THESE ARE OUR HEROES

Story by Chris Prodigy
Photos: Courtesy

October   is here with us once again, with it comes a great significance to us as a Kenyan people. Even of greater significance is its 20^th day, a day that has been set aside to accord our heroes the respect they deserve. when I  talk  about  our heroes I’m referring  to  Dedan Kimathi, Tom Mboya  and other heroes on the same spectrum. I consent  the above mentioned  played an imperative  role in liberating  Kenya, but  I also think  iconz like  K-shaka  also deserve to   be accorded the same respect   as our heroes.  I also think they (Kalamashaka) deserve more than footnote coverage in the history book.  I am not being disrespectful  to our founding fathers, but ask  a  person who has grown up in the 80’s  and 90’s , who he can identify more easily with; K-shaka  or our founding father? Don’t get me wrong I’m not undermining  what our heroes  did, some went to the extent of sacrificing their lives , in order for our country to be liberated and I  applaud them  for that- no sarcasm or pan intended, seriously I applaud them straight from the heart.

After gaining independence  we thought  that  our country will be the land of milk and honey,  bt the harsh reality begun to seep in,  the justice system became  the mockery of freedom, poverty begun to bite, people were judged according to class, being a youth was a crime, if you were from the ghetto that made it worse, you were eligible to catch a bullet, We lacked the medium to express ourselves, being poor was seen as a kind of  Nemesis and we were contended  with that state,  mental liberation was a mirage.  

However, in 1995 something happened; a Swahili rap trio was formed consisting of Johny Vigeti, Kama and Roba Oteraw. This marked an era, an era of revolution. The group boldly addressed police brutality, the issue of poverty , and classism; Before Kalamashaka  mere mentioning of the  poor man’s  pain and  fighting for justice was synonymous to  welcoming the grim reaper, being in the ghetto was like serving  a life sentence behind mental bars , hope  never existed in our dictionary, but thanks to K-shaka  for substituting the word despair with hope. There lyrics were not only captivating, but  the lyrics were also enlightening , impossible was substituted  with we can, breaking free from the mental bondage  was  likened to wishful thinking  , but through their lyrics they made it a tangible reality, their lyrics were beyond mundane, the knowledge they kicked  could be equated to the mind behind the pyramids. They moved the crowd not with the “kapuka” oriented themes, but with kinetic wisdom, everything they kicked was bereft of ignorance. I can safely say that K-shaka paved way for other hiphop artists  and I find it preposterous when some rappers who are lyrically breathing, because of K-shaka  acting rather impertinent, it’s like trying to bite the hand that feeds you. Yep, I agree that K-shaka should be the epitome of morality that the youth should adhere to, but it should also be noted that nobody is perfect, everyone has his flaws.

Jay-z once said, “How does it feel assessing something from the outside looking in, most of the times you might be wrong”.  I know it’s debatable if Kalamashaka have lived up to the legendary status, bt someone once said, “Before you judge, walk a mile in my shoes and you will get the clear view”.

Next time the nation will be glued on TV immortalizing our founding fathers, I will be bumping Ni wakati, Nairrobery, Dandora Burning and other legends who befit the honors. Before I sign out   I would like to big up the meager section of the media, true hiphop fans and other like-minded individuals for showing love to the legends.

The Power of a Gal: Lness Launches her album

By Nasta

The calendar reads Saturday 21^st day of July 2012, the time is around half past 7pm, according to my estimate. Together with Dakika Media’s VO, we are on our way to the YMCA studios to have a brief with the DaKicker crew on how best to cover the Lness' Gal Power album launch.

We pass by the venue-Goethe Institute and as expected the event that was scheduled to start at 7pm has only a handful of souls. Ask GQ’seditor Andy Moris, and he’ll tell you it is “Hiphop Time”. The sound and light engineers are busy making sure that everything is in order, and truth be told their output is turning out to be quite commendable.

Kick a few minutes off,  and it is now quarter past eight when we make our way into the venue. Jefro of the Madlove fam has just finished praying. In the house are some of Hiphop’s respectable emcees who include Oksyde , Ekori, and Gandhi Blaka.  The DJ is busy mixing everything that is quality upbeat hiphop-mostly from the 90s. A few names are dropped and their bearers jump to the stage for some cipher session, amongst them being SoReal and Jefro. Despite the latter being gospel, he manages to drop some tight verses on Gangsta rap instrumentals, all in the glory of God’s Kingdom.

