I no longer depend on shows to make money – Octopizzo
By Sinda MatikoRapper Onyango ‘Octopizzo’ Ohanga says his decision to never record the majority of his songs in English has been the secret to making a fortune from his music career.
Despite not releasing any major hits in recent years, Octoppizzo has still managed to make a killing from his music endeavors.
He attributes this to the cultural representation and identity he has been able to portray through his music, which has allowed him to gain admirers.
Most of his music ventures have been through collaborations and partnerships with several top brands such as Tecno and Hennessy.
For the past three years, Octopizzo has been one of the stars of Hennessy’s roaster campaigns such as the Hennesy Cypher Africa.
His seventh album Lamu Nights, released in February 2023, was also sponsored by Hennessy as part of the collaboration.
Octoppizo has also collaborated with several European bodies such as the European Union, with whom he worked on an educational and entertainment project campaign to engage Kenyan youth in civic knowledge and responsibility.
“The reason I don’t record my albums in English is because of my cultural representation and identity as an African. If you are from Africa and go to New York and you rap in English, people will ask you, Where are you from? What do you represent? As an African, you can never be better than a Western rapper rapping in English because that’s not your language. You have to represent your culture. And that’s what I’ve been able to do, I’ve been able to profit from exporting my culture through my music.”
Known for his sheng lyrics sometimes garnished with his luo dialect, Octopizzo says he’s been able to attract several high-profile admirers for collaborations and partnerships because of his cultural identity statement and authenticity.
“Music has never been a side hustle for me, as most people assume. All I do is music, I do music 100 percent, only I do my music differently. You will not see me making a lot of noise, going to music events, or even performing in clubs. I don’t do that anymore. Those are in the past. Now I curate my content and package it in a way that I can make money from it. He adds.
A few days ago, Octopizzo launched his eighth studio album titled Kich Ka Liech, loosely translated as Bees Killed an Elephant, with a listening party at the European Union residence in Nairobi attended by 10 ambassadors including Germany and the UK.