Category: Latest

Coolio’s Gangsta Paradise changed hip hop

Posted on by Elizabeth Musyimi

When Coolio first heard the demo that became Gangsta’s Paradise, he had the same reaction as the rest of us.

“I was like, ‘Damn, I really like this song.'”

The Pennsylvania-born, Compton-raised rapper was at his manager’s house in 1995 to pick up a cheque, when he noticed producer Doug Rasheed messing around with the song in another room.

“So I went to Doug said, ‘Yo! What’s this?'”

“He said, ‘It’s just a song we’re working on’,

“And immediately I said, ‘It’s mine’. Just like that.

“I freestyled the whole first line, then I sat down, I picked up a pen and I started to write.”

Released in August 1995, and boosted by a memorable video starring Michelle Pfeiffer, the song immediately ruled the airwaves.

Those lurching stings, the other-worldly choir, and that soaring hook, combined with Coolio’s distinctive, confessional storytelling, made it an instant classic.

It was the first “serious” rap song to top the UK and US charts, opening the door for acts like 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G, who, until that point, had been considered too abrasive for the mainstream.

And its appeal has never lessened. The biggest-selling single of 1995 in America, Gangsta’s Paradise has now been streamed more than one billion times on both Spotify and YouTube.

“I thought it was going to be a hood record,” he told The Voice in 2017. “I never thought it would crossover the way that it did – to all ages, races, genres, countries and generations.”

And yet… Gangsta’s Paradise faced several hurdles on its way to the top. Here’s how it unfolded…

Coolio was born Artis Leon Ivey, Jr in Pennsylvania, and moved to Compton in South Central LA as a boy. Suffering from chronic asthma, he became a bookworm and excelled at school.

“I lived in that library, man,” he told Rolling Stone, while visiting his old neighbourhood in 1995. “I read every kid’s book they had in there. I even read Judy Blume.”

That changed when he turned 11 and his parents divorced. Seeking a way to fit in, he fell into the gangster lifestyle and adopted a menacing, street-tough persona. A few years later, he was busted for bringing a weapon into school. Before he turned 20, he had served time behind bars for larceny.

Later, Coolio studied at Compton Community College and discovered rap. He took his stage name, Coolio Iglesias, from Latin heartthrob from Julio Iglesias, and released a few singles on the local scene, but drug abuse derailed his career.

In his 20s he moved to San Jose to live with his father, while working as a firefighter; and later credited Christianity for helping him overcome his addiction to crack.

Still enamoured with rap, he made a guest appearance on WC and the Maad Circle’s 1991 debut album, Ain’t a Damn Thang Changed; then joined a collective called the 40 Thevz before signing a solo deal with Tommy Boy records – the influential label that played home to De La Soul, Naughty By Nature and House Of Pain.

His first album, It Takes a Thief, arrived in 1994, and was praised for its combination of funky grooves and socially-conscious lyrics. The musician’s message was exemplified by the “hilarious” video for Fantastic Voyage, said Source magazine.

“As the Lakeside groove carries you along, Coolio piles about six milion people into the trunk of his ’64 and takes them to a magical land where race, poverty, gangs and sexual orientation don’t matter and everybody was cool.”

Hip-hop’s gatekeepers were not interested in such idealism. Ivey’s anti-violence, pro-acceptance stance somehow made him “soft”. He earned the unwelcome nickname “Un-Coolio”.

But then came Gangsta’s Paradise.

One day, Doug Rasheed pulled out his copy of Stevie Wonder’s 1976 double-album Songs In The Key Of Life and cut a sample from Pastime Paradise, a bleak and anxious track that was one of the first songs to replace an orchestra with synthesized strings.

Rasheed added a crunching beat and a menacing synth bass, then took the track to singer Larry “LV” Sanders, who laid down a vocal for the chorus.

“I came in singing ‘Pastime Paradise,’ but then I changed it up to ‘Gangsta’s Paradise,'” he told Rolling Stone for an oral history of the song in 2015.

“I did my parts, all the vocals and the chorus, and I did the choir. That whole choir that you hear was actually me – I did all the parts from soprano down to tenor to the bass.”

LV wanted a rapper to appear on the track, and offered it to his friend Prodeje, who declined. Then Coolio overheard it.

Mesmerised, he started writing lyrics straight away. The opening lyric, which riffs on Psalm 23, came to him instantly: “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death/I take a look at my life and realise there’s not much left.“

“I freestyled the whole first line, then I sat down, I picked up a pen and I started to write,” he told the YouTube series Hot Ones in 2016.

“It was divine intervention. I was an instrument and the song was the entity. It wrote itself.”

Coolio was 30 at the time the song was written, but the narrator is 23 and he doesn’t know if he’ll live to see 24. He was “raised by the street”, immersed a life of crime and retribution. If anyone crosses him, they’ll end up “lined in chalk”.

But the story never glorifies the gangster lifestyle. The narrator prays every night, aware that he’s trapped. In the final verse, he accuses the system of letting him down.

“They say I gotta learn, but nobody’s here to teach me / If they can’t understand it, how can they reach me?“

‘Just an album track’

It’s a bleak story. One that could only have been told with the perspective Coolio gained from his teenage years. And the rapper bristled when his song was lumped in with the so-called “gangster rap” scene.

“I’m trying to get rid of that jacket that’s been put on my back – that I’m a gangsta rapper,” he said in 1995. “That’s not my thing.

