Catch Up With Skeme Music

Skeme Music are no stranger to Nairobi’s creative scene. The two member multi-genre collective, comprising of Jan Christian and ChaleSlim, made their debut onto the scene in 2013 and have been moving from strength in their musical and fashion pursuits. Dubbing their sound as 'AfreakNSoul', Skeme Music fuse rap with dancehall, hip-hop and Afro music crating a fresh and unique sound. Heavily influenced by their upbringing in Mathare and Kibera slums, the duo’s music is equal parts conscientious, inspirational and infectious.

Skeme Music

We caught up with the duo to find out more about their journey so far and upcoming plans.

Who Is Skeme Music?

Skeme Music comprises of two multi faceted individuals namely Jan Christian and ChaleSlim.

It is an arts and entertainment collective with Jan being the Music Producer, Vocalist, Rapper and Actor and ChaleSlim doubles up as a Writer, Rapper, TV/Radio presenter as well as a Style enthusiast.

Why the name Skeme Music?

Initially when we started we went by a variety of names before finally settling with Skeme Music.

To 'Skeme' according to us is a way of life that involves sharing ideas, freestyling and generally scheming about what the future of music and arts in general entails. The name came about during our live vibing sessions where we have us and different artists link up and create.

When did you first start making music?

Jan and Chale met in High School (Jamhuri High School) back in 2010 and clicked immediately.

However, it was from 2013 that we got into a studio and started making music professionally and the journey has been nothing short of amazing...a journey of self-realization as we like to put it.

Where are you from? Can you speak briefly about your upbringing and how it affected your decision to get into making music?

Growing up in Mathare and Kibera slums, we have seen a lot that is intertwined with our music. We don’t have to source inspiration from far as we simply put what we see, hear and experience in our craft.

Music has been our only avenue of expression and a way out of so many perils that plague any normal youth brought up in these areas.

What inspires you?

Our daily life in the communities that we come from serves as a daily inspiration in the content that we create. We are also heavily influenced by great African legends that went before us. We grew up listening to a lot of rhumba/benga music thanks to our folks. We look up to the likes of Fela Kuti, Mory Kanté , Angelique Kidjo, Meiway, Daudi Kabaka just to name a few.

What is your creative process?

Since Jan is a music producer, we link up often and he plays whatever instrumentals he has been working on then we 'Skeme' by freestyling whatever comes to mind. After that we select what stood out the most and work on polishing the verses/chorus etc and then after we hit the studio and record.

Sometimes I (Chale) might have a tune in my mind and don't know how well to bring it out so I normally call or record the tune on my phone and send it to Jan who then works his magic in converting that into an actual track.

Your music videos are vibrant and pay homage to where you're from. Can you speak on how important music videos are to your artistry?

Music Videos are an extension to the music. We make good and most times societal conscious music so the visuals have to resonate with the same and through that we have been able to reach a wider audience.

Music videos are key to any artist since they help build the artist’s profile and help the audience relate with the artist better.

How would you describe your current sound?

Our sound is constantly evolving and we do not like to box ourselves in any one category of music genre... to be honest we are also learning about our sound as days go by.

We do a lot of rap infused with multiple genres such as Dancehall, HipHop and Afro Music. We have our own sub genre that we are about to introduce called 'AfreakNSoul' music.

Jan Christian of Skeme Music

Chale Slim of Skeme Music

Besides music, you guys seem to be really into fashion. Is that another creative avenue that you’re actively pursuing?

Yes. We have always been super trendy ever since Skeme Music was formed and this was initially stemming from our own personal style, but as time moved on we launched a Style and Fashion division headed by our close friend Kellin Mwangeka who had for so long dressed us in his custom accessories and outfits.

We decided to explore it as a business in May 2019 by opening a physical shop in Pangani but after the Corona, we decided to fully move it to the digital space where we custom make some very interesting African inspired items. Check out @skeme_styling on Instagram for more.

What has been your experience navigating the creative industry in Kenya, Nairobi specifically? How do you feel about the state of Kenyan music specifically and how do you and your friends/collaborators fit in?

 At first it was all navigating blindly in an industry where we knew little about how things work. But over the years we have been blessed to link up and even work with established names in the game who also have mentored us either directly or indirectly and for that we are forever grateful.

Getting to work with the likes of Karun (formerly of Camp Mulla) for her Indigo album was a mind opener. We have interacted also with Bien (Sauti Sol), Dj Kafi and Frankie (Homeboyz Radio), MDQ, Jojo Abot (Ghana) and they have been of great help in different capacities.

We also came up when there was a renaissance in Kenyan music that saw the rise and respect of new 'underground' artists and also led to a lot of new collabos, new markets/events getting formed and so forth.

Kenyan music has a bright future only if we are consistent in the quality of work we release. We believe we can compete globally because Kenyan music is so rich and diverse in its elements.

How would you describe your journey you’ve taken so far? What lessons has it taught you?

We have learnt to always keep an open mind when approaching projects and this has made us even more hungry to learn the craft.

Do you have any upcoming projects coming up before the end of the year?

Of course! We have been working on our first ever Dancehall inspired Kenyan medley (Pressure Riddim) produced by Skeme Music Records. It features 5 artists who all record on one beat (medley) and it will be released by the end of year. Notable names in the project include Poppa Don, William, and up and coming rapper and songstress Don Lulu.

What’s your take on Nairobi Culture at the moment and where do you see it going?

It is definitely Nairobi to the world. All the good things coming out of Nairobi have been exported to the world's audience.e.g. Recently a Television project (What's Good Africa) that Chale has been working on alongside a great team got commissioned by Revolt TV owned by American rapper and mogul P Diddy. This means that our content in Nairobi, Kenya and the region at large is marketable across the continent and this is good news to all the vibrant content creators we have around. Our film and fashion industry is also envied and emulated across the world.

What’s next for Skeme Music?

We look forward to making more music, also expect to see some films from us next year as this is also an industry we are heavily invested in.

Bigger and Better.... Skeme Music Jameeeni.

Keep up with Skeme Music here.