Publicists say there is nothing like bad PR, a very debatable point; however, they are the professionals, right?

Legendary Kenyan femcee Femi One released a new single, “Memories,” by Boutross Munene, and a funny thing happened on X (formerly Twitter) that made me think about the promotion discourse of music promotion in Kenya. Under her posting releasing the project, a Twitter user made a seemingly bizarre request and asked for the number of retweets he needed for the chance for just a touch of Femi One’s posterior.

Other social media users may be surprised by this, but on KOT{Kenyans On Twitter}, retweets are a form of currency that has gotten people jobs, cars, t-shirts, and shockingly today, a potential job. This would be a request that any artist would just ignore, but Femi One requested 5k retweets for the young fan to achieve his lifelong dream to touch the hem of her undergarments. KOT are keyboard warriors akin to our freedom fighters; hence, this was a very easy feat to achieve. Within a day, the young man was on a bus travelling to the capital city of sin, Nairobi, to achieve his fantasy.

As I watched all these unfold, it tinkered my memory of Kenyan artists using unorthodox means to pump up their traction before releasing new projects. People have faked marriage breakups and other diabolical things just to get traction on their new projects. As normal as this is globally, Kenyans, as usual, just do too much. Femi One, the Utawezana hitmaker, who was signed under Kaka Empire in 2013, has been what you would call a model artist since her debut on “Ligi Soo remix” by King Kaka. From onset, she has displayed discipline and dedication that can only be compared to Khaligraph Jones; you know what they say: success is 99% hardwork and 1%.

Femi One mastered the art of doing her job with minimal fuss, a factor that has earned her the trust of international brands like Monster. This was not her rollout plan at all; it was just a fan pulling a stunt that worked in his favour. Did the song get an audience on the first day? Yes, it did. Is it a sustainable business model? Not really.

However, this begs the question: why do some Kenyan artists feel the need to use diabolical means to promote their music? Our backsliding gospel artist, Bahati, has always been doing this; it works for him. He grew from a boy from Mathare to a global superstar, but not because of his music essentially, but gimmicks that I vehemently hate. From cheating scandals to cross dressing with his wife, that is just how he does it. The old Englishmen said, Don’t hate the game, hate the player.

There is a very wide line between content creation and making music; music is a religion, an art, a dedication to show respect to those that came before. Of course not all artists are good, but all musicians are artists. What our Kenyan artists have decided not to appreciate is the fact that music is not just recording and releasing; there is a team that you should engage behind the scenes to ensure your music achieves the intended purposes. Engaging public relations, publicists, artist managers, and legal consultants is the backbone of any successful artist. To avoid copyright tussles and protecting your intellectual property, our artists need education on the whatabouts of the corporate side of music. This gimmick of “Kiki” does work, but it is not a sustainable way to success. I know what you think. What knowledge do you have to lecture artists? Trust me, it’s a lot.

That said, the Kenyan industry is full of immesuarable talent; that is not in doubt, however, we need education deeply entrenched to help us join our East African counterparts on the global map. Tanzania and Uganda concentrate more on the music, or “Kiki” that pays.

Think of Diamond Platnumz vs. Harmonize, a manufactured beef that has generated income and fame for both parties without necessarily risking their reputation. Both of these artists have a team of professionals behiond them that are literally off the studio, proof that you can’t be a Jack Of All Trades.

I say all this to mean, let’s get more serious as an industry, and I hope the young man get’s to fulfil his dream of getting his hands on Femi One’s posterior. 

Rising Kenyan Artist Kxffy Releases New Pop-R&B Single “What You Want”  Featuring King Kerby: A Soulful Exploration of Unreciprocated Love.

Kxffy is a Kenyan artist, producer, and songwriter known for blending emotional  lyricism with captivating melodies. With a strong foundation in R&B and trap,  Kxffy crafts music that reflects personal experiences, love, and the complexitie s of  human emotions. Having collaborated with some of Kenya’s most talented artists,  including King Kerby, Vallerie Muthoni, NJERI, Sabi Wu & PRXNCE, Kxffy is  poised to become a notable name in both the local and international music scenes.  

Kerby, featured on “What You Want”, is a dynamic artist, vocalist and songwriter,  known for his smooth delivery and introspective lyrics. His collaboration with  Kxffy brings a unique flavor to the track, adding a sense of balance and reassurance  to the song’s overall theme of unreciprocated love.

Kxffy is excited to announce the release of his latest single “What You Want,”  featuring King Kerby. The deeply emotional and soul-stirring track reflects on the  experience of giving your all in a relationship, only to realize that the love and  effort aren’t being appreciated or reciprocated. With a blend of smooth vocals and  heartfelt lyrics, the song is set to resonate with anyone who has been caught  between staying in an unbalanced relationship or letting go for their own well being.

