KHALIGRAPH JONES; THE WORLD STAGE IS YOUR THRONE

THE WORLD STAGE IS YOUR THRONE

Now, you guys know that I have to put some massive respect on this Kenyan! He is a hundred percent a lyrical genius, deep on the cyphers and a twang to die for, the OG himself, Papa Jones. Did I not say that Kenyans are becoming more bold in showcasing their flairs? Just when you thought that there is not enough local industry cats that can put us on the world stage when it comes to the rap game, here comes Brian Omollo to raise the bar, with his tight cyphers and killer rhymes that are that have solidified his rap status.

But before I go any further, I feel the need to explain to the older generation of Kenyans just who is Khaligraph Jones, also known as Omollo. Well, let me let me lay it open for you all. This here is a young, overly confident, stupendous original gangsta type of a poet, who has perfected the art of incorporating word rhymes in each sentence and rapping them up together, in a perfect free flow style of speech. In other words, Omollo is a decorated lyricist.

Moreover, he has a massive following on social media, a huge fan base of sturdy admirers, both within and outside of our borders, gets a lot of airplay on radio and television, foreigners deem him as a lyrical assassin, youthful Kenyans fully admire him, local rappers aspire to be on his level, hip-hop heads respect him, international acts recognize him, and the world stage is beckoning him to step up, take a chance, and run with the greats, toward the gold.

Omollo has put us on the map, being arguably the recognized as one of the best of Africans in the rap game. No one does it better than him. People may disagree and they have a right to but for sake of argument, name one rapper that goes toe to toe with this wizz. It is one thing to be locally talented and it is another to be gifted and internationally marketable. Omollo can free flow both in Kiswahili, English, Slang, and perhaps in Luo, without missing a beat. His style is majorly influenced by old school hip-hop of the nineties, with big names such as Tupac, Jay-z, and Nas, just to mention a few. I was amazed that Omollo can fast-rhyme like Busta Rhymes or Twista, which tells you that Omollo is not only artistic but also gifted.

However, Omollo, I do have a burning question that I have been meaning to ask you. Are you really from Kayole? Man, that English accent is not common with Kenyans occupying the Eastlands of Nairobi. Perhaps you relocated from Westlands as a child, because that would make more sense to us. All that wenging and twanging you do, reminds me of those radio presenters at Capital FM, who say they are made in Kenya but sound more like North Americans. I have always wanted to pose a question to one particular morning host like, “Are you sure you were born and bred in Tala Township? Because you sound more like a Chicago native.” But I digress.

For years, I have watched Omollo make a come up. I dare say that his skills have become sharper and more fierce. That means, he is getting better at this craft, out-growing his peers, in preparation for the world stage. The diss track produced by Blu Ink Corporation, with the title of the greatest rapper in Nigeria, had people shook, doing reaction videos on it all over the world, making people of all races your biggest fans. As a hip-hop fan, I must say that I was very impressed by the track, taking the time to ran through various comments online, about the song and I must say that Omollo has surpassed his equals.

Aside from the local industry talent, with hit makers, such as Nyashinski, Mejja, Ukoo Fulani, E-Sir, Nonini, just to mention a few, Papa Jones has respectfully advanced, gone a step further and made a name for yourself outside of our borders. That is why I strongly believe that the international stage is his for the taking. I also believe that the time has come, if it has not already, for Papa Jones to elevate onto the next level. I can tell you for free that there is not a place that has grand competition like rap city, where this hip-hop profession originated. There is major competition but I believe in Omollo’s evolution and confidence to get and keep him there.

There are no African rappers that Papa Jones cannot slay. Omollo has forged ahead in such a way that, he has now to compete against the real deal. Here is my solid advise to Papa Jones; If you eliminate trap house music, mumble rap, and the old school generation of rappers, who are untouchables, then your biggest contenders would be the new school of conscious rappers that combine social issues and their skilful wordplay into their craft, a powerful way of conveying messages, which touch the very hearts of people. If such artists put some respect on your name, then your game is as good as platinum gold!

What I am saying is to you, Papa Jones, is that as you elevate in this rap game, make your music less hard-core, more meaningful, and life-changing, while maintaining the beast-mode energy. In short, let the world know that you care more for humanity, as much as you do love gangsta rap.

Here is to you Papa Jones; as you take on the world, do not forget your roots; for the roots made you who you are; and the same roots will elevate to where you are meant to be.