{{short description|Malawian hip hop artist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Tay Grin | image = | image_size = 517 x 599 pixels | landscape = <!-- No, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = Tay Grin at Nyasa Music Awards 2018 | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Limbani Kalilani<ref>{{Cite web |last=NyasaAuthor1 |date=2024-05-18 |title=Malawians shocked with MAGU university as it cancels Tay Grin’s scheduled concert because his music has Nyau roots - Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi |url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/malawians-shocked-with-magu-university-as-it-cancels-tay-grins-scheduled-concert-because-his-music-has-nyau-roots/ |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=www.nyasatimes.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> | native_name = | native_name_lang = chichewa | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|06|15}} | birth_place = | origin = Blantyre, Malawi | death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date 1st) --> | death_place = | genre = Hip hop Afrobeats | occupation = Rapper, Singer, Businessman | instrument = Vocals | years_active = 2008–present | label = Black Rhyno Entertainment | associated_acts = Yo Maps, Brick & Lace, 2Face, Theo Thomson, Orezi, Vanessa Mdee, Gemini Major, Gwamba, Namadingo, Sonyezo, | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> }} '''Limbani Kalilani''' (born 15 June 1986) is a Malawian Hip Hop artist better known by his stage name '''Tay Grin'''. In 2009 Tay Grin founded an Entertainment & Event Promotion company, which helps to promote events across Malawi. The company is known as Black Rhyno Entertainment. In 2014, Grin won a Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Arts (BEFFTA) award for Best International African Act.<ref name="Chiumia">{{cite web|last1=Chiumia|first1=Thom|title=Tay Grin scoops Star Award in Beffta UK 2016: Dedicates to Malawians|url=http://www.nyasatimes.com/tay-grin-scoops-star-award-beffta-uk-2016-dedicates-malawians/|work=Nyasa Times|date=November 2016 |accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> In 2016, he won the BEFFTA Star Award in the music category.<ref name="Chiumia" /> He has performed at the annual Lake of Stars Music Festival.<ref name=Mbowa>{{cite web|last1=Mbowa|first1=Aida|title=Malawi Lake of Stars festival: good music is just the half of it|url=http://mgafrica.com/article/2014-08-07-lake-of-stars-festival-much-more-than-a-celebration-of-music|work=Mail & Guardian|accessdate=21 March 2015}}</ref> He also won the 2016 WatsUp TV Africa Music Video Awards Best Traditional Video award,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://pulse.com.gh/music/wamva-2016-diamond-platnumz-shatta-wale-beyonce-win-big-see-full-list-of-winners-id5963000.html|title=WAMVA 2016: Diamond Platnumz, Shatta Wale, Beyonce win big; see full list of winners|last=Mawuli|first=David|access-date=14 June 2018|archive-date=17 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817205320/http://www.pulse.com.gh/music/wamva-2016-diamond-platnumz-shatta-wale-beyonce-win-big-see-full-list-of-winners-id5963000.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> with the Video Chipapapa featuring 2baba. He has also won numerous local awards like the Nyasa Music awards and the Urban Music People (UMP Awards) in categories such as best live act, best video and best Male artist.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kapindu|first=Harold|date=9 October 2016|title=Gwamba, Tay Grin tie with 4 UmP nominations|work=Nyasa Times|url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/gwamba-tay-grin-tie-4-ump-awards-nominations/|access-date=18 September 2020}}</ref> In 2018, he won the UMP Fashion awards for Most Fashionable Celebrity.

==Business ventures==

Tay is the CEO of Black Rhyno Entertainment. Under this label he signed other local artists, notably Kumbu, who is now no longer with the label. Most notable achievements of the label was bringing international artists to perform most notably Brick and Lace, Ice Prince, Sean Kingston and Naeto C. In 2016, he went to USA along with Zani Challe.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-06-27 |title=Malawi celebrity singers Tay Grin, Zani Challe to perform together in America - Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi |url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi-celebrity-singers-tay-grin-zani-challe-perform-together-america/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=www.nyasatimes.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Tay Grin also launched a fruit drink called Chipapapa in 2018.

==Politics==

In September 2018, Tay Grin announced his intentions to contest in the 2019 tripartite elections for a parliamentary seat in Lilongwe City Centre, Malawi in africa. He lost the elections.<ref>{{cite news|last=All|first=Africa|date=30 June 2020|title=Malawi: Tay Grin Says No Regrets Campaigning for DPP-UDF Alliance - Dan Lu Drops 'Everything Happens for a Reason'|work=Entertainment News|publisher=All Africa|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/202007010263.html|accessdate=18 September 2020}}</ref>

==Personal life==

Tay Grin is a son to Dr Jean Kalilani, a former cabinet minister<ref>{{Cite news |title=Malawi: DPP Unveils Rapper Tay Grin As Candidate in MP Bisnowaty's Lilongwe City Central |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/201809240461.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924150323/https://allafrica.com/stories/201809240461.html |archive-date=24 September 2018 |access-date=2024-12-30 |work=allAfrica.com |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref> and a senior official in the Malawi's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government. He is not married but has a daughter from a previous relationship.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{Portal bar|Africa|Biography|Music|Malawi}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Grin, Tay}} Category:21st-century Malawian male singers Category:Living people Category:1984 births Category:People from Blantyre Category:Malawian rappers Category:Musicians from Blantyre Category:Malawian male pop singers Category:Malawian hip-hop singers Category:Malawian hip-hop musicians Category:The UMP Awards winners Category:Maso Awards winners

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