Introducing Wangechi: Spotlight into her 12-year Music career
Stick to your lane hakuna Lamborghini Nairobi, so I ain’t gonna show you no mercy.
These lyrics from her debut mixtape send a stern message that Wangechi meant business. Over time, she has showcased her versatility, crafting soulful melodies in some songs and tracing her hip-hop roots in others.
This week, we spotlight WA-NGE-CHI.
The Genesis: Lega-C
Inspired by artists like Nazizi and Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wangechi was drawn to music from a young age.
During the holidays while in high school, she would visit her friend’s home studio, which led to her recording her first song at 15.
Shortly after completing high school, she joined Hypemasters Entertainment. While on the label, she released two songs in 2012 which propelled her name to the masses.
On July, 13, 2012, she dropped of her first promotional track, “Homemade,” on Reverbnation under the stage name Lega-C. The song garnered 400 plays in 36 hours, which was a huge milestone for a new artist.
In September of that year, she had her first-ever performance. However, just like every artists’ first performance, things didn’t go so well that night.
Following “Homemade,” she began teasing her second single, “Boys n Liquor.” The song would be pushed back severally and eventually shelved.
She closed the year in style with her second single, “Lega Mega Sega” on December 29, 2012. The upbeat reggae-influenced track found her in her element, and proved she was a force to reckon with.
Name Change and Chakula Ya Soul Mixtape
In 2013, Wangechi decided to drop the name Lega-C in favor of her real name.
Susequently, in May, they unveiled a poster announcing a collaboration between Wangechi, Kaka Empire, and Provoke Music.
In the same month, she released two singles under Provoke Music. One was a cover of 2Pac’s song titled “Do For Love,” while the other was a cover of Elle Varner’s “Only Wanna Give It To You” called “Wanna Give It To You.”
Coincidentally, around that time, a photo of King Kaka and Provoke in the studio surfaced, sparking rumors of a new project.
Things were coming thick and fast, and on July 12, 2013, she was featured on the star-studded “Ligi Soo Remix” as the closing act, and well… she did close it in style.
PS: This was many fans’ introduction to Wangechi.
On 26 July 2013, she released her debut mixtape CONSUME (Chakula Ya Soul) exclusively on Waabeh for free.
The 11-track mixtape comprised classic hip-hop instrumentals and featured Rabbit King Kaka on the final track, “More To Me.”
What is(was) Waabeh?
Waabeh, founded by Tim Rimbui in 2013, was a Kenyan music market dubbed “Africa’s audio market.” It allowed fans to buy songs for as low as 40 Ksh and support their favorite artists.
Following the mixtape, Waabeh interviewed Wangechi about the new project.
ART 19, BALANCE and Culture Kult
Within a short time in the industry, her debut album, ART 19, was slated for release on December 19. She released the lead single “I Am 1994 The Intro” in November.
Subsequently, she had plans to launch a clothing line called Culture KULT (Factor 360), working closely with visual artist Zack Adell and Provoke.
ART 19’s release was postponed, and the album was eventually shelved, claiming she couldn’t put out a half-baked project.
Instead, she released BALANCE (The Art 19 Prelude), which was preceded by the singles; “It’s Another One” featuring Blinky Bill and “Keep Walking.”
Artitlude Noire, Tulia Tu, CNN Feature, and New Singles
In 2014, she maintained the tempo, picking up where she left off the previous year. Earlier in the year, she released “Artilude Noire (A Theatrical Notion of Disguise),” directed by Zack Adell.
She followed it up with a feature on “Tulia Tu” with Rabbit and South African rap legend HHP (R.I.P).
During this time, HHP worked on a project called Daraja and collaborated with various African artists, including Nazizi.
Her star was shining bright, and on May 9, 2015, she was featured on CNN Inside Africa with Zain Verjee, where she discussed her journey, the reason for delaying her debut album, and more.
Later in August, she featured Karun on the dreamy “Analogue Dreams” and shortly thereafter, dropped “Play,” which was a fan-favorite.
Remarkably, she was churning out new music at a ridiculous rate, and then in September, she released her third single, “Attention Shopper.”
The Accident Tragedy
On the wee hours of September 14, 2014, Wangechi was involved in a tragic car accident along Muthangari Drive. Her friend Tionna Wangechi passed on 🕊️.
Recovery, Wangechi Sessions, and Cardiac Arrest
Following the accident and healing process, Wangechi was back on her feet. Not shy to experiment with live music, she began doing live sessions with the Watooz Band in February 2015.
Dubbed “Wangechi Sessions,” episode 1 featured “Play,” followed by “Do For Love” in episode 2, and on May 8, she released “Cardiac Arrest.”
The visuals followed a month later to much fanfare.
Reflecting on the tragic moment seven months prior and returning to the scene, the song received a lot of airplay, including being played on MTV Base.
They Don’t Know & Coke Studio Africa
In July of that year, she linked up with Fena Gitu on the Provoke-produced “They Don’t Know” in partnership with Goethe Institute’s Ten Cities project.
Shot by Brainworks, the music video was released in August.
PS: the hat she wore was in memory of her late friend Tionna.
Things were coming thick and fast; in August, she was part of the third season of Coke Studio. While on the show, she collaborated with Ben Pol and later with Ali Kiba, Dama, Ice Prince, Kirya, and American R&B Legend Ne-Yo to create “Reason.”
