Wakadinali: Kenyan Music’s Chameleon

way they’ve been handled as artists. Over the course of their 16-year career, Wakadinali often felt sidelined by the media. Sewersydaa expressed this on G Pin: “Media haituskii / Pale YT nimekuwa nikigather streams.” So they decided to take their careers in their own hands, finding a way to market their sound and story independently. Artists are notoriously underpaid for their work, and they’ve made their mark by making their rates transparent, recognizing the ever-rising worth of their time and talent.

Their journey seems predestined. It’s even in their name. Wakadinali references their inimitable journey as self-ordained cardinals, tasked with salvaging the culture of hip-hop in Kenya.

Rebelling against the bureaucracy of the music industry is how they’ve paved their way to the top, where they now reside.

Here’s a sketch of the giant portrait of their achievements: a plethora of mixtapes, six albums currently in the Kenyan streaming charts, unforgettable cyphers, self-curated events like RymGym and The Rong Experience, honourable nods from greats like Abbas Kubaff, back-to-back wins (2020/21) for Best Rap Group at the UnKut HipHop Awards, and so much more.

Their autonomy radiates throughout everything they do. Getting them to sit down for an interview is not easy, and when we chat, they’re quick to take control of the conversation. They don’t like being put in a box — in Scar’s words, biz ya ufala.

Rapping over boom-bap, drill and trap beats by producers like the famed Alex Vice and Ares 66, they’re loyal to their sound and their friends, too. Loyalty and trust is important to them, and they consider those they work with family.

Mandela hajachange, but Scarde lazima achange,” he said. Munga and Sewersydaa nodded in agreement. “Amemaintain kuwa true to the people mazee,” Sewersydaa said, as they gestured to the group that came along with them, who they say have been their friends from ‘sijui how many years ago’. “We’ve got to stick together, man; it ain’t easy,” Munga chimed in.

Munga and Scar go way back. They grew up together in Umoja, and fell in love with rap at an early age, walking to a studio close by, Big Beats Afriq hosted by Ares 66. Their music crystallises some of the lived experiences in their hood, and they weave those stories into their lyrics.

Surfing with life’s tides has revealed a new element of their lyrical prowess and the content of their raps. Scar enhances this diversity through his collaborations with artists like Chris Kaiga and rapper Wangechi.

The UnKut 2020 Lyricist of the Year has had a well-documented rise to the top, with surprises at every turn. His compadre Domani Munga, popular for his hard-hitting bars and talent for infectious hooks, is also coasting on a roaring wave with the resounding success of Exposed (Munga’s Revenge), signalling a new era for Wakadinali.

Sewersydaa, who joined the group later on, flows with their effortless energy. The drill monarch’s widely celebrated album Wada: Healing of a Nation, recently took its 30th week on the Kenyan streaming charts. Storytelling is his transferable skill, he’s also the group’s frequent director of photography, going by the name Slim Visuals. He recently added voice acting to his resume, too.

(with a surprise international act, Scar hinted) and Victims of Madness still strong on their mind and in the Kenyan charts (“Story yake hatujamaliza, na bado iko kwa charts,” Munga assured), fans should be ready to meet Wakadinali in whatever new sonic world they are building.

Their unique way of working with what they have has brought them this far, and they want to share their success. They came along with Ayzoe Brad, the eye behind visuals like Scar’s A Million Dollars video. In another video, Ulkuwa Wapi (dir. Slim Visuals), they use a single-pan camera movement to showcase life in the hood, with Scar penning the script.

“We wanted the public to see that more could be done with less,” Munga narrated, revealing that the concept cost about Sh2,500 to complete.

Claiming their creative independence is their way of getting out of kuibiwa na MCSK. When I ask about the problems they’ve faced as independent artists, Sewersydaa says “financial challenges.”

“No, no, no – we don’t have financial challenges,” Munga said, with Scar adding “Everything irie!”, dapping Munga and laughing.

They’re far from their beginnings in Umoja, with more business acumen and care for the worth of their talent. They’ve now established an office there, to support their own careers and those of the artists who come after them under the Rong Rende outfit.

The sun is setting and our conversation is wrapping up. Sewersydaa, who wandered off, comes back with a new pet I find particularly fitting: a chameleon.