As if I'm a new artist, number one.
My biggest concern as an artist would be to create leverage as
the music industry. As the music industry shifts and
evolves, you have to find pockets that are real.
Like like for example, if you really curate your fan base and
like Ross, Ross is the other example.
Whenever Russ steps out he pulls like 10,020 thousand people,
30,000 people for his shows and he makes enough money for that.
What's up guys? And welcome to episode 107 of
the 30% Podcast, the show where 2 music producers take on the
Kenyan music industry, give you our opinions on music from the
week and then top it off by trying to be wise at the end.
I go by Alpha Bethena, my Co host goes by Sam Arrange the
Dyer and together we are the 30% Pod Boys.
Sam, what's up? What's up?
What's going? On Sam I.
Don't know what you're what you're doing.
The intro. I'm doing an intro.
Sherman have a blast. That's.
How are you, Sam? The people want to know what is
some feeling in the moment. You speak for the people I am
feeling. I, I, how am I feeling?
I don't know. I'm all right.
Are you feeling? Are you feeling irey?
I'm guessing irey is is a fancy way of saying all right.
I think so it. Sounds like doesn't it just
sounds like. Sam, are you feeling?
Are you OK? Sam, what's happening?
You're skirting around this question like I'm beginning to
be worried. I'm good.
OK. You're fine.
OK. That's good.
This.
I just this part is always so
awkward. Are you asking me Why Are you
asking me how I'm doing? Because it's you see, The thing
is, it's not about me, because I know you're doing fine, but it's
about the people. The people want to know how is
Sam doing they. Don't want to hear what I'm
talking about is how my how is my do they don't care about my
health. Yes, yes, they do.
Why you just excuse me, shambles.
That's what they care. No, no, no.
Why? Why are you putting mouth mouths
in their words? Why are you putting words in
their mouth? Some.
Oh man, anyway, putting words in their ears.
I shall ask myself how I'm doing, which unless you want to
ask me how I'm doing. Yo, man.
Oh, this is crazy. OK, All right, Afam, how are you
doing? How is your health?
How's your mental? How's your family, you know?
Thank you. So thank you so much for asking.
I think that's very, very consider considerate of you.
And I would say I am doing fine. I'm doing OK.
You know, my health is fine. I'm doing fine.
Have this week was a blur. Yeah, nothing too crazy to
report on. Like on my end, I can just say I
am living. I am living life.
Living life. Yes, I'm living life, Sam.
So what's going on? I feel like listen guys, this is
a music industry podcast and yes, we do focus on Kenyan music
industry news. That's always number one.
But sometimes in the the music industry environment, in the
music industry universe, things happen which just kind of break
boundaries and have to be talked about because ultimately they
could potentially affect the music industry as a whole, even
if they didn't necessarily occur in your localized music industry
space. And what I am alluding to is the
bombastic bombshell. Like it was provocative.
It was everybody was in the meltdown.
Like, Oh my God, he actually sued UMG.
And by he, I mean Jake Sam. What?
Where were you when it happened?
You know how like, you know how like when something significant
in the world happens and then somebody's like, where were you
when it happened? Oh bro.
OK, OK. To be serious, how did you like?
No. Yeah.
So or should I? OK.
No, it's cool. I mean, let me let.
Me. OK, go ahead.
Let's continue. UMGUMG and district First of
all, let's start by saying this is just not great timing from
Drake, but anyhow, it's he chose the most disastrous PR time to
possibly and it's not a suit. Let's start there.
At least from what we're here, it's a.
Pre, it's a pre trial. Yeah, it's a petition.
So essentially what what it is
is Drake is Drake Drake. I mean, there are many ways to
spin it, but then Drake is basically saying, hey guys, I
smell, I smell a rat. I smell something fishy here.
However, I don't have all the evidence to properly throw in
like an actual suit. So I want the courts to compel
y'all to tell UMG to show us the documents and show us, you know,
all the to show us the receipts so that now I can.
Yeah. So now I can properly sue you.
So that's essentially what it is.
It's not necessarily a suit. Both of them, actually the
except. Wait, so he dropped two.
There's the first one to UMG and then there's the second. 1,
they're both to EMG, but the first one, I believe he filed it
in New York. The second one, I believe he
filed it in Texas. I don't know what the
significance of doing that is. Yeah, I think the second one,
like the second one is more about payola and how they've
been paying like entities like iHeartRadio to like inflate the
song and all that type of stuff. The first one was more really
about how they've been using bots and artificially inflating
the song and like people saying, Hey Siri, play me this song and
then all of a sudden Not like Us is playing.
Oh my gosh, I said, Hey, Siri on my phone, bro, please stop.
Anyway, So yeah, that's, that's essentially what I gather.
So for the first suit, essentially like the reason why
this is very, very important is he has a few claims here that
are crazy. 1 is that Spotify were or rather Spotify and UMG
came to the conclusion that they would reduce the licensing for
the track, not like us by 30%. And therefore Spotify would be
happy, very happy, because now they, they're paying 30% less
than they usually pay for music to stream it and upstream it and
put it everywhere on their platform so that it does better
than it, it should. Now, Sam, are you surprised by
this, that these entities with so much integrity there, some
like they, they are like they, they are, they are.
What do you call them? They uphold every penis.
The highest of moral standards. Exactly.
Are you surprised that this is happening?
In the industry said some nonsense What did they say in
their their response to the suit they said that they they could
never engage in in. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
That was hilarious. I actually think that was
hilarious. That's like a joke.
Let's comedy talk about we could never engage.
So all right, so here's the thing.
Now, now this gets this gets polarizing there.
OK, The the reason that this whole thing is very polarizing
is just because of what it's coming off.
It's coming off of beef that everyone thinks Drake lost.
I. Think so.
He definitely lost. I think it's the prevailing
agreement. That he lost yeah, well, no, go
ahead. There's some there's some of
your of your fans on Twitter who are very adamant that that
Kendrick lost by a land by a mile, but delusional.
Yeah. So everyone thinks everyone,
many people feel like Drake Drake lost the battle.
So they feel like he's Drake Drake has always had and this is
just the beef part. We'll this is like the least
part. We'll get over this and then get
to the real. But it's somehow attached.
Everyone feels like Drake Drake has a is a little bit of a, for
lack of better words. They call him a Karen, right?
Like he's a cosplayer in the industry.
That's what they call him. So I feel like he lost and this
is him just being a baby about it and seeing because the, the,
the, the, the, the thought is that would he have still made
the suit or gone against UMG if this whole him versus Kendrick
thing didn't go the way it went? So that's that.
So the timing is crazy for his for his PR.
But then in terms of what the actual suit is talking about,
there's so many ways that you can spin it.
First off, there's an argument that and I actually want to find
out from you because I'm interested because I know you're
a Jake fan. What do you think about the
people who are saying that everything he's seeing Kendrick
off, he's benefited from? It's true, but you see, that's
the thing. UMG not Kendrick UMG.
Yeah, yeah. So you see, UMG can't like
obviously Drake benefits from all this like tactics.
Of course he does. But you see, The thing is EMG
can't say, well, you also benefit from the same because
then they would be implicating themselves in doing these
tactics in the past. So that's where they're they
kind of their lips are sealed for me, I think.
Well, one, I feel like there's also a little bit of politics
here because Jake is, I think he's about to renegotiate his
contract with UMG. So these are games being played.
Apparently they're, they're trying to insinuate that UMG
have they? They, they really went out of
their way to make Kendrick win so that they could depreciate
Drakes value, therefore low balling him for his next deal.
In his previous deal, it's always been reported that he was
given like $400 million and apparently now he's asking for
like 600 and then renegotiation or something.
I don't know what he's asking for.
He's probably asking for some crazy number, right?
And that China like, you know, that because of the
renegotiation is coming, is coming around.
They're trying to like depreciate his value some of
those games. And I think Drake on the other
hand, is trying to get away from UMG.
So they're kind of saying that this is him just trying to like
break up that relationship as well.
So what this opens Jake up to though is, is something similar
to like what happened to Diddy because it always starts with
you trying to take down a big dog because UMG is not a small
fish. UMG is backed by like so many
higher powers. Like you'll just do your Googles
and see who owns UMG and the findings will be very, very
interesting. And those entities that own
things like the UMG label poof money just it's just very paid
individual. So I think Jake should be
careful because this might like result into like a takedown from
him. I've already seen things
trending online about oh, like Drake is behind XXX Tentacion's
death and all those things are starting to come back around.
And these are games. All these things are games like
people like people like, because EMG can't say that angle of
like, oh, even Drake has benefit.
They can't use that because that will also implicate them.
So now they're going to be dirty and like bring up any that they
can find on Drake. And I think I think Drake has a
lot of that under the cover. I think he's also offended and
been very arrogant in his tenure.
So he's not in a good position. He has very few friends.
But let's not make this about Drake and whatever.
I think the main reason as to why we wanted to bring this up
is what are the implications like on us or like what can we
take from this? Like even us in our Kenyan music
industry. And for one, I think the biggest
one is the music industry is such a load of bullshit.
Like it's all such games and like inflating numbers and
paying off radio radio and doing all this type of stuff.
That's what it is like. And Drake is whistle blowing it
right. And he's doing it like to be
petty, but what he's doing, what he's saying about the music
industry is true. Like Sam, do you disagree with
that? Like, the reasons as to why he's
bringing it up is petty. And honestly, I think it's
distasteful. But what he's saying is true
about the industry, like using bots, brokering deals, which is
essentially inside the trading with Spotify, like manipulating
the value of what a stream is like and all that type of shit.
Like it's, it's such bullshit. And it's the reason why people
like us in Kenya, our stream is worth nothing.
Because all these people, they are the ones who control how
much the value of a stream is, how much, you know what I mean?
Like every like it's like they create the rules and that's so
frustrating. Like imagine, imagine Spotify
and UMG deciding how much the value of a stream is and that
ends up paying themselves. I don't know if like it's like
the game is already rigged from from the jump, right?
The music industry is just a game and it's just like we are
all just pawns and it's you feel lost in this thing.
And I don't know that for me, that's the big my biggest take
away is like succeed in the music industry.
You might have to just play the game.
You don't have to play the game and it's dirty and it's, it's
it's insanely like, you know how like Steph Capella was always
talking about payola and all that type of shit, Bro, you have
to pay the game, play the game. Anyway, Sam, you what do you
think? What's your like take away from
all this and like how it affects us as as Kenyan artists in the
Kenyan music industry? I mean, even before, before we
get there, I feel like it's the right message again, it's the
right message. I feel like it's the right
message, wrong messenger. But someone's right message
wrong, right? There are not many artists who
have done who have as much leverage as Drake has, right?
If we're naming like a couple, probably what Drake, Taylor
Swift, maybe Kanye. But Kanye doesn't care about
labels anymore. He's doing whatever he wants to
do. There are very few artists in
that on that level rather so if there's anyone who would at
least make some noise because it was like a smaller artist, this
will have been this story would have been like buried long
before it came out. It wouldn't make it wouldn't
make way. Exactly.
But because it's him and the timing of it is also bringing
like more light to it. You know, it's it's interesting.
Now one thing we're going to and this happens in all industries.
It happens. In fact, there are probably
stories of the Kenyan industry where people have disagreed with
the gatekeepers, disagreed with the people who own, who have
relation the important relationships with radio and
distribution and all that. And then the the career has gone
quiet. Drake is doing something very
difficult because it could end up in two ways. 1, he could, he
could probably realize that he's just a pawn and as much as he
controls, he has like a huge market share in music or less
some decent amount of market chain music.
The music industry is way bigger than he is.
And so then that ends up being fight for nothing because
they're just going to write. You don't want to agree with us.
You don't step in line like you said and they will decide
they're not going to step in line.
They usually kick to the club. But do you find do you find it
interesting that an artist as big as Kendrick needs to rely on
bots? So now it gets a very
interesting conversation because an artist as big as Kendrick
shouldn't have to rely on bots. I feel like the music industry
has created a a framework of what's successful right from the
the simple determining the worth of a stream to like to like
determining how much of how much music, how much your music has
to how sorry, how successful your music has to be before it
moves whatever needle they wanted to move.
And so in in doing that, they've sort of created the environment
that, OK, for us to actually feel like we're successful, your
music has to do this much. And artists are not doing, I
mean music consumption, consumption in general is
declining. I think so.
And so for artists to do the numbers that they want them to
do or that would be successful, they have, I mean, if you really
think about it, it's weird. So they're allegedly bought in
the the streams and like what you said in the beginning,
they're bought in the stream so they can play.
It's almost an infinite money glitch so that they can pay
themselves and. Imagine not.
See how crazy that is? It's so weird.
But yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's sad, unfortunately, because who
suffers is the artist suffer. I mean, I would really love to
see the industry without bots. Like AFAM, can you just believe
like what if we went on to Spotify and we took off, took
off all the. Bottom embarrassing.
It would be embarrassing. Yeah.
Don't like don't person doing and listen.
And it's crazy. It's crazy because like right
now artists are struggling like if an artist cracks 300K first
week, if an artist does 200 K first week, we are like, you
know, you, you are you're, you're up there.
You know what I mean? Like, like and and back in the
day that never used to be the case because back in the day
people used to do 1,000,000, like whatever and like and those
are just regular. Not too far.
They weren't regular, Yeah, they weren't regular people.
But like, they could do it now if you even crack 250.
It's successful. It's crazy.
Whatever and that is with streams, which you don't even
know how legitimate they're in the 1st place.
So what are they? What are we really talking about
here? Are we talking about 100K?
You know, somebody does like what's, what's the ratio of real
to fake streams? Is it 5050?
It could be, but I wouldn't put it past any of these people,
man. I mean, if you go on like and if
you go on like Instagram and the the correlation to that would be
like how many of all the top followed accounts on Instagram,
how many of those are bots? You know the comments and the
likes. It's all it's all mirrors and
smoke and. So Sam, you're a new artist,
you're a new artist, You're seeing all this happening.
What are you taking? What's your take away from this?
Well, the first thing is the only reason.
Well, OK, UMG. Just to add to that, like just
to add, because things like payola, like as much as it's
frowned upon, it's very much a thing.
So do you partake? I just expanded my question.
Do you partake in the in what everyone else is doing in the
music industry or do you stay streamlined and just hope that
your music pops off organically? But I feel like the word organic
doesn't have any standing in the music.
Industry. No such thing.
So yeah, that's just my, that's my entire question.
Yeah, So the whole problem is that music has moved on to tech
now. And so that's what makes it a
little bit different. So the streamers, and I mean the
streaming is a tech game. The even the music labels at
this point that they're playing the tech game as if I'm a new
artist. Number one, my biggest concern
as an artist would be to create leverage as the music industry,
as the music industry shifts and evolves, you have to find
pockets that are real. Like like for example, if you
really curate your fan base and like Russ, Russ is the other
example. Whenever Russ steps out, he
pulls like 10,020 thousand people, 30,000 people for his
shows and he makes enough money for that from that to he's not
worried about streams. That's why he can just release.
He releases music on and on and on and on.
But then his focus is to create, have enough so that when he
steps out into a show, he he pulls enough people who are
paying for him and the return from that is greater than the
return from a stream. So leverages.
So are you? Trying to say so are you trying
to say that in today's age, like a new artist should be trying to
go against the status quo, which is streaming and doing things in
real life? So are you saying we should
bring back like CDs and cassette tapes and try and like if, if
like let's say an artist is able to sell 5000 CDs in in, in the
first week of them releasing music, Is there more value in
that than selling 60,000 or doing 60,000 streams first week
or no doing 60,000 like in, you know, the conventional way, the
way they counted first week? Well, partly, yes.
There's value in that. As an artist, you have to figure
out a different way to make money streaming it.
I mean, the primary way of counting numbers is always going
to be there. So streaming is and looking at
those numbers is always good because they need, we need a, a
reference point for things, right.
But then as, as an artist here, you just have to, you have to
figure out other ways of making money that outside of the
streaming. Now you have to go against that.
Like outside of streaming, fine, yeah.
Play towards Spotify and ensure that they put you on playlists
and whatnot but then also curate like a proper fan base and your
people who think. About it, Sam, imagine if you,
if you're an artist and you price your CD at 1000 Bob and
you sell a hundred of them in one week, that's 100K.
Yeah, speaking about that, what's his name?
What's his name? Mordecai Dex.
He released a project recently and haven't gotten got into it
yet. But then he he didn't drop it on
streaming. It's, it's on like it's, you
have to buy it from like one of these shops.
I think it's hostel or something like that, which I saw and I was
like super, super cool because he's been teasing it for a while
on TikTok and like platforms and he's like he's dropped something
is you can't just get it on streaming.
That's cool. Like that's, that's what artists
should be doing. And for artists here locally,
like even though they used to do it back then, but I feel like
it's it's slowed down where even though you read your stuff on
your your music on streaming, you also have links to it in
like the local electronic shops. And that's the problem.
Direct since especially since we don't have like, you know, like
if it's AUMG, then the label will force you to direct it to
where they want to direct. But here most artists are
independent, even the labels operate as independent labels,
right. So, yeah.
