A NEW DAWN: Me? A Doctor? A Lawyer? Never Ever! This Is Why Almost All Young Kenyans Want To Be DJs. And Models.

Today’s world is changing fast. Back then,we all wanted to be doctors and engineers. Or lawyers and teachers? Maybe. We wanted to be that. Or,sometimes,pretended to have wanted to be that. But,times,as American legendary poet Bob Dylan said,they ah changing.

So what do you want to do after school? You know? In life? What do you want to become?’ I asked my 17-year old nephew who had been expelled from school for perennial truancy and little mischiefs.

‘DJ…’ He said,without batting an eyelid.

I looked at him…baffled at just how confident he was and just how badly he looked to want to be a DJ.

‘Why? Why DJ? Are You seriously in school to finally end up as a DJ?’ I asked him,flummoxed.

Unperturbed,he stuck by his story. And seemed to loathe the fact that I thought-or imagined-he wouldn’t pull it off or wasn’t cut to be a DJ. And a good one at that.

We had a little argument,Ok,to be honest,a heated argument…His mother was there too,we were trying to talk him into agreeing to go back to school,talk him into being the good boy we all wanted him to be and talk him into stopping the many little crimes he had racked up school after school.

He gave us a naked glare…Unmoved. And seeming totally disinterested in our little advices. He appeared to have made up his mind…And seemed NOT to to be ready to want to change careers. Ever!

‘But seriously,is your mother going to pay ALL that school fees for you to finally end up as a DJ? after four years of grueling school work,You want to simply walk into a DJ school and juSt do that!? Deejaying??!”

“Kwani DJ si job? si pia hio ni career?!’ he snapped at me..his patience,clearly,running out.

‘Pia ma DJ hukuwa na doh…’ he added,face taut and voice gruff.

‘Ok,Fine! Hakuna haja ya urudi shuke basi…You’re 17! Just go to a DJ Academy right away! Haja gani u-waste school fees?!?” I suggested.

‘Ni sawa! Mi sijakataa…Si mnipeleke DJ school basi…’ He shot back.

Lately,a new trend seems to be coming up…Half of all the kids in High School today want to be DJs. And the girls? Models.

I have lost count of the number of young men,full of life and with the whole world ahead of them,who want to be DJs. The craving is bad. And really crazy,too.

The girls,too,have been swallowed up in this whole fantasy world of catwalks and modelling and flash photography…They all want to be glamorous now…Wear the best shoes,strut the best stuff,be doused in endless make-up and get buried in the glitzy world of Las Vegas glamor.

                                               Popular Kenyan lingerie model,Vanessa Chettle.

Even on social networks…Facebook ,Instagram…You will find millions of Kenyan women whose bio includes ‘Model’. You will find hordes of Kenyan women attempting to model in their modest homes…surrounded by mirrors and aided by smartphones.

Welcome to the 21st Century! Where all our kids want to entertain. Live large,taste glamor,roll big,ride high and live fast!

Rarely will you find a young man in this city who is intent of ending up as an Engineer…Or doctor. Or lawyer.

As we grew up,our orthodox parents socialized us into believing that these were the ONLY viable careers..And the reasons we were in school in the first place.

‘What do you want to be after your time at Kegonge Boys High School has come to an end? My Principal back then,Mr. D.G Kariuki,who is now the Principal at Alliance Boys,asked me.

Mum was seated right across me..Looking at me hard,ready for my answer.

‘A Lawyer…’ I said. Mum smiled. So did Mr. D.G Kariuki.

To them,this-and a few other elite careers-were the reason I was in school. It was the MOST politically correct answer to give. And the ONLY answer,anyway.

Satisfied that I was going to amount to a useful commodity in society,walking in and out of the High Court,I was admitted at Kegonge Boys.

But the craving is no more. Every young boy now…Probably in Form 2…3…4…wants to DJ. Or Rap star.

They seem not to be attracted by slow money. To them,a life of suits and paperwork and secretaries and early morning office calls is NOT exactly why they came into this World.

Nobody wants to report to office at 8.00am in the morning anymore…Nobody seems to want to leave the office at 5.30pm anymore.

Too boring. Too cliche. Too old school. Too tiring. Too unglamorous. Too pooh pooh.

Young people now want quick money…they want flashy cars…they want a horde of gorgeous babes around them…they want social media fame,they want unorthodox ways of payment.

                                                                              DJ Kaytrixx.

A swanky DJ Joe promotional poster…He can be seen juxtaposed alongside great African superstars.

Young people want to party AND work at the same time. They want to be able to hold a bottle of Vodka on one hand and still work with the other.

They want After parties and event launches…

Young people are saying goodbye to the offices…And good morning to the glamour. And the glitz.

And with the success of the likes of DJ Kaytrixx,Dj Joe Mfalme,DJ Pinye,DJ Creme de la Creme,DJ Hypnotic and DJ Pierra Makena,It’s hard to convince a young person that DJ’ing is not a lucrative career. Or a viable job.

Go tell that to the birds! Cuz all your little boy wants to do is spin decks. And live large and live fast!

I mean,aren’t all this DJs millionaires now? With big cars and a billion women? Who wants to be an Engineer anymore!!? Tell me,Who!??

Lawyer? Doctor? Bitch please!

Your little girl wants to be on Billboards. And magazines. And music videos. Not stuffy offices and grungy boardrooms and tiring work schedules.

Hello,Glamour!

The World,really,has taken a whole new turn. Amen.