Throwback Thursdays: Kleptomaniax

 

Kleptomaniax, which comprised of Roba, Nyashinski and Collo was arguably one of the most popular Kenyan music groups in the early 2000’s. The trio formed the group when they were still in high school at the Nairobi School. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and after releasing their second album “Now Is The Time”, the group disbanded.

 

Of the three members, Collo is the only one who remained quite active in the music industry. Roba relocated to Malindi to focus on family and business, though he had a couple of stints in the music industry while Nyashinski moved to the US.

 

However, after a long hiatus, Nyashinski recently made a long overdue comeback to the Kenyan music scene. The veteran musician was featured in Nameless latest song “Letigo”. However, to the disappointment of his fans, he sang rather than stuck to the typical rap style his fans associate him with.

 

Still, Nyashinski was an incredibly gifted rapper back in the day. Check out these Kleptomaniax songs when he was at the prime of his rap game.

 

 

Tuendelee

 

Possibly their biggest hit, “Tuendelee” was a diss track and response towards various artists who were critical of their Kapuka music style.

 

Maniax Anthem

 

This is the song that propelled the Kleptomaniax to the limelight. It was a massive party anthem back in the day.

 

Swing

 

Swing was on the Kleptomaniax first album m4e. It was a catchy tune with an infectious chorus. It was also an immensely popular club hit.

 

Bado Niko

 

Also on the Kleptomaniax first album (m4e), Bado Niko was a hardcore hip hop song that showcased the trio’s fluid rap skills and intelligent wordplay.

 

Psycho

 

Partnering with renown producer Ulopa, Psycho was on the Kleptomaniax second album (Now Is The Time) and it represented a bit of a shift from their earlier works. Despite incorporating more pop elements, the song was still a fan favourite. To the dismay of fans though, Nyashinski didn’t feature in the video.

 

Furahia

 

Similar to Swing, Furahia was a fairly popular club anthem with a mid tempo beat.

 

Magnetic

 

Like Psycho, Magnetic was produced by Ulopa. You definitely remember this one for the chorus. It felt like it dragged on for ages! Still, Magnetic was one of the Kleptomaniax more memorable tunes even though Nyashinski didn’t feature in this one too.