G Rongi: Rough, rugged and raw

BUZZ: What are your real names?

Joseph Githenji.  I’m very careful with my name because (in Rap) people might make fun of it. 

You went solo after parting ways with Wenyeji…

It was because of personal reasons not business, we didn’t have the same dreams anymore. At the time it was just Roba and I. I left, then Zakah followed.  I’m still in the Maumau camp even after parting ways with Ukoo Flani, they thought they were better than us and we saw them as a burden to us. 

Are you in good terms?

Yes, we still keep in touch, share ideas and go to shows together. We didn’t get along because of integrity issues but because we have one aim we are still okay with each other.

I started rapping when I was 14, people forget that we grow up and move on with our lives. Sometimes there has to be conflict for people to give each other space. 

As a solo artiste how many songs have you done and were they hits?

Three, the first song I did was called “Fyatua”, but it was banned. The others are Mawitness and Kichungi.

Why?

The song was about life in the hood, where youths decide to arm themselves and eventually get gunned down by the police.

All I was trying to say is if a young man decides to carry a gun then he automatically chooses death.

These are just stupid things that young men get killed over, if you’ve decided that you’re man enough to carry a gun then die like a man, but you can also choose to carry a jembe and go the farm.

At least with the jembe you’ll live to see another day. I was just trying to provoke some thoughts.

Let’s talk about Mokorino, your new song.

I don’t know how that one will go down because people are misunderstanding the song. It’s my personal life story, it’s like I woke up and discovered the secret to life.

I think it’s all in your mind. For the past four or five years I have been battling a drug addiction, from being a superstar to nothing and after losing my family and going to rehab I decided to adapt that mentality. “Mokorino” was me saying you are your own saviour.

I also get political. Raila, Uhuru and Sonko are our leaders, yes, we voted for them but at the end of the day that’s who God gave us.

All these vices like tribalism it’s up to us to stop them, we have to work with things as they are and remember that change starts with us.

We should take responsibility and stop pointing fingers. Many may have an issue with the song because it is in Kikuyu and I start with Uhuru Kenyatta so many just dismiss it as a song for Uhuru and don’t wait for the other parts where I mention Raila and even Sonko.

I only ask that my song be played once, I don’t need to push it because it will take its own life form.

In a recent interview you revealed that some artistes including STL do not want to collaborate with you, why is that?

Because they have no skills, if she has skills she isn’t supposed to shy away from working with me.

But isn’t it someone’s decision to choose whoever they want to work with?

Doing a song with me is already an honour, and doing a song with you is an honour.  I’m all about good music but I don’t want to do a song with her just so that I can get a hit. I believe am a good artiste just as she is.

She will tell you that she was inspired by us (Mau Mau), so why doesn’t she want to work with us, making excuses that she has to do this and that first?

I can give her all the time in the world and she won’t make better music than me, but if we collaborate we will make a great song and life goes on. I don’t have time to keep begging people.

Who else is snubbing you?

Almost all the new age artistes, but we have done a song with Juliani.

The problem with some artistes is even though they know they are good, they fear you will outshine them. I’ve come to learn it’s not about outshining each other; it’s about merging our fan bases and making good music.

Collaborations will save Kenyan music, it’s only here people don’t do collaborations and if they do it’s the same old people doing them, like the “Kenyans for Kenya” songs.

Being in and out of the country constantly, do you think it contributes to artistes snubbing you?

I don’t know, when you are out of the country you get a whole new mindset but whether I make it in Kenya or not I’m okay with where I am, I’ll still make good music, sell and get signed to record companies.

But at the same time I love Kenya that’s why I came back to launch my first video.

Everywhere I go I meet people and keep in touch with them, I don’t want to have that “God” complex. I know a lot of artistes who would want to work with me, maybe that’s why STL is scared because within a short time I’ve gotten to where she is.

Do you have any other projects you are working on?

My first album is supposed to come out in February. It’s been a long time coming. God willing I will launch it in Kenya.

Are you in the clear now regarding your drug addiction?

I’ve been sober going to two years now. I started with cocaine and heroin, I had money back then but I knew I hit rock bottom when I found myself in Mathare Hospital.

But getting out of rehab was also a challenge because there were temptations in the form of old friends who didn’t believe I had reformed. 

Rehab was so expensive my family had to chip in and people didn’t have time to come visit me.  So after my rehab I talked to some of my friends in Paris and they organized a little haven there for me to go and get it together. During that time I wrote music and it would hurt so much because I would visualize what had become of my life.

I haven’t activated my bank account till now, I’m afraid of handling money, I only walk with the amount I’ll need for the day.

I now live a humble life unlike the extravagant one I used to. I’m going back to the basics and starting from scratch.

Would you say that you are now mature enough to avoid those sorts of situations?

Yeah, I’m cool with my family now. I’m patient nowadays and I think things through. When I sobered up reality hit and it hit hard. I had a whole new perspective on loving my kids and taking responsibility. I live for my kids now.

Where did you shoot the video for Mokorino?

In Paris

Why not in Kenya?

Just location. I’ve had a taste of certain aspects of life, I was born in the ghetto, I have lived in the suburbs, I have been rich and I also have been poor.

Where do you spend most of your time, in Kenya or Paris?

Paris, I have a house there. I have family everywhere.

Has any Kenyan artiste approached you with the intention of working with you?

No, it’s funny because right now I have the best video in Africa. I have raised the bar.

Don’t you think your confidence may be perceived as somewhat egotistical, maybe even rub some people the wrong way?

I just came from hell, that’s their problem because at some point it rubbed me the wrong way after seeing their videos.

I wanted to do much better than them so I hope they want to do much better than me. It’s supposed to be a healthy competition.

I want to change the Kenyan playlist from West African songs to Kenyan songs. Sincerely speaking my video can give theirs a run for their money.

I don’t have time to keep battling with artistes who are not fresh and of my caliber, and I’m not dissing them.

If they want to battle we can do it, but I’m not about that. I want to make good music and think about how we can make our music industry profitable for artists.

I don’t like it when people start getting concerned about my private life because they won’t like me. I don’t have a problem with my life and I make no apologies for who I am.

I don’t expect people to love me, I expect people to love my music.

Everyone should be given a chance.