This week’s New Music Radar is a thrilling ride through the many moods of Kenyan music—from defiant trap anthems to playful rap experiments, reflective soul cuts to genre-bending surprises. Nazizi reminds us why she’s still the queen with a bold return in Gai Fafa, while Joefes delivers street wisdom with swagger in Balance, Bien and Suldaan start their SAFARI with fans who might just need to grab a delicious Smokie […]
In todays day and age, where you can practically get the answer to anything using AI, we as people are genuinely becoming used to getting or going for the easy things. People don’t read or listen anymore; all people seem to care about is getting the answer. We don’t seem to care about understanding and knowing the material, everyone wants to be right and have the right answer but even […]
After the unexpected breakup of Sauti Sol, arguably Kenya’s biggest musical export. It appears that Kenyans as a collective have decided to lay the burden of putting Kenyan music on the map on the shoulders of Bien-Aime Alusa Baraza popularly known as Bien. Some have argued that the success of Bien as a solo artist is a testament to the fact that it was Bien who in fact carried and […]
On April 17, 2025, Kenyan artist Charisma, known offstage as Fidel, shared a heartfelt moment that resonated deeply with his fans and the creative community at large. In a tweet that quickly gained traction, Charisma posted a screenshot of a message from his mother, whom he has saved as "Mum Safcom." The message read: “My son Fidel, I really wanted to be there as history is made—your first international performance […]
Recently, An21 KE (@antweeeezy), a US-based Kenyan producer and hip-hop media previously a Coke Studio Africa protégé, with stints at Radio 254 and NRG Radio, sparked a vibrant discussion on X by posing the question: “Who is in the Kenyan Hip Hop Mt Rushmore?” This inquiry ignited a reflective conversation among Kenyan hip-hop enthusiasts, contemplating the genre's most iconic figures. The concept of a "Mount Rushmore" in pop culture symbolizes […]
Clark Keeng ft. Zawadi Mukami & Chris Barr – “Table” Some songs feel like memories in sonic form. Table, a melancholic yet hopeful R&B ballad by Clark Keeng featuring Zawadi Mukami and Chris Barr, conjures the intimacy of love lost but not entirely let go. The title object — a table — is the emotional anchor around which the song revolves, not just physically, but metaphorically as the place where […]
If you don’t know who TY FLEXX is, then just like millions of other Kenyans, you are forgiven for not knowing who TY FLEXX is. In this short article, we are going to tell you about our short encounter with TY FLEXX in 2024 and the type of troll that he is. In 2024, after we advertised for studio services, we received a booking from TY FLEXX. He showed up […]
Spotify says it has a new vision for Kenya’s music industry where artists are taking the lead on ownership, narrative, and innovation. During their latest masterclass held in Nairobi in partnership with Platoon, they brought together emerging artists, producers, and music industry players for an immersive session on what it takes to thrive in the streaming era. This is informed by the pivotal shift the Kenyan music landscape is undergoing […]
In a recent interview which is probably his only interview in recent years, Domani Munga explained something that relates very much to how we feel as Radio 254. Domani who has been rapping long before the world knew who Wakadinali are explained how it feels to see people who he knows, went to school with or grew up with start to rap now after not understanding or supporting his rap […]
Kenyan music icon Bien-Aimé Baraza, best known for his work as one-quarter of the celebrated afro-pop band Sauti Sol, has teased a new collaborative album titled Safari. The news broke just hours after Bien paid a visit to the United States Embassy in Nairobi, where the current Chargé d’Affaires, Marc Dillard, wished him the best of luck in his upcoming USA tour — a gesture symbolic of the cultural bridge […]