“My thing is to be true to myself and try to educate and entertain kids. When I make references [to the gangster lifestyle], I’m trying to get kids’ attention using language they want to hear.

“Then I can take them to a deeper level. I’m just trying to get a better understanding of myself and a better understanding of other people.”

Gangsta’s Paradise was a stark departure from the feel-good funk of Coolio’s first album and, at first, his record label weren’t sure what to make of it.

“I called my A&R at Tommy Boy Records, and I played it for him. He said, ‘It sounds pretty good – I think it would make a good album cut.’ Those were his exact words!”

Incensed, the star’s manager decided to shop the song around to movie studios. It nearly ended up on the soundtrack to the Will Smith film Bad Boys, but was eventually placed in the Disney movie Dangerous Minds – the true story of a former Marine who turns around a troubled inner-city high school by teaching them poetry and Bob Dylan lyrics.

A lukewarm retread of Dead Poets Society, it was allegedly testing badly with audiences until Coolio’s song started getting played on MTV. The video, like the film, starred Michelle Pfeiffer, who went face-to-face with Coolio as a camera spun around them.

“She was real nice,” Coolio told Kiss FM’s Rap show at the time. “She brought her son down to the shoot with her and she was cool. We had no problems.”

He was less enamoured with the movie itself, though.

“I hate those kinds of movies where, you know, the great white hope comes into the inner-city neighbourhood and saves the little children – ‘Ooh la la, hey Santa Claus!’ or whatever, all those kinds of things put it in play,” he told Yahoo two years ago. “Those kinds of moments happen very few and far between. It’s not that many people that care about each other [in real life].”

According to Rolling Stone’s oral history, the producers of Dangerous Minds, Coolio was paid $100,000 (£92,000) for Gangsta’s Paradise. There was only one problem: Stevie Wonder hadn’t cleared the sample.

“When Stevie heard it, he was like, “No, no way. I’m not letting my song be used in some gangster song,'” the star recalled.

Luckily, Coolio’s then-wife Josefa Salinas, knew Wonder’s brother. “I guess he had been trying to tap that for years,” he joked in the Rolling Stone article.

“She made a call to him, got a meeting with Stevie and talked him into it. His only stipulation was that I had to take the curse words out.”

That edit undoubtedly changed Coolio’s life. A profane version of Gangsta’s Paradise would never have been played on pop radio, or entered heavy rotation on MTV.

When it hit number one, it opened up new possibilities for hip-hop… although, to some, it marked the end of an era.

“America suddenly realised it could sell non-party rap to Brit panty-waists, and that’s exactly what it’s done ever since,” wrote music journalist Garry Mulholland in his book This Is Uncool: The 500 Greatest Singles Since Punk And Disco.

“In many ways, Gangsta’s Paradise signalled the end of gangsta, or ‘reality’ rap as a cult. It lost the allure of the forbidden when you mum started singing along.”

Coolio was ambivalent about the song too, often lamenting how its success overshadowed his other work.

“It’s a blessing and a curse at the same time,” he said. “For people that really like Gangsta’s Paradise, that’s all they really want to hear.”

In recent years, however, the musician came to appreciate the song’s legacy, and his role in hip-hop history.

“People would kill to take my place,” he said in 2018.

“I’m sure after I’m long gone from this planet, and from this dimension, people will come back and study my body of work.”

By BBC

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Shania Twain on ‘Not Just A Girl’ Netflix docu

Shania Twain on ‘Not Just A Girl’ Netflix docu

Posted on by Elizabeth Musyimi

Shania Twain’s recent Netflix documentary, Not Just A Girl, captures footage of the country megastar in London working on her sixth album.

She pulls up in a black cab, her hair tied in a knot, and plonks down on a sofa to record a song called What You Gonna Do With That Air?

It’s a bright pop anthem that has Twain punching the sky as she reaches the chorus… but it turns out the inspiration was much darker.

“It’s about the anxiety of running out of air,” the singer explains.

“I had a very bad bout with Covid, with Covid pneumonia, and it was very touch-and-go. I was feeling like, oh my God, I just have to breathe.”

The condition was particularly frightening because Twain had experienced that constriction in her throat before.

At the height of her fame in 2003, she was bitten by a tick and contracted Lyme disease, causing nerve damage to her vocal cords that stopped her singing for almost a decade.

She only recovered after open throat surgery, re-emerging in 2012 with a newfound rasp to play the first of two blockbuster Las Vegas residencies.

After Covid, Twain came out swinging again. What You Gonna Do With That Air is both a celebration of life and a challenge to herself: what will you do with the extra time you’ve been given?

“The Super Bowl would be a great one,” she smiles, referring to the high-profile half-time show. “That’s a good target. I just need to think about which songs.”

The 57-year-old has always been a survivor.

Born in Windsor, Canada, her childhood was tough. She recalls her parents being unable to afford food and “the humiliation of going to school dirty because we didn’t have water”.

“It took a lot of mental management to keep your chin up and function without letting it shut you down.”

There was violence at home, too. In her autobiography, Twain recalled a night when her mother’s second husband knocked his wife unconscious then tried to drown her in the toilet. Twain grabbed a chair and smashed it across his back. He punched her in the jaw. She retaliated. At the time, she was 11 years old.

“Thank God for music, because I was literally able to escape my reality,” she says.

“I started to see my guitar as a teddy bear. Even now, if there’s a guitar in the room, I just want to sit and hold it. I don’t need to do anything with it, it’s just kind of like a blankie.”

Music business bear pit

As her talent grew, Twain’s mother pushed her on stage. She would often be pulled out of bed at one in the morning to play local clubs, where licensing laws meant she couldn’t sing while alcohol was being served.

Although she was making a name for herself, her ambition was not to become a star, but to sing backing vocals for Stevie Wonder.

“I didn’t have any desire to be in the front,” she recalls. “I always had terrible stage fright.”

When she was 21, fate cruelly intervened. Twain’s mother and stepfather died in a car crash and she was forced to take a job singing in a local resort to support her younger siblings. That ultimately led to a recording contract, and she was thrown into the bear pit of the music industry.

“But by the time I made it to Nashville, I was like, OK, this doesn’t scare me. I’m not afraid of a few sexist men. I made it through my childhood and the rest was a lot easier.”

She certainly needed resilience. Early headlines asked questions like: “She’s hot, but can she sing?”, while musician Steve Earle notoriously called her “the highest-paid lapdancer in Nashville”.

But Twain had the last laugh. She became one of the first “crossover” stars, successfully fusing country melodies to the bombast of stadium rock.

The formula was all hers (while other country singers idolised Patsy Cline, she sang Pat Benatar in a teen covers band), but it was realised by her then-husband Robert “Mutt” Lange, the producer behind AC/DC’s Back In Black and Def Leppard’s Hysteria.

Their first album together, 1995’s The Woman In Me, went platinum 12 times over. The follow-up, 1997’s Come On Over, sold more than 40 million copies, thanks to the megaballad You’re Still The One and funny, empowering anthems like That Don’t Impress Me Much. It’s still the world’s best-selling album by a female artist, and the ninth best-seller of all time in the US.

“I’ve been accused of changing the sound of country music forever,” she says matter-of-factly. “But I’ve also been accused of ruining country. I’ve been accused of a lot of things.”

Despite the criticisms, Twain’s songs avoid anger and retribution. When she writes about feminism, on tracks like Man! I Feel Like A Woman!, the lyrics are life-affirming and celebratory.

“There’s no point in being angry. It doesn’t get us anywhere,” she says. “Every man that I see singing Man! I Feel Like A Woman! is doing it in a good spirit, because that was my intention.

“This is not a man’s world and it’s not a woman’s world. This is our world and we have to share it respectfully.

“But I will stand up for myself and I will tell you if I feel you’ve crossed the line.”

Twain was in the middle of a world tour when she caught Lyme disease. In her documentary, she recalls how the symptoms included “millisecond blackouts” that occurred once every minute.

“Before I was diagnosed, I was on stage very dizzy. I was afraid I was gonna fall off.”

It wasn’t just the end of her career that Twain faced at that moment, but the end of her marriage. Lange was having an affair with her best friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud, and they divorced in 2008. (Twain later married Thiébaud’s ex-husband, Frederic, a complicated development that her documentary subtly leaves to one side.)

Those feelings all fed into her last album, Now, released in 2017 and written entirely on her own.

“I tried to scream/But silence haunted/Me in my sleep/Oh, and probably always will,” she sang on the slow-burning ballad I’m Alright.

On her forthcoming album, however, Twain’s irrepressible optimism is back.

“With the pandemic, I just really wanted to cheer myself up,” she says. “As we all know, it was a very stifling and crippling emotional and mental exercise that endured for months and months and months.

“So I was like, I just want to be happy! And to me, that was writing happy songs and playing with words again.”

A release date for the album is still to come – but the first single, Waking Up Dreaming, has gone straight onto BBC Radio 2’s playlist.

The music arrives as Twain’s stock is on the rise, with artists like Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne and Haim singing her praises as a trailblazer and a feminist icon.

Harry Styles is a fan, too, asking the star to duet with him at the Coachella Festival.

“It’s surreal that I have classic music and I’m still alive,” she laughs. “I feel like it’s happening too soon, almost.

“The funny thing is, I remember seeing all these little kids at my concerts all these years ago, and now they’re grown up and they’re the Harry Styles and the Taylor Swifts.

“Look at what I’ve done!”

By BBC

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Trevor Noah to step down as The Daily Show host

Ruger shades Kizz Daniel over Tanzania show

Posted on by Elizabeth Musyimi

Nigerian singer Ruger has thrown shade at fellow Nigerian star Kizz Daniel. In a tweet, the singer who is performing in Tanzania this weekend  wrote;                                                                                                                                                                                                              “Tanzania! I’m here and I didn’t forget my bags. See you October 1st,” he wrote accompanying it with a love emoji.

His tweet comes three weeks after Kizz Daniel’s visit to Tanzania was faced with dramatic events.

He refused to perform after alleging that his bag that had his clothes was left at an airport in Kenya.

Celebrities including Harmonize brought bags of designer clothes to the Nigerian star but still refused to perform.

He was put in custody by Tanzanian police and forced to stage another performance as furious fans destroyed property at the venue.

“We waited for him until dawn but he was nowhere to be found,” said a source

Adding “People got angry, they started throwing all kinds of things on the stage. We paid the show to see Ruger we are told he didn’t come because he didn’t have clothes to wear to stage.”

This also affected other shows he was set to perform at.

At the time, the promoters apologized to fans for the singer’s actions.

“We at Str8up Vibes are very sorry for what happened at the Summer Amplified concert on August 7,2022 where Kizz Daniel did not perform as anticipated. We acknowledge that this has resulted in disappointment for our loyal customers and long-time valuable stakeholders,” they said in a statement

Adding  “We are taking are taking appropriate action in handling this matter with rigour, and assure the public and the fans that paid and attended, that we are doing everything we can to make sure that they are taken care of. We request your patience as we deal with this. We shall communicate the next steps in due course.”

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Trevor Noah to step down as The Daily Show host

Trevor Noah to step down asThe Daily Show host

Posted on by Elizabeth Musyimi

Comedian Trevor Noah has announced he is standing down as host of The Daily Show.

Noah said he was “filled with gratitude for the journey” but that there was “another part of my life that I want to carry on exploring”.

The 38-year-old has hosted the satirical news and talk show since taking over from Jon Stewart in 2015.

He said the timing of his departure would be announced later and that he would continue as host in the meantime.

Noah began his career in his native South Africa, releasing a string of stand-up specials and hosting a late-night talk show before relocating to the US in 2011.

He was still a relative unknown when he was chosen to take over the Daily Show on the Comedy Central network, but has since become an internationally-recognised star and won numerous television awards.

Noah made the announcement at the end of his show on Thursday night, prompting shocked gasps from the studio audience.

He thanked the show’s crew and loyal fans for an “amazing seven years”, adding: “It’s been wild, truly wild”.

“I remember when we first started… so many people didn’t believed in us,” he said. “[Appointing me as host] was a crazy bet to make. I still think it was a crazy choice, this random African.

“I just [find] myself filled with gratitude for the journey. It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s something that I never expected.”

He said that after everything that has happened during his time hosting the show – including Donald Trump’s presidency and the Covid pandemic – he had decided his “time is up, but in the most beautiful way”.

“I’ve loved hosting this show, it’s been one of my greatest challenges, it’s been one of my greatest joys. But after seven years, I feel like it’s time,” he said.

“I realised there’s another part of my life that I want to carry on exploring. I miss learning other languages, I miss going to other countries and putting on shows. I miss just being everywhere and doing everything.

“I’m really grateful to a network who believed in this random comedian nobody knew on this side of the world.

“I never dreamed that I would be here. I sort of felt like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I came in for a tour of what the previous show was, and then the next thing I know I was handed the keys.

“All I can say is thank you very much.”

By BBC

Read more stories;

I want to do what Trevor Noah did for South African comedy – Eric Omondi proclaims (exclusive)

Is your simcard registered? You have 16 days remaining to comply

Posted on by Michelle Wangari

Did you know there are now 16 days left to register your Safaricom SIM card? The October 15 deadline set by the Communications Authority is looming and any phone number whose details are not directly linked to a valid source of identification will be switched off .

This means that if your Safaricom line is shut down you won’t be able to make calls, you will lose access to Mpesa whether for personal or business use, you will also not have access to the internet.  

The sim registration exercise allows you to confirm all phone numbers registered under your ID to avoid double registration and the risk of fraud. Don’t waste your second chance to register as this is the last chance to do it today in line with the government regulations.

Safaricom has digitized the registration process, and you can perform this exercise online by yourself from the comfort of your home.

There are different ways you can update and verify your SIM Card details.

  1. To verify your Sim Registration documents click on this link https://safaricom.com/account/kyc-upload and follow the simple steps. You will be required to upload your official Identification Document used during Registration (Original).
  2. Use the MySafaricom App: Check your Sim Card Registration details on the landing page.
  3. Zuri: save mobile number 0722 000 100 on your contacts, open a WhatsApp chat and type ‘Hi Zuri’ SIM Registration Update.
  4. Visit any Safaricom outlets countrywide. The Safaricom agents will scan your ID at the shop.
  5. You can also use the USSD option by dialing *106# and select option number one to check your Registration status or option number two for self sim registration update.

Don’t miss the deadline. Secure your Safaricom line today!

Police call out media on River Yala ‘bodies’ reporting

Posted on by Geoffrey Mbuthia

According to National Police Service, none of the seven bodies waiting to be identified and collected at the Yala sub-county hospital were taken from River Yala.

NPS spokeswoman Bruno Shioso said in a statement that the reports were false and that the organization has information to the contrary about how the bodies ended up at the mortuary.

“Attention of the NPS is drawn from a recent media reporting by a section of media on alleged ‘retrieval’ of seven bodies from river Yala, with the bodies lying at the Yala sub-county hospital mortuary. This reporting is inaccurate and grossly misleading to the public,” read part of the statement.

However, NPS claimed that although the bodies were present, not all of them had been pulled from the river.

“Whereas it’s true that seven dead bodies are at the local Yala sub-county mortuary, not all are associated with a retrieval from the Yala river as alleged,” he said.

Each body has a unique history and set of circumstances, as shown in the following:

One instance was the untimely death of an unidentified person who collapsed and passed away at the Wagai market.

In the Malanga region, there was an instance of mob injustice. The neighboring Khwisero police station brought another case of suspected drowning to the morgue.

Also transported to the mortuary was a victim of a hit-and-run car accident.

In one instance, a possible suicide by drowning was observed by the public, and a suicide note that had been left behind led to the body being carried to the mortuary.

Of the seven bodies, only two were pulled from the River Yala.

“In all these cases, locals and neighbouring police and full seized, coordination and investigating with a view of establishing the identity of deceased persons including probable causes of their respective deaths,” read the statement.

“Inquest files have been opened as per the law.”

