The moment I got a text from Stevens Muendo confirming Bebe Cool’s shooting after R Kelly’s concert in Lugogo Oval Grounds last Saturday, a chill ran through my spine.
After the initial shock, I prayed for his recovery from the gun wounds. I was sad because the self-proclaimed Reggae Emperor and I come along way. I knew him as a musician in Kenya alongside Jose Chameleone and Kenya’s Redsan who joined them from a group then known as One II Moja.
This Friday, I’d like to address the deadly situation that is Ugandan showbiz fuelled with rival gangs and Ugandan media. The genesis of Ugandan musicians’ wrangles started with fallout between friends turned foes Jose Chameleone and Bebe Cool. Initially before Jose Chameleone, Redsan and Bebe Cool composed Bageya hit, Ugandans danced to Kadogo Kamu tunes from Paul Kafeero and his ilk. Thereafter Chameleone went back to Uganda after a successful stint releasing Njoki single with Ogopa Deejays. Ugandans welcomed him with open arms. Bebe Cool sensing that Chameleone was stealing the show back home went back to Kampala to claim his own. And the beef ensued between the two, fighting for supremacy with ragga-fused Baganda lyrics.
At the time the only sober artiste who tried to re-unite them was Ragga Dee whose efforts bore no fruit. As Chameleone’s popularity grew in leaps and bounds, Bebe Cool sought backup and teamed up with ganja smoking ghetto artiste Bobi Wine and his cronies to form Fire Base Crew. Soon Chameleone countered them with Leone Island crew and the media started pitting each side against the other. Running battles ensued on Sundays at the Ugandan National Theatre where all the top cats performed for free in a show dubbed ‘jam session’. The fights went on at Angenoir Mystique and Club Silk. Later Bobi Wine fell out with Bebe Cool becoming the self-proclaimed Ghetto President of Republic of Uganja.
The street fights became vicious with the media loving every second of it. It moved to music and later property as Bobi Wine bought a large track of land in Seguku Hill of Kampala where he grows ganja. Chameleone, Bebe Cool and Bobi Wine did not see eye to eye until last year when Chameleone’s younger brother Weasel formed Goodlyfe Crew with Mowzey Radio and released the chartbusting Nakudata after decamping from Leone Island.
At the same time Chameleone had an accident falling from the second floor of his hotel room in Arusha. Rumours had it that he was sleepwalking — and broke both his legs. This forced Bobi Wine to mend fences with him. After all he had won Pearl Award for Best Uganda Musician, which Chameleone had won twice in the past. And soon Mowzey Radio and Weasel released a song, Zuena for Bebe Cool after his model wife Zuena Kirema left him on counts of adultery. And it was well received. They even dissed Chameleone on a recent track, Teacher, which Chameleone has replied to. And sensing things were getting out of hand Chameleone sought Bebe Cool his erstwhile enemy and they did a remix on another track, Bogolako to counter the two boys. And the Ugandan media was still celebrating such feuds until the rude awakening.
Keep reading!
Charles Otieno
Pulse Editor
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