Genge music

What is Genge Music?

Genge is a Kenyan genre of hip-hop music that originated from California area popularly known as Calif in Nairobi. The genre is characterized by slow beats and conversational tones of singing, with most of the lyrics being in Sheng' language. Genge was developed in the early 2000s when the Kenyan entertainment industry was struggling to get its footing. At that time, Kenya did not have a distinct sound that it could be identified with, so most of the songs played in the country was from Europe, America, Tanzania and Nigeria among others.

Veteran Kenyan producer Clemo, who is also the founder of Calif Records; one of the most popular record labels in the country back then is credited with coming up with the name 'genge'. The phrase loosely translates to ‘Gang’ in English. With the help of Jua Cali and Nonini who were signed under Calif records, the three produced songs under this genre and launched a campaign in the media seeking to have Kenyan songs referred to as genge instead of local. Other record labels that played a huge role in development of this genre include; Ogopa Deejays and Homeboyz Production.

One of the notable early songs released under this genre was 'Ngeli Ni Ya Genge'. The song went viral and made the genre popular among Kenyans. gravity as a genre. Other songs by Jua Cali include;
- Nipe Asali
- Ruka
- Bidii Yangu
- Kwaheri ft Sanaipei Tande
- Kiasi
- Bongo La Biashara ft Mejja

Nonini also did his part by releasing great songs that include;
- Manzi Wa Nairobi
- Furahiday ft Nameless
- Keroro
- Kadhaa
- Mtoto mzuri Remix ft Bobby Mapesa
- We Kamu

The genre dominated the Kenyan scene in the early 2000s until around 2015 when most of the veteran artists started slowing down. Between 2015 and around 2018, Kenya to some extent lacked a music identity as foreign tunes flooded the local scene. However, in late 2018, a group of young musicians named Ethic Entertainment changed the industry through their hit single ‘Lamba Lolo’. The song went viral and revived the music scene. Following the immense success of the ‘Lamba Lolo’ single, other gengetone groups and solo artists emerged and pushed the genre to greater heights.

What is the difference between genge and gengetone?

For status, gengetone is a sub-branch of genge music. Gengetone is fast-paced, uses deep, raw and highly coded slang while genge is slow, comical and in most cases has easy to understand lyrics. In terms of content, genge was consumable by the general public, but with gengetone the content mostly has explicit content that is not advisable for persons under the age of 18. Popular gengetone songs like ‘Wamlambez’ were restricted by the Kenya Film and Classification Board (KFCB) due to the nature of the content.

Did gengetone replace genge?

To some extent, gengetone replaced genge, but the latter has not gone totally extinct as some artistes like Mejja and Jua Cali are still producing songs with a touch of the genre. At the moment, some of the top songs in the country fall under this genre. For example ‘Uiniharibie Mood’ and ‘Siskii’ by Mejja among others. Genge is like the godfather of Kenyan music, therefore it is extremely hard for it to be washed out completely, the only thing that can happen is having more sub-branches of it coming up in the future, but the foundation will always remain the same.

Who are the most popular artists in this genre?
- Jua Cali
- Nonini
- E-Sir
- Mejja
- P-Unit
- Pilipili
- Jimwat
- Bigpin
- Nameless
- Flex
- Mahatma
- Lady S
- Choku
- Masha
- Ratatat
- Czars

How to listen and download Damusic on Mdundo.com

Genge songs are available for free download and streaming on mdundo.com. To listen to this music on Mdundo, visit mdundo.com and search for your favorite songs under this category. A catalog of available MP3 songs from top artists will then be provided for you to select the ones you want. You can download/listen to the latest music on Mdundo through your phone, laptop or any other device that can access the internet.

Why choose mdundo.com?

Mdundo offers the latest MP3 music for free streaming and download. All you need is a feature phone and you can start listening to some of the best genge tunes from your top artists. Additionally, you can also enjoy DJ mixes and playlists specially curated to meet your needs. The songs are also easy to download and do not need a lot of data since they have been customized for users with feature phones. By using Mdundo, you help your favorite artiste grow while at the same time contributing to a platform that seeks to increase legal access to music in Africa.

Stream/Download Genge songs online. Find the latest MP3 Genge songs on Mdundo.com for free.