Wakadinali have dominated Kenyan Hip Hop in the last three years and they have not followed the regular route taken by most artists these days. The Eastlands-hailing trio of Scar, Sewersydda and Munga have developed their own way to squeeze into the crowded mainstream industry.
The group has had massive success riding of off the backs of their hardcore fans who have been with them since they started making music. The Rong Rende family has grown to be appreciated as more than just underground artists. Wakadinali have become a household name, evidence being their success with Victims of Madness album that did crazy numbers.
They have done all this while still maintaining their persona. They have not changed. Wakadinali have been to numerous interviews and had some controversial reactions from industry “gatekeepers” who thought that their brand was too ghetto. They have landed partnership deals with Tusker and most recently Quickmart, all this without conforming to anything.
Wakadinali have mastered their craft and have become so good that corporate companies have ignored the once “underground Hip Hop is not commercially viable” mentality. I have personally watched interviews that have had the trio and one that caught my eye was where Scar was being asked questions on music, life and motivation. The rapper said something that resonated with me and I noticed that the group was not about money only but solving the problems some of them had grown up into. Scar mentioned that all he cared about was having a life that was comfortable.
The normal Kenyan artist would invest heavily on marketing gimmicks that would turn into fullblown clout-chasing, but not Wakadinali. They have not had a clean breakthrough in the industry but have always stayed true to themselves. This is what has made them different from every other Kenyan artist. They are only interested in making good Hip Hop music.
