 I don't know about you, but I really like colors. It's actually in my handle, color me, Val. Sonimona, greeting Flani in that video, and he's about to explain exactly how that happened and who did it and the purpose. But in the meantime, hello, welcome. If you're just joining us, Karibu Sana, this is why in the morning, bright and early, I am a little bit annoyed with the weather because when I was coming into work, it was raining, a vandal storms, lightning, and now it's acting like it's all fresh and the sun is shining, the birds are singing. I'm very confused, but it's okay. Yeah, it's fine. Y24 Facebook, Y254 channel on Twitter, Y254 underscore channel on the gram hashtag of the day is Thursday Vibes, and we are feeling good and we are about to vibe. I hope you caught the previous interview by Grace, very riveting, something about technology and an application in hospitals, and somebody said they want to be the Bill Gates of their particular industry and I like that, I like that ambition. I hope you're waking up with some gusto today. Meanwhile, I would like our first guest of this particular segment to introduce himself. He looks quite nice, by the way. Hi. Hi. How are you? Good. You look nice. Thank you. You look nice too. Thank you. Please say hello to your people. Hi, everyone. This is Kid Rucha. Why Kid Rucha? Kid Rucha. Okay, the name has some history to it. When I was young in primary school, I had this math teacher who used to call me baby goat because I used to dwell in her math tests, so she gave me the nickname baby goat. So the young one of a goat is actually a kid. Well, growing up, the name goat, G-O-A-T, greatest of all time. So metaphorically, the young one of a greatest of all time goat is a kid, basically. So maybe I endeavor to morph into a goat one day musically. Wow. You're deep. This became this suddenly because of this. Wow. All right. Welcome to the show. Thank you. We just had a video played, okay, a little bit of it. And first of all, tell me about the colors. Who shot this video? Who directed and did all those wonderful things? The director and my manager is called Hinga, Hinga Elias Sr. He's basically my long-term friend. My long-term friend. Okay. It started off so like, it wasn't planned. His brother has got a camera, so one day we just decided to try something out with it. So we shot some videos back in 2021. Yeah, and then I continued with him all through 2022. So he has been shooting my videos now. So that specific video was for the song By Any Means. It's actually the second record of my already released album. By Any Means. So he did the shooting and the color grading and stuff. I was told that the name of a song is quite symbolic. So when you say By Any Means, I'm feeling like you are trying to succeed by any means necessary or try to do something by any means. Yeah, By Any Means. The hook goes like, I live by the code. I get it by any means. I get it by any means. I hit the wall. Hit the wall is like, have my fun. Then I'm back to business. That's back to doing music, back to recording. Trying to get it by any means. All right. Just pop smoked me for a minute. So what are we watching now? This is Do Rugs and Graduation Hearts. It's an interlude record of the album. Basically, I have three interludes on the album, on the 14th track. Three? Yeah, three interludes. But they're all musical. The first one explains what the album is about. The second one, Do Rugs and Graduation Hearts. It's basically like a poem. The third one, it's called Price To Be Famous. It's basically put my thoughts into it, Price To Be Famous. What is the price to be famous? There's a whole lot there. Like, if you listen to that specific record, you'll be able to come freehand. Do Rugs and Graduation Hearts. Yeah, Do Rugs and Graduation Hearts. Basically, the idea behind is that Do Rugs is a musical artist and Graduation Hearts is also a scholar or something. So there's two sides to this one coin. And you're the coin? Yeah, I'm the coin. Would you call yourself a gold coin? Maybe. Maybe a mere morph into that or something. Okay. Where do you believe you're at if you keep talking about morphing into something better or greater? Where do you think you're at right now? I feel like the whole thing is a process. Yeah. For example, the first interview you gave me, I was promoting that record, believing the process. Okay, this is something we talked about off here. Let's give them the background. Guys, fun fact. We had an interaction on this particular set on a different show in 2018. Wow. Okay, continue. So, believing the process. So it's like a process or rather a journey. These steps to it. And the pinnacle is the highest point here. So I feel like back then I was just starting out. I'd say maybe I'm at mid-level or something. So I hope I'm being in a studio. I understand. It's a process. Yes, you sound like you trust the process. And you sound like you believe you've gone from 2018. Yeah, straight up. Yeah. So you're kind of proud of yourself or you're just growing. You're not proud of yourself. I'm proud of myself, actually. Because I feel like the people I started with, most of them, they gave up along the way. They felt like it wasn't really paying off and they decided to do other things. Why didn't you give up? I feel like as human beings, there are things we are born to do. Like it's automatically, it comes automatically, you can't help it. So whenever I hear any kind of music that is good, that makes my soul or my heart jump, I feel the need to write. So I feel like it comes automatically for me. And as soon as I write, I want to record it. So I end up releasing music. So I feel like there are things as human beings we're just born to do. We were brought into this world to do that. So for example, if one time or a season you were frustrated by this particular branch or side of yourself and you took a pause, it would haunt you until you came back to it. Yeah, straight up. That is basically what would happen. You would not feel like you're comfortable not doing it, you know. You'll have the need to write or record the music and produce. It gives you a certain push. Like do this, do this, do this. All right. So from mixtape, because that's what you came to launch in 2018, imagine. 