Lagos Get Ready – Rick Ross is coming to town! MTV Africa Music Awards adds Rick Ross, Jozi, P-Unit & Wande Coal to the 2010 MAMAs performers list

The “Teflon Don”, American rapper – Rick Ross is an exciting new addition to the MTV Africa Music Awards bill. The rapper along with Kenya’s P-Unit, South Africa’s Jozi and Nigeria’s Wande Coal will join previously announced performers DJ Arafat (Ivory Coast), 2Face (Nigeria), Daddy Owen (Kenya), Banky W (Nigeria), Fally Ipupa (DRC), Teargas (South Africa) and Cabo Snoop (Angola) on stage at the event.

This is Rick Ross’ first ever visit to Africa and we hear the rapper is very excited about the opportunity to perform here. Rick Ross is not just a performer but also a nominee as well. He is nominated in the Best International Category. Following the trend set by international nominees who performed at the MAMAs in prior years, it is safe to assume that Rick will be walking away with the award.

Rick Ross has been described by the New York Times as “one of rap’s most potent and creative forces”. The tattoo-loving, six-foot, larger-than-life rap figure first came to attention with “Hustlin”, his 2006 debut single. Influenced by artists like Luther Campbell and Notorious B.I.G, Ross, a.k.a. William Roberts, aimed to put Miami back in rap’s national spotlight and went on to do just that with his 2006 album “Port of Miami”, which went to number one on the Billboard album chart. Similar acclaim followed for “Trilla” (2007) and “Deeper Than Rap” (2009), while his 2010 album release “Teflon Don”, which debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, has garnered critical acclaim for its emotional depth, cinematic production, sleek, synth-heavy beats, and rich soundscapes. Ross is nominated in the Best International category at the MAMA awards.

Making their first appearance at the MAMAs, Best Group contenders P-Unit are going head to head against Uganda’s Radio & Weasle, South Africa’s Teargas and multiple MAMA winners and Nigerian music phenomenon, P-Square. As well as performing at the 2010 show, former MAMA winners Jozi are also nominated in the Artist of the Year category, where they are pitched against 2FACE, P-Square and Fally Ipupa. Wande Coal faces a tough race in the Best Anglophone category, where Ghana’s Sarkodie, Kenya’s Daddy Owen and South Africa’s Biz Nuz are also in the running.

The MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel takes place at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos on Saturday 11 December 2010 and will broadcast on MTV base (DStv Channel 322), MTV platforms around the world and partner TV stations from 18 December 2010.

The MTV Africa Music Awards 2010 is sponsored by Airtel in association with MasterCard. Arik Air is the official airline partner of the MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel.
Photo Credit: Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic