MUSIC (Kenya): Stella Mwangi's Awesome Rap, "Shut It Down"

Stella Mwangi's Shut It Down is an awesome piece of music video. It is arguably one of her best songs ever, if not one of Africa's best even now in early 2018. And yet, despite its artistic merits (which border on the truly iconic), its place in the evolution of African pop music in this decade, remains largely obscure. This is despite the fact that #TheYamboSelection ranked it fourth among Africa's Top 25 Pop Songs of 2012, and second among East Africa's Top 10 Happiest Songs in 2012.

A number of factors explain the song's stellar quality, overall:

1. Top notch video directing and production.

2.  Stella's star-quality as rapper and dancer in her own song.

3. The song's beat, and all that surround energy.

4. The optical and artistic aspects of the 'set', and location.


Click to watch the video

Raj's Le' KING, and All That

Raj, a Kenyan HipHop/Rap artiste, is, well, a new kid on the block. His music is surprisingly good, despite a few rough edges even he will acknowledge. Soapstone edges, so to speak. He seems to just cut through whatever it is that's in his way, and to entertain unabashedly. Hip hip! With quaint humor, even. Here, listen to, and enjoy, his Le' KING:


Click to watch the video

Want to know what Raj's all about in Le' King? Here are the lyrics (in a mix of languages, including his mother-tongue -- Ekegusii), none too soon. One just has to patiently decipher it all.

In a 'past life', Raj sang Obe Baba, if you want to know. And more. Click to watch the RMX version, sung with awesome Stella Mwangi of Shut it Down fame. 

Here, courtesy of K24 TV, is even more stuff about The Raj himself, who's an alumnus of the University of Nairobi. Ah, so's Dela (she of Adabu fame):

Click to watch the video

POP MUSIC: "Obe Baba" Remix, a Move From the East: Raj ft. Stella Mwangi

Raj and Stella Mwangi just dropped a new hit, OBE BABA Remix. It's good, all in all, though the vocal range is limited. The visuals are refined, upbeat. The artistes are super-confident. The production is clean. Super dress code, moves. The lyrics are a mix of languages, as we're all used to now across Africa. U can do mo, creatively. Raise the bar high n higher. Make Kenya proud, y'all:


Click to watch the Obe Baba Video





Note: The first time I checked out OBE BABA's view count earlier this afternoon, it was just over 500. Keep checking.