Moroka Kalahari
An exclusive interview with contemporary Kenyan rapper ,Moroko Kalahari
Pachagazine: What’s your stage name?
Moroko: MOROKO KALAHARI.
Pachagazine: Who is MOROKO KALAHARI.
Moroko: I’m a 29 years old rapper/graphic designer/family man/ex gangster. I have been doing hip hop for 8yrs in Kenya and Europe.
Moroko
Pachagazine: How did you come up with your stage name?
Moroko: MOROKO is my acronym for my real names. MO.RO.KO (MORITZE.ROBERT.KOLE)
I’M A SAMBURU.
Pachagazine: which hood do you represent?
Moroko: Kibera.
Pachagazine: where you born and raised in kibera?
Moroko: I was born in a wealthy background, good school, good Neighbourhood but my mum died when I was seven, so I had to relocate to live with my Aunt in Mukuru Kayaba then I moved to kibera.
Pachagazine: You have a history of crime how and when did you quit crime?
Moroko: I was in street crime and extortion at 14yrs old and I reformed after I was taken to a juvenile prison for 4 months in 2004.
Pachagazine: Why did you choose Hip Hop as you main genre. Do you think of doing something else apart from hip pop?
Moroko: Yes, I have tried dancehall and also worked with EDM and Techno producers while in Germany. I didn’t choose hip-hop,it chose me.
Pachagazine: Hip Hop artists complain that the genre doesn’t pay. What’s your take on this?
Moroko: Hip hop pays but from another angle, You have to know your clientèle and your location to understand how hip hop can pay you, not only hip hop, other artists doing different genres and also complaining of the same.
Pachagazine: You have a big music project coming up tell us a bit about the project.
Moroko: I have a video is coming soon,it was done by a guy from Colombia called Carlos Vargas and will be ready later this month,he edits music videos for different artists around the world and he has a YouTube channel called Kopperkollective
I’m am also going to Sweden in November to do an album with a live band called looptroop.
Pachagazine:What would you tell you young talents who are looking for opportunities in the ghetto?
Moroko: talents looking for opportunities while in the ghetto should not give up, nowadays it’s not that hard because of the internet and social media so they should keep their eyes open and education is key to being successful.
Pachagazine: Are you doing music as your full time job?
Moroko: No, I’m Also a software engineer and graphic designer,music only gets me 30% of my income.
Pachagazine: You do a lot of collaborative music. Is it a strategy?
Moroko: Yes, once you collaborate, you get the other artists fans to be your fans,and vice versa,it not only unites the artists,it also unites there fans as well.
Pachagazine: Do you think Octopizo is the biggest steel pillar from Kibira?
Moroko: Yes I do, he’s really cool
Pachagazine: Any albums so far?
Moroko: I have 3 albums including my latest one called PRINCE OF KIBERA Which is available at Ksh 300 upon request.
Pachagazine: Do you have any musical beef with a fellow rapper?
Moroko: I don’t have beef with anyone. I’m really diplomatic,
Pachagazine: What should your fans expect in the near future?
Moroko: They should expect to be laughing Every time they hear my music because I’m working on hard punchlines and storytelling to entertain them on my new album.
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