Wyre news Archives

Eric Musyoka, the iconic producer who took Kenyan music to greater heights

Posted on May 27, 2020May 27, 2020 by David Kingsley

It’s hard to talk about Kenyan music without mentioning the name of Decimal Records CEO Eric Musyoka, popularly known as Musyox. He has been very instrumental in shaping the Kenyan sound.

Also read: Stop looking for content from new-age musicians!

In the early to mid 2000s when Calif Records and Ogopa Deejays were beefing, the award-winning producer, who is now 38, was working at Homeboyz Entertianment.

While at the stable which is owned by the Rabar family, Musyoka produced songs for the musicians like; Prezzo, TID, Mr Lenny, Nameless, AY, Wyre, Peter Miles, Nikki, Nonini, just to name a few.

He then took a break and went for further studies at the SAE Institute in the US in 2006. Upon his return, he formed Decimal Records and signed P-Unit.

If you ask me, I will tell you that the group that was made up Frasha, Bon Eye and Gabu is one of Musyoka’s greatest achievements to this day. He literally propelled them to greater heights.

What most people do not know is that the three started off as Nonini’s dancers and back-up singers and by 2010 they had won several awards including a MTV Africa Music Award (MAMA). Take a moment and let that sink in.

At Decimal, Musyoka has also worked with Just A Band, Juliani, Daddy Owen, Sauti Sol, Elani, Octopizzo and many more. Put simply, there is a high chance that he has produced a jam for your favourite Kenyan artist.

When all is said and done, he will be remembered for nurturing talents and taking Kenyan music to the continental stage because he started producing music at a time when most artists were just focusing on their local audiences.

Musyoka is one of the producers who changed the game by ensuring our music could transcend our borders and this led to artists getting so many shows outside the country.

He’s a legend in his own right and it saddens me that most people will realize this after he hangs up his boots because as they say, you never miss something until it’s gone.

Watch one of his most popular jams dubbed Furahi Day by Nonini and Nameless below.

How Wyre has maintained relevance to this day

Posted on May 13, 2020June 3, 2020 by David Kingsley

Kenyan dancehall artist Kevin Waire, alias Wyre, is still a big deal in the country today, more than two decades after he wrote and recorded his first song but have you ever wondered how he has managed to stay relevant up to this very day?

Well, it’s pretty simple. First, he has always stayed true to himself. He has never bowed to pressure to venture into a genre that he’s not really feeling just to stay afloat. He has been churning out dancehall jams from the first day and that won’t change anytime soon.

He also doesn’t hurry to release new songs so as to remain relevant. The Nakupenda Pia hitmaker has a very long catalogue of hits that have kept him on people’s lips. Therefore, he takes all the time he needs with his projects on while performing his old jams.

Wyre

Secondly, Wyre has been consistent since he made his debut in the music industry in the late 90s. In as much as he does not release a new song after a month or two – like most local artists – he also does not go for so long without releasing new music.

He has also constantly expanded his fanbase by working with a number of local and international acts. Some of them are; Nazizi, Kidis, Prezzo, Khaligraph, JB Maina, Benjamin Kabaseke, Nonini, Vigeti, Alaine, Cecile and Morgan Heritage.

Lastly, Wyre has always been disciplined. To date, we’ve never heard a scandal about him neither does he engage in cheap publicity stunts, as is the case with most local artists, to market his music. He relies on the chema chajiuza philosophy and it always works for him.

Kenyan artists should learn a thing or two from him if they want to have careers spanning many years.

Watch his latest collabo with Young Courageous and Janvier dubbed Ruka below.

Arrow Bwoy is back with ‘Pesa’ alongside Wyre and we’re really feeling it (Audio)

Posted on October 1, 2019May 5, 2020 by David Kingsley

Kenyan singer Ali Yusuf, better known as Arrow Bwoy and famed for his Digi Digi hit, has released the audio for his collabo with legendary dancehall singer Kevin Waire, known to you and I as Wyre.

Also read: Arrow Bwoy needs to be very careful

The song titled Pesa, which is off his newly-launched album dubbed Hatua, talks about how money makes the world go round.

Put simply, there’s very little that you can do if you don’t have money. According to Arrow Bwoy, if you are penniless, people will snatch your significant other.

Arrow Bwoy

He says, “Mafanikio kwa kila mtu ndio ndotooo, wengine tunakesha kwa baridi, wengine kwa joto, tunasaka pesaaae, tunasaka pesa tuoshe roho, bila pesa bila pesa utavunjwa moyo. If you don’t make money then you don’t make sense, no money no honey lugha ya mtaa, eeeh lugha ya mtaa, pesa ndio lugha ya mtaa.”

