Motif Di Don, NCBA launch Elev8 LIVE to empower artists

When Motif Di Don, the hit-making producer behind some of Kenya's biggest anthems, steps into the studio, you expect magic. For years, his beats have ruled the airwaves and filled his pockets. Yet, amid the glitz of success, something nagged at him, too many talented voices were slipping through the cracks, silenced not by lack of creativity, but by lack of money. "I'd see artistes with crazy potential, but they just couldn't access quality studios," he recalls. "So I decided each month, I'd pick one and record them for free. I opened the door." Word spread and that simple act of generosity caught the attention of NCBA Bank who slid into the chat. Before long, what started as a personal mission had grown into Elev8 LIVE, an official partnership between NCBA and Motif Di Don's ELV8 Africa platform. Now, instead of just one artiste a month, four emerging stars are on boarded every month until December, each taken through a unique program that is more than just about making hits nor about studio time it is about turning rookies into brands. "We're teaching them how to handle fame, manage money, and treat their music as a business," Motif explains. "Because being broke and famous is not the plan. These artists need to know that their masters and creative rights are their collateral." The partnership is about more than just beats. According to Nelly Wainaina, NCBA Group Director of Marketing, Communications and Citizenship, the bank sees Elev8 LIVE as a way to not only discover raw talent but to build a self-sustaining creative ecosystem. "Globally, the creative economy is booming, contributing billions in revenue. But here at home, our artistes are still struggling with access to finance," Nelly notes. "Through Elev8 LIVE, we're giving artistes both financial literacy and the tools to scale their craft." Workshops cover everything from branding and grooming to media training, financial literacy, and investment strategies. The idea is to transform young performers into artiste-enterprises-people who can monetize their work and sustain careers in an unpredictable industry. Remember the days of carrying CDs and queueing outside shady audition halls hoping a producer would notice you? Dead. Today, the streets where talent gets discovered are digital. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram Reels, and even X (Twitter) are the new audition rooms. If your freestyle goes viral, if your drill video sparks a challenge, if your Bongo hook trends on FYP (For You Page)-you've basically walked into the judge's room without leaving your bedroom. That's exactly how Motif scouts now. "I pick them online from the trends and FYP. That's the new stage," he says. "Talent doesn't have to fight for physical auditions anymore. The internet is the new A&R rep." It's a whole new flex: instead of a panel of stone-faced judges, your audience is millions of strangers with scrolling thumbs-and if they like you, they'll push you straight into a producer's radar. The stakes are high. The creative economy already contributes about 5.3 per cent to Kenya's GDP, with over 300,000 entrepreneurs involved. Yet, only five per cent of Kenyan artistes earn consistent royalties, according to collective management organisations. Compare that to Nigeria and South Africa, where structured ecosystems have turned music into multi-million-dollar exports, and the gap is clear. For Switney, a rising artiste from Mombasa now based in Nairobi, the program has been nothing short of transformational. "One of the biggest lessons for me has been financial literacy," she says. "We know how to create music, but no one ever teaches us how to budget, invest, or even price our work. Now, I don't just see myself as an artist-I see myself as an enterprise." She adds, "Even learning about branding-how to dress, how to show up-it matters. When you look the part, you feel the part. And when you feel the part, you perform your best." For Motif, the mission is deeply personal. "We have talent here, but too many of our stars shine for a moment and fade. If we can teach them to treat their talent as an asset, as collateral, we can build an industry that lasts." And the timing couldn't be better. A Goldman Sachs report predicts the global music industry will hit $153 billion (approximately Sh20 trillion) by 2030, with streaming taking the lion's share.

Motif Di Don, NCBA launch Elev8 LIVE to empower artists

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