Naisula Lesuuda explains 1 big issue female politicians normally face

Posted on by Peninah Njoki

Naisula Lesuuda, a member of parliament for Samburu West, explained how her marital status affected her political career.

Lesuuda claimed in an interview with KTN on Tuesday that her marital status was a problem when she ran for the elective seat in both the 2017 and 2022 General Elections.

She claimed that while male opponents would target her because of her marital status, she stood out among them due to her track record.

“In this election, my opponents said that now I am married, why don’t I go and vie in Baringo where I am married?

So the other time I said I was single it was a problem and now that I am married it was a problem. With women, it’s never enough. But in this election, I made sure I worked to a point where this would be a non-issue,” she said.

Naisula Lesuuda wed Robert Kiplagat, her soul mate, in 2018.

Attendees included intimate friends, relatives, and politicians at the wedding, which had a green and gold color scheme.

The traditional nuptials took place in Lesuuda’s Samburu residence. The MP had made the official announcement that she was taken in 2018.

“Here’s to new beginnings. When we made a decision to not only run for member of the national assembly for Samburu West but also on a Kanu ticket, we knew that it was not going to be an easy task.

However, with your support and prayers, we made it against many odds.

A lot was said about our candidature and even our chances to clinch the seat. you the people of Samburu west believed and together, we made it happen. Thank you.

All said and done, I thank god for the growth that I have experienced both politically and in my personal life. yesterday, marked an important day in my life… I said yes. Blessings in double portions. Here’s to love and light in 2018.” She wrote

Lesuuda welcomed her first child in 2020.

Read more stories below;

Naisula Lesuuda glowing in family photos with her newborn daughter and hubby

Famous politicians who rarely/never share photos of their spouse

Zuchu hinting at why she chose Diamond over Rayvanny?

Posted on by Maureen Waruinge

Zuchu, a stage name for Zuhura Othman Soud, has some intriguing ideas on relationships that she has been sharing online.

She is now discussing the benefits of putting your faith in God after a breakup.

On the 19th, Rayvanny acknowledged that he had wanted to initially date Zuchu before their then-boss Diamond Platnumz got involved.

On Saturday, September 17, the singer of “I Miss You” admitted his affection for the singer of “Sukari” while playing at the Fiesta 2022 festival in Sumbawanga, Tanzania.

Rayvanny added a few lyrics to his song “Naogopa” during the show that seemed to be a confessional message to her.

The head of Next Level Music Records acknowledged that he had considered challenging Diamond Platnumz to a duel for Zuchu’s affection. However, Rayvanny believed that that was impossible.

Rayvanny with Diamond Platnumz
Rayvanny with Diamond Platnumz

In addition, Vanny Boy disclosed that Billnass had already proposed to Bongo songbird Nandy when he wanted to hit on her.

“Mapenzi yanatesa jamani, nilitamani nienda kwa Nandy ila Billnass ashapiga ndoa… Nilitamani nigombane na Simba niende kwa Zuchu (“Love makes me confused. I wanted to hit on Nandy but she was already engaged to Billnass. I wanted to fight with Simba to get Zuchu),” Rayvanny sang.

Zuchu has now discussed why God removes particular people from your life on her Instagram page.

“Hakuna kitu mungu anajibu haraka kama ‘God if this man isn’t for me remove him from my life. ‘ Yaan ni sshwaa shjwaa.”

Adding

 “Papo hapo.”

Here are three indicators that you ought to believe indicate that God is asking you to end a relationship:

  1. You get that ka feeling – In the beginning, when God instructs you to let go of someone, he will only give you very small indications. Trust your intuition and gut instinct the most.
  2. He ignores your limitations Setting boundaries is crucial in a relationship. They safeguard your safety and act as a gauge of respect.
  3. Your time spent together is not enjoyable.

Read more stories below;

Singer Zuchu suing a popular influencer for body-shaming her

Zuchu gifts Diamond’s mom a ‘grandchild’

Boniface Mwangi speaks on claim he asked for child support from Alfred Mutua for Lillian Ng’ang’a

Posted on by Geoffrey Mbuthia

Boniface Mwangi always appears to get sucked in whenever Lillian Ng’ang’a/Juliani and Alfred Mutua are trending.

The most recent instance of this was when a Facebook tabloid said that the activist had purportedly testified in court yesterday in a case involving both Lillian Ng’ang’a and Alfred Mutua.

“Boniface Mwangi has allegedly testified in court today in a suit filed by Lilian Ng’ang’a over properties she jointly owns with Alfred Mutua,” the post caption began.

The article also stated that the renowned photojournalist had claimed that Lillian was bankrupt as a result of her dispute with Alfred.

The caption for the post wasn’t any worse than that! It was stated that Boniface had requested that the former governor of Machakos be ordered by the court to provide child support for Juliani’s kid with Lillian.

“Boniface Mwangi says Mutua has bankrupted Lilian and is, therefore, appealing to the court to compel him (Mutua) to offer financial support to the child she (Ng’ang’a) bore with Juliani,” the post ended.

More than 4,000 comments were left on the page, the most of them from Kenyans who questioned the accuracy of the claim.

Thank goodness the father of three responded to the fraudulent post and disputed it after being named in the comments section.

His response to the accusation is below;

Jecie-Fauzya Fuseini Eiish! Boniface Mwangi like seriously

Boniface Mwangi  · Jecie-Fauzya Fuseini ujinga ya bloggers. One day watapatikana

The folks who created the post were probably fully aware of the kind of interaction it would receive, especially since the Lillian/Juliani/Alfred Mutua triad was once again trending.

