Afropop artist Keemlyf has officially signed an exclusive recording deal with Universal Music Group East Africa. Officially known as Nelson Omambia, the Afropop star in company with his manager Latim Denver penned down the deal on 13th March 2025. This signing is set to elevate the East African music scene especially in the Afrobeat sound following Keemlyf’s dominance in the genre.
Keemlyf began his music career in 2017 under The BMG empire where he got featured in a christmas song. He further continued with his early career days with songs like Banana and For You under BMG. He further got collaborations with Ingekuaje together with Undersqo & Jimwat , Answer featuring Chemutai Sage among others. Some of the top collaborations by Keemlyf include Freeze Time Remix featuring Bien and Get Down feat Boutross.
In 2024 , he released his 7 track EP Khim. The Ep is an identity for him with K standing for Keemlyf and Him for his pronoun. Other collective works from Keemlyf include 6 Deep EP And his first EP No Label in 2022. Keemlyf has solidified his place with the afro sound being a heavyweight in the genre. This has positioned him uniquely associating the sound being having dominance in West Africa.
Universal Music group boasts of publishing across 60 countries globally. In East Africa , Universal has signed up artists including Veteran Bongo flava Star Lady Jaydee, Afro Indie Artist Njerae , Gospel artist Pitson and hit Gengetone producer Vic West. With Keemlyf topping onto the list, it sees the East African sound going global specifically the Swahili sound. This is compared to Nigeria’s Afrobeat and South Africa’s Amapiano sounds which use local languages in their music which already have a global dominance.
UMG EA General Manager Chinasa Udeala in a statement echoed “His unique fusion of Afrobeats and authentic Kenyan musical influences is a breath of fresh air. It is clear that he is poised to make a significant impact not only in East Africa but beyond. We are excited to support his journey as he seeks to redefine the sound of Kenyan and East African music.’’
Keemlyf blends swahili in his music together with the afrobeat sound strategically positioning him In the Afrobeat genre in East Africa. Otherwise known as ‘Boy wa Bosongo’’ which translates to a boy from Kisii, he teased new song #Outside with producer Vic West.
The East African music scene is set to go global more so in the Afropop scene following the dominance of Swahili in the continent. Just like the Nigerian and South African languages are global , Swahili is set to peak following Kenya being a heavyweight in the entertainment scene. Tanzania plays a big role in solidifying the scene as hits from their bongo flava genre are consumed from the region and globally.
Fans went on to congratulate Keemlyf on his signing to UMG. In an Instagram post Keemlyf wrote “Cheers to this new chapter, We been deiyah.” Artists like Bien among others congratulated Keemlyf as Universal welcomed him to the family. Keemlyf is predicted to have a collaboration with Afro Indie Artist Njerae as well as work with Nigerian producer Magik Mix who did a remix of Njerae’s hit single Aki Sioni from her album Unintentional.
Top singles from Keemlyf include “Aye Baba” and “Freeze Time ” which garnered recognition nationwide, Keemlyf emerged as a force in the music industry with his journey being a testament to the power of passion and determination. Coming from a humble background, he inspires others to pursue their dreams with unwavering resolve and dedication. From the stage, Keemlyf’s passion extends beyond music to inspire his generation and others to reach for greatness in their chosen endeavors.
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