MC for the night is Pepe Haze and he does some good work keeping the audience engaged. The curtain raisers include Monaja, Radii, K47 and a host of others who have all showed up, to show nothing but love. It is now 9pm, and the energy inside the fairly small auditorium is to the roof top, but so is the heat and low is the circulation of air. 

We decide to step out for a breath of fresh air and while there,  we get to see even more familiar faces amongst them Washamba wenza, Khaligragh Jones (who had been hosted on Hot96 earlier in the day), Shaky, and a few members of the head bangaz clique-who stream out to welcome their defacto leader Kimya. 

Their activities cause quite a stir and after a few photo sessions, they go inside the auditorium. By this time there is more action on the outside than there is on the inside. VO walks to the event’s magnet, non other than Lness herself, who by this time is seated at the contact desk together with his son Paul and daughter Subira. VO proceeds to tell Lness that she is the night’s pied piper, and if she walked into the auditorium, everyone seated and standing out would follow into her footsteps. 

Before they can finish up with their brief conversation, the sound of Kimya dropping his classic Maliza Njaa, draws everyone who had stepped out back inside.

Finally the moment that for long had been waited for dawns, and Lness clutches the MIC after a meticulous intro by Pepe Haze. Everyone is looking all round like Maasai men from Rongai, trying to figure out where the Lioness is. With a mic gripped on her left hand, she emerges from the back of the crowd dressed in an almost all red everything. The crowed cheers as the Queen of Hiphop-since Nazizi went Reggae and STL techno-takes to the stage roaring with vicious rhymes that symbolizes a Hiphop emcee who has truly come of age.

She spits rhyme after rhyme, line after line, verse after verse, and track after track, much to the pleasure of those in attendance. In between her performances are appearances by featured artists amongst them Radii and K47, but the crowning moment comes when her Lion, the ever energetic His honor J.U.D.G.E  steps to the stage to help his queen tear down the party with the 2004/2005 classic hit Msanii, which was featured on Ukoo Flanii Mau Mau’s  Kilio Cha Haki album.

While holding the crowd’s attention like a gavel, and showing total disregard of any appeals to take it slow, the unforgiving judge pounces the frenzy filled crowd back into time, when he calls Shaky(Mandugu Digi) into the stage to drop one of the best Hiphop records to ever emerge from Kenya.

On realizing that we might just be tempted to party with Lness and her team all night, we decide to call it night.

Despite being an absolutely amazing show, it was saddening to see a few rappers, who presumably were not on the performance list, pestering the DJ and the MC to slot them in.

Follow us: @TheNasta

                 @DakikaMedia

Around Nairobi.

By Vo.

Recently luck luster music has surrounded the atmosphere and a sought of dead passion engulfed my love for the reason I color my world. Man, Kenyan music sucks!!!!!!!! I can’t stand the radio. Am sorry but I shun 1 FM from my radio frequency like the same reason they bury corpses at the cemetery let Kenyan music be there.

But that was until I ran into ‘Oksyde & Sudough – Nairobi rappers’. They sparked interest. The boys tell of the epic tale about the city of Nairobi and the taste they savor from the music that defines their world.  

I recommend this to every one that suffers from a deficiency in their music, a prescription suited to remedy that spark into their life, believe me it works. A dose of the duos song every morning and evening is meant to keep you on a reasonable music high.

Trust; justlisten……….. “Oksyde & Sudough – Nairobi rappers”

Hiphop's Prodigal Sons

By Nasta
This post is about those musical  acts who would have been Hip-hop sons but got away for one reason or the other, we call them prodigal sons coz we believe that one day, just like the proverbial Jewish kid  they’ll return to our hiphop hut. 

Nyashisnki

Nyash the former Klepto member is arguably the best talent Ogopa has ever had to present if you ask me. As much as Kleptomaniacs was a predominantly commercial group with hits such as Hare and Swing Swing. There was always something about this group that made it clear to us, they wouldn’t be wiped off as part of the kapuka bandwagon. That something must had been Nyash’s lyrical delivery.

Almost single handedly this guy tackled the fiercest battle emcees at the time- FBI, head on. His opponents in FBI included the likes of Chiwawa, Chizi Noma, Wardhess, Attitude, and Bamboo amongst others.

