VIP ACCESS

This week’s podcast features Kenyan singers: Chemutai Sage (based in Nairobi) and Steve Biko (based in Amsterdam). They are both multi-talented visionaries and their love for music is undisputed. Sage is also a classically trained pianist and self-taught guitarist while Biko also works as a fashion designer and psychology. It’s an intimate chat where Sage opens up about the highs and lows of her c...

Vallerie Muthoni aka Brown Suga is a Kenyan-American singer and rapper based in Nairobi and known for hit singles including “Sexy” and “Spicy Szn”. The dancer and creative director has perfected the craft of engaging and relating with her audience through storytelling, stage presence, dance & charisma. This interview is an exclusive peep into her upcoming EP. We are also diving deep into her p...

From South to West Africa, I present a special episode featuring South African multidisciplinary DJ, producer and singer Muzi and Nigerian singer-songwriter and hitmaker Wande Coal. I sat down with Muzi soon after releasing his fifth studio album 'uMUZI' via Fool’s Gold in Oct, and Wande Coal on his 2023 album 'Legend Or No Legend'. Interestingly, both albums mark a career shift and status for bot...

Bensoul is a household name when it comes to Kenyan hitmakers, celebrity songwriters and seasoned performers. The soulful and smooth crooner has written songs for and alongside the likes of Sauti Sol, Burna Boy, Kidum, Alikiba, Nyashinski, H_art The Band and Mercy Masika, among many other stars. It was February 2018 - when we [Sol Generation Records & Anyiko PR] first released "Lucy" - Bensoul...

Yaba - also known by many as the Prince of Rhumbacane makes Rhumba music - often referred to as Zilizopendwa (classic tunes) in East Africa. His style of Rhumba is a fusion of Rhumba Trap and Benga genres - always mashing up sounds of the past and future. Yaba's discography includes EPs: 'Rhumbacane' (2021), 'Bestie' (2022) and the latest 'Zitakazopendwa'. Yaba started out as a member of Red Acape...

Kenyan singer, songwriter and performer Prince Ambasa Mandela a.k.a Mandela is renowned for his powerful voice, the message in his music and his high energy (almost spiritual) performances. At its core, Mandela’s music is real African fusion - a blend of traditional East African rhythms alongside Benga, fused with Afro beat, Jazz and a dash of Reggae. He describes himself as a brand, agent of chan...

In her own words - Mayonde is an eclectic Kenyan artist who likes to play with different sounds. She sees music in colours. She loves adventure, wants to try different things and doesn't want to be in a box. Her hit singles include "I'm Feeling It" alongside Muthoni the Drummer Queen and Blinky Bill, "Kama Kawaida" produced by Kagwe Mungai, featuring Fena Gitu as well as "Nairobi" with Stonee Jiwe...

Tanzanian rapper and wordsmith Fredrick Mulla hails from Morogoro. He is also known as King Tai, or Master Manondo –an artist of many facets and philosophy. Mulla is also a singer-songwriter and producer who integrates the music of Tanzanian tribes with modern Afro-Music, Hip-Hop, and R&B. In this interview, Mulla shares his love for Kenya as we bounce off on cultural similarities and differen...

Fena Gitu is a king in her own right. The stellar Kenyan singer-songwriter and performing artist is one of Nairobi's baddest femcees and among Kenya's most sought-after artists. Her unique phenomenal sound produced a catalog of classic Kenyan urban hits like "Living Legends", “Doing Her Thing Tho” and “Steam”. After more than 13 years in the industry, I sit down with Fena as she reflects on her up...

Kayvo Kforce is a respected name and figure in Kenya and Africa's Hip Hop music scene. He is a prolific artist and has dropped many notable mixtapes, albums and EPs, with his latest (2022) being 'Fathela' and 'Namba Nane Drill'. He will soon drop a new album in honour of his rebrand - influenced by growth, a crave for change and the state of African hip hop in the continent. In this interview, he...

Kenyan rapper Boutross is an outsider in many ways. However, he was always in the game. As a young boy he battled older boys in the hood - eventually taking the crown and prizes as the king kid of freestyles and public speaking. The hitmaker's rise to fame had to do with carving his own path and genre in the game. He explains why together with his crew (ADH Family) he created SHRAP (Rap, Trap and...

Kenyan music producer and instrumentalist Kevin "Provoke" has a knack for sound engineering, cinematography and graphic design. He is also a member of Umoja Sounds - a producer outfit that responsible for numerous East African top charting hits in the recent years. Since the group’s inception in 2021, they have been nominated as Best Group in Africa at All Africa Music Awards (Afrima 2022), collab...

