Wake that answer up in the morning.
The Breakfast Club Morning, Everybody's j n V Jess hilarious, Charlamagne and the guy.
We are the Breakfast Club.
We got a special guest in the building. Yes, indeed, the welcome prepared.
Thank you so much for having me, guys.
How you doing, thank you.
I'm doing great. I'm having an amazing time in New York. Just sold out the SLBs the other night, and so now I'm in the best of the Breakfast Club. So this is a big deal for you, guys. You just lost the tour, right, Yes, that's currently I'm doing ten states and I just played New York two nights ago, bling Atlanta tomorrow and we sold out everywhere. That's the congratulations, super classed, thank you, thank you.
And the album is called let me see for noting this right Losa?
Yes, I Losa is my name has known in my village, so a Lusa. Why are you topless?
So you had no shirt on most of the time?
Yeah, showing usually but I had to. Yes, I'm showing titt I'm showing some stomach, you know, some back. It. Being topless is freedom. Being topless is audacity, and in this phase of my career and where I'm at right now, I need that audacity to be with me every day.
Is that really audacity to be topless? If you are around with no pants on, Dick's winging?
You know, when you get home, Like if you're a girl, when you get home, the first thing you do is you and hook your bra. Yeah, And that's part of the freedom I'm talking about being topless.
Is what do you identify.
A black man an analogy?
Maybe?
Yes, exactly, you know, But that's a different because when I get it, when women get home and they take that bro off the what about you?
Like when you get home and if you're in a sunny place and a humid place and you take off your shirt, that's freedom.
Yes, and basketball drawers.
Not so much.
You're pushing this draws agenda. Yes, shut out my neighbors. You ganda for that, my next door neighbor.
You did rap I was gonna say you did rap raidar the other day.
Yes, I did.
And you came with something different that I don't think any rap raid guest has ever done.
Yes, you came with a chicken.
Yeah, came the chicken. I would have come with the chicken here, But there's too many rules, and you guys are really on the top floor, so I wasn't able to smuggle my mascot into the building.
Right.
Yeah, but you know what chicken, A chicken is my cultural total. Like the animal that represents my culture is a rooster. And it's because luster is a timekeeper, rusa is a care giver. A rooster is a security for your homes. Is many things, including a good meal. So that's why I walk around with it. That's why I woke around with where did.
You get this chicken from? Where did you get the chicken from?
I know, didn't I didn't know the animal laws in New York. I had to drive all the way to Pennsylvania.
Like the Queens, they wouldn't sell it to me.
In Queens.
Nobody would give me a live chicken in New York because it's against the law. So I had to go all the way to Pennsylvania, cross state lines to look for the chicken.
But yeah, what I think it's about the wording, because you know, in America, I don't know. You don't know if you'll say is king in America, say cock, so you have to say I want to bring my car.
Yeah, it was just me and my me and my cock. I was stroking my cock like.
You said, you're eating your cot.
Give the chicken, I give, I give. I give my cock to my driver and he took it to an animal like home, animal shelter. So he's alive. My cock's alive.
Man.
I don't know why you want to come here in the morning.
I needed to be here.
I needed to be here today.
Thank you. I'm trying to be professional, but you guys are crazy.
So this is a freedom album basically, yeah, because it is a looser.
Why are you so Previously in my other life, I was in a band. I was in a boy band and the band was called Sauti. So Sauti soul means and so he voices of the sun.
Okay.
Yeah, So I was in a boy band and this is my second lease of life. So now I'm a solo artist. I've been a solo artist for two years now and everything's looking up. I'm at the breakfast club, Mama, I made it nice.
Why did Saudis Soul takes such a long hiatus for music your last.
Twenty years?
Yeah, we were like new additions from Kenya. Yeah, boys to me. We met in high school. So we've been together twenty years, twenty beautiful years, the best years of my life.
What made you just want to go solo?
Now?
Just trying something new, you know, after doing something for a long time. I think it was time for us to try and see what the other side looks like. And it's been beautiful so far. I think we needed this break so that our next season will be just as glorious, even better.
