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forlackofabettersound · 4 years

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Ochungulo Family is a More Ethical Ethic

Yeah I said it.

I was initially afraid this statement might be a bit classist coming from me, a middle class suburb bred 20-something year old. But the genre has risen from its gritty hood predecessor, ‘genge’ and moved up the street into the Boiler Room co-signed Jason Dunford aka Samaki Mkuu spitting ‘gengetone’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4jko8AHWIU

Did Ethic walk so that Ochungulo Family could fly?

If so, then the Kansoul crawled so that Ethic could take it’s stumbling baby steps into the receiving arms of the Nairobi mass market. Meaning Jua Cali and Jimwaat swam like sperm to egg so that the Kansoul, 2 lads from the cabro streets of Ridgeways with the sole exception of Mtoto wa Khadija, Mejja who gives the Kansoul it’s much needed mtaa edge, would be accepted by both the clipped english accents of Capital FM and the tongue chewing sheng of Ghetto Radio.

Now that the scene has burst open like the ripe fruit it is, there’s so many of them: Boondocks Gang, Zero Sufuri, Sailors. The question I’m not going to answer today is “When did Gengetone stop being snubbed by Naija-blaring establishments and became the flag-waving sound of the nation it is today?

The question I WILL answer today is: What’s the difference between Ochungulo Family and Ethic that makes the former a boy band of insinuating heart throbs, and the latter cancelled by KoT?

Perhaps a brief history of both camps is in order. Let’s start with Ethic.

These kids broke out of the precinct of Umoja and into the scene with the finger-licking club banger, ‘Lamba Lolo’ back in 2018, stirring a country-wide frenzy. The beat is a simple repetitive stock synth melody backed by the easiest bassline. The low-budget music video shot in their neighbourhood features REKLES, SWAT, SESKA and ZILLA on what seems like a regular weekend dusk, where they called their friends out to come jam- the bottles and cups ubiquitous in hip hop music videos swapped for Big Boms and Pin Pops.

Analogy: If Ethic is Pin Pop. Ochungulo is Chupa Chup.

It’s clear from the jump that REKLES is the most lyrically adept, with SWAT’s notoriety stemming from being the cutest face. The track isn’t so much a wine and dine as it is a ‘let’s skip to the good bits’ as it’s opening line states, “Piga Goti (eeh) Panua Domo basi (eeh)” with a chorus that repeats the question, “Ushailamba lolo?”

Browsing through their discography, their second single ‘Postion’ was a smash hit with the co-sign of the Kansoul, providing us listeners with beloved catch phrases such as ‘Geuka Nikubeng’ ‘Ganja Farmer ni wale wajanja’ ‘Ushaiguswa uskie tu kunyora ushaiguswa uskie tu kuoga’ and of course, ‘shuglibagli shugblibagli nden nden nden nden.” One of the laziest verses of Okonkwo’s career in my opinion but I digress.

So now let’s jump to their 3 most controversial tracks, ‘Pandana’ ‘Tarimbo’ and ‘Soko’.

In ‘Pandana’, the phrase that came under fire was Rekles’ use of the word ‘Tunabakana’ ; Baka meaning rape in kiswahili. However with Rekless use, ‘tunabakana’ translates to ‘we are raping each other,’ a double non-consent which cancels each other out and alludes to consent. While rape in any construct or form should not be encouraged, this line may have been taken out of context by KoT. Rekles probably meant no harm in its use, simply suggesting that they are aggressively in each other’s body business. However from this faux pas, Rekles should have learned. He did not.

In Tarimbo, less innocently, he raps, “Mi huchapa mi humwaga hata bila permission” One thing should be clear, doing anything to anyone’s body bila permission is non-consent aka sexual assault. This lyric can not be as easily forgiven.

It gets harder and harder to defend these guys with ‘Soko’, which Rekles opens with the line, ‘Kuna toto na ameiva iza’ ‘There’s a child and she’s ripe sorry’ bringing to our moral imagination the fact that the object of this rhyme is a minor. Contrast this with SWAT’s badly interpreted line in ‘Pandana’ where he says ‘Toto yako iyeke fiti nitaikulala’ and you can see that the use of the word ‘toto’ in each of these songs is different. In ‘Pandana’, SWAT uses toto as a euphemism for lady parts. In ‘Soko’. Rekles’ toto is an underaged girl. While both are lewd, Pandana is suggestive whereas Soko is criminal.

Speaking of criminal, let’s dive into Ochungulo family and compare see whether they’re anymore saintlike or if we’re a public who ignore dirty things if they’re dressed clean.

https://twitter.com/ethicofficial/status/1270784205308526593

This is the tweet that started this whole investigation. Ochungulo broke out with the Nelly the goon led track, “Bora Uhai’ an ode to life and all it’s sweetness. Followed shortly thereafter by ‘Krimino’ and a rain of smash hit singles following the likes of ‘Na Iwake’ ‘Aluta’ ‘Kaa Na Mamayako’ where Alejandro Chief Inspekta compared thee’s nipples to a nectarine blossoming flower’s in the less shakespearean format. “Nipple zako nazinyonya kama nectar’

Alejandro Chief Inspekta aka Benzema, formerly EDM producer with the electronic collective Lectronica Circle has found more success and notoriety and ease in the world of gengetone than in Dance Music. Already, gritty grimy gengetone and synthesized programmed European Dance Music are contrasted by a class divide. You won’t hear Martin Garrix being introduced by Mbonoko on the radio during your work day commute. Only the middle classed suburb youth had fantasies of jet setting to Tomorrowland with their pocket money savings.

More specifically diving into the track in question, ‘Ngwatiology’. ‘Ngwati’ being sheng for porn hence ngwatiology meaning ‘a deep analysis of the effects of pornography on the human psyche through a thorough hand-genital exploration’ Masturbation folks.

While hilariously lewd, there’s no foul play in ‘Ngwatiology’ just a play by play of the natural phenomenon that is ngwatiology.

“Did you know porn hub awards, hu-happen once, ile time ya cramps?”

“Did you know arsenal fans? Hao hukuwa ass-anal fans?”

In conclusion, yes. Ochungulo Family are the more ethical ethic. While both teams are explicit, straight-to-the-point, no-beat-around -the-bush-just-beat-this-meat when it comes to the content of their lyrics, there’s a line in the distant horizon that cannot be crossed. And the name of that line is consent. Ethic have crossed that line whereas Ochungulo Family have not. This does not make any better or worse than the other. In today’s morally policed jungle, both bands are prey and Ezekiel ‘Pornstache’ Mutua is the predator sending cringe emails to Youtube like an uncle who still doesn’t understand how the internet works.

#kenyan music #kenya #kenyan #music blogging #music blog #play ke music #ochungulo family #ethic entertainment #genge #gengetone #jason dunford #samaki mkuu #kansoul #the kansoul

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