Born Amanda Mitchelle Wambui, Maandy Kabaya is Kenya’s biggest female artist. Before music, Maandy began as a DJ before cementing herself as a rapper and now an artist. But how did Maandy get to the top, and what is she doing to remain there? In this article, we take a look at the rise of Maandy and the different strategies she has used to stay on top since she entered the Kenyan music industry.
Maandy hails from Dagorreti, something she has been proud to represent throughout her career. Despite being from Dagoretti, Maandy’s music connects with a much wider audience, with many describing Maandy as the voice of many young women living in Kenya and some even going further and proclaiming her as their president.
But how did Maandy get to the top of the Kenyan music industry in what some would call a short time? For most people, the first time that they heard Maandy was from her hit single, Shash na Lipgloss, which was released on 10th September 2020. Produced by Maandy’s longtime producer, Metro Suka Doba, the song narrates a night out experience from a female’s perspective on a drill beat with bravado that had never been heard before in Kenyan music. From the start, you could tell that Maandy, and her music were different.
Maandy did not let the fact that she had a hit get to her head. Before the release of Shash na Lipgloss in 2020. Maandy released her first project, Kabaya, in 2019, which featured 8 songs. In 2021, Maandy followed up with her second project, Frisky, which was released in 2021. As if that was not enough, in 2023, Maandy went ahead and released her third project, Flavour, which featured music industry heavyweights Cedo, Savara, and Mejja. By 2023, Maandy was already a household name in the Kenyan music industry that Sauti Sol chose to feature her on their single Girls on Top and Savara on his Omanyala single.
What makes Maandy different? Maandy competes with herself. You have never seen Maandy beefing with anyone. If anything, Maandy has, on numerous occasions, collaborated with other female artists and asked for more people to support the Kenyan music industry.
In 2025, Maandy surprised many with the release of her EP, Baddies Need Love, which took many by surprise as it showed Maandy in a different light than what many have known her for.
Whereas many have come to love Maandy for her rap ability and witty punchlines, on Baddies Need Love Maandy took a different approach to her music to incorporate singing and love songs, something many did not expect from Maandy further proving to the world that she is not just a rapper but an artist and damn good one at that.
How does Maandy stay on top? Nobody knows, and that is what we love. Every time you think you have Maandy figured out, she pulls a fast one out of the bag. This spontaneous and rapid release strategy is one of the things that keeps Maandy at the top of the game and above her peers. Even when you think or expect her to take a break, that is when she applies pressure. When you start to think that Maandy has gone pop or mainstream, that is when she drops a freestyle to remind you that when it comes to rap, she is still the one. Many rappers are more talented than Maandy, but no rapper is outworking Maandy.
At the end of the day, the music industry is not about how talented you are but how hard you work. With Maandy, you find the combination of both talent and hard work. If you are an artist, you would be mistaken to see Maandy as your competition. If Maandy has done anything during her time in the music industry, it is to provide a blueprint for others to emulate. Love or hate her, she is at the top of the game and likely to be here for a while. We at Radio 254 would love to congratulate her for her success and also big up to her producers and management for the effort they have put into building the Maandy Kabaya brand.
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