And what has the other Saudi soulars done.
They're making music, They're doing interesting things. My brother Pulicup just launched his guitar Jauia, which is an amazing guitar. Gimano is on tour, Savara is putting out music as well. So we're all busy and we're all working together, like we're all writing for one another, we're all producing for one another or great friends, great friends, amazing.
Yeah, what do you think East African music hasn't seen a surge? And I guess mainstream the way artists from the Western.
Yeah, well, there's many aspects to it, including the fact that it's just never been funded. Any music that you hear in the West is marketing dollar spent to get that music there. So for a long time is Taflica hasn't had that limelight. Also, our numbers in the daspora don't come anywhere close to Nigeria. So the dominant culture in the dashpert is going to be Nigeria. But the next logical sound to listen to after you've gone northeast, west and the northwest and south, it's east and so
here we are. You know, we're taking the stairs. We're getting here anyway? No, was it?
I noticed with international artists they always want to win in the US. Why is that so important?
Because when you win in the US, the reward is too high. Being the biggest artist in Kenya is No, we're closed being the biggest artist in the US. When you win in the US, you winning the world. So for a long time, this market has dominated the world like that. Also, you guys have the structures, you have the venues, the ticket masters and all these you know, all of these infrastructure mixed music what it is in the world. Yeah, so your thought leaders, your global leaders.
Why not remember when your love for music for US hitue?
Yes, I was like maybe five or six. I was watching Bob Marley song Ion Lion Zion, and that's the first time, I was like, whoa, what is this? Like, I feel like doing this thing. And I've been doing it since I'm thirty seven now, guys, I've been singing thirty one.
Years yeah, wow, since six years old.
Since I was six yeah. And I joined the choir in church. And I always say the church is the best artist development program in the world because that's where all the great musicians, especially for black music, come from.
How was it in Kenya? Because you know, you know, you hear stories people from Nigeria. Their parents are like, no, you're not gonna go into music. You're not going entertainment.
You're gonna be a doctor.
You know, Like like in Kenya, when you said you want to do music.
I was it. My mom said, as long as you finish school, as long as you finish college, you can do whatever you want. And music has been a kind master to me. Music paid me through college. Like I put it my first thing, gole with Southeast Old, my band when I was a freshman, and just like that my life changed. I had to finish school, but I started to be a journalist, so i'd probably be working here. I did communications and.
Did you know that moment where you knew you were going to make it like, oh, this is this is what I was here to do.
I told also my cousin when I was six that I'm going to be a superstar, and she left it off, but I remind her to this day that this is written like I always knew that this is what I'm going to do. Yeah, even though sometimes life pushed me in directions where I wasn't in my direct journey, Like for example, like when I studied communications, it wasn't me studying music. But it came back now to make sense,
you know, like my auditory skills are different. I understand how to interview, how to There's just things I learned in UNI that are very vital for me right now.
And back then you was just like I think I'm training to be on the other side of the microphone.
But then.
I was actually just finishing school to clock out something in life. Say that I have a degree, but I wasn't very passionate about it. Communications.
Okay, that communicated that I communicated journey, not as effect.
I just wanted to be clear.
Have you ever had any big dreams of working with any American artists?
Yes, in terms of them, I'm a big fan of of course, Beyonce. I think her excellence is everything. I love Coca Jones.
Oh nice.
Yeah, I think she's beautiful as a singer. To change, like to change, like the new album he has with Larry.
Yeah, I'm sure you've already done something together.
We're about to. Yeah, we're about to and many other artists, like, honestly, anybody who's willing to work I'm willing to work with as well.
Yeah.
Yeah, I realize this music is better when you make it with friends.
What was life like growing up for you in Kenya and how did your Kenyan culture influence the way you see the world today.
Yeah, growing up in Kenya is beautiful because we are situated on a part of Africa that is very cosmopolitan, So we get American influence, we also get Arabian influence. We get all these influences, and I think that's what has shaped me into the musician and today, like I'm the most Kenyan man you're ever going to meet in your life. My isms, my accent, my music, my sound is deliberately from that.
Did anybody ever try to conform like you have to conform to go mainstream?
Yeah, every time I try conforming I feel miserably, so I don't try anymore. Yeah, And also like I've been in the game for so long right now, and I don't have the pressure to please anybody. I'm just doing me, and so far it's walking out.
I don't you think it's disrespectful to the African culture to try to conform to be mainstream anywhere else?
Yes, but sometimes you know, you have to play the game if you want to win. Otherwise, to a certain degree, I think, And it's not bad to conform. We know, we really talk about conforming like it's a bad thing. Conforming just means there's a way people do things in a certain way that has been prooved to work. So if you want those results, you can try, or you can take the long route, you can take whatever route you want.
You start changing yourself.
A little bit of conforming without losing yourself in the process and selling out isn't bad that more.
Yeah, I think in American people don't really know what they want until you know what I'm saying, Like, nobody ever knows what the next big thing really is. They follow everybody, That's what I'm saying. It's just like, you know, y'all just do y'all like, oh we with that? Like I love afrobeat.
I know you love Offer Bachellman. You've been pushing us for a minute, all of you by there, like.
All the different sounds, piano, a piano, piano, like I like, I like, I just like it. It's just a dope sound and then when you visited the continent you really really feel it. So it's just like I'd rather y'all do, y'all instead of trying to be what we got going on over here.
I agree, I agree, like, And I also think whether world is that right now people are really having proximity to their content, like people are consuming their content with proximity. So I haven't seen an American artist below in Kenya like in my village. The same way fifty cent d eons ago right to mean that the people that have now chosen other sounds to be their thought leaders. So I think it's important for you guys to, you know, come to the continent and fuck with other sounds and
listen to what the continent has to offer. We are so eclectic. There's tons of sounds in Africa, some that are untapped, some that are new. But you're going to come out there with gems so.
Finfty came out two thousand and two. So you're telling me in twenty three years, is nobody else is connected? And can you?
So many people have connected. I'm just talking about that golden era when you were big in America. You were big in the village, like it went all the way. Artist. I know this. Artists were big in America and they're selling out, but the songs don't have the same because in other.
Parts of the world mimicking fitting back then.
Bro, you're going to barbershops and you're seeing Ludacris on the the Child the barbershop charts, and that's I think a golden era and hip hop and not to say never going to see again, but we will see maybe in another lifetime.
What was it about fifty you think?
I think he just connected? He was authentic, Yeah, and he's never He's always been his authentic self. Whether you love him or you hate him, fifty is just that he's fifty. Yeah.
I think it was the music back then.
The music, yeah, because even a DJ in Kenya several times, but it was just it was just the feeling of that effect, like I don't I don't see the artists that have that effect where you wanted to dress like him, where you wanted to be him. Where I mean fifty made people want to be him.
I don't see that now.
Yeah, And.
But also I see that now maybe not maybe my artists that people dressed like and wanted to be like since fifty.
I think the kids just a lot of the kids.
And I said, but that was around the same time.
That was around the same time when they come out about now.
I mean, now it's a bunch of with little Wayne playboy like all the kids like fifty and Kanye.
Like not like I'm just thinking the music was so impactful and then the zeit guys of all the time, the rhythm of the time just favored that whole way I.
Think, which you say it wasn't really a lot of other people that people wanted to be like in that time because fifty had a whole era.
It was like the fifty cent era.
People was wearing, you know, the genus a bunch of things.
Yeah, it was.
I had all the bootleg g units because you know, who's gonna how are you going to get original Kenya? So another tank top you had.
That take all of these kids started mimicking Lil Wayne. Yeah, after Little Wayne came out and the way I know it wasn't it was after talking about with the Carter towos and threes.
What are you talking about it?
That was all around the same time.
It wasn't fifty get rich to that trying. It was old too.
When Little Wayne was selling a million in a week for the car what was it Carter either two and three or three and four? I was like six, yeah, five or six, and then everybody started dressing like you.
Oh.
