Those who are in the hiphop movement call it a way of life, a culture or a way of expressing oneself. It's more than just music as it incorporates several other elements that include MCing, graffiti, bboying, deejaying, knowledge, fashion, beatboxing etc. I have encountered most of these elements here in Kenya. The question for many would be 'what is the history of hiphop in Kenya?' In this sequel of articles, i will shed some light on this question by providing answers in different perspectives.
In terms of Kenyan hiphop music, we developed our own unique style from the early 90s where a mix of Swahili, English, Sheng and also other local dialects are incorporated into our compositions. Hiphop originated from the US and as such it has also influenced Kenyan hiphop through various ways including dressing styles and the way of rapping. This has been enhanced due to the improved media coverage, internet availability and channels like Youtube which have made access to information from any part of the world to be much simpler.
Due to my interest in knowing how hiphop began to take root in Kenya, i did some digging for answers and i was actually surprised to find Jimmi Gathu's name featuring there. Apparently, around 1991, he had a rap track titled 'Look, Think , Stay Alive' which was meant to pass a message about road safety or something like that. The video is available on Youtube and upon watching it, i must say they did well as per the trends at that time. Back then the other acts that would give Jimmi Gathu competition included the likes of Zanaziki, Five Alive and Musically Speaking.
RELATED POSTS:
Kenyan Hiphop History pt 2: The Foundation
Kenyan Hiphop History pt 3: The Growth
Kenyan Hiphop History pt 4: The Media Role
Kenyan Hiphop History pt 5: The Dilution
Kenyan Hiphop History pt 6: Current State and the Future
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