Nyashinski

Kenyan rapper and singer Nyashinski first rose to prominence as part of the acclaimed, prize-collecting hip-hop trio Kleptomaniax, later establishing himself as a solo artist throughout the 2010s. His full-length release Lucky You, issued in 2020, showcased both his command of lyrics and his songwriting range, moving between buoyant, positive material and harder-edged street-oriented cuts.

Nyamari Ongegu, known professionally as Nyashinski, joined forces with Robert Manyasa (Roba) and Collins Majale (Collo) to establish Kleptomaniax while the three attended Nairobi School in 1999. The ensemble secured a deal with Ogopa DJ's and issued its first single, "Freak It," in 2002. Working within the kapuka genre that fuses rap and dance-pop elements, the group quickly gained widespread attention and earned recognition at both the Chat Awards and the Kisima Music Awards. Their standout track arrived in 2004 with "Tuendelee," written as a direct reply to detractors who found their approach overly commercial. In 2005 the trio put out their debut album M4E and received a nomination for Best African Act at that year's MTV Europe Music Awards. Two years afterward they performed across the United States. After delivering NITT in 2009, the members turned their focus toward individual projects.

Nyashinski reemerged in 2016 with a series of successful singles, among them the gospel-tinged "Mungu Pekee" and the romantic ballad "Malaika." Later releases such as 2019's "Marathon Runner" fused contemporary Afro-pop with hip-hop textures while sustaining an upbeat, self-assured perspective. Ahead of his debut solo album Lucky You, which appeared in April 2020, he presented a virtual concert streamed to online audiences.