Big Zuu
Zuhair Hassan (born 19 August 1995), known professionally as Big Zuu, is a British rapper, grime MC, songwriter, DJ and television personality from Kilburn, West London. He is best known for presenting Big Zuu's Big Eats for Dave.
Big Zuu | |
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Birth name | Zuhair Hassan[1] |
Born | 19 August 1995 24)[2] London, England | (age
Origin | Kilburn, London, England[3] |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active | 2015–present[4] |
Labels |
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Associated acts |
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Website | bigzuu |
Early and personal life
Hassan was born in London and grew up on the Mozart Estate in Kilburn.[3] His mother is from Sierra Leone and his father is from Lebanon, however, his father was absent during his childhood.[5][6] During his gap year between college and university, Hassan worked as a mentor for young children in a secondary school in Haggerston, East London.[4][7] He then spent two years at Goldsmiths University in New Cross towards a social work degree. He is a member of the MTP crew (My Team Paid), a rap group that consists of his cousin AJ Tracey and other grime MCs such as Ets and others;[4] much like AJ Tracey, his first demos were recorded at their local youth centre, The Rugby Club, which let them use their studio so long as no expletives were used during the recording, forcing him to become creative to make his point.[8]
In a 2018 interview with Red Bull, Hassan stated that his music style was influenced by "old school" artists such as Tupac Shakur, Jme, P Money, Ghetts and Skepta.[4]
He is a supporter of Liverpool FC.[9]
Television career
In late 2019, UKTV channel Dave commissioned a new food show starring Hassan and various stand-up comedians. The show began broadcasting on 15 May 2020. It features Hassan and two friends, Tubsey and Hyder, in a 10-part series cooking for stand-up comedians who were touring the UK. For each comedian they prepare a made-to-order pre-show appetiser, followed by a three-course meal.[1]
In May 2020, Big Zuu's Big Eats began broadcasting. Comedians Rosie Jones, Desiree Burch, Ed Gamble, Jamali Maddix, Jimmy Carr, Josh Widdicombe, London Hughes, Lou Sanders, Phil Wang and Guz Khan make guest appearances in the series.[10]
Discography
Singles
As featured artist
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
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UK[11] | UK Ind.[12] | SCO[13] | ||||
"Uncontrollable"
(KSI featuring Big Zuu) |
2018 | 89 | 11 | 85 | Non-album single | |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
References
- "Dave commissions new food show with Big Zuu and stand-ups". British Comedy Guide. 26 November 2019.
- "BIG ZUU CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH CLEAN VISUALS FOR "SO BLESSED"". GRM Daily. 19 August 2019.
- Hancox, Dan (27 May 2018). "Grime MC Big Zuu: 'The people's response to Grenfell was way better than the government's'". The Guardian.
- "Big Zuu interview: AJ Tracey's cousin is blowing up". Red Bull. 5 September 2018.
- "Big Zuu Interview: KSI Collab, His Come Up, Being A Youth Worker and Music career Transition". Amarudontv via YouTube. 11 September 2018.
- "Big Zuu interview - Big Zuu's Big Eats". British Comedy Guide. 11 May 2020.
- Bassil, Ryan (11 May 2020). "Big Zuu Doesn't Really Go Clubbing – Except The Time He Went With Drake". VICE.
- "Big Zuu | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- "Liverpool's Premier League title freestyle challenge in 90 seconds". BBC Sport. 3 May 2019.
- "Big Zuu's Big Eats". British Comedy Guide.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 June 2020.