Top 10 Greatest Collaborations Between Kenyan Artistes And Tanzanian Artistes (THE LIST)

One big name on a massive hit is great because one individual takes all the credit, but sometimes two superstar voices come together in an inspired pairing that is truly special. Kenyan and Tanzania have been flirting for decades. With music in the East African region growing every day, I dove into over 10 years of regional hits to single out the biggest collaborations between Kenyan and Tanzanian artists to ever hit the airwaves. Here are the ten greatest Kenya-TZ collabos

Jaguar and AY (Nimetoka Mbali)

This is the song that made Jaguar a breakout star. It’s what gave him widespread mainstream credibility. AY has a litany of great collaborations with Kenyan stars and this has to count among the best. Both artistes brought their A++ games for this ode to artistic growth. AY also turned in one of his best verses here, perfectly complemented by the pensive production. Great jam.

French Boy and Ray C (Mot Moto)

This was back when Ray C was still a hot dark skin mamito. Nowadays she’s just an overweight lightskin diva fighting with other artistes and making silly demands about marital complexities.

Ray C might have nabbed top billing on “Mot Moto,” due to her looks and voice but former Historians member French Boy is the star on this song. Delicate and spacey at first, then quickly turning menacing and paranoid, the production on this track fits its title. It’s French boy who delivers and it’s definitely producer R.Kay who churns the clouds and brews the storm.

Victoria Kimani feat Diamond and Ommy Dimpoz (Prokoto)

This massive jam marked a historic joining of three of East Africa’s finest artistes. I’ve had my differences with Victoria Kimani before. I still think she’s a b****ch. But this was one cool wimbo. Tanzanian superstars Diamond and Ommy DImpoz provided the much needed lyrical support for a fast rising female singer. The result was magical

Nonini and Juma Nature (Nani Mwenza)

An underrated classic in it’s own right. The wildcard Nonini was at the top of his game and so was Juma Nature, Debates still rage to this day about which artist had the superior verse over the party-filled production, but there definitely is a consensus winner: the fans.

Prezzo and AY (Nipe Nikupe)

The track finds Prezzo and AY going back-and-forth for two verses apiece, waxing about the goodness of fame and merriment, a woman’s attention, and a host of other issues. The rhymes on “Snipe Nikupe” are as clever and competitive as any listener could possibly hope for, with both rappers vying for supremacy

Nazizi and TID (Watasema Sana)

Over a decade ago, TID teamed up with Nazizi to create one of the most touching and simultaneously bumpable collaborations in East African musical history.

If Nazizi’s reggae and hip hop fans were surprised by this mellow collabo, it’s maybe because they forgot she loves to reinvent herself. The slow burner of a track was unlike anything she had done before, and that’s what made it so intriguing. Slippery and throbbing, “Watesema” sounds more likely to be spun at a sleek, upscale club in Zanzibar than in Nairobi parties. The radio still loved it though

Wahu and TMK Wanaume (Mkono Mmoja)

TMK members Chege and Temba enlisted the vocal talents of Wahu for this track. The drop is so monstrous and so punishing, the little hairs on your arms stand up even if you’re only listening on laptop speakers. This is the perfect music to help you forget how your girlfriend yelled at you

Amani and AY (Usiwe Mbali)

Usiwe Mbali is a prime example of how chemistry between two artists makes a tremendous difference in the quality of the record. These two were dating when they collaborated on this incredible hit. Their love for each other was clearly written all over the song. Kinda like Jay Z and Beyonce’s Bony and Clide. I guess Amani eventuall y got tired of too much love, that’s the hallmark of Tanzanian’s

Jua Cali and Enika (Niimbie)

The collaboration between Jua Cali and Tanzanian songbird Enika is one that perfectly mixed two different styles of music. The melodic beat makes for a calmed tempo verses from Jua Cali followed by Enika keeping pace. Few have been able to recreate a record quite like this one.

Prezzo and TID (Leo Ndio Leo)

Back in the day, Prezzo was a lyrics-loving fan’s dream. He would spit lines that left ladies saying…..o yeah. Nowadays his feisty antics get more attention than his rap. However, that doesn’t give anyone permission to belittle what he has done for Kenyan music. This track clearly embodies the Swahili saying, ’Kama si sasa ni sasa hivi’. A dope party anthem