Although his subliminal diss track Tuendelee that he did under Klepto, became a singalong to evry Tom, Dick, Harry…Jane, Daisy and Mary, Nyashisnki’s lyricism left every Hip-hop head thinking like Damn! Picture this…

“Kabla single yako ipite yangu kwa chati/

                               geuza jina, geuza flow, geuza trouser na shati/

                                   Na bado ukitoboa kuni guza ni bahati/

                                     Naroga na kihindi tena kigujarati/

                                      Yeah, zaga blow/ zigi zao zigi zao/

                                   Kutema na mimi, lazima utupe mbao/

                             Yule jamaa muli dharau saa ana spit ka binduki/

                              (za makarao) chiki plow, chiki chiki plow plow”

If that’s not proof enough that  Nyashinski is indeed a runaway Hip-hop son, then you need to pay attention to his verses in songs such as Amani’s Bad Boy, Motorola-sponsosered Tatizo and Klepto’s Bado Niko.  If you are not convinced after that then in Jay Z’s words, your whole perspective is whack.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Nonini

“Ukistaajabu ya Maina Kageni, Haukuyaskia ya mwimbaji Nonini” so goes a corrupted version of an old Swahili saying. Hubert Nakitare otherwise known as Nonini, is one man who shook the moral ground of an entire nation, and became a topic of discussion on almost every one lips. The ‘explicit’ lyrics in songs such as Manzi wa Nairobi, wee kamu and Keroro, which catapulted him to fame, became a curse that almost ended his musical career. Yet like Nas who in 2001 crawled out of the grave of a failed commercial stint, Nonini too came out of his musical depression, with a fresh sound that not only redeemed his face on the national glare, but also earned him immense respect within Hip-hop circles.

His 2005 diss track to Rufftone that he did under esoteric records alongside Walanguzi and Lord Shiri was nothing short of a Hip-hop great. And then there was Waliotuacha, Nimetoka Mbali , Hii Ngoma Ni Yako and the classic Ghetto Tale Labda ft. Jua Cali and Mahatma,  all of which had themes only synonymous to that of a Hip-hop track.

In recent times, this self proclaimed Godfather of Genge has continued to earn respect amongst Hip-hop heads, mostly for his lyrical content  in tracks like Kadhaa rmx, Heshima, Color Kwa Face and the new one  Ha-he remix.

Nonini whose musical themes revolve around Love, Hustle, struggles and respect for all, is not only doing it through records. Just over a fortnight ago he took to twitter and facebook citing lack of lyrical content as one of the troubles with the music industry. As much as all indications show that he is part and parcel of the Hip-hop movement, Nonini has decided to stick to Genge, a genre he co-founded. If this man is not a hiphop prodigal son, I don’t know  who is.

Mejja

Whether Mejja should be on this list is totally debatable, nonetheless a few of his verses makes him a suitable feature. In his 2008 Bongo La Biashara hit alongside Jua Cali, Mejja gave it his all lyrically. Coming in as an underdog and totally washing out his mentor ‘Baba yao’. 

Mejja’s lyricism might not be as complex as that of a certified Hip-hop lyricist; however his way with words is something that is undeniable.  Mejja’s wittiness always comes through regardless of the theme he rhymes about. Whether he is paying homage to his hood, recollecting thoughts after a night-out, or complaining about an obnoxious landlord, you can be assured of Mejja’s delivery.

One more thing that endears this comical genge rapper to Hip-hop lovers is his refusal to detach himself from his ghetto roots and always keeping it real. 

 

Gkon

Years back when WaPI was still at The British Council, I used to see him getting on the stage to lyrically battle other rappers. Although he was far from my favorite freestyler, I considered him an OK rapper and that’s where my thought of him took a stall. Fast forward to 2011 and Gkon reemerges, albeit not as a Hip-hop son, but a Hip-hop prodigal son.

He has been considered by many as a sell-out and as his commercial success continues to rise, his respect within Hip-hop nation keeps fading. 

E-sir

Every third month of each year, flashbacks of the untimely death of a great musical talent engulfs the minds of many Kenyan youth. It is almost a decade since the passing of E-Sir, a kid who rerouted the direction of local music. Although his allegiance was to Ogopa DeeJays-a stable viewed as the one responsible to the decline of Kenyan Hip-hop, E-Sir had a special talent that would’ve easily opened doors for him to freely mingle amongst hip-hop’s sons and daughters.

From the onset of his career E-sir earned the title ‘South C’s Finest’ from his fans, reminiscence to Brooklyn’s Finest, a title that had been reserved to a lyrical genius, the Late Notorious B.I.G (whose death anniversary incidentally falls in March). It wasn’t therefore by accident that E-Sir’s fans likened him to the legend Biggie Smalls. Just like Biggie, E-Sir had natural lyrical skill and tracks such as Jo, sare, and Lyrical Tongue twister did a good showcase of that. His track Hamnitishi ft.Talia Oyando was a very introspective track, and yet another great display from the dearly departed.

