At this moment in her career, it would be unfair to place her anywhere outside the Top 5 Kenyan rappers of her generation. Note: nowhere did I mention “female rappers”. Femi Uno, number Uno!
At this moment in her career, it would be unfair to place her anywhere outside the Top 5 Kenyan rappers of her generation. Note: nowhere did I mention “female rappers”. Femi Uno, number Uno!
Femi One Shiko, I came, I saw, I conquered
11 years ago, Femi One said these lines in her verse on the “Ligi Soo Remix.” Whether it was just a flex or a way of manifesting the future, she has lived up to those lyrics.
As you can already tell, this week we spotlight Femi One, Femi Uno or Dem wa Mwiki 😊.
Femi One (initially Shiko M-ill or Femi One Shiko) began her rap career at 12 in a duo with her childhood friend Samantha.
Under the mentorship of hip-hop group Wenyeji, in 2007, at the age of 13, they had their first performance at 𝗪𝗔𝗣𝗜.
Held at the British Council, WaPi (Words and Pictures) was a monthly art event showcasing music, fashion, poetry, graffiti, dancers, etc. Originally started in Nairobi in 2006, it spread to TZ, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and beyond.
Photos courtesy of @mwarv on X
It was clear from earlier on that the duo was destined for greatness. From their raw talent and passion for the craft to the sheer effort they put in, Femi and Samantha hadn’t come to play.
Here is a rare video of a cypher from 2011 over Jay-Z’s “Renegade.”
In 2012, they released a mixtape. The lead single “Good Times” music video was shot courtesy of The Insyder Magazine after they won a high school rap competition.
She spoke about it in an interview with Joey Muthengi on Capital FM’s Hits Not Homework.
Right after they finished high school, Samantha followed a different path while Femi One stuck with rap.
2013 was her shining moment, and many fans were introduced to her after she was featured on the “Ligi Soo Remix.” The 11-minute track featured 10 artists, and we can all agree that she had one of the standout verses.
Fun Fact: Her verse is the most replayed on YouTube.
In 2014, she was signed to King Kaka’s record label Kaka Empire. Femi One went on to release the self-titled “Wanjiku Kimani,” “Brikicho,” and also featured on Nessa’s “Wasupa.”
In 2016, she was embroiled in a beef with Njeri, Sosuun and KyKi. The beef began when Njeri threw shade at Kaka Empire, Femi One’s song “Brikicho,” and claimed that she uses ghostwriters on “No King.” She hit back again with “Femiplan.”
Femi One retaliated with “Pilau Njeri,” which silenced Njeri on wax.
Interestingly, years later, in 2021, Femi One would meet with her “archenemy,” Njeri of (Njeri Photography) in a photo shoot for Monster Energy Drink. She talked about this moment on the Mic Cheque Podcast.
In 2017, she linked up with Kristoff in what would be her biggest song at that point in her career.
Released in January, “Tippy Toe” gave her her first certified hit song. Months later, they joined forces again on “Luku Luku.” These two took her music to the clubs!!!
Fast forward to 2019, Femi dropped XXV, a 6-song EP that featured the fiery “Baddest” and “Mkali Wao.”
Veering off the club music and tracing her hip-hop roots, Femi once again reminded her fans why she’s the number uno.
In 2020, deep in COVID, Mutahi Kagwe daily updates, lockdowns and curfews, Femi One released “Utawezana” featuring Mejja.
“Utawezana” was a massive hit and was catapulted by the Utawezana TikTok challenge. The challenge saw the rise of Azziad Nasenya. The song further fueled Femi One’s career tenfold.
On March 16, 2021, Femi One became the first African female Monster Energy Drink brand ambassador and has been holding it down for four years.
This marked a huge milestone, proving that Kenyan female creatives can also land big brand deals.
Three months later, she dropped her debut album GREATNESS. The 14-track album featured Bern Muzika, Jadi, Zakah, Sanaipei Tande, Joh Malini, Oksyde, B2C, Feffe Busi and Jay Rox.
As a certified emcee, she has pinned down Nyashinski on not one, but two songs, given Nyashinski is rare and doesn’t do many collaborations.
Later that year, she was featured on Nyashinski’s track “Properly”; as usual, she did not disappoint, going bar for bar with the GOAT 🐐.
In between albums and brand deals, Femi continued to put in work, releasing “Pewa,” “Mtungi,” and “Donjo,” among others.
In December 2022, she won Best Female Rapper of the Year at the Afrimma Awards, beating Fena Gitu (Kenya), Ms Banks (Nigeria), Nata (Sierra Leone), Feli Nuna (Ghana), Candy Bleakz (Nigeria) and Rosa Ree(Tanzania).
In 2023, she was back to channeling her inner hip-hop on her EP Dem wa Mwiki, paying homage to her home area of Mwiki, Kasarani. The EP featured hard-hitting collabs with Shanty Bobo, Katapilla, Trio Mio, and Domani Munga.
Later that year, her second Nyashinski collabo was bestowed upon us, and once again, she delivered.
Femi One was recently recognized by the Recording Academy and featured on the 10 Afro Hip-hop Artists To Know list.
Listen to her latest single, “B.A,” and read the lyrics on Doba KE.
At this moment in her career, it would be unfair to place her anywhere outside the Top 5 Kenyan rappers of her generation.
And mark you, nowhere did I mention “female rappers” because, in my view, she has surpassed the “female rapper” conversation.
Femi Uno, Number Uno. Adios.
Stay tuned to Doba KE for more news, music, lyrics, and updates. Remember to follow us on our social media channels.
