The question of who is among the Top 10 Best Kenyan Rappers has always been up for debate but we promise to settle this here. With the fresh new wave in the Kenyan industry known as Gengetone, we have some new names that have made it to our Best Rappers in Kenya list. Here are the Best Kenyan Rappers in 2020.
10. Steph Kapela
As one of the most versatile artists in the rap game, Steph Kapela comes through with fire vocals and is also a songwriter. With only 7 songs and a couple of collaborations, Steph Kapela has made it to our list and is one of our favorites.
Steph Kapela songs have a little bit of everything in them, from Rap, Singing, trap and even soul, amazing right? Steph is super talented.
9. King Kaka
Born Kennedy Ombima, King Kaka is a renowned rapper, songwriter and Businessman. King Kaka has been in the Rap industry for a very long time and has brought up other artist and given them a platform through Kaka Empire. King Kaka was born on 7 May 1987.
King Kaka’s successful hit song is known as ‘Dundaing’ which has over 4 million views on YouTube. The name ‘Dundaing’ means Partying.
8. Miracle Baby
Unlike many of the Legends on this list, Miracle Baby’s journey just started the other day. He is part of a group called Sailors and has technically made the group relevant after the hit song ‘Wamlambez’.
He is known for his fire catchy hooks and just gives a good vibe in every song he does. Miracle Baby will even be even better in the coming years.
7. Xtatic
Her real name is Gloria Mecheo and has been a great rapper ever since, though she grew her fanbase after she featured in Khali Cartel 2 by Khaligraph Jones. She is also part of the new game and his fan base has been really growing of late.
Xtatic says she did petry before rap and that has really helped her with her music journey. She is one of the best rappers of the new generation in Kenya.
6. STL
Stella Nyambura Mwangi, a very talented female rapper who lives in Norway is the second female that is on the list. She is not only popularly in Kenya but also in Norway for she won the Melodi Grand Prix 2011. Two successful albums, a lot of songs and collaborations with other artists, made STL one of the most famous artists in Kenya.
STL is also known for singing about the issues that disturb Kenya as a country. Her songs have been used before for an advertisement for Samsung for their Galaxy S9 smartphone.
5. E-Sir
E-Sir was and is one of the best rappers in Kenya we have ever had. Unfortunately on 16 March 2003 he was involved in a car accident on the Great Rift Valley. He has left behind “a huge musical footprint” due to his impact on his popularity and fanbase during his short career.
Even long after his departure E-Sir is and will be remembered for his music and how he shaped the rap industry in Kenya. E-sir was and is an inspiration to many. REST IN POWER.
4. Taio Tripper
Also known as Matthew Wakhungu is one of our favorites. He was part of the Hip-hop group Camp Mulla which was a major success in East Africa in 2011 and 2012 before their break up in 2013. He is also a deejay, songwriter and sound engineer.
Taio Tripper is one of the most prominent rappers in Kenya of our time, he is super-talented, and has his own unique style, which, made makes him a real star. Taio Tripper is on the road to becoming the best rapper in Kenya.
3. Nyashinski
Incredible Nyamari Ongegu popularly known as Nyashinski is one who can sing love songs, rap and also release gospel songs. He was once a member of Kleptomaniax which was a Hip-hop group formed back in 1999 while in high school which won 3 awards.
The group never broke up but everyone somehow went their own way, who knows, we might hear from them soon. Nyashinski is regarded, and is, as one of the most skillful and one of the best lyricist in East Africa.
2. Abbas Kubaff
Andrew Kabiru Karuku has now been in the industry for a very long time and is famous for hit songs such as “Tokelezea” and “Tokelezea”. Abbas Kubaff was born in (8 January 1978) and has been winning awards across East Africa and producing music since 1995.
Abbas Kubaff has been considered as the Best Kenyan Rapper a lot of times. He was part of a rap group that later split in 2005. The rap group was made up of fellow rappers, Bamboo and KC. He has received awards from Chaguo La Teeniez Awards award(2008) and a Golden Mic award(2011).
1. Khaligraph Jones
His real name is Brian Ouko Omollo and he is also the only Kenyan on the Best Rappers in Africa. Khaligraph Jones was also the first rapper from Kenya to win awards and be internationally recognized by the Hip Hop community. Khaligraph Jones is also known for Khali Cartel which is a cypher he produces that showcases new talent in the rap industry.
He has a flow that is as quick as Twista’s (American) or M.I (Nigerian) and with this, he has gained a huge following with a lot of loyal fans. He first came to light in 2009 when he participated in the 2009 Channel O MC Africa Challenge and reached the finals. Khaligraph Jones is the Best Kenyan Rapper of all time.
Khaligraph Jones also won the SoundCity MVP award for best hip hop act early this year going against some Hip-hop Legends in Africa. The son ‘Leave me alone’ got him the award.
