Diamond goes six-time platinum with Universal SA

Taking to social media, the Tanzanian artist shared the exciting news. “Today I have become the first African artist signed under Universal Music Group to get 6x platinum sales on my single #MarryYou ft @Ne-Yo….. On behalf of my team & @Ne-Yo I would like to thank all the fans & media around the world#marryyoudn#maryyou#aboyfromtandale,” he posted on Twitter on 28 October.

According to the Recording Industry of South Africa, for gold certification, an artist has to sell 10 000 units of a single, and 20 000 for platinum. By collaborating with artists such as Morgan Heritage, Davido, Rick Ross, Tiwa Savage, and AKA, Diamond Platnumz, who is set to release a track with American R&B singer Omarion, is crossing the East African borders and spreading his wings to reach fans globally.

The artist, who was also the first East African to sign with Universal Music SA, released the video the same day that his deal with the record label became official on 2 February.

‘Marry You’ came about when the two artists met at the 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards in Durban, South Africa, but the song was recorded in Nairobi, Kenya.

Talking about the collaboration, Diamond Platnumz said: “I chose Ne-Yo because he fits my style of music. I am so happy because I grew up listening to Ne-Yo’s songs and most of my style is inspired by him, so it’s a dream come true for a kid who grew up in a slum area in Tanzania.”