My boy Mike just got back from Kenya and the one thing he has been ranting and raving about (in a bad way). Is that hiphop in Kenya is DEAD. (dont shoot me, shoot the messenger), its weired when I listen to someone tell me about how hiphop is dead yet there is all this music I get from Kenya and all these music videos that I see on YouTube. However if you stop to think about it, majority of the Genge/Kapuka/Afrosoul sound is really not hiphop. Apparently its rare to go to a night club in Kenya and just listen to hiphop and R&B the whole night. Of Course Mike could be wrong and was just going to the wrong spots but there has to be some truth in his words because the number of Dance/Pop Mixtapes I have recieved over the last 8 months has been alarming.
So am posting this Mix from KK which is probably a mashup of many Funky mix CDs but essentially this is currently Kenya’s party scene – someone PLEASE TELL ME this isnt SO. PLEASE TELL ME. Please tell me that DJs still play some Good Ol Snoop Dogg, Fushnikens, Soul Mischief, Das Effex… heck tell me they play Maino, 50 Cent I will take that. But please dont tell me hiphop is dead in Kenya. PLEASE…
Either way KK laced this up real well so I thought I would share it and do a double take with Louis image from his Blog that celebrated its 1yr bday last month.(DAILY STRUGGLE) if you dont know, Daily Struggle has some of the most amazing images of Kenya/Nairobi that I have ever seen. Some photographers take pictures of the plight in the country, some photographers take images of a Country unseen, images that you’d think were shot in Hollywood (check out Jim chuchus The Stingo. However artist like Louis Majanja just capture a moment in life of a Kenyan in the streets. To me thats just an authentic story of our community.
For now enjoy this Summer Anthem.
listen to the mix here:
[audio:http://files.getmziki.com/Dj_Mixes/GetMziki_Summer_2011_KK.mp3]download the mixtape here: