Month: January 2013

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think these rappers diss Cannibal at the beginning of the cypher. Hella funny by the way. “I hear some people say they run Mombasani…” then follows some weird infectious laughter.

These rappers are skilled. There is no doubt about that. Mombasa has always been the home of a huge fraction of Kenya’s art, mainly music and these guys are but just a taste of it.

I love everything about this cypher. The simplicity of the video, the free style mood that is in their pose, and best of it all, the introduction.

You just have to watch this to get what I mean.

Check it out below.

It would seem Pulse is not done getting heat from different quarters. And this time it comes from this accomplished reggae deejay…

Deejay Izrael is an angry man! He took to Facebook to reach out to Ghafla to have his voice heard. And what he had to say about Pulse was anything but friendly.And this is what he had to say:

Word of Advice to the “Pulse magazine editors” Standard Newspapers…. Before you put anything on your few painted, uninformed,shallow,biased,ugly and confused pages, Pliz could you have the courtesy to call the both persons involved and get the real INFO? That’s why BUZZ inawachapa. KUDOS NATION MEDIA GROUP (Both zudka and buzz crew) and ‘WORD IS’ of THE STAR NEWSPAPER…… if you can’t beat them JOIN THEM.

To be honest i have no idea from whence thine beefeth with Pusle stemeth from but i have to say that Pulse will indeed respond with fire! Watch this space because i doubt this beef is over.

Kenya has birthed some really magnificent works of art. The kind that would effortlessly grab the attention of the entire continent, making Kenya proud in return.

These right here are the four most famous Kenyan artistes in Africa.

4. Camp Mulla

Back in 2010 and early 2011, this hip hop group consisting of three male rappers (Taio Tripper, Shappaman and K’Cous) and one female singer (Miss Karun), were only causing ripples on YouTube. When they shot their first official video ‘party don’t stop’, they transcended all musical barriers that most Kenyan artistes are yet to conquer. Soon after this, as they released more music, each better than the last and even commanding respect from the music industry all over Africa, Camp Mulla grew to what they are now. The most successful and famous Kenyan hip hop group, managing to collaborate with other huge African stars like WizKid.

3. Prezzo

Let’s just call it what it is. Before Prezzo participated in the Big Brother Africa Stargame, he was huge in East Africa. That still is a great achievement considering how hard it is to reach that level of fame and acceptance in the African music industry. By the time Prezzo was half way through the BBA reality game, Africans had already familiarized themselves with this flashy rapper. Being one of the finalists in the Stargame, and ending up as the ONE ambassador as a result incredibly boosted his fame and stats. Now, Prezzo makes entertainment news across the continent.

2. Suzzanna Owiyo

Ranked among Africa’s greatest Afro Fusion artistes like Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi and DR Congo’s Mbilia Bel, Suzzanna Owiyo’s soulful voice has captured Africa in her musical web despite singing most of her songs in the Luo language. Performing in major concerts all over Africa and collaborating with some of it’s biggest and most loved Afro Fusion artistes has put her name where it currently is. At the top. Hell, she is even huge in the diaspora if the attendance in her concerts is anything to go by.

1. Eric Wainaina

Till date, Eric Wainaina holds the record of being the Kenyan artiste that has sold more than 2 million copies of his bestselling album, Sawa Sawa. If you are familiar with the hardships that come with making album sales in Kenya, better yet East Africa, then you know what an achievement this is. After the 1998 bombing brought Kenya to its knees, Eric’s song ‘Kenya Only’ which was released a while after, gave Kenyans hope for a brighter day, making it a favorite for many. By this time, he had already captured Africa’s attention.
Eric Wainaina gained worldwide fame after he produced Kenya’s most successful musical, ‘Mo Faya’ which played at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Not forgetting all the great collaboration he has done with other great African artistes.

It was last year’s unlikeliest hit. A previously cringe-inducing listen, Nye Nye Nye is now the party anthem of the moment.

Chapa/Fimbo Ya Pili, the second in the Grandpa Family’s annual Fimbo series, became one of the year’s biggest hits and is one of the most played tracks on radio right now.

The track by the Grandpa Records’ DNA, TL-Moh, Ng’ang’alito, Shamir, Dogo Biggie, Fisherman, Warda and Pizzo is currently available for purchase as a ringtone. Just send 4030 to 6007. You can also make the same track your Skiza tune by sending SKIZA 8020203 to 811.

For those of you with your noses in Kenya’s hiphop scene, Kayvo KForce is a man who needs no introduction.

But B-Reign? I have to admit that i myself didn’t know him prior to my getting me mitts on this jam. But now that i have, i have to say that i am looking forward to hearing his previous works and those he’ll  come up with in the future.

The track in question though is called “Welcome to Nai” is quite the listen. I liked the two rappers flow and delivery and the video quality was also above par. I would have liked to see more of Nairobi in the video though, not just the front of MacMillan Library -afterall, the track is an ode to Nairobi city.

The lasses singing the hook in the video seem to be having fun doing their thing but they aren’t convincing. They don’t look like they are actually singing the hook. But that’s only as far as the video goes. The refrain is actually sang by one lass and her voice is indeed beautiful but that then raises the question of why she wasn’t allowed to showcase it a little more. B-Reign should have let the lass’ voice breath a little more instead of just sing, :Hey! Hey homie/ Welcome to Nai”

I also suspect that Kayvo KForce did his verse a while back… He compares himself to Manny “You Wanna Go Night Night?” Pacquiao. Couldn’t help but share this:

But all in all, the lyrical prowess in this track is heavy, Mayweather heavy! They deliver line after line with self-assured skill that betrays the fact that this hiphop game is nothing to them, they’ve seen it all and done it all.

If you like heavy lyrics and catchy instrumentals, this jam is for you!

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Earlier today Mista Majani did a piece declaring Muthoni Drummer Queen the wealthiest female celeb in Kenya. However, some of you argued that Ksh. 15M is quite a figure and that after some deductions resulting from settling artists’ fees, ground charges, sound, city council and all, she still can’t be the top earning celeb in Kenya.

So ladies and gentlemen, I give you Jaguar. I can convincingly declare that the “Matapeli” hitmaker is the most affluent entertainer in Kenya. Take a look at his fortunes;

1. Owns a fleet of cabs called “Jagz Cabs”

2. Possesses a motor garage in industrial area

3. Four cars worth KShs.20M.

4. Contracts with key corporates like EABL, Safaricom and Unilever which earns him upto KShs.18M for a half-year contract deal. This would mean that Jaguar’s contracts alone can get him up to KES 3 million a month for six consecutive months.

5. KShs.15M home

6. Music performances where he gets about KShs.300,000 per appearance

7. Matatu fleet plying several routes in Nairobi.

8. Owns the Response Security Co. Ltd.

9. A couple of rental houses.

Sometime in June last year Jaguar told a local magazine that he imported a pendant that cost him about KShs.400,000. “Kenyan artistes should have a sense of class. If you are driving a big car, why do you wear a cheap chain? You even go ahead to purchase a fake, which looks like my original?” he posed.

From all these fortune, Jaguar is arguably Kenya’s Jay Z.

So, the man who effortlessly made a viral music video titled ’emergency pills’ is back with a bang!

After maintaining silence for quite a while, it seems as though man Wazimu is now back at full swing with a track that will literally hit you a gudu one.

With nothing more to say, I give you… Man Wazimu’s new track… Boko Aram.

Listen to it below.

This morning, this is what Deejay Perlexy had to say to his fellow countrymen.

PEACE + GOOD LEADERSHIP = A MOVING NATION.

I remember the events of the post elections violence as if it were yesterday, the riots, gunshots & tear gas, hiking of prices for essential commodities, paralyzed transport and all other negative occurrences that did not bring this country to a stand still but rather some steps behind, all in all i cannot afford to forget the words uttered by a police officer in a quest to ease the riots and i quote ”HII KENYA TUMEIJENGA KWA SIKU NYINGI SANA, KWA NINI TUIHARHBU KWA SIKU MOJA?” How i wish the media houses could play this footage everyday just before the news and in the middle of soap operas. Can you imagine of a situation were you have worked so hard throughout your life then you end up loosing the fruits of your hard work as a result of a preventable occurrence that took place withing a very short time?

In a quest to seek public opinion on the kind of Kenya we want to see as from March 5th, I took it upon myself to summon some of my neighbours. They all knew that the solution to our problems as a country comes from within us, change begins with you as an individual before spreading to others, this reminded me of the ‘kutabadilishwa­ na nani kama si sisi?’ slogan and i came up with an ‘i don’t know’ answer. All of them wanted to see a prosperous Kenya with PEACE (Bold,Underline,­Italicise) and Good leadership being the major requirements needed to drive us to a higher level.

