Kenyan Hip Hop podcasters Ondu, and rappers Shukid and Monski shared a video on Friday, September 29 asking whether Kenya had Hip Hop journalists. They mentioned that our version of journalism focused on who was the top five and never really went deeper than that.
This led me to look at the whole genre closely and see whether bloggers in Kenya understood what they were doing. My conclusion is that we have lost touch with what’s real and focused on sensationalizing everything. We love the competition. The controversies that come with posting emotional content has overwhelmed us.
I have been writing content about Kenyan entertainment for the past 7 years. I have talked to so many artists through my different platforms and interacted with so many people in the industry. My coverage of most Kenyan events has also been good.
The fans on the other hand want the rumors that come with unconfirmed reports. They want the unprofessionalism of fake news. Being a force in Hip Hop journalism is not easy. You will find yourself drifting all the time.
Times have changed and fans , especially Kenyan fans, do not want content that is uplifting. They do not want content that is complex. There have been so many times I have tried to break down bars, but no one would listen. People want you to write about Lil Wayne and his funyuns.
It is a difficult job being a journalist in the Kenyan entertainment scene. Hip Hop itself is not that exciting so sticking to it might be suicidal if you want to have a stable career.
