News | Radio 254

Keeping Up with the Discourse: Blood Parliament and Kenya’s Reckoning

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Keeping Up with the Discourse, a recurring column dedicated to unpacking the stories, debates, and undercurrents shaping our country. This week, we dive into Blood Parliament, the latest BBC Africa Eye documentary that has reignited Kenya’s collective grief and outrage over the violent crackdown on anti-tax protesters in June 2024. The film, released on April 28, 2025, exposes the lethal actions of security forces […]

May 8, 2025 3

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Exploring the Matata Hipster Aesthetic

Recently, Matata re-released their single Mpishi featuring Bien, a track that had initially been flagged down due to copyright claims. Since its re-upload, Mpishi has soared past 1.3 million views on YouTube in just eight days—an impressive feat that underscores both the group's magnetic appeal and the public’s anticipation of their audiovisual artistry. With this renewed momentum, Matata is once again affirming their place as one of Kenya’s most visually […]

May 7, 2025 16 1

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New Music on the Radar May 6 2025(Frank Ireri, Tipsy GEE, Mau & Boondocks Gang)

This week’s New Music on the Radar brings a mix of comebacks, reinventions, and bold statements. Boondocks Gang’s unexpected reunion on Kafya shows the gengetone old guard regrouping to face off arbantone stars like Tipsy Gee who has made a matatu anthem Nganya with the help of Mavo on the Beat. Silly by Mau From Nowhere an hihi is as braggadocios as rap songs can get but this is cleverly […]

May 7, 2025 4

Featured

KENYAN RIDDIM VOLUME 1 DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MAY 4TH 2025

Due to public demand, RADIO 254 has decided to extend the Kenyan Riddim Submission deadline to May 4th. Please note that the purpose of this challenge is to be about the artist who can sell and market their challenge to get the MOST view by the time of the LIVE SHOW. The Live show will be happening Sunday 11 May 2025 at 7pm EAT on www.254.radio During […]

May 1, 2025 16

Article

What Kenyan Music Is Getting Right

In 2024, Kenyan music is not just surviving—it’s thriving. New data from Spotify reveals that Kenyan artists were discovered by new listeners over 95 million times, with fans across the globe spending more than 120,000 hours streaming their music. Over 16 million user-created playlists now include Kenyan songs, with exports up by 94% and local consumption soaring 277% in just three years. As Kleptomaniax once asked in their iconic chorus: […]

May 1, 2025 5

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Videos of Idd Aziz at Coachella 2025 Surface on Social Media

The Kenyan oontz music scene is buzzing with excitement as videos of Kenyan Afro-House sensation Idd Aziz performing at Coachella 2025 have surfaced online, courtesy of a collaboration with Haitian DJ and producer Francis Mercier. The clips, shared by Ngoma Charts on X, capture the artist in his element, commanding the stage with his signature sound and vibrant energy. Fans are speculating that Idd Aziz might be the first Kenyan […]

April 30, 2025 12

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Sabi Wu vs. Lilmaina and the Question of Artistic Originality by Otieno Arudo

In Nairobi’s buzzing hip-hop and arbantone ecosystem, a storm is quietly escalating beneath the surface of viral TikToks and high-streaming singles. A recent online spat has brought the usually blurred line between inspiration and imitation into sharp focus, as Kilimani-based rapper and producer Sabi Wu accuses the more prominent Lilmaina of biting his style. The saga began with Instagram close-friend stories — videos initially visible to a select audience — […]

April 29, 2025 14 1

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New Music Radar APR 25

This week’s New Music Radar is a thrilling ride through the many moods of Kenyan music—from defiant trap anthems to playful rap experiments, reflective soul cuts to genre-bending surprises. Nazizi reminds us why she’s still the queen with a bold return in Gai Fafa, while Joefes delivers street wisdom with swagger in Balance, Bien and Suldaan start their SAFARI with fans who might just need to grab a delicious Smokie […]

April 25, 2025 19

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It’s Easy to Get the Girl, Harder to Keep Her!

In todays day and age, where you can practically get the answer to anything using AI, we as people are genuinely becoming used to getting or going for the easy things. People don’t read or listen anymore; all people seem to care about is getting the answer. We don’t seem to care about understanding and knowing the material, everyone wants to be right and have the right answer but even […]

April 24, 2025 19 4

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We Need to Give Bien A Break (He is only Human)

After the unexpected breakup of Sauti Sol, arguably Kenya’s biggest musical export. It appears that Kenyans as a collective have decided to lay the burden of putting Kenyan music on the map on the shoulders of Bien-Aime Alusa Baraza popularly known as Bien. Some have argued that the success of Bien as a solo artist is a testament to the fact that it was Bien who in fact carried and […]

April 23, 2025 20 2