This week’s selection from the man like Bobi Wine, the self-styled “President of Uganja”!

A tune called “Bam Bam” which isn’t the Toots or Pliers or Sister Nancy ones. Echoes of TOK or Ward 21 with the low backing vocals. Echoes of many JA videos with the visuals. Still a nice track, though – kind of thing you might hear Heatwave playing, maybe…

Hmm, he has a barely working Myspace.

Looks like he is up there for ragga swagger also, check this recent news story which features disrespect to dignitaries and also getting into trouble over weed smoking!

This interview gives the lowdown on his upbringing and career so far including forming the Fire Base Camp which Master Parrott was also a member of. He also has a pragamatic view of HIV/AIDS and its prevention.

But he’s obviously something of a (ahem) complex figure. In this interview he comes across as a bit of a mental primadonna, bigging up Idi Amin and saying he had to build a stupidly massive house because of some beef with another artist.

But then you get some raw stuff like this:

“I don’t hate poverty,” Wine said, as if the word hate was not strong enough.  “I.  Fear.  It.” The words seemed to tremble in his mouth.  […]  “I was reading Milton Obote’s writing, and he said it’s good to die a bit,” he said softly.  “So you live longer.  There was a time…when I never existed.  I died—in poverty.  I didn’t have slippers, breakfast or lunch.  I had no hope.”

Other online sources go into his early days in music:

“Underground shows with a Walkman, a borrowed amplifier and a speaker was how I used to make ends meet. I would spread the word and after school charge students fifty shillings (less than half dollar) per head and we would jam! I got into trouble with the school administration but that was the way I made my pocket money.”

So he’s a mixed bag. Top tunes though, which I guess should be the main thing.