Bud House Music – Of Budding Artists And Buddies Making Good Music

Nestled in the heart of South B, Nairobi, Budhouse Music serves as a creative hub where innovation meets artistry. Founded in 2019 by the visionary Ace Mok Da Rebel, Budhouse Music swiftly carved its niche, producing over 20 projects and countless tracks that have left an indelible mark on the industry.

Here, a fusion of passion and dedication gives rise to music that resonate with authenticity and depth. The label consists of seven remarkable artists: Tulia, Depo Dice, Nazz Papa Afrika, The Don, Outlaw, King Kidd, and Gaddamnit Leroy, each bringing their unique flair and perspective to the table.

Behind the lens, capturing the essence of Budhouse Music's great musicality is Ryan Eutycus, the label's esteemed video director. His visionary craftsmanship has birthed masterpieces such as "Matimoni," that has garnered acclaim as its most viewed video on YouTube.

Let us delve into the world of Budhouse Music, as Ashley Mwari leads us Into the Budlands…

Welcome to Micshariki Africa, Bud House Music. What is Bud House Music all about and how did it all begin with you people?

Thank you so much for the opportunity and before I answer, I love what you do for East African Music; it is a pleasure to do this interview with you.

So Budhouse Music is a family, a musical powerhouse and a team of visionaries compromising of 7 uniquely talented artists who include Outlaw, Depo Dice, Nazz Papa Afrika, Tulia, King Kidd, The Don and Gaddamnit Leroy as well as the CEO Acemok Da Rebel.

Music started differently for each artist, but fate brought us all together. Our CEO is childhood friends with King Kidd who way back in 2008 was already recording music on his laptop. Acemok took some interest in music at this point, and it ignited a fire in him that never faded. It was not until 2019 when he had a dream of being the CEO of a label and he actualized his manifestations by buying studio equipment. He began with Tulia, who then brought in Depo Dice. He also signed his childhood friend King Kidd, then Outlaw who was referred to by his other childhood friend Andre. Outlaw referred The Don, Ace then signed Gaddamnit Leroy, and not to forget Nazz Papa Afrika travelled all the way from Eldoret to find Depo Dice, they became friends, and he was also signed to the label. That is basically how the label came to be.

Why the name Bud House Music, how did the name come about and what does it signify?

Bud is the short form of Buddy or Buddies, to signify how friendship, love and family is our foundation. House stands for unity and family. As Acemok was starting the label, all he had was music, his buddies and the oneness they have, hence Budhouse Music.

Tell us more about the main and in house producer Acemok De Rebel…kindly share with us his musical background, motivation, and his importance to the Bud House Music fraternity… In addition, what is with the name Acemok De Rebel, what is he rebelling against?

Acemok Da Rebel is a self-taught producer, who specializes in recording, mixing, and mastering. He has not only worked with artists from Budhouse, but he has also worked with several names in the game such as King Troker, Yaro B, Boutross, Alma Ras and more. His journey began professionally in 2019 when he bought equipment and set up a home studio. His motivation began from his childhood, as mentioned he had been recording music with King Kidd since 2008, he loved it, and he knew this is what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He is very important to the label since without him, Budhouse would not exist. Not only is he the founder, but he’s also the glue that keeps us all together and at the same time our biggest fan.

Let me break down what his name means. Ace basically means a virtuoso or a master in what he does; Mok means Mothers Only Kid and Rebel basically means he is a revolutionary. I guess to maneuver in this industry you have to be a rebel. Ace had to make a lot of tough choices to make his dream a reality. He also never listens to side noises nor lives by other people’s rules, he is a focused man, and you can never bring him down. That’s what makes him a rebel.

What about the Bud House Jingle…What does it say? It is very unique and it lets us one know that this is a Bud House Music production that we listening to. How did it come about and how important is a producer’s tag/jingle when it comes to music production?

Thanks a lot. The tag was actually done by Boutross who is a friend of Acemok. It says “Davy you’ve got to pass me the lighter you know what I’m saying…*lighter effect*... Lazima ipite kidogo manze kama zimeendelea kuwaka”. Just to be clear Davy is Acemok’s actual name.

As you said, the tag lets listeners know they are listening to a Budhouse production, I believe this is the relevance of a producer tag/jingle. When I think of producers like Metro Boomin, when you are a fan of his and you just hear Future saying “If Metro don’t trust you, I’m gon shoot you”, you already love the song even before it starts. It’s an important form of identity for producers mainly because in music, they are usually behind the scenes.