Leomile is a soulful singer-songwriter and composer who fuses traditional African folk music with neo-soul, jazz and alternative/electronic sounds. In Lesotho, the name Leomile is given to rainmakers and it means “One who brings restoration”. She knows, now more than ever, that her role is to use music to embody her calling while passing messages and stories from her ancestors. Her rich musical ta...

I am still in South Africa and today meeting with Afro-Folk soulful singer and performer Bongeziwe Mabandla who is into making experimental music and fusing multiple genres. Bongeziwe's string of success includes four acclaimed albums and groundbreaking live music performances in his country South Africa and on various international stages and festivals. His early musical influences stem back to h...

I meet Muneyi - a multifaceted artist, songwriter, composer and guitarist in South Africa in the comfort of my friend Jess White's house. It's a perfect spot to hear Muneyi's poetic words and comforting tales about his Makhulu (grandmother). His 2021 debut album 'Makhuku' is about lessons in love, loss and healing inspired by the life and perspective of his grandmother. He asserts that language pr...

The opener of season 3 of VIP ACCESS podcast is live from South Africa and I am interviewing BONJ - a genre defying South African artist who was born in Soweto and for the stage. Her debut music project 'A Journal' dropped in 2021, soon after breaking off from soulful electro-pop band TheCITY - a band that she founded and also served as a lead vocalist and writer. She terms this project as a sonic...

Excited to present the third season of VIP ACCESS podcast (premiering Sept 5th 2023). This season features a cross section of celebrated African storytellers, songwriters, hitmakers and showstoppers. They include Nigerian star Evajay, Tanzanian Hip Hop artist and wordsmith Fredrick Mulla a.k.a Master Manondo alongside his Kenyan Umoja Sounds group member Provoke. Lesotho Soul singer Leomile alongs...

In the final eps of this season I am taking you to Uganda, and sharing some of my most cherished interviews (recorded between 2016 - 2019). I had the honour of meeting and interviewing Radio & Weasel. Unfortunately after that, Radio passed away. I later caught up with his partner Weasel alongside King Saha - who speak on his passing and how that changed Uganda's entertainment industry. On the...

"African Queen", "Shake Body" and "This Is Nigeria" are important songs in the history of popular Nigerian music. This eps features my interviews with 2Baba on his legendary status, Skales on the impact of "Shake Body" and Falz on multiple personalities and meeting Diddy because of the virality of his video. Some of their records represent an era of hits that influenced a cross over of Nigerian an...

As a celebration of season 2 wrap; I am sharing with you a cross section of dope interviews that I discovered in my vault and a little bit about my journey towards VIP ACCESS - this podcast and a beloved brand I created in 2018. This eps features interviews with Bien-Aime from Kenya, Winky D from Zimbabwe and Jux & Lizer from Tanzania. This is my Thank You and I hope you enjoy it :) I have so...

Mbae is a multi-talented Kenyan artist who is happily balancing life working at The French Embassy by day and being artist for the rest of his time. The self-taught singer, songwriter and instrumentalist is also a dancer, performer and an art director. He is also among artists leading an evolution towards consumption of digital experiences via virtual reality. His capability of perfecting anything...

Kenyan singer and music producer Mutoriah is one of the most talented and charming people I've ever met. At 26, the multi-talented artist who also works as a sound engineer and music director has had a hand in major hit records for major Kenyan acts like Sauti Sol, Wanavokali and Bensoul. He was also a guest producer at Coke Studio Africa 2019. Mutoriah is hands down among Kenya and Africa’s most...

Fast-rising Kenyan R&B Queen Pryshon joined the music scene professionally in 2016 starting out as a voice artist for songs written for other singers. It then took her a while to settle into her own craft and songwriting, with the help of key industry individuals. She has since defied all odds to take centre stage. Her music is now a hybrid of Pop, R&B and Gengetone – representing various...

Award-winning Ghanaian rap artist and musician, M.anifest has been described as one of the foremost rappers on the continent. His musical reach extends well beyond Africa, with collaborations that range from Damon Albarn, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea, Erykah Badu, Tiggs Da Author, Kojey Radical and Burna Boy, among countless other African stars. His fifth studio album 'Madina To The Universe (MTTU...

Maandy a.k.a Kabaya is one of Nairobi's fast rising rap stars, well known for her hit records "Hivi Na Hivo", "Sirudi Home", "Shash na Lip Gloss" and "BTW". She started out a professional career in music in 2016, blowing up 2019 with the drop of her successful debut album 'Kabaya', which was followed by the albums: 'Frisky' (2021) and Flavour (2023). Maandy is prolific and owes this to the fact th...