'Gengetone will never die, we just took a break because of COVID-19,' Sipangwingwi hitmaker Xray says

Willis Raburu asked Exray about the current state of the Gengetone genre in the Kenyan music industry in an interview on Citizen TV's 10 over 10 show.

“I have been waiting to answer this question. For those who claimed that Gengetone is dead, how do you see it now?” Exray posed.

The singer went on to say that Gengetone will never die, and that Kenyans, particularly those in Nairobi, should embrace it more.

“Gengetone still exists. It has its strengths from its creation and can never ‘die’. The genre came from Genge. Kenyans need to learn how to accept their own, especially in Nairobi, everyone thinks they are a superstar,” he said.

Exray stated that during  the pandemic, Gegetone artists were under a lot of stress, but that since the curfew was lifted, they have returned bigger and better.

“We have had a break for two years because of the pandemic. In the Gengetone scene, we were under so much pressure before and during this break, we as artists have experienced a lot. We have all learned something, and we have become better.”

Gengetone is inspired by Genge (a popular Kenyan hip-hop genre in the 2000s) to bring out new and exciting young musicians who used sheng phrases to create music.

Exray discussed his latest release, "Sipangwingwi," a catchphrase that has become a Kenyan movement that has spread across all social media platforms, including TikTok.

“The song came at the best time as the country’s dusk to dawn curfew was lifted. I am grateful to my fans who have been supportive all through and to politicians who have also jumped into the bandwagon using the term ‘Sipangwingwi’.

Ssaru and Trio Mio are featured in the hit song, which has over 1.5 million views on YouTube.

Exray explained that he chose to collaborate with the aforementioned artists because they had never worked together before.

“For Trio Mio, we have grown up together. We met way before we released the ‘Cheza Kama Wewe Remix’. Considering Trio and Ssaru have not done a song together before, I decided to bring them together to bring out a different thing.”