Your recent head-to-head rap free style battle against your friend Rhymes on Str8Up show was good. How was it facing each other?
I knew it would be tough right from the start. I have worked with Rhymes in a couple of projects this year and I know he is one of the 'illest' rappers in the scene right now. I knew I would emerge the winner but I am fine it finally became a tie.
This year has been your breakthrough year. How did you plan it all?
From the very start it was designed to be so and it was about getting out of the box. That is why my new album Mode Extraordinare was designed to be diverse. I featured in King Kaka’s Gorilla Academy, a talent search battle where I emerged (in the) top three. I was also at Vince on the Beat Kenyan Cypher where I 'killed it' and people confused me with Khaligraph. I have been working closely with Blackmarket where I will headline one of their cyphers and then come to my album.
How did you get into all these projects?
I always go for what I believe I am worth. Consistence and hard work pays and I am a testimony that if you keep trying you will make it. I am based in Makueni County and I am already becoming a household name across Kenya. I have to give it up to Anjiri centre in Makueni County as they have had my back.
Take us back to where it all started and how you found your voice and space as a rapper.
First, let me warn upcoming artistes that they don’t have to hit with the first or second release. We all can’t be Trio Mio. If you approach the industry with an overnight star mentality, you will ‘die’. From the very start I invested in good advisers. I have always know that I can flow with any beat. I am a linguistic teacher and that is where this playing with words talent starts. There is this song where I fused Kikamba, French and Kiswahili. Basically, I am an entertainer.
How was your first album received?
Honestly I didn’t expect it to be such a success. I was doing it as an experiment. These two guys, Mambo Maithya and Naftali sat me down and asked what I was doing with all those songs I had written and had been rapping without recording. They helped me compile a diverse album and the fans responded well. After that I landed myself collabos one with Steve Simple Boy – which didn’t succeed because of an issues with his previous management team. The project produced hit songs like Tuzikende and Mutunge featuring Biez Kaviru. I have a new album coming out but before that I have a new song out called Mikanilye.
The Mikanilye project has picked the trends. People say it’s hilarious and I think so too. What exactly does it address?
The title Mikanilye is a Kamba word meaning nonsense. That is what you find with many Kenyan artistes and creatives who are just doing songs and releasing content just for hype and clout. It is a warning that one can’t grow out of bubble gum acts. I love to do music whose lyrics are rich in content and this was me warning the industry that we must outgrow our egos and give fans something worthwhile.
What can fans should expect in your new project?
My new album Mode Extraordinare is crazy. It is a 16-track project. I have a track with Rhymes called Kazi ni Kazi. I am not signed to any record stable but as an independent artiste I have been relying on the support from the Makueni County Government that is sponsoring talented creatives.
The tracks Ni Time Yangu, Hii Ndio Kazi and Tina in this Mode Extraordinare bring out a fresh sound. Is this why the project has so many collabos?
I try to be as versatile as possible and that includes bringing in all the collabos I have with the diverse artistes featured in the album. You will find tracks like Hio Design, Huku si Huzoza, Ezakoya, Story ya Crushie and Zimenice among others.
Do you think the creative industry and counties should do more to discover and nurture talent to change the perspective that big stars only come from Nairobi?
It has been a big assumption that big artistes come from Nairobi. In the next year, we will have changed this narrative as I am aware of the many projects on the way purposely done to change and direct the industry. I respect Nairobi artistes but if we just leave it to them then we are just getting one perspective of the big picture.
Many young people are experiencing financial difficulties when starting. What is your word on this?
The youth need more support from organizations and county governments. We should start seeing investors putting money into music and believing music is an industry.
What should we expect from you this holiday season?
I have a lot lined up for you. The new project is aligned with the holiday season and that means I am getting bookings from all over. My fans should expect the best from me and again, I must thank everyone for the support.