Are these the ‘bad boys’ of Kenyan gospel?

Courtesy

There is no denying that the secular and gospel industries are both surrounded by hullabaloo, the only thing that distinguishes the two is the name of the Lord. Despite this there are some gospel musicians who have continuously courted controversy over the years leaving most of their fans wondering whether they are true to their Faith or they are in it for fame and money writes CAROLINE NYANGA

Gospel singer Willy Paul Msafi who bares controversy and scandal as his middle name tops the list owing to numerous scandals that have left many questioning his faith and where his allegiance lies.

From the “msafi” name which he claims to have added to his original name because God made him extra clean despite arguments by critics that he coined the name from Tanzania’s music guru Diamond Platnumz’s Wasafi recording label.

His scandalous relationships is another area where Willy Paul has failed miserably. Having courted negative publicity owing to multiple girlfriends that have  literally dragged his name into the mud.

At some point one of his girlfriends, Babezdyer, went as far as posting some horrific scars that the controversial gospel singer had inflicted on her in an altercation.

While another 19-year-old woman named Charlene Leila, accused the singer of impregnating her and later ordering her to abort. However, Willy rubbished the claims, saying it was a fabrication by his enemies to tarnish his image and stall his progress.

To add salt to injury the bad boy of gospel known for his contradictory mode of dressing including his hit songs which are perceived as secular was at some point accused by fellow musician Bahati of stealing his music Maria and Mapenzi adding that most of his hits were not his own creation.

But a thick- skinned Willy Paul is quick to defend himself terming it a ploy to tarnish his name him through bad press.

“Every negative report about me is untrue and hence they don’t affect my life in anyway. Truth is, I am less bothered by what they say or write nor am I out to please anybody, because I know that I serve a living God who has continuously opened more doors for me,” says the musician who was once spotted in a popular entertainment joint in Nairobi exposing not only his love for the club life but also his arrogance and disrespectfulness.

“In any case I have learnt to live my life the way I want since people will always have something bad to say about you dead or alive.”

 

Another gospel artiste Ringtone has found himself on the receiving ends following rape allegations, failure to comply with MCSK rules and regulations including his latest move when he announced that he was quitting gospel music.

 The musician however shocked his fans when he recently released a song with Tanzanian songbird Christina Shusho having spent close to Sh1million on two choppers.

Ringtone insists that gospel has always been a calling- hence his reason for deciding to do a new song in a bid to minister to lost souls.

He avers: “I strongly believe someone is always being paid to tarnish my name just to please the other party.

Adding that, “I will never bribe to have anyone to paint any positive portrait about me. The allegations remain the least of my worries since there is no single truth in them. But to me that is just water under the bridge since God has opened more doors for me despite their efforts to finish my career in vain”.

Bahati is one artiste reportedly among the majority who preach water while literally drinking wine. The former darling of gospel entertainment  is one person who was well known to expose his ministry counterparts negatively  with an aim of public humiliation while making himself look like the ‘clean’ one.

From accusing Willy Paul of stealing his songs to going public about allegations that Daddy Owen had not paid Denno a portion of the proceeds gotten from the gospel hit Mbona; which was a creation of Owen and Denno – something that later backfired on him.

To add salt to injury his fans woke up to the shock of learning that Bahati decided to quit gospel music after alledegedly receiving death threats from fellow artistes.

His last words before he decided to take a break from social media let alone picking his calls were: “I have decided to quit gospel music for now. I have decided to follow my heart. Gospel artistes, my very brothers, have been meeting secretly and plotting my downfall.

I have so much pain in my heart. It is not worth being in the gospel industry now. At this rate, this hate will even get me killed. If they can even go to an extend of looking for my relatives and other people close to me to bribe them and have them cook lies about me, then aren’t they ready to do anything to finish me,” said Bahati

But then again only recently an embattled Bahati fiannly came out of his cocoon with a brand new jam dubbed ‘Itakua Sawa’.  Bahati, who had gone MIA both physically and on social media after it was alleged that a number of fellow gospel artists were plotting for his fall, made a gallant entry back to the game with a brand new release that was followed by a lengthy ‘Barua’ he published on his social media accounts.

The star revealed that even in his silence, the perpetrators of all atrocities planned against him did not rest as they dragged in his adopted kids in the whole mix up to bring him down.

In his latest Barua, Bahati delved more into his sad and difficult past and said how much it helped him become the man he is today, a man willing to help his people with the little he has. However, his enemies used his generosity to fight him claiming the adoptions were publicity stunts in the first place and have been doing everything to bring apart his young family.

Latest gospel sensation Papa Dennis is one person who got many of his fans wondering whether he was living by the Word judging by his unending controversial nature that is currently the talk of town.

From featuring in a Jimmy Gaits controversial song Makeke in 2014 to his scandalous relationships with various women- and having dancers who many describe as more of secular than gospel.

But Papa Dennis sees this as a scheme by a section of his haters to drag his name and bring him down musically.

“It is obvious that there are a certain section of people who will never say anything positive about you especially when you are doing well with the aim of tarnishing your name and dragging your efforts down the drain.

Despite all said and done I strongly believe that I serve a living God and the latter will fight for me,” he says adding the scripture which reads; If God is for you then who can be against you.”