Featured Artist : - David Mathenge aka Nameless Country : - Kenya
Nameless is one homegrown artist that has proven to the masses that Kenya has its own unique musical talent that can be showcased internationally.
With a career spanning over 3 years, it's impossible to discuss Kenyan contemporary entertainment without mentioning his name. Matter of fact, Nameless is the epitome of new age Kenyan music with his popularity spreading throughout the country and beyond.
Every song he has ever released has at one time or the other reached the top of popular Kenyan radio charts. No party is complete in Kenya without a Nameless jam.
He is the most sought after artist in the country with an average of 8 performances a month; that's a rarity for many a Kenyan artist.
Born David Mathenge in August 1976, Nameless didn't have much musical training to attain his fame and success; he just relied on determination and the love for his music.
His musical history is quite basic and it stems from his obsession with hip hop which he started listening to at an early age of his life. Growing up in a family of diverse musical preferences, he was influenced by soul from elder siblings but listened to a lot of hip hop in his teenage years. Influenced by the likes of Femi Kuti , Wyclef , Youssou N'Dour and Missy Elliot .
David fell in love with this genre of music immediately and it stuck to him but it was only after joining university.
His first shot at music started in 1999 while in his 2nd year as a student of architecture at the University of Nairobi .
David participated in a freestyle battle on Nairobi's Capital FM which he surely won landing himself a recording stint with one of Kenya's leading music producers Tedd Josiah of Audio Vault Studios .
He recorded his debut single 'Mega Rider' - a song about a discount tickets for Kenya Bus services. It became an instant hit and was on the top of the East African Chart show for almost 4 weeks.
In addition to the song's success, Kenya Bus Services paid him to use the song in a campaign to market Mega Rider tickets. In March 2000, he won a University Arts Achievements Awards for Best Male Artist Rap Category.
He decided that his talent was something he could use to uplift himself when he was not at university. In 2001 he moved to the Ogopa DeeJay production house to record 'Majitu' and 'Mannerless' .
Both songs got to the top of music charts in Kenya and lead to tours all over Kenya .
In 2002 he teamed up with female singer Amani and recorded ' Ninanoki ' with Ogopa Deejays. A track that went on to become a party anthem throughout Kenya.
The song broke territorial boundaries and exposed him to the to the bigger East African market. The song lasted a record of 110 days on the Top Seven at Seven: Nairobi's Most Wanted on Kiss FM , a very popular radio music show.
The song proved to have crossed over appeal, capturing fans of as young as 2 years to as old as 80 years. This lead to tours all over East Africa including Mombasa, Nakuru, Kampala, Dar es Salaam, Kisumu, Arusha, Kisii, Machakos etc.
Balancing music and studying for his Architectural degree was a commendable feat, he did it well because as his music career lead him to tours all over the region he also graduated with a 2nd Class Honours Degree in Architecture in 2002.
In 2003, Nameless was nominated for Best Male Artist , Best Song for Ninanoki and Boomba Train ) at KISIMA Music Awards . He walked away with Best Song for Boomba Train on which he collaborated with the E-Sir.
By this time Nameless had grown tremendously, he had not only become an inspiration to many of his fans but also a mentor to many artists such Big Pin , Habib and the late E-Sir whom he made music with.
At the end of 2003, came the album release for Kenya 's most anticipated album; Nameless's On Fire. It had a very successful launch in 31st December 2003 at Splash Waterworld, Nairobi.
He then embarked on a national tour to promote the album with successful dates in Nakuru and Mombasa and Eldoret in March and April 2004.
In September and October nameless embarked on a successful tour of the United States with two performances every weekend all over the country. Scores of fans came to see him, making him truly the real Kenyan star.
He returned home beginning of November to find that he had been nominated for the biggest music award on the continent similar to the Grammy Awards in USA; KORA All Africa Music Awards in Johannesburg.
He was nominated with the likes of Outkast, Kanye West, Lucky Dube, Jay Z and Usher. His song 'Juju' with Mr. Lenny has impressed many. So for Nameless there's no resting, he is on his way to everywhere.
Nameless has received a lot of accolades for being a musician that has created and popularized a distinct East African style of music which is a mixture of Afro Hip Hop, rap rhythm.
His music posses mass cross over appeal in East Africa . Everywhere they play Nameless's music be sure to find people dancing energetically.
Apart from the success of his music, Nameless is also a young Kenyan entrepreneur who makes most of any chance that he gets. Awards, record sales, tours and endorsements don't come by luck to Nameless, they are all part of his master plan and he's ready to take on the world with it. Nothing will stop him.
Interview
He was aiming at a career in architecture until a radio rap competition made him a star. That was way back in 1999.
