Wakadinali's Drill Themed "Victim's Of Madness" Challenge's Our Notions On Crime & Its Perpetrators
For a long time folks described Wakadinali as an underground hip hop group. Some went even as far as to condemn them to an alternative audience. How wrong they were. It is fair enough to say that the second time in a row best group winners at the UnKut Hip Hop awards have dominated 2020. Hits such as Lockdown, Extra Pressure, Joho and Nyara Nyara have received great airplay and recognition. This is the moment when Wakadinali take their unique sound and style mainstream. They are taking their place among Kenya's top rappers, for now and for posterity.
The drill themed album is executed in a unique style that leaves one with admiration. Drill culture started in the UK as an underground movement, with ties ostensibly to violent crime. It tipped after some of it's artists got cosigns from Skepta, Dave and Drake. Drill is so ingrained in the UK hip hop scene currently, it is difficult at times to separate it from the much older genre of grime. However once UK drill got international recognition, various subgenres or local flavors popped around the world. Most notably, New York, Chicago and Paris developed their own styles of drill, and churned out big stars. In Kenya, the wave has caught on. Artists such as Steph the Rapper (UnKut hip hop award winner for best drill artist), Maandy, GTA Gang and MC Gzay are taking up the mantle. Other artists have used drill beats from time to time but not as consistently as the aforementioned names. This wave however is being led by Wakadinali and most fans would agree.
Their music sounds so local and authentic. It is a sound that draws inspiration from the drill culture, but doesn't copy it. The ideology behind the Drill culture is so woven into the music, because it comes from a place of understanding and appreciation. Rather than ride a wave for fame, Wakadinali have used the drill beat to tell their story; the same story they have always told. They have kept it real!
Themes
This album tells a sad story. The characters are to be pitied, for their fates are unfair, and the experiences they go through are as a result of a broken society. The title Victims of Madness, invites the audience to look at crime and criminals in a different way. What if we put ourselves in their shoes and saw their state of victimhood? Drill has always been associated with crime, but to say that the album talks about crime as a theme is totally unfair. Of course it does, don't get me wrong. However crime is a broad word. Wakadinali in this album delve into the devilish details; what motivates crime? What are the effects of crime? How is society affected? How do police relate with the streets and how do gangs relate with each other? The album challenges the audience to look at crime in a more sophisticated way.
Gun Violence is a major theme and has been talked about on various songs. However the song XXXL stands out as the song almost solely dedicated to the issue. The intro is a man, supposedly a journalist saying 'The gun is linked to killing of two police officers'. Sewersydaa in the first verse looks at how a gun owner goes around bullying people on a dancefloor. He also warns possession of illegal weapons gets some suspects a case in court. He raps 'Nyongolo kwa Dancefloor/Next thing ni Gunshot/ Sai tunangoja verdict juu ya gun tulicarry'. Munga states in his verse. 'Nimekam through ka atheist/Kill ndani ya mosque Mwarabu ndio racist' . Scar Mkadinali in the last verse describes a revenge killing, 'Waliuma bro ai woshe/Lakini tulilipa body ai woshe'. Other songs address the theme too.
However all gun violence does not originate from gangsters. In the interlude, which is a skit, a young boy describes to his mother how some 6 police officers put 11 bullets into a suspect(one man). The songs Njege Sanse and Kim Jong Un talk about police officers shooting civilians, dispensing extra judicial justice. Police Brutality is talked out in the Njege Sanse song, where the hook unfortunately describes a man castrated under police custody. And even though police brutality is frowned upon, in a way it is seen in some ways as the justice deserved. They also manage to drive it home that crime has unpleasant consequences. On Extra Pressure Sewersydaa has a line, 'Arif alipewa long ride juzi life mara mbili 50/ Ati alikuwa wrong side saa ya shooting according to briefing'. This then debunks the myth that Wakadinali makes music that glorifies crime.
There are references made throughout the album that insinuate murder such as when Sewersydaa raps 'Try Kubehave staki damu imwagikie my linen t-shirt ' on Nyara Nyara or when he says 'unachocha body count ilifika sitini'. Scar has his fair share of murder analogies and references , saying things like 'Mbleina alishandwa kwa jikoni utadhani ni damu au peptang?' on Extra Pressure. They also compare themselves to famous mobsters, with Domani claiming he is the embodiment of Carlos Gambino and Lucky Luciano. Scar calls himself the African Al Capone.
With an unprecedented pandemic, there is no way they would have managed not to mention it. The last song on the album Lockdown is a reference to the mandated movement restrictions many governments took at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. The song however thematically addresses opulence and pride in negritude as they pay homage to Professor P.L.O Lumumba, The late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Kenneth Kaunda- the three men known for their Kaunda Style suits. They call them real African Heroes and men to look up to. Elsewhere on the song Extra Pressure Munga Domani compares the corona virus lockdown restrictions to the moment when a criminal suspect is hiding from the police. He says both situations restrict movement and require high survival skills.
Love and Life have been mentioned. Perhaps subtle or not so subtle hints about themselves. When Scar said in his Extra Pressure verse, 'hii ni ya mamanzi wamebeba /This Year napita na Rono''. It was a cheeky line meant to address the rumours that he and Comedian/Radio host Rono were dating. Of course the outspoken Rono has publicly expressed her admiration and crush on Scar Mkadinali many a time. They talk about the state of drill in Kenya with Sewersydaa stating ,' Drill ting sisi ndio wazee' . He essentially says that Wakadinali are not only the leaders of the drill wave, but the first ones to actually do it, even before it was a wave.
Production Style
The production style of the beats is genius. They are decidedly drill beats but they are edgy, possessing a certain trap element to them. The beats are anything but simple, and all the sonic layers show how talented the producers of this project were. Wakadinali worked with the usual suspects; Big Beats Afrique, Chino and Alex Vice. Furthermore it's very noticeable that the tempo is varied for when each of the group members is delivering their verses, showing a deliberate attitude towards the production side of things. The technique ensures that the final product is quality. It also gives Wakadinali a distinct sound. Although a drill album, Victims of Madness sounds very Kenyan so to speak.
All in all the album is a great one with a multitude of club hits and anthems. It is high energy right from the beginning and carries on to the end. It's the kind of music you would want to bump at the gym or on your way to work to get your day started off with psyche.
