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.

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