Dr. Alban
b. Alban Nwapa, Nigeria. Swedish-based euro rapper who rose to prominence with his curious pot pourri of styles, christened ‘jungle reggae hip hop’ by some commentators. Of all the artists to employ the title Doctor in their names, Alban is one of the few to do so with legitimacy. He originally came to Stockholm in Sweden to train as a dentist, and qualified too. He started the Alphabet Club in the city, which eventually spawned a record and clothes shop of the same name. His attempts to ‘toast’ over the records he played at the venue attracted the attention of the Swemix label. The result of this first view of the studio was the 1990 single, Hello Afrika, which immediately launched him in the national and international charts. With the anti-drug No Coke and pro-unity U & Mi, Dr Alban continued to cut himself a large slice of credibility in the European mainstream dance market. The musical style combined techno, with club vocals and Arican rhythms. Among the most notable traits are the Nigerian percussive effects and dancehall chanting. His unique, Afro-Swedish patois has also earned praise from a variety of quarters; and emphasised the fact that rap has now become a universal currency. The man behind the good doctor's production on the big hits was Denniz Pop, who also provided Ace Of Base's number 1, All That She Wants. Dr Alban has started his own Dr. label, whose first release was the Alrabaiye Take Me Up single by Amadin.