What type of music are the Bud House Music fraternity into or is it all about Hip Hop music?

We are very dynamic. We have mostly done Hip Hop in the past, but we have several tracks and projects that are afro pop, rnb, funk, dancehall, reggae and alternative. There is a joint project by Depo Dice and King Kidd called ‘Bed of Roses’ that is 100% afro pop and there is an RnB EP by former Budhouse artist Ms. She called ‘Climax’. We have dozens of tracks that are of different genres. Our artists are committed to giving their fans the best of everything.

Of late a lot of artists see their independence as a solution to the problem of exploitative contracts to music labels. Why do you guys sign artists and how do you ensure that you both come out as winners once the contract comes to an end?

As I began, I described Budhouse as a Family. We are focused on making good music and developing our sounds and artistry before we talk business. The contracts between Budhouse and its artists are very friendly and prioritize the needs of the artists with the resources we have. I would say we are lucky to have Acemok as our CEO, since he is not exploitive, and he has a personal relationship with each artist. We believe as we continue to grow things are going to be even better because we have a solid foundation. And even once the current contracts end, I believe Ace is going to draft contracts according to what the artist wants while ensuring the label remains stable. It’s all about not being greedy, that’s how we do it.

One of the projects released last year “Endorphins” by Outlaw was superb and was recognized as one of the stand out Hip Hop projects for 2023 by Micshariki Africa. It was so good I thought it was an album! Tell us more about the project and the emcee who did the project. How did it come about? Why was it called ‘Endorphins’?

Oh wow! Thank you for that.

‘Endorphins’ is a masterpiece for sure, probably some of the best work we have ever released. Outlaw is simply a genius; he is a perfectionist when it comes to his projects. He likes to take time to write and record his music and everything must flow and have a mood or theme behind it, that is why the ‘Endorphins’ mixtape really gave its listeners endorphins. It was crafted to mean that exactly.

Outlaw has always loved music from a young age, particularly Hip Hop. When you hang out with him you will realize he is very cultured and knowledgeable when it comes to Hip-Hop. He used to write lyrics in his room and beatbox with his younger brother Stiff KE who is now a rapper and a music producer. His friend Andre introduced him to Ace and that’s how he joined Budhouse.

His first project from 2021 was titled ‘Streets’. and its main theme was his life as a guy raised in the streets of Eastlands and Ngara and it felt exactly like that. Outlaw is like our Kendrick Lamar to be honest; we can’t wait for y’all to hear his next project dubbed “3 on 3”.

I also took time last year to listen to the project “Double Trouble” by budding rappers Depo Dice and Alma Ras. You people have been busy in 2023. Tell us more about the duo and how this project came about.

And we are even busier this year, so many more projects and singles are dropping soon.

Depo Dice and Alma have worked together severally before the project ‘Double Trouble’. With singles like “The Syk” and “Took So Long” as well as several freestyles on YouTube, their chemistry is undeniably amazing, and it led to them working on this project together. They challenge each other in a healthy way, aiding them to release very quality music.

Kindly share with us other full projects that have been made under Bud House Music be it mixtapes, albums or even Eps (Name of the project, artist date and year of release?).

We have dropped so many projects since 2020, below is our discography not including ‘Budtape’ which is dropping on 29^th of March 2024.

• The Strain Tape – Depo Dice – 2020
• Trilogy – Depo Dice - 2020
• Medi Na Flow Tape – Depo Dice – 2021
• Climax - Ms. She – 2021
• tInY The LP – Tulia -2021
• My Bud Life – Depo Dice – 2021
• Bed of Roses – Depo Dice & King Kidd – 2021
• The Mixtape – The Don – 2021
• Guala Mixtape – Nazz Papa Afrika -2021
• Streets Mixtape – Outlaw – 2021
• In too Deep – Tulia - 2022
• Medi LP – Depo Dice -2022
• Nasty Nazz – Nazz Papa Afrika - 2022
• BTS – The Don - 2022
• Choma EP – Depo Dice - 2022
• O.S.T EP – Nazz Papa Afrika - 2023
• 23 on 23^rd – Tulia -2023
• Namedi Excess EP- Depo Dice – 2023
• Endorphins Mixtape – Outlaw -2023
• Don’t Bother Me – King Kidd – 2023

I’m happy to see that Bud House Music is also the home of the rapper, singer and song writer Tulia. How did she make the cut to work with you guys and what can we expect from her looking at how the music fraternity has accepted her so well as seen in the recent Fanisi Experiment event where she performed alongside Dyana Cods.

