Bamboo: I am bigger in Tanzania than Kenya

 

By Mkala Mwaghesha

The scion of the Kimani’s entertainment dynasty does not shy away from controversy, accepting reality and remaining in the shadows of well-known siblings, rapper Bamboo and hot newcomer singer Victoria Kimani. 

Clarence Kimani aka Kimya is cool and collected. With more than ten years in the game, the 33-year-old is armed with experience enough to quell any showbiz anxiety. He has seen it all; the fame and fortune that comes with a hard rocking rapper. In fact he lives a day at a time, laid back and keen to keep his rapping game going on, that at his own speed.

 “Florida 2000 Club gave birth to my art. I started out in 1995, attending all freestyle sessions, winning some and losing some,” he says as I set this interview rolling.

Getting his motivation from pioneer artistes like Kalamashaka and Hardstone, who were already experts in their trade, Kimya was to watch Bamboo join K South and establish himself.

“Music was my release point. I was straight out of school and I hated everything. My music was full of rage and the anger came out in the verses,” he remarks, with his distinct Americanised accent notable in the conversation. 

After the rage period, he took a break from music, grinding his way through college, where he did Information Technology related courses.

In 2001, he relocated to Tanzania, for both his music and entrepreneurship.

“I was frustrated in Kenya, both musically and job-wise. My IT skills were not putting food on the table and my music was stagnant.”

Tanzania took him well. And he was soon inducted into the famous Kikosi Cha Mizingo, a Dar es Salaam-based hip-hop group. With artistes like Kara Pina, Gwalu Fukuda, Suma Lago among others, Kimya found a new home.

“I am bigger in Tanzania than I am here at home. Even Jesus was not appreciated at home,” Kimya jokes.

“From 2001 to 2006, I enjoyed my life in Tanzania. Apart from my music getting massive airplay and appreciation, my IT business was doing well,” he lights up. “Professionals from Kenya are highly valued there and that is why I prospered.”

In 2006, he had to come back to Kenya due to regulations on permits that were not favourable to him. With the government wanting non-citizens to pay work permits annually other than monthly, he relocated to Kenya.

“I came back with Ibra de Hustler and together with Vigeti, we did a song on a Musyoka beat, had it mastered at Andaki by Ambrose Mandugu and Punchline Kibao was born,” says Kimya, on the Kisima best hip-hop song 2006.

Soon after, he hooked up with Headbangaz International, where he was a producer, an artiste and shareholder.

“I am a shareholder on intellectual aspects,” he clarifies.  “We released street mixtapes and the idea was to bring random artistes, both known and unknown together.”

His involvement with Headbangaz led to self-examination, after he realised his own art was dying for the sake of others. In 2011, he released A Moment of Silence, his first solo album. Fresh featuring Abbas, Wordplay alongside Richie Rich and Get Money were the stand out hits from the album.

On his siblings, Kimya explains that he has not been able to record a song with Bamboo until recently due to a scheduling conflict.

“Bamboo started before me and I never tried to fit into his shoes. Vicky is world class, a great performer, crazy ideas and the best singer I know. I am just a rapper,” he remarks.

Dubbed an underground rapper, Kimya explains that he has no issues with the reference as it is to him the fans’ opinion.

“Younger artistes are lucky they can afford to do music and have access to any studio they want. We were broke in our time and studios were expensive,” he says.

For him, artistes uniting to do shows and work together is his ultimate dream.