September Rap Jumpstart

The Virgos were loud this month, reminding anyone and everyone that it was September. We were gifted good music from across the region, showing the stars will always align for East African rap. Exray used his platform to bring healing to a Kenyan nation that just concluded a tight election.  His Boondocks Gang counterpart, Maddox Mkuruweng links up with alternative DJ,Jaba Jesus for a funky  Lo-Fi number. Chin Bees puts out a hustle anthem while Ochunglo Family, DVK and Nyashinki encourage us to party a little. Emmie Muthiga and Joshua Baraka become the latest singers  to do rap songs. Press play and enjoy.

Shots - Cedo featuring Nyashinki

Veteran producer Cedo finally released his highly anticipated album this month. The carefully curated project is an East African soundtrack with different artistes, different genres and different approaches- that gives a beautiful blend. Nyashinki has had a long relationship with producer Cedo,most of his songs having been worked on by him. The two form an awesome rapper-producer duo,and it's no surprise he was included in this album. Shots is performed on a punk inspired beat,made by a repetition of high pitch sounds. The beat also has an overall bouncy, pendulum like effect. Nyashinki works well with the beat delivering graciously- knowing when to pause and when to go hard. He also brings a little melody into the cadence when performing the bridge. Shots, the song is being interpreted differently,as most art is. However, it's also been taken up as a booze ballad and party anthem. It's certainly intriguing how the duo made this type of song on an alternative beat. 

Ball - Chinbees

Tanzanian Chin Bees wowed many a few years ago when he burst into the  East African hip hop scene with his energetic, flow on trap beats. Songs like Pepeta and Kababaye were street and club anthems.  The shrapper's latest song Ball, is a hustle anthem that brings out these qualities. The hook braggadociously states that the persona will continue living a lavish lifestyle, despite people who think otherwise. In the verses he talks  more about luxury and the dream of building a portfolio as the driving force for his hustling. The cadence is melodic and utilizes a lot of repetition to evoke an upbeat mood. The beat has a series of light drums and heavy ones to create a  beautiful rhythm, that accompanies a lead guitar and a flute.

Tujenge Taifa - Exray featuring Teslah, Byron & Omolillo.

Gengetone superstar  Exray is one of the biggest names in the Kenyan music scene ,and a notable one in the region. He was part of an amazing line up at the Nyege Nyege festival that happened this month in Jinja ,Uganda. Tujenge Taifa, is a carefully thought out song meant for a Kenyan audience that has just come from a tight election. The song calls for peace, tolerance and healing so that the country can move forward. It's a powerful statement,and a gesture coming from Exray. Gengetone has faced criticism for its tendency to lean on hedonism, and is thought by some critics to be shallow. Perhaps this is redemption. The instrumental is guitar led, and has a slow tempo, setting a reflective tone and mood, befitting the theme addressed. All the performers sing, even Exray uses a melodic flow throughout the song.  The hook is performed by Teslah while the other artistes perform the last verse together.

Tamasha - Ochunglo Family

The title song off of Ochunglo Family's long awaited project is an encapsulation of what the gengetone trio has done with it. During the cradle period of the genre, Ochunglo Family was one of the most famous groups, distinguishing themselves with big productions and use of popular phrases in their songs. This time they return with a new sound - Bengatone. Gengetone rap is traditionally performed over reggaeton and dancehall beats.Ochunglo Family have made a project that chose Benga, Rhumba and Ohangla instrumentals.Tamasha for example is a Benga tune with guitar elements that mimic the twisty genre of the early 70's. The lyricism is light hearted and meant to elicit giggles ,if not outright laughter. Dmore for example states in his verse that a chairman is an occupation that involves making chairs. Nelly the Goon, says he can only welcome visitors if he's done with lunch - all very funny stuff. 

The song is a feel good soundtrack, you could play it to relax, or even in a perty set.

Shamba La Wanyama - Jaba Jesus featuring Maddox Mkuruweng

Jaba Jesus is one of the names making waves in the dynamic world that is Nairobi alternative Deejaying. An Odasoul or a Luchi or even our very own Shishi Wanja ,all have very different styles and approaches that exist under this umbrella. Jaba Jesus follows a more funky and edgy method in pursuit of his craft. In this number he unconventionally uses an electric guitar, setting it to base and dragging it out in a way that is mildly irritable. A melodic but funky keyboard is played over this weekend too, but with  irregularity, something that makes the song closely resemble a lo-fi instrumental,if it isn't already. Maddox Mkuruweng, of the gengetone trio Boondocks Gang then provides vocals, describes a dog-eat-dog world. Shamba La Wanyama is Swahili for Animal Farm, the famous novel by George Orwell.

Extra Mile - Navio featuring Stogie T & Ben Pol

Vibes Out The East is a wholesome album, a buffet of different hip hop subgenres and approaches to making music. Extra Mile brings together Tanzanian singer Ben Pol and veteran South African rapper, Stogie T. It is by all indicators ,a love song. It promises to a lover the desire to do anything it takes to make the subject of affections smile, as Ben Pol sings in the hook. The old skool beat  is flavored with some 808's to give it a modern feel. The rappers both deliver with technicality, showing mature lyricsm and exciting flows. Navio, however, takes to a more descriptive way of story telling while Stogie takes a more reactive one. This overally makes the song have a balanced tone. The song also gives off smooth vibes and a relaxed mood.

Shining - Emmie Muthiga

Emmie Muthiga is known more for her singing but she is the latest to join a growing list of Kenyan songstresses including Njeri, Tanasha Donna and Njerae among others ncorporating rap tracks on their projects. Shining is an energetic trap song that motivates listeners to keep their heads up and avoid weird energy. It is part of the Free EP that tells a story of triumph, achieving dreams and coming into a positive headspace.  The song takes a braggadocious tone, a strategy that is in sync with the themes addressed. The singer uses a melodic cadence in the verses,and reverts to her usual way of performing for the hook. The song is performed in  both English and Swahili and the languages are deliberately interchanged to bring out certain phrases that would otherwise be lost in translation. It also serves to capture the way in which most young folk in Nairobi communicate. Emmie has worked with some gengetone rappers before, making one of her first hit songs with the trio Wakali Wao. Perhaps this is not the last time we'll see her throw a few bars over a beat.

I Do - Joshua Baraka featuring BRYAN THE MENSAH

R&B crooner Joshua Baraka switched things up a bit on “I Do”, jumping on a drill beat The song is a promise to commit to love. It talks about the beauty of a relationship, the joy, the security that comes with knowing you can depend on a significant other. Baraka primarily performs in English but he  manages to slide in his native Luganda.  BRYAN THE MENSAH gives a hard hitting rap verse, albeit with a melodic cadence in his verse; he offers his soul, his heart and mind. He asks what's wrong and does a whole bar about uncuffing- basically saying he'd convince the girl he wants to abandon any current relationship she is in

Wake Up - DVK featuring Lil Maina.

DVK(Davy K) is an exciting rapper that is part of a second shrap generation that blew up around 2020 during the pandemic. He loves energetic beats and background sounds that evoke emotions. Some of his music could be classified as psychedelic trap. Wake Up uses background sounds that mimic ASMR, the irony creating a comic effect. The lyrics too, contain funny anecdotes. The song is an account of a wild night out and the blacking out that followed after. The rappers make fun of youthful hedonism, not necessarily as a warning but to call for moderation and temperance in partying. They mention the cringe memories most would rather not remember when they had their fun times.. Listen Here