Introducing K'Ru: The Genius Behind Pineapple Undertones

K’Ru has to be one of the most influential creators on the scene, mainly because of his mindset, thought process and approach. There’s something about combining knowledge, talent and passion that ultimately makes you stand out. He possesses all three traits in abundance. He manages to balance multiple careers while merging his various skills into one beautiful picture. Aside from DJ’ing he has been a part of developing ideas within educational spaces and has smartly incorporated his knowledge of music from the continent and abroad in his work. From holding talent art festivals at African Leadership University (ALU) allowing students to interact with upcoming artists and ignite their creative spirits, to conceptualising his brand Pineapple Undertones, rich in diasporic history. More than having a keen ear, he has a keen desire to uphold community and work with like minded creatives in order to push the movement forward. Evidence of this can be seen in his ‘Proud to Play’ series where he held discussions with a range of creatives and music lovers about the trajectory of the sounds coming out of the continent. But above all, what is undeniable is his presence behind the decks and his ability to create such tasteful ambiences in any setting with his mixes ‘Mama’s House’, ‘Afropoppin’ ‘Feel Good Friday’ and ‘Breathe’.

In this piece, the master took us through his journey from conception to execution; and was gracious enough to give insight into what it takes to build and maintain a successful creative business.

What influences your taste in music?

Africa; it’s past, it’s present, it’s potential.

Can you tell the people what inspired the creation of Pineapple Undertones?

It is hard to establish one key starting point or genesis for this inspiration because it honestly feels like my life’s work. But looking back, there are certainly key factors that I can perceive to have come together. I lived in Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Tunisia and Mozambique, all before becoming an adult. That provided me with an exposure to different parts of the continent and to the different facets of the African experience, which has shaped me significantly. I’ve come to appreciate the more subtle common threads that bind us, while also embracing the more overt cultural diversity that exists.

I would say that my University experience did a lot to shape this inspiration as well. I was a vocalist in a hip-hop and neo-soul band called Liberal Arts. I was also a drummer and vocalist in a performing arts troupe called African Rhythms, and we learned so much about West African and Afro Cuban music, dance and culture more broadly. I spent one of those years as the troupe’s historian and it enabled me to look more deeply into the strong links that have existed between the African continent and its diaspora for centuries.  

This has all inspired me to explore music through an African lens, and the Pineapple Undertones platform enables me to understand Pan-Africanism through culture. It has served as a space for me to unleash my inner nerd, and I hope that it grows to inspire many more to do the same.

How do you come up with the themes for your curated playlists?

I place a lot of importance on showcasing the diversity that exists in the African musical landscape, while searching for the common threads as well. I am fascinated by the range of sounds and sub-cultures within the landscape, and I keep imagining ways to capture them in different formats, grouped under different themes.

There are times that I will hear a song that ends up defining a whole new theme, and then I will take my time to find more songs that fit that vibe and align with the theme.

One thing that is very important with the curation process is to be patient with it. I am actively working on at least five mixes in my day to day; as I consume both old and new music, my mind assorts them into existing theme categories, or even inspires new ones to emerge.

What has been your favourite curated mix/series so far?

This is a tough one, especially because I’ve come to realise that I am an open-format DJ since I have quite an eclectic taste as far as music inspired by Africa is concerned. That being said, I am happy to see that Afropoppin’ has made it past its tenth edition, and that it has evolved into being released quarterly. I am grateful to the musicians for consistently supplying me with inspiring and desirable content to curate.

What I appreciate most about this curation process more generally is that it offers me the opportunity to constantly get out of my comfort zone as a DJ and (digital) crate digger. I most recently started a new mix series entitled “Sankofa Samples” that aims to honour & celebrate the power of an Akan concept that symbolises taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress through the benevolent use of knowledge. This is done through showcasing African music from previous eras that has been sampled in the 21st century across different musical genres. I have had to dig very deep for this one, with extensive research and working with genres that I’ve not been accustomed to playing. I am proud of myself for getting this up and running, and I look forward to releasing more volumes in this series.

What has been your most fulfilling set yet?

I am fortunate to have many come to mind. Playing at Nyege Nyege in 2018 is definitely up there; the energy of the crowd was pure and I felt very free to express myself musically. Opening for Burna Boy in Kigali in 2019 also feels very fulfilling. That was the biggest crowd I’ve played for to date. Finally, my set at the first anniversary of Pineapple Undertones a couple weeks before the Burna show has to be the most gratifying. I put a lot of thought and energy into organising the event and it was very well attended; that all poured into me playing a very exciting and memorable set.

Captured by @mandzproducshnz

How do you feel when you’re DJ’ing?

I feel like I am on a playground while also being in a lab, and being at the top of a mountain and in a concert hall standing right where you would normally find the maestro.

This goes to illustrate the mix of emotions, responsibilities and perspectives that are held while DJ’ing. I like to have fun while working through a process, and I try to observe the crowd and conduct the energy of the space I’m playing in through the music selection.