Given the tension between Boniface and Alfred as well as the activist’s affection for the rapper from the album “Potential,” it is also a little simpler to spread such false information.

Read more stories below;

Activist Boniface Mwangi left his pregnant wife to lead a protest

Alfred Mutua speaks on future of hotel he shares with Lillian Ng’ang’a

Fights in 2 love triangles cause 3 hospitalizations in Nairobi

Posted on by star.writer

After violent attacks in two different love triangle situations in Nairobi, three people are being treated for injuries in the hospital.

The first incident took place in a lift at the NHIF Building, where a Music Copyright Board intern attempted to kill his fiancée by stabbing her five times.

Allan Musili and his girlfriend Alsheba Nduta, 24, were allegedly picked up while bleeding from the building elevator and transferred to a hospital where they are currently receiving medical attention, according to police and witnesses.

Musili had injuries to the stomach and neck, while Nduta had significant knife wounds in the back.

According to witnesses, Nduta had been to the building on Tuesday in the afternoon to give Musili a laptop back because they were no longer a couple.

Outraged by the action, Musili followed Nduta to the elevator, pulled out a knife, and stabbed her five times in the back before turning the knife on himself and stabbing his neck and stomach.

In the midst of cries to hide the two from onlookers, he passed out.

Both of them were taken to the hospital in an emergency and afterward admitted.

Another love triangle incident, according to the police, occurred in Kaloleni, when a 32-year-old male was hurt during a brawl over a lady.

The victim informed police that when the woman’s ex-boyfriend attacked, they were both inside his home with him and his girlfriend.

After fighting with the victim, the intruder forced him from the first floor of his home, where he fell hurt and hit a structure made of iron sheeting.

After warning his ex-girlfriend, who was shocked by the drama, the attacker left the scene.

According to the police, the victim was taken to the hospital and treated there. The attacker is still at large, and search attempts are still being made for him.

James Mugera, the head of the Nairobi police, said they are looking into the instances in order to take further action.

Love triangle situations have become more frequent as calls for amicable resolution of disputes have increased.

In another incident, a guy was transported to a hospital in the Kasarani neighborhood with stab wounds and ultimately passed away. Police are looking into this event.

Soon after leaving the man off at the hospital, the two bodaboda riders who had carried him there fled the scene.

They claimed they picked up the wounded victim from the side of the road along Thika Highway, according to a hospital employee at Uhai Neema.

The riders then rode off while the nurse was caring to the victim. Minutes afterward, the victim passed away.

The incident is still under investigation.

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Uhuru spent Sh55 billion in his last days in office: A breakdown

Posted on by star.writer

A Sh55 billion supplementary budget that includes funds used by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration in its final days is being sought by Treasury from MPs.

Ministries, state departments, and other organizations have already spent Sh23 billion of the total Sh55 billion.

A further Sh16.6 billion was spent on fuel price subsidies, Sh11.4 billion on road construction projects, Sh8.2 billion on financial aid for CBC, and Sh6.1 billion on financial aid for Telkom Kenya.

In addition, the Uhuru administration spent Sh4.5 billion on the unga subsidy, Sh3.5 billion on the research hospital for the Defense, and Sh3.8 billion on the presidential office.

According to Article 223 of the Constitution, which authorizes such expenses, MPs must approve the supplemental estimates.

The statute permits Treasury to spend up to 10% of a given MDA’s budget item and then request approval.

However, lawmakers and financial experts express alarm over the additional spending, which they claim contradicts the budgetary framework outlined in the Budget Policy Statement.

The National Treasury only requested the National Assembly’s approval for an additional Sh64 billion four months ago, the majority of which was utilized to stabilize fuel prices.

As a result, the budget for the fiscal year 2021–2022 increased by a total of Sh204 billion.

Only two months had passed since MPs had approved a different supplemental budget when the request was made.

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Wetangula dishes cheeky family advice to incoming MPs

Posted on by Maureen Waruinge

Moses Wetangula, the speaker of the house, has urged newly elected members of parliament to remember their spouses when they travel to Nairobi for official business.

On Day 2 of the induction of members, the National Assembly is taking place at the Safaripark Hotel in Nairobi.

Wetangula mentioned that there have been cases of politicians putting their newfound celebrity ahead of their families while speaking to the various representatives.

“Honourable members as you embark on your work I want to encourage you all also not to forget the people who make you what you are. Your family members. Please don’t come to Nairobi and forget your families.”

Weeks after being sworn in, the 13th Parliament is preparing to report for work.

A solemn Wetangula made the MPs chuckle by reminding them that they have family responsibilities and should always keep that in mind when they perform their duties away from their homes.

“It’s your families that help us build great institutions in this country. We will have a session towards the end where we will have some experience from spouses of females Mp’s and males Mp’s to tell you what their expectations are, how you conduct yourself, with the newfound space with the newfound accolades with the newfound opportunities.”

Wetangula advised aspiring politicians to stick around since they would quickly learn the ins and outs of how things work.

“I encourage you those of us who come from the countryside I met some colleague who told me you know I’ve just come to Nairobi I don’t even know where to stay.

I don’t even know where to start. I told him you will soon find it very easy just go to Parliament, find our staff they will show you how to get your mortgage, how to get your car how to get your everything and things will work very well.”

The new Mps were also urged by Papa Wa Roma, as he is affectionately called, to schedule family time.

