Resurgence of Gengetone.

In the mid 2010s – 2015 to 2016 – Kenyan music welcomed a new baby genre (Gengetone). Gengetone originated from Genge (a style created and popularized by Clemmo in the 2000s, in Kenya). The uniqueness of the genre lies in its ability to blend rap with reggaeton and dancehall resulting in a high-energy and dance-ready sound. The biggest difference between Gengetone and other genres of music in Kenya is its explicit lyrics and commentary that reflects on the current lifestyle and experiences of the ‘ghetto’, usually rapped or sung in “sheng” – a version of Swahili slang.

Since its birth, Gengetone has gone on to break the airwaves both in Kenya, Africa and the world at large. This changed the music industry in Kenya as it emerged as the first homegrown genre to dominate the country’s music and video airplay in several years, surpassing other international music, such as Nigeria’s Afrobeats and Tanzania’s bongo fava, which had long dominated radio, TV and clubs in Kenya.

While we enjoyed seeing its fanbase grow, the criticism and resistance of the genre also started growing. In 2020, the genre started to diminish tremendously and this erupted discussions in and around the trend. Different reasons were given by different music stakeholders explaining want went wrong with the genre but what was clear from the whole discussion was that the songs became monotonous and repetitive with the same message, style and production. The public shaming of the song’s content and artists by Kenyan media houses and influential media personalities lead some of the artists to transition to other genres. A small crack in the name of criticism of the genre developed way faster compared to the growth of the genre and this led to the genre being overtaken by other genres such as Amapiano and Afrobeats.

Some have tried to revive it but their efforts have ended in vain until 2023, when the genre started getting a new life. This time round the genre sounds very unique and more different with some touch of old-school dancehall. The sound is slowly attracting fans and artists too, as the numbers of the new Gengetone genre songs are pulling in good streams and airplay. The question again is, will this version of Gengetone survive the industry’s storm?

Below are some of the songs taking the industry by storm.

Liquor Store – Benzema x Nellythegoon x Dmore (Ochungulo Family)