They were right my dear friends. We can only attain Good leadership by voting wisely, this will lead to an improvement in our infrastructure,­ Improved health care, Increased employment, Better & quality education, Improved living conditions (slum eradication) and many others. In this case you will find that every solved problem brings a solution to another problem. Think about it!

On the other hand we have to advocate for peace EVERYWHERE in a tell your neighbour, to tell your neighbour, to tell your neighbour’s neighbour situation, let PEACE be the ‘gossip’ of the town coz Kenya is yearning for PEACE before, during and after the general elections for the elections will come and go same case to politicians but KENYA IS HERE TO STAY. Let’s avoid the spread of hate speech and instead let as spread peace messages everywhere be it social, print, electronic or even verbal media so that we can reach a very wide audience. Furthermore let us learn to accept the outcome of the elections regardless the differences in our political opinion, tribe or even social status. Let us remember to involve God in this mission disregarding how you call Him.
‘May we dwell in UNITY, PEACE and LIBERTY…’
God Bless Kenya + Kenyans as we maintain Peace.

#No_Peace_No_Ke­nya
#Napenda_Kenya_­Wakenya_na_Aman­i
#VoterVsVulture

Yours Kenyan,
Sir. Alex Peru
#RBGrepublik V.P & PEACE AMBASSADOR

Swag was Octopizzo’s New Year’s present to his fans. Featuring HBR presenter Amina, the video took the industry by storm even though there were grumbles from some quarters. Anyhow, stylish as it looks, the video took a lot to piece it up. Take a look at the behind-the-scenes photos from the video shoot;

CNN correspondent

Photo props: Octopizzo

I remember back in the day when Harry Kimani was at his peak. I just couldn’t wait for him to release his next track almost immediately I had finished hearing his latest one for the first time.

Harry Kimani is now back, resurrecting his name from the controversies that covered it a while back. His voice more beautiful than ever before. Guess you can take the guy from the music but not the music from the guy.

He just released his latest track titled ‘Children of the Universe’ two days ago and I already can’t get enough of this track. He still got it. Sauti ya kutoa nyoka pangoni.

Here is Harry Kimani’s latest track, still fresh from release.

Check out former Calif Records artiste SISO way before he knew he would end up in the music industry, according to him.

As he will be launching the video of his song “Matatu” today, I could not help notice his new look. Kenzo seems to have polished up things as far as his looks his concerned. Could this be an indication of what to anticipate from him this year? Take a look;

What do you think about Kenzo’s new look?

When Khaligraph Jones first dropped his first song, or rather appeared in his first collaboration track, it was clear that he was destined for great heights in music. I still think that this guy will soon be blowing up alongside international rappers.

He knows no rest from music, probably why and how he has managed to collaborate with so many East African rappers and record so many tracks. Khaligraph Jones has that one of a kind flow that makes any song he is featured in sound good.

So, as his first track this year, Jones has released ‘Get Down’, which is a collaborative effort with Ugandan rapper The Mith from the hip hop group Klear Kut.

Get to listen to the track below, which was, by the way, just released yesterday.

Check it out.

The ever diligent Jeff Omondi beat me to the story about Jubilee using Gidi Gidi Maji Maji’s track or something similar to it.

But you know i just had to weigh in. When i last wrote about an artist biting flow and lyrics, my cousins called me to let me have it! And boy did they! I got calls from relations i’ve only spoken to on Facebook even! All of them told me to stop supporting Kenyan music against “home” music because “I fall am hand!”. That loosely translates to me letting them down. That was tough. But given that this time it’s happened in Kenya’s own backyard, i suspect that the blowback will be explosive.

Bamboo is a rapper of repute. He is also schooled to the tenets of hiphop. Thus, he is fully aware to just how big a cardinal sin it is to either bite someone’s flow or jack their lyrics without acknowledging them. Gidi Gidi and Maji Maji have taken offense. As a purist hiphop head, i’ve taken offense. But most of all, as a Bamboo fan, i am feeling let down. I can understand wanting to cash in on the politics of the day but to do so in what i consider a lazy manner is just wrong! This amounts to swagger jacking for goodness sake!

And i’m pretty peeved because Uncle Chim Tuna was hyped about Bamboo’s return! I was looking forward to that heat! The fire he had in his chest when he held the mic was undeniable. The lyrical prowess he had when he would spit his with such fierce intensity! And now he has swagger jacked “Unbwogable”! Unforgivable!
I am disilusioned! Heart broken, bereft even!

