The Ghetto Anthem taking over the music scene.
By: Staphey Wairimu
Posted on Tuesday, August 20, 2019
It’s a new regime and it is banging in all clubs, ceremonies, radios and television music platforms. A video actually went up last week of people dancing to the wamlambezz song in a funeral. It is the ghetto anthem, I don’t think it should be labelled ghetto anthem only as it has gone viral. Maybe ghetto to the world? Unless that is still Tanasha’s and Bey T’s punchline. Sigh. Still waiting on their new music.
The Ochungulo family which is aiming to slide into the boots of the Kansoul gang and follow their footsteps have become quite a crowd mover with their songs Na iwake and krimino surpassing 2 million collectively. Sailors gang is currently at 3.5 million views on YouTube with Wamlambezz.The miracle baby must be saving the sailors.Figa hit makers Ethic have been topping the East African charts although recently their son, figa, was deleted from YouTube and Apple music following copyright claims by spinning records.
As the new age of artists is sailing in the wave. We, however, forget that music, as it educates and entertains, it is a reflection of the society. It mirrors what is currently trending, juicy, and catchy. There is a lot of obscenity in the videos, drugs, not to mention the lyrics that use slang to communicate to their fans.A while back Man Kush said the last time he had the word pekejeng was when a man was caught having sex with a dog. ‘’So artistes are corrupting the minds of the youths, but the problem with the society is they are embracing and adopting those words and using them.’’
Artists from the old wave have to now fight to stay authentic and still deliver what some of their die-hard fans would like. Actually, it is becoming wits’ end to find a good Kenyan romantic song to sing to. That good Nameless' nasinzia nikikuwaza groove. Some smooth slow Jam. All the clubs are at the ceiling with the club bangers, they are giving the people what they want.
The question at hand therefore is what wave will the youngest generation in primary and elementary school come with? What more will they bring? We are in for a treat!
A collaboration by members of these groups has been released dubbed Nare nare. In the song, we see a kid jamming in the song. We certainly expect that small child will grow up looking up to the artists. Another line in one of the song says, ''nakuita John juu umenibaptize.'' Okay John.
The conflict comes in, we are blamed for not playing Kenyan music. We play it, we jam to it, they are paid peanuts, it’s a wave, it gets done. We move on.On the other side there is that one song that sticks to our mind, that one good classic song, so what exactly can the new artists do to ensure this regime will push Kenyan music to the next level?
Also, is it a healthy wave for our youths?
