Kama – Cant You See (GetMziki Exclusive *****)
There are days I get new music and I sit on the songs so that I can reserve initial judgement. Then there are days like today when Mandugu Digital hits me with a CLASSIC that I cant hold my mouse very long. Real TALK am sambazaing the song roho safi! This song is FIRE – I’ve always known Kama can spit (Ukoo Fulani Mau Mau). Especially after seeing him over and over again on Hip Hop Colony. I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that Mike (the Director of HipHop colony) was up to some good when he hand picked Kama as one of the story tellers in the documentary, because lets face it – this man can spit.
If you are a strong HipHop head like me then you will appreciate this track as much as I am. The sample remind me of Primo (DJ Premier), it feels so New York, yet so Ukoo Fulani MauMau – It feels so gutter, it feels so street, it feels so – Kalamashaka – It feels so KAMA. It feels like real African Hiphop and its wicked. Ambrose big up on the track coz this is a killer sample, its just what reminded me of how much I used to enjoy those You Kay Double Oooo tracks (UK double O – UKOO).. (For the slow guys thats how Ukoo fulani pronounce their group name on their rhymes).
Anyway am just excited today coz its been a while since Ive heard a Powerful song like this one .. So GM fans enjoy –
listen to cant you see here:
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download the track here:
Ukoo Fulani Mau Mau – Mizani
Some Weekend Swirl – This is some old heat from the GENERALS themselves, am posting this song because I like it, it deserves a spot somewhere on your hard drive or your CD changer. When this song dropped in Kenya a lot of young’ns didnt know how to react to the beat but the knew they loved the flow – UKOO FULANI continuously keeps pushing social conscious rap and hiphop culture…
For a long time I also didnt know that they spell out the name in all their raps ” Ni U K Double O” – Nice creativity….
ps. Mizani means Scales or balance or measure…. you know when was the last time you used the word Mizani in a swahili sentence?
listen to Mizani here:
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download the track here:
Dead Prez feat Kshaka, Ukoo Fulani – Red Black & Green (Ni Wakati Soundtrack Exclusive)
There has been an burgeoning hiphop movement in East Africa for many years, to document the history here wouldn’t do justice to the work that many East African creative minds have tried to do over time. However one person always comes to mind when it comes to connecting East Africa (or more importantly Kenyan hiphop) with the Western world. Michael Wanguhu has been on a quest to advocate for all Kenyan artists, all Kenyan producers and all Kenyan entertainers in ways they will never come to appreciate until a few decades from today.
It saddens me further when I look at the tourism efforts that the Kenyan Government exerts on these hocus pocus conferences and meaningless newspaper Ads and page inserts on US/UK magazines to reach out to the Western communities. While all along you have soldiers and advocates for your country, busy trying to preach Kenya to the masses in ways you would never imagine. How much would it cost to support Kenyan producers, artists, directors, ambassadors for change – people who wake up and sleep about Kenya. The Michael Wanguhu’s the Wanuri Kahius, the Kimathis (Jamhuri Wear), the Wangeci’s (Kipepeo), the Uhuru Clothings (Tom). All these people are silent merchants of a country that’s wanting to tell people about its story its beauty, its journey, its changes, its growth.
So when I see people like Mike doing more work around the East African community, I am always compelled to pay attention. Because people like Mike tell tales of Africa that don’t have to do with poverty and struggling. They talk about the Africa I know, which has nothing to do with Maasai’s or AIDS (as much as these are realities) they don’t affect me directly. I grew up in an estate with water, with tarmac, with food, with decent friends and different set of dynamics. To me the artists who paint this picture are the kinds of artists I am normally drawn to, and I think thats why the whole urban scene has taken off in Africa. You have people P-Square talking about feel good music…
Michael Wanguhu has one documentary under his belt – hiphop colony for those who slept on it. He is currently working on Ni Wakati Movement – which by FAR – from my perspective is going to be one of his best work for years to come. Without giving too much away – please check out the website and listen to the track that he has sambazad for the public. This the official sound track of the new documentary.
http://www.wakatimovement.com/
listen to Red Black & Green here:
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download the track here:
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Ukoo Fulani – Mizani
Its interesting how we interpret music, this is one of the older song that Ukoo Fulani had. It was a huge hit back in the day, actually I still have it in shuffle on my ipod. However its interesting when you start to think about Swahili/Sheng Music vs direct translation and other ulterior meanings.
So in pure swahili speaking terms, the Mizani (which is the title of this hit song) means scales. But I went to a store recently and saw a hair product called Mizani… And then I looked at my ipod and I was almost baffled. However in the back of my head I was just saying at least its better than the Mavi Jeans product I saw about a year ago – that would have been a shitty campaign to market in Kenya – or make a song about. 
listen to the song here:
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download the song here: