Zenji Boy

Ison Mistari, known to audiences across East Africa as Zenji Boy, is Zanzibar's most celebrated rapper, producer, and cultural innovator. A graduate of DCMA (Dhow Countries Music Academy) and founder of Swahili Records, Zenji Boy has built his reputation on a singular artistic vision: fusing the island's rich traditional music heritage with contemporary hip-hop, Afro-fusion, and rap.
What sets Zenji Boy apart is not just his lyrical prowess, but his instrumental versatility. He is the only rapper in Tanzania known to perform while wielding the oud and violin, traditional instruments central to Zanzibari Taarab music. This unique combination has given birth to what he calls "Taarap"—a self-branded fusion style that honours ancestral sounds while speaking directly to today's generation. His songwriting is conscious and critical, tackling themes of politics, love, unity, community development, and social change with messages that resonate deeply across Swahili-speaking communities and beyond.
Zenji Boy's accolades reflect his impact: he won Best Music Video and Best Male Act at the Zenj255 Awards in 2017 and 2018, followed by the Emerson Award in 2020 and the Zanzibar Youth Award for Best Artist of the Year in 2021. But his true power is felt on stage. His high-energy, electric performances merge the mesmerizing sounds and soul of Zanzibar with pulsatingbeats and rhythms, creating an immersive experience anchored in rhythms and call-and-response traditions that ignite audiences to move.
Backed by a full band—featuring the 78 sting qanun, violin, and backing vocals, alongside live drums, keyboard, and bass—Zenji Boy delivers a sound that is both rooted and revolutionary. Together, they channel the spirit of Zanzibar archipelago: a crossroads of cultures, a meeting point of African, Arabic, and Indian Ocean influences, where innovation and tradition move as one rhythmic entity.
As he prepares to bring Zanzibari music to global stages, Zenji Boy stands ready to introduce the world to a sound they've never heard before— one where taarab's elegance collides with hip-hop's fire, and that carries the wisdom of his ancestors and the voice of his generation.