It’s one thing to release a critically acclaimed and commercially successful debut album but to do it twice is a rare feat that not few alternative Kenyan musicians can boast about. Kenyan musician, DJ and producer Blinky Bill’s debut album “Everyone’s Just Winging It and Other Fly Tales” which featured classics such as “Atenshan” and “Mungu Halali” is undoubtedly etched into the hall of fame of Kenya’s burgeoning alternative music scene. With much anticipation surrounding his next project, this begs the reflexive question of whether he can do it again as effortlessly and masterfully as before.
“Inaweza Haiwezi”, which roughly translates to “It can and it can’t” is a bold statement that sends the message to doubters communicating that if anyone can get the job done it’s Blinky who runs laps around his contemporaries by creating in a league of his own. With quips such as “ishaweza, Ishakua, mi hucheza, mi sichezi, mi hufanya vitu kali daily, niko league moja”, the song’s message borrows from classic Rap themes like self-aggrandizing anthems that’s reminiscent of songs such as Kendrick Lamar’s HUMBLE.
The song is enhanced by the video’s dynamic visuals where director Zack Adell uses a template of a magazine to signal how Blinky’s trajectory as an industry leader will continue to stir buzz and generate headlines. It’s a song and video that will certainly equip listeners with an infectious feel-goodness to silence haters just by getting the job done and by virtue of being our most authentic selves.
The highlight of the song is definitely the choice of features. If there’s one thing that we can all agree Blinky has bragging rights to is his knack for fostering intercontinental collaborations.
To enhance the song’s messaging, he enlists the artistry of other Rap heavyweights such as M.anifest and Kaligraph Jones both making moves in Ghana and Kenya respectively. His selectivity in collaborative choices is notably refreshing at a time when a large majority of fellow African acts are turning to “Western” musicians to feature on remixes for viral songs which have garnered criticism for diluting the potency of some African genres like Afropop. Hence, what “Inaweza Haiwezi” also makes clear is the assumption that there are greener pastures on the other side may be misleading. What more African acts need to do is look closer at our neighbours to yield unconventional cultural collaborations.
Watch ‘Inaweza Haiwezi’ here
This story is produced in the context of an editorial residency supported by Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, the Swiss Arts Council.
