Kambona
Kambona is an independent rapper/filmmaker from Nairobi, Kenya who is announcing his arrival in the world of Hip Hop with an unfeigned mixtape born from a shoestring budget and a relentless drive.
A dedicated student of both Cinema and Rap, Kambona’s recently released mixtape ‘MARiACHi’ draws inspiration from the iconic Robert Rodriguez indie film which goes by the same name.
As the first line of the title track implies, Kambona is a gunslinger on a budget. In his debut project, he weaves a rich tapestry of pain and pride while rapping on beats from iconic rappers and producers. In that regard Mariachi is, first, the story of a man letting go of fear and grabbing his dreams by the throat.
Welcome to Micshariki Africa kaka Kambona. First things first, who is Kambona, where are you from and what do you do with yourself?
Thank you for having me.
Kambona is an independent rapper/filmmaker from Nairobi, Kenya. When I’m not hunched over, writing raps, I’m a student of cinema. I’m ashamed to say how much time I spend studying 20th Century Cinema, but that’s who I am.
How did the name Kambona come about, what does it mean and how does it define you as an artist?
Kambona was my late father’s nickname. When I decided to start rapping I took the name to keep that connection between us, I guess. He and I were close.
Kambona how did your musical journey begin. Take us back to the beginning... Why Rap, why the Hip Hop Kulture?
My musical journey began during the covid lockdown.
I was hundreds of miles away from home in a remote town in Mombasa. I was there for work and hardly knew anyone. So I would spend my free time listening to Hip Hop and writing poems until one day I rapped out one of my poems to a 9th Wonder beat and I realized I could rap if I learned how to train my ear. It would be another two and a half years before I even entered a studio but I remember thinking…
‘This rap thing, I think I can do it!’
Which artists inspired you both in Kenya and internationally?
I have had so many influences that the answer changes every other month. I like to learn from as many rappers as my ears have time for.
That said, Abbas is someone I look up to a lot when it particularly comes to Boom Bap rap. Everything that comes out of his mouth is surgical, he never wastes a note. His delivery is another thing I admire. He doesn’t give the mic any breathing space when he is spitting, so his voice fills out a song so nicely.
Internationally, I was drawn to JID and Denzel Curry a lot. JID is one of the best rappers of his class because he can rap on anything. Even a ballad! Denzel’s energy is second to none. He made me want to be a rapper probably more than anyone else. I relate to his explosiveness.
What about the first time you entered the booth, how was your experience like? What song did you record and how did your fans receive it?
I was nervous as hell.
We had the beat playing in a loop for about 20 minutes but I still hadn’t found an opening. Then the producer started throwing words at me to get me going. Eventually he tossed the word ‘open’ and the first verse of “Sesame Open” just started coming out of my fingertips.
The first girl I ever played “Sesame Open” to said the Luo sounded sexy. I took it!
Growing up in your musical career, what do you believe would make you different make you stand out from your peers?
I think everyone is, by default, different.
What stands out for me is probably my filmmaking. I hope to develop as an artist who uses film as a way of engaging with his fan base. That means short films, video essays and documentaries. It takes time and resources to do it but with the right team, it is possible.
What inspires your writing style and the content that rap about?
My life is the main inspiration for what I write.
We live in a very sensitive era where the whole idea of freedom of speech is being challenged time and time again so I try to be careful about being too loud with my social commentary. I believe in looking inwardly before pointing at society. So I’m inspired by reality first and foremost.
Apart from rapping. I am aware that you are a filmmaker. Does this in anyway influence the creativity of your music?
No doubt.
Even when I rap, I see my thoughts in pictures. This has always been because of the thousands of hours I have spent watching cinema. It is like my third eye has developed a directing style.
What is your creative process like when you music?
It changes from song to song.
Some songs I will write there and then in the studio because I have so much I want to say. Other songs I will write a chorus then sit on it for a while before deciding what direction to take with the verse. And other songs I just write like poems.
“MARiACHi”, tell us about this mixtape? Who were producers and artists that you worked with on this project? Why is it called MARiACHi, what is the name all about and what does it signify?
MARiACHi is a mixtape inspired by an old Robert Rodriguez Film called ‘El Mariachi’.
The film is celebrated in Indie lore as a low budget classic. I feel like I recorded the mix tape with the same energy Robert Rodriguez did the movie. I had been trying to work with a few producers to make beats but I soon learned that they were not real Hip Hop heads. So what they made ended up sounding a little jaded for my taste. So I had an expensive taste and empty pockets.
That’s how the idea to record a mix tape with the few iconic beats that came to me came a boy. It was out of necessity so I could rap on beats I enjoyed rapping to while looking for Hip Hop producers who really love Hip Hop.
What is your favorite song in the Mixtape?
Has to be the title track, “Mariachi”.
I was really angry when I wrote it. Angry at how difficult it is to find producers who love Hip Hop. Angry at being overlooked. Angry at myself…
And it all managed to find its way to the song. The first time something like that had happened to me with a song.
What inspired you to do a Mixtape instead of maybe an EP or album? What did you target to achieve with the release of this Mixtape?
‘The Mixtape’ is a cornerstone of Hip Hop Kulture…
Many of my favorite artists started with mixtapes because when no one knows who you are, a mixtape gives you a chance to show the love you have for Hip Hop. It’s that love that your fans first connect with. I’m a Hip Hop fan making Hip Hop music for other fans like me.
The goal of the mixtape is to make a project that is respected by Hip Hop fans.
What messages do you want your listeners to take from this project?
You can decide to change your life if you have the will to act.
One thing I got from listening to your project is that you are a tri-lingual emcee when it comes to rapping. How does this bring the best of you being able to flow flawlessly in these languages?
I feel like it's actually a cheat code.
When you are able to flow in 3 different languages, you have that much more vocabulary at your disposal. First, it makes my writing process much quicker and then, yes, it makes my flow dynamic because every one of those languages has a tone and texture to how it sounds. Luo especially.
What more can we look forward to from you this year after dropping your mixtape?
I have started work on ‘MARiACHi II’
I still have unfinished business in the mixtape world.
‘Martian Flow’ is your first music video. You also happen to be the director. What is it like directing yourself?
Exhausting.
Normally when directing I get to look at everything in a bird's eye view. But when filming ‘Martian Flow’ I just couldn’t see past my own performance. So I would second guess myself a lot. I’ve definitely learnt my lessons from this first music video.
Which East African Rapper would you love to work with?
Fid Q! Kaka Mubaya! I met him once a few years ago and he was everything I hoped he would be! A legend.
Which East African Producer would you love to work with?
Provoke. Hip Hop runs through his blood. He really gets it!
What would you like to share with us about yourself that I might not have asked you?
I would just like to thank everyone who has interacted with my music so far. When my manager and I began this journey we had a goal of getting Kambona’s music to an appreciative audience. I am happy I lived to see the day.
I don’t take it for granted.
Kindly share with us your social media and dps links where our readers can get in touch with you and your music...
X: https://twitter.com/KambonaOfficial
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KambonaOfficial
Website: https://www.kambonamusic.online/
Thank you for your time kaka Kambona, keep winning.
‘Kaka Kambona’ has a nice ring to it. I like it!
