Octopizzo should pull up his socks before it’s too late

If you’ve been following discussions on social media over this past week, I’m sure you noticed that one of the subjects that people could not stop talking about is rapper Henry Ohanga, better known as Octopizzo.

Also read: Has Octopizzo lost relevance?

He released a song titled Che Che featuring Barak Jacuzzi and most people felt that it’s below par and to be honest, it is. To make matters worse, people discovered that he had copy pasted Pop Smoke’s Welcome To The Party.

Barak Jacuzzi at it again in 'Lifestyle'
Barak Jacuzzi

If you compare and contrast the two songs, you’ll realize that everything is pretty much the same. From the concept, the style and the execution is exactly the same. Even the beat and instrumentation were lifted.

But this is not the first time Octopizzo has done this. A jam that he released with Sailors Gang titled Wakiritho some time last year was later discovered to be exactly the same as Tyga’s Loco Contigo. I’m sure there others as well.

You know, when he started off, the Kibera-bred rapper was really good but of late not so much. I’m sure that even if you are his die-hard fan you agree with this assertion to some extent.

Octopizzo

Of late, he is not only not unoriginal (I am trying to restrain myself from using the word fake) but his lyrics are also uninspired. When you listen to some of his recent songs, you are left wondering what the heck?

I get it that an artist won’t be the same as when you first hear his music – with time they will fade out but why can’t he try out a new style instead of copy pasting songs unashamedly?

Remaining relevant in the Kenyan music industry is not as easy as most people think but you would expect someone who has been around for more than a decade like Octopizzo to have known how to maneuver.

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around Octopizzo’s latest approach but I can’t. All I can say that he needs to shape up or ship out. Enough said.

Watch Che Che below and tell us what you think.

Artist Spotlight: TnT, talented rappers who have put Kenya on the global map

If at all there are Kenyan rappers who are keen on ensuring that Kenyan music goes beyond our beyond our borders then I’ll tell you for free that it’s a group known as TnT which is made up of Timmy Blanco and Twenny Eights.

I don’t remember the first time I listened to any of their songs but I can tell you that I was so hooked immediately so much so that I played the song titled Christopher Wallace almost 20 times. Trust, me I’m not exaggerating.

TnT reminds me of a lot Camp Mulla. Just like the latter, Timmy and Twenny decided not to go with the flow or what was popular at the time and believed that people would still listen to them and they actually do.

Twenny Eights
Twenny Eights

At the moment, Gengetone is big so much so that if you are not releasing lewd songs you would think that no one will listen to you but that is actually not the case.

These guys are so good and if you listen to any of their songs for the first time, it would not cross your mind that they are even Kenyans especially because most of their jams are in English from start to finish.

They not only have good punchlines, their wordplay is also really on point. It’s the kind of lines that you hear and you just stand to give them a standing ovation. Okay, maybe I’m pushing it but you get the point.

Timmy Blanco
Timmy Blanco

Their prowess is unmatched and the way I see it, their music can be consumed by just anyone; from the guys who are used to Peleka Na Rieng kind of jams to die hard Travis Scott, Drake, Tyga or even Migos fans.

One thing that makes me really happy is the fact that they are Kenyans and maybe, just maybe they will bring a BET Award home some day.

Watch their latest release dubbed Cahoots below and tell us what you think.