So as an artist, you really can direct your fans to wherever you
get. You need to get wherever you can
get that money from. That just helps you build
leverage. Leverage is super important in
the industry. If you don't have any leverage,
your contracts will be terrible. People will use you.
And it's an unapologetic, the music industry doesn't care
about nobody, man. Like it's a, it's an, it's a
very, very, very ruthless industry.
Very ruthless. So.
Yeah. But I think what people are
doing is they're trying to create that leverage using this
tech means that are not above board like essentially like
botting. You know, I know a lot of, like,
underground artists will use bots.
And then they'll say, yeah, look, I have a million monthly
listeners. Shooting yourself in the.
Footage, a lot of it is a lot of it is boted and bro, you know,
these people can check the back end, but that's what a lot of
people try and use as leverage, you know, which doesn't work.
So I guess, I guess then the the the answer is to create like a
real demand for your music. But do something unique.
Do something. But but you see now The thing is
you're, are you sacrificing being mainstream over over at
least having a little bit of rich financial security, which I
think I think is better to have financial security than being
mainstream. Because, you know, there are
artists who are not mainstream at all, but they can survive off
their art because let's say they have 500 people who will always
pay for like their merchandise and their music.
And that's fine for them. Like they don't even want to be
mainstream because bro, the people we have you're competing
against have them like Drake and Kendrick and all these guys have
the machine behind them. Like you're not gonna.
This is not even the machine. This is like the machinist of
all machines. Because there's label.
There's no more artists who have a machine behind them and don't
release a label. I mean, don't release an album.
The machine goes to work for them.
And the buttons are pressed. Very tiny buttons, very tiny,
less, less shiny buttons. But then those buttons are
pressed and then music just starts moving.
But then like on Drake's and Kendrick's and Drake and
Kendrick's level, like that's just like the whole of UMG.
Like it's AI mean? There's a machine.
It's a, it's a, that specific situation is huge because, I
mean, it's, it's gone past just music.
It's now more culture. Exactly.
And so the label looks at it as a more valuable thing just
because it moves more. So what?
So to the people who are listening to this, I just want
you guys to know, always be skeptical on everything that you
see. I remember there's a few
podcasts ago where like we were talking about, I kind of hinted
at, Oh yeah, the boom play numbers and stuff like that.
Maybe I wouldn't take them to. Let me just tell you guys, if
you see all these lists and you see numbers and you're like, oh,
this person is doing 30 million, they're abroad.
Trust me. Then like if you think only
only, if you think the only Drake and Kendrick manufacturing
these numbers and using bots, you'd be sorely surprised to
find out that this game is being played even more rampantly in
our industries because I think there's less like monitoring.
Of the situation. You know, so people, this is
the, this is the Wild West like, like everyone is just like
moving mad. So all these things and numbers
easily manipulated easily like you can, you can create and, and
some people might be it as smart because if you, if you create
like a facade and you'll use that as leverage and then get
like an actual deal or an actual paycheck out of it, then you
finish the system in some way. You know what I mean?
Like if you, if you make it seem like you have 100,000 monthly
listeners and then you approach like, let's say like shows and
stuff and you're like, yo listen, these are my numbers.
This is what I'm doing, you know, like you all should just
like just that I can, I can bring like, you know, but I can
bring value to the table. Then I guess that's what a lot
of people do and some people are successful of it.
It's just embarrassing when you can show when you you, you claim
to have a bunch of streams and then when you do shows and
stuff. Yeah, and then it doesn't
translate. And that happens.
It does not translate. That happens.
Yeah, it happens more than you would think.
It happens more than you. I, I saw, I saw I was listening
to some podcast where some guy was talking about how it happens
like even in the highest of levels, like even with people
like Young Thug, like, and why he had to downsize, like the
venues he was performing at. And I was like, what?
Even Young Thug? I thought everyone loves Young
Thug. Hey, listen, it's like, yeah,
it's crazy. It's crazy for me.
I think my biggest take away is, and even I think I need to
implement this in my own like musical journey is trying to
create like a real and tangible fan base and actual people be
invested in the music. Because you can get very, very
sucked into the world of trying to like show that you have
numbers. Anything that's numbers based,
trust me, it's been tampered with.
For the most, anyway. Yeah, pressed everybody
involved. For the most part.
I mean an interesting. As you but.
No, just as no. Did you have anything else on
this? No, no, I'm just going to say
I'm interested to see how it turns out.
This is a very, very huge case and very, very important for the
music industry. Like, like a lot is going to be,
a lot is going to happen with this case with how it goes.
So it's just something that we have to report on because I
think the the ramifications of what comes out of it will even
impact us over here. And so it's important to pay
attention, to feel like. UMG are going to find their way
around it. Honestly.
They're too big of a machine. They're too big of a machine.
UMG is not even as much as we're looking as artists, we're
looking at UMG are like, OK, they're, they have the, the
largest market share in terms of music and they're the big dogs.
There's people in a boardroom somewhere looking at UMG as
their least their least profitable asset.
So yes. Exactly like like the people who
like the people who have like this high stakes in the UMG.
Just do your Google. It's not hard.
You'll find them. Kanye West always runs about all
these things. But that's the thing about Kanye
West, he always runs and then he'll name drop someone and
like, who is that person? And then you Google them a bit
and you'll be like, oh, this is the person who owns the company
that owns UMG and you're. Like wow.
And those are the people who wants to fight.
Those are the people who wants to fight against.
I feel like artists like Drake and Taylor Swift and then
probably feel like they have they have enough leverage to to
bypass the. Nope.
Y'all are pawns. These people know that if they
just, if they just, they just, you know what?
They turn it down a little bit. Y'all are finished out here like
they can. They can tamper with Taylor and
Drake's like numbers easily if they wanted to.
