K-teezy, Vintiqueezy and Vyba (JointYaChava) – ZikiRuka (GetMziki Exclusive**)
Am kinda bummed that Dyme sent me this track like last week, considering its been making rounds on facebook and on other sites so to call it exclusive here would be an insult. (Sorry Dyme I had to call you out on this one). Meanwhile someone in Kenya stole Chava’s track “Wacha Kukata” and apparently remade the entire track, the video and everything just like Chava and crew did. When Chava called me about that track – I wasnt sure if I should be upset or glad that someone is actually bootlegging his music!
I think its a good thing when guys like your style so much they want to cop it.
Now on the flip side your whole K-Teezy, Vintiqueezy, Vyba movement is still hitting the right spots (so far). This track is on point, good production, good flow, good name dropping (nimezisikia he he he – thats a sure shot to get guys to push your track). Also after listening to the hook and listening to K-Teezy I have to school some folks here. A lot of people think that AutoTune and Vocoder are the same thing. Auto tune is a plug in made my Antares which is used for pitch correction (what K-Teezy’s voice and the hook has been infused by… actually I think probably the whole track has been chapwad Auto Tune.. correct me if I am wrong). A vocoder on the the other hand (without using Roger Troutman as an example) takes a signal plugged into a device (synthesizer) the signal goes through the microphone and is sent through a series of oscillators and filters which create the synthesizer sounds.
Anyway as far as I know no Kenyan has used Vocoder on any of their tracks all these tracks are on Autotune. Either way am waiting to see if Jay Z will really kill Autotune coz Africa’s got next on this production style. Nearly all the new tracks am listening to have some form of voice modification – overall its all good am not knocking anyones style – we will see how long this will last.
listen to zikiruka here:
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download the track here:
Vyba and Kaulaz featuring Redsan – International Beauty
image courtesy of JointYa Chava Music
The first time I heard this track was on the TOD website, I didn’t know what to make out of it for a while. It took me a few more days to figure out that Chava is a producer and the other guys are actually artists. The second time I heard the song was on a TOD mixtape on my way to some Cafe 111 or something in Atlanta, then I coincidentally bumped into the gang doing video interviews and stuff – I didn’t pay so much attention because I was hungry at the time but needless to say I didn’t connect the song with the guys at the restaurant.
But let me be honest here, Chava as a producer is onto something great here – the beats are a youthful blend of Kapuka (Genge) whatever you call it but his production skills seem to capture a lot of what Kenya seems to churn out. Vyba as an artist is probably the most promising Kenyan artist in US I think if serious could possibly break this industry in the US. Kaulaz and Vintiqueezy i’d have to listen to more material from them but thats just my two cents. This track is a nice mellow track that REDSAN blessed. If you watch the making of the video you can see the excitement in the crews eyes to actually have REDSAN on a track! Those home videos keep me on youtube all day fellaz uwongo mbaya – I wish I could see how many other songs were made.
So far I would personally give this track a 6 out of ten, I apologize for sleeping on the track but Chava guarantees that there is more heat from the kitchen coming soon. On that note we are throwing this track on Eves countdown show on Capital FM. Lets see what the rest of Kenya thinks about it.
listen to International Beauty here:
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download the track here:
Bonus Material:
download the instrumental here:
download the vocal here:
Bonus material – making the video:
Brand New: Vinticqeezy feat Vyba – Jiachilie
img courtesy of Vinticqueezy
My argument to document and democratize Kenyan artists making moves in the US continues immensely. Each month I am overwhelmed with new content, new artists, new material, so much that I am actually getting picky with what I publish and what I don’t. This is the last time I will make this statement for all our Kenyan readers (mainly all the producers, DJs and promoters who read this site from Kenya). Kenyans in the US wanasimama, na wamenyonji!! raundi hii si mchezo.
The formula for me is simple, artists are being groomed locally, they are forming the right partnerships with DJ’s and promoter networks. And they are supplying their music to the Diaspora in such a rapid rate – we are compelled to respond to their music whether we like it or not.
Take for instance Vinticqueezy and Vyba (btw Vicky I think that name just needs to change Vintiqueezy – its not a good brand name, I’ve had such a long time trying to memorize the spelling, but maybe thats the strategy so that I struggle to remember your name 
sijui). But here is a crew that were pushed undoubtedly well by TOD pre-Thanksgiving events, I came to learn about them only from the hype generated from that promo. Their song was released first on the TOD site and then they got to perform in Atlanta. The sequence of events is very different from how music is pushed in Kenya, either way you look at it – you have a package and a platform that seems to be working well for most of the Kenyan artists in the US.
I don’t yet have an opinion about this song, I seem to me more amazed about the process of how the song was made and how the song and artists are being promoted and pushed in the US. To me the new generation of Kenyan/American entertainment is highly fascinating. Its a generational gap that seems to have passed me while I was asleep – so for now listen to the song, give your feedback (the instrumental is available also). I also attached a highly interesting video they made, while recording and making the song which will back up everything I’ve been saying about beats made in bedrooms -
Jiachilie Maze!!!
ps. That Chava drop in the begining of the songs is highly infectious good job!!! ni kama signature ya ULOPA Ngoma
listen to Jiachilie here:
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download the track here:
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