Bobby Mapesa

In a recent interview with a local press, Bobby boasted of his unmatched lyricism, a showoff that many of you reading are likely to disregard. Nonetheless, this Huruma bred rapper has had flashes of brilliance, throughout his musical career.

There you have it…so next time you meet any of these artists ask them why they decided to abandon Hiphop when they had the potential to exploit it. Others worth mentioning include Collo, Cannibal, Prezzo.

The Tale of a Lonely Hip-hop Island

Once upon a time there lived three white boys, one of them was called Jorma “Jorm” Taccone (pronounced Yorma Tuh-cone-nee), while the other two were named Akiva Scaffer and Andy Samberg. The three boys came together in 2001 to form the comic rap group The Lonely Island, and later on in 2005 they started a series of online short skits titled Saturday Night Live, which has a pulling of millions in terms of YouTube views, and now features on NBC as SNL Digital Short.  Amongst their popular tracks are Jack Sparrow, On the Boat ft T-Pain and the weirdo, I just had Sex ft. Akon. 

The latter song must had captured the attention of AFAR- a travel magazine ,  and so one day Jorm got a call from them, asking him to take part in a journey to a random destination and then write about his experience. The project was dubbed Spin the globe. Jorm agreed to it, and his random location happened to be Kenya. The  New-yorker later packed up his bags, and booked February 2011 as his month of travel. While here, Jorm thought of collaborating with a local rapper, and through a hotel clerk, he got introduced the ultimate story teller-cum-rapper Rabbit. Jorma met up with Rabbit after listening to ‘Jam Na Kam’ which was the lead single for Kenyan rapper’s debut album Tales of Kaka Sungura. The two formed a musical bond and it was only natural for them to hit the studio and do a track together titled ‘Simba’.

 

YOUTUBE VIDEO

‘Simba’ (lion) got featured on Rabbit’s 3^rd mixtape King, and a video that had been done for it was uploaded on TheLonelyIsland YouTube Channel, about four months later. With the massive online following that The Lonely Island enjoys, this video became the 1^st music video  featuring a Kenyan artist, to hit  close to a million views in just 3 months-a status that not even Kenya’s first viral video makmende by  Just-a-band, or the now rated #1 Kenyan Music video on YouTube ‘Kigeugeu’ by Jaguar could reach.

However, despite the video's wide view from across the globe, one fact that is rather disturbing became apparent through it. Most of the viewers were for the first time seeing and listening to a rap song done by a Kenyan and in Sheng for that matter. Even more shocking are the comments they've been making on the YouTube video. To a number of them; Kenya exists as a Stone Age third world nation, where rap civilization is yet to reach. For instance one of the viewers quips;

“So I’m Christian and my youth group (is) going to Kenya, and I didn’t know there was a rapper there, this is wired O_O” while another comment reads “I thought ghetto posers were just hear in America. I thought Africans were just homeless cloth wearing zebra hunters”. 

Nonetheless, viewers with such opinion were not the only ones posting comments. There were others who liked the song, and really admire the rap skills rabbit has to offer.  As much as they can't understand the language, they can’t get enough of the flow and delivery coming out of Rabbit’s mouth.  About a month ago lordfinchington , stated about the video “I honestly  do not know what this (Rabbit’s rhymes) translates to, but it sounds f*cking amazing.”  While hickelbobbing  wrote “dis nigga (Rabbit) went H.A.M, nd i couldnt even understand him!” (sic).

Despite these positive comments, the negative ones cannot just be ignored, if anything, they are the reason for this post. The comments have gone ahead to prove that whereas Hip-hop is a global phenomenon, with emcees from other nations mostly, United States causing lyrical waves-the wider world has remained oblivious to Kenyan Hip-hop.

With over ten years of active Hip-hop in the country, it would be absurd for anyone to imagine that existence of a Kenyan rapper is weird, more so with the upsurge of online technology that has seen Kenyan music being shared on sites such as Reverbnation, sound cloud and YouTube (that now has a Kenyan page), alongside the online live streaming of local fm stations. 

AFRICAN COUNTERPARTS

Whereas this is the current global perception of Kenyan hiphop, Emcees from other African nations are causing ripples internationally, amongst them is HHP from South Africa who has done collabos with the heavyweights Nas and Talib Kweli, and his videos have become a common feature on MTV Base.   The other one is D-Black a Ghanian emcee whose sophomore album scheduled for January 2012 release features guest appearances from Keri Hilson. Others on D-Black’s The Revelation album are…(wait for this)….Cory Gunz (the 24 year 0ld who goes toe-to-toe with Weezy on 6 foot 7 foot), veteran Twista, and the great emcee from D-Block-  Sheek Louch. Thank God our very own Stella Mwangi aka STL will also be on the album’s track #12 ‘Freaky wit U’. 

DBlack/ photo courtesy of xfmnewscenter.com

Bring it closer home to East Africa, and you find the ever humble South Sudanese Emmanuel Jal doing it big. Tanzania’s Bongo Flava star AY is still riding high on his collabo with Romeo (Master P’s) son, for the song ‘Speak With Your Body’, while bordering Kenya to the East is Somalia who’s son K’naan is an international rapstar in every sense of that word.

MISSED CHANCES

It became a popular belief amongst Kenyan Hip-hop lovers, that when Bamboo relocated to America and did a remix to The Game’s ‘One Blood’, someone would finally take note of what we Kenyans have to offer on the hip-hop spheres. Another one of those moments came when the Kenyan Hip-hop pioneers Kalamashaka did ‘Red, Black, and Green’ with Umi and M1 (of Dead Prez) back in 2007. Once again it became a dream deferred, like seeing Kenyan football team Harambee Stars qualifying for a World Cup event.

When the Hip-hop journalist and emcee Mwafrika, attended the prestigious Rock the Bells Festival in New York back in the 2009, expectations amongst Hip-hop heads in Kenya were elevated. Many had hoped that besides the numerous photos he took with Hip-hop giants such as DJ Premier, Common, KRS One and Immortal Technique, Mwafrika would bring back something more-perhaps news that attendees and participants at the Rock the Bells were interested in Kenyan Hip-hop-regrettably this was not the case. It was yet another missed opportunity for Mwafrika, who has done more for Kenyan Hip-hop, than Kenyan Hip-hop has done for him, to put this East African nation on the map. 

Mwafrika and DJ Primiere at the 2009 Rock the Bells Festivals in New York (Image courtesy of Mwafrika Mwaf)

BLNRB-NRBLN and Translating Hip-hop are two brilliant initiatives by Goethe-Institut Nairobi in partnership with Teichemann Brothers and The House of World Cultures respectively-The projects have made an attempt to expose Kenyan Hip-hop to broader and beyond the boarder audience, (particularly Colombia, Germany, Philippines and Lebanon). The former project has already resulted to veteran Kenyan rappers Abbas, Nazizi and Ukoo Flani, teaming up with a range of German artistes, while a 7 track EP featuring Moroko(Nairobi) and Anne Khan(Berlin) is in the making-thanks for the latter. These are definitely positive indications, and we can only hope for more follow ups of such. 

FINALLY

Jorma’s idea of collaborating with a local rapper as opposed to an Afro-fusion artist doing “Yousou N’Dour/Angelique Kidjo “ type of music (no disrespect to afro fusion), was perhaps the angel’s call we’ve for much too long been waiting for. With all strong indications, that Rabbit might be heading to New York in two months time, for more music projects with  Jorma, and the rest of The Lonely Island. Those who thought that Kenya was just a land of Zebras, Maasais and long distant athletes, will finally get the chance to take note of the country, from the urban culture perspective. 

While in New York the talented 24-year-old rapper Rabbit, is expected to work on a track with the complete set of The Lonely Island, shoot a video for a track from his upcoming second album Orutu ya Masudi, and feature on the highly rated NBC’s Saturday Night Live which has in the past hosted Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Nicki Minaj. The show also hosted the Canadian born rapper Drake a fortnight ago.

L-ness: Queen of The Jungle Roars

Interviewer: V.O
Editor: Nasta
Photos are artiste's own, unless otherwise

Saturday aftay am on my way to meet and endeavor in life experiences plus with what it has to offer, an expedition into my journey with hip-hop.
Am meeting up with a lady whose roots in this music genre, in Kenya per say run deep. So deep, her DNA pattern traces RAP, KICKS & SNARES, PUNCH LINES, as part of its composition you know the ingredients with this music.

LIONESS AKA L-NESS a trip into her relationship with hip-hop. We get into the holistic approach of hip-hop embodying the body, mind and spirit of this discipline. Yes believe that, we go that deep.

Subtle is how I depict the mind of this lady. Gentle, but with insight revealing she’s more than a woman, more so the reason as to why neither hip hop nor her can do without either one.

With L-NESS the feeling is nostalgic with words as she maneuvers in Swahili and English then Sheng AMAZING is what she exposed. (Am not kissing a** but this girl can box a man ‘yaani akuingize Box’).

DM: Why hip-hop?