In an era when plenty of hip hop chases whatever trend is loudest, Mr.Reaper arrives with something darker and more inward looking. “My Escape” is a haunting new single that moves between psychological pressure and spiritual reckoning, turning fear into the starting point for a deeper kind of release.
At 2 minutes and 37 seconds, the track wastes no time building its world. From the opening moments, the atmosphere feels cold, eerie, and cinematic, like a signal coming from somewhere far away. It pulls the listener into a shadowed mental space where reality feels unstable and escape is less certain than it first appears.
That tension comes through clearly in one of the song’s most memorable lines: “We’re in a simulation, I don’t think they understand…”
The line lingers because it feels philosophical without becoming abstract. It speaks directly to the song’s central struggle, the need to break out of unseen mental and emotional traps.
As the production expands, heavy hip hop drums take control. Booming 808s, rumbling bass, and sharp hi hats give the track a tense, cinematic weight. The beat feels alive, built with purpose, and it gives Mr.Reaper the space to step fully into his darker lyrical persona.
Once he enters that space, he owns it.
Mr.Reaper moves across the beat with control and conviction. His voice is deep, steady, and commanding, carrying each line with emotional force. When he delivers:
“I can’t see, I can’t breathe, I’m surrounded by this mystery praying to God…”
“From darkness to light, we must choose what is in the light…”
“Walking to my destiny…”
the words feel like pieces of an inner conversation. They capture the pull between despair and hope, confusion and clarity, pain and transformation.
At its core, “My Escape” is a song about liberation. Not from a place, but from the prisons people carry inside themselves. It explores fear, betrayal, pressure, self doubt, and the identities that can form around pain. The track plays like a psychological and spiritual battle, where the hardest enemy to face is often the one within.
Still, there is awakening inside the darkness.
The title “My Escape” does not feel like a retreat. It feels like recognition. Freedom, in this song, comes from facing what hurts, understanding it, and turning that struggle into strength. The message is rooted in resilience, growth, and self mastery.
The cover art sharpens that idea. Its half human, half skeletal portrait reflects the tension between life and death, identity and shadow, reality and illusion. The skull suggests mortality and inner demons, while the human side points toward consciousness and awareness. Like the song, the image is bold, unsettling, and symbolic enough to stay with you.
With “My Escape,” Mr.Reaper delivers a release that feels deliberate, emotionally charged, and thought provoking. In a crowded musical landscape, his voice cuts through because it sounds committed to something real.
The journey inward may be the darkest path, but Mr.Reaper presents it as the one that leads toward true freedom.
Eye’z launches Kickstarter campaign to fund debut album “…The Album…”
RICHMOND, Calif., May 3, 2026, Pop singer, pianist, actress, and creative artist Eye’z has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund her long awaited debut album, “…The Album…,” a full length project rooted in soul, personal expression, and artistic independence.
The campaign is now live on Kickstarter and has raised US$1,145 toward its US$20,000 goal, with 7 backers and 38 days remaining at the time of this release. The all or nothing campaign must reach its funding goal by Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 9:03 AM UTC+3 in order to receive funding.
For Eye’z, this album represents years of dedication, growth, and determination. After several attempts to record the project, she is turning to listeners, fans, and supporters of independent music to help bring the album to life with the care and quality it deserves.
“I’m Eye’z, a pop artist with my own style that rings through my soul,” says Eye’z. “I don’t like being compared to other artists even when there are similarities because what I create is my own.”
The album is intended to capture Eye’z as she hears herself, with more creativity, freedom, and emotional honesty than she has been able to fully realize before. Her influences include Judy Garland, Aaliyah, Michael Jackson, Fats Waller, Marian Anderson, and Jackie Wilson. While reflecting on the project, Eye’z says she was especially inspired by Jackie Wilson’s album “Beautiful Day.”
“Music isn’t just music from me, it’s artistry. It’s completeness,” she shares through the campaign. “This campaign is to help me finally create my full length album.”
Funds raised through Kickstarter will help cover studio production, recording in a studio with a grand piano, compatible audio engineers, music video production, marketing, promotion, and live performance expenses. Eye’z also plans to celebrate the album’s debut with a special live performance in the Bay Area, bringing together supporters, musicians, and fans for a release event filled with music, energy, and gratitude.
“One of the most exciting parts of this project will be celebrating the album’s debut with a live performance for fans,” says Eye’z. “I plan to organize a special concert in the Bay Area to mark the release, an unforgettable night filled with music, energy, and gratitude.”
The Kickstarter campaign includes several reward tiers for backers. Supporters can pledge US$25 for an early digital listen, US$50 for a sneak peek package, US$275 for exclusive VIP livestream access, US$300 for an album release party invitation, US$750 for limited exclusive merchandise and a personal call, US$1,000 for a personalized album shoutout, and US$10,000 for the opportunity to executive produce the debut album.