“Every weekend try and go home. So that people don’t think they elected you and threw you to Nairobi and by the time you go back after five years you find the ground has shifted.” Getting cheeky, Wetangula added, “Because it is always shifting.”

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Ruth Matete reveals the only type of man she is willing to date

Posted on by Maureen Waruinge

Musician Ruth Matete is back on the dating market again. The pastor informed her followers via her YouTube channel Lupaso saying that “Ameoga and amerudi soko”. This is an expression Kenyans use to indicate their desire to start dating again.

She doesn’t desire a young man or a time waster. Ruth hopes to find a mubaba and have that person become her husband after they have been dating for perhaps a year.

“Is she unmarried?” Ruth hesitated before getting up to speak.

‘That’s a very sensitive question you’ve asked. I am single.”

Ruth told the journalist that, stressing it once more:

“I am very single. There’s single and there’s very single. I am very single.”

Is she searching for someone?

“Searching? I want to be searched. The Bible says a man shall…not a woman. Hiyo nayo we cannot change that one please usikatie mwanaume.”

Matete declared that she would never fire a shot.

“Hii mambo ya shot your shot, don’t do it, aki let me tell you to don’t. Just don’t. You would rather go on your knees and say, Lord, open the eyes of that man, let him come to me.”

She voiced her opinion towards men that approach women slowly.

“Na nyinyi wanaume, mnasemanga two years. So I’m waiting for a man to come and tell me Pastor when I think about you. These two years, I had told myself I would give myself about two years before I can now think about being with another man.”

Matete also added that she was prepared for prospective men willing to date her and encouraged them to fire their shots. She is however adamant about not wanting “vijana.”

‘”Sitaki vijana. Nataka mzee. I am not a child bwana. I will be 37 next year. So I need someone who understands unajua umekuja kufanya nini.”

Ruth Matete, a gospel singer and evangelist, was accused of killing her husband, Pastor John Apewajoye, after his passing in 2020.

Matete experienced severe cyberbullying as a result of social media accusations that she was responsible for her late husband’s death.

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Mammito finally reveals break-up with Eddie Butita

Posted on by Geoffrey Mbuthia

Comedy skit creator, Eunice Wanjiru, alias Mammito has stated that she and fellow comic Eddie Butita have indeed split up.

She confirmed this to radio DJ Ankali by claiming that she was in a relationship at the moment and had never been alone even one day!

“Ninakaa kukaa single ata siku moja? Nikiwachwa tu hivi watu wako kwa line.” (Do I look like being single even for a day? The moment someone leaves me, others are already in line)

She went on to say that the mysterious man she was dating was a low-key individual rather than a well-known celebrity.

“Ni mtu low-key.”

She continued by saying that she was traveling the Maasai Mara with the mystery man.

The two comedians had refused to speak on their relationship although Butita gave a hint that their relationship was still intact to the media when speaking to them during an event to raise money for Akuku Danger’s medical expenses back in March.

Eddie Butita with Mammito in the past

This was after a question concerning their relationship was posed, with Butita responding that since the subject required two individuals to respond, it should be asked to both of them.

However, he continued by stating that due to their hectic schedules, it will be challenging to interview the two. After Mammito failed to acknowledge Butita’s birthday in September 2021, speculation of their breakup began to circulate.

It was odd because it was the first birthday she hadn’t publicly wished him since they began dating.

A day later, Mammito stopped following the comedian on Instagram, which led to more rumours.

In a previous interview with Mungai Eve, Butita addressed the situation and stated that he was unaware of any potential issue and that perhaps Mammito had forgotten to wish him a happy birthday.

He was prompted by Churchill to comment on the state of their relationship, but he was unable to do so during the interview.

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19-year-old Umoja man shot dead and mother injured

Posted on by star.writer

Detectives are looking into the robbery where a 19-year-old guy was shot dead outside of their home in Umoja, Nairobi.

The attack outside the house on the guy known as James Karuri, which also wounded his 42-year-old mother Cecilia Karuri with a gunshot on Monday morning, is shrouded in mystery.

James was shot in the head and instantly passed away, but his mother, who had been hit in the chin, was seriously injured and sent to the hospital.

The couple had attended a ceremony in Nyeri, according to the police’s first findings, and had arrived home late.

When they got to Umoja, they made the decision to stop for a drink at a nearby bar before heading home at around two in the morning.

The man and the woman got into a domestic argument on the way, so when they got home, the man left his wife outside and went upstairs.

When the deceased guy asked his father where his mother was, he was told that she was outside.

According to the deceased man’s sister, she and the victim rushed downstairs where they discovered their mother shivering in the cold and telling them she wasn’t in the mood to come inside because of a disagreement with their father.

They even called their older sister, who was away, to plead with her to let them enter the house.

“The girl says it was cold and the mother was covering herself using a Maasai shuka as they begged her to get into the house,” said a police officer who attended the scene.

The girl heard gunshots from outside just as she entered the house.

She quickly turned around and spotted a man with a gun before he disappeared into the shadows.

The wounded woman and dead guy were left with nothing by the gunman as he fled.

Police chief in Nairobi, James Mugera, stated that there is no immediate motive. He, however, is of the opinion that the perpetrator was a petty criminal who panicked, pulled the trigger, and then fled without taking anything from the victims.

“For now it seems to be an opportunistic attack. But our teams are on the ground pursuing the matter,” he said.