L-NESS: Hip-hop is a lyrical revelation of real life experiences, this is a sentiment shared all around the world, it’s more of a culture you know a way of living it is what is real. Viewed from a worldwide perspective it’s not a facade or a trend meaning it’s never going away.

DM: First hip-hop experience on stage?

L-NESS: I remember Kenyatta University Culture Week; flippin 32 bars on stage, it was amazing that was the most fascinating experience ever I think they were not prepared for a female Spitta, neither did I, I was to do 16 or 20 bars then leave the stage but the audience kept me going it was amazing, one of my first connections with a crowd.

DM: At a studio?

L-NESS: It was at Samawati studios. I think I remember k-south flava was there, ABBAS alikuwa anaitwa Jerry Dobeez 'doobeezism' yeah........ Hahahahahahaha…Wow nakumbuka they used to say I sounded like 'lady of rage'............. man memories......

DM. Wow you go that back, cool….

DM. Hip- hop influences?

L-NESS: KRS-1 & Kalamashaka.

DM: When did you know this is what I want to do?

L-NESS: While in high school. I listened to a lot of international hip hop, I never staged at all but I used to right lot lyrics sometimes day dreaming rocking a stage, a lot of times I did a lyrical review of tracks I was into music....

DM: Other music affairs that is interest in other genres?

L-NESS: I grew up listening to a lot of music, from reggae to soul, Abba music with cords jazz until I started secretly performing.

DM: Secretly performing?

L-NESS: Yes as a child I did that a lot holding an item as a mic performing to an imaginary crowd with lyrics from soulful sounds hmmmmmmmm memories.

DM. Album you’ve listened to from the beginning to the end?

L-NESS: I believe it was KRS 1. I can’t remember the title but the most outstanding song was ‘still no. 1’

DM: Most powerful song u relate to?

L-NESS: Ken & Kalamashaka – KKK and KRS 1 - am still no. 1

DM: What inspires you when writing or composing music?

L-NESS: Reality, life everything that’s happening.

DM: Parents?

L-NESS: Both of them are alive, they are very supportive, professional teachers’ ooooh n my father was a music teacher….

DM: Kids?

L-NESS: I have 2; a son and a daughter; Paul and Subira.
DM: Beautiful !

DM: J.U.D.G.E?

L-NESS: What about him.....

DM: Let’s talk about Judge, L-ness and Hiphop

L-NESS: Judge has a smooth vibe to his element of art, am more hard core. His beats are more of cords mine just hard out there.... we share the same sentiment lyrically, we go deep lost in thought..........but at the end of the day we complement and critique one another.

DM: Mziki inalipa?

L-NESS: Inalipa wakisema ilipe, but we r on a verge of making it pay. Hatuta ngoja tena now we do it ourselves, ngoja uone.

DM: On music and survival..

L-NESS: Nowadays it’s about show n biz (show and business). And you know if you work so hard on either one there has to be an area that suffers its either there’s too much show and no business or too much business and no show, I don't know but that’s the way it is right now.........

DM: First single you did?
L-NESS: Rusha mikono.

DM: Profession?

L-NESS: Field nutritionist.

DM: Wow how is that experience?
L-NESS: That’s a whole other world, there more to life that what people focus on…. I can say am blessed with life to see what it has to offer and live through whatever experience…..

DM: L-NESS as an artiste?

L-NESS: Hhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm she is dynamic rapping, Tae Kwon Do, singing, graffiti she’s multi- talented.

DM. Hold up……. Tae Kwon Do?

L-NESS: Yes am a red belt

DM; What?

L-NESS: hahahahahahahahahaha lazima u keep fit u know, it’s like when u r on stage u need to be fit to keep it going, I mean I would have also been a b-girl if it came to it- lazima ujichunge.

DM: On books?

L-NESS: Yes I read on a wide array of stuff. Bible code, enemy unmasked, angels and demons, great controversy, bible Koran yeahhhh.

DM: What keeps you going?

L-NESS : God, talent – for its god given, faith, purpose, prayer, encouragement, mentors,,,, yeah.

DM: When do you get time to do all this you know music, projects personal time you know?

L-NESS : Lazima.......... you create time, life is so fast with the daily responsibilities, hustles and everything. Time management is important. When am in the mood I even wake up at early 3am or 4am in order to start getting things done.

DM: 3AM..........
L-NESS: Yes, it’s silent every 1 asleep a proper time for meditation no interruptions when writing. its amazing how sacrifice can get you doing more, amazing...... dedication and hard work.......... with purpose and intention.

DM: Projects…

L-NESS: Sauti za mabinti staging female hip hop talent.
Gal power, a platform to show case Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan female mc's.

