2020 has been a bag of mixed fortunes for the entertainment industry all over the world with the declaration of the COVID pandemic earlier in the year. With no gigs or appearances, many artists struggled to remain afloat. On the flip side however artists created more behind the closed doors. Many artists released their debut EPs which were such brilliant projects:

Here are my favourite 4:

  1. 001 by MASAUTI

Going by his back to back solo bangers and awesome collabos, Masauti has proved yet again why he is the prince of the Kenyan coast with this EP. The title is a code for Mombasa County and he deliberately chose to represent it musically. Burudani was the first single off the EP which was accompanied by a Hanscana visual where he’s urging his fans to continue supporting him and he’ll always be there to entertain them. The 4-track EP dropped in October and it had a surprise Tanasha Donna collaboration. Liar is a beautiful ballad produced by the legendary Shirko where she is telling him that shes no longer playing his cheating games as he tries to woo her back. the chorus is sampled from Wahu famous song Liar and it takes you way back in the early 2000s!

  2. SWARNB by IDDI SINGER

Produced by himself and the versatile producer Teknixx, this is one of a kind project by the soulful Iddi Singer who has been in the industry for a minute since the days of the legendary producer Tedd Josiah who helped nurture his sound as a Swahili RnB artist. The title of his first EP hence it is a tribute to the unique genre that identifies him. It is so smooth and mellow and is the type to listen to at home on a wine-filled cozy Saturday evening.

In track 1 Lowkey, he is asking his lover to not publicize their romance and that he is the kiss-and-not tell type, reallystood out for me where he features a surprise new kid Mercury who sounds so good that he actually featured him on another track Zombie in this EP. High School Love featuring the notable Mombasa MC Kaa La Moto alias KLM is such a jam with the 90s vibe and their chemistry is perfect! Go check out the other track its called Asinikatae and as always his velvety voice will swoon you away!

3. BEACH BOI: VOL 1 by DONN J

Donn J has come of age with this debut 5-track EP for the hip-hop heads. Since he came to the industry in 2018 through the first Khali Cartel series, he’s been consistent dropping freestyles (check out Icon and  )and singles with Khaligraph and Fena Gitu.

In this EP he sounds more mature and confident dropping bars on bars both Swahili and English. He is a perfect bilingual. In Mama he telling her how he promised to make it in music and thanks her being his number one fan ever since he started. In Flex he features Breeder LW giving a shout out to himself for being resilient in the grind, in Break my Heart, which is accompanied by a dope Mike Lolly visual,he asks shawty not to disappoint him for he has finally changed his bad boy ways.

Check out the whole project, for me it is a solid ten and the art work too deserves a mention!

4. AFROTRUTH by TRU RAW

Tru Raw is one of the most talented and melodious artists from Mombasa who does Swahili house with a fusion of RnB. Going with his previous works like Hakuna Matata, he comes out as a seasoned artist in this EP who has found himself and mastered his sound and is vibing unapologetically.

Props to the legend producer Teknixx who arranged this project with all he had. Track 1 Twende Nalo is that groovy jam that gets your ear and you immediately start singing along even if you don’t get it. You will find yourself off your seat with Toto Loco as he showers his shawty with praise for stealing the show everywhere they go. Track 3 Tena is my favorite, the chorus is off the hook, and the beat is Liquideep-ish and will make you feel like you are on the beaches of Durban with those southern house vibes! The whole EP is a gem and I feel he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves… but going with this, 2021 is his for the taking if he keeps the consistency.

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