The streets have always been a core part of pop culture movements, whether it’s Gengetone. American hip hop. Gqom. And even more recently, Afro Adura.

Gengetone is a genre that adopted Sheng slang and was born straight from the streets of Nairobi, particularly in inner estates like Jericho, Ongata Rongai, Lang’ata, and Umoja. It revolutionized the Kenyan music industry.

At the same time, the genre faced heavy criticism for being too raw—its lyrics were often explicit and the videos too wild. Many argue that this backlash contributed to its decline between 2019 and 2022. A good example is Ethic’s 2019 song Tarimbo, which was banned in 2019 by KFCB, stating it promoted violence against women.

But despite all the criticism, the music pushed through. Mainstream media and alternative spaces, such as Facebook groups, YouTube, nightclubs, and matatus, helped keep the sound alive.

Gengetone as a sound is a mix of American hip hop, Sheng, and Kenyan rhythm, with the occasional dancehall bounce. It’s got those crisp snares, heavy synths, and gritty basslines.

The genre was pioneered by the Eastland group, Ethic, comprising Rekles, Seska, Swat, and Zilla, with their track titled Lamba Lolo. Despite some saying it lacked radio dexterity, Lamba Lolo kicked the door open for a Kenyan-centered sound that wasn’t polished/refined but still made it mainstream.

Gengetone artists see what they’re doing as hardcore rap, because it's coming from where it really hurts—neighbourhoods with no filters, but they’ve also had to compete with more polished sounds from Nairobi’s suburbs—genres like Boomba and Bounce—often tied to middle- and upper-class audiences.

Still, Gengetone continued to grow, especially among younger crowds. Some of the artists that came after Ethic blew up for a moment and disappeared. One-hit wonders like Only One Delo with Chupa Kuchupa, which, for a while, was the anthem. Then you had mainstays like Ochungulo Family, Boondocks Gang, Sailors Gang, and a few others who held it down properly.

Over time, the genre’s been surrounded by drama. Ethic, for starters, had a financial and legal fight with their manager in 2018. Sailors Gang had their song Wamlambez (2021) banned by the Kenyan Films Classification Board (KFCB) for being indecent. Then came the entire mess between the Sailors and Mwalimu Rachel of MRX Media, which eventually led to the group falling apart in 2022.

Today, a new generation is holding it down. Gen Z artists like Kushman have remained consistent, especially with collaborations. Lil Maina has also emerged as a crowd favorite, keeping the spirit alive with tracks like Ngwai featuring Danski.

Even producers are flipping the script. They’ve ventured into a new lane called Arbantone—sampling classic Gengetone and fusing it with more melodic or ambient touches. Producers like Motif Di Don and Soundkraft are leading this sound, alongside rising names like Gody Tenor, Tipsy Gee, and Ranzscooby.

Although Arbantone has had its own fair share of criticism due to copyright infringement, like Gengetone, it is taking up space normally filled with Nigerian and Tanzanian music which floods radio and club playlists.

Gengetone is a genre that adopted Sheng slang and was born straight from the streets of Nairobi, revolutionizing the Kenyan music space.

GENRE SPOTLIGHT: Gengetone in Kenya

Gengetone is a genre that adopted Sheng slang and was born straight from the streets of Nairobi, revolutionizing the Kenyan music space.

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