Yo! Yo! I am a Rapper.

Frankmwenda the Rapper

I am a rapper. At heart, everywhere. And now, it’s time to roga you musically. How do I know that? That I am a super MCee, super lyric buster? I just know… I know my talents and rapping is one of them.

This rap mojo started when I was in high school. In Form 2, to be specific. My Gitura ushamba was slowly wearing off and I was making up for lost time. I was sporting towards “becoming a G”. My Lyric Book (remember them?), did not have those mellow Westlife shit yours had. No! Mine was Gangsta… I collected lyrics from XZibit, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Lil Kim, Wu Tang, Run DMC and such – it came with a Parental Advisory sticker because, well, it was explicit content.

How did I get these lyrics, you ask? Way before there were Cyber Cafes, Posta used to have computers that connected to the internet. All you needed to do is buy a SurfCard worth kedo 100 bob and use the internet for 3 hours. I would use my full days during the holidays researching about Hip Hop and writing down the lyrics, writing, not printing. That’s how dedicated I was to Hip Hop. Then when the school opened I would be the real thing, debating underground and old school Hip Hop with the cool kids from the city.

Then I bought cassettes, lots of radio cassettes loaded with Hip Hop. CD ni za jana. I even bought MP3 CDs, never mind we had no CD player, and there was no place I would listen to it. I was just intrigued that I could have 150 songs; Hip Hop songs in one place. Again, it would give me front seat in the hall during Entertainment Fridays.

Hip hop cassettes Frankmwenda rapper
Some of the tapes still in my collection

In school we had factions. East Coast and West Coast that never saw eye to eye. Tupac and Notorious BIG wasn’t as vicious, those lived on different Coasts of the US… we used to live in the same dormitories and learn in the same classes. It was war! And the neighbouring Kanjalu Girls School had their own G-Unit… so we formed our Terror Squad and terrible disses flew.

Church Rapper

My G culture carried on even to the village. To Church. Soon, I was freestyling the Good Gospel of the Lord. I would ask for a slot to “kuwaimbia wimbo mmoja” and rap my message. One time, during Christmas I called the Wise Men “the smart dudes from the East Side”… and made the E sign. A church elder called me later to counsel me. 🙂 Or that time when I was playing Black Eyed Peas’ Where is the Love song in Church (it sounded gospel-ish, no?) Only that it was a cassette and Side B had DMX’ X Gonna Give it to You. Started like this:

Uh, yeah don’t get it twisted
This rap shit, is mine
Motherf****r, it’s not, a f****g, game
F**k what you heard
It’s what you hearing

Another time one of those Holy Joes in village churches who judge the lesser, more sinful people using their own definitions of Christianity; said something about my dressing and I hit him with a verse from Kleptomaniac’s Bado Niko.

mimi bado niko mi Frank ni hatari
na si swali
toroka songa mbali
fimbo yangu mic mzee chunga maslahi
niaje unanipinga mi ni Musa ama Msinai
mi huwanga na sumu ndani ya saliva
niki-spit naenda deep kama deep sea diver

When I came to Nairobi I started attending (free) Hip Hop concerts at Sarakasi; those rap sessions. And this other time at KICC when we stayed at a Ukoo Flani Mau Mau Hip Hop concert so late we almost got mugged.

Kero the free-styler

If you thought Kero was Mshamba think again (okay, to some extent he was)… when we didn’t have a radio, we would use his phone’s Bomfunk ringtone to freestyle ourselves to sleep. We had lines. Better lines and flow than kina Khaligraph Jones.

Too bad I left Nairobi for some time, started growing up and looking for money in the corporate world – made me forget that I was a rapper at heart.

And then recently I started meeting rappers for coffee, still in the corporate world. Like Kaka and Juliani and asking them about their lifes in music- you know, learning from the real Gs.

King Kaka frankmwenda rapper

Don’t you think my stars are aligning? Isn’t that a sign that I should be a rapper?

Yesterday I decided to roga my fans with a freestyle on Facebook… and it all came back to me. Check that out here, the real killers are in the comments.

Hip Hop is in my blood. I should become a rapper. I have some sunglasses, that stadii hat, lines… and I have an Amerucan accent. All it takes to be a rapper. Want an autograph?

KnowWatI’mSayin’

89 Comments Yo! Yo! I am a Rapper.

    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 10:49 am

      Mimi ni Msanii wa sanaa/
      Ya silaha/
      Niko na umalenga/
      Nimewalenga/
      Hope mtanijenga/

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 10:49 am

      Uuni ndi msanii o Maua/
      Nditaa mistari imitou ikamia/

      Reply
      1. nelly gakii September 10, 2019 at 2:39 pm

        Haha yii ngai! Inaweza though

        Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 10:46 am

      Yo, that finger right there belongs to my biatch… ye!

      Reply
    2. Jedidah Nkunja March 28, 2017 at 10:49 am

      Tihihihi…sawa nigga. Inakaa alikuwa anakuambia bla bla bla hataki kuskia

      Reply
    3. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 10:52 am

      Shh/
      That’s my mbish/
      Alikuwa ananishow sshh/
      Nikuonyeshe mapensh/

      Reply
    4. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 12:25 pm

      Hizi mistari u-flow/
      Hatuforce ka Noti-flow/
      But unafaaa kuona venye noti zetu u-flow?
      Tukifanya wasee walale kwa floor
      Ya loo/

      Reply
    5. Jedidah Nkunja March 28, 2017 at 1:16 pm

      Hihi…floor ya loo? Lol.
      Wakifanya nini huko

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 10:51 am

      Hii ni kali/
      Zaidi ya Kikali/
      Achana nao zao ni za uthole/

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 10:51 am

      Mimi napendwa na ma-she/
      Wao unishow Frank-sshh/
      Hiyo finger ni ya my mbish/

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 12:01 pm

      Kibunda cha miraa Baite Murume yo/
      Nawaroga zaidi ya watoto na yoyo/
      Zile za Bata Back to school, yo/

      Reply
    2. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 1:52 pm

      Gerrishon sijui mbona sipendi vitu free/
      nalipia ka Joho na degree/
      na bado niko popular ka wamama wa Kilimani na mtree/
      tulia tulia ukuwe referee/

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 12:03 pm

      We got action where you don’t/
      Show up places where you won’t/
      G-Unit, G-G-G-G, G-Unit/
      Wachana a P-Unit/
      Hao ni matot/
      Bado kuingiza noti/

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 12:06 pm

      Mimi ni yo/
      Wacha hizo za swag nayo/
      Sema kofia nayo/
      T-sho nayo/
      Digaga nayo/
      Kidole cha kati nayo/
      Miraa Baite Murume yo/

      Reply
  1. Kay Eye March 28, 2017 at 11:26 am

    Kofia kichwani….miwani machoni…kidole mdomoni….swag si ya mashinani ni ja mjini….

    Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 12:08 pm

      Hapo umeroga kama jini/
      Chupani/
      Huko Mombasani/
      Tunawabeat ka gava na Sultani/
      Pwani/
      Kwani sisi ni nani/
      Amerucani to Ukambani/
      YO!

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 12:19 pm

      yo-yo/
      All work and no play keeps this Yo Yo paid/
      Soon I’ll be on your TV news/
      Bustin’ them Larry Madowo interviews/
      Roll in and out of Limos/
      Uh, Yo Yo is in yo place/
      Bustin’ all in yo’ face/
      I got nothing but the biz on you/
      This Yo Yo is in yo Fb to stay!

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 12:21 pm

      Ita naara we Masai/
      Usitake nikurappie saahii/
      Hadi uhepe Ruaka uende Ruai/
      Usipatane na murume Naii/

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 12:23 pm

      Hehe
      Hehe
      Hehe
      Hehe
      Ona nikirhyme ma-hehe

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 12:38 pm

      Yes, nkurap mutanosia/
      Endi ita musii unketherie isia/

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 1:48 pm

      Ye ye ye/
      Speaking of murume/
      I am a proud murume/
      Swag yangu uenda back into time/
      Na hapa nitakuwa hadi after time/
      Nikipatia life mathreesome/
      Juu napenda kula kila time ni mealtime/
      Hebu cheki hii username/
      Frank ka kasuku tame/
      Yo.

      Reply
    2. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 3:07 pm

      Pia Nimecome na makasi/
      Nawasort na karatasi/

      Reply
    3. Lovie Nomie Kinjah March 28, 2017 at 3:10 pm

      usikate karatasi waweza kata taxi kama kamaxi wa matrix… yoh baite murume yoh…. Hahaha.. **what am I saying *

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 12:32 pm

      Raised by thugs, schooled by killers/
      Posing like a thug for the niggas/
      Aint no homo, got no time for the ninjas/
      I’m chilling in the house/
      With my digagas/
      Thug life!

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 1:43 pm

      Nomaree/
      Mimi sijui nomaree/
      Sijui kama ni uzee/
      Ama naishi msituni kama chimpazee/
      Ama basi nichanue/

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 1:40 pm

      Naweza rhyme mpaka
      Juu mimi ni mrui kama wachawi wa Tharaka

      Reply
    2. Millie Kinyua March 28, 2017 at 4:39 pm

      Wueeeeh
      That’s why I keep on telling u wewe ni ule msee

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 1:39 pm

      Yes man, hii ni kali/
      Kama pilipili/
      In life usicome ukiwa number ya pili/
      Unless ka wewe ni ni M-Arsenali/
      Kumi mbili/

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 1:37 pm

      YO-YO/
      Nacheza na nyinyi kama yoyo/
      Nawarappia design ya Tony Yayo…

      Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 1:35 pm

      Hapa nawachapa malines/
      Nakureply na malines/
      Nakusuka nywele malines/
      Na nakustickisha kwa your lanes/
      Nacome kuua snakes/
      Zotote zenye zinakubother/
      Juu kwako Eve mimi ni brother/

      Reply
  2. Keren Shayne Kubai March 28, 2017 at 2:01 pm

    This the best pic of u…ive seen so far…few got the chiseled cheekbone…real G

    Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 28, 2017 at 2:06 pm

      Yo, yo Keren/
      Don’t look at my cheekbone/
      Unless you wanna play with my bone/
      Latenight after I get off my throne/
      Coz girl I get lit like acetone/
      Yo I am in the zone/

      Reply
    2. Keren Shayne Kubai March 28, 2017 at 7:02 pm

      Ahem….ukiskia nimeclear voice ka nkwenda wiitana…..luuui akuru ba njurii inaa burii…criasly are u okay!?

      Reply
  3. Frank Kenyan March 29, 2017 at 3:57 am

    NOTICE: I’m not rapping comment replies today. I have to work… Have a drama free one, ahead.

    Reply
  4. Kay Eye March 30, 2017 at 1:22 pm

    Hahahaha kabisaaa

    Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 30, 2017 at 2:59 pm

      Ngoja uone tukiquit makazi ka wewe tukaimbe

      Reply
  5. Wyclef Muthomi March 30, 2017 at 2:23 pm

    Man.. That collection of tapes.. Ugwe wi wachia.
    Makoma, papa San, kirk and the rest man. Ni kitambo.
    I guess your story is how I found myself with Ameru Crew.

    Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 30, 2017 at 2:58 pm

      Haha… na SAKATA ya Sk Blue. Mimi nililalia… sasa nataka niimbe. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Fredrick Muchui Laiboni March 30, 2017 at 2:26 pm

    Someone should investigate where you have been sourcing your weed dude. Your suppliers might be adding a little more ‘something’. Yo.

    Reply
    1. Frank Kenyan March 30, 2017 at 3:00 pm

      Don’t you remember those days when we used to roga Miathene na Hip Hop… I was made for this, man. 🙂

      Reply
    2. Frank Kenyan March 31, 2017 at 4:00 am

      Yo Millie, wharrayu sayin? Can’t a nigga rap? 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jackie March 30, 2017 at 6:07 pm

    Hahaha. G.

    Reply
  8. keren March 31, 2017 at 9:28 am

    U alw make me laugh loud-memories.but then. Naona ua rollin with dem rappin negros.il b doin the bridge.u cn do it part time

    Reply
  9. Keren Shayne Kubai March 31, 2017 at 6:32 am

    This guy is crias.mimi naona nikikufanyia chorus and I can do crip walking too…u nid me

    Reply
  10. keroh April 3, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    hahaha am still rapping. inafaa tuanze tena upya.

    Reply

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *