The Kansoul is irreplaceable!

As I was listening to The Kansoul’s latest release with Sudi Boy dubbed Mapigo, I realized that I still enjoy their music 5 years down the line. Perhaps, I enjoy their music even more now.

Truth be told, I’ve never come across a song by The Kansoul that I totally didn’t feel. Maybe I didn’t vibe to some songs when I first heard them but they grew in me with time.

I have been a fan of the group since 2014 and it has been a beautiful journey. From the days of Dabo Tap, to Utamu Wa Life to No Woman No Party to Nyongwa to Bablas to their latest release Pikoko Lithim, the party has never stopped.

Also read: We want the old Mejja back and we are not joking

In my opinion, The Kansoul is here to stay because their style can’t be replicated. If you were thinking of copying Mejja, Madtraxx or Kid Kora don’t even try because you’ll fail terribly. Put simply, they are irreplaceable.

You see, all the three members of  this group are creative geniuses. Each of them has a unique approach to music, their voices are also unique and they just merge well in a track that you will find yourself hitting the replay button a couple of times.

The Kansoul
The Kansoul

To add to that, Madtraxx produces most of their songs so I don’t need to tell you that he puts his best foot forward when he’s in studio. The result is a beat that slaps really had and blends well with the lyrics. Like I said before, they are creative geniuses.

I might have some concerns about how Mejja has transformed from a storyteller to having ratchet lyrics like geuka nikubeng but we’ll forget about that for a moment because he’s the main reason why we even listen to The Kansoul.

The Kansoul
The Kansoul

Kid Kora is also a gifted musician. However, I have to admit that sometimes I forget that he’s part of The Kansoul but that’s just me.

Side note: Can someone please tell The Kansoul that we eagerly await their next solo release? We really love the collabos but we’ve honestly had enough!

Watch The Kansoul’s mega hit dubbed Bablas below.

Why is the Kenyan gospel industry such a mess?

Although I’m not a staunch Christian, I must admit that sometimes I get bothered when I see some of the things that are going on in the Kenyan gospel industry.  I’m sure many of you who are reading this are perturbed s well.

Also read: Gengetone gospel should not become a thing!

In the past few months, a new genre of music that many people refer to as gospel gengetone has gained traction and to be honest, it is one of the things that really worries me.

Size 8

I knew things had gotten out of hand when Linet Munyali, alias Size 8, released a song with Masterpiece titled High Bila Ndom. For a woman who is a role model to hundreds of thousands, that was a new low.

The gospel industry is also riddled with many scandals. From Bahati’s dramatic fall outs with artists who are singed to his label to the sex scandal involving DK Kwenye Beat and Hopekid to the countless pregnancy scandals.

I don’t really know what happened but it seems somewhere along the way, gospel artists forgot that their main role is to spread God’s word. It like the fame and money got into their tiny heads.

Alice Kimanzi and Paul Clement treat us to Yuko Mungu
Alice Kimanzi

I wish that the gospel industry could be as it was in the early 2010s. Every secular artists wanted to become a gospel musician because they were good examples to others and the industry was very vibrant.

Outrageous scandals involving gospel musicians – something that has become the norm today – were almost unheard of back then and neither were did they have to pull stunts before releasing new music. It was just good vibes.

I think it is time for the players in the gospel industry re-evaluate themselves.They should go back and see where the rain started beating them before it’s too late.

And no, I did not say that all the gospel artists have lost their ways, the likes of; Mercy Masika, Alice Kimanzi, Pitson, Guardian Angel and Gloria Muliro still make good music and it’s my hope that they will be steadfast in the faith.

Watch Kererembe by Bahati, Mejja and Madtraxx below.

EXCLUSIVE: Azziad Nasenya ‘Kenyan Tik Tok Queen’ opens up about her dating life, fame and being cyber bullied

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard of the name Azziad Nasenya, such a lovely name right? Anyway, sorry for digressing.

Azziad Nasenya alias Kenyan Tik Tok Queen

She’s the gorgeous lass who literally broke the internet after recording a video of herself dancing and singing along to Femi One and Mejja’s latest jam dubbed Utaniweza – which is literally fire by the way.

