Growing Up Zulu: Legacy, Family and the Tidal Wave Dance Group

LUI FAZO, Zulu Prince Rashi, on growing up in hip-hop family legacy and the influence of the Tidal Wave Dance Group.

Tags: Zulu, hip-hop culture, Tidal Wave Dance Group, family, legacy

Before the stage name, there was the family name and the family calling.

I'm known in the culture as Zulu Prince Rashi, an original bloodline member of the Universal Zulu Nation, and the direct son of Zulu King Shocka of the Tidal Wave Dance Group.

Coming up in that lineage, and starting to perform at five, meant hip-hop was never just a hobby for me. It was part of my identity from the start.

That path gave me three things I still lean on:

- Respect for the roots. Hip-hop was built on creativity, unity and community, and I try to honor that every time I create.

- A performer's work ethic. A performing lineage teaches you that showing up prepared is part of the art.

- A sense of responsibility. Legacy isn't just something you inherit. It's something you carry forward and add to.

I'm proud of where I come from, and I try to earn it every day. Everything I make, from the music to the writing to the studio I'm building, is part of that continuing story.