10/11/2023
KHALIGRAPH JONES AND THE SAUTISOL EFFECT
The Wasafi, Oktoba and Sol Fest will be the talk of town for the remaining month. The pictures, analysis and the highlights. The temperatures, hype and adrenaline. The Nyashinski fall-and-rise in a roll remains a funny and memorable moment of the festival. ".. Even when I fall, I make it look good" and all the creative puns and captions.
Today, I want to talk about something in connection to the weekend action but slightly off the mark. Khaligraph Jonez . I noticed that Nyashinski brought him out on his set at Oktoba Fest. SautiSol too on Sol Fest. Planned coicidence? Both were solid gestures which validated him and further cemented his place at the top.
He has single-handedly carried the Kenyan hiphop flag for almost a decade now. He's the most visible rap brand in East Africa, all factors held constant. So, how did he manage the feat given that we have equally gifted rappers, including his long time nemesis, who can take him on, anytime of the day? Was this something he envisioned or its a case of an elephant on top of an acacia tree? Well, you know how the say ends.
Since his debut, his star has never dulled. He has given us few hits but his catalog is fat. He uses what Eric Rugara Miyamoto-Muswahili calls the "saturate the market " technique. Release as many projects as you can. In there, every project will choose a path of its on. Some will be radio friendly, some will be classics, some will be club anthems, some will be fillers. Let the audience decide. So far it has worked for him. His hits are countable: Yego, Tuma Kitu, Kasheshe and recently Yes Bana. If you know another, comment with it.
Anyway that notwithstanding, there is something that has rounded his edges over time. It has made him a better artist, smoothened his vision and elevated his focus: his relationship with Sautisol. This is something I have been observing for a few years now. His closeness with Africa's numere uno boy band has done wonders
