Kenyan music has undeniably come a long way from the times of Kalamashaka and Hardstone, if you were born in the 80s or early 90s you probably know who we are talking about. The industry has now grown and a number of well known artists keep on churning hit after hit, with many more trying to break into the industry. We met up with former tattoo artist Misiko Japheth, who goes by the stage name Static Supreme, to talk about his music and the Kenyan music industry in general.
When Did You Start Making Music and What Kind of Music Do You Make?
The first song I ever wrote is called Die, which I wrote when I was still in high school. That was about 10 years ago and I continued with music after that. However, I have been recording music professionally for about a year now. I am a HipHop artist, but I try to do HipHop over any kind of track I get be it Raggea or Lingala. I also work on spoken word and conscious pieces.
Tell Us a Little Bit About Your Musical Journey
I first recorded music with Jesse Bukedo, I met him at the GoDown and started recording music there. My first show was at Strathmore, A La mode and that was one of the first videos I worked on for my songs. I also did a song called The Incredible, it was a dubstep track and people really loved it. Then I did free shows at Casablanca, when they used to host a talent search event. I recorded a couple of songs with Captain, a student from Mali, who produced most of my songs. Through it all, I got to build my talent and build an audience that is when I decided to try and go mainstream.
“We are living in a world where life has started imitating art, when normally art imitates life.” – Static Supreme
Where Do you Get Inspiration For Your Music?
I get inspiration for my music from life; everyday things that people are going through. My personal experiences also influence my music.
You Used To Do Tattoos Before, Why Did You Shift To Music?
Yes, I did tattoos before. I did tattoos for Kaytrix, Creme, Joey Muthengi and a couple of other people. I was first discontent with how young people are not respecting tattoos as an art form. You get someone wants Tweetie birds tattooed on their back and I feel numb having to draw that on someone’s back. I still work on tattoos for individuals who I know will appreciate the art and understand that tattoos are permanent.
Static Supreme’s self portrait.
What are You Currently Working on?
I have a mixtape out, and 2 singles you should look out for.
Follow Static Supreme on Twitter @static_supreme
Static Supreme is also a talented artist, checkout some of his artwork below.
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#gallery-0-4-slideshow .slideshow-slide img { max-height: 410px; /* Emulate max-height in IE 6 */ _height: expression(this.scrollHeight >= 410 ? '410px' : 'auto'); } One on One With Static Supreme cc @static_supreme Kenyan music has undeniably come a long way from the times of Kalamashaka and Hardstone, if you were born in the 80s or early 90s you probably know who we are talking about.