Ras Kimono

Oseloke Augustine Onwubuya, popularly known as Ras Kimono was born in Ekeleke Elumelu, Delta State, Nigeria, He started out his career as a student of Gbenoba Secondary School Agbor and later as a member of the Jastix Reggae Ital, alongside Majek Fashek, Amos McRoy Jegg and Black Rice Osagie.

He later released a string of hit albums, touring all over Africa, Europe and the United States, promoting his brand of reggae music.

Kimono served a long apprenticeship on the Nigerian music circuit, experimenting with a number of styles, before making his late 1980s breakthrough as a reggae singer.

Kimono released his debut album, Under Pressure in 1989, accompanied by the popular single, "Rum-Bar Stylee", this revealed both a Jamaican and native African influence (the latter particularly evident in his ‘Patois’ delivery, as frequently employed by Fela Kuti to communicate with the urban underclass).

What’s Gwan proved even more successful, with the topics selected including legalization of marijuana, and the need for Africans to intellectually repel colonialism and its arbitrary boundaries between tribes.