I first learned about Nyashinski (Nyamari Ongegu) in the early 2,000’s, at this time he was part of the group called Kleptomaniaxs. Other members of the group were Collo (Collins Majale) and Roba ( Robert Manyasa).
The trio formed the group in 1999 when they were still in high school and they were so good that immediately after they cleared they got signed by Ogopa Djs. Back then Ogopa were the big boys when it came to music production and as such it is a little wonder that they were the studio of choice for heavy weights like E-Sir and Nameless.
During this time, they released their first single, “Freak It” in 2002, which was followed by “Maniax Anthem” and “Haree”. However, the most memorable hit is the “Tuendelee” diss track which came out in 2004. The song was produced as a response to a diss track that had been done by the likes Chiwawa, Bamboo. In the track, they dissed Klepto and other artists in the Ogopa stable for using the so called Kapuka beats which Chiwawa didn’t consider to be real hip hop.
Klepto responded to this swiftly and heavily with Tuendelee, which in my opinion can rightly be considered the greatest diss track in the Kenyan music scene due its longevity.
After this, they produced their debut album M4E in 2005. This saw them get nominated at the MTV Europe Music Awards for the Best African Act but they didn’t manage to clinch it. Other awards and nominations that the group got includes Chat Awards in 2002 (Favorite Male Group), 2003 Chat Awards (Favorite Male Group), 2005 Kisima Music Awards (Best Group). Other nominations include; 2005 Kora Awards (Best Group from East Africa), 2006 Tanzania Music Awards ( Best East African Album), 2008 Kisima Music Awards (Video of the Year), 2008 Pearl of Africa Music Awards ( Best Kenyan Group).
In 2006, Nyashinski’s parents emigrated to the U.S and he went with them. During this time, he is said to have worked as a lorry driver. Nyash came back to the country in 2016 and took the country by storm when he released the song “Now You Know“. In the song, he explained his absence and his desire to change the music scene in Kenya which at the time was dominated by Nigerian music.
Since then he has been dropping hit after hit which has made him one of the most notable musician in the Kenyan music scene. Check out some of his hits;
Mungu Pekee is a song was released back in October 2016, in the song Nyashinski shares that he does not fear anyone or anything because he has God on his side.
After Mungu Pekee, Nyash released “Malaika” in 2017 which is a love song. At one of his interviews he shared that the song was inspired by his parent’s relationship. In the song he showcased his vocal prowess and for sure his fans loved the song.
Another hit that Nyash has released in recent times is “Hapo Tu” featuring Chris Kaiga which released in December 2020. The song quickly became a club banger.
After over two decades of giving us various hits over his music career, Nyashinski will headline his “Shin City” concert for the first time on Saturday 16th April 2022 at the Carnivore Grounds. After three intense months of preparation, the rapper promises to deliver an awesome experience to his fans while making history.
As with all greatest moments in the Kenyan music scene, Boomplay is working with Nyashinski to make Shin City a success. This is part of its bid to continuously push the Kenyan acts to the next level.
As with most of the greatest moments in the Kenyan music scene, Boomplay, Africa’s leading music streaming and download platform, has partnered with Nyashinski to make Shin City a riveting success. This partnership is part of Boomplay’s bid to continuously push Kenyan acts to the next level .
To ensure many more fans get access to experience Shin City, Boomplay ran a campaign that gave some of Nyashinski’s fans the chance to win free tickets by streaming the Nyashinski Picks and Shin City playlists, which were personally curated by the legend himself.
On my part, I have to say that I just can’t wait for the concert to go down as it promises to be epic!! If you would like to attend, purchase the tickets here.