It’s no secret that the “femcees” of Kenyan hip hop have been dominating the industry and redefining gender roles with performances over the past decade that deliver both hard bars and poetic lyricism.
But, there’s one artist on the scene that has been steadily climbing the charts and mastering her craft at unprecedented rates: Monski. The 29 year-old Nairobi native has been rapping since high school, and has been growing a sizable fanbase since the start of her career seven years ago.
Undeniably, she subverts genres and expectations with her raw, experimental sound and compelling verses that flow seamlessly between English and Swahili. Her work is a full expression of who she is, and everything she puts into her music feels authentically and uniquely Monski, from party bangers like “Steady Dripping” to heartfelt tracks like “Happy”.
In December 2021, Monski blessed the world with her new album Gold, which perfectly showcases her versatility as an artist while keeping the signature flare that her fans know and love her for. In her own words, the rapper was inspired by wokeness and love of people while making this album, which are showcased throughout the 14 song tracklist. Luckily for us, Gold is available to stream for free on bandcamp.
Although Monski has been gaining recognition in the last few years, Kenya is still largely underrepresented in the global hip hop scene. A handful of artists have gotten traction with international listeners, but as Monski stated in a recent interview, producers and presenters both local and abroad still fail to give Kenyan rappers (especially women) the platform they deserve.
But even with these set backs, the new generation of “femcees” have come to the forefront of Kenyan hip hop, including artists like Xenia, Vallerie Muthoni, and Silverstone Barz, are bringing the genre to more audiences than ever before. Monski’s innovation within the genre has already set her apart from her peers (she was crowned as the Unkut Hip-Hop Awards best female artist of 2019) and with the release of her recent album, it is clear she is here to stay.