Arrow Bwoy really came through on this jam. I was not expecting anything less anyway. We can argue until the cows come home but the fact is that he is the most melodious of our time.

As expected, Wyre The Love Child also nailed it. His verse really brought life to this song. I never thought a dancehall and Kenyan Bongo combination would sound this nice. I kept hitting the replay button without even knowing.

The beat for this jam, which was done by the one and only Ilogos Music, was also dope. As I was listening to the song for the first time, I could visualize people busting moves to it in a club

Listen to Pesa below and tell us what you think.

Nameless Vs Jua Cali: Who made our childhood memorable?

Posted on August 28, 2019 by David Kingsley

If you are in your 20s or older then I’m sure you have nostalgia when you remember the kind of songs that rules the airwaves in the early 2000s.

Longombas

Genge music had just emerged and almost every artist was releasing a song that was inclined towards the genre.

However, others decided to steer their own paths and their songs were received well by fans nevertheless.

Put simply, it was a beautiful time for Kenyan music. It’s almost similar to the music revolution that is being witnessed in the country at the moment.

Among the male artists that were such a big deal at the time were; Pilipili, Flexx, E-Sir, Jimwat, Nonini, Klepto, Czars, Longombas, Redsan, Deux Vultures, Historians, Prezzo, Wyre, Mr. Lenny, Jua Cali and Nameless.

Prezzo

Today, we will focus on the last two names i.e Nameless and Jua Cali simply because they are big deal up to this very day, aren’t they though?

We want to find out who between the two made your childhood memorable and the song that brings back the good old memories.

Admittedly, both artists are talented. They’ve both played a crucial role in shaping the Kenyan sound.

Jua Cali

However, if you had to choose one of them, who would you settle on and why? Tell us below.

Old School Vs New School: Which ratchet music is more enjoyable?

Posted on August 14, 2019 by David Kingsley

The emergence of the new crop of Kenyan musicians has resulted into people comparing them with their older peers i.e. those who have been in the game for longer, say a decade or so.

While the new-age artists are spontaneous, the older folk are more ‘calculative’ which means that they think every move through carefully and perhaps this works to their detriment.

Ethic

There is also the obvious fact that the younger folk are very ratchet going by the words that they use in their songs and their videos. On the other hand, old school artists are kind of reserved.

Most of the older folk are still using the Tanzanian approach of singing about dirty things i.e stuff is hidden and coming at a time when almost everyone is being raunchy, this doesn’t serve in their best interest or does it?

If you are keen, then I’m sure that you’ve noticed that the likes of Jua Cali, Redsan, Nameless, Wyre and Nonini don’t get much as they used to back it they day.

We have reached a point where they are almost unheard of and the truth is that this has a lot to do with the new crop of Kenyan artists because they are literally hogging the spotlight.

Redsan

Unlike their older peers, they don’t wait for a song to ‘marinate’ before they drop another one, they are always on toes. This way, they are always on people’s lips.

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, if you are a big fan of Kenyan music like yours truly then you have to decide where your loyalty really lies.

Are you sticking with the old school music that is more reserved but enjoyable and you wouldn’t be shy to listen to in front of your parents.

Or are you an ardent fan of new-school music with all it raunchiness and you can live with the fact that you have to cover your face in shame when it comes on and an elder person is around.

“People told me Kenyan bees are dangerous and I would die” Ghanaian artist after being attacked by swam of bees in South B

Posted on January 25, 2019January 25, 2019 by Pauline Syombua

Ghanaian artist Quata Budukusu received a rather unexpected welcome in his recent visit to the country.

The singer, who collaborated with veteran singer Wyre and is looking to penetrate into the Kenyan market, had a near death experience after being attacked by a swam of bees in South B.

He was staying in South B and he decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood to learn the area when it all happened.

“I was in South B, exploring the place, and all of a sudden a swarm of bees came flying in my face,” Budukusi told Kiss 100.

Dangerous

The singer, who has a song out with Wyre dubbed “Sangolo”, was warned by Kenyans following the attack to visit the hospital since Kenyan bees are dangerous.

He was seriously stung and he needed medical help afterwards.

“They even bit my back and my face so bad. I haven’t run that way in my life. It was a crazy experience and I was told to go to the hospital because people told me Kenyan bees are dangerous and I would die.”he said.

The real reason why Redsan has never worked with fellow dancehall artist Wyre

Posted on September 12, 2018September 4, 2019 by Pauline Syombua

Dancehall artists Redsan and Wyre have been in the industry for almost 22 years now but have never worked together.

The two have always been perceived as the kings of dancehall not only in Kenya but in Africa as a whole. Redsan recently opened up on why he has never worked with the singer denying that there’s bad blood between them.

