It's been two years since the #PlayKE campaign gained traction on social media. #PlayKE is a call to action for media houses, DJs, matatus and entertainment establishments to support homegrown art by giving Kenyan musicians airtime.
It's unsettling that artists from Nigeria & Tanzania continue to have their music on heavy rotation in the country while many talented Kenyan artists are ignored by gatekeepers in the industry.
But young Kenyan artists are tenacious and have decided to make lemonade out of lemons by ditching traditional media and embracing digital platforms. This year especially has seen a shift in how music is distributed and consumed. These young, fresh, out-of-the box artists have fully embraced the internet as their showcase platform. 
They have shown and proven that conventional media outlets are no longer the sole gatekeepers dictating who gets to be the next breakout star. Noone knows this better than Mr. Novo. The hip-hop artist with roots in Nakuru is using the internet to his advantage and has caught the attention of many urban music connoisseurs for his sharp, witty lyrics.
He hasn't received much support from the "establishment" but fans of underground hip-hop are keeping his name 'hot on the streets'.
This Friday, 20th November, he will be dropping an acerbic track on the adamant refusal by traditional media to support budding Kenyan artists. He swears it's not a diss track but the title in Kiswahili- Si Matusi (No disrespect) implies that this is going to be a no punches pulled track.
Listen to it here when it debuts tonight at 8PM. 
 

About The Author

Author
Maureen Kasuku

Maureen is our resident cat lady and Beyoncé stan. She writes about spas, brunch and ballet recitals but has never been to any. Moonlights as a social justice activist in her spare time. She knows things and is obnoxiously opinionated on the internet but not in real life

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