Kleptomaniax is a rap group 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. ...

. The group consists of three members: Roba (Robert Manyasa), Collo (Collins Majale) and

Nyashinski Nyamari Ongegu (born Inyatta Nyamari Ongegu; 8 April 1984), known professionally as Nyashinski, is a Kenyan rapper, singer and songwriter. He is a co-founding member of the hip-hop trio Kleptomaniax before successfully launching his solo career ...

(Nyamari Ongegu). Kleptomaniax were formed in 1999, when they were still high school students at the

Nairobi School The Nairobi School is a secondary school in Nairobi, Kenya. It follows the national curriculum, is one of Kenya's 112 national schools and also one of the 18 prestigious Cluster III secondary schools. It was founded in 1902 by the British sett ...

. The group joined the Ogopa DJs label and released their first single, "Freak It" in 2002, which was followed by "Maniax Anthem" and "Haree." In 2004 the group released another single "Tuendelee", which became their biggest hit so far. The song was written as a response for the "

Diss track A diss track, diss record or diss song (an abbreviation of ''disrespect'' or ''disparage'') is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feu ...

" by various hip hop musicians (including

Bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

), who criticised the commercial Kapuka music style performed by Kleptomaniax among others. Their debut album ''M4E'' (an abbreviation for ''Maniax Forever'') was released in 2005. Later that year the group received an

MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...

nomination for the Best African Act, a category awarded for the first time, but won by

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

recording artist A musician is someone who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate a person who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters, ...

2Face Idibia Innocent Ujah Idibia Order of the Niger, MON (; born 18 September 1975), known by his stage name 2Baba and formerly as 2Face Idibia, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, record producer and philanthropist known for his solo debut album, ''Face 2 Fa ...

. In 2007 Kleptomaniax toured the US. The group was managed by Fakii Liwali. After 2007, the group had a break while their members engaged in solo projects. The group has since made a comeback but has left Ogopa DJs. The group released their second album ''NITT'' (Now Is The Time) in 2009. The group was believed to have disbanded after the release of their second album to pursue solo careers. Influential group member Nyashinski made a successful comeback in 2016 and his song 'Malaika' scooped a Mdundo Award fo
Most Downloaded Male Single in 2017
Collo remained on the scene as a solo act and has since transitioned to a gospel artist

Awards

*2002 Chat Awards - Favourite Male Group *2003 Chat Awards - Favourite Male Group * 2005 Kisima Music Awards - Best Group

Nominations

2005 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards were held at Pavilhão Atlântico, Lisbon, Portugal. The show was opened by Madonna, performing " Hung Up". Other performers included Pussycat Dolls, The Black Eyed Peas, Robbie Williams and Foo Fighters. Pres ...

- Best African Act *2005

Kora Awards The KORA All Africa Music Awards are music awards given annually for musical achievement in sub-Saharan Africa. The awards were founded in 1994 by Benin born businessman, Ernest Adjovi, after a discussion in Namibia with the country's President H ...

- Best Group from Eastern Africa *2006 Tanzania Music Awards - Best East African Album ("M4E") *2008

Kisima Music Awards The Kisima Music Awards is an annual awards program that recognises musical talent in East Africa. Despite being Kenyan-based the scheme awards artists from a variety of countries, predominantly Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and incorporates a ran ...

- Video of the Year ("Magnetic") *2008 Pearl of Africa Music Awards - Best Kenyan Group

References

{{Reflist Kenyan hip-hop groups Alumni of Nairobi School 1999 establishments in Kenya