Back with a bang!I know I know,
I haven't updated my own blog in a while!. But relax people....I'm back with a bang and without much further ado, let's get things crackalackin....!
First of, as you notice the look of the blog has changed so that the text is more legible.
First up....some of ya'll may or may not have heard the talk going around about Kenyan Gospel artists DNG. This story has been floating around for months now, and peeps in the Christian community have been wondering just what has been up with all the rumours?
Well, I won't come to any conclusions either way on the rumours...but check out an interview he did with
Nation's
Pulse magazine here.
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DNG PULSE ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON FRI MAY 25 2007 DNG: My life, my music
By Thomas Omondi
For months, Kora Award winner DNG (Davidson Ngibuini) glowed in what seemed to be a major row with Pulse, over claims that the magazine was hell-bent on destroying his social life and gospel music career.
It all started when Pulse, splashed photos of the rapper cuddling a pretty chick and drinking booze, antics that are frowned upon by born-again Christians, of whom he is one.
The born-again faithful were shocked by his behaviour and he tried to cover up by denying and denouncing Pulse, in another magazine.
DNG even ‘collaboed’ with fellow rapper Collo in dis track Watasema hitting at Pulse,
Although he kept professing his faith, DNG was spotted at different entertainment spots, such as Pavement last month, partaking of the earthly wiles with glee. So sanctimonious was he that on realising that our paps were at work, he lost his cool, threatening to beat up Pulse writer Caroline Wahome. The battle lines had been drawn, but before another salvo was fired, DNG had a surprise for Pulse,: A date. So we hooked up last Friday for dinner at Ale House, Museum Hill.
The Pulse, team comprising CEO, Caroline Wahome, Thomas Omondi and myself had some hard questions for DNG, and his manager…
Thomas: Why do you always seem to contravene your faith?
DNG: I don’t operate inside the box. I feel that people don’t understand me. I want them to understand me now.
T: So people have been inciting you?
DNG: Yes, the Church and Pulse! All they say is negative. They have stereotyped me… made me look bad. Like a mbuzi!(goat) I had a problem with my pastor because of the drinking story you published last year.
T: But what does the Bible say about that (taking of alcohol)?
DNG: Is the Bible against drinking? The first miracle Jesus did was turning water into wine at a wedding. What the Bible is against is for one to be a drunkard. Kujikojolea… Kufanya vitu za utoi. ( Urinating on self and other silly things)
T: So you take alcohol?
DNG: Kidogo tu. (a little)
(At this point CEO teases DNG who is taking tea, while everyone else is on hard liquor).
CEO: What can I buy you now? Can I get you a glass?
DNG: (Laughing.) No!
CEO: Let me get you a glass.
DNG: No, I have an early morning tomorrow.
Caroline: But you don’t mind drinking if it wasn’t for that?
DNG: No, I don’t.
C: You drink with pals… guys from college?
DNG: Just once in a while. I never drink in excess. I said being a Christian does not mean you don’t touch alcohol. I drink what I can handle. People talk about me (drinking) because I am in the limelight.
T: You also do discos?
DNG: I go clubbing.
Carol: You have a girlfriend?
DNG: No.
C: What of the one you were with at Pavement?
DNG: That chile… (pauses)… I can’t even kumbuka her jina.
T: Is what you did right? (referring to DNG’s threatening to beat up our writer)
DNG: She kept on following me, taking photos of me. I just got irritated.
T: So you admit you abused her?
DNG: Yes, but I am sorry.
T: You don’t feel that your actions will have a negative effect on your Christian fans?
DNG: Why should it?
T: For example, can we say you are gospel or secular?
DNG: What is secular and what is gospel? I do music to give a positive message to my fans as well as to entertain them. This is business. There is the commercial aspect too. At some point… I have to look at my (music) career in terms of chums. I have many fans listening to me through airplay. Not many gospel artistes get airplay. I have to remain relevant to the industry.
T: You are still finding a stand… trying to acquire artistic maturity?
DNG: There has been a lot of transformation in my life. When I won a Kora in 2003 I was very young. A lot has changed since then.
T: So you wouldn’t hide some of those things… like drinking?
DNG: Why should I!
T: You don’t care what people say about you?
DNG: I do, because that affects music – my product. When I release a song, I think, people should buy it because that too helps to make me. Whether people judge me positively or negatively — it’s all welcome. Hate me, love me — I am still gonna be DNG. I know that character matters and I do the best to keep my character alive.
T: What’s your kind of chick?
DNG: I have many answers to that. I have to check on her character as well as her heart. When I say heart, I mean I would ask myself, ‘Can she be wife material?’
T: I mean, what turns you on in a chick?
DNG: For me… I have to look at everything — from her dressing, beautiful eyes and heavens knows what else.
T: Bottoms?
DNG: All!
Stevens: The other day you said you could not meet me late at night because of your mum. Are you a mummy’s boy?
DNG: My old lady is in college. I am the one who picks her up in the evening.(At this point, his cell phone rings and he answers.)DNG into the phone: Nipigie baadaye nikimada.(call me later)
T: If you were to die today, where do you think you would go?
DNG: I will go to heaven.
T: What are your credentials… talking music, four years after you launched your singing career?
DNG: That is hard to answer. But music sustains me.
C: Why did you pick on USIU as opposed to Daystar, which is a Christian University?
DNG: My old lady decided.
C: So you are in school so that you get a better job?
DNG: I am not going to school to get a good job, but to open my mind.It’s 1am and the discussion is getting more animated. DNG is more confident and at ease. A platter is brought and we all eat.
DNG: Does the Pulse team have any beef with me?
T: Yes. Pulse as a team wanted to know why you have been harassing our crew (DNG’s manager explains that the rapper does not harass journalists).
C: I was just shocked at what happened last time. But, as a team, we have no permanent enemies.
T: That is true. From a Pulse point of view, we have no problem with DNG. We have no plans to bring you down.
DNG: But now, does any of the Pulse writers have anything personal against me?
CEO: Never! If we had, we would be hunting you down, and you know if that was our agenda we would have done that… everything! But when something happens, we report it as it happened. We don’t sing about it (referring to DNG’s dis song)
DNG: Why do you guys do caught out?
CEO: What is wrong with it? We have a responsibility to shape the society.
DNG: Even snapping at girl’s bums? What do others think of her?
C: You see…(Thomas interrupts)
T: You are the one who said you don’t care what people say. You go pee at the car park and see what we will do.
(There is a prolonged laughter and DNG begs to change the topic)
C: Above all, you are a public figure and that’s what should cross your mind before you do anything. We are not out to finish you.
T: Like people criticise my pictures and I take it positively. As an artiste people will always criticise you. By the way, who manages you?
DNG: Jomino Entertainment.
DNG’s manager: You guys must understand where DNG is coming from and factor the transformations that have taken place in his life. He used to sing gospel music only but now he is doing more. He is singing secular. That does not make him a bad boy. I am talking about his revolution. The truth is, he has kept the faith.
DNG: That’s true. I have kept the faith.
The conversation drifted to his music and the team shared with him areas they thought he could work on to improve his music career. And as that was happening, the party was growing bigger with more Pulse fans joining the table to wine the night away.
(NOTE:) PULSE MAGAZINE IS A PUBLICATION OF THE EAST AFRICAN STANDARD. Thanks for the correction. Visit the East African Standard webite here
