-Most of his fans have moved past Rapdamu or are not even aware of that history
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It’s always interesting to experience the brand-reinvention process of an artiste before they get it right. Naiboi is one such artiste, and the fruition of his endless strive to achieve continues to display itself years after he moved on from his Rapdamu days. Music was his chosen path, and he needed to invigorate and nab viral popularity not only in Kenya but extensively.
He rediscovered himself and found brand new energy, and now he's making the best music of his life. 2018, arguably, was his year, and perhaps most of his fans can agree that he was on beast mode, releasing hit after hit. Pitted against most artistes, he probably would have ranked best in Kenya as well as East Africa.
With tracks like “2 in 1,” “Dinda” and “Usipime Mwanaume”, it was very evident that Naiboi was on the verge to achieve superstardom, and he wasn't about to stop. His refined pop and melodic sound, characterised by an easy, highly expressive croon combined with smooth rap, seem to be working to his advantage. His recent inclusion in Coke Studio Africa 2019 is probably one of the greatest milestones in his career, and a sign of an even serious ascent.
If you look into Naiboi’s musical history, you wouldn’t be wrong to assume that probably he started music clueless and simply to chase after the trivialities that come with it. The truth is that during his Rapdamu stint, he wasn’t awful; he just wasn’t as promising. While many might not want to reinvent their already existing brands in an attempt to work their way up, his perilous decision to rebrand turned his musical life around. Somehow, it worked for him.
One thing that’s for sure is that most of his fans have moved past Rapdamu or are not even aware that that history even existed. He has successfully turned himself into one of Kenya’s most-sought-after artistes, and now he's constantly in our faces and airwaves. Word has it he might be releasing his LP pretty soon, a clear indication that it is certainly going to be a busy year for him.
For an artiste of his nature, with everything gradually falling in place, it actually looks like a dream come true.