You asked for him, now we got him, he’s a rapper and a friend who does a wide range of things,Known for his Anthem song Una live aje (How you leaving?) k-nine also known as k-shizzle the " Last Day Soldier " microphone controller.
Was there during his album launch "Season 1: The Calling"and it was a lovely good day sana.Lets get down to this, haya twende sasa.
MistaKush: Whats your real jina?
K-nine:My real name is Huston Malande. Nice n easy!
Q: Whats the story behind your aka?
A: A lot of people ask me about my stage name;where I got it,or what it means some say its "Kenya Nine". Some assume it means am "on Kloud Nine". Others say it's "Nine thousand"! Haha! It aint none of those, man. K-Nine comes from the word "canine" (as in the tooth) and it simply reminds me of a miracle. See, I started rapping in the year 2006. That same year, on Jamhuri day, I got involved in a potentially fatal bike accident. I flew off the bike and landed on the tarmac, but surprisingly, only my front teeth took the impact (the juicy details are in the song "Hate The Snake", which is on my first album). My two front teeth chucked completely! If I had hit the tarmac with my head, my neck could have snapped or my skull fractured. My grandma had dreamt about it 3 days before, n she got up to pray against it. That's not coincidence, man. Hapana. Even more, God's providence through medical insurance from a family friend (which I had gotten 6 months earlier) took care of replacing the teeth with the metal ones I now have, hence the name K-Nine.
MistaKush:Manze thank God he took care of that situation you went thru man.
Q: What hood are you currently in right now? Is there something unique about the hood?
A: Am in prefabs, a.k.a woodly estate! Haha! I stay on campus at Nairobi University. The unique thing about this place is that all the Engineering guys are heaped here. It's really interesting to see so many "bright" people, each living a completely different life and enjoying completely different activities. It's a mini world, of course with both good and evil.
MistaKush: Whats the hot Sheng or SwaEnglish there?
K-nine: New sheng? Hmm... Well, coz of theft n all that, we all need anti-janitors. But here they call them "antigen". I honestly never knew that. Oh, n then there's "IDP" and "exile". With the high level of licentiousness around this place, if you have to leave the room coz a dude has a visitor, you are an IDP, and you are on exile!
MistaKush: Now say if I got a proper “antigen” niko safe !! If I got no where to go im in exile!!! noma hehe!!
Q: Some of the people that have influenced and inspired you, ni nani?
K-nine: The most influencial people in my life have been - and still are - my parents. They taught me God's word when I was still a little boy, and they have loved me in ways few people get to be loved. They have taught and established God's standards of morality in me, and I am the man I am today because of them. It would take pages upon pages to describe all they've done, but if I were to put it in a sentence, I believe I have the best parents in the world.
MistaKush: Yeah wazazi God bless them tu sana,
Q: Who do fans say you sound like when you are singing?
K-nine: Well, this might not have a good connotation, but I'll say the truth. Most people say I rap like Eminem. Yup. I am not entirely comfortable with this coz it's not just about talent. Eminem has great talent, but He is using it for the devil's benefit and self exaltation instead of praising the One who in the first place gave him a mouth to sing.
Q: Ehe sisemi any, who you like being compared to, tuseme?
K-nine: I dont like being compared to other artistes, because every individual is unique and God uses each of us believers as a different and equally important part of the body of Christ. However, there are artistes I admire and hold a high esteem for. Locally, it's Juliani. Internationally, I love listening to Lecrae, Trip Lee, and Da T.R.U.T.H. What I really like about them is that they somehow entwine God's pure word in their lyrics. They have actually influenced my most recent songs. Watch this space!
MistaKush: Aha, your most memorable show/ministry you remember?
K-nine: The most memorable ministry I remember is the 2008 FOCUS Commission conference held at Kabarak University. It usually takes place once in 4 years, when all the CUs from all across Africa come together to worship and study God's word. I tell you it was AMAZING!!! Siezi explain.
MistaKush: Tuambie, do social media have an influence in your music? How?
K-nine:Am not sure am getting this right, but I'll assume you are asking about mass media. Umm... Yes it does, but not much. I dont really watch a lot of telly. On average, I watch telly for less than half an hour a day! N I ironically dont listen to too much radio either. I basically draw my inspiration from everything around me, but I align it to God's word in order to give people God's perspective on what He expects and how things should be. So who knows, I could get inspiration just by answering this question!
MistaKush: Where does a fan get to discover your music, online and offline?
Details on where to find my recently launched album (Season 1: The Calling) can be found on my web site: www.knine.co.ke. There is also a facebook group, simply called "K-Nine" where my crew and I keep guys posted. As concerns offline places, its hard to pinpoint a place, coz really its people who know, and people dont sit in one place. So I'd say the web site is the best place to get info. By the way, I’ve released an album sneak peek on the web site, everyone is invited to download two selected songs from the debut album absolutely free!
MistaKush:thats cool,Ill take my moment and do that.
Q: Does use of English/Swahili in your music affect its listenership?
K-nine: Well, it definitely does. Whichever language you choose to use, it will have an impact on your listenership. Question is, is it affecting it possitively or negatively? Does it have a huge impact, or is it minimal? For me, I am privileged to be capable of flowing both in English and Swahili. I believe that this has given me a wider evangelistic reach. Ule msee haezi radar kiswahili anaeza skiza ngoma za ngoso. This means that God's word can go across borders through my music, and I am actually hoping and trusting in God that I will be able to minister in this way to the rest of Africa and the world.
MistaKush: Other passions?
K-nine: I am a computer geek. I love web design and programming, and as of now, that's how I earn a living and raise money to support my music. I just love creativity, and apart from music, web design is one of the ways in which I express it. I also love swimming, and I'm as swift in the water as I am slick on the mike! If I am not swimming, designing, or rapping, I am most likely reading a novel or watching a movie. Gotta relax, au sio?!
Q: Some salaams?
K-nine:Shout out goes out to my peroz n lil bro (G5, he's an artiste too!); my soul mate, Alice; my producer, Ambreezo; my manager, Bee Kay; my closest friends, Jesse, D-Wak, and Frank; and to all my fans and supporters. God blesh y'all!
MistaKush:Je, do you have other info you would like to share that we didn't discuss?
K-nine: Question one should've been... Umeokoka?!!! I am born again, and Jesus Christ is my Lord and personal Saviour. Everything I do, I do for Him, and I am not ashamed of His gospel. No glory to K-Nine. I am dust. All glory to Him, the King of kings.
Shalom.
