Ladies of Hiphop

Since Nazizi busted into the scene almost a dozen years back with the Ted Josiah produced Ni Sawa Tu. There has been nothing much to be written about ladies in Hip-hop here in Kenya, and despite the successes in the recent past of femcees such as L-Ness and STL; representing the underground and mainstream respectively, the Hip-hop game has remained a male playing field. Some of the few ladies, who have attempted to get in the game, have lost a grip of the M.I.C sometimes even before holding it.

Hip-hop's first lady Nazizi

It wasn’t until recently when the two male emcees Abbas and MK teamed up with the 20-year-old first time female rapper Chantelle, for the catchy Tokelzea hit-song,that we actually heard a new female voice spitting over a rap track.

Chantelle of Tokelezea hit

Could Chantelle (who confessed in an interview with Evegal that she had never thought of rapping) be the new Hip-hop queen? The answer might just be a big ‘NO’, that’s if what comes from the tongues of two teenage femcees, who go by the name Mabinti Na sanaa is anything to go by.

Shikow-the one half of Mabiniti na sanaa

This two form three students Shikow and Samantha who school at Nembu Girls and St. Peters High school in Thika respectively, are determined to redefine the notion that Hip-hop is strictly a male affair.

Jana (i.e. yesterday) afternoon, the two were at Radio Citizen Studios for an interview with Mambo Mseto’s Mzazi Willy Tuva. Our crew at Dakika! Media had their frequencies tuned to the station (Radio Citizen), and we managed to collect a little info on what these two princesses are all about, and why it would be safe to term them as the next Hip-hop queens despite their tender age.     

At only 17 years of age, Samantha and Shikow are arguably the youngest female emcees rep’ing the game right now. The two come across with dope lines and rawest flow that would make many wannabe emcees swallow a chillpill.

When asked what their source of inspiration was and why they chose Hip-hop, Shikow and Samantha never minced their words. For Samantha Hip-hop is life, an avenue to express her feelings and what she goes through on a daily. Whereas for her partner in rhyme, Shikow-Hip-hop is a way to educate the society and block it from going astray. However, when she termed Hip-hop as, a mental creativity done by the oppressed mentality-It was clear her knowledge and passion for Hip-hop wasn’t random, she must have received it from somewhere. When the show presenter sought to establish their source of Hip-hop knowledge. Shikow was ready with a response, “This something you can’t learn from skul”. Samantha came in clearer stating that they are getting their groom under the wings of Ukoo Flani Mau mau.

And if you thought there musical journey started jana, think again. It was back in 2006 when the two were schoolmates, as standard six primary school kids, that Shikow met with Zakah of Wenyeji-a Hip-hop group under Ukoo Flani mau mau.

At the time, Shikow had been writing rhymes, and as she says Zakah took her on lessons on how to convert such rhymes into rap songs. In the process she also learned what hip-hop was all about, and since Samantha was her best-friend-she didn’t mind tagging her along.

The two who will be sitting for their National academic examinations next year, are currently enjoying their August Holiday season before resuming to their studies early next month. They are determined to use this brief holiday season to record more songs, shoot a video, do shows, interviews, and have an album ready for December release. Most of these activities are spearheaded by their manager Nimoh (of Sauti Ya Mabintii project).

Yesterday, the femcees who record their music at illest Entertainment and 32 recordz in Dandora, debuted there single Young Generations featuring their mentor Zakah of Wenyeji. Based on what I heard, MC Lyte is back!

There message for other female emcees is that they are angels and should persevere, trust in themselves, avoid the traps in the streets and never give up.

Now, show me 2 dope female emcees, and I will show you Samantha and Shikow.

Mzazi Willy M Tuva of Radio Citizen's Mambo Mseto Show