Afro DZ ak (aka Pete Shungu) is an accomplished spoken word artist, a socially-conscious MC/rapper, and he is a triple threat in his band Soul Movement , playing trumpet, keyboard and kickin rhymes on the mic as well.
Afro DZ ak has been playing trumpet and piano for over 15 years and writing and performing rhymes & poetry for about 8. He has performed at numerous venues in Boston including The Middle East, Harpers Ferry, The Roxy, The Paradise Lounge, Lizard Lounge, many area colleges, and at out of state venues such as Nuyorican Café and The Knitting Factory in NYC, and Black Lily and Grape Street in Philly.
Afro DZ ak is not just an MC, but a self-described part-time musician, full-time advocate for positive social change. He has done presentations on hip hop, creative expression, social justice, and making good choices at many area schools and youth organizations, has been a frequent performer at the monthly socially-conscious open mic Critical Breakdown in Boston, was selected to perform at the event 'Hip Hop & Politics' at The Blue Wave Cafe in July '04, and has performed at many other social-justice related events. He has also been a Big Brother in the Big Brothers of Mass. Bay
program for over 8 years and is the SwirlArts co-chair for the Multiracial organization SwirlBoston
Afro DZ ak was born on January 19, 1981 in Princeton, NJ, to a father from the heartland of Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo/formerly Zaire), and a mother from the heartland of the U.S. (Kansas). A jersey boy born & raised, he attended Lawrence Township Public Schools through high school, then left the friendly confines of the Dirty Jerz for the frigid winters of New England to attend college at Tufts University in Medford, MA. After graduation, he served as an Americorps*VISTA for a year at a college in Worcester, MA, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), through the Americorps program Massachusetts Campus Compact aka MACC. Upon completion of his year of service, he continued living and working in Worcester as MCPHS's first Community Outreach Coordinator. In fall 2006, he left this position to move to Somerville, MA and work with high school seniors in the Boston Public Schools as a Financial Aid Advisor with the Boston-based non-profit organization ACCESS , while continuing to make music in most of his free time.
Afro DZ ak is featured on The Eclectic Collective's debut release, "Time Flies", EC's sophomore album, "The Flux", Soul Movement's debut CD, "Get Away," producer Willie Green's mixtape "The Proof", Project: Think Different's 'Empowerment' CD (see blog entry), and an instrumental CD entitled "Inthrumental" produced/released by good friend/roommate Gnotes . Afro D is/will be featured on trumpet on albums with numerous other artists/groups as well, including Reel Carter, Iyeoka, Blitz, Walter the Orange Ocean, Benedict Arnold, DelHill, Savin iLL, Sucka Brown, The Evening Groove, The Pandas and more.
While in college, Afro D recorded his first hip hop tracks, collaborations with his younger brother and best friend Nick aka "Mooks". The two have collaborated on numerous tracks, despite geographical limitations (Nick was all the way down in North Carolina, going to school at Duke, then in Ethiopia working for the non-profit organization Save Lives, and is currently at Med School in Philly). Two of these fraternal collaborations were featured on the CDs "Jumbo Audio Project" vols. 1 & 2, compilations of music by recording artists at Tufts University.
Afro D is currently working on a solo hip hop album "Elevation" to be released in Fall 2008 through Gnawledge Records which will feature his talents through rhymes, poetry, trumpet, and beats as well. He makes beats under the alias 'DJ Wembi.' Wembi is his Congolese name given at birth and means 'musician' in Otetela.
I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4