But but to my point is that was that era we're talking. This is two twenties, this twenty twenty five, twenty twenty five. So who had that effect? Where possible? People with Trosy, playboy Kardi.
I don't see it, like I say, but I don't see that impact like when you you're also thirty seven, yeah he's forty seven. You go talk to them twenty year old nineteen ten year olds. They got these guys that they dressing like bro.
I also say that you are married to chiky Zaruka.
Saying right, yes, yes, she's also my manager.
She is your manager. You married your manager.
House that dynamic, it's beautiful.
It's been by far the most rewarding experience of my life. Yeah, I didn't think i'd have I'd have it this easy in my solo career if I didn't have someone who centers me like her.
Yeah, well she was your manager.
You married her or no, you grow together. We've been together eleven years and she managed me for only the last two years. So during that entire time it was just husband and wife. And then when I went solo, I was just like, yo, I think you need to manage me, and she was like, okay, we're doing it for the home and it's beautiful, Like it's by far
the most rewarding experience of my life. In other wise, her like that, No, I mean, you know, I don't know how you guys are on your households, and I think America is a very different country from But in my household, the money comes to the port. The money belongs to the family, and she has access to all of my money and I have access to all of hers. So like, we work to build future for us and our children. So I don't know the way I can save money all of them money money, Yeah, just.
Like the save money money, But how how do y'all separate the business mode from the bay mode, how is it?
We don't don't. Yeah, We've be in bed at midnight and she'd be like, did you check the mix for did you check the mix for the song that was saying, you know, like we just don't have the we don't have the lines. Further down the road, I know that might be a problem, but so far, so good.
It's beautiful, it's beautiful, and.
And we're just really on great energy. Yeah, we've had really dark times before she started managing me, and I think when she managed me, that saved our marriage, Like that saved the relationship.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face just being a you know, creative trying to come out of Kenya.
I think coming from East Africa, no one's looking out for a musician from East Africa. You guys are looking at for athletes and distance runners and all and Safari experiences and all these things. And my job now is literally cut a road in the jungle for my kids to come and show you what this Affrican music is about. So it's a challenge, but it also comes with the blessings because in many, in many, many opportunities, I'm going
to be the est African. They took anyest African to show up at a breakfast club and you know, tell you guys about where I'm coming from.
Yeah, any visuals we got coming.
Yeah, sure, man. I have a new album coming out soon titled A Looser Continuer.
Do you shoot music videos? Yeah, so we got visuals to look forward to.
Yeah, We've got amazing music videos to Yeah. I did shoot a couple of music videos before I came to the States.
Are you going to shoot any in the States?
No, I don't have time. Yeah, it was really after after America. I'm going to Europe, so like I have to just I'm going to run. Yeah, but I'd love to shoot in the States. Man. You know, you guys have all the culture here.
So yeah, I saw something. What it was saying you the Grammys was donating some money.
That can you that was physical. So the Grammys are doing an Africa Grammys, you know, like same way the Latin Grammys. So there's been talk about Africa doing a Grammys and Kenya had put in a bid to be the host for the Grammys something like that, and the bid the whole I think the news came out at a very bad time because at that time economically and even now we're not doing so well as a country. So at people, an eight million dollars spent on the Grammys feels like an impulse spent to.
The people face. Yeah, it's like that the Grammars will bring in will be quadruple at.
I'm sure you know, a lot, not a lot of people have the insights of the music business to understand the value of the Grammy is coming to Kenya like that, you know. But so the people were just up in arms because they felt like there's many more ways to spend the three point five million dollars.
Why did you agree with it?
Because I'm an artist and understand what it's going to do for my constituency, for my people, Like this is future future, you know, investments for the artists who are coming. You know, they're going to thank us one day for hosting the Grammys in Kenya. So I think it's not a bad thing. Maybe the communication behind it should have been better. Maybe they should have been told about the financial degree in communications. Yes, I agree, I agree, Yes,
I agree, I agree. Maybe just the communication only should have been better. Yeah, they should have said what NVA said about the profit and what we stand to gain as a country and this and this and this, and many people would have been like, Okay, we see it.
I mean world the visitation, yeah, hotels, restaurants, foods, tourism.
Yeah, I mean there's just so much.
That you get the development programs for the different facets of the music industry that that the Grammy comes with as well. Right, Yeah, you know, the Grammy is like a good artist development program as well, second to the charge. So yeah, it'll be nice if they came through. Yeah, I'm still hoping they do.
That put a lot of pressure on you, knowing that Kenya is a country that isn't doing that well financially, but you may be doing better than most.
Yes, it puts pressure on me to make art that speaks to those people and tells their story to the world. Like I want people to see the pain and the struggle in my art. I want them to listen to the lyrics and I want them to I want the lyrics to take them to places in Kenya that they've never been to, and I want the human experience to connect. So right now, we're not going to a very easy time. Our government has no position. The opposition is the youth. And for the last year so, there have been so
many abductions. There's been so many There's been freedom of expression, but not freedom after expression. And I just think it's important for us to know that, the leaders to know that I have more faith in the children who are coming than their leadership in terms of the power they used to oppress. Yeah. I don't have any fear to the current regime. I have more faith in the kids, and I think the kids are going to save us.
You feel comfortable living I feel comfortable living in Kenya. Yeah, I would say to a large extent, Kenya is a beautiful country. Yeah, there's many experiences you can get and if and and we're generally very peaceful people. But the recent times have been very tough economically. Yeah, but we're not a basket case. Yeah, we're proper people. Kenyans are fighters, Africans are fighters, and the people of Africa will keep the lights on. The piple of can you keep the lights on?
Absolutely? What is one of your favorite songs from the album Macheri.
Yeah, it's a tribute to you, Jess. I really to you. Married, so it's okay, I'm also married.
But he's also African, so we can have more than one wife.
No, he can't, can't.
Constitutional every Africa.
I thought that was a certain villages. Why are you doing it?
Uh? You know, some things just I found in this world, and there's such complex issues that I can't really address right now in the press first club. But I'm not doing it, okay, Yeah, because Cheeky deserves all of you and all of me only me. Yeah.
Yes, so you wouldn't want another wife. I mean, I'm just saying that. Let me rephrase you try to get you, let me rephrase that. I know you are happily married. I'm just saying, yeah, African tradition, in a lot of countries, you are allowed to have another wife.
Constitution, you're allowed. Do I want another wife? No? I don't. Yeah, not now, No, I.
Don't because just trouble.
Just because that's you know, culturally like y'all can do, that doesn't mean you always want that, right.
Yeah.
So I come from a poligamous family. My dad has ten kids from six different women. I am the last of ten.
I am the last gentleman. You've been in trouble, I know, but he's married to him just.
Informally. You one with you that. Yeah, so formally he's been married to Yeah, my mother is the last of the ten day know about each other. They all know about each other. When he bought a spoon for our house, he bought a spoon for the other house. Well, you know, like, if you guys really understand how polygamy works, maybe it's
not going to be a very touchy subject. I think just when you listen from the West and how people speak about it, it's just really given the vibe that it's unfair, but it's everything has everything to do with society and how society was set up back then. It may not work now, I agree, but back then it had everything to do with community and looking out for
one another. You know. In some cases a guy was polygamous because maybe his first wife couldn't get kids, you see, and she'd be like, let me bring a helper to see how we can do this. Also, the more kids you had, the more labor you had, because we were farmers were we were hads then, and so the more children you had, the more people you had to make create wealth with. So that was the structure then.
See, polygamy is one side, because what if Chiky was like I want like three or four husbands?
What you want to There are some African cultures that have been matriarch really is okay? Yeah, So polygamy has also gone both ways. I think, I don't. It's called polyandry on the other side. So not all polygamy has been men doing that to women's women doing that to men.
Okay, what you want?
Would you would you get? No?
No, no no no no no, I don't. I don't.
I don't have time, have time.
So, man, you look like Mike cars and John Sally, you know the people.
I know's move a lot. People took me look like I'm related the best.
But they always say, if you go to some place on the continent, you'll see somebody look like you.
Yes, Charlaman, I see you in I see you every morning in my village.
A taller version.
Yeah, that looks like me.
Yes, you get John Sally got somenon.
She's a cuty though he looks nice.
Okay, I know that's right.
I mean I see, I see why you would say that.
Yeah.
Let me show you Mike k.
Africa.
I went to Turkey the other day and the was like good tupa yes, let me say, yeah, who is that.
You do look like carving John called acute though you no, no, that look.
Like rast baraka Jesus.
Yeah, but.
Damn I forgot what I was very well, get into a joint. Yeah that's what I was. Yes, I wanted to get into what You want to.
Hear one of your songs, of my songs my shady?
Yeah you said inspired? Was that inspired by Stevie? Want just a little bit, because you know we got a song.
My sad Okay, yeah, I know, I know the song love TV, but is just inspired by the chillions of Africans who use the word machay for their lovers. It's a way of life.
Ask one more random question. Yeah, what would what would Africa look like if all the countries were unified?
I asked myself that question all the time. I ask myself what Africa look like if you weren't colonized, because you know, naturally we have never really been people who go out to conquer and convert. We've always been and that's why it was very easy to colonize us because we were easy to you know, course, and we didn't know the games that the other party was playing. So I think I united Africa is an Africa that is
living to his full potential. It's peaceful. Is there's some there's some leaders right now in the continent who are showing what Africa could do united. I know if you guys have had about trialry from bukin a fuss. Yeah, And he's been able to unite the countries on his region. They've been able to kick out France and he's taking care of yeah, and he's taking care of people. And I see that to be the future of the continent. And when we unite, we will be unstoppable in all the beautiful ways.
I love the continent.
To welcome you guys to ken But I came bearing gifts. Can I give you gifts?
Okay, don't bring a cocks.
So in Kenya, I'm the chairman of the bold Man Association. Hey, let's go and I see you charmn And this is made by I love it. I love better, you know it says bold Men love better.
I love it because we love so as I get my first ball.
Yes, and just I got you this in think you have the same point, you got the same boat. It was this a theme for one of my albums and I worked on this with a friend of Michael key MATI shout out, that's my brother.
Woman love better to know old man, oh ship.
Man.
That was unnecessary and that was called for and envy.
Because I want you to look approachable. I got you this in pink Okay, thank you? Yeah, because I know, like I know, you're a gangster.
Envy. The y'all be believing that, dumb shit, be saying, all right, give that, thank you? Where were me? And you go all that's nope, period, what's the website? There's no website.
You know what I'm saying. That was that was part of something I was doing. But yeah, man, bold Man, do love better so that as a bold Man, as the chairman of the Boldman Association, when you start going ball like you did it on purpose in the beginning, and then he caught up with me.
The headline was getting pushed back.
Hairline, Yeah, it just left.
And I remember one time I was also washing my face and I had a bigger face.
To wash me too.
Yeah, you know, I took it with stride. It's become my thing now and quite frankly, the girls like it, you know, like we're different. Bowling is actually a sign of a lot of Testestone. So if you're a bold, you're a man's man if it's anything to go by. But whatever, good to see you brother. Their website for the tour, I just go to oh yes man. You can go on my Instagram B and a messul B I E N A I M E s O L being a missoul. You can go there. There's a link
for the tickets. I'm playing Ohio next, I'm playing at Lantern next. I'm so loving pretty much every place. But you can follow the boy. You can check out the vibes and through my page you're going to discover what the staffic is about. I also want to welcome all of you guys to Kenya. I'd love you if you guys ever land in Kenya NV. I know you come there often, so turn them off.
I got to get back there.
Tell them about it the place, can your right boy?
Danza ball right? Yeah?
I want to lash it well. The year before last I went to Tanzania Danza bar and they was like, you got to go to Kenya's right there?
Yeah?
Nice.
So I'm welcome to you guys again. Thank you as love to see you guys there.
Yes, sir, appreciate your brother it's the Breakfast Club. Good morning, wake that ass up in the morning. Breakfast Club