“I never foresaw Wyre being a dancehall artiste, having known him since he was a producer with Tedd Josiah. I respect him for his contribution to the dancehall genre. When he came in, I was already breaking out internationally, so there is a plan that both managements want to execute that can’t be interfered with.” he said.

Returns

Redsan went on to say that they are friends and the reason why they have never really worked together is because their management teams have always wanted to understand the returns of the projects first before moving forward.

“Management want to know how we’ll do it, the revenue streams and distribution platforms. Projects (albums) sell more than singles and you don’t have to go through third parties to get revenue. We’re friends, though.” he said.

Wyre finally shares photo of his grown son who he dedicated his album to

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Martin Oduor

Kevin Wyre has managed to keep his family under wraps ever since he walked down the aisle with his sweetheart Hanifa in 2008.

“My family is my pillar. They are the guys who keeps me sane and level-headed. I need that unity in life. It can be really rough when you put your family out there. It’s not cool for anybody to read on blogs something really bad about their family. That’s why I cherish and value them,” Wyre revealed in a past interview why he keeps his family private.

Birthday

Wyre is a father of one, he has a son he loves dearly. The dancehall star shared a photo of his grown son as he turned a year older.

Wyre usually doesn’t post anything about his family on social media. But on his son’s 7th birthday he went against the tradition and shared the kid’s photo.

“Happy Birthday (YOUNG LION). Daddy loves you,” Wyre captioned the photo.

Wyre dedicated a song to his son in his album ‘Lion’. In the album, he talks about his son being a fighter and survivor like his father in reference to difficult time the couple experienced during the pregnancy.

5 Kenyan male celebrities who have never been involved in any cheating scandals

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Pauline Syombua

It seems that Kenyan celebrities are not the type to cheat or rather they know how to keep their dirt on the low.

While Tanzanian entertainment industry is full of cheating scandals and drama; Kenyan celebrities are just out and about trying to make more money.

The industy is getting boring

However, I do agree that something should be done to spice up the industry….at least new songs, new relationships for those who are single, wedding and of course babies!

Most of the people in the entertainment industry are above 25 years meaning its about time to settle down.

Also read: Pierra Makena finds new love after baby daddy left her heart broken

Anyway I hear most bachelors prefer hitting the clubs for stress free relationships; but now we are tired of the same old trend!

I have managed to come up with a list of male celebrities who have never been caught up in any cheating scandals. 3 are married while two are in serious relationships.

Nameless

SInger Nameless and Wahu

He has been married to Wahu for over a decade now and he is still the same loving man. He has never been portrayed as a bad husband on any tabloid and I guess he married his better half!

Wyre

After his wedding, Wyre has maintained a low profile about his wife and family. Just close friends know about Wyre’s private life otherwise all we get to see is his music videos.

Eric Omondi

Well, I haven’t come across any scandal involving him cheating on his exes. Now that he is dating Chantal, we haven’t heard or seen him with any other woman if it’s not for business.

Khaligraph Jones

Having been his lady (kashy)from way before he became famous, Khaligraph Jones has never been caught entertaining any other lady. All we know is that he is in the game to make more money.

Rashidy Abdalla

Rashid Abdalla and his wife

Though his religion allows a man to have four wives, Rashid is still with Lulu Hassan; the love of his life and mother of his kids.

Do you have any more suggestions?

“I wouldn’t agree with King Kaka sentiments” Wyre weighs in on Sauti Sol’s beef with King Kaka

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Martin Oduor

King Kaka and Sauti Sol have been throwing words at each other since early September when the rapper first took a swipe at the quartet and other top musicians.

Speaking in an interview with Radio Maisha to promote his new song ‘Run Ting’ with Fena Gitu, King Kaka sensationally claimed the likes of Nameless, Redsan and Sauti Sol hadn’t done enough to push for the growth of Kenya’s music industry.

Sauti Sol and King Kaka have seen been embroiled in a beef while Redsan and Nameless chose to ignore the attention seeking rapper.

Wyre has now put in his two cents on King Kaka’s beef with Sauti Sol. The veteran dancehall singer openly disagreed with King Kaka explaining that it was an individual choice for veteran artistes to support budding musicians.

“I wouldn’t agree with King Kaka sentiments. A veteran artiste helping other artistes is an individual choice to make. If one feels he or she is in a position to help then its cool and if an individual feels not to, then there is no problem with that. This is because its a very very expensive venture, it needs a lot of money and requires time and patients. You have to pay for their videos, audios, song writing and stuffs that comes with that line. And where does all that money come from? Its even harder when yourself you are an artiste because you also need to invest in your work as well as those under you,” said Wyre.