2018 mixtape. Now, how many mixtapes into this, two EPs and a whole album? I started with an EP, Rob Da Vinci. That was after high school in 2016. Then 2018 was mixtape. You have interesting titles, Rob Da Vinci. Okay. Rob Da Vinci. Then it was mixtape in 2018. I had 10 records. It was called Lips and Bounds 2019, Project 21. It was also a mixtape. Were you 21 at the time? Yeah, I was 21 at the time. Oh, it's like Adele. She named her albums after. Then in 2020, during the COVID, I came up with an EP. It was a four-track EP called Jumps by Youst truly. That was in 2020. Then 2021 mixtape. It was called Roan and Cut mixtape. It had eight records. And then 2022, that is when I released my first album. It's called Head in the Sky. It has 14 tracks. Head in the sky. Oh, I was going to ask questions. I sometimes get this a lot when I ask this question. Don't ask it often, but I'm very intrigued by the names and how you choose to collect your music. Do you have a favorite song of your mixtapes, your EP and your album? Is that one song that just stands out for you because it's the most significant? Maybe the number one song or the last song? I don't know. Overall number one song? Yes, in each of those countries. Being Rap Da Vinci, it was the signature record called Rap Da Vinci. And within Rap Da Vinci, EP. So I loved that when it was Trappy Trappy. What were you trying to tell us there? Rap Da Vinci, basically I was beating my chest like any rapper would. Give me, give me, give me some taste. I can't recall. I can't even recall. It's been so many. It's been many years ago. 16, how many years ago? And how many songs ago? It's a long time back. All right, the next song? In 2018, believing the process, basically it was the signature record. In 2019, how many? I had a record called How Many Featured My Homie Called Gold Trigger. Then in 2020, it was Maintain. That one did so well. 2021, from the mixtape I did, it was Coffee Bean. Coffee Bean, it was a freestyle. It was a borrowed beat. The whole mixtape from 2021, they were borrowed beats. They weren't original beats. So there's this beat by, okay, there's this record by Travie Scott. It's called Coffee Bean. So I borrowed the beat and I did that specific record with it. It also did well in 2022. In the album, okay, I have a few favourites. Okay, I'm not, I haven't like chosen a specific one, but the signature record was By Any Means. By Any Means. I made to release, okay, I've released By Any Means, All I Know, do rugs and graduation hats. The ones that are out, music videos from the 14 records. So I made to release In My Element. It is also one of the records on there. Made to release it, say, early April. And since you sound like a storyteller, what are you trying to tell us in this particular album? In this particular album, Heading the Sky. Heading the Sky basically in literature means that I'm in my own space here. I'm completely unaffected by what is happening around me. I'm consumed in my own thoughts and my own... Isn't it Heading the Clouds though? Heading the Sky. Isn't it? No, the phrase is Heading the Clouds. There is Heading the Clouds, yeah. And there's also Heading the Sky. Okay, I'd ask you kindly, go check out the meaning of that. Did he just take me to school? Okay. Okay, Heading the Sky. The album covers, they picked it perfectly. My head is literally in the sky with the stars and the crescent moon on the side. And then it's also symbolic because I have a graduation hat on. So technically it means that it is my graduation from a rapper into an artist, graduation into something greater or something better. So basically that I'm in my own space, completely unaffected by what is happening around me. Yeah, whatever people are doing, whatever people might seem to tell me or insecurities, they might push towards me. I'm not concerned about that here. I'm in my own space. All right, okay. Does that include... There is... Okay, let me phrase it like this. When technology has kind of married with communication and taken over literally, we can go for a while without actually interacting face to face, especially now with the COVID situation and now we're post-COVID but we still do a lot of things online. So that means other's opinions will reach you faster via these social media pages or comments and all these other things. So how do you deal with either criticism, because criticism is healthy, I'd like to think that, versus just outright cyberbullying? Okay, not really. I've had instances whereby I've actually, okay, still get messages even on my Instagram and Facebook that my music is not good. Okay, they use other words but I just say it's not good. Thank you. I feel like there are people who have been maybe watching you