We are also very proud of how far she has come and are happy to see all her hard work and consistency paying off. She is the first artist to join Budhouse as she was the first to know Ace, well except from his childhood friend King Kidd.

Tulia and Dave met in the corridors of the industry in 2019, which was an year I can personally say Kenyan Music was starting to wake up again. I believe the positive vibrations spread around the industry since so many artists and producers connected and collaborated at this point. I believe it was the same for Tulia and Acemok.

Tulia is set to drop a project on her birthday which is this month on the 23^rd. Y’all make sure you stay tuned for more greatness from our queen.

How important was it to have Tulia, a female in your roster and supporting her to ensure her full potential considering we have very few female rappers in Kenya? Any other female artist affiliated to Bud House Music?

We are privileged to have such a talented femcee in our roster, I mean she is also very outgoing and is very good at forging connections in the industry thus she gets opportunities to perform at amazing platforms like Fanisi, Drill Digest, Unkut Africa and more. Over the past year she has really put our label on the map, and we cannot stress enough how important she is to us as the only female artist in the label.

We used to have a singer named Ms. She under Budhouse Music but she opted to go in another direction in her life, which we fully support since she is still our family.

I wouldn’t really say there are very few female rappers in Kenya. There has been an increase in the number of femcees and they are doing so well, some even better than male rappers. Tulia is definitely one of the best femcees in Kenya right now and we are proud to call her our own.

Before we delve into the new Bud House project kindly share with us about your music event The Budfest. What motivated you to begin this festival, challenges faced, and growth seen from the first event until the one held last year?

Budfest was created with the aim of uplifting our artists as well as other upcoming artists in the Kenyan music scene. The event is held semi-annually where fans and artists can come and enjoy live music, food and drinks at an affordable price. The event also aims to be a space where artists can network, share ideas, and eventually work together.

The challenges we have experienced so far include financial issues, low turnout, technical issues, small conflicts here and there and so on. With each Budfest we try our best to learn from our previous mistakes. I would not say we are there yet, but I guess it’s a journey. December 2023’s Budfest was the best one, since we tried to mitigate every challenge, we experienced before. There were a few hiccups here and there, but Acemok was quick to resolve them right there and then. The next Budfest will be happening on 20^th April, and we hope to see you, Micshariki there.

Let us delve into your new tape that is coming out soon, “The Bud Tape”. Tell us about it. What is the inspiration behind it?

The tape is like an introduction to our world, a pacesetter for our debut album titled ‘Into The Budlands’ that will be dropping later in the year. The tape has 22 tracks and is a blend of several genres such as Drill, Ballads, Dancehall, Arbantone, Rap and Alternative Hip Hop. It was mixed and mastered by Acemok, and he executively produced the tape alongside me Ashley Mwari, the Budhouse Music A&R. The tape is set to drop on March 29, 2024, exclusively on Boomplay and YouTube. To get a digital copy, purchase the tape on Hustlesasa for only 250/-.

Who are the producers and the artists that you people have worked on this project?

Budtape is our first project as a label; it includes all our artists including our former signee Ms. She and other artists such as King Troker, Nique Divano, Andre and Oden Magnum. The producers who blessed us with their beats include Prod. Luigi, Tunga UG and Stiff KE.

Any favorites from the album and what should your listeners expect to get from the project?

The whole mixtape is fire, I am sure our listeners will have different favorites on the project.

We are getting into the second quarter of 2024, what plans do you have for your listeners as Bud House Music?

So much good music is on the way. I can so far count about 5 projects that are in the works and even more singles and collaborations. We are always working, steadily perfecting our craft and experimenting with new sounds. You just have to stay tuned to witness this greatness.

Also as mentioned, the next Budfest will be happening on April 20 at Club Truth, which is along Thika Road Carwash Service Lane, Opposite Kastemil. Regular tickets go for 250/-, VIP goes for 500/- and it comes with a free digital copy of Budtape & VVIP goes for 1200 and it comes with a free Budhouse T-shirt.

Buy Your Tickets Here Via HustleSasa: https://budhousemusic.hustlesasa.shop/?product=44486

As we wind up kindly, let us know where we can get hold of you and your music.

Our music is mainly on Boomplay and Youtube, just search Budhouse Music or the name of any of our artists on both platforms and you shall get all our music. We are also on Hustlesasa as Budhouse Music, purchase any of our projects, they are all KES 300 and below.

Finals thoughts?

Watch this space, we are about to take over the East African Music scene.

Thanks for your time, Bud House Music…

Thank you for this amazing opportunity.