Exray Archives - Ghafla! Kenya

How the lull in Gengeton has led to popularity of Amapiano

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Ozymandias

Gengeton is a Kenyan genre that evolved from Genge, the hiphop subgenre born out of California based Calif Records which had acts such as Nonini and JuaCali. The subgenre had died once its luminaries stopped producing music. Actually, at that point in time, Kenya’s entertainment scene was bereft of content, not talent. We still had the likes of Sauti Sol but due to the lack of Kenyan music, we turned to Naija for entertainment.

Meet Gengetone singer Mejja’s beautiful daughter

Gen Z however, has come back to rediscover, reimagine and recreate Genge hence Gengeton was born. And my word they have been churning pout music in such a prolific rate that we finally had market saturation. Regardless of what you wanted to listen to, you would find it.

Gengeton was a complete hit in 2019 when it began to take off. But come 2020, with the quarantine period enforced by GoK, Gengetone artists such as Sailors, Boondocks Gang and Ochungulo family could no longer perform. Especially since the strictest form of the curfew was in place for the better part of the year -it is still in place in some form right now.

Exray apologizes to fans after flopped Gengetone festival in Machakos (Video)

Artists could no longer perform so there was no money being earned or circulated within entertainment. So why bother churning out as much musical content? Might as well focus on something else to help you pay your bills. As a result, in Kenya, we have witnessed the rise in popularity of Amapiano, a South African subgenre of Kwaito.

Gengeton groups Boondocks Gang and Sailors Gang

As they say, dunia ni duara and things really do go full circle. We have witnessed the rise and fall of Genge (and other Kenyan genres) which was then replaced by Naija-pop. From there, we saw the rise of Gengeton which made it popular to declare your love for Kenyan music. Now, however, we are experiencing the rise in popularity of Amapiano.

The second wave of Gengetone is here and it’s unstoppable

The simple way to look at this turn of events is the fact that whenever we have a strong culture and the vehicle being music, Kenyans embrace and celebrate their own. But when it is absent, we have no option but to jump on whatever is hot from abroad.

Genge rapper Mejja transitioned to doing Gengeton

If we want Kenyans to embrace Kenyan culture, we have to feed their hunger for Kenyan content. And this is where the gauntlet is thrown to Gengeton artists. Clearly, there is a hunger for the sub-genre and our most talented artists need to fill that niche. Proof of the fact is how Kenyans have embraced Otile Brown and Sauti Sol and they are cornering their market by being consistent.

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It’s time for Miracle Baby and Ex Ray to make peace

Posted on June 1, 2020June 1, 2020 by Ozymandias

Miracle Baby and Exray are on the warpath. The two leading Gengetone artists have been beefing and Exray explained his side of their beef saying Miracle Baby insulted him as he helped him with a shelter for the night. The reason for their beef and the reasoning behind it only shows that they were actually friends prior to all this nonsense.

Ex Ray Vs Miracle Baby, a case of two youngsters confused by fame

Exray and Miracle Baby knew each other well enough to allow them to call each other for help. Let that sink in. According to the narrative, The Sailors frontman found himself up ~~shit~~ creek without a paddle and he needed to find a place to rest his head.
Rather than call his other group members, rather than call his management team, he preferred to reach out to the Boondocks Gang frontman.

And from there some nonsense went on that saw them falling out and rather than keep things private, they instead decided to play in the mud in front of everyone. And social media is eating it all up. What was once a united front vis a vis Gengeton is now divided with Exray and Miracle Baby.

And if, like me, you’re a fan of both groups, this saddens you because you can see the rift growing and being fed by ~~bullshit~~. And this the point at which we need some level headed OGs to step forth and put an end to this nonsense. And if this is not possible, let them put their beef on wax. Rather than watching them have a social media spat like a bunch of pansies, let him actually give us some dope music that we can bump to. That is the only win-win scenario here.

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Ex Ray’s new tattoo is proof young men need mentors

Posted on May 27, 2020May 27, 2020 by Ozymandias

Exray went and got his girlfriend’s name tattooed on his forearm. You can hear his ancestors groan as they cringe if you listen intently. Because they fought off hyenas and defended themselves against the other tribe for them to breed a generation that eventually led to their son getting his girlfriend’s name on his body.