Yeah, Anyway, listen, we'll keep, we'll keep an eye on an
eye out for that. Drake, though.
Drake. Drake needs to go sit down
somewhere. He needs to.
He needs to take a break. Yeah, that was not very hip hop
of him. He needs to take a break man.
You can't get suited because you can't go this thing and then say
everything you said and then y'all are fighting and then you
go crying. Yeah, it's actually
embarrassing. As a hip hop person, you have to
just take it on the you have to take that.
L man, you have to take that L and you did the same thing to
him. Well, not not people say it's
not as bad, but then you also like it's still deformation.
You could see for deformation also, so it's kind of crazy.
He did the same thing, essentially, yeah.
But Speaking of else, tell me what's happening with our shows
right now because it's not looking good, bro.
It's not looking good. I mean, I mean, the way is one
of the ways you can make leverage as an artist is is
through your live shows. Uncle Waffles is originally
Uncle Waffles. Uncle Uncle Waffles was recently
in Kenya. Why are you laughing at Uncle
Waffles? No, it's that her name.
She, we, we need to do like a draft of the, the the my
favorite artist names. Uncle Waffles.
It has to be up there. Just call it yourself.
Uncle Waffles. For me as a female DJ, he's just
like, it's it's. See, it's like, it's like a,
it's like a male DJ going by Auntie pancakes auntie or
something. That's no, that's.
Anti pancakes is. Yeah, it's like it's
provocative. It's like, why did you choose
to? No, no, no.
But no. A female DJ being called Uncle
Waffles is more productive, pro provocative than than a male
being called anti pancakes. No Uncle Waffles.
I can tell because that that's that's bold, that's bold, that's
a bit it's a bit brash and out there anti pancakes is not is
not not much anyway. So she was so I mean so she's a
DJ mostly I'm a piano stuff right.
She's kind of big in South Africa and she's been hopping
around playing for her fans. So she came here wore to her
thinking that you'll have a great time.
Maybe she did. No one knows.
However, they did their thing. The event organizers did what we
expected them to do exactly to the tee.
In fact, this time they went a little bit further because it
turns out that a couple of people left a tear gas in their
eyes and just hating their hearts.
So, I mean, she had a show from from what you know, she had a
show and it wasn't organized properly.
It got a little bit a little bit what how do you, how do you put
it? It got a bit scrappy, a bit
disorganized, I guess, for lack of a better word, and people end
up running around stampedes and police and law enforcers.
And then apparently she only performed for like half an hour
or something of the sort. So very disappointing.
They said there were like 10,000 people who.
Showed up for her show Who? Who showed up?
Which man, that's that's that's a huge disappointment.
And she released a statement where she says I'm extremely
disappointed and shattered. By the way, the For the Love of
I'm a Piano handled this event, which is something I have been
looking forward to for a while. From sound issues even before my
performance to my team being mishandled, this wasn't
something I expected at all. What is what?
What has disappointed me most though is how my Kenyan
supporters were treated by the organizers and security at the
event. People were pushed around,
mishandled and threatened with the least amount of care.
And that is something I will not stand for the safety and
well-being of people who come out to support me and this genre
is my top priority. And I could not play my set any
longer while people were visibly uncomfortable and at risk of
getting hurt. You can read the rest of her
statement on her social media. But I'm really disappointed
because OK, yes, the safety aspect for one.
But even sound bro, like even the event that had Lauryn Hill,
that was a huge issue as well. The the sound like how are we
still not able to figure out some of these basic things in
twins? So it's like you force like the
it's like the Kenyan government, they never learned it was
raining earlier in the year and it just rained recently and
there's still floods. I just, I don't know why people
just. Don't.
Nobody learns from the past. Yeah, I saw someone saying and
it's so true. Like if Kenya had like, like
really bad weather, like if we had tornadoes and storms and all
that type of shit, we would be so.
True, if you had, this would be. So unprepared for that shit.
And it's just like, it's just like bro, like you have an event
that goes so bad, like bro, boys to men.
Remember we talked about boys to men a lot last year.
Like that happens a year ago. Surely we're we're learning from
our like mistakes, right Do. You know, you know what, you
know what I feel like, I feel like I feel like there's a few
problems here. First off, I just want to say
this is a perfect opportunity for someone who wants to get to
that someone. Let's be that someone.
To just get in, let's go. Go, let's go.
Let's be that someone. Yeah, it could be that someone
this is no, and I'm being, I'm being for real like, like this
is certain opportunity for someone who like is who really.
And there's a lot of people who are amplifying the voices of
like live music out there. There's a lot of, I feel like
there's people are moving very individually and there's few,
there are few individuals who want to profit off the, the live
scene like that and they, it doesn't seem like they really
care much. But it's going to be.
Hard just. Again, this is just my it's.
Going to be hard because I know what's going to happen.
Seem like they care much. Who have held like, I'm not
going to say any names, but the people who are known to provide
a lot of live sound and, and all that's like stage setup
situation. And all those people you think
they're going to like go down without swinging, they're going
to find ways to sabotage or the new the new people in the space,
because that's just how that's the problem with our industry.
Do you know what, Sam? That's the problem with our
industry. Our industry is the people at
the top make it impossible for new things to like to like
thrive. And that, I'm sorry, it just has
to be said, even with artists, that happens all the fucking
time. And that's what would happen
like in this space as well. And that's why our industry does
not grow because like these older acts who have, and by
acts, I mean like even the people who have provided these
services from time or the artists and stuff like that,
they want to remain in power. They want to be the ones getting
all these contracts and all this money.
And they they, that's just how it is.
It is, but I I guess so somehow the international, the
international shows keep doing badly.
But then in terms of the local shows, we at least have a little
bit of successes over the weekend.
There was a few, There were a few a few ones that kicked off
Blinky Bills. I had very, very good things.
