We all know that no one is born a star. Even our own Kenyan favourite musicians had to earn a living before fame and money arrived. They had to do some awful jobs to pay their bills while pursuing their dream. Just like the rest of us. From hawking to matatu touts, here’s a look at some of the worst jobs famous Kenyan musicians had to work before they hit it big.
List Of Jobs Kenyan Musicians Had Before They Were Famous
1. Octopizzo
Octopizzo’s rise to fame is a true rags to riches story, and if there is one thing he has not forgotten, it’s where he has come from. The multi hitmaker used to be a casual worker ”Mjengo” and a hawker in Mombasa before hitting big.
2. Nyashinski
The Mungu Pekee hitmaker left the country and the Kenyan music scene when he was at the height of his career as part of the group Kleptomaniax. However, life became hard afterwards and found himself being a truck driver in the US. Later on, he came back to the country where he made a mega comeback that has earned him good money and fame.
3. Timmy T Dat
Timmy T Dat is currently one of the most popular artists in Kenya. He struggled for a very long time before he released the songs that put him into the limelight. Timmy T Dat has worked as a Mitumba (second-hand clothes) vendor, a Garbage collector and as a tout before his love for music finally paid off.
4. Jua Cali
10. Kristoff
The rapper has identified his niche in doing hit collabos and it has seemed to work for him. Before money and fame, he used to be a DJ a deejay at Homeboyz.
11. Khaligraph Jones
The Micasa Sucasa hitmaker’s past has not been that easy. In an interview with a local blog, Khaligraph revealed how he used to be a bouncer and garbage collector before fame.
12. Jaguar
The Kigeugue hitmaker who is now a member of parliament for Starehe has managed to make his name in the music industry despite the stiff competition. Jaguar narrated his story in a 2015 Instagram post saying that he used to sell water. He stresses that humility and fearing God is the recipe for success.
13. Size 8
In an interview with Kiss FM, the talented gospel singer once revealed to Shaffie that life was never easy for her when she started her music career back at Calif Records. She used to be clean and cook dishes for other artists at the veteran Kenyan studio for a living.
14. Willy Paul
Born and bred in Mathare slum, life was not easy for Willy Paul. The multiple hit-maker had to do many odd jobs like ”Jua Kali” to help foot bills for his ailing father after dropping out of school in 2011. Later on, his music got massive airplay which completely changed his life.