Exray is one of the most popular young Kenyans at the moment given he is a luminary of the most popular genre in Kenya at the moment; Gengeton.

Exray who has been embroiled in a heated though juvenile beef with fellow Gengeton artist Miracle baby of Sailors has been very vocal on social media over the past few days. He has now shifted gears, from trading shots to now sharing a lot about his lass.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CApfdA1BgVG/

I get it, any man who has lived to be thirty years old knows he has passed this stage where boy meets girl and they start planning their future together. Little man’s older brother, little man’s older, cool uncle would pull him aside and tell him to enjoy the moment but not get too invested in it because it will end.
Instead, many has surrounded himself with other young men who are happy to play the role of a “yes man”.

Exray, however,, is far from an outlier, he is the norm in today’s world where there is a generational disconnection between young men and their older counterparts. Experiences we older gents have endured, some of which left us scarred aren’t serving any purpose as we do not impart their wisdom onto the young bulls.

Exray should have been told that if this relationship works out and he ends up marrying Wangui (her name), he will still be a laughing stock because this is simping hard! Exray should have been warned that the best case scenario rarely plays out for most people. Usually, the mtawachana committee are right. In which case he comes off as retarded.

Boondock’s Exray proves he is man enough weeks after Miracle accused him of being poor in bed! (Photo)

Now, let us pull away from this particular situation and look at it from a macro perspective. Imagine Exray making business decisions with the same low-level emotional control as he has displayed here. Can you imagine, for instance, the young bull taking out a business loan not from a stoic understanding of entrepreneurship but from a whim that led him to get one so he can keep up with the Joneses and maybe maintain the lass.
That would be a recipe for disaster!

It isn’t that much of a stretch of the imagination to see that Exray can leave the Boondocks gang group simply because a mosquito whispered in his ear that he would do better on his own as a solo act.
And where are the OGs? Where are the big homies especially those within entertainment to put their arm around the young bull and give him advice? Where are the pleighbois who can check his chin when he egregiously steps out of line?

34 Gvng, Dmore and Exray release Ka Ni Mtam (VIDEO)

Man, we as men need to do better. We need to help young bulls like Exray avoid the trainwreck we can see coming. Regardless of whether or not he will listen, the least we should do is warn him so when things happen to go wrong, he will be more receptive to listening next time.

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34 Gvng, Dmore and Exray release Ka Ni Mtam (VIDEO)

Posted on April 28, 2020May 4, 2020 by Ozymandias

Gengeton to the world with this submission from 34 Gvng who have hollad at Ochungulo Family’s Dmore and Boondocks Gang’s Exray for their collaborative effort which is a certified banger!

34 GVNG releases new banger tagged ‘Njugu’ (Video)

The jam is one of the few Gengeton tracks that have been released during these Covid19 quarantine times. And it bears all the hallmarks that make Gengeton so distinct; heavy urban street dialect -put some respect on their Sheng- and a video you can see probably cost fifteen thousand Kenya shillings to produce.

Ex Ray teams up with 34 GVNG’s Shagwah and Hitman Kaht on ‘Taniua’ (Video)

34 Gvng is a collective made up of Vuva, Hitman Kaht, Guantai, Shagwah and B Razor. ridge Records Entertainment, with 34 representing the Hood the artists grew up in and ‘GVNG’ standing for ‘Good Vibes No Guns. Incidentally, Hitman Kaht is the producer and label owner of Bridge to which he and his friends are signed under.

The jam is a celebration of beautifully shaped and endowed hoodrats and though issa ratchet anthem, you cannot help but bounce along to the slow bounce beats. The video features ubiquitous bubbling and twerking from the video vixens and they really do give the video life.

34 GVNG comes through on ‘Miti Ni Dawa’ alongside Jegede and Manio (Video)

34 Gvng allowed Dmore to do the chorus and it is a simple sample of him repeatedly saying, “Ka ni mtam” but it is so catchy you cannot help but sing along. Exray, Mr Taniua for his part lays down a verse with his flow that we have grown to love and the chemistry between himself and the rest of the gang is undeniable.

Check out the video below:

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Ssaru and Exray (Boondocks Gang)’s new track Tapo is bland and 2D video is way below par!

