“Your actions will come back to haunt you!” Nonini strictly forewarns Gengetone artists (Video)

Kenyan artistes have time and again been cautioned about the kind of content they produce, which must meet the required ethical standards according to the boards that are in-charge of them.

However, many have turned a deaf year and surprisingly, it´s not even the older generation of music artistes that has been condemned for vulgar content, it is the young and upcoming generation.

One would say: this is their time and this is the trend, let them be, they will improve later. But what many have failed to understand is that ´old habits die hard.´

It´s not Kenyans or these boards in-charge of these artistes who will suffer. It is these very same artistes whose future or probably tomorrow will have to bear the consequences.

Endorsements

Kenyan hip hop recording artist, Hubert Mbuku Nakitare popularly known as Nonini, gave an example of his journey in music, that not only proved tough but a lesson he will live to remember.

Up and close on Clearing the Airwaves, the Genge music artist recalled how he would release hit after another, gaining popularity both locally and globally, but not even one corporate approached him for an endorsement deal.

We all know the ´bigger´ an artist is, the better the offer on the table. Let´s even forget about the size of offer made, Nonini got nothing! Zero!

Why? Because the kind of content he had in his popular hits, had something vulgar and no one wanted to associate their product with such kind of ´immoral´ standards.

Kina Nameless walikuwa wanapata ma-endorsements, kina Redsan, kina Ogopa, guys were doing shows for Redbull, Trust condom, watu wanawekwa kwa ma billboards. Although I had hits, biggest hits in this country, I never got any endorsement, nothing. Because the people who were seating in the board rooms back then walikuwa wanasema zii, huyu jamaa ni controversial hatuwezi muweka kwa any of our brands.

Ethics

Only for him to realize way later, like so many years later, what caused him the loss of such major opportunities.

Yes, he was recognized in International spaces but why weren´t any corporate brands interested in his kind of popularity? Ethical standards.

I came to realize that baadaye. Kwa hii time yote tuko na kina Clemo so we are realising mbona hatupati maendorsement? Mashow napiga, ground iko sawa, tour ndo hizo ziko scheduled kupiga USA, Australia wapi wapi lakini endorsement, zii. Tukiangalia endorsements ni ma artistes wengine wanapiga.

The founder of Genge eventually got his endorsement, but it was just one and that was just 2 years ago – 2018. Having lost so much time but I guess that´s how we learn.

The first corporate money I ever got big-time was from Safaricom just the other day when I became their Brand Ambassador last year but one (2018). That´s the first corporate endorsement Nonini has ever gotten so unaweza imagine what I have gone through in my career.

A story he gave, not because he is any proud of it. But just to spare youngins in this lucrative and easily gullible industry, that using vulgar content to sell themselves while disregarding what the boards are telling them, will eventually cost them. BIG!

And that is just what he doesn´t want the likes of Gengetone artists of today to go through, because they can learn now and not tomorrow.

Nonini is known for viral hits the likes of Manzi wa Nairobi, Keroro and We Kamu among others.

Video

Nonini never made any corporate monies until that Safcom ad he did in 2018.This is exactly what is happening to most Gengetone artists right now. pic.twitter.com/Kk5brB6Gh4

— Mutinda (@brianmutinda_) June 4, 2020