After Coke Studio season 3, she released her single “Fast Lane.” Later, on September 21, she represented Kenya on the Peace Day anthem “One” by Coke Studio Africa, featuring Ali Kiba, Zwai Bala, Ice Prince, Maurice Kirya, and Dama do Bling.
At this point, she had put her foot on the gas.
2016, No Limits and “Stand Up
To open the year, she dropped “No Limits,” a song about the potential to spread your wings. She followed it up with a feature on Tim Rimbui’s “Stand Up” with Masterkraft and Jarel.
Tecno Controversy
At this point, she was controversy-free. In 2016, however, she experienced a bit of it when mobile phone company Tecno used her image and likeness in an advertisement without permission or consent.
Following the tussle, her legal team later settled the case, and she was compensated following the #TecnoPayWangechi campaign.
Don’t Consume If Seal Is Broken EP & Tusker Commercial
Bringing the year to a close, on December 2, she released an EP titled DON’T CONSUME IF SEAL IS BROKEN. The nine-song EP featured Mumbi, Provoke, Taio, Didge, and 125 Movement.
Executive produced by Provoke and Wangechi, super producer Waithaka worked on five songs: “Slow,” “Not,” “Alright,” “Home,” and “Helium.” Furthermore, Festus produced “Memories” and “Off Beat.”
Wrapping up a successful year, she landed her first brand endorsement. Days after her EP’s release, she released “Here’s to Us,” featuring Kaki and Sibot as part of the Tusker commercial.
2017 was a fairly quiet year for Wangechi. A sign of trouble in paradise? 🤔
Quiet 2017 and Split with Provoke
After a few internal scuffles, Wangechi parted ways with her former music producer, Kevin Provoke. She stated that the producer was too controlling, which she explained in an Iko Nini interview with Mwafreeka.
In an episode of the GMT Podcast with Calvin, she revealed that the situation might have escalated because she did not own the masters of her music.
She then released “X2” in March and “Above The Bass” in April 2017.
The Aftermath and 2018
In the aftermath of the Provoke saga, she went solo and returned with “Used To It” on April 17, 2018.
Produced by BNZ.ON.IT and directed by Mike Lolly P, the song was a lyrical exercise that found her flexing about her current situation.
Back in full flow, she dropped “Nguga ii Refix” and “Comeback” featuring Phy, which she followed up with a guest verse on “Suka” with Raj and Fena Gitu.
In November, she started Soundcloud Sundays, a series that saw the release of a new song every Sunday until the first week of December. The series spawned “Jera,” “Nguga ii,” and “Sana Sana” featuring Scar Mkadinali.
Sana Sana Music Video and Hiatus
In 2019, the artist took a break from her music career, but before that, she did not leave her fans high and dry. On February 25th, she released the music video for her song “Sana Sana.”
The song highlighted the great chemistry between the two. Although it was their first collaboration, it was evident that it would not be their last.
Interestingly, three years prior, in 2016, Scar had manifested getting to know her on the Khaligraph Jones Presents cypher, and it came to pass.
The Comeback
After taking a three-year break, Wangechi returned in 2022 with the song “Kiki Session 1.” On the song’s last line, she teased a forthcoming album by rapping:
Kaa rada album inadrop soon
Following “Kiki Session 1,” Wangechi unveiled arguably the biggest song of her career to date. Teaming up with Wakadinali and taking on a new alias, “Mama Driller,” she released the lead single “Romantic Rivals” and the internet went bonkers.
This brought much hype to the album, making fans even more eager for its release.
Chonjo Collaborative Album with Scar
Wangechi released her debut album, which doubled as her comeback album in July 2022. Following their collaboration on “Sana Sana” three years before, the duo continued to showcase their chemistry on this album.
The album featured singer Wendy Kay, Sewersydaa, and Domani Munga from Wakadinali.
Mixed and mastered by Aress 66, Chonjo was a great album full of high moments. From singing about the “peng” Nairobi girls on “Nairobi Pengz” to the back-and-forth on “Vibes n’ Inshallah,” the album was a great listen.
Unfortunately, an unnamed producer claimed copyright on three of the album’s songs, which led to their removal from digital streaming platforms for a week.
Lip Service
On 30th September, she teamed up with one of her peers in the industry, Femi One, on “Lip Service.” Interestingly, she took jabs at producer Provoke for taking advantage of her early on.
Despite both featuring on the “Ligi Soo Remix” 9 years before, this was the first time the two had worked together on a song.
Emotional Gangster Album
In 2023, she released her sophomore album, EMOTIONAL GANGSTER preceded by the lead single “Mzigo” featuring Buruklyn Boyz.
The album title reflected her split personalities, the emotional and the gangster side which were evident even through the music.
Featuring production by Aress 66, Kaxi, and Wangechi, the album had only two guest artists: Domani Munga and Kaa La Moto. Moreover, the track “Kidogo” outro recalled her 2014 accident.
Off the project, “Zile Zile” and “Chachisha”‘s visuals followed more recently.
Parting Shot
In a career spanning close to 12 years, Wangechi has endured, evolved, faced challenges, and is still doing what she does best: entertaining her fans with every new release.
Stay tuned to Doba KE for more news, music, lyrics, and updates. Remember to follow us on our social media channels.
