Zimbabwe Legit

Zimbabwe Legit, featuring MCs Akim Ndlovu (known as simply Akim) and Dumisani Ndlovu (aka Dumi Right), were the first African group to record hip-hop in America. Signed to Hollywood BASIC, they debuted in 1992 with "Doin' Damage in My Native Language," produced by Mista Lawnge of Black Sheep. Hollywood BASIC shut down before an album was completed, but that lone 12" became a collector's item, one known to fetch hundreds of dollars due to a remix from a young DJ Shadow. (The mix, one of Shadow's first appearances on record, resurfaced on the 1996 Mo' Wax compilation Headz II.) In 2005, the Glow in the Dark label issued the duo's Brothers from the Mother, including material intended for the unfinished album and other assorted tracks. Two years later, the duo reconvened for the all-new House of Stone (Redline), featuring collaborations with Mike Gee (the Jungle Brothers), YZ, and Vast Aire. Dumi later teamed with Cadence to form Alternate Reality, an act that released a self-titled set in 2011. He also put together a solo album, Connect the Dots, in 2012. ~ John Bush & Andy Kellman, Rovi