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Come on Bamboo, this is a plea from one of your biggest fans, get back to giving us that heat. Ghafla has nothing to do with this, this is all Uncle Chim Tuna. You gave us a couple of hits immediately after “Mama Africa” and we have enjoyed everyone of them. Keep that fire burning.
And for anyone not in the know, this is the song i’m reffering to (it’s way down there):

December wasn’t quite a festive season for International gospel singer, Anthony Faulkner. After visiting Kenya and even collaborating with one of it’s best gospel artistes, Juliani, Faulkner fell in love with the country ever since, hence the frequent visits.

However, he was very disappointed by one of the promoters of his latest concert in Kenya. Anthony Faulkner told sources that a promoter by the name of Peter Mulei conned him a gudu one. He claims that from the moment he arrived in Kenya for his concert which was to be held on the 16th of December 2012, Peter Mulei kept raising the cost of equipments and services to be rendered for the concert, even going as far as charging him double and at times even triple the price he is required to pay.

“Once I flew in to Nairobi there were people who kept dropping hints that there was some shady business going on with Peter. Once we confronted him because so much kept changing he said that he only was asking for monies that he needed for the event and nothing more. Well we found out that he was charging me double/sometimes triple what the cost were for various items, lights, sound, printing, putting up posters, and artwork. If it were not for my road manager Carl Foster the show would not have been what it was. Peter had nothing organised. Peter presented so many false receipts without official stamps on them, he presented so many fake artiste agreements on the last day that were signed by one person because all the handwriting technique is the same on all of them! What is very insulting is that he thinks he is clever,” Anthony Faulkner told sources.

All the accused had to say about this was, “I’m surprised by what Anthony is accusing me of doing. But I think he is just looking for publicity. He even accused me of buying a car using the money. I’m really disappointed in him.”

One of Ghafla! fans, Shirley recently spotted DJ Kaytrixx chilling with Gospel rapper Juliani at “Wall Street”. What do you think about this photo (click to enlarge)?

Props: @ShirleyGhetto on Twitter

Another year, new series of cyphers coming right up. Our rappers never slack on the job, one of the reasons why I’minlove with the Kenyan hip hop industry.

It has never been simple with them ever since they started on the cyphers. Everybody wants to do their own and ofcourse, also want to emerge at the top. Keeping the competition alive and the beat kicking.

The first cypher this year has just been released and is burning hot. Titled ‘125-The Cypher’, it is one of those straight hip hop beat tracks that maintain the bumping of the head through out the session.

Three rappers made this happen. They go by the names Ace The Done, Mr. C and Dan.

Check out the video for the cypher below.

As the elections draw closer every day, most celebs tend to lean towards particular politicians as a way of endorsing their candidature. Already, some have declared publicly where they pledge their allegiance. For instance, Ringtone, Chiwawa, Bamboo and Abbas have thrown their support behind the Jubilee Coalition.

This morning in what may be interpreted as backing Nairobi gubernatorial  aspirant, businessman Jimnah Mbaru, singer Jaguar tweeted saying that he has a feeling that the prominent entrepreneur, “………have a feeling Jimnah Mbaru can be a good Governor,” tweeted Jaguar. This comes just two days after the “Vigeugeu” hit maker denied claims that he had endorsed the Jubilee Coalition presidential candidate, Uhuru Kenyatta, after he performed at the coalition’s rally.

Jaguar has in the past steered clear of politics maintaining that even though he has politician friends Mike Sonko and Joshua Kuttuny, he has no intention of plunging into politics.

It now emerges that the song that the Uhuru-Ruto led coalition, Jubilee Alliance, has been pirated from Gidi Gidi and Maji Maji’s hit song, “Unbwogable”. Speaking to Ghafla! Gidi complained that the song used by the Jubilee Coalition is a copy of their 2002 hit song.

He argues that the song’s idea, flow and theme is a reproduction of “Unbwogable” that was used by NARC party as its theme song during the 2002 general elections. However, the Jubilee Coalition has maintained that the song is its origination production and does not sound in any way like “Unbwogable”. The Jubilee version was done by K-South rappers, Bamboo and Abbas.

Gidi Gidi and Maji Maji have threatened to take legal action against Jubilee Coalition adding that the only person with rights to the song is producer Ted Josiah.

This is not the first time that an artist is complaining that politicians are using their songs without their consent as barely a fortnight ago, GrandPa Records warned that it would be seeking legal redress if any politician used DNA’s hit songs without acquiring them in the right manner.

Listen to the song that Gidi and Maji claim that Jubilee Coalition bootlegged below;