How have you merged your many talents into one?

I honestly feel like I’ve had to compromise quite a bit in this sense. My singing, rapping and production have all taken a backseat to the DJ craft for quite a few years now. Granted, I had a full-time job and could not do everything, so I chose to focus on becoming a better DJ as my hobby of focus, which has evolved into a career. I am slowly getting more active in production again, and hopefully the vocals will follow suit. I do aspire to create more original music in the not so distant future.

Beyond that, having established the Pineapple Undertones platform, I have created an opportunity for myself to be a lot more intentional about my DJ craft, which has allowed me to hone my curatorial skills, and has also led to me developing my graphic design skills. More recently, we launched The Potluck, a conversation series on Twitter Spaces that is also giving me the space to hone my facilitation and moderation skills, which I did a lot of in my previous job.

How important is community to you as a person and artist?

Incredibly important, and I have been thinking a lot more about this in the past year. There’s a lot of work to be done in shaping up the cultural and creative industry in the ways that we want to. It is paramount that we come together and align on a common vision with shared values. Community is the most effective to ensure this.

Beyond this, as an artist, it is important to connect with your fans and to try to build a community around that. As much as the artist can inspire the fan a lot, it is not a one-way street, and there are avenues for mutual exchange that can ensure that we all stand to benefit in different ways, while all feeling like we’ve got a stake in it and are encouraged to participate and contribute to the art.

Where do you see yourself taking this career?

I believe in lifelong learning and in bringing people together. I hope that I am able to grow into more of a living repository of knowledge and experiences that anyone may feel curious and inspired to tap into. I also hope to become more of a connector, finding different ways to connect people within my network, but also to expand my own network in the process.

It is not about the destination, but rather about the journey that takes you there, and so I look forward to continuing to enjoy a fruitful journey.

What do you think of the DJ/music scene in Rwanda and on the continent?

The Rwandan music scene really seems to have exploded in the past couple years; it is certainly one of the most positive phenomena to have emerged during the pandemic, from my perspective. I’ve noticed that there has been a lot more consumption of Rwandan music by Rwandans, and that is such an important component. As Rwandan artists and DJs are rising to the occasion by increasing their output and enhancing the quality of the content, Rwandan music lovers are matching their energy and being very supportive, and it is very encouraging. 

There’s never been a more exciting time for African music across the continent; we’re in a really interesting space where we’re all taking note of what each other is doing, inspiring each other and collaborating, with this last point being a very key difference to previous eras, in my opinion. I hope that we continue to leverage the power of technology to connect, conceptualise and collaborate, while also hoping that our leaders shape more enabling policies to get us moving around more freely. If Africa were to have the ease of movement that Europe has, we would stand the chance of being a lot more integrated, motivated, focused, and this would translate into a lot more value creation for the cultural and creative industry on a continental level.

Captured by @starp

What inspired the idea to curate Proud to Play?

The stories that we all have about our experiences with African music. Such rich stories that must be preserved and shared amongst ourselves. It was also a way to hopefully inspire more pride in our African heritage, something that for so long we have been deceived into being ashamed of and finding inferior. Proud to Play has now evolved into The Potluck, and one of the questions we ask each guest stems from the Proud to Play conversation series. The question prompts guests to share a song that makes them proud to be African, and we dig into why they made their selection.

How important is it to bounce off of energies as a creative and how has your network within the industry enhanced your growth?

This is an important part of my creative process. I like to share ideas I’m working on with my peers and get their feedback, while also always being open to giving feedback myself. We all stand to learn from each other and there is space for all of us to grow. The more we all do, the more the industry grows more broadly. 

Is there any advice you would give upcoming DJs/brand creators?

It is worthwhile to think about how you can be original and pour into that. Be a sponge, there is so much to learn if you take the time to observe your surroundings. Never think that you are done learning. Be adaptable. Don’t be afraid or shy to ask for help, and be open to feedback. Network, especially horizontally with other upcoming DJs/brand creators. Be consistent in the shifts that you put in. Most importantly, you have to be your biggest fan, you have to be the one most obsessed with the craft and your project(s). No one else will do all of the work for you if you cannot do it yourself.

What artist are you most excited about at the moment?

There are so many to choose from and this is testament to the fact that African music is in such a great space, that I believe can only get better.

But to name a few, Victony, Ayra Starr, Black Sherif, Blxckie, Pa Salieu, and Lous and the Yakuza. All very original artists and I am really enjoying their musical journeys!

Are you ever fully content with your bodies of work?

Yes, you’ve got to learn to let go and keep it moving. There’s so much to cover, and not enough time to ponder about what could’ve been different about a previous release. You grow with each body of work, you stand the chance of honing some skills and/or learning some valuable lessons.  

Do you have any projects in the works that we can look forward to?

More mixes from the existing series, some new mix themes, more episodes of The Potluck, a surprise summer project, and consolidating all of this in one place online.

Listen to K’Ru’s mixes here.