Genge music is a genre of

hip-hop music Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...

influenced by

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

, originating from

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

in the 1990s. The term " Genge" was coined by producer

Clemo Clement Rapudo Sijenyi (born June 2, 1980) better known as Clemos, is a music producer and co-founder of Calif Records based in Life Ministry House near Hurlingham Business Center along Jabavu Road in Nairobi, Kenya. He won an award for "Producer ...

and popularized by Kenyan rappers Jua Cali and

Nonini Hubert Mbuku Nakitare (born 2 October 1982), popularly known by his stage name Nonini, is a Kenyan rapper and former radio presenter. He is often referred to as the "Godfather" due to his widespread recognition. Education Hubert Nakitare, a ...

Calif Records Calif Records is a Kenyan record label based in Nairobi's California estate, known for the Genge genre of music. It was founded in 2000 by record executive & producer Clement "Clemo" Rapudo, together with Juacali and Nonini. It is among two ...

. The genre is commonly performed in Sheng, a mixture Swahili, English and various local dialects. The word "Genge" itself comes from

Sheng slang Sheng is primarily a Swahili and English-based cant, slang, perhaps a mixed language or creole, originating among the urban youth of Nairobi, Kenya, and influenced by many of the languages spoken there. While primarily a language of urban yo ...

, meaning "a group or a mass of people."

Origins and characteristics

As Kenyan urban music became more popular, Kenyan artists and music fans were missing a common name for their music, and many names were suggested. Among them were Boomba music, kapuka, and gemba. Around this time, Kenyan rapper

started a campaign to popularize the term "genge" to refer to Kenyan urban music and also specifically to music by artists on Calif Records. Calif-style genge was founded by Clement "Clemo" Rapudo of

and originated in California Estate,

. It was popularized by rappers Nonini, with his song ''Manzi wa Nairobi,'' and Jua Cali, with the songs ''Ngeli ya Genge'', ''Nipe Asali,'' and ''Ruka''. Due to a disagreement on the definition of Kenyan urban music, the name genge is now more commonly used to describe music from Calif Records. However, genge is easily identified by its rapping style and conversational rhythm format that make a song sound like a casual discussion in Sheng. The most notable genge artists are Nonini, P-Unit, Jua Cali, Influx Swagga, Flexx, Jimw@t, Rat-a-Tat, Alpha Msanii, Lady S (deceased),

Kleptomaniax Kleptomaniax is a rap group from Nairobi, Kenya. The group consists of three members: Roba (Robert Manyasa), Collo (Collins Majale) and Nyashinski (Nyamari Ongegu). Kleptomaniax were formed in 1999, when they were still high school students at t ...

, and Pili Pili, among others. Nonini was continuously the most popular artist on Calif Records between the years 2002 and 2004; Nonini is the self-titled Godfather of Genge. Genge has given rise to other subgenres, such as the Ghipuka, popularized by Kenrazy and Gengetone. The main line has also developed, for instance with America-based producer Keggah adapting genge into a form that has proved popular among Kenyans. In June 2018, an Umoja-based boy band called Ethic Entertainment came out with their debut song "Lamba Lolo," garnering over 4 million views on YouTube. Other boy bands like Boondocks Gang, Ochungulo Family, Sailors Gang, Wakali Wao, Angry Panda, Wakadinali, Vintage Clan, and Rico Gang produced songs that created the subgenre Gengetone. Genge songs generally talk about struggles in the ghetto, with most songs taking on a storytelling format where the main singer is reliving or sharing an event they witnessed with their friends and the lesson the event has taught them. These events often, but not always, revolve around sex, drugs, women, or interactions with people in positions of power over them. Some of the most popular genge tracks include:

References

{{Hiphop Kenyan hip-hop Music of Kenya Hip-hop genres African-American music in Africa Swahili words and phrases

Origins and characteristics

See also

References