Politics, Artists in Entertainment: Scar Mkadinali, Rong!

Last night on the 27/28* of January 2024, Churchill Mandela, popularly known as Scar Mkadinali said something about #FemicideKe that rattled the feminists in manners that have not been seen since the Shaffie Weru saga. I saw the tweet live in like 45 seconds and immediately I knew this was going to be a long ride for the boy.

Scar Mkadinali’s Tweet that created controversy.

You see, Kenyan entertainers are held on a leash by the corporate sector, whatever they think and say must be politically correct and align with whatever corporate deem right. That has never been a problem and has led to the success of Industry sell outs like Khaligraph Jones, Anto Neo soul, to name just two. But you see, Wakadinali have built a brand based on rebelliousness and a don’t care attitude that has never been experienced in the country before, their success has baffled many in the corporate sector. What we have now is a debacle of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, who wins? Below I am going to yap a bit about politics in the creative Industry, the do’s and the don’ts, I hope I don’t cancelled, just kidding, I don’t give a shit.

For starters, the rising number of reported Femicide cases in Kenya is a result of a knee jerk reaction from the mainstream media to these cases. For the last 6 years, politics has been the main agenda in Kenya and thus such cases have always been swept under the media rug. Now with the traditional media agendas not working, it is only natural (in the pursuit of profit) to focus on other albeit very important, attention grabbing, rage inducing, gender war creating click bait for our failing Media. The media’s work though is to REPORT FACTS, which they are doing vehemently, leaving the work to the influencer community and the creatives to speak since our politicians are all Binti Viziwi (Don’t even get me started on the deafening silence from our “Women Reps”). The problem is we are trying to make it a gender war, women blaming men and men blaming women promiscuity, the enemy is killers, maimers and GBV enablers.

But figuratively, where does the entertainment stop, and where does the politics start for our entertainers? Why is it politically incorrect for our artists to have a stand on anything? The answer is the bag. You see, never come in between a man and his bread, more importantly as a man, never come between you and your bread. Usanii as a craft is a job like any other. A doctor can’t say somethings in risk of his career, that’s medical law (No pun intended). The Kenyan entertainment scene is riddled with unnecessary politics, bedroom politics; someone is sleeping with someone, reported live in K24.

We need to understand that artists are people just like us. In the same breadth, their fans and audience will always take them literally and value their opinions. Now whether their opinions carry any weight or actually matter (in a particular topic) is up to you the consumer.

In 2013, Ringtone Apoko earned in his words “45 million” for performing his song “Jubilation” for the Jubilee coalition, we would have protested but 45M is life changing money, let the boy eat. Recently, Diamond Platnumz and Mbilia Bel performed at the last Azimio rally in last year’s general election, not because we have no artists in Kenya, but the political climate in Kenya is very volatile and toxic that supporting a candidate openly can make you lose your fan base. We have musicians join politics, lose the elections and their fan base altogether, case in point, Frasha from P-Unit.

When Scar, a member of Wakadinali a trio that is the most listened to artists in the country right now says something, you listen, not to agree but because his opinion reflected ON his fans. The Feminist community is understandably cooking the brother on Twitter, they are mad that he said all women should be married by age 23, controversial? Solution? No, this is a multifaceted, multi-layered problem that can’t be addressed in such fashion.

Scar Mkadinali

During the peaceful and successful protests, Kabi wa Jesus and his four cousins allegedly came for a photo operation and dipped immediately. Shame on them for riding on a wave of gruesome murders shaking the country but that is what celebrities do, be celebrities. I saw Bien Aime on the protests with Chiki, supporting his wife and millions of other women in Kenya, but I never saw HIS statement, maybe the protest was his. Where does the entertainment end and activism begins, as much I have little knowledge about artists and artistry, I am a Kenyan citizen, born and bred.

There are trappings of being the voices of our society, artists have limitations. Underground artists can say anything they want because their audience is fixed, but commercial/ mainstream artists can’t talk about volatile subjects because of the Brand. Remember during the campaign period, Khaligraph Jones led a commissary of artists to Karen, the then residence of our current president William Samoei Ruto where they were promised heaven. Papa Jones tried to defend being a sellout by saying WSR would take care of the creative economy, something that I am still waiting to see. Octopizzo on the other hand can’t speak up on a lot of things due to his allegiance to the International community. Our biggest artists are usually tongue tied on such matters, I am just saying Scar spoke though his delivery and message can be received incorrectly, he did what others usually don’t. In all honesty, he should have kept his opinion to himself to avoid a bloodbath like we witnessed on Twitter. But in understanding that Scar and Wakadinali in general have been outspoken since their start, their position as the number 1 artists in Kenya, if not East and Central Africa right now, an opinion, comment or take on anything outside the realm of music is bound to be a problem.

For the Consumer:

REST IN PEACE AKA

We need to learn how to separate art from the artists, listen to music and go home, an artist is just that, a creative. They hold opinions like every person out here, which you may not agree. Do not take their words like parental advice, live your life and just pick the habits you like.

As for the Artists:

They should refrain from making statements that might put them in compromising positions with consumers and sponsors. Just hit the studio and go home, unless it is necessary. The corporate industry are the enablers of silent artists, maybe if they took more affirmative action, our artists would be able to express themselves more.

That said, this is just an opinion of a writer on a Monday afternoon and when all is said and done, Murder is crime, homicide is wrong, killing is wrong. As Kenyans we should all speak out against the Killing and maiming of anyone, Men and Women alike. We need a common voice to weed out this vice, we cannot make this a gender war, we cannot afford that.

#FemicideKe #EndFemicide254