I wasn't able to go, but I had very good things about Blinky
Bills show and his performance and that went absolutely
fantastic. According to what folks are
saying. That was great.
I saw one what under Wheelie outside also there there.
This is cool. See, I like what they're doing.
I like what they're doing and we keep talking about it like
they're pushing this is like a post post release for the album.
So they drop the release, the job, sorry, the job, the project
on wherever you want to get it digitally and everything.
But then they're still on ground pushing and creating connections
between the themselves, the album and their fans.
And it just helps like it, it gives the the the project more
legs, which is really cool, I think, which is really cool.
So, so yeah, they've been outside doing a bunch of shows.
They've they've done a whole bunch now, like more listening
album launches. So yeah, I mean shout to them.
Also, so just give me the light and pass the jaw.
I saw that, Sean Paul. Who's that again?
No, I'm not going to do that. I've done it.
Once it's there, it's gonna be there forever.
So anyway, Sean Paul also performed.
I saw Red Sun was on the ticket as well.
Yeah. Did I see good things?
I saw mixed. Mixed reviews.
I'm not gonna lie, but yo, it's show season, man.
Everyone is performing. It is crazy.
December Share rehearses on everyone.
Yes, Sir. So let's go shout out to shout
out to everyone out there who is planning a show.
Yeah. But but guys, let's not be,
let's not be tear gassing like event goers like that.
Like, honestly, people are going out there to have a good time.
Like, what are we? Yeah, it's not Mandamano.
Let's not, let's not like, bro, there's no stampedes, no
situations where people should feel like panic, you know what I
mean? Like, we don't want that.
You're supposed to be in a show to experience good music and
have good vibes, right? So let's do better, man, because
shows are a big part of the music industry, and we need them
to, you know, Yeah. Yeah, yeah, for sure.
I just need them. Speaking of shows, so we I just
wanted to highlight highlight something.
I mean, I don't know why I'm highlighting the specific one,
but because I carrying announce, announce her first toy in
America, which is she has four dates today, actually, no,
yesterday, December 1st. And then she has three more
dates in December. She's going to Seattle, WA and
Boston and Atlanta. Atlanta was the one that has
passed. So she's going to go to Seattle.
Yeah. Interesting, Interesting.
Sorry, go ahead. Yeah.
So I mean, that's cool. That's cool.
We love to see it. We had we had talked about it
earlier when I think it was Nashinsky was going out there
and then he's he he wasn't able to go out with his whole team
because of the whole visa visa issue.
Unfortunately, unfortunately we have to report on that again,
Sophie Anzar is the latest victim to visa was and she was
also planning to to go out to the States, which is where her
music really puffed up popped not puffed up popped up with
Marky. So that would have been really
cool to see her out there. But unfortunately we have to
announce that she was was it was she denied visas She.
Yeah, she said she couldn't get the visa.
Yeah, which is kind of crazy, man.
It's, it's unfortunate. So I did a little bit of a deep
dive because I, I wanted to find out how this actually works.
And from now, of course from this, this will just be the
United States. I'm sure different countries
have their different entry requirements.
But then there's a form, not a form.
There's a visa that specifically that works specifically for
artists, which is called the P2, the P2 visa, individual
performer rights, whatever. So there are a couple of
criteria now when I was, when I was reading it and just doing a
little bit of research, we're kind of cooked.
Why? We are cooked because so it says
that the classification P2 classification applies to you if
you're if you're coming temporarily to perform as an
artist or entertainer individually or part of a group
who will perform under a reciprocal exchange program
between an organization in the United States and an
organization in the United States and an organization with
another country. And then it says the eligibility
you must be an artist entering the United States through a
government recognized reciprocal exchange program.
Right there, man, right there. We're cooked because Kenya's
government doesn't seem to care about artists enough to to
figure this out. So, and then that shows the, the
process and everything you need. But then it seems like it seems
like this for you to get this visa, there has to be some sort
of a, a covering in terms of the artist board or you have to
belong to some sort of artist board for you to be able to get
like the specific visa, which is the the one legal way you can go
about getting visas unless you just apply and then figure it
out in that way. It's sad, man.
And of course, I don't know the full details.
I'm actually really interested because this is this is
important stuff if you want to plan tours to the US.
Hopefully Nikita wouldn't. She's probably already over
there so she doesn't have to go through this.
But yeah, man, I don't know. I mean, I really don't know.
I've yeah, that's we keep going through the same thing and it's
just making with from from the concert wars to to people being
denied visas going out. It just starts making makes the
Kenyan industry look like such an amateur place.
That's because it is. It's amateur hour over here man,
so, well, it has to be said, a lot of the like.
It's kind of crazy. To be honest, some the thing
that you said about seeing, you know, some people might see this
as a problem, other people might see this as an opportunity.
There's actually a lot that needs to be done and there's a
lot of opportunity to do these things.
So hey, if you're invested, if you're listening to this podcast
right now and you have an idea and you think, ah, somebody has
probably thought of it already, Probably not, Probably not.
Like there's a lot that's lacking with our industry.
So yeah, also in the tour circuit, it looks like Ben Sol
is also going to be doing a show in Australia or a bunch of
shows. I saw he.
Going to go meet Drake over there.
Yeah, I saw. Yeah, I saw the Anita Max win
tour. Anyway, I'm so sorry, guys.
I'm so sorry, yeah I saw he announced like a 30% discount on
Black Friday for his tickets for Australia.
So yo, if you are in Australia this is between 6th and 14th.
Go support the boy band Soul Man.
So shout out to him. Yo boys out there, Sam, I think
we'll see a Ben so. I wouldn't put it past.
I wouldn't put it past Ben. So I believe in the boy.
So listen, we'll hear Sudha on Ben's on a Drake song, you know,
so you don't Sam say something. So new music, right?