DM: what should the people LOOK OUT FOR.

L-NESS : 16 Bars a female hip-hop show for radio.
Sauti za mabinti October 2011
Gal power albums anticipate the album from around November to December 2011.
Get the L-NESS an album know what L-ness is about.......

DM: There's an album? cool

L-NESS : Titled 'Simangwe' features include Kevo from K-force, judge, Abass. Yes get the album its L-ness at her finest 'simangwe'.

DM: How do you handle critisism?

L-NESS : I look at it from a constructive point of view; I gauge whatever is said in order to improve my work. Destructive criticism just ignore that sh** but eventually learn from it.

DM: What keeps you going?

L-NESS : God, talent – for its god given, faith, purpose, prayer, encouragement, mentors,,,, yeah.

DM: What tv programme are you enjoying now?
L-NESS : Changing times its quality is amazing.

DM: If you were not doing what you are doing right now

L-NESS : I would have been a lawyer.

DM: WHAT!!!

L-NESS : I actually wanted to get into that before I got to Nutrition
Otherwise I am hip-hop forever. The lyrics do not stop and never will its eternal.
They think they can stop it but they can’t this is because it is beyond their powers. The game is bigger than that.

DM: Who has hiphhop enabled you to meet and you think that they are amazing, or never thought you would meet ever in your life.

L-NESS: Mama C, she’s in Tanzania she was with the black panthers in America plus all that was happening then, aside from all that I think she is a very enlightening person, open and really true.

DM: Tell me something that i dont know

L-NESS : K-shaka used to be known as 3-D crew when I knew them.

DM: Finally

L-NESS: “It ain't gon neva stop”........ hahahahaha, do you know I never actually listened to 'Nas' until I started. Never in my life (pause), if I missed out on him-I do not know how it would have been.

DM: TRUE DAT.............

OTHER WORDS BY L-NESS (quotes)
There's a connection between music and the heart
Search for the truth most of it is written.
I try to maintain a dynamic perspective with my reading habits.
If you don't do it who do you expect to do it?
I’m more of purpose driven lyrics more of what is not commercialized.

Who's That Girl coming To Kenya?

Let's face it, when was the last time you heard anything from eve? Osama was still alive, Mpesa service was still exclusive to Kenya, and Sonko was just hooked to pure kush (without the power). Eve's verse on Luda's 'my chick is bad (rmx)' was thought to serve as a comeback for her. Since that never came to pass maybe her coming to kenya for the Tusker All Star Concert will bring back the memories we once had of the Ruff Ryders First Lady.

From spitting a timid verse on the Philadelphian hiphop band The Roots’ You Got Me, and making a guest appearance on the hook of ‘Remember Them dayz’ by Bennie Sigel yet another Philly rapper. Eve grew strength by strength, shedding off her ‘shy girl from Philly persona’, to become arguably the most iconic female hiphoper at the turn of the century. Her 1st album Let There Be Eve-Ruff Ryders First Lady, was laced with a gangsta theme from a female perspective. Her image contradicted that of Foxy Brown and Lil Kim, who were the mainstream hiphop queens at the time. Her short dyed hair became her trademark, and her membership to the led Ruff Ryders only raised her street credibility.

Despite her 2nd single ‘what ya want’ having a tinge of pop sound, Eve's street sound remained unsilenced and when Primo teamed up with The L.O.X, for the classic recognize- Eve lent her voice on the hook of the joint. And sure enough she didn't disappoint. These were the days when Metro FM was the only FM station outside Nairobi, and Dan Oloo was blazing it up on ‘The afternoon switch’. As if to prove she wasn’t all Gangsta Gangsta, Eve did a socio-conscious track ‘Love Is blind’ with Faith Evans which preached against abusive relationships (Ongoro should hear it). Her sophomore scorpion released in 2001, had who's that girl as the 1st single-a song that was perceived by many as indirect attack to her female predecessors in the game, as if to affirm her position as the new queen of Hiphop, Eve dropped a 2nd single Dr. Dre produced ‘let me blow your mind’ ft Gwen Stefan. Despite the song's heavy pop influence, it still made it to the playlist of some of the hardest hiphop heads, thanks to the rappers stinging lyrics which were even more direct to her competitors.

Her 3rd album Eve-Olution had a look warm reception; however it is here where she announced her self actualization as a rapper. On satisfaction the 2nd single off the album, Eve stated that she already had everything she wanted. As fate would have it, eve-olution was eve's last album release to date. However, she is working on her 4th studio release titled, Lip Drop which is expected sometime this year.

