The DNC

Ugandan-born emcee Chobo moved to Norway with his mother and 5 siblings at age 13, in search of a better life. It didn’t take long for Chobo to immerse himself in hip-hop and R&B music, and within a few years, he mastered both English and Norwegian (2 of the 4 languages he’s fluent in) and started free-stylin’ with his classmates on street corners to earn some extra money and impress the ladies.

Fast-forward a few years, and Chobo was a regular at clubs in Norway, invited by DJ’s to free-style over old school grooves to entertain the crowds. At the same time, Joachim “J Ryggs” Rygg was writing and producing music for some of Europe’s hottest TV shows, including Norway’s popular “Big Brother” series. The show’s theme song, composed by J Ryggs, was released as a single and became the most-played song at radio that year. J Ryggs was writing and producing for several artists, and a chance encounter with one of Chobo’s sisters put the two in touch. After creating a few magical songs together, they laid the foundation for what was to become the Dual Nations Collective: The DNC.

J Ryggs and Chobo envisioned The DNC as “urban/pop mixed with hip-hop at a non-stop party.” They wanted to incorporate an international sound in contemporary party music with the fun and swagger of legends like James Brown, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson, Tom Jones and Salt ‘N Pepa.

Seeking new opportunities for The DNC, J Ryggs packed up his gear and came to the United States. Since then, The DNC’s music has been heard by millions of ears in movies and television shows, including “Center Stage 2”, “Ping Pong Playa”, “Save The Last Dance 2” , “American Pie: The Naked Mile”, “How I Met Your Mother”,” “Las Vegas”, “CSI: NY”, “Dollhouse“, “Ghost Whisperer”, “Scrubs,” . The DNC’s “Swing Baby Swing” is being used in a national television advertising campaign in Canada commemorating the 25th anniversary of their Lotto 649 game.

The DNC has just completed their debut album and true to their multi-national background, they’ve collaborated with talented friends from all over the world, including well-known Jamaican/UK Dancehall/Reggae artist, Ms. Triniti and Kenyan-born emcee, Stella “StL” Mwangi.