Let's get into new music. We talked about, we interviewed
the the one of the members of the Decimators.
Decimal records founder Monsieur.
Legend in the game Kevy. No, his name is Kevin Eric
Musyoka. I'm sorry man.
No, but I see how you can make a mistake between Kevin and Eric.
They're the same like ballpark of names.
I, I see, I see the vision. Sorry.
Ballpark of names? Yeah.
Wait, that's such a weird concept.
So wait, what are you talking to?
So there's, there's like clubs and like groups of, yeah,
different names. Yeah, it's like how like this?
Could go so wrong. It's like how Judy and Janice,
like, they're just like twins, you know?
Judy and Janice are twins, you know what I mean?
This is. Wrong man.
Why? It's like people who no, it's
like, why? Are you offended at what you're
talking about now? How you can't put people into
names like that? You can't do that.
No, it's like Peter and Peter and Matthew, Peter and Paul.
Yeah, but that's because of the Bible, because those are
biblical names. But it does make sense what
you've said, no? No it doesn't.
The Decimators style DCMTRIRS. It's like Andrew, Andrew and
Samuel. Andrew and Samuel are just two
names. Like yes, not at all.
Sam and Andrew, they should be brothers.
Sorry, no. No, not at all.
Yeah. So I mean, Bon I, we have
Concorde, we have Nadra Brian, Nadra Mongi and Eric Musioga
producing. So it's cool.
So the drought project called Buds and Bees, it is 10 songs
long. It runs for 36 minutes and
minutes and 47 seconds. That's interesting.
Did you listen to it? What do you think?
I did. I listened to the entire
project, so shout out to Museo and also thank you and shout out
to Hendrix Sam as well, because he produced on a bunch of
tracks. I guess the the song that they
wanted us to kind of perceive as the stand out track was Pina
Colada, which had the legendary Bien on.
But to be honest, I that wasn't my favorite song on the project.
My favorite song on the project was actually Julieta and I don't
know why I just have a liking towards that song.
Ultimately, I think I like it. The production is really good.
I think songs like Ghetto have really good production, and, you
know, Hendrickson is a big part of that.
And they also went very experimental with it.
They tried to do a bunch of different like genres here and
there. So yeah, I like that.
I like. Boss, your P, your P, your P I'm
saying yeah, like with Boss, they did that more like a
Lingala Lingala sound. And then I don't know whether
it's doing you or I think it's doing you, which was more like
EDMEDM based. And then they have like some F
yes. Am I getting that wrong?
No, no, you're right. You're right.
And then bon bon.
Sounds in there. Yeah, exactly, exactly.
So yeah, yeah, it's a it's a it's a dope.
It's still projects. So you all peeped at buds and
bees. I also listen to another project
some that was just phenomenal and that is Park Roark.
I don't know if I'm pronouncing it properly, please correct.
Yeah, please correct me if I'm wrong, but Park Roark by Labdi
is honestly some phenomenal from the artwork to the music like
this is listen Labdi true artist like that artwork is phenomenal.
It's so insane. And then, bro, I, I was like,
OK, I know what Labdi is about, right?
So I knew what to expect. But one thing that stands out
about Labdi's music is the engineering.
I think her music is really, really mixed well.
It Yeah, her vocals are so prominent and so tasty.
They're so crisp. And then you can see there's a
defined like plan because she'll have vocals that are really
upfront and then she'll have vocals that are really reverbed
and to the back and all of them just like mix and they just like
paint a phenomenal picture. And then to top it off, she
produces her own tracks. So like everything you listen to
is lab deep. Like her whole essence is in
these songs. And then she had one of the
best. Like this just makes sense
collaboration wise. Costello drunk.
Like we already know what Costello Drunk is about.
Like if he's about to work with an artist, it's Labdi.
And that actually ended up being my favorite song Away.
It's what a song like it's just so nice.
And the The thing is, I don't even know what they're saying
because I don't understand Lou. But like, bro, I feel that shit
in my bones, man. I'm feeling it.
I'm listening to this stuff and I'm like you, I feel this in my
soul. I don't know what you're saying
but you're saying that shit and I agree.
Like that's how I. You could be cursing my
forefathers for like, yeah, yeah, singing.
Bro I would learn the language I learned the Lou just so that I
can understand what she's saying.
Man this is insane. I think I can't speak more
highly of a project than Park Crook by Labdi and if anything
you'll need to listen to this. I think I was even saying I
tweeted this. I think if Colors comes back
around to Kenya, please, please, I am begging.
No, why are you saying, oh, I am begging Labdi?
Labdi needs to be on Colors man, because what the fuck?
This is what people need to be seeing.
Like coming in to or getting into Kenyan music.
Like Labdi is insane or whatever.
Actually, it's not just Colors. Whatever, like international
platforms, you know, come in the future, please.
Labdi, one of them. Other music.
Sam, did you listen to anything else?
Yeah, I mean, I'll just run through a couple of of of songs
M Rumbi and Jiru dropped from the other side.
He was on the pod, the podcast a couple of weeks ago.
He said that he was releasing one last song for the year and
he brung that. So go check that out.
I enjoyed that one. Let's see who else dropped some
music. Asim Gabi released a project.
What's the name of that project? What's the name of the project?
I forgot, but it's a four song, so let me put it up.
It's called Dawn Disc 1. So I'm guessing there's a couple
of more discs coming, maybe a second one.
Yeah. So he released 4 songs.
That was interesting. It was interesting because he
didn't go to the the the obvious route of just doing like basic
beats, like all the beats on their sound different somehow,
which I found really interesting.
Sabi Wu with Oko SEM. That's a very conceptual song.
Yeah, that was interesting. I need to listen to that again
to catch everything he said. But that was that was
interesting. Who?
What else? What else did I listen to?
