Gyptian’s “Hold Yuh” track has been a banger everywhere for a while now and various artists across the world have been jumping on the track and creating thier own versions. It’s a trend that has been there for a while and will always be a medium for artists to create remixes.

Many East African artists have still not caught up on the “Jumping on other people beats” trend while on the flip side artists especially from Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa have been doing unofficial remixes using tracks from tons of artists including Lil Wayne, Beyonce, Rihanna, Movado and many more.

I’ve always told artists that “Jumping on other people beats” for unofficial remixes opens up tons of doors in terms of writing skills, song arrangement and overall song composition. Most artists use the tracks as promotional material for thier street albums and mixtapes and creates that street buzz, since you are jumping on a song that is already hot.

A good example I always give is when Vybz Kartel voiced over Ne-Yo’s “Miss Independent” instrumental for his “Romping Shop” version. When “Romping Shop” came out,  Ne-Yo’s publishing company wrote to Vybz’s team stating that Rompin Shop was infringing on the copyright license of the “Miss Independent” record. Ne-Yo’s record label even forced the song to be pulled from all radio stations, television stations plus you-tube.  After thinking about it again, Ne-Yo’s record company reversed its decision to yank the song since it saw the win-win situation in the matter since “Romping Shop” was also a club banger, which meant it gave more “free” marketing for “Miss independent”.  Record companies have now caught up to the trend and will purposely release instrumentals with just one verse and chorus for other artists to jump on.

Anyways, here are some “unofficial” remixes to Gyptians ‘Hold Yuh” done by Grip Boyz from Nigeria and Klu Boboo and Kevin Nash from Ghana. I believe I have one from Dafari From Kenya and will post later on today.

Enjoy!!!

Listen to the tracks below:

Grip Boyz – Hold Ya

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Klu Boboo and Kevin Nash – Hold Ya

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Let me make this post in two sections since I want to touch up on two main things as I write this.

1. So called Celebs of Kenya and Entertainers
2. Artist Social Responsibility in the community

So lets talk about the first since I was a so called “Celeb” at one point in my life. One of the biggest things for me was to always ask myself whats going to happen to me after all is said and done. Luckily I quit radio while I was still ontop, I honestly didnt feel like killing my career in media. However often I sit and ask myself like when you look at the spectrum of artists, entertainers and musicians in Kenya – who today can you say is/was successful in riding out their careers. Like where are the big stars of the 80/90′s? Where is Joe Mwamburi, Where is ESTA (Tushauriane super star?), Where is that Blueband kid (okay he wasnt a celeb but where is he), Where is Fred Obachi Machoka?

I think with the exception of folks like Five Alive – many Kenyan old school acts just kinda fizzle off. I dont know why but it just happened over time. Thats why sometimes when I think of Jimmy Gathu I feel like this is one cat who really rode out his media career and somehow has made a living off it. I respect his gangsta a lot. Jimmy has a lovely wife and family/kids and stuff and he still is on TV (Breakfast morning on Citizen I believe). But I am sure Jimmy doesn’t want to see this song am about to post today – I wish I could get my hands on the Jam-A-Delic clips ha ha ha that would be a trip and a half. Anyway Kule (Ekirapa) (you need to pull off that show – real talk).

The second part of this post is to talk about these social advocacy programs and initiatives. Today Kenyan artists will not just make a song fwaaaa!!! There has to be some organizational body behind the entire thing. I am not saying this Jimmy Gathu, Sheila Tet, Suzanne Kibukosya inspired track wasnt paid for by Kenya Road Safety Network, I am just saying that more and more artists need to make more conscious music. More mainstream artists need to talk about relevant shit more frequently than not. So far we only have the Ukoo Fulani mau mau’s who skew heavily toward understanding the self. Me am talking about these elections, these pocket eating politicians, these gun touting thugs and rapists, these road killing drunk motorists. Anyway do we have civil or social responsibility locally? How do we address that?

Moving right along this track was fire when it came out – it was on heavy rotation. Its amazing when I see Suzzanne Kibukosya wearing a mini (eiishh those mama has BODY yawa…) I can see why our old men were really sumbuliwad by the trio. Not withstanding Katherine Kasavuli who every Kenyan Old man had a crush on. Enjoy its a Wednesday and my mind is all over the place but this is a classic track.

listen to stay alive here:

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download the track here:

watch the video here: