As Kenyans continue to consume the ever evolving Kenyan music with relish, here’s another superstar who is shockingly moving with king’s steps in the music scene. Ken Koast, a musical art star hailing from Mombasa is the icon featured herein.
Ken got musical enthusiasm in his early days of primary education and later joined practice during his highschool days.It is right to note that the mysterious fusion of Ken’s persona and the enigmatic world of music came to light with the release of his recent mixtape dubbed ‘KENigma’ on August 2023, comprising of seven songs with titles of the name ‘KENigma’.
According to him, KENigma is a portmanteau from his real name ‘Ken’ and ‘Enigma’ meaning a person or mysterious thing.
In Ken’s KENigma mixtape is one of the well known ‘Kisumu’ Song, a collaboration he did with the maverick Hip-hop star Kaa La Moto.Ken said that his musical journey explores the delicate balance between his diverse life facets and his artistic pursuits, drawing inspiration from the New-Age music project “ENIGMA” by Michael Cretu.
Speaking on music collaboration, Ken noted that collaboration dynamics unfolded as he joined forces with rap star Kaa La Moto at Kubwa Studios, a move which resulted to the lyrical masterpiece “kiSUMU.”
According to Ken, this collaboration not only elevated his artistry but also showcased his prowess in the art. He said that the creative process behind “KENigma” revealed a meticulous approach, with half the tracks being original compositions and the other half freestyles over inspiring beats.
Ken’s reflection on his musical journey is a whole concept of musical evolution. Notably, the artist refrains from singing in the ‘KENigma’ project, a departure from his previous works.
Highlighting some notable tracks, Ken expresses fondness for “isio’s Last Words” and the collaborative gem “kiSUMU,” where he traded bars with one of his rap heroes, including Kaa La Moto. He said that the production insights unveil a one-day recording marathon, overcoming fatigue to capture the essence of the mixtape at Grandmasta Teknixx’s studio in Mombasa.
Ken expertly appeals to fans of Hip Hop anthems, storytelling raps, and the Boom Bap era, all compacted into seven tracks, with lyrical junkies as his major target audience. The rapper unravelled some rap artists like Lupe Fiasco, Rakim, Eminem, and others have influenced his technical prowess.
Furthermore, as Ken creates his own album artwork, he values visual representation. The color combination of red and black in “KENigma” represents the strength of his words and the darkness that feeds his powerful poetry.
Ken, who loves his musical environment, acknowledged key figures in his musical journey such as video maestro Marvin Brudhas, who he claimed was instrumental in realizing his vision and skillfully encapsulating the music’s theme.
While “KENigma” is being marketed with more videos, Ken is still open to working with other artists and hinted at the prospect of releasing an album as a whole, which would be a major step forward in his artistic development. But Ken is unsure about the future as he considers pursuing other artistic endeavors.
