Lyrical Renegades: Reframing Narratives of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Kenyan Urban Margins Through Hip-Hop

ABSTRACT

The outbreak of Covid-19 in Kenya saw a resurgence of state policing, violence and repression as the state sought ways of decisively containing the spread. This was accompanied by a discourse of “being at war” with a novel and invisible enemy. As a result, terms such as shutdown, lockdown, curfew and isolation were mobilised by state agents and organs not only to refer to the concerted efforts of dealing with the pandemic; they also served to show the state’s reach and to justify the excessive exercise of power and control. Through the analysis of two hip-hop songs, “Pandemic” by Kitu Sewer featuring Robah, and “Pandemik” by the Ochungulo Family, this article examines the artists’ representation of the state’s idioms of closure and pandemic-mediated violence, while at the same time necessitating a reimagination of sociality, freedom and resistance in Kenya’s urban margins. Analysing the songs’ recourse to Kenyan anti-colonial struggles and ratchetness, I argue that the artists present Nairobi’s margins as war zones where several pandemics intersect. In addition, I contend that the artists invite a rethinking of a collapsing world in the face of multiple pandemics as offering the possibility of regeneration and transformation.

BRIEF YA RESEARCH

Kumuok kwa Covid-19 kulifanya gava ikae ridho, kuvuruga na kukalia wasee mtaani ikitry kustopisha spread ya Covid. Hii ilikuja na riba mbwakni za kukuwa at war na ma-adui undercover. Juu ya hizi riba, ma-term kama shutdown, lockdown, curfew na isolation zilikuwa zinatumiwa na magava kushow vile wako radar ya pandemic, na pia kuadisia, zilitumika kaa cover ya kuvuruga na kukalia raia. Nikitumia ngoma mbwegze, “Pandemic” ya Kitu Sewer featuring Robah, na “Pandemik” ya akina Ochungulo Family, nadai kuchunguza vile hawa wasanii wanachora story za gava za kutinga na mvurugano wenye ulimuok na ngori za pandemic, na vile art yao pia inashow venye Covid-19 ilichange vile tunakemba sociality, freedom na resistance ya ma-odi wa mitaa. Nikichunguza vile hizi ngoma zinarudia historia ya mastruggle za kiukoloni za Kenya na culture ya mauru, nashow vile hawa wasanii wanapimia mitaa za ma-odi Kanairo kama mitaa za ngori na war ambapo pandemics mob zinagongana. Kuadisia, niko radar ya vile hawa wasanii wanadai tupimie dunia inayo-collapse juu ya pandemics mob kama njia jamo ya kuleta change.

KEYWORDS:

• Pandemic
• lockdown
• urban margins
• urban waste
• ratchet
• popular culture

MA-WORDS MUHIMU:

• Pandemic
• kutinga
• mitaa za ma-odi
• urban waste
• mauru
• pupolar culture

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 State House Choir. 2020. “Tumalize Corona Kenya.” YouTube, April 8. Accessed 5 September 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UNevpFO5N0

2 Kitu Sewer and Robah. 2020. “Pandemic.” YouTube, April 26. Accessed 27 May 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLIKiuGsnzM; Ochungulo Family. 2020. “Pandemik.” YouTube, April 4. Accessed 15 September 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0VWAfHSFFU

3 “Jamdown” is the name given to reggae music events in Kenya.