cube Collective" released on Tusk Music in 1996; The first hip-hop compilation album to be released in South Africa. The record also featured debut songs by Amu, Metamo Forces, Ramesh, Shorty & Loko. The group Dark Seed disbanded shortly thereafter.
In 1996, Snazz formed the now cult-crew Audio Visual, together with Krook'd tha Warmonger (Isaac Chokwe) and Ben Sharpa (Kgotso Semela). He became the host MC at the now legendary Saturday matinee sessions at 'Le Club' downtown Johannesburg with DJ Blaze and DJ Bionic. In 1998 he co-founded the group Cashless Society, together with Draztik (Dave Balsher), Fat Free (Salim Mosidinyane), Black Intellect (Jerry Kai Lewis), X-Amount (Kwezi Ngcakani), Criminal (Alfred Chirwa), Tizeye (Tyrone Phillips) & Gemini (Thabiso Mofokeng). The group boasted members from South Africa, Botswana, Sierra Leone and Malawi all based out of Johannesburg and Gaberone, Botswana at the time forming their own Independent 'Unreleased Records' imprint.
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