The video has garnered more than 243,000 views on Instagram and about 734,000 on Tik Tok by the time this piece went up. I don’t know what you make of that but it’s a big deal.

Azziad is also the reason why the real version of the track has been trending at number one on YouTube and hit more than 1.4 million views since she inspired people to start the #UtaniwezaChallenge.

Azziad Nasenya alias Kenyan Tik Tok Queen

The 19-year old – who studies broadcast journalism at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) – trended top on Twitter for about two days, others have even christened her the Tik Tok Queen and we stan.

Sadly, a few days later things took a bad turn and people started bullying her. Some accused her of bleaching her skin while others had an issue with her physique. Someone also leaked her number online and she started getting strange calls and Whats App messages.

I reached out to her and we had a lengthy conversation about anything and everything, from her new-found fame to her dating life, making money from content creation, being cyber bullied, aspirations and whatnot.

Listen to the interview below.

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

Kenyan femcee Wanjiku Kimani, known to you and I as Femi One Shiko, has always been a great artist and I do not know why many people are only starting to see it now after she teamed up with Mejja on Utawezana.

Also read: Female rap wars should come back

If you have always been a fan of hers or local music for that matter I m sure you vividly remember how she aced her verse on King Kaka’s Ligi Soo Remix.

She even outdid some of the men who were featured on that song and then she kind of disappeared only to reappear in 2016 and start beefing with the likes of Njeri, Kyki and Noti Flow.

Naiboi is back with 'Sondeka' 2 featuring All Stars
Femi One

I don’t really know why she has been so inconsistent but the one thing I am sure about is that she’s a dope rapper so much so that she can go up against someone like Khaligraph Jones and put up a good fight.

The truth is that the Kenyan music industry is a tough place, especially if you are a lady and faint-hearted. Some of the things that happen can make you quit without even blinking an eye. It’s just what it is.

So you can understand why an artist who is as great as Femi One has not had a hit in so many years but I’m kind of happy that she has gotten her groove back.

Femi One

She is such a natural. She is one rapper that you’ll hear flowing and you just start smiling because her rhymes and punchlines are so sick but effortless. I don’t know if you know what I mean when I say that.

I hope now that she is back to making hits, she can keep up because people who are huge fans of her music like me had really missed this side of her and we are more than excited that she is back to her former self.

Watch Utawezana below and tell us what you think.

“They are keeping my son away from me!” Mejja’s new girlfriend accused by her ex husband

After parading his new found love on social media, rapper Mejja and his lady are now being accused of blocking one Jeff Kimanzi from seeing his son.

Mejja’s new girlfriend with her ex and son

Apparently since the lady started dating Mejja, she has made it impossible for her ex husband to see his son and from the look of things Mr Jeff says it’s all Mejja’s fault.

Speaking about the matter, Jeff opened up saying;

“but I used to see and talk to my son which I can’t now that’s why I have no issue with them but for my son I’ll never let them be…I’ll do anything I know”

He went on to add;

“Mejja took my baby mama n my son , can’t talk to my son any more please help”

Mejja’s Ex wife

A while back while speaking during an interview, Mejja opened up about battling with depression which was caused by his wife dumping him on a phone text.

Mejja’s new girlfriend with her

Well, since their break up it now appears that Mejja has decided to move on with his life!

King Kaka’s collabo with The Kansoul dubbed ‘Kula Vako’ is a big tune (Video)

I’m sure most local music fans, just like yours truly, have been looking forward to the day they will see King Kaka and The Kansoul on one jam and after many years of exercising patience I’m pleased to announce that the wait is over!

Also read: King Kaka is releasing so many songs but nobody cares

The two music powerhouses released a jam dubbed Kula Vako a few hours ago and by the look of things, it’s going to be a massive hit. Well, I could also be wrong but let’s just be optimistic for once.

Kula Vako is a Sheng word that means ‘to ignore’ or ‘to believe a lie’. Basically, you should take information as it is being provided to you. In the context of this songs it means the same thing i.e. if someone snatches your girlfriend, kula vako.

King Kaka
King Kaka

This jam is very decent, don’t get me wrong. I, however, feel like the tempo is too slow. It’s even hard to believe that people can actually dance to this song. Chances are you might fall asleep in the club while listening to it.

