{{short description| Bangladeshi-British rapper (born 1978)}} {{Use British English|date=November 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Deeder Zaman | image = | image_size = 220 | caption = | birth_name = Saidullah Zaman | native_name_lang = bn | alias = {{flat list | * Deeder Zaman }} | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1978|7|25}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = | death_place = | instrument = {{flat list | * Vocals * percussion * bass * electric guitar }} | genre = {{flat list | * Alternative hip hop * jungle * reggae fusion * dub }} | occupation = Rapper | years_active = 1993–present | label = {{flat list | * Simple Tings * Beat * Modulor * United Sound Records }} | current_member_of = {{flat list | * Asian Dub Foundation * Rebel Uprising }} | website = {{URL|deederzaman.com/}} }}
'''Saidullah ''' "'''Deeder'''" '''Zaman''' ({{langx|bn|সাঈদউল্লাহ দিদার জামান}}; Hindi: सईदउल्लाह दीदार जमान; born 25 July 1978) is a Bangladeshi-British rapper and former lead vocalist for British band Asian Dub Foundation.
== Early life == Zaman got involved with music when he was six years old and used to breakdance.<ref name="swadhinata">{{cite news|last=Iqbal|first=Jamil|url=http://www.swadhinata.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=181&Itemid=212|title=Mr Deeder Zaman|publisher=Swadhinata Trust|date=25 April 2006|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref> He was nine years old<ref name="karosh">{{cite news|last=Karlach|first=Jan|url=http://www.karosh.net/en/text-and-photos/interview-with-deeder-zaman-324.html|title=Interview with Deeder Zaman|publisher=Karosh|date=12 May 2005|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref> when he first started making music and performed his first live performance at age 11. He used to perform with his sister, Parul. He was also a member of Joi Bangla.<ref name="swadhinata"/><ref name="Technicolor">{{cite book|last1=Nelson|first1=Alondra|author1-link=Alondra Nelson|last2=Tu|first2=Thuy Linh N.|last3=Hines|first3=Alicia Headlam|title=Technicolor: Race, Technology, and Everyday Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s93SFzmc2psC&pg=PA97|year=2001|publisher=New York University Press|page=97|isbn=978-0814736043}}</ref> Zaman grew up on reggae and hip hop music, and got into jungle in his teens.<ref name="greenleft">{{cite news|last=Ward|first=Mat|url=https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/50030|title=Former Asian Dub Foundation frontman: From pop star, to activist and back again|work=Green Left Weekly|date=14 February 2012|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref>
Zaman's father is a homoeopathic doctor, and his elder brother, Saifullah "Sam" Zaman (1965–2015, also known as State of Bengal), was a DJ and music producer.<ref name="independent">{{cite news|last=K|first=Sanj|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/sam-zaman-musician-who-emerged-from-londons-asian-underground-to-work-with-bjork-and-massive-attack-10383639.html|title=Sam Zaman: Musician who emerged from London's Asian Underground to work with Bjork and Massive Attack|work=The Independent|date=20 May 2015|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref> In 1987, Zaman became an original member of his brother's State of Bengal group, which included MC Mustaq.<ref name="swadhinata"/><ref name="karosh"/><ref name="The Dawn of Indian Music in the West">{{cite book|last=Lavezzoli|first=Peter|title=The Dawn of Indian Music in the West|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OSZKCXtx-wEC&q=MC+Deedar&pg=PA344|year=2007|publisher=Continuum-3PL|page=344|isbn=978-0826428196}}</ref> Zaman attended Stratford School.
