Popular record label Grandpa Records has officially resumed operation.
The record label which is known for its mega hits while working with artists such as DNA, Kenrezy, Visita, opened it’s doors on Saturday as Grandpa Dynamics. It’s new offices are now located at Ngumo and not in Kibera.
The founder and CEO of the label, Yusuf Noah, popularly known as Refigah posted the announcement on social media sharing that his business has grown from just a record label to a visual production, marketing and PR firm too.
Comeback
Songwriter singer and producer Visita, rappers Kenrazy, Sosuun, Dufla, DNA, and Gin Ideal have all left the label in the last two years but while announcing his comeback this year, Refigah promised that Grandpa Dynamics will look for more younger and better talented after starting operation.
Kenyan musicians who were household names 10 years (or so) ago have been struggling to make a comeback in the last few years. However, their efforts are neither here nor there. It’s almost as if they are wasting their time.
DNA
Truth is, time flies. Maybe you treated Kenyans to a big hit in your heydays. For one reason or the other, you decided to slow down or take a break as you bask in your success. Maybe you just got lazy, who knows?
Somewhere along the way, perhaps after 5 (or so) years, the musician decides to go back to studio to record songs. More often than not, what motivates them is the fact that their bank account are not as fat as they used to be.
They hurry to release the songs. However, the songs don’t do well. They can’t even get 10,000 views on YouTube. This comes as a shock to many artists who were big back in the day. They find it hard to believe that their fans have moved on.
You see, 5 years is such a long time. Hundreds, maybe thousands of new musicians have cropped up since the old guns took a break. Naturally, some of them won the hearts of music fans.
As such, when the old guns make a comeback after so many years, they find it hard to penetrate the industry. Perhaps they sound the same way and this makes it even harder.
Instead of releasing many songs that no one bothers to listen to, these old guns should come face-to-face with the fact that they are no longer the household acts that they were a decade ago.
In so doing, they will come to the realization that they need to work with new-age musicians to regain relevance and break through in the local industry.
Accepting that you are no longer at the top takes a lot of humility. Actually, it’s a laudable act. The sooner most old guns realize this the better.
Some of the old guns who have been trying to make a comeback include; Mr. Lenny, Kenzo, DNA, Nonini, Kendi, Kenrazy, Big Pin, Julani, just to name a few. I hope one day they will get an eye-opener.
Dennis Kaggia, alias DNA, shot to fame circa 2007 after releasing Banjuka. In those days, Jomino Records was the go-to record label. Every song that was produced by Steve Waruta a.k.a Stevoh – the founder of the stable – was an instant hit.
DNA
As expected, DNA got more studio time since he was the face of the record label and one of theirs biggest signings. He remixed Banjuka a couple of times and earned the name ‘one-hit wonder’. This was way before he worked with P-Unit on Una and showed local music fans that he had more to offer.
In 2009, DNA ditched Jomino Records. His exit opened the door to one of the biggest exoduses ever witnessed by local music stables since the likes of Kenrazy, Visita, Kaya, G-Kon, DNG also followed suit.
Interestingly, most of these artists, including DNA, joined Grandpa Records. The company that was founded by Yusuf Noah, alias Refigah, soon became one of the biggest production powerhouses in East Africa. I’m sure most of you can still sing along to Chapa/Fimbo Ya Pili.
DNA worked on a number of projects with Grandpa Records and released another club banger dubbed Maswali Ya Polisi. He, however, left the record label after a one-year stint. DNA remained mum about his exit for about a year until he went on radio in 2014 and dissed the record label.
Fans believe that this could be one of the missteps that cost DNA his music career as he has been unable to reclaim his place as one of Kenya’s most sought-after musicians since then. Moving across record labels at the peak of his music career could have been one of his biggest undoings.
At some point, after leaving Jomino Records, DNA told to anyone who cared to listen that he had ditched secular music for gospel. He even released a song with Kambua and Issac Kahura dubbed Mtoto Wa Sonko. But that too, didn’t last.
He went on a music break for close to two years and reappeared in 2012 and announced that he would no longer be doing gospel music only since he did not want to be put in a box. He also unveiled his new partnership with Refigah and Grandpa Records. After working with the stable for one one year, he was out of the door again.
Fans had forgotten about DNA until he released he dissed DJ Pinye in a whack song titled Kapinye. The song which was released in December last year left many wondering if someone held a gun to DNA’s head while he was recording it. It was so bad. It was yet another failed attempt by DNA at making a musical comeback.
A few days ago, I came across a new song by DNA dubbed Ok Alright on YouTube. Although the song is not that bad, I could not help that the beat was similar to that of Fimbo Ya Pili. Maybe I’m just a lame hater, listen to the song below and tell us what you think.
