Wakadinali’s ‘Victims of Madness 2’ is a new chapter for Nairobi’s hip-hop trio. Also known as ‘Rong Rende,’ Scar Mkadinali, Domani Munga, and Sewersydaa have once again caused a frenzy in the Kenyan hip-hop scene. The first chapter of Victims of Madness (VOM 1) was released in 2020. It stood out for its bold approach to addressing sociopolitical issues such as crime and police brutality. VOM 1 revolutionized Kenyan rap, amassing over 30 million plays, including 1 million on AudioMack alone in October 2022. Doing so while being distributed by Zozanation, their independent record label was a huge success. The international hit “Avoid Those People” from VOM 1 (2020) helped make Wakadinali Kenya’s most streamed group by 2023. This build up on their seven Unkut HipHop Awards in 2019 for earlier works.
Track Breakdown in VOM 2
Victims Of Madness 2 boasts of 22 tracks. The group has slowly released music videos in the buildup to the album’s official release. The latest is Za Kimotho, which we shall cover shortly. ‘Tamashani featuring Skillo, Sudough Doss & Katapilla,’ is the 2nd most recent release, which currently stands at 5 million views on YouTube. It is a fun dance song urging listeners to get up and enjoy the vibes with a catchy chorus and beat.
Other previously released music videos include: Heartbreaker (1M views), Maproso featuring Suzanna Owiyo (3.5M views), and Hizi Stance (9.1M views). Hizi Stance cleverly uses a homophone for the unforgettable chorus. “Hizi stance, keep distance.” It is a lyrical song where the trio flexes their wordplay. Maproso explores themes of betrayal and heartbreak focusing on a woman named Maproso who deceives her partner. Suzanna Owiyo plays a pivotal role by bringing her melodic, Afro-fusion vocals to the track, contrasting the group’s gritty hip-hop style. She also sings in her native language Luo. Heartbreaker is a boastful player anthem showing no remorse after a breakup.
Story Ya Life implies a metaphor, “Story ya life ni kama dimba, unaeza chengwa, ukicheza, ukileta ujinga.” This translates to “The story of life is like a game, you can be fooled, if you play, if you bring nonsense.” Rong Cypher 3.0 is the trilogy in the boom rap series and it didn’t fail to deliver. In this series, it’s all about witty bars. My favorite line by Sewersydaa is, “Unaskia ka ni kuenda, si huenda na beat, lakini sahii tuko area kama length and width.” These cyphers have never have a chorus and showcase lyrical sharpness which is why we love them.
Mamacita utilises a lovely guitar to praise the beauty of a woman in this love song. Domani Munga’s singing prowess once again shines throughout the album. He always does all the chorus’ for the group. Anataka Tu Nimpende is a ‘player anthem’ with the chorus boasting about how a woman wants him to love her. Scar Mkadinali has a clever line, “I cant direct her, seizi reel Eve Mungai.” This play on words is found throughout every song.
Disco Sugar (ft. Skillo) uses a sample from the introduction of the hit Netflix series ‘Narcos.’ Fittingly, the song is about being crazy like Pablo Escobar in the series and in real life. “Si tulishanga chizi, siku izi ni ma Disco Sugar tu (sniffs), tunaamka na Colombian flu.” It is a hilarious playful concept song. These always feature in their album shifting the tone from serious to relaxed.
Dream Team is a braggadacious celebration of success found in music. Munga mentions Wakadinali as the dream team. He says people will suffer a lot waiting for him to lack.
The only riddim influenced song, Kum Baba (ft. Abbas Kubaf, Wakuu, Pepela & Masterpiece King) is the single with the most features on the entire album. It’s catchy chorus and hard hitting beats make it one of the more outstanding songs.
Si Tulikosana is a Amapiano hip-hop song noted by its beat. it’s about the regret of falling in love. It is filled with wordplay my favorite from Scar being, “Nikienda Uganda, waulize nobody can see me (Kansiime)”
No Money No Job (feat. Sudough Doss) is a classic hip hop hit. “Fake it adi umake it adi deal ikam through!” Munga emphasizes the ambitious nature required when trying to make it.
Za Kimotho is the first song whose official music video was released after the album premiered on all platforms. Undoubtedly one of the best songs on the album.
Nyuria goes back to the classic drill sound “Kapenguria 3” are known for popularising in Kenya. One never fails to laugh when listening to this group. I chuckle whenever I recall a line from the chorus, “Ka ng’ombe ya Maasai hatuchoki vile tunazurura.”
Long Distance is a funny concept around the fact that being in a long distance relationship has many doubts and fears. The chorus, “Long distance relationship make sure we njo uko Nairobi,” cements the myth that one can never find love in Nairobi or people who live there are all cheaters.
Another bold yet creative and rib cracking concept is Denge Dingo 2. This song warns about falling asleep after intercourse as you might get robbed. “Usingizi after mechi haitaki dem dingo,” Munga proclaims in the chorus.
Mjanja Mjini is an arrogant track about being smart in the streets, yet it has a smooth nyatiti sounding beat. “Enda uulize iyo jina, I go by the name,” Munga says his name is well known in the streets if you ask about him.
Chizi (ft. Kitu Sewer) features a unique hip hop beat with a controversial chorus, which suggests the song is so crazy it will make a mental person go mental afresh. However, it features creative lyrics such as, “Nafight na drums ka Kidum, spray mamende na ki Doom” from Sewersydaa.
Vile Nawawasha sounds like a lyrical battle with everyone trying to outrap each other. Scar Mkadinali’s verse is particularly high tempo, with mentions of cars with interior leather and Turkish rugs in the house. The song itself is also bravado with the chorus claiming to “itch” the competition in the rap game.
Verdict
The album deserves a rating of 9.5. It’s versatility, creativity, complex themes and lyrical devices are up there with the very best. Good things come to those who wait. Although we waited a few years for the sequel, it was well deserved. The 3 artists different styles combine to create a lovely symphony. Wakadinali is the voice of the streets. ‘Sheng’ heavily influences their music as it is the most informal spoken ‘language’ in Nairobi. This gives them a sense of mystery for those who don’t understand every single word. However, their outspokenness on societal matters resonates deeply with the youth or Gen Z. I cannot wait for more music videos and other releases from these talented gentlemen. A great job well done. Why not read another article here?
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