“It pains to get discredited for my hard work” Femi One speaks following ‘Utawezana’ song backlash

Viral hit song, Utawezana seems to have brought more despise than admiration in female emcee and rapper, Femi One.

The song is a ballad that struck the Kenyan airwave on the 1st of April 2020 with a bang and is still trending like it’s just been released.

Unfortunately though, produced by Rabbit’s Kaka Empire record label and artists Femi One and Mejja, the previous has received more backlash than her counterpart.

Femi One

What has been making recent headlines about the female hip hop artist, is how she failed to accredit TikTok queen, Azziad Nasenya for the push she gave the tune.

Femi one responded by stating that that was a challenge the 19-year old had voluntarily taken up and plus, it bagged Azziad more followers and popularity than she previously had.

It was but a win-win situation, if anything.

Azziad Nasenya

Fans however trashed the sentiments, demanding for Azziad’s recognition of the effort she put in pushing the song forward.

Co-production

The case has seemingly died down, though leaving behind deep scars in Femi One.

Looking back at the hard-work she put into the track, only to be appreciated in that manner, is heartbreaking.

The success of the song was a collective effort from myself, Mejja, the producer, video director and fans who participated in the challenge on social media.

During her exclusive phone interview with SDE, the singer expressed disappointment and disbelief at how much discredit her role in the song had received.

Femi One is great but we don't say it enough
Femi One

Instead of appreciating her as an artist behind the melody, fans had instead shifted gears to Azziad Nasenya, who actually came in, after the song’s release.

I was shocked seeing people trying to discredit me on social media alluding that I don’t deserve the success of Utawezana. 

Femi didn’t do the song alone. Genge rapper, Mejja was part and parcel of it but to fans, it’s like he is invisible and she instead had to take the fall alone.

Mejja rapped about the same thing in the song but he is not being bashed. I feel so bad seeing people trying to discredit the work I have been putting in through the years.

Utawezana hitmakers, Femi One and Mejja

Male domination

All that stems down to one thing – male chauvinism in the music industry.

Ladies in the music industry rarely get support. This conversation is sad because I am among the few female musicians doing well in the industry.

It pained her to see just how much resentment she had received from the song’s popularity. All because she is female and to fans, she doesn’t matter.

Femi One

Further recognizing the much effort female artistes in the local music industry have to put in multiple times than their male counterparts, in order to reach atop.

Her plea to Kenyans is one:

Support us instead of bashing us. The industry is already male-dominated and for a female artist to be visible, we have to work almost ten times harder. They can’t accept that I’m female and the song I did with Mejja. They feel I don’t deserve it, but Mejja does.

Admitting that this is not the first time she has taken note of such cold reception of music from female artistes. No!

This is something I have previously noticed in the Kenyan music industry.

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“Utawezana was trending before Azziad!” Femi One savagely claps back

The say give credit where it’s due but not for Femi One’s viral Utawezana track. The female rapper is not about to let the credit go to TikTok queen, Azziad Nasenya.

If anything, the song was already a hit and doing exuberantly well on the social media platform that it did not really need much of a push.

While celebrating the jam’s 5 million views on YouTube, having just premiered barely a month ago, an overwhelmed Femi One flaunted:

Finally!! We are at 5million views …we can now release another one Yes?!

Also read : https://www.ghafla.com/ke/femi-one-is-great-but-we-dont-say-it-enough/

Unfortunately though, fans were quick to acknowledge Azziad Nasenya’s significant input into the track’s popularity posing:

I hope mlikanja aziad kakitu

Another fan blasting:

I doubt, na venye alileta views and made it sth on tiktok too.

19-year old, Azziad Nasenya

Femi One was quick to respond to the same, clarifying that the song was already a hit before Azziad Nasenya’s dance came into play.

So if anything, the TikTok queen gained fame through the viral ‘Utawezana’ song challenge and not the converse.

The song was already trending on tiktok that’s why she did the challenge because she came across it on tik tok.

Kenyan Femcee and rapper, Femi One

That simply meant no single penny was going into the dancer’s pockets because probably it was a win-win situation for the both parties.

The challenge

Azziad took up the Utawezana challenge on TikTok, unleashing some smart dance moves jamming to the song that captivated the eyes of fans.

Of all the challenges out up, the young dancer’s moves carried the day and that is how she trended.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-kZVSNBpct/

The challenge took over Twitter, attracting the attention of both men and women alike.

From her wasp-like well-trimmed waist, to the seamless whining, not to talk of her skin tone and not to forget her sweet, innocent smile that stole the hearts of many.

The Internet was brought to a standstill. Since then, the rest was history.

Either way, the Kaka Empire produced track is a hit! Since it’s release on April Fool’s – 1st April, the song has hit the International market.

Big question is, are we starring at the club banger’s remix or just another similar hit? Time will tell.

Meanwhile, have a watch of the viral hit:

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