By Sheila Kimani (@sheilakimm)
Just when you thought sales and commercial marketers were the most convincing professions of people in the job market, it now seems that there is another group can do this much better and louder.
Not only can they convince crowds and get audiences dancing to their tunes, they also do it with excessive amounts of hype, enough to get you into their zone!
MC Njugush, a renowned gospel emcee and hype man is such a person and his hype skills are way above par!
Many corporates and campuserians who have seen him at work can attest to how well Njugush can transform a concert from “boring and sluggish” and make it an instant “powerhouse of music and dance”.
We set out to understand what his work and lifestyle is all about and this is what he had to say.
SDE: What is your real name and when did you realize that you could emcee and hype gigs up?
MC Njugush: I was born Isaac Njuguna, and as I grew up, it became apparent that I was quite a loud talker. Most time I would always hype my conversations up and convince my friends with ease so they called me “ma-hype”!
SDE: So did the name “ma-hype” stick on, and how did you eventually land a career in hyping?
MC Njugush: Yes the name stuck on but I found it too shady so I just swiftly convinced them that Mc Njugush sounded better. Consequently thanks to my loud nature I was called to emcee at church gigs and weddings.
At first I did it for fun, until met people in the gospel industry who convinced me to take it up as a career.
SDE: Did you get any mentorship into your job? And for how long have you been at it?
I have been an emcee for over four years now. As a beginner I admired Mc Alemba who was already in the gospel. I spoke to him and he offered to guide me into my first major gigs. Eventually he taught me how to hype up events and the rest of the hassle swiftly fit in the puzzle.
SDE: What is the hardest part about your job?
MC Njugush: People may think that being an emcee and hype man is all about the hype, but some gigs like those with corporate members can be tricky to pull.
Sometimes you will make a joke and no one responds to it forcing you to think on your toes!
SDE: So what words of advice would you give upcoming emcees and hype men?
MC Njugush: It may sound cliché but passion is key! You need to love what you do, then know how to assess and read the crowd’s reaction so that you can be in control of the gig.
Most importantly learn how to handle different crowds as per their expectations otherwise the gig will be a flop and you will get the backlash.
