The Versatile Verve

Versatile verve

Having worked with the likes of Busy Signal, Zion Records, Andre Solid in UK, Zionists in Germany and Gaza Family Chris Paxson, Kenya’s most talented upcoming dancehall master, is pushing the limits with his Jamaican connection. Not afraid of stepping out of his comfort zone, he tells MKALA MWAGHESHA why he is bracing up to upset the international dancehall status quo

At 21, Chris Paxson aka Versatile Kenya has the local dancehall scene on his feet. Walking into the interview room with his manager, the beautiful Liz (who is interestingly his object of desire on his latest audio and video, No More), Versatile props:

“I was getting too much attention from fans and I realised I might fail in executing all my duties. I decided to get a manager and chose her,” says the singer, who had to add ‘Kenya’ to his stage name after it emerged that another artiste called Versatile actually existed in Jamaica.

In High School, he used to rap, do hard core hip-hop, reggae and dancehall in one session, leading to his fellow students referring to his skills as versatile, an adjective he chose to propel his versatile art into music limelight.

Growing up, he was exposed to Jamaican music by his uncle, Wyre the Lovechild, Kenya’s foremost reggae export.

“He would play some good music and at the age of eight, I knew what music I loved,” says the Unsolved Mystery riddim lyrist, also a student at Kenya Methodist University student, pursuing Business Administration.

After discovering his talent, he decided to take music as a career in 2010 after which he got signed by Hype Masters Entertainment. The one-year deal saw the label record and market the artiste. With that, he was set to launch his music career in a huge way and yes, success did come calling. Barely two years on, Versatile was getting heads turning with his new hit that got him nominated in the New Artiste of the Year category during last year’s CHAT awards alongside a more popular Camp Mulla, Shontell and Octopizzo whom he beat to the title.   

 “Camp Mulla were already big and had established themselves as the hot urban group and Octopizzo had become a household name. It was hard imaging that I would win. We gave it a long shot. I must thank my fans and everyone. That was sweet success,” with a sigh of victory, he recalls.

After that then got signed to Champions Squad, the Florida-based deejays and record makers.

“I met them through Twitter and expressed my interest of working with them and they asked me to send a demo of my music. They liked it and asked if I could sign with them an offer I grabbed without even giving it a second thought. It was too good to let go,” he remarks.

Unlike local labels where they download a riddim and give it to an artiste, Champion Squad schedule’s Versatile’s verse or song into a riddim they are working on. All he gets to do is send raw lyrics to them, a chance only few artistes have been privileged to get.

“Few artistes around the world get the privilege I have. I have worked with Kimichi Records in Jamaica, Busy Signal’s deejay, Zion Records in Coast Rica, Andre Solid in UK, Zionists in Germany and Gaza Family on the Unsolved Mystery riddim, as the sole Kenyan on the riddim,” he brags, and so with a humble tone.

Besides he has not signed his entire rights to Champion Squad as he refrains that music deals are in the real sense not to be trusted. The loose deal also gives him flexibility to work with.

 “In Kenya, albums don't sell as such. I will do an album the moment I capture the Ugandan market, a plan which is in the pipeline,” he opines.

With his contractual obligations flexible, he gets to work with local producers and artistes on other material. Currently, he is working with Redsan in a project expected out in the near future.

 “I would love to see dancehall music in Kenya grow but most artistes who embrace the genre are not original. They copy everything down to the patois accent,” he laments in conclusion.