Award-winning musician Iyanii has opened up about his childhood in the Mathare slums, revealing that the stark reality of poverty was the single greatest force driving his success in the music industry.
The talented songwriter, whose full name is Ian Okwemba Oure, credited his challenging upbringing for igniting an “unshakeable hunger” to transform his life, ultimately leading to chart-topping fame.
Speaking during a candid interview with the Mic Cheque podcast, aired on Sunday, December 14, 2025, Iyanii explained that simply observing the lives of those around him became his blueprint for ambition.
“Poverty was my biggest motivation, nilikuwa naangalia the life I grew up in, and I used to check other people,” the artist confessed, describing how the tough conditions of Mathare fuelled his desire for a better life.
The star revealed that his early exposure to the success of a fellow slum resident—multi-talented musician Willy Paul—served as crucial, tangible proof that a way out existed.
Iyanii explained that his brother was close friends with Willy Paul, allowing him a front-row seat to witness the star’s transformation from his teenage years.
“At that time, my brother used to be a good friend with Willy Paul, so Willy Paul used to come back in the hood, and nilikuwa naona Willy Paul ever since akuwe high school mbaka hii point naona vile ametransition in a very big way,” he narrated.
Watching Willy Paul return to the neighbourhood, driving expensive cars and visibly succeeding, provided the necessary spark of inspiration.
“Anarudi kwa mtaa amenunua gari ako na pesa nikakuwa like hii kitu huyu anafanya kama inaweza change life yake why not me?” he recalled, realizing the potential for music to be his escape.
Iyanii also highlighted the strong, supportive, and surprising sense of community among artists who emerge from the area.
According to the star, Mathare has produced an extraordinary number of successful musicians who all knew each other before fame.
“One funny thing about Mathare hakuna msanii amemake it from Mathare mwenye hakuwa anajua the other artist,” he revealed.
He listed a roll call of successful names: “We all grew up together, from Willy Paul, Bahati, Mr Seed, Vijana Barubaru, and Eko Dyda, it is a very tiny place yenye mtu akiwa msanii mtajua tuu hati kwao.”
The revelation underscores the close-knit network that helped nurture some of Kenya’s biggest stars, all driven by the common goal of leaving their challenging upbringing behind.
