Diamond Platnumz: Exploring a different side of his artistic qualities

Diamond is undeniably one of Tanzania’s hottest musical exports and as a performer, he has set the bar too high for his protégés who look up to him for artistic inspiration given his rise from the alleys of Tandale to the global stage.

This week he has added to that rich resume with another form of art hitherto unheard of with the release of Young Famous and African reality TV show which premiered on Netflix over the weekend.

This is yet another first from the self-proclaimed Simba (lion), who is always on the hunt, as the show samples Africa’s affluent and famous from West to East Africa.

The Bongoflava superstar gives fans a peek into his other talent inside the reality TV show ‘Young, Famous and African’ premiered on Netflix on Friday March 18. Alongside him is his baby mama, Ugandan businesswoman Zari Hassan, currently based in South Africa.

Other stars that will also be part of the show include South African actress, TV host and singer Khanyi Mbau, Nigerian fashion designer Jeremiah Ogbodo, popularly known as Swanky Jerry, South African TV personality Andile Ncube, and Nigerian model, actress and presenter Annie Macaulay-Idibia.

‘Young, Famous and African’ reality series, which is the first of its kind, follows a group of famed, affluent young media stars in Johannesburg. It takes a look at the lives of some of Africa’s A-Listers, their relationships, families, work lives and much more are explored in a real-life soap opera.

The streamer’s series clues us in on the who’s who of music, media, fashion, and social media, following the group of frenemies as they search for love, rekindle old flames, and embark on new relationships.

“GUESS WHO??? They’re young, they’re fresh, they’re unapologetically African and they’re coming to your screens? #YoungFamousAndAfrican,” Diamond wrote on Instagram before the premier.

The seven-episode reality show has all the ingredients that make for a juicy reality Netflix binge: a few parts glamour, a sprinkle of mess, and finished with a hefty spoonful of drama. A reality series of gossip, friendship and love as Africa’s celebrities “work and play, flirt and feud” in Johannesburg, South Africa.

From the clothes to the cars they drive, it is all glitz, glamour and drama for some of Africa’s finest as Chibu Dangote ventures into the world of reality TV.

The series features Diamond and Zari in the cast whose stories intertwine as they strive to show off colourful and tumultuous pasts and present lives and cultivate new experiences.

Known for his hit songs, including ‘Iyo’, ‘Waah’ and many others, Diamond Platnumz aka Simba admits he is a player.

He says, “My aka is Simba….a Lion so I want to hunt, but I know myself, I am a player,” says Diamond in one of the scenes as he triumphantly declares himself as Simba Swahili for Lion.

The show already became a big hit among Zari and Diamond’s fans in East Africa thanks to their controversial lives.

The couple have shared a love-hate relationship in recent times.

Zari famously dumped his Ugandan tycoon Ivan Ssemwanga (now deceased) for Diamond a decade ago, but the relationship famously broke down six years later when she walked out on him on Valentine’s Day, accusing him of, among others, infidelity and being a deadbeat dad.

Diamond is a Tanzanian playboy that brings Hollywood stardom wherever he goes with his 14.3 million followers on Instagram and even the occasional military detail because of his Rihanna-level fandom.

Inside the reality TV, he co-parents two children with his ex-girlfriend Zari the Boss lady and returns to Johannesburg to be closer to his family despite the tumultuous relationship riddled with infidelity, but that gets a little blurry when he goes for Nadia and Zari shares close encounters with Andile.

East Africa’s King of music is known for his poetic, romantic songs, excellent dance moves, luxury lifestyle, and complicated love life. Diamond has two children with Zari, one with Hamisa Mobetto and one with Tanasha Donna.

Diamond’s fans are torn between the three baby mamas. Each has massive followers rooting for her to be the singer’s wife. Meanwhile, the star kept his love under the wraps after parting ways with Tanasha. As a result, Zari’s fans want to see how she interacts with him on this show.

Tanasha is a Kenyan model, singer, entrepreneur, and internet influencer. Meanwhile, Hamisa is a Tanzanian model, businesswoman, and socialite. On the other hand, Zari Hassan is a South African-based Ugandan socialite, musician, and entrepreneur.

The unscripted show offers audiences the finest entertainment possible, centred on some of not only Diamond who makes headlines almost every day but Africa’s most popular artistes.

Tanzania, like most people in the globe, has an unquenchable appetite for drama, gossip and love in reality shows and the ‘Young, Famous and Africa’ gives fans just that.

According to Netflix, the synopsis follows as, “This glitzy reality series aka a real-life soap opera follows a group of young, affluent and famous A-list media personalities. Hailing from South Africa, Nigeria and East Africa, this aspirational who’s who of music, media, fashion, and Insta stars comes together in JoBurg. All friends and connected, they are on a quest to find love, rekindle old flames, reboot struggling relationships as they continue to shine bright.”

“Young, Famous & African” is available to 214 million people in over 190 countries.

Some say the new series joins the likes of ”Real Housewives of Atlanta” and ”too hot to handle” which currently runs on Netflix