over time here. They feel like you're not meant to do that, you know. Yeah, so you get that a lot. I feel like any person in this kind of industry, they'll be approached with these kinds of people. So how I deal with these things, I really don't mind them. I don't put my head there, you know. And the fact that I cannot help it, I cannot make myself stop writing music, it just comes automatically. Like I've told you, I'll write music and I'll record it and I'll release it because I can't keep it to myself. So the idea is not to mind them because on the side, despite the fact that you have these people who hate on you, you also have people who actually like listening to you. That's a lot of effort of someone to follow you all these years only to tell you they don't like you. You are investing a lot. They're not a fan. They're a low-key fan, you just don't want to say it. Yeah, straight up. All right, okay. So how do you handle the fans, the actual people who love you and want to follow you all the, everywhere? Do you perform, by the way? Yeah, I perform. My last performance was in February, February 4th. We had a performance at the Move Cafe in Kilimani. That was my most recent one. I have another one coming up in April. Where? Yeah. It's also in Kilimani. Okay. I don't have the actual name for that place. It's not Move though, but it is in Kilimani. It is a friend's birthday. Yeah, so I'm supposed to perform on that specific birthday. Oh, well, you have friends. You can perform for birthday parties. Come again. You have very interesting friends. You can perform for birthday parties. Yeah, straight up. With hip-hop, yeah, or with an artist who's big enough yet. You have to actually go out there and pitch for shows. So, yeah, basically it's not, it doesn't come automatically. You have to go out there and put yourself out there to get these shows. But mainly last year and the previous year, I've been performing in schools. My cousin, my cousin is like into entertainment. He does these shows in schools. So I've been performing in schools. I'm stronger up on your mind at the end. I want to do something with schools, but that's for another time. Please give us your social media handle. So immediately you get that poster out for April. We'll know what to do. This is Kid Rucha, two names, K-I-D, R-U-C-H-A on all social media platforms. It's Kid Rucha, Instagram, Kid Rucha, underscore official, YouTube, Kid Rucha TV, Facebook, Kid Rucha, Gabriel. Gabriel. Okay, that's a very serious name. I didn't see that coming. All right. Do you want to ask him a question? At Y2-5-4-Facebook, Y254 channel on Twitter, Y254 underscore channel on the gram. Hashtag is Thirsty Vibes. This is just me being curious. I have read on your bio that you, your sisters were very R&B inclined. So how has you been influenced by R&B led to hip hop? Where did that happen? I feel like R&B and hip hop, actually R&B is part of hip hop. Yeah. And within these hip hop songs, they were actually rappers, collaborations and stuff. And I feel like music is music. I was influenced to want to do music by R&B. But by the R&B music that my sisters were listening to. And along the way, I figured out that I couldn't sing like an R&B artist, but I could actually rap or something. So that is why I talk of the influence I had from that kind of music. I found myself through that. Did you try singing? Not really. Maybe in the bathroom or something. I'm going to ask you, so how do you know it would not work out? All right. I'm a very practical person. I appreciate it if you could give me a couple of bars. Couple of bars. Yeah. Your pick. Anywhere, anyhow. Yeah, straight up. And then you would be facing that camera and performing for your audience. The boy is barked like the spinal cords, stepping to the game like the Trojan horse. Happy birthday to the boy. He is an album old. He's feeling fly like the angels drove from the gutters where he's really from. Making records just to feed his soul, overdosed on too much sauce. This is only half of what he can really do. His self-esteem is going through the roof. The K.R.D. still the elephant in the womb. Still pushing tracks, exploring all other news. Never damning it down. He's got something to prove. He's been a G since the U-Tubers. Effortless. How he's killing all these records and only competition. His gut is his higher self. Numerous flows. He brings them back and forth like a carousel. High level master, way off the pen. He'd kill a bit, bring it back so we could do it again. There is no ends to the length. He will go to make ends meet. He's trying to profit off his prophecies. He's finna rain. That's the prophecy. Sticker one and watch it come to be. Peace. Boom. Mic drop. All right. Give me another one. Thanks. Another. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah! Are you shy now? Okay. Let me see. Hey, I was in the, I judged you a bit. I thought you was going to do it in one language. That, that really was fresh. Okay. I like it. Yes. Okay, okay. Do you do that a lot? Do you mix languages or do you kind of just... Yeah. When I started out I was doing soliloquy English, but along the way I figured that I could actually do Swahili to engage with a bigger audience or something. That's fine. The Kenyan market actually, I'd say, requires you to do that. Requires you to relate with Swahiliya, with, including Swahili in your raps, or in your music, you'll actually engage with more people than the number you would have engaged in, engaged with if you are doing soliloquy English. This is solely out of my curiosity. This has nothing to do with anything guys. Kindly, sorry. In your growth, you've maintained your dreadlocks as we have gone along. Is the Dear Aga signature look now? Yes, it is. Why? I'd say it is. How did we get here? It's not because of the forehead. I feel like around here, I'd say maybe in Kenya or rather Nairobi, I've witnessed my friends and people. I look at posts and I see posts on Twitter. People claim that cops have actually owe me a hander because they have locks. Maybe they are trying to relate them with certain kinds of people. So, since these things started becoming common, I decided to conceal my locks. I decided to be concealing them. So, I started wearing durangs when I'm moving around. So, I've grown to like wearing durangs. Okay, but not at work. At work, I have to remove the durang. Hey, I like your job, bro. You're just steady. Just move it. You know, I have to hold them tightly here in the back. Not really. All right. What would you like to tell your new fans? Because I'm sure that people watching you have never seen you, have never interacted with you. How would you like to introduce them to your fan base? Kid Rucha. If you enjoy hip-hop music, trap, old-school hip-hop, I'm the artist to look for and listen to. Basically, my music is about inspiring the next man to want to do better for themselves and maybe even for others of the world. So, I feel like that is the kind of music I push. I try to give you some form of advice here. I'd say that this is influenced by the kind of artists I listen to. Bamboo, Abbas Kubaf, internationally J. Cole and Naz. These are the artists I listen to. So, I feel like through their music, I was able to find myself and also put that out there. You've chosen very deep. You're full of depth, I can see. I feel like that is how things need to be. Things need to have meaning. There has to be meaning to everything. This is me judging you again, but you look like you would be very impatient around people who are very shallow. Are you? Not really. Yeah? Okay, at least I don't try to show it, but... You see. You see, you see. So, I'm going to manually show it and I will echo it. But before I do, let me take it from here to the actual question. So, I understand that some artists are afraid to lose their individuality. That's why they do singles or, you know, albums, EPs, etc., but in their own voice, in their own space, without introducing a second or third party, you understand. But I've heard you've mentioned you've done a collaboration before. Is it something that you want to do and do you have an artist that Yeah, is there a group of people or maybe a singular person that you would like to start off collaborating with? Yeah, okay. At this point in my career, I feel like I've done a lot that is me. And... Well, that's a twist. I've done a lot that is me. And according to the album, I had a few records that are... What would I say? They actually... They would engage better with the Kenyan market. There's one record I did with my friend called Hunter. It's called Weekend. It has some trape-ish, and say slightly gangitone kicks. So, and the whole album being about my graduation from a rapper into an artist. An artist is open to do, to jump, to try new things. An artist can do. Various kinds... Can jump between... Can joke between different kinds of genres. So, I feel like artists I'd like to engage with are the ones who are already popping. And they'd actually introduced me to a wider market or a specific kind of market. So, I'd go for people like Waka Denali. They're the ones who have always been looking at me. Oh, I did not see that coming. I'd go for Waka Denali. Because they have this niche, they have grabbed it. I feel like they'd introduced me to a certain kind of market that I haven't engaged with before. So, these Waka Denali... I'm not really... I haven't looked at gangitone artists yet. But maybe I might consider. Yeah, I might consider. But I feel Waka Denali would be a perfect fit for me now. Nasi, you can sit here to tell their love song. Oh, but... When you're trying to make a video, what's your name? Woo! I think I'm hard-core. I think I... Gangsters need love, too. Okay. Yeah, I have a few love songs, yeah? I have a few. I have round one. I have one in the album. Yeah, in Jams Bayou's truly EP, I have another one called... I mean, To You. It's really good. All right. In conclusion, closing. We might have to conclude for some time. I think the conversation in Lanzakushika as we continue... What would... You've already given advice. You've already hollowed out your fans. I might just be denying you some pleasure. You have a very interesting mind. I've enjoyed this conversation. Thank you. One more time with the social media handles in case they are just tuning in. This is Kid Rucha on all social media platforms. When you google the name Kid Rucha, two names, yeah? You'll find everything about me. My Instagram, my Facebook, YouTube. Kid Rucha TV. All right. You heard it here first. He's amazing. Please check him out. He has a brand new album. Okay. He's releasing songs slowly by slowly, but you can stream it on all platforms. Yeah. Yeah. So do like you kindly. Favorites, share. Add it to your playlist. Yeah. Bump that thing. It's coming by force. Yeah. Just do you. Add to it by Facebook, Y254 channel on Twitter, Y254, underscore channel on the ground. Hashtag of the day, Thursday vibes. Don't go away.