The wordplay by King Kaka, Madtraxx, Mejja and Kid Kora was on point. You could literally listen to them the whole day and no one would even blame you. It’s just what it is.

The Kansoul
The Kansoul

Of course and as usual I was particularly impressed by Mejja’s lines. There’s a part he says, “cheza chini buda, kula vako buda, kale kadem kajana leo nataka kukakuta, leo usiku nataka kumfunza kamasutra…”

The song was produced by Jack Jack on The Beat and directed by Rikky Bekko of Big Dreams Entertainment.

Watch Kula Vako below and tell us what you think.

The Kansoul and Vivian have teamed up on a new club banger dubbed ‘Accelerator’ and we love it (Video)

About a fortnight ago, I wrote an article urging The Kansoul to treat is to another hit. I had noticed that despite featuring The Kansoul is irreplaceable! in various collabos, the group had not released a song of their own since September last year.

Also read: The Kansoul is irreplaceable!

I was not aware that they had something in the works seeing as they released a new banger a few days later. To top it all, The Kansoul decided to feature Vivian in the song  titled Accelerator or Serereka if you like.

Just as the name suggests, this is a party song. There is no message here ladies and gentlemen, sorry to disappoint you. It’s just a feel good song, the kind will lift your spirits in a snap.

The Kansoul
The Kansoul

All the three singers i.e. Mejja, Madtraxx and Kid Kora had great punchlines in this song. I, however, feel that none of them came close to the latter. There’s a part where he says, “kama kuku ni ndege basi samaki ni meli” and it will leave you with so many questions.

Vivian also did a great job on this track, if you listen keenly it almost seems like she’s rapping as the song begins. Her wordplay and lyrics was also on point. She brought a different vibe that was just awesome.

The video concept was simple. It’s probably the same as all other videos by The Kansoul. People just dancing in an outdoor setting while Mejja, Madtraxx and Kid Kora go about their thing. The only difference is that this time  around it has a girlish vibe (read as umbrellas) because of Vivian.

Vivian
Vivian

Just like most songs by The Kansoul, Accelerator was produced by Madtraxx himself and to be honest, he outdid himself on this one. You might argue that the beats in their songs are pretty much the same but I feel this one has a twist. Does it though?

Watch Accelerator (Serereka) below and tell us what you think.

 

Has Mejja lost his touch in music after joining the Kansoul? He responds

Mejja has come out to address claims that joining The Kansoul has destroyed his music career.

The genge artist who was recently interviewed by Jalang’o on Milele FM opened up about a few things most people seem to have forgotten about him as an artist.

Mejja

Apparently his fans now feel that his music with the Kansoul no longer has the same vibe it used to have back when he was a solo artist.

For this reason Jalang’o went on to ask him whether it true his lyrics no longer deliver the poetic vibe he once served in his songs.

Watu kwa mtandao wanauliza Mejja arudi apige moja tu yake bila Kansoul. Sijui kama umeona. Wanasema umepotea sana kwa Kansoul, hakuna mashairi.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzPbO9wh2e4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Mejja responds

Having dropped songs like Landlord, Niko poa, Jana kuliendaje among others; the artist says that nothing much has changed about his music.

All he did was adjust to today’s mode of music since the music industry keeps changing with age.

Lazima tuchange kama venye generation inachange wale watu nilikuwa naimbia 2007 saa hii wako na familia so atabambika na ngoma zako lakini kama kuna concert hatakuja .Hii generation mpya ukitaka kuwa relevant lazima uchange na vile generation inachange. That’s why tumekuwa tukiwork na hawa wasee mnaskia saa hii kama akina Ethic, Ochunglo family, Boondocks na City Boy

This is the same reason The Kansoul worked with Ethic who have the new sound which attracts the younger generation.

In another question, Jalang’o asked whether he was using the younger artists in the industry to boost his career saying;

Unaisha ama unatumia vijana kukuinua

The singer responded saying;

Hapana. Unajua nilirealize wave inachange na kwa sababu watu wengine wako sensitive na lyrics but ukiimba nao unawawekea stamp of authority hawa wasee wako sawa,

 

Genge sensation, Mejja reveals he battled depression and suicidal thoughts after wife mysteriously walked out on him

Genge rapper, Mejja reveals it is now hard for him to trust women after his wife left him via SMS, no quarrel, nothing!

