With just a month before 2022 is a wrap, the Kenyan art industry’s comedy, music, spoken word, dancing etc. has been declining. Most artists have perfected means of being relevant at all costs and this hasn’t sounded vividly to consumers who have opted to consume foreign content. In the music industry, Nigerians and Tanzanians have topped the Kenyan charts week in and week out.
A year ago, clout was highly embraced as it kept the audience glued to screens to see what came after gathering the hype and attention. Comedian Eric Omondi thrilled the fans with a show titled The wife material that involved clout chasers like Shakila and Manzi wa Kibera. One year later, he is pulling stunts by dressing a woman, throwing jibes at artists, threatening foreign artists, and advocating for 75% playing of Kenyan music. As much as he still gets the attention, there is a noticeable decline in attentiveness to the hullabaloos he comes up with daily compared to the year 2021.
Other noticeable artists who have embraced clout include Ringtone Apoko: He thrived in the industry years ago before channeling his energy to showcasing his flamboyant lifestyle and frequently critiquing Willy paul and Bahati.
THE BAHATIS: The introduction of Diana Marua, aka Diana B, was a huge surprise to many as she rapped like a seasoned rapper. The couple has thrived in clout chasing, gaining multiple followers on social media.
Bahati has constantly dedicated gifts to Diana, ranging from high-end cars and houses, while Diana was in the limelight once again after she accused Willy Paul of attempted rape in the past and recently, a video emerged where she confessed to sleeping with multiple men for money.
Others include Mulamwa, KRG, and The Murayas. While some thrived on clout, others thrived without it Eg. Crazy Kennar and Nyashinski. They have literarily performed their art without unnecessary sideshows.
Clout requires creativity, and thriving with it without losing the audience’s toughness is not a walk in the park.