What else? Mr. Liu, Was that this?
Yeah. Mr. Liu.
Mr. Liu and Blinky Bill team up. Well it's a team up with that
Mister Liu remix Nataka an attack at all and Afon was Afon
said that. Afon said that they both sound
the same, so it's like the remix sounds like an original.
Yeah, I feel, I feel like Mr. Liu in my head when it comes to
production, Mr. Liu and Blinky Bill, like they're like so
similar. I don't, I think that's a
compliment. I feel like they have like just
a similar vibe. I don't know.
Yeah, that's true. Kimanga by Connie Kanu and Konni
and Konnu are different different people by the Okoni
and it Aziz that dropped so shout out to it Aziz.
Shout out to Fena Gitu. The last one I'll highlight is
Love Art Lost, which was released last year.
Fena and Eric, not Eric. What's Eric?
No Fena? Are you going through?
Some Eric Musyoka. No Misyoka definitely did not
produce on this. No, Fena and Mike Mwema teamed
up for the It's called an electric deluxe deluxe for her
album Love at Last. And the Seven tracks 7 remixes,
some of them are pretty cool. I really like the track #5
Scene, Cena Bay and #7 Guns and Roses.
Yeah, this is an interesting concept.
I'd love to see more artists do this where they release like,
instead of just doing like a basic deluxe, throwing more art,
more songs on there. We don't even do that in the 1st
place, but if we were to do that and then like doing a whole
remix project of like your song and then just giving them to
someone to reimagine them, like that's cool.
So yeah, a bunch of different things, but then there's a lot.
What do you want to? So Ikitoka by Genesis and
Omawama Figi released well they released it Ikitoka and produced
by prod by Jamie and it was Cap. There's also a video so yoga
y'all can go and check that one out.
Let's see let's see let's see let's see let's see average by
Bueno and Kimberly Marley. Has anybody ever seen Bueno's
face? If you have seen Bueno's face,
please comment on the on the podcast.
I'd be very interested to know. Budapest mellow with AP 8th St.
gang. That's more drill stuff for your
head top Khalika dem by nasty nasty and furthermore that came
out. I feel like and some was saying
this before the podcast. Yes, I'm throwing under the bus.
I feel like furthermore is watering himself down because
he's on too many songs at this point.
And yeah, as much as I. They're not hitting like we know
for the more songs to hit. As much as I love the work rate,
I think Furthermore should also be now he's proven he's like, we
like you work hard and you're on all these songs, we get it.
But I think he might need to like curate himself a little bit
more. So he's just not.
He doesn't give away his sauce too much.
But that's just what I think. Makes them miss you.
Exactly 1 of the Saudi soul members released a song and that
member is Chimano. He released a song called
Monster. Where did you go the long way
around? Sometimes I just be yapping fly
by Gavin Mungai and Israel and yacht also came out body by
gouache master VK nasty nasty that also came out.
So you'll go check that out. And that's, yeah, that's all I
listen to. Before you go to the pic Kolo
Kolo dropped DEP volume 1. Yes Sir.
Remember that they are with the with the you went for the
listening, no listening party. The listening party.
Yeah, so he dropped the project and every single song on the
except, yeah, no, every single song on there he had played it.
So there's kinda extraordinary that is Chesa Biggie, the 2024
remaster, in case you're confusing it with the other one.
And then there's Z Anthem, which he, which was a single, I guess
that he dropped for that. So if you're a big fan of color,
I mean, this is color music, you're a huge fan of him.
Go check that out. Support the boy.
Support the boy, but some I think the for me, the standout
project was definitely Park Rook and for me, for me, I think the
the the standout song was away by Labdi and Costello John.
And so if you would allow me some, I would love to play it
for the end of the podcast. And so you guys please enjoy the
the audio journey that is the song Away by Labdi and Costello
John. The.
None.
The.
That was a way by Labdi and Costao.
Joan, congratulations on such an amazing project.
Yeah, hats off to y'all. Yeah.
And yo, guys, that that was episode 107 of the 30% podcast.
Why did I do that? Anyway, glad you guys are here.
Always, always thank you guys so much for listening to us ramble
about the music industry as if we had like some aficionados.
Really appreciate you guys. And as always, you guys know I'd
like to end the podcast. Well, if you're new here, I'd
like to end the podcast with the three CS, which helped me as
well. And they are quickly or briefly.
Confidence. I need you guys to be confident
in your art because if you're not confident, who will be
confident in your art? Consistency.
You need to be consistent in how you're creating your art as well
as how you're releasing it. Always remember consistency.
We live in a very saturated market right now.
Everyone is doing the same thing.
So be consistent. And lastly, craft.
Always strive to improve. Always work on something, even
if it's small and you work on it for 5 minutes a day.
All of that builds up at the end of the year.
You have done 5 minutes for 365 days and that's going to be
valuable. So do that confidence,
consistency and craft some. And the last C is leverage.
The last C is leverage. So as a, as a, as an artist,
like one of the ways that you, you move forward.
This is now for the ones who are specifically like, you know,
people keep saying, I want to get signed, I want to get
signed. If you really want to get
signed, you, you can't just get signed off talent alone.
It doesn't work anymore. I'm sorry.
You really have to build something of your own.
So work on on figuring out what you are strong at and ownership,
make sure you like do as much as you can to own as much as you
can of it. And then you'll be able to sit
in rooms and actually have talking points, not be at the
mercy of of the labels lawyers. But yeah, man, that's that
episode 107. Thank you for listening.
Bye bye. Why did you what those?
You have some more things to say.
OK, sorry. No, that was, you know what,
Fine. We will see you guys on episode
108. My bad.
Sorry.
Cut my guy off. Did you?
Sorry. No, I didn't.
I didn't have anything to say. We're done.
We're making it awkward now. Goodbye, guys.
Goodbye.