In the words of Kxffy, “the song is about the feeling you experience when you  realize you’ve done everything to show love to someone, but they just don’t seem to  see it. It’s that point when you start realizing it’s time to move on, even though you  do love the person.” 

Kerby’s verse complements this emotional narrative perfectly, offering a voice of  reassurance that love, while challenging, can be worked through if both parties are  willing to put in the effort. His vocals add a deeper layer to the song, reminding  listeners that even though love is complicated, it’s worth trying to make things  work. 

Speaking on the production process, Kxffy shared, “I made the beat at around 3 AM  at night when I was reflecting on my own experiences with love. I wanted to make  something that really captures that bittersweet feeling of loving someone deeply but  also feeling tired of being the only one putting in the effort.” 

Once the foundation of the track was set, Kxffy met up with King Kerby who added  his vocals, bringing a new dimension to the song with his heartfelt verse. The two  artists’ chemistry and connection are evident in the final product, blending  seamlessly to tell a shared story of love’s highs and lows. 

Beyond the single itself, “What You Want” serves as a prelude to Kxffy’s upcoming  EP, which will dive deeper into themes of love, heartbreak, and personal growth.  It’s a new era for Kxffy’s music, as he steps into releasing songs performed and  written by himself. It is also the closure of an era since this EP will bring his debut  album ‘Tears & Purple Emotions’ full circle. The EP, set to be released next month,  will include “What You Want” alongside other tracks that showcase his versatility  as an artist and producer. The EP will mark a significant step forward in his career,  as he looks to cement his place in both the local and international music scenes. 

Be sure to follow Kxffy on social media for updates on the upcoming EP. For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information: 

Email: Kaftanallan@gmail.com 

Instagram: @kxffydr3aming 

Twitter: kaftanallan

On Saturday the 19th, 2024, I witnessed a night of territorial war to claim the throne for Nairobi Music. Like every faction of life, like every tiny detail in the world, like Isaac Newton said, for every action their is an equal and opposite reaction. Everything in life is divided equally by one thing, East or West, Nairobi is not an exception and this weekend at the Nairobi Street Kitchen, artists from Eastlands and The West lands faced off in a musical showdown.

For starters, the venue, The Nairobi Street Kitchen in Westlands, was a perfect pick by the organizers.

This is due to the fact that by default, Westlands is where the real East vs West happens in Nairobi, every weekend young culture enthusiasts galavant Westland’s vibrant music scene in support of their favorite artists. May it be NSK, SK8 city ,The Muze, The Alchemist, The Mist ,Cavalli or the pre game and post game shots at Molly’s ; Westlands is where everyone meets to enjoy the Nairobi Culture.

We all know it’s never that serious, but in music, controlling stake in your city is a show of might and East vs West is always the perfect avenue for the City’s finest to fight for the throne. The line up was an indication of how far the Nairobi music has come in matters growth and acceptance of sound. Each side of the city was well represented by the finest in the scene at the moment, with the highlight of the day being Arbantone star YBW Smith.

The crowd was a fair representation of the avid Nairobi music fan, people that have travelled the journey with the parlicular artists witnessing their shortcomings and success. Guys from the eastside, as rowdy and calm in equal measure made their presence heard as their artists tore the stage. The westside were even more rowdy with Spinx mafia perfoming with flame throwers for a song that has the lyrics “Tuna drop ma fire emojis” it was poetic and comical at the same time.

Spinx Mafia perfomed with the Mad Clan group that has been featured in alot of his tracks, what I found peculiar from the organizer however, was allowing Spinx as Mad Clan to battle against an individual, Jodye Faneto. They kept interrupting his set with subtle subliminals, which is normal but a group vs a single artist didn’t make sense to me.

The battle between Vallerie Muthoni and Shekinah Karen was heated, with both artists bringing the heat on stage. Vallerie even claim she resides in the West but hails from East, I don’t know how true those words are because she is boujiee through and through.

ThirtyFourBrick, my new favorite group from Eastlando, perfomed with an energy that electrified the masses, once the DJ hit that “Nishai chai nishai chai na ndenga mboi.(I have robbed someone with a fake gun before)..” the place went berserk. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us.

Fashion was a big statement in the event, an aspect of art that Nairobi creatives have been able to master and incorporate into their craft. I saw outfits of all manners of diabolicalness, some I never imagined but truth is, the culture popped. It looked like a UK roadmen fiesta with youngins with Shiestys and Balaclavas and baggy jeans. Here is a question though, what’s up with young kenyans and baggy clothes? it’s like a pandemic that I don’t understand.

As a lover or art, music and the entertainment culture, I would love to see more of these showcases. It is the best avenue to introduce audiences to both sides of the same coin, you maybe from East or West but at the end of the day, WE ARE ONE NAIROBI.

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