Kaa La Moto is a Swahili Hip hop artiste and activist from Mombasa, Kenya who is respected with most Kenyan rappers in the game today in the likes of Kayvo Kforce, King Kaka, Lon Jon and others as a talented emcee who knows his stuff and the best part of it all, he spits in Swahili.
Kaa La Moto recently got featured on Kayvo Kforce’s hit record ‘Underrated’ together with Lon Jon, you have to listen to this song and appreciate how much Kenya has talent when it comes to talent.
Also read: Kforce releases new music with Lon Jon, Kaa La Moto, Nanoiya
Kaa La Moto took time to speak with the hip hop artistes in the country and beseech them to try to save hip hop though an open letter to all the hip hop artistes in the country.
“Dear Kenyan Hip hop artist, when did you give up? When did you decide that WaPi was it for you? When did you stop pushing the boundaries? When did you lose sight of the big picture and settle for selling two mixtapes a day? When did your hunger die? When did you choose to quench your thirst with substandard third grade liquor instead of knowledge?” Kaa La Moto said in part of his long letter to hip hop and rap artistes in Kenya.
Kaa La Moto iterated that it is time for hip hop to take over board rooms and go commercial with full mode and make sure that it has a part in corporate Kenya as other genre of music enjoys that privilege.
He also said that hip hop needed some new faces in the game, new music, new spaces and new personalities that will make sure that at some point it gets to push the value of brands in the country just the way it does in South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana. Kenya rappers needs to work hard to achieve that honor.
Here’s the complete open letter from Kaa La Moto to the entire Kenyan rappers in the game today and for even those who wants to enter the industry.
Dear Kenyan Hip hop Artist (Notice I called you an artist, not a rapper)
Now, more than ever, Hip hop needs you. Not because you are dope, not because you have bars, not because you write great punchlines…
Kenya’s Hip hop needs you because for the last few years, it has been reduced from the most powerful genre of social expression and entertainment to what it is now – a stunted fringe activity that society lets its high school graduates indulge in as they find their path through life.
Dear Kenyan Hip hop artist, when did you give up? When did you decide that WaPi was it for you? When did you stop pushing the boundaries? When did you lose sight of the big picture and settle for selling two mixtapes a day? When did your hunger die? When did you choose to quench your thirst with substandard third grade liquor instead of knowledge?
Corporate Kenya sees you as an “add on”. After the over hyped international acts, then the mediocre yet overplayed “local guy”, you’ll be on stage for 30 minutes as they wait for the venue to fill up or as they wait for the main act to arrive. Your punch lines will be drowned as the sound guy is still checking his levels and you’ll be pushed off stage as soon as a cute chic asks why “Dj Nanii” has not started playing.
Hip hop needs new music, new faces, a new personality and new spaces. Hip hop needs to evolve and grow. Hip hop needs to sit in boardrooms in agencies and say how good it can push value for brands.
Hip hop needs to go to Koroga festival and show how versatile in can be standing next to Koffi Olomide and Awilo Longomba on stage. Hip hop needs to sit in radio studios and hold conversations during prime time. Hip hop needs its own voice in TV and radio.
Hip hop needs to be at more shows and have more photos online. Hip hop needs to learn how to document it’s movements better.
Hip hop needs to be in Alliance Francaise, in a movie soundtrack in Hollywood or at least Riverwood. Hip hop needs to be in schools drama festivals, food festivals, sitting next to Ngugi Wa Thio’ngo at literary events or at the KIE discussing inclusion of Kalamashaka lyrics in Fasihi
Hiphop, especially Kenyan Hiphop, needs you!
…..No movement without moves.