==Career== At the age of 14, Zaman joined Community Music,<ref name="greenleft"/> a London-based educational organisation that focuses on collective music making,<ref name="innerviews">{{cite news|last=Prasad|first=Anil|url=http://www.innerviews.org/inner/adf.html|title=Innerviews: Asian Dub Foundation - Collective musings|publisher=Innerviews: Music Without Borders|year=2006|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref> at Community Music House in Farringdon,<ref name="swadhinata"/> where bassist Dr Das (Aniruddha Das) taught music technology and civil rights worker DJ John Pandit (Pandit G)<ref name="The New Rolling Stone Album Guide">{{cite book|last1=Brackett|first1=Nathan|last2=Hoard|first2=Christian David|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|url=https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac|url-access=registration|year=2004|publisher=Simon & Schuster|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/n38 25]|isbn=978-0743201698}}</ref> helped him out as a youth worker. Zaman attended workshops teaching youths the basics of music technology.<ref name="The Rough Guide to Rock">{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Peter|title=The Rough Guide to Rock|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fie47qSuTsoC&q=Deedar+Zaman&pg=PR2-IA45|year=2003|publisher=Rough Guides|page=43|isbn=978-1843531050}}</ref> In late 1993, the three formed Asian Dub Foundation as a sound system<ref name="The Rough Guide to Rock"/> to play at anti-racist gigs. The following year, they recruited guitarist Chandrasonic<ref name="Word and Image">{{cite book|last=Meyer|first=Michael|title=Word and Image in Colonial and Postcolonial Literatures and Cultures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xDj68ypOf4kC&pg=PA265|year=2001|publisher=New York University Press|pages=264–265|isbn=9042027436}}</ref> and evolved into a band.<ref name="The Rough Guide to Rock"/> The final member, Sun-J, joined in 1995.<ref name="Word and Image"/> Zaman was the lead vocalist<ref name="innerviews"/> for Asian Dub Foundation<ref name="greenleft"/> and was known as Master D.<ref name="The New Rolling Stone Album Guide"/><ref name="guardian">{{cite news|last=Lester|first=Paul|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/jan/24/artsfeatures|title=Rappers with a cause|work=The Guardian|date=24 January 2003|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="thesundaytimes">{{cite news|last=Armstrong|first=Stephen|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/culture/article107999.ece|title=Pop: Asian, but not underground|work=The Sunday Times|date=3 April 2005|access-date=1 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107060343/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/pop-asian-but-not-underground-gj2332rgfrl|archive-date=7 November 2017|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="Beyond Exoticism">{{cite book|last=Taylor|first=Timothy Dean|title=Beyond Exoticism: Western Music and the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E6BzNMqEQ5sC&pg=PA159|year=2004|publisher=Simon & Schuster|page=158|isbn=978-0822339687}}</ref>
In December 2000,<ref name="swadhinata"/> he left the band after being inspired by activist work while recording the Asian Dub Foundation song "Free Satpal Ram" about Satpal Ram, a young man who was convicted of murder in what he claimed was self-defense against a racist attack.<ref name="greenleft"/> Zaman then devoted his energies to civil rights and anti-racism organisations.<ref name="innerviews"/> He has worked for the National Civil Rights Movement, the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism, the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation and the Children with AIDS Charity.<ref name="greenleft"/>
In 2002, Zaman formed Rebel Uprising with multi-instrumentalist Passion and bassist Dennis Rootical from Iration Steppas.<ref name="greenleft"/> In January 2008, Zaman's debut solo album, ''Minority Large'', was released by Beat Records. In October 2011, his second solo album, ''Pride of the Underdog'', was released by Modulor.<ref name="greenleft"/>
Zaman contributed to the soundtracks of the 1999 film ''Brokedown Palace'' and the 2006 film ''The Namesake''.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/1302060/Deeder-Saidullah-Zaman|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309224923/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/1302060/Deeder-Saidullah-Zaman|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 March 2016|title=Deeder Saidullah Zaman|location=New York|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|year=2016|access-date=1 February 2015}}</ref>
Zaman's music features hip hop, reggae and ragas. When he was in Asian Dub Foundation, the genres featured were also punk or jungle punk, but his music is now roots-based with early reggae and nyabinghi influences. He plays percussion, bass, and guitar. His musical influences include Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Public Enemy, Tony Rebel, and Paban Das Baul.<ref name="swadhinata"/>
==Discography==
===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album details ! scope="col"| Chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Certifications |- ! |- ! scope="row" | ''Minority Large'' | *Released: 28 January 2008 *Label: Beat Records *Formats: CD, Digital Download | | |- ! scope="row" | ''Pride of the Underdog'' | *Released: 31 October 2011 *Label: Modulor *Formats: CD, Digital Download | |- |}
==See also== *Asian Underground *British Bangladeshis *List of British Bangladeshis
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} *{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=deeder-zaman-mn0002789544|label=Deeder Zaman}} *{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=saidullah-zaman-mn0003242233|label=Saidullah Zaman}} *{{Discogs artist|artist=721123-Deeder-Zaman|name=Deeder Zaman}} {{col-2}} *[https://www.reverbnation.com/deederzaman Deeder Zaman] on ReverbNation *{{itunes|gb/artist/deeder-zaman/id271469272|Deeder Zaman}} {{col-end}}
{{Asian Dub Foundation}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaman, Deeder}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:English Muslims Category:English people of Bangladeshi descent Category:English hip-hop musicians Category:English male rappers Category:British activists Category:Hip-hop activists Category:Desi musicians Category:Rappers from London Category:Writers from London Category:People educated at Stratford School