In Conversation With BananasOverdose

One of the rising female artists in the scene right now, Bananas Overdose is one to keep an eye on. She was recently featured on SautiSol member, Fancy Finger’s album, ‘Love Language,’ and has played at ‘The Village Creative Group’, ‘Beneath The Baobabs’ and so on. I had the opportunity to sit down with her and have a candid conversation about her experience in the music industry. 

Who is BananasOverdose? Why this name?

I go by the name BananasOverdose aka BOD, I am an internationally renowned singer/rapper/activist of Ethiopian-Somali descent. My art covers a broad range of styles and messages, from in your face politically-minded hip-hop about issues in the Somali community to afro pop love songs about heartbreak.

Whether singing in Arabic or rapping in Somali, one thing you can be sure to expect from me is an unmistakable passion for justice, both personal and social.

The name BananasOverdose comes from the love I always had for bananas since childhood. Plus bananas are a staple food in Somali culture and I’m actually bananas haha. I am difficult to pin down, a fact that I am well aware of and proud of. 

How did you end up going down the music/performance path? 

Being a performer is my earliest memory as an energetic child. I remember the ability that I had to always gather a crowd around me at family functions and in school to show them my new dance moves. It's been in my DNA; but I only started taking it seriously as a profession in 2019. It’s the best decision I've ever made.

You also have a unique look and sound, but other than that I know you tend to have a lot of political views and beliefs that you share on social media. How do you balance everything? Does it ever feel like it gets overwhelming? 

I have a strong sense of justice and I lead with intuition. I definitely have strong views on many issues. Actually I have an upcoming song that talks about colonization and reclaiming our land and resources back as Africans. Politics and human rights are so central to my art. How can we not address these topics as artists when we live in the world we live in? 

Of course sometimes it gets overwhelming but the key, I think, is knowing when to retreat. I love swimming in the ocean.  It keeps me grounded. Having a solid support system is also a big factor because sometimes you yourself can't see when you're about to lose your shit. Sometimes you need people you trust to tell you to take a deep breath.

On that same note, do you think your views infer your music? Do you see the two as being separate from one another? Or you can't have one without the other? 

My views definitely influence my music. But that doesn’t mean I can't step into someone else’s world and write from their perspective. I’m a very emotional libra and I tend to feel things and people deeply which is a quality that benefits me when it comes to writing music.

I've spoken to a lot of male artists over the past few months, the general feeling is that the industry has a lot of gatekeepers. What do you think? Is it the same for you or do you feel like there are added issues you face?

Personally I have experienced gatekeeping from big names in the entertainment industry. A lot of men use it as a sexual power play. Once, someone big in the industry tried to compel me to compromise myself physically. This is something I could never do and so as a result, the song we had done was never cleared. It’s a sad but common reality in the entertainment industry and needs to be called out by everyone, men and women alike. I’m happy to see recently some male figures being called out but we need more accountability. 

I think a lot of women who are at the top in the industry go with it because of what I call a scarcity mentality. I feel like in Kenya, people act as though success in the industry is a zero sum game, meaning if someone has a break then they are taking the opportunity away from me. I don’t know where this mentality comes from but I know it’s damaging because as creatives we should believe in abundance and that there’s a seat for everyone at the table. The exploiters, both men and women use this scarcity mentality for their gain. 

Maybe one day I’ll talk about this in detail but for now I’ll spare them because I’ve got bigger things to focus on!

Along with being an artist you're a business woman, do you mind telling me a bit more about your brand?

I am a business woman! I don't take myself that seriously but I really am a business woman. My brand screams “I AM WHO I AM AND I LOVE IT”. It promotes self expression and embracing oneself with all the imperfections. So far I make bucket hats and fanny packs that are perfect for raves, festivals, and hikes. They have bananas printed all over them and they come in two colours: black and white. I remember at the 2022 BTB festival, I sold so many bucket hats that you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing someone wearing one. I definitely wanna make my way into fashion and make more ‘bananas’ merchandise. If you wanna support me please slide into my dms and I’ll plug you.

What can we look forward to from BananasOverdose?

I’m currently on a ‘bring back 70s disco somali music’ vibe. As a somali queer gen Z I’ve struggled to fit in when it comes to the somali community. It’s really interesting, you know, because on the one hand I’m celebrating my culture by revisiting the 70s era of ‘Mogadisco’ music as it was known. On the other hand, a lot of Somalis really do not like to go back to that place and they really demonize me for doing this. That era was known for being a liberated time for women and the art scene was rich. Mogadishu was known as a music capital in Africa and was super cosmopolitan much like Nairobi today! I think the pushback from Somalis has to do with the generational trauma that came with the civil war. It’s really complex and sad but the hate fuels me and shows me that I’m really touching on a sensitive part of our culture in a way that hasn’t been done in a long time. 

Besides this new project, all I can say is keep an eye out for ‘harambae’: a series of visuals and sounds that is a mixture of the east african roots that I come from mixed with futuristic underground experimental EDM music. This project I’m so excited for and I think it’s really gonna break ground. It’s super new and experimental and really represents who I am. So keep your eyes peeled - pardon the pun!