While the woman was being admitted to the hospital in a stable but serious state, police were called to the area and picked up the body to be sent to the mortuary.

From the site, two spent cartridges were found. According to police, a ballistic analysis will be performed on them as part of their inquiries into the occurrence.

Locals claimed that a man brandishing a gun had earlier confronted them and that this man is who they suspect was responsible for the shooting.

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Uhuru spent billions hosting political gatherings in last 12 months

Posted on by star.writer

According to a recent estimate, former President Uhuru Kenyatta spent up to Sh1.4 billion entertaining political meetings at State House in his most recent 12 months.

This indicates that in 2022, State House spent an average of Sh4 million each day on hospitality. A large portion of it was spent supporting Raila Odinga, an Azimio presidential candidate.

According to the Controller of Budget report, executive spending on non-essentials increased while State House budget increased.

A bleak image of excessive expenditure on non-priority areas, such as political meetings, is painted in the report for the fiscal year that ended on June 30.

The former President boosted his delegations at State House and State Lodges in the weeks before the elections on August 9 as he worked on a succession plan.

Uhuru aggressively tried to manage his succession and keep William Ruto out as he expanded talks with chosen delegations from throughout the nation.

Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza protested the meetings, alleging that the President was using the government apparatus to prevent his ascent to the presidency.

Uhuru was humiliated when, in spite of his best efforts and spending, his own deputy easily won the presidency.

In all, government entities spent 1.41 trillion on ongoing expenses, Sh26 billion more than in 2021, according to the CoB data.

As Uhuru’s administration disregarded his own austerity measures and spent millions on entertainment, State House was one of the biggest spenders on hospitality.

According to the study, the enormous Ministry of Interior spent Sh803 million on entertainment during that time.

Since it oversees all activities related to the national government, the ministry serves as the core of the presidency.

The discoveries highlight the challenging task facing President William Ruto’s administration in order to keep the nation afloat and meet its responsibilities.

The deputy president Rigathi Gachagua stated, “The truth of the matter is we have inherited a decaying economy that is practically facing an economic shutdown,” in his inauguration speech on September 13.

Treasury imposed limitations on non-essential spending on Ministries, State Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in 2020 to free up money for necessities like paying off the nation’s debt.

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Mohamed Ali demands apology from Junet Mohamed

Posted on by star.writer

In a letter to his Suna East counterpart Junet Mohamed, Nyali MP Mohamed Ali has demanded an apology about a tweet.

He claimed the lawmaker from Azimio implied he was a spy.

Before he decides how much he can be compensated for damages, Ali demands that Junet confess libel culpability within seven days.

The Nyali MP claims that on September 10, Junet tweeted a picture of him that portrayed him as having questionable morality, engaging in sodomy, committing a felony, and being a hypocrite who is unfit to lead.

Ali claims that Junet’s tweet also suggested that he was a philanderer who partakes in unnatural sexual practices in a letter from McKay Advocates.

The demand letter’s signatory, attorney Eric Kivuva, instructed Junet to withdraw the tweet right away and to apologize within seven days.

Additionally, Junet was requested to unconditionally admit her culpability for libel.

In the event that this is not done, the letter states that “our client will proceed to launch an action against you for damages, both general and exemplary, among other remedies, without further reference to you at all.”

Our requests for comment from Junet were still pending.

Following the Supreme Court ruling that affirmed President William Ruto’s victory and over the weeks leading up to his inauguration last week, a Twitter spat broke out.

The congressman claims that by using the term “jicho pevu” in his comments, Junet brought his name up in the Suna East MP’s online altercation with a woman.

“Jicho Pevu and our client are so intertwined and well-known that the show has an account with the Nyali MP’s name,” the letter said.

Ali is a devoted supporter of Ruto, while Junet is one of the key figures in Azimio chief Raila Odinga’s inner circle.

Raila put up a fight against Ruto for the presidency.

After successfully defending his seat in a county that was regarded as an Azimio stronghold, Ali claims Junet’s ‘obscene’ tweet was intended to harm his reputation and lower his status in society.

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Amber Ray’s ex-lover clarifies their relationship after being spotted together

Posted on by Elizabeth Ngigi

Businessman Kennedy Rapudo has spoken out about his relationship with Amber Ray after severally being spotted together.

This is despite his earlier statement that they ended their relationship.

Through his Insta stories, Rapudo said he ended the relationship, though they remained friends.

The two were spotted together on a road trip last Tuesday, sampling Rapudo’s new whip.

A fan asked him;

“Is it true that you and Amber Ray are back together? You have been seen together in many places.

While responding, Rapudo said;

“I gave clarity that we are not together anymore. We are still friends but nothing more than that.”

In a recent Q and A session with her fans, Amber Ray admitted that her relationship with Kennedy Rapudo wasn’t working, and therefore, they resolved to part ways.

A fan asked, “Are you still dating Kennedy?”

Amber stated that she was tired of pretending, adding that her fans would confuse her for a joker. 

She urged her fans to appreciate her the way she is and avoid passing judgment.

“I know mahali imefika, I might look like a joker but manze, I don’t know how to pretend. If it’s not working, it is not working. So munipende tu vile niko,(Just love me the way I am).”

After the breakup, Rapudo described Amber as a nice person.

He wrote;

“Life happens, right? Ideally speaking, we had structural differences but that doesn’t change who she is. She is a very nice person with an amazing heart and a beautiful soul. Mine is to wish her happiness and God’s favor wherever she goes.”