In 2003 she jumped to the screen, and had a comic sitcom named after her-and its 3 seasons were screened on KTN (Whatever happened to black comedies, I so hate soaps). Under the character name Shelly, eve used the TV series to promote her streetwear all female clothing line, Fetish, which closed operations permanently in 2009.

With just a fortnight to the anticipated October 1st Tusker All star concert at the Carnivore Grounds, an A list treatment waits the rapper, who was incidentally seen by EABL (The event’s sponsors) as a better crowed puller compared to Rick Ross. Eve will grace the stage together with Shaggy and Cabo Snoop from Angola.

Intellectual Property: What you need to know

To many it must had been seen as an attempt by Vanilla Ice to make a come back to the limelight, when he went to press about a month ago claiming that Suge Knight never held him by his ankles, off a 20th-floor balcony back in 1989. Whether his claim is true or not is of little importance at the moment, what matters is what led to the alleged confrontation-Intellectual Property (IP). Apparently cool had sampled a material from Knight’s company without consent.

Though the said material never became popular, the heavy framed Suge Knight bullied Vanilla Ice into signing over royalties from his smash Ice Ice Baby and a percentage of dough from the white boy’s hit song went to him. 

Bring it back home (for those who don't know am Kenyan). The year is 2004, Kleptomeniacs are topping the chat with the big tune Tuendelee, but there's disquiet in the streets, reason being “niendele ama nisiendele” which klepto altered to “tuendele au tusiendele” are words by Johnie of k-shaka. About a year prior to this one of Tanzania’s greatest emcee professor Jay, was trading punches with Kenya’s kapuka sensation at the time Logomba's over the use of the Former's phrase “Piga Makofi tafadhali”.

About 36 months later, the hapo sawa hit maker was at it again, this time with uganda's chameleon over the latter’s use of nikusaidaje instrumental which was a collaborative effort of professor Jay and Feeroz. Again cause of beef intellectual property. 

Proffesor Jay

A street legend has it that Kalamashaka would be millionaires today living in the suburbs and pushing fancy wheels, had producer Ted Josiah (allegedly) not played them, in their contract with the cigarette maker Benson&Hedges in the late 90s. Almost a replica script set the reel rolling on the 2007 ‘street court’ drama regarding the monthly event, WaPI. The battle had Muki Garang’ and Mwafrika standing on one side, while Buddha Blaze, his management firm SparkAfrika, and British Council on the other. Once again intellectual property came into play, with Muki claiming that WaPI(Words and Pictures) was his brainchild that had been hijacked by Buddha Blaze. In defense, Blaze stated that there had been a competitive bid to manage the event at British Council, and through his company he emerged the victor (the two have since recociled). 

Question is what is intellectual property? This is a work or invention that is the result of creativity, such as a manuscript or a design, to which one has rights and for which one may apply for a patent, copyright, trademark, etc.  Earlier today I had the privilege to attend a workshop on IP at the Nailab, moderated by patent agent Dr. Isaac Rutenberg.  

The overriding message at the seminar was the constant need by creatives to protect there God-given invaluable idea as through  a patent, copyright, or trademark, and to read keenly that contract before spilling ink to paper with a signature. 

Suge Knight’s body size might had helped him get his way to Vanilla Ice’ account, but you may not be as lucky. The likes of L.O.X, Dr. Dre and recently Young Buck have had to see huge sums of their creative earnings unduly going to other people’s pocket, for not understanding contractual terms and conditions.

P.S: This post is copyrighted so, don't copy meeeeeeeeeee! (In Missy Elliott's voice)   

Pepe Haze and Rabbit's New Videos

Late last week saw the release of two rap videos in the Kenyan market. The first video is by the multi talented Afro actor-cum-rapper Pepe Haze who happens to be a poet and beat-boxer as well. This video for Rain On My Lips is a unique piece of art directed by Loi Awat from Stop-motion animation studios.

The second video posted on late Friday evening is by Kenya’s ultimate story teller Rabbit. The video is for a highly charged political joint Kaza Moyo and features two of Kaka Empire’s new signees Dan Dan and Bwenyenye(the one on Kiwewe hook). This video curtsey of Snap Productions-the ones who did Octopizzo’s On Top- follows the theme of the song showing the ravaged life lived by Kenyans in the Northern part of the country.

Rabbit took a big chance with this one by including the head of state’s face on the video, and that of the Government spokesman Alfred Mutua.  It remains a doubt if it will receive airplay on our TV stations. It also risks a possible deletion from youtube all together.

All said and done these two videos are well done, and they help drive the message of the respective songs home, have a look.