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByCyzigl1Bj/

In an interview with ´Word Is´ the popular Kenyan rapper expresses:

We had not disagreed, actually we were so happy.

I was in Thika and I got her message asking me if I had arrived well.

I told her yes and the next thing she told me was ´move on with your life´.

It happened so fast for him, on trying to reach her, she never picked up.

 The next time I called her, she neither received nor returned calls.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxy94uhlkIY/

Depression

Mejja reveals it has been a long journey to date, having to battle depression after the incident.

It took me one year to get over it but even to date, I am still affected.

I have realized that you can´t fight depression with money.

What helped me was the support system from my friends.

Unfortunately, that was the last time his wife set foot into their home.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw88s6GFv4f/

It got so bad for the genge sensation to a point he decided to dial one of the numbers put up on the roadside, for prayer intervention.

I was stressed completely.

Dating

Sadly, that was not the end of it because the scars left behind, might have a major impact on his future.

I have gone on dates with different women but I am no longer patient.

Immediately I notice red flags, I just quit.

Being a man had it rough on him since public emotional stunts are a NO NO among fellow men.

As a man, sharing that with my friends was the hardest thing.

It consumed me for so long but at last I decided to open up.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwH__OnhmoA/

Faking it

The ´Landlord´ hitmaker however states that with his kind of career, there was no room for sadness however bad it got.

I could not imagine the mother of my child living with another man…

With my career, you have to be happy, especially when you are performing to people, so I used to fake a smile.

He discloses that he at one point, had suicidal thoughts.

I felt like there was something wrong, but the best thing was that I had a friend who would come to my house.

We would chat and slowly all the suicidal thoughts faded away and I got better.

Here is some relationship advice from Mejja that will make you block your ex

Singer Mejja has been in a rocky relationship before and clearly knows how consuming it can be.

The father of one was on social media recently to open up his heart on his ugly break up last year and to advise his fans never to let their ex-lover creep back to their lives.

“I Know This First Hand And When They Come Back u Convince Yourself They Will Change!!!! Mkiachana Move On Na Life Yako Juu Wewe Sio Spare Tire u Deserve To Be Treated Better!!!!Today Is A Good Day To Me I Felt Like Sharing This To Whoever Is Going Through This Experience Mkuwe Na Siku Poa Wagenge GODBLESS” posted the singer. 

Troubled

Mejja with his daughter

In 2016, rumors emerged that Mejja, who forms one third of The Kansoul, physically abused and kicked out his then girlfriend, who was four month pregnant.

Later on the singer gave his side of the story saying that it was just a bunch of rumors. The singer however agreed that the two, who have now parted ways, were having issues.

 

We want the old Mejja back and we are not joking

There was an interesting debate on social media this past weekend. Music fans want the old Mejja back and they are not mincing their words. The general feeling is that he has moved from being a great story teller to a trashy musician.

Mejja

I thought I should weigh into this debate because I share the same sentiments. A huge part of me also feels that Mejia has failed his fans with his latest releases. He keeps getting worse with every subsequent song.

You see, I used to be a huge fan of Mejja. The first time I listened to him was circa 2007. I was still a student. I was watching The Beat during a school holiday then Jana Kuliendaje was cued up. I really loved it as I’m sure most of you did.

In the song, Mejja narrates how he got drunk the previous night and the series of events that followed after that. His description is so vivid that you can literally feel like you were there with him.

He went on to release other great songs like Landlord, Niko Poa, Furahia Maisha where he tells great stories about different events. It wasn’t about what he was saying, it’s how he was narrating the events. I loved his music. Many referred to him as the greatest storyteller ever and I had no qualms with that.

Somewhere along the way I heard that he was teaming up with Kid Kora and Madtraxx to form The Kansoul. I thought it wasn’t such a bad idea since the other two members were also super-talented.

The Kansoul

The group went on release big hits such as Dabo Tapo, Kanayudu, Drum, No Woman No Party, just to name a few. Simply put, they were doing well.

I don’t know what happened, but somewhere along the way the group lost it. They moved from doing feel good or party songs to provocative music. Unfortunately, Mejja was also caught up in this. He moved from being a great storyteller to singing things like ‘geuka nikubeng’. 

