For the introspective hip hop artist that is Raiza Biza, the last 12 months have truly been a whirlwind.
The release of his first 2 solo albums earned him critical acclaim and the ability to tour nationally and perform in towns where most hip hop acts don’t usually frequent. Raiza then used the inspiration he drew from traveling to new places to create his latest piece of work, aptly titled ‘Winter Solace’. Since the release of ‘Winter Solace’, he has performed from Auckland to Invercargill, Wellington and Queenstown to mention a few.
Born in Musoshi, Zaire, Africa, New Zealand’s rising hip hop star Raiza Biza spent most of his childhood in Johanesburg, until the age of 14 years when he made his way to New Zealand with his family.
After leaving school Raiza decided to make the leap from Hamilton to Wellington to gain some life experience. He observed many things and learnt a lot while venturing out into the Wellington music scene. Eventually he moved back to Hamilton with a new lease on life as his music evolved into a “self-reflecting, soulful soundscape”.
Today, Raiza Biza is helping usher in the new wave of NZ hip hop and is definitely an artist to look out for in 2014. His blend of Jazz influenced hip hop is spreading at an increasing rate and one can only guess where it will take him in years to come.
