Tehn Diamond
Tehn Diamond | |
|---|---|
Tehn Diamond performing at the Big Brother Africa finals in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tendai Nguni |
| Born | 17 January 1985 |
| Origin | Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Independent |
| Spouse | Miss Chindiya |
Tendai Ryan Nguni (born 17 January 1985), known professionally as Tehn Diamond or Tehn,[1] is a Zimbabwean rapper and singer-songwriter.[2] He is a member of the hip-hop collective Few Kings,[3] known for their collaborative album releases.[4] Tehn Diamond also appeared in the Zimbabwean feature film Cook Off, which became the first Zimbabwean film to be released on Netflix.[5][6]
Early life
Tehn Diamond was born in 1985 to Sylvester Nguni, a Zimbabwean politician. He grew up in the gated community of Borrowdale Brooke in Harare, Zimbabwe, and attended St George's College. Initially pursuing a finance degree in Brisbane, Australia, he eventually shifted his focus to a music career.[7]
In 2008, the Australian government revoked the student visas of several children of senior members of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's administration, including Diamond, as part of broader sanctions.[8] This led to his relocation to Singapore, before returning to Zimbabwe.
Musical career
Early years
Diamond released his first mixtape, Student of the Game: Higher Learning, in 2008,[9] followed by Student of the Game: Boys Will Be Boys in 2010. In 2012, he received the Best Video award at the National Arts Merit Awards for “Happy.”[10]
2012–present
In December 2014, Diamond embarked on a national tour in Zimbabwe, culminating in a performance in Bulawayo. The event was hosted by Vault Cosmetics.[11][12] Throughout his career, he has collaborated with various Zimbabwean artists, including The Djembe Monks, and performed on the reality TV show Big Brother Africa.[13][14][15]
Diamond's song "Happy," featuring fellow artist Jnr Brown, was played on major Zimbabwean stations like Star FM and Power FM,[16] and was nominated for Best Song of the Year at the Zim Hip Hop Awards.[17] On Valentine's Day 2015, he opened for South African rapper Cassper Nyovest in Harare.
On 1 January 2017, Tehn Diamond released his album, A Few Good Poems.[18][19] Later that year, he collaborated with Jnr Brown and Take Fizzo to release the album -The Feeling Ain't Fair 2 (#TFAF2), the sequel to his earlier mixtape.[20]
Awards
National Arts Merit Awards
Tehn Diamond won a NAMA (National Arts Merit Awards) in 2012 for Best Video ("Happy" featuring Jnr Brown).
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Student of the Game: Higher Learning | Best Hip Hop Artist | Won |
| Best Hip Hop Album | Won | ||
| 2012 | Student of the Game: Boys Will Be Boys | Best Video | Won |
Discography
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Feeling Ain't Fair (with Few Kings) |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Happy"[22] (featuring Jnr Brown) |
2013 | The Feeling Ain't Fair |
| "Grown Up Kid"[23] | 2012 | Student of the Game: Pursuit of Amazing |
| "Simudza Gumbo"[24] (featuring Dadza D) |
2014 | The Perfect Tehn |
References
- ^ "A three way with Tehn and Breezy".
- ^ "Director Of Purpose [#ATCTND] (@iamTEHN) - Twitter". twitter.com.
- ^ Godwin, Mungwadzi (27 March 2023). "Rappers Tehn Diamond, Jnr Brown and super producer Take 5 launches super group, announces album title and release date".
- ^ "Few Kings: The Feeling Ain't Fair Album Art and Track List". 25 October 2013.
- ^ "Zimbabwe: Faces Behind Zim's First Netflix Hit". allAfrica.com. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ Dzirutwe, MacDonald (1 June 2020). "Zimbabwean film industry makes Netflix debut with 'Cook Off'". Reuters. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ "Hip-hop artiste aims high". 31 January 2013.
- ^ "Zimbabwe leaders' children in Australia: who's here".
- ^ "Tehn Diamond - Student of The Game Vol 1: Higher Learning (2008)". SoundCloud. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ "Tehn Diamond releases third mixtape".
- ^ Chronicle, The (2 February 2015). "Vault Bulawayo launch draws bumper crowd". The Chronicle. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ "Live Show: Tehn Diamond sparkles on stage". Big Brother Africa Star Games. Archived from the original on 25 August 2013.
- ^ "ZIMBABWE'S TEHN DIAMOND TO ROCK BBA8 STAGE".
- ^ "Tehn Diamond, Junior Brown to perform at BBA".
- ^ "Tehn Diamond to grace BBA".
- ^ "FAB New Music: MC Tehn Diamond 'Happy' featuring Junior Brown".
- ^ "Local hip-hop gets a chance to shine".
- ^ "A Few Good Poems by Tehn" – via itunes.apple.com.
- ^ 3-mob.com (13 January 2017). "Tehn Diamond releases the real 'A Few Good Poems' album". Three Men On A Boat.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ SpekkTrumn. "The Explosion That Is @FewKings' #TFAF2 cc @iamTEHN @jnrbrown263 @takefizzo #ZimHipHop".
- ^ "Tehn Diamond keeps hip-hop alive!". The Herald. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "Tehn Diamond – Music – Happy [feat. Jnr Brown; – Single by Tehn Diamond, Jnr Brown]". fewkings.com. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ "Grown Up Kid – Official Music Video by Tehn Diamond". greedysouth.co.zw. 12 September 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ "Simudza Gumbo [feat. Dadza D]". greedysouth.co.zw. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.