Xtatic: The Tumultuous Rise, Controversy, and More
12 years ago, a music video by a little-known rapper was posted on YouTube. Her sexy voice and immaculate flow hooked us and illuminated her path to stardom. The year was 2012.
Her journey has been eventful, from great music and label woes to a fair share of controversy. This week, we spotlight Xtatic—a Kenyan rapper, singer, and songwriter.
The Prep Track
On March 23, 2012, Xtatic dropped “The Prep Track.” At only 20, her flow and lyrical mastery gave the impression of an experienced artist.
Produced by Provoke, the music video was shot by Mushking FX at her late mom’s home.
This moment would catch the eye of a major record label and earn her a multi-album deal.
Note: Peep the brand of headphones she is wearing in the video
Signing to Sony and Releasing New Music
A month later, Sony Music approached her (remember the headphones on “The Prep Track” music video? 🤔). On her 20th birthday, she received a phone call asking if she would be interested in signing with Sony, to which she gladly obliged.
Sony signed Keko from Uganda during this time, marking a new phase in their respective careers. We’ll spotlight Keko in a separate article; let her not steal the shine from our X.
On October 14, 2012, she released “WILD!,” a rappity rap track that showed the power of signing to the label. Sonically and visually, this was a massive upgrade.
The music was coming thick and first. On December 14, 2012, she teamed up with South African rapper AKA and Priddy Ugly from Angola on “Hit Em’ Up.”
At the time, AKA was the hottest rapper in the game. Fresh from winning Most Gifted Hip Hop Video of the Year (2011) at the Channel O Music Video Awards for his song “Victory Lap,” off his debut album, this collab was groundbreaking.
Interestingly, the track was initially supposed to feature Priddy Ugly until the label stepped in and included AKA in the song.
The Matt Stonier-directed music video received massive airplay on South African urban radio and the now-defunct Channel O.
Shot in black and white, the video treatment found the 3 rappers in a dungeon-like scenery, fitting for the tone and sound of the hardcore hip-hop song.
The song’s impact was so huge that when asked about the collaboration in a Google+ meeting with fans, AKA claimed that it gave him a broader spectrum of fans since Xtatic was from East Africa.
Her debut album was to be released in 2013. Well, this is where shit began to hit the fan 😔.
Unexpected Hiatus and Quiet 2014
Between 2013 and 2014, Xtatic suddenly went quiet despite the hype generated by her hit song “Hit’ Em Up.”
On May 30, 2013, she made a cameo and received a shout-out from Khaligraph on “Fuck Off.”
With no trace of the album in 2013, 2014 saw the release of the third single, “We Ryde,” featuring Kwesta and Chelz. Fans never received any new music from Xtatic for the entire year.
Following the slow and few rollouts, more question marks arose about her label situation.
- Why was the album not out yet?
- Why hadn’t Xtatic not put out any new music in the past year?
Let Me Explain EP
Following the two-year hiatus, she released an EP titled Let Me Explain. The EP and its titular lead single featuring singer Iddi was meant to break the silence and give her fans something to bump to before the album.
The EP featured collaborations with Priddy Ugly, Timmy Tim, Femi One, and others and was released on the digital service platform AudioMack.
Controversy Surrounding Her Religion
X has also faced controversy but has always remained true to what she represents.
In 2016, she stirred the internet when she appeared on a poster as one of the speakers in a Godless Parenting seminar organized by the Atheists Society of Kenya.
To address the issue, Larry Madowo interviewed her on The Trend where she set the record straight.
Leaving Sony and Her Debut Album Release
In 2017, she announced her departure from Sony. Soon after, the label released her long-awaited debut album Unrehearsed. The album came without her knowledge as it appeared on Digital Streaming Platforms.
Moreover, Sony Africa released it as an obligation as part of her multi-album and management deal.
During her interview on Iko Nini, she broke down the dynamics of the situation at Sony, which was receiving backlash for ruining careers—case in point: Keko.
Life After Sony
After getting out of the deal with Sony and the eventual release of her debut album, Xtatic has been on and off our screens and earphones.
In 2018, she dropped a fire verse on the Khali Kartel Cypher.
As far as cyphers go, she also featured on the Hennessy Cyper edition 2.0 (October 2021) with Boutross, Monski, Xtatic, Rekles, and Elisha Elai under Hennessy’s Never Stop, Never Settle campaign.
Three months later, she appeared in the Hennessy Cypher edition 3.0 (Jan 28, 2022) with Elisha Elai, Domani Munga (Wakadinali), Steph Kapela, and Gold Triggah. #HennessyKE #NSNS
In 2019, she released a 3-song EP titled Tatu. “Tatu” means three in Swahili.
In 2020, she released the mixtape soXial Xperiment, which featured collaborations by Bensoul, Fancy Fingers, Mix Master Lenny, and Xenniah Mannasseh.
We can only marvel at what she has achieved as we conclude and zoom out on X’s career.
Besides the music, you can catch her posting fire pics, a few thirst traps on her IG, and her unfiltered opinions on X.
XoXo 💋💋
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