SHOWBUZZ: You know my name, it’s not ‘Baby Mama’

You know my name, it’s not ‘Baby Mama’

Celebrated actress Brenda Wairimu has slammed the media for demeaning her by regularly referring to her as “Juliani’s baby-mama”. She has urged writers to accord her the respect she deserves as one of the stakeholders in the Kenyan entertainment industry.

While opening up about her love life with the rapper in a recent candid interview with a local television station, Brenda started by criticising the media for continuously demeaning her stature when doing stories about her works.

“First, let me start by making this clear. Can the bloggers and entertainment writers stop referring to me as Juliani’s baby mama when doing stories (about me)? I have a name. I believe I have worked very hard to make a name for myself, please,” she stated.

When pushed to confirm if they are married, Brenda could only say they are happy. The 29-year-old, gorgeous singer and Juliani have been dating for slightly over five years and are blessed with a three-year-old daughter, Amor.

Lit360: Finally, a label that has artistes’ backs

Several artistes have welcomed the move by Nation Media Group to launch Lit Music Record label that will go a long way in promoting local talent. The label will conduct talent scouting and development of artistes, manage their brands and trademarks among other aspects, ensuring the artistes get full value for their talent. Already, the label has signed several artistes, including gospel sensation Gloria Muliro, Redemption, Rachel Adiyo, Hellena Ken, Vanessa, Bugz, Dee and Alex Munyiri.

While launching the label on Thursday, NMG Acting CEO Stephen Gitagama said, “We believe that through this label we will bring something unique and fresh for the local artistes and make it easier for them to commercialise their talent.”

He went on to add that the initiative will find ways to make it efficient for local artistes to have transparency on revenues earned through various platforms.

Kenya’s first Ballantine

Boiler Room X Ballantine’s True Music show will make Nairobi the next stop for True Music Africa, a four-city tour that unearths pioneering talent and their stories of hustling through the underground music scene to do it for themselves. The show will celebrate some of Kenya’s finest artistes from the Nu-Nairobi scene, with acts like  Muthoni The Drummer Queen., DJ Suraj, Taio, DJ Coco Em and EA Wave on its list.

Nairobi follows in the steps of shows in Cape Town late last year and Douala, Cameroon, earlier this month, where some of the freshest talent on the continent performed to an estimated online global audience of five million.

As a result of the current digital boom in Kenya, Nairobi is expected to witness a full bloom of creative awakening: fashion, art and music where this new technological generation is really making its mark.

Boiler Room’s chief business development officer  Steven Appleyard said: “We’re super excited to be taking True Music to Kenya for the first time, to deep dive into one of the continent’s most vibrant scenes and collaborate with the local pioneers whose creative approach and DIY spirit is pushing the scene forward.”

I’m no longer the man I used to be

Rapper G-Kon, who has been away from the music scene for some time now, has opened a can of worms by stating that he is broke and that is why he no longer records music. While opening up on his silence and being outside the game that has seen increased competition over the years with new acts such as Petra emerging, the rapper said, “Honestly speaking, I am short of finances and that’s why I no longer record. People can laugh but that’s my honesty. I know it requires courage to talk about your situation but that’s God’s plan.”

He has attributed his musical pause to his young family, which has seen him shift focus.

“Those days (when I used to record), I was a one-man army but right now I have a daughter who wants the best, and that has made it a bit difficult for me to balance my little earnings between taking care of her and financing my music.”

However, G-Kon, who was blessed with the baby two years ago, is working on things and plans to soon start recording again.

Otile: I love this curvaceous girl

Swahili RnB singer Otile Brown has responded to his fans who have been calling his curvaceous new girlfriend, popular socialite Vera Sidika, a ‘Chinese plastic’ due to several plastic surgery procedures she has undergone to enhance her looks.

Otile and Vera have been making headlines, after they started spending some quality time together about two or three weeks ago. They had earlier denied that they are dating, with Otile saying they were just best of friends.

However, a few days ago, despite much bile and criticism on their relationship, Otile took to his Instagram account to confess his undying love for the controversial socialite. And as if that wasn’t enough, he hit the studio and recorded a song “Vera” in praise of her. These moves made many of his fans attack him for going nuts over the socialite’s enhanced looks, with many terming her “plastic”.

While responding to them in a recent radio interview, the singer said, “What really annoys (me) is how people call her body fake and China. I love that China and I love Vera. She’s an extremely smart woman and I keep telling people that.”

He later took to social media to make it clear that he is not bothered with what people think of Vera and he wouldn’t be leaving her anytime soon. 

Is R Kelly on borrowed time with this petition?

An online petition campaign led by Time’s Up organisation, and supported by Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o, which seeks to push for in-depth investigation on 51-year-old R&B star R. Kelly following sexual abuse allegations, is nearing its goal of 70,000 signatures.

For over two decades, the singer has faced several sexual misconduct and harassment allegations against girls but he has always denied the claims. However with recent developments, where a young woman from Dallas accused him of infecting her with an STD knowingly, the pressure to bring him to book by demanding for fresh investigations has been mounting.

By Thursday morning, 67,321 people had signed the Care2 petition, which has called on the music business, including Sony and Live Nation, to boycott Kelly’s music. The pressure has already led to at least 10 of his concerts being cancelled so far.

The Care2 petition has received massive backing from influential women and men across the world reads:

“R&B singer R. Kelly has preyed on teenage girls for the past 25 years. It’s time our society stops his cycle of abuse. In 1994, R. Kelly illegally married 15-year-old Aaliyah, and in 2002, he was indicted on 14 counts of child pornography. He was acquitted six years later because neither the alleged victim nor her parents were willing to testify, but more than 40 others took the stand to confirm that the girl in the video was the 14-year-old girl.”

Besides Lupita, other women supporting Time’s Up movement who have also added their voice to the issue, calling on RCA Records and Apple Music among others to take action against the musician include:

Kathy Griffins who tweeted, “For 20 years we’ve been reading about credible accusations against R Kelly. For 20 years we’ve known that he has settled multiple claims of sexual misconduct. For 20 years we have known he is a sexual predator. Enough!  I stand with the women of #timesup #MuteRKelly.”

Kerry Washington wrote: “Today we join the call to #MuteRKelly and insist on safety & dignity for all women. We demand appropriate investigations and inquiries into the allegations of R. Kelly’s abuse made by women of colour & their families for over two decades now.

Viola Davis: “Today we join the call to #MuteRKelly and insist on safety and dignity for women of all kinds. #TIMESUP.”