Deal gone sour: Top DJ departs from Talent management unit Kaka Empire

 Rabbit(left) , DJ Redbone (right) and Avril(inset)

Remember DJ Redbone, she of the popularity contest that was last year’s Tusker Mashujaa Party in Naivasha? The ever-smiling Redbone brought the crowd to its feet, her name ringing out as the fans braved the drizzle to dance to her tunes. Redbone, born Grace Nyambura, had attended the event as part of Kaka Empire, with her boss Rabbit doing a spectacular and spirited show. She even had a Kaka Empire branded jumper on.

Well, she reached out last week, lamenting over her deal with Kaka Empire. According to the frustrated DJ, things are not well with the management and she was calling it quits.

How did it come up to that?

“They have done absolutely nothing for me since I joined,” she started her rant. “They approached me and told me they wanted to be my management team. That included getting me shows. From the same, I would pay them 30 per cent of what I earned. I agreed and signed the contract.

“That was in April 2015. We are now in 2016 and I have only done one show organised by them,” Redbone, the DJ who captured the imagination of the Nairobi showbiz scene last year, as one of the fast rising talenteds told Pulse.

However, Redbone says there is more at Kaka Empire than what meets the eye. “Recently, the stable’s manager came up with new terms and tried to get me to change the terms of the contract. They now want me to pay them 30 per cent from gigs they haven’t helped me get. So I refused and now I have left the stable and I am operating on my own.”

According to Redbone, some artistes under the label are not happy with the proceedings.

We caught up with sensational rapper Raj - he of the Obe Baba fame. “A proud Ni***r”, as petit controversial rapper Smallz Lethalz described him, who has also worked with Kaka Empire before. After leaving the stable, he released a diss after another towards Rabbit.

“I was in Kaka Empire for approximately three months,” said Raj.

“They (Kaka Empire) have no idea what talent management is. They are a joke. We were still in the negotiations phase when I left. I looked around and realised it won’t work for me,” said Raj.

Kaka Empire has tried to forge a path using a unit that comprises Rabbit, sassy singer Avril and femcee Femi One among others. Talented Bongo artiste Rich Mavoko was also part of Kaka Empire before he allegedly left. When we reached out to the manager, one Dennis, he was non-committal about the fiasco.

“No comment,” he said, even after it emerged he had been mad at Redbone for reaching out to Pulse. “We have no comment.”