Many fans, including yours truly, have been left wondering whether he made a mistake by joining The Kansoul. Truth is, Mejja was probably one of Kenya’s biggest musicians 10 or so years ago. This was when Calif Records was still the biggest record label in Kenya.

If Calif Records had stood the test of time, would Mejja have joined The Kansoul and would he still be the great storyteller that we all knew? Truth is, we’ll never know.

Whatever the case, we want the old Mejja back and we are not joking. This should serve as a wake up call to him to shape up or shape out.

Meanwhile, skip to Mejja’s part in the song below dubbed Inama and give us your thoughts.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yvFT0_ER32Q

Mejja: Hackers took over my social media accounts but then showed mercy and gave it back

Rapper Mejja has opened up on how some hackers took over his social media accounts and threaten to delete them.

Speaking in an interview on social media, the Kansoul member said that a hacker took over his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

After a long back and forth, the popular musician won his accounts back and decided to rant on how the hackers were trying to take them. He immediately regretted this since the accounts were again hacked by same guys who then threatened to delete them.

“After kuandika post that kuna mtu alikuwa amehack account yangu, alihack tena, then he deleted all my posts on Facebook and twitter,” Mejja said in the interview.

Warned

Mejja added that the hacker warned him from ranting unless he wanted to lose his instagram account.

“He later sent madtraxx and kid kora a message containing meja’s new password followed by a threat message saying: ‘ambia meja akiongea vibaya tena nitadelete instagram’.said Mejja. 

“Ukiona brains za msee inastick kwa mind yako” Mejja reveals why he didn’t end up as a gangster

Genge rapper Major Nemeye Khadija known by his stage name Mejja has opened up about his life as a hustler before the fame and money.

Speaking during an interview on NTV’s The Wicked Edition with Dr King’ori, Mejja revealed that he used to sell groundnuts and stick posters.

The ‘Nko Poa’ hit maker says he even stuck a poster of Jua Cali not knowing that one day he would work with him. He further says that he was motivated to join music after people poked fun at him for expressing interest in pursuing a career in music.

“Nlikuwa nauza njugu na kubandika posters around town. Nimewahi ata bandika poster ya Juacali, sikujua ntawahi kutana naye,” said Mejja.

Adding that

“Kuchongolewa ndio ilinipea psyche ya kuendelea kuandika ngoma.”

Mejja during an interview on NTV's The Wicked Edition with Dr King’ori
Mejja during an interview on NTV’s The Wicked Edition with Dr King’ori
Crime

Mejja managed to avoid crime despite growing up in the ghetto, he revealed that shooting of people he knew was the major reason why he starred clear of criminal activities.

“Unajua msee, unaskia amepigwa risasi na unaenda unaona. Hiyo kitu inakupea uoga. Ukiona brains za msee inastick kwa mind yako,” said Mejja.

 

 

 

 

Kansoul now one of the most bankable music groups in Kenya

Genge music group The Kansoul has dominated airways with hit songs like ‘Mabega’, ‘Nyongwa’, ‘Thitima’, ‘Drum’, ‘Dabotap’, ‘No Woman No Party’, ‘Tumekubali’, ‘Moto wa Kuotea Mbali’ among others.

Kansoul is now one of the most sought-after music groups in Kenya having performed at major concerts like Koroga festival, Jameson concert among others.

The group has not only been raking in money from their performances and music sales, brand endorsement has since become an integral part of Mejja, Madtraxx, Kid Kora who make up the Kansoul.

Kansoul’s major brand endorsement was with local alcoholic beverages manufacturer, Africa Spirits Limited (ASL). The group has been Bluemoon Vodka brand ambassadors for three years.

Kansoul endorsed Bluemoon Vodka through their music, events and activations across the country, targeting the segment of the market where the brand has been entrenched.

Most bankable group

Mejja and Madtraxx have individually landed multiple brand endorsements. In June this year, Mejja inked a lucrative deal with telecommunication giants, Safaricom where he acted on the short cameo of the Maisha ni M-pesa Tu campaign.

Madtraxx also landed brand endorsement deals with Pampers and Total Kenya. The rapper’s ‘Boda Boda’ hit song was used in Total’s advert.

