Mwafrika.com: Thanks for coming in Blackman. So what have you been up to?
Blackman: Wedding plans, wedding plans, more wedding plans…yeah.

M: Tell us a b bit about the wedding - when it is, who you're getting married to, how did that happen?
B: I met a girl, I liked her, I proposed – that’s how it goes, right? (Laughing). I’m getting married to Sarah Mitaru, in August. Actually, it’s in just about a month. The wedding is on August 16^th, Nairobi Baptist, 11 am. The reception will be at Loreto Convent Valley Road. Basically, it’s an open wedding, so if you’re reading this, you’re invited!

M: Tell us a b bit about the wedding - when it is, who you're getting married to, how did that happen?
B: Yeah, I am! It’s like a thrilling adventure. I believe in the institution of marriage. I guess I have some fears, but not enough to make me not want to get married.

M: How old are you?
B: I’m turning 27 just nine days after my wedding. I was shooting for my birthday, but it falls on a Tuesday or something like that, so hey…

M: I asked that because many people your age think you're getting married too early
B: I think with age, everyone has their own time, and when your time arrives, you go for it. I think many people want to wait until later on in life, sometimes because they fear commitment, other times because of that old excuse that I’ve gotta make money first, and set my career…I don’t believe that. Actually, ever since I started courting Sarah, many things have happened for me, and the fact that we’re now two people going after a common vision, makes a difference.

M: Ok, let's talk about production and Kijiji
B: As you know, I left Kijiji, about two months ago – in May. Initially, we were gonna go into partnership with (Kijiji owner) Kanjii (Mbugua). I guess he went and thought about it and had different thoughts. After having a long conversation with him and his wife, Sarah and I felt that we were at a point where there’s a fork in the road and we were taking two different directions.

M: What do you mean by different directions?
B: For me, I’m an ambassador for hip-hop, and I believe it’s the future and they were taking a totally different direction. I think we’re both headed to the same destination, we’re just approaching it from different perspectives. So I opted to leave.

M: So what does leaving Kijiji mean in this instance?
B: Leaving in this case means I’m no longer working at Kijiji. We’re still in contact with the guys, with Kanjii and Mwendi, with my friend Astar who still works there, I just don’t work for them anymore. I’m now in the process of setting up my own thing.

M: And that would be?
B: For the longest time I’ve had this big dream. To have this huge machine running – that basically deals with artist development within hip-hop and pop. The idea is that it’s to have a production arm, for video and audio; I wanna go into big-time sound as well as magazine, TV and radio. Basically, just media, but from a musical point of view.

M: Is any of this done, or still in thought process?
B: It’s all written down, now we’re starting the actual process of implementing it. Working out the finances – like the studio I want built, it’s going to cost some crazy figures. I’m talking to some investors who are interested in putting money in it. We haven’t come up with a name for it yet, so if anyone thinks they can suggest a good name, feel free!

M: OK, back to your leaving Kijiji – what does this mean for Hip Hope?
B: That’s the million dollar question everyone’s asking. What happens to Hip Hope – we’re still figuring that one out. Thing is, I conceived the idea, Kanjii was like the mid-wife and he even named the baby…so that (the fact that we were both involved) has brought a bit of a loss of balance. So Hip Hope is sort of floating at the moment.

M: What’s happening now?
B: The good thing is, the unity is still there, we still meet, hang out, we’re still working on music and stuff like that. Of course the fact that I don’t have a studio has made it a bit difficult (to do music), but Rkay has been allowing me to use his studio whenever it’s free. So yeah, I think I’ll just say that we’re still figuring out what happens to Hip Hope.

M: Are you still part of Hip Hope yourself?
B: Me being part of Hip Hope is not debatable! I’m a bona fide member. I’m actually at the place where I’m trying to clear my schedules of many things that I’m involved with so I can fully focus on Hip Hope.  This machinery that I’m trying to put together, they’ll be the main beneficiaries. So I’m certainly not leaving Hip Hope, that’s for sure. What we’re trying to figure out is what its base will be, and what will be Kijiji’s role, just how to synergize the whole thing.

M: Do you think your moving house will affect how people perceive you in the industry?
B: I don’t think so. I think that more than knowing me as a Kijiji producer, many people know me simply as Blackman. What I’ve been trying to do in the last three years is create a name for myself, and I think I’ve done that. I think time had just come for me to leave. In fact, the last conversation we had with Kanjii, he told me ‘you’re like my small brother, and time comes when big brothers have to let their small brothers go, and that’s what I’m doing’.

M: So are you doing any work now, and can we expect a change in the Blackman sound?
B: Yeah, right now I’m working with Neema – we’re actually on the verge of finishing her first single. And yes, I am taking a bit of a shift in direction. I want to make jams geared towards reaching the clubs, songs that can actually be played in clubs. I believe that we need to make Christian music that’s so serious that it will be played in clubs…like Michelle’s single, Out Tonight. Neema’s song also has a very pop feel to it. We want to push Christian music into the secular world.

Alright man. Any final words?
B: Hip-hop is the way of the future. I want to be a part of it when it happens!

Thanks a lot for your time.
B: Cheers.

Email (will not be published)

Name

Title

Comment
 remaining characters

Post