Eye’z says she plans to keep backers updated throughout the album making process and views supporters as an essential part of the journey.
“For the most part I plan on diving in and keeping in contact with all backers to update you on the progress of my album,” she says. “BECAUSE YOU ARE THE RECORD LABEL! LOL”
For Eye’z, the campaign is about more than funding an album. It is about creating a meaningful body of work and sharing it with the people who believe in her voice, her artistry, and her story.
“Let’s make some memorable music together,” says Eye’z. “It’s SHOWTIME!”
About Eye’z Eye’z is a pop singer, pianist, actress, and multifaceted creative artist based in Richmond, California. Her music is shaped by soul, pop, theatrical expression, and classic performance influences. With “…The Album…,” Eye’z is working to complete her debut full length project and share a personal, emotionally honest body of work with listeners around the world.
Let me tell you about Dutch 3Times, a genre-fluid lyricist and melodic craftsman whose music sits somewhere between Southern reflection and Detroit pressure. He has a sharp instinct for rhythm, moving between rap, melody, and tightly cut lyricism with ease. Whether he is working over heavy trap drums or slow, atmospheric production, Dutch 3Times knows how to make a beat feel alive. He does not simply settle into the pocket, he reshapes it. Welcome aboard, ladies and gentlemen.
The independent artist returns with “Distant Lover 4: Love, Lust & Heartbreak,” a bold and intoxicating 9-track project that runs 24 minutes and 14 seconds. It marks another strong chapter in his ambitious six-part “Distant Lover Saga,” a conceptual run built around the emotional extremes of love, lust, longing, and heartbreak. Seductive, reflective, dangerous, and thrilling, this latest release is a genre-bending statement from an artist willing to blur lines, bend sound, and follow feeling wherever it takes him.
Before the music even begins, the cover art sets the mood. Washed in luminous neon green, it feels like a futuristic dreamscape where passion and heartbreak have become their own coded language. Three glowing feminine silhouettes stand at the center, part muse, part memory, part mirage. They suggest desire, mystery, and emotional complication, while streams of digital text form a matrix-like backdrop repeating the album’s core themes, love, lust, heartbreak. The image is sleek, haunting, and cybernetic. In Dutch 3Times’ world, romance feels electric and elusive, deeply felt yet always slightly out of reach.
The music is just as immersive.
The opener, “No Stress” featuring Neisha Neshae, sets the tone with futuristic minimalism that actually works. Over a clean, sharp beat built from rubbery basslines, crisp percussion, and spacious melodic restraint, Dutch 3Times shows one of his strongest gifts, his ability to lock into the production until he feels fused with it. His flow moves with smooth confidence, calm and unbothered, while Neisha Neshae brings a sharper feminine edge that strengthens the chemistry without breaking the track’s hypnotic cool.
Then comes “No Secrets,” an explosive, hook-driven anthem powered by booming 808s and sliding drill basslines that tap into the raw force of UK and New York drill. Its refrain, “Girl you know what I mean, don’t keep no secrets from me,” gives the song instant replay value. Dutch’s commanding cadence and unmistakable voice push it even further, making it one of the project’s clear centerpieces.
“BackStreet Girls PT2” moves into darker territory, a woozy nocturnal trap trip that feels like wandering through a psychedelic after-hours haze. Warped synth textures, rolling low-end, and a slow hypnotic bounce give the track its pull. Dutch 3Times leans into melody here, letting his voice dissolve into the atmosphere until he feels less like a rapper in front of the beat and more like another instrument inside the mix, ghostlike, fluid, and intoxicating.
Tracks like “All Day All Night” bring polished modern rap swagger. Dark atmospheric keys sit against punchy, clean drums, leaving enough space for the bars to breathe. The song’s stripped-back confidence and easy hook give it anthem potential. It is simple, catchy, and hard to ignore.
“Do For Me” is one of the project’s most compelling moments. Cinematic, haunting, and experimental, it carries real danger in its DNA. The production feels deep, drugged, and immersive, covered in shadow and dramatic tension. Its repetitive hook stays with you after the song ends, circling in the mind like a temptation that refuses to fade.
What makes “Distant Lover 4: Love, Lust & Heartbreak” land is its range. Dutch 3Times builds a world where sleek hip-hop minimalism, explosive drill energy, hazy trap psychedelia, polished rap bravado, and cinematic experimentation sit together naturally. There is sensuality here. There is swagger. There is vulnerability. There is edge. More than anything, there is intention.
This is music for late-night drives, smoke-filled thoughts, reckless passion, quiet obsession, and every blurred feeling in between.
With “Distant Lover 4: Love, Lust & Heartbreak,” Dutch 3Times keeps shaping the “Distant Lover Saga” into something bigger than a sequence of releases. It is starting to feel like a living universe of emotion and sound.
There is something here for everyone. Find it now by streaming this project.
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