Kenyan rappers Dr. Reign and Asum Garvey have released their latest project, Awesum Reign: The Stance, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop culture.
After five decades, hip hop has evolved with artists experimenting with different sounds and styles. Dr. Reign and Asum Garvey added a touch of spin-offs and subgenres like Afro-drill and trap to the album.
“Being that hip hop is 50 years old, the initial plan was to have an album that pays homage to the genre,” Dr. Reign shared.
“As always, I don’t like following the trends. I was working on multiple projects at the time, but with Hip Hop at 50 coming up, I felt a need to drop something at the back of my mind,” Asum Garvey continues.
This album is a tribute to hip hop, which has always been a powerful voice for the streets and a vital part of hip hop culture. “The lyrics are filled with important information and ideas, reflecting the ‘knowledge’ element of hip hop,” Dr. Reign shared. “Even though the album was made by accident, we were cautious about the message we wanted to send.”
The 10-track album delves into various themes, from the need for support when hustling to the harsh realities of competition. It also discusses the social ills in our society, champions social change, and emphasises the importance of hard work and authenticity over superficial pursuits.
“When Reign and I linked up at our Hotbox Studios, we talked about this, and being like-minded hip hop heads, he played ‘Run it Up,’ which got me charged up to work with him on the record, which showed me he was in line with what I had in mind for a project that matched the time,” Asum adds.
The project was further developed on the heels of the #RejectFinanceBill protests that embattled Kenya throughout the months of June and July. Thematically, the album speaks to social ills Kenyans unitedly revolted against, such as the high cost of living, political impunity, and the general state of affairs. Records such as ‘Out My MELANIN’ fueled the fire as a revolutionary soundtrack during the Reject Finance Bill protests.
The record was instrumental in Kenya’s revolution, being shared by activists such as Boniface Mwangi on his social media. Meanwhile, the record ‘Kazi’ spotlights unemployment, poor remuneration, and grim realities of healthcare workers, becoming a trending song on Twitter that resonated with youthful doctors on strike.
Dr. Reign and Asum Garvey worked with various artists, leveraging their skill and mastery to bring the album’s message to life. They worked with Kenyan producers HR The Messenger, H_art The Band’s Mordecai Dex, Keithwamz, Nuitt, Eastern, Kobby Worldwide, and DJ Prodluigi. Moreover, the album features lethal acts such as former Kleptomaniax member Collo, Steph Kapela, Groovy Jo, Ace The Don, Dr. Jay of Hot Box Music, and more.
Reflectively, Dr. Reign and Asum Garvey first met to work on a single. When their musical chemistry and artistic visions aligned, they started building their material on issues highlighted in the news that affected the common mwananchi (people). “After having in-depth conversations and aligning our opinions on what was going on in society, we decided to get our tools and create music that reflected what was happening at the time,” Dr. Reign said.
Awesum Reign: The Stance is a statement from the two artists who are using hip hop to voice the concerns of Kenyans and challenge listeners to invest in bettering themselves despite challenges. The duo is continuing what hip hop pioneers started, championing the rights of citizens, challenging the status quo, and using rap as a tool for social change.
“I had some song ideas that matched the energy of the album recorded, so we added them in and recorded some fresh ones to tie in the project, and by then it was more than an EP, so we rounded them off, and it turned into an album,” Asum concludes.
