Vera is a good friend who fell for me after the You Guy video shoot - Kristoff

Pulse: It’s been months since we heard a new single from you. Everything OK on your side?

Kristoff: What do you mean? My track Dandia has been topping the charts over the last six months. It has been paying my bills since May. I have been all over the country touring with that song. There’s no weekend that finds me in Nairobi these days. The trick is to release a hot track that everyone loves instead of doing several and people only end up liking one. I always tell that to Rabbit who releases singles every other month (hating on his hip hop rival).

P: The song, Dandia is more of kapuka than the rap you are known for. Does this mean you have had a change of mind, musically speaking?

K: Honestly, hip hop has not made me any money in this country. My friend Jaguar advised me to make songs for the ordinary man and its working. Those promoters in all these small towns such as Bungoma, Nakuru and Eldoret are really promoting Kenyan music and helping us make us a living through concerts.

P: But your songs particularly Dandia have been described as having little lyrical content. What’s your comment on that?

K: This is exactly what I’m talking about when I say Nairobi standards are no longer the benchmark. We are no different from Nigerian artistes really whose music revolves around simplicity aimed at mass appeal.

P: That is to say you are doing just fine and living your dream?

K: I'm not there yet. You know why all these Nigerian singers are living large? It’s because of their strong institutions when it comes to music and artistry. The other day I got a Sh250,000 royalty cheque from the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) for Dandia which has been on heavy rotation since May. A very prominent artiste told me that would have been an easy Sh4 million if our industry was well managed.

P: Talking of managing issues, what is this Kristoff and Vera Sidika business of the two of you wanting to get a baby? Are you an item?

K: Vera is a good friend who fell for me after the You Guy video shoot. We talk from time to time. The rest can be blamed on Shaffie Weru and God knows why!

P: Did you or are you getting involved with each other romantically?

K: I said she is just a friend and that the rest is a creation of Shaffie Weru.

P: Everyone or, let us just say, word on the street has it that you are the number one player in town. Is it that you just love women or what?

K: What do you mean player?

P: Besides Vera, rumours of you dating Petra, Yvonne Darcq and even Kush Tracey who recorded the Dandia reply are all over. Who is the main one in your love life?

K: Let me state it clearly that I have a girlfriend and that she does not work in the music industry. I’m helping out Yvonne with her music and showing her the ropes around the business. She is my friend too. The others are merely lady friends who I have been spotted with. People, or paparazzi rather, see me in a group of people including a female celebrity in most cases and automatically assume am sleeping around. That is not the case. I hope this settles that matter once and for all.

P: How does your girlfriend take all these since bloggers can’t stop making nonsense of all that?

K: I had to sit her down and show her all examples of artists in the States who go through the same thing. It is the nature of the business.

P: You are just acting smart, we conclude!

K: Well, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so be it!