Since then, David Mathenge has grown into an accomplished musician and stage performer. His first hit, Megarider,
was a direct result of the Capital FM competition that he won. Ninanoki (2002) was his next big hit. And this year alone,
he has made Deadly and Holiday firm dance floor favourites.
In spite of all this success, it has taken him four years to come up with an album. In this Pulse interview, he talks about
the reasons for his reticence, his near-brushes with death, losing two fellow musicians in the same year and his
interaction with his female fans.
TB: Why has it taken you so long to produce an album, given that you are among the veterans in the music business?
Nameless: By the time I joined the industry, most local upcoming artistes were hardly recognised and there was one or
two FM stations. Sales were bad and I didnt want to waste my time doing an album in vain. So I opted to do singles
to create demand and establish a name for myself before making a larger step. This has made things comfortable for me.
There were no other problems lets just say it was what I wanted to do.
TB: Tell us about the album.
N: On Fire is the name of the 14-track album that I have just released. Its a compilation of remixes of some of the songs
I had done earlier, and new ones. It also includes collaborations with Big Pin, Mr Lenny, E-Sir and Amani. Some of the
songs are Juju, Ninanoki, Wailai, Maisha, Deadly, Holiday, Boomba Train, Majitu a remix - Mannerless, and On Fire.
TB: How would you rate your album compared to others that other Kenyan artistes have released?
N: My music is strictly for enjoyment. Its energetic, entertaining, fun and easy to dance to. I want to appeal not only
to the people of East Africa, but to Europe as well.
TB: What inspires you to write the sort of music you do?
N: I like to describe happy and enjoyable situations that take place within the society. I want to make people forget
their problems and look at life in a positive way.
TB: What challenges did you face while trying to produce your new album?
N: Well, there was the time factor. Ogopa, who are my producers, are very busy people because they work with very
many other artistes. Because of this, an album that could be recorded within two months may end up taking longer.
There was also the problem of setting a deadline for myself only to realise that the ideas were not coming as fast as I thought.
Another issue was computers crashing, leading to loss of songs. Sometimes when the progression was not done right, I had to
start all over again. I also had very little time to concentrate on making the album because of performances outside Nairobi.
And there was the issue of people making suggestions concerning my album. I had to take time to think over their opinions
(and see if) they would benefit me.
TB: After graduating from the University of Nairobi last year, you could have gone into almost any profession.
What made you choose music?
N: There was a time when I was thinking of becoming a full-time architect after completing college, but I realised that
that wasnt me. Hip-hop was just in me and always will be. I think I would have been miserable (as an architect).
TB: You have said this year is one of the most exciting in your life. Why?
N: It certainly is, especially with the release of my first album. Its a celebration of life in every sense of the word.
I also did more tours (outside Nairobi and Mombasa) than I have done before.
TB: Do you feel that your hard work has paid off?
N: Yes. Today, more and more people appreciate my music and I have received the kind of recognition I deserve.
I believe I have worked very hard to get to where I am. The life of an artiste can be fickle and crazy with many
twists and turns. But I have managed to survive.
TB: You have managed to escape death twice. First it was with E-Sir and only recently K-Rupt. How has this affected you?
N: I havent come to terms yet with the fact that both of them are gone, considering that I was the last person
to speak and be with them. Each day, I have to wake up to the reality that they are no more.
Its like a dream to lose people close to you.
However, going through the process of denial has done me no good at all because it is God who gives and takes.
And I owe my life to God because He has seen me through the rough times. Nevertheless, I surely miss them and
only hope that God grants them eternal life. R.I.P, brothers.
TB: What sort of person are you when you are away from the public glare?
N: Most people think of artistes as people whose lifestyles are crazy. I am not like that. In fact, Im an introvert.
Although I dislike attention, I do enjoy socialising with close friends. In my free time, I like to create new song ideas,
or do design and abstract painting. I also like to relax, sleep and watch lots of movies, but I dont do as much reading as I should.
TB: You are in an industry where female attention is often foisted onto you. Is that difficult to handle?
N: Very difficult, but since they are my fans and I look up to them, I realise that I need to understand and treat
them well. Sometimes when I try to be polite, some take it to mean something else. Anyway, all I can say
is at the end of it all, I go home to my loved ones.
TB: What are your personal goals as a musician?
N: I just want to be there for my career. I would like to set guidelines and structures to enable us break
into the international market. And even after I stop singing, I intend to work behind the scenes,
guiding young and upcoming artistes.
TB: Do you have someone special in your life?
N: No comment. Lets leave my private life private.
For more details log on to www.ogopa-djs.com
