Even though rap was her main passion, singing always played a role in her life, and all through primary school she cultivated her singing voice as a member of the local church choir. “The habit kinda started on its own like a sign from God. I always wanted to sing but my voice wasn’t good enough so I had to train myself into becoming a better singer,” she says. After a stint in the reality TV singing competition, Tusker Project Fame in 2004, she decided to combine the styles of all the musicians she loved to create what she does now; Afro-fusion. She says, “My influences have always been heavily African like Miriam Makeba and Angelique Kidjo. A lot of my roots lie here in the continent.” Kaz may seem like the poster child for “the young and the reckless” with her nude picture scandal but its all about how you look at things.

“I was raised by liberal parents. I was always pushed to do what I wanted to do. I’m really glad that I had those parents who allowed me to make my mistakes and become who I am,” states Kaz. Today she is exploring all of her talents and is quite the busy bee. Kaz divides her time between singing, acting, running her event company, hosting a TV show and most recently, directing. She will be seated in the Director’s chair for her new documentary titled, “Kenyan Woman” which will go hand in hand with her latest song (aptly named the same) that will be released soon. “The documentary is based on inspirational Kenyan women who have been through really hard times but have been able to come out on the other side bright and shiny,” Kaz reveals, “A lot of scandals happen to women; men don’t get the flack, so I’m pro women standing up for themselves after a scandal.” She admits to finding solace with Valerie Kimani, one of her best friends, as both have had their individual trials. Kaz has also spoken with Avril a couple of times and is proud of the way the petite singer handled her ordeal.

“Everybody goes through a really rough time. Sometimes you need the people that have gone through it in the public eye to be able to tell the ordinary girl who is going through struggles in her life that its ok, you’ll be fine,” she states. As for her future plans, nothing is for sure. Kaz says, “I’m that person that lives from day-to-day, because for me it will be a surprise. I had plans to go to school last year and I didn’t. So, I live from today to tomorrow. Keeping in mind to make sure that I don’t step on people’s feet and to make sure to help somebody that’s in need, always. Then tomorrow will take care of itself.” Catch Kaz in the “3 Punches” section of the July 2012 issue.

In the Kenyan music industry, competition is fierce and what was new yesterday is now washed up and forgotten today. However, Karen “Kaz” Lucas has fought the test of time to stay ahead of the pack. She’s got a thick skin and exudes boundless confidence. The fair-skinned, dreadlocked singer first burst onto the scene as a rapper at the tender age of 14. Back then, she was a die-hard hip hop head, who got her first shot at performing at the Carnivore Restaurant in front of a crowd of 10,000 people.

Even though rap was her main passion, singing always played a role in her life, and all through primary school she cultivated her singing voice as a member of the local church choir. “The habit kinda started on its own like a sign from God. I always wanted to sing but my voice wasn’t good enough so I had to train myself into becoming a better singer,” she says. After a stint in the reality TV singing competition, Tusker Project Fame in 2004, she decided to combine the styles of all the musicians she loved to create what she does now; Afro-fusion. She says, “My influences have always been heavily African like Miriam Makeba and Angelique Kidjo. A lot of my roots lie here in the continent.” Kaz may seem like the poster child for “the young and the reckless” with her nude picture scandal but its all about how you look at things.

“I was raised by liberal parents. I was always pushed to do what I wanted to do. I’m really glad that I had those parents who allowed me to make my mistakes and become who I am,” states Kaz. Today she is exploring all of her talents and is quite the busy bee. Kaz divides her time between singing, acting, running her event company, hosting a TV show and most recently, directing. She will be seated in the Director’s chair for her new documentary titled, “Kenyan Woman” which will go hand in hand with her latest song (aptly named the same) that will be released soon. “The documentary is based on inspirational Kenyan women who have been through really hard times but have been able to come out on the other side bright and shiny,” Kaz reveals, “A lot of scandals happen to women; men don’t get the flack, so I’m pro women standing up for themselves after a scandal.” She admits to finding solace with Valerie Kimani, one of her best friends, as both have had their individual trials. Kaz has also spoken with Avril a couple of times and is proud of the way the petite singer handled her ordeal.

“Everybody goes through a really rough time. Sometimes you need the people that have gone through it in the public eye to be able to tell the ordinary girl who is going through struggles in her life that its ok, you’ll be fine,” she states. As for her future plans, nothing is for sure. Kaz says, “I’m that person that lives from day-to-day, because for me it will be a surprise. I had plans to go to school last year and I didn’t. So, I live from today to tomorrow. Keeping in mind to make sure that I don’t step on people’s feet and to make sure to help somebody that’s in need, always. Then tomorrow will take care of itself.” Catch Kaz in the “3 Punches” section of the July 2012 issue.