Posted on April 27, 2020May 4, 2020 by Kibaki Muthamia

Ssaru, is un-arguably, the most visible female Gengetone artist on the arena right now. While the industry is generally kinder and gentler to female artists – who flaunting beauty and assets is a bonus – Ssaru has risen above that misconception with a relentless desire to make a talented musical footprint.

For a minute, look at Ssaru’s past releases: Dose, Dhudha,Weka and the track that broke her into the limelight with more than a million hits, Zungushiwa, featuring Shay Diva. She has weaned her fans with great works of art.

Ssaru has teamed up with Exray, from Boondock’s Gang in her latest stride into stardom. In his part, Exray is an integral section of the pie that’s Boondock’s Gang, and lyrical prowess is dominant. This pair blends beautifully, instant chemistry to produce an inevitable club banger. Exray also brings the likeable, thuggish-dude-next-door Boondocks Gang vibe that could be a plus to the track.

Ricobeatz, production is on point, beats and vocals well balanced.

But…..

The lyric content in Tapo. Hey, what gives? It’s understandable that it’s Gengetone – and it is what it is – but the lyrics are pretty bland, and shallow, to say the least. Well, initially, Gengetone did stir up some excitement with the bold never-seen-before profanity and it’s acceptable to a point, IF, it’s creatively done. With time, though, it’s getting bland.

Exray in a past performance with Boondocks Gang

Exray begins with one liners, with Ssaru delivering the signature base line ‘…Kuji Tapo….’ That’s just it.

The pair chose to release an animated video in 2D. Well, the one aspect that make Gengetone videos appealing is their colorful videos, often with choreographed dance moves. Who watches a 2D video to the end? Fans want to see their idols at it!

Am I too harsh? Watch the Tapo video below, and give your thought:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVRTt9B2X8k&t=22s

Bahati now teams up with Boondocks gang for “Taniua” gospel song

Posted on February 11, 2020May 4, 2020 by Branny

When the noise around gengetone music going to church then here comes another dubbed “Taniua” by Bahati featuring Boondocks gang.

EMB records CEO Bahati seems to have known how to capitalize on scandals. I mean it was just the other day that he was trending for getting Peter Blessing arrested.

Then I remember saying his drama was louder than his music.

Also read: The little drama boy: Bahati’s lost objective in the gospel music industry

Taniua

Well, it’s obvious he thrives on that. Here now he drops “Taniua” loosely translates to “kill me”. This is a phrase that was made famous by Exray as a signature tune.

However, the concept for this song is around a guy that is trying to reevaluate his life, torn between Christianity and the worldly fun.

For one I give credit for the team up despite knowing that this would spark a conversation among netizens. Furthermore, I believe Bahati knew this would be good for business.

Especially after the drama, he has had lately.

The lyrics are quite hard to understand for those that struggle with the Kenyan sheng. Yes, the idea was well put but too difficult for some people.

But anyway here it is. The lyrics have too much weight around kishada and hangovers.

On the other hand, I will give credit where it’s due, Boondocks gang delivered their lines just as expected. The beat to the song is also not badly off.

The delivery of the song would have been better with clearer lyrics because no matter what happens I believe God deserves His respect.

We can play around with everything but not the truth about the gospel.

For that in one sense if the song was merely for entertainment then I say good job, however, I will be lying if I say that many will sit down to listen to this for any conviction purpose. It’s all wrongly done but well-intended.

Your thoughts?

Alma talks of Misbehave with Boondocks Gang

Posted on December 31, 2019May 4, 2020 by Catherine Nderitu

Alma is not to be left out this year as he also ends 2019 in style with a new banger Misbehave. The gengetone artiste has not only wrapped it in style but in a bliss collaboration with Boondocks Gang. Although not the whole gang, he has featured Exray and Maddox.

From the many collaborations that the gang has been in 2019, Maddox and EXray have been the most sought artistes in the team.

Alma thoughts in Misbehave are super crazy and am sure you will like it. It is more of a hype song where everyone is dancing and having fun. First, the title Misbehave will draw your attention and in bid to understand it you’ll play the song.

Misbehave is a let loose song and have fun

Taniua is a phrase that has been adopted in the Kenyan market. Misbehave is just a song that talks of the things done out of social teachings.

