Njeri Is Nairobi's R&B Artist To Watch
A law student by day and a songstress by choice, Njeri is a vocalist whose melodice choices will transcend you to utopia. Her debut project Dimensions is a testament to Njeri’s potential to live up to the R&B foremothers who inspired her entry into music. In today’s climate of pop music where the commercial appeal of the artist is often more important than the quality of their music itself, Njeri delivers a lyrically and vocally sound project that will stand the test of time.
Born in Atlanta and currently residing in Nairobi, her bubbly character immediately draws you to her. Njeri is a strong believer in the power of love, which fuels her passion for life, love of friends and love to a partner. The three-track EP, illuminated by her harmonious vocals evoke various emotions, ranging from joy, self-doubt and heartbreak. Njeri benefits from getting a co-sign from Chris Adwar who also features on this tape. Ultimately, Njeri’s debut is nothing short of eccentric.
We spoke to Njeri about what inspired her entry into Nairobi’s burgeoning R&B scene and why she spent the better part of her gap year focusing on music.
Photo credits: Tyse Visual
Growing up, did you have any musical influences from your family?
I studied at Loreto Convent Valley Road. The school has a large emphasis on music so I benefited from that by joining the school choir. Besides that, Disney played a huge role in my childhood, growing up around musicals like High School Musical. I have a theory that I inherited my songwriting abilities from my late grandfather. Ironically, I discovered this shortly after his passing. We were packing his stuff when I stumbled on a booklet of songs in his belongings.
How did you get into music?
I’ve always been one to shy away from my talents. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined dropping my single Juju let alone an entire EP. The turning-point in my musical journey happened last year. I contracted Covid-19 in December 2020. I contemplated feelings of regret and self-doubt and realised that when all is said and done, music is what I wanted to do with my life.
Plus I didn’t want to go back to the States, I was desperately searching for something to tie me back to Kenya. Obviously, this isn’t me trying to romanticise my experience contracting covid but it was the sign I needed to be fearless with my passions and dive into the deep-end. I believe if you are given a gift, it’s your obligation to explore it!
You are currently taking a break from school, how did you break it to your folks?
African parents can be a bit desensitised when it comes to exploring a creative career. Being creative can translate as being absurd or nonchalant, when the reality is that exploring a creative career demands effort, determination and perseverance. After deciding that this is what I wanted to do with my life, I sat down and initiated the conversation with my Dad. Unsurprisingly, he was furious. He scolded me for being careless, but when he eventually heard some of my songs, he was so impressed. He finally sees the bigger picture.
Has spending time in the States influenced your sound?
Yes, it has. It has enabled me to keep in touch with my African roots, while I was in the states, I listened to a lot of African music. I think my EP captures my multi-cultural upbringing and my different musical influences because the project is a fusion of Afropop and R&B.
Why did you name the EP “Dimension”
They touch on three different areas of life: enjoyment (having fun), love and just vibes. These aspects are explored through three of the songs. Aptly, I named the EP Dimension to capture the full spectrum of my life.
Photo credits: Tyse Visual
Describe your writing process
The EP was inspired by life experiences. My process was influenced by drawing inspiration from these experiences and trying to make them relatable. For “Chafu” it was intended to be club banger. I changed the chorus and ended up with a catchy melody for people to sing along to. The song is inspired by a typical night out in Nairobi, specifically how my friends use to go out to Dejavu and come back home with perceived “memory loss”. I loved the beats on “Summer Vibes” and I thought it was a perfect soundtrack to a roadtrip to the coast.
What is the lesson you’ve learned from making your debut project?
At times, your vision won’t always be reflected in your achieved outcomes, and you need to mentally prepare yourself for that reality. Music is a taxing investment that requires both time and money. Besides your individual talent, you need to strategize how to market your music and heavily optimise on social media. There’s a vast market of listeners that I’m yet to reach out to, like people who aren’t on instagram for instance.
“Never Be” sounds like a song that has a backstory to it. Care to share?
Character development is essential to my writing. I heard the beat to “Never Be” and it brought back so many emotions and memories . The concept revolves around this guy who was dating me whilst pursuing someone else. Long story short, dating in these Nairobi streets serve as a rude awakening for character development.
Which Kenyan creative would you want to work with?
I want to work with Mumbi The Poet, I love what she talks about. I want to make an all-female project and have a bunch of female artists, poets and everything. Also, I wanna work with a couple of my friends, especially those who are poets in the literary industry in Kenya.
Where is Njeri 5 years from now?
I want to use my voice to empower women in the industry. Structural barriers exist so there’s more to financial success beyond people telling you, you can succeed “if you just work hard”. Thriving in the music industry in Kenya is especially difficult if you’re a woman. Men get a disproportionate amount of support in the industry in comparison to women, it’s crazy. Therefore, I want to break those barriers, so I can empower the younger generation to aspire towards a career in the creative industry.
Njeri’s EP Dimensions is out now on all platforms.