Rumor has it that Total’s sales hit a record high on the first day the campaign went live. Of course it had to given the influence Madtraxx has.

 

Lambo lolo crew shocks Kenyans with their new dirtier song with Madtraxx and Mejja

Four kids, Swat, Seska, Reckless, and Zilla who make up Ethic, have released their second video and the lyrics are just what moral Ezekiel Mutua hates. Too explicit.

The group has now teamed up with Mejja and Madtraxx for their new hit called “Shida” that has way dirtier lyrics than the first one. The video’s setting is just similar to Lamba Lolo which went viral after the explicit lyrics.

Man of the hour

The song has been produced by Madtraxx while the video has been directed by Ricky Becko. On the first song SWAT won Kenyans but on this one, Kenyans voted Seska as the man with the best verse.

Watch the song below:

Mejja: I almost killed myself after my wife dumped me via SMS

Singer Mejja, in a radio interview, opened up on how he had suicidal thoughts after his baby mama ditched him. Speaking at Radio Jambo, the popular singer shared that he was coming from signing a well-paying deal with a brewery company in Thika and Kansoul was at it’s peak when it happened.

He was dumped via text and his attempts to call her back were futile.

“We were in good terms and had been together for 5 years. All of a sudden when I went to sign a contract I got a text asking me if I had arrived safely and I said I did. Then the next thing I got a text telling me to move on with my life. I thought the text was meant for someone else and she had mistakenly sent it to me,” Mejja narrated.

Mejja with his daughter

Speak up

He went on:

“Suicide is a thought that crosses your mind, I can’t deny that. You feel suicidal because you look at other people’s happy lives and you feel that there is something wrong with your life. It crossed my mind but there was a friend of mine who would come and we would hang out and when the suicidal thoughts crossed my mind we would start talking about stuff like football so he kept me busy and away from my thoughts. But the problem was at night because the negative thoughts would creep in when you are alone. I rarely slept at night,” He revealed.

He asked anyone suffering from depression to speak up since it helps in the long run.

“It’s good to talk about depression, if you have friends reach out, call them, and see them physically because they lie sometimes that they are okay and they are not… And don’t believe everything you see on social media, because if I didn’t tell you my story you would never know. Don’t wish for someone’s life because you don’t know their story, ” Mejja advised.

 

Mejja threw out one of his baby mamas while she was four months pregnant?

Mejja has finally responded to the 2016 incident that portrayed him as batterer. The Genge rapper was said to have physically abused and kicked out his girlfriend who was pregnant then.

For starters, Mejja is a father to two beautiful girls born years apart. The rapper fathered his children with two different baby mamas.

Mejja's firstborn daughter
Mejja’s firstborn daughter
Controversy

In 2016 Mejja was accused of kicking out his ex girlfriend who was pregnant with his second daughter. The lady was reportedly forced to seek refuge at a friend’s place until she delivered.

Mejja finally come out to set the record straight two years later. Speaking during a recent interview on a local TV, Okonkwo denied everything saying that the story was concocted by blogs.

“Aaaaih! Zii, hiyo ni uwongo, unajuwa sana sana hawa watu wa blog vitu mob wao huandika lakini huwa sipendi kurespond. Utakuta kwa hizo interviews vitu wanakuuliza ni vitu zingine manze,” said Mejja.

Mejja with his youngest daughter
Mejja with his youngest daughter

 

 

Exclusive: This is the reason why Kansoul’s Mejja was rushed to hospital last week in critical condition…it’s not alcohol poisoning

As he was going about his business last Tuesday, 28th March Kansoul’s Mejja started feeling some dull pain near the navel and being the gangsta from the streets he is, he ignored it.

Soon afterwards the pain got sharp and continued to proceed up his upper abdomen and before he understood what was going on he started feeling nauseated and vomiting.

Mejja
Mejja is hospital

Immediately the gang realized something was wrong so they rushed him to Avenue Hospital where he was admitted immediately.

He underwent a thorough a check up and it was discovered he had appendicitis and an operation had to be conducted immediately to remove his appendix.

Well, that happened over the weekend and it was absolutely successful. Mejja is currently recovering well and is awaiting to be discharged.

Ghafla wishes him a quick recovery as we look forward to being Bablased!

See what I did there?