Alma and his gang talks of how people misbehave and how some avoid misbehaving since they are in the church choir. Honestly, if you do not feel the sarcasm then this was not meant for you.

Even as we break for Christmas, these people just think of sex as misbehaving and there is even a stanza in which they criticise some guy’s girl.

What catches the eye in Alam’s and Boondocks Gang is how the song has been done and the video. It is a very lit song with all the simplicity.

The Misbehave lyrics are simple and something people talk about daily. Also, it is easy to relate to the song with today’s generation.

In addition, the collaboration between Alma, Exray, Maddox is just one unique one. All the groups came to the limelight early in the year and for sure they have commanded it all through.

In conclusion, Alma, Maddox and Exray did a great job in Misbehave. Last but not least, the song gets a rating of 6/10.

Video below.

Naiboi is back with ‘Sondeka’ 2 featuring All Stars

Posted on September 16, 2019May 5, 2020 by Catherine Nderitu

Naiboi is back with Sondeka part 2 featuring All Stars. Those featured in this jam are ExRay, Kristoff, Fena, Benzema, Femi One, Mordecai, V6 and Khaligraph Jones. Sondeka part 2 is introduced by Dj Shitti a comedian and an actor. It is a great collabo where all those mentioned have performed a stanza.

Also, Sondeka part 2 is a continuation of Sondeka part 1. In this jam Naiboi is talking about correcting certain behavior in human beings.

Sondeka Part 2 is all about what?

To start with, you’ll notice that these artists are also talking about MCSK. This is in line with the recent payments they made to the musicians and angered them.

They say that they are correcting that. It says that tabia ya kukali wasanii na MCSK tunasondeka. Also, they talk of how people are jealousy when they see one with a big car.

Naiboi is very talented and the way he also performs his lines is just good.

To add on they go ahead to talk about how people should stop lying. Khaligraph Jones talks of how one is telling them she is in Dubai and in real sense she is in a matatu ya Mwangi.. This is crazy. Also he goes ahead to add on how MCSK sent him Ksh 2530.

Whatever the thing they want to correct seems to have affected them so much. I like how Khaligraph says that someone talks of Uhuru being their relative whereas the only person who knows then is Dj Shitti.

Niaboi is very creative in this Sondeka jam. The fact that he has brought a couple of artists on board shows team work. Sondeka has been produced by Rixx. The video is super good and quality.

It is a combination of great voices and this has come up with something good. Actually the song will leave you laughing at some point. Naiboi needs to be congratulated on this one.

In conclusion, Sondeka part 2 by Naiboi is a cool jam and you should listen to it. It gets a rating of 7/10.

Video below.

‘Pita Nao’ new tune in Ghetto Anthems

Posted on August 20, 2019 by Catherine Nderitu

Pita Nao is the newest tune in Ghetto Anthem. The jam has brought together some of the known people in the game. It is a captivating jam if you are a fan of this kin of music. Also the participants include; Dezian, Exray(Boondocks Gang), Dj Slim B and Kay Green(ADF Family).

Each and everyone of the crew has delivered their lines in the best way possible. I am always left wondering who comes up with the ideas. Also how do they know who is going to do what? It is not an easy task I believe.

Ever asked yourself how they select who is going to do what? In this case it seems like Dezian chose the best to work with him in Pita Nao.

Ghetto Anthems have become the order of the day. They are being played in every part of town be it on Tv or Radio. It is a good thing that Kenyans have accepted this generation. Although they are accepted still their content is worrying.

What is ‘Pita Nao’ about?

To start with we must understand what Pita Nao is about. You realize that most of these got hidden meaning. Some talk about sex, drugs and women. Anyway that is all about Ghetto Anthems. The song to start with is vulgar. There is line where someone says that nitakuita John juu umenibaptize. What a joke in this industry.

In addition to the funny lyrics, the video is just the usual thing that this kind of artists give us. No originality. We have ladies twerking through out the jam. Sijui wanapita nao hadi wapi.

Dezian Tyrone is a Kenyan recording and performing Artist based in Nairobi. We are not going to argue more about this dude. If he wants to remain at the top of the game he needs to change his style of music. In conclusion, Pita No can only get a rating of 5/10.

Below is a link to the video.