tg.blk is Pioneering the Next Wave of Hip-Hop from Kenya to the World

After a two-year hiatus, the 26-year-old rapper is learning to navigate the pressures of being a star. “My time is now. I need to learn to shut the fuck up and live in the moment. The worst that could happen is music doesn’t work out, but at least I tried,” she tells OkayAfrica.

Her anxieties are understandable considering digital metrics like streaming numbers often don’t translate into financial success for many promising internet artists. This reality is even more daunting for alternative acts in Kenya, where opportunities are scarce. “Honestly, the moment I start taking music seriously as a career hasn’t happened yet,” she mentions. “I need to get a big check for it to feel like that; otherwise, it still feels like a hobby.”

Yet, with the growing accessibility of online recording and distribution, tg.blk is part of a new wave of Kenyan artists carving out their own paths in the digital age, unburdened by the oppressive constraints of the traditional music industry. It’s clear that despite the odds stacked against her, she isn’t just surviving — she’s thriving.

Fresh off the release of her debut EP, ITS NOT THAT DEEP, we caught up with the artist to discuss her humble beginnings with GarageBand and her rise in the rap scene on her own terms.

OkayAfrica: How did you start making music?

tg.blk: When people ask me when I started making music, there’s two different answers. I started making music intentionally in 2019. But the real answer is 2016, which is the first time I ever recorded a song. I started making music at the end of high school low key as a kind of joke. Some of my friends in school already made music, so I offered to be their producer and manager, although I quit, cause I didn’t know much about music management or production. Also, I realised those guys kinda sucked and I could do better [laughs].

The turning point for me was when I watched Straight Outta Compton. I was like, “I wanna be a rapper.” It makes me sound stupid, but I recorded my first song after that on GarageBand doing my own little thing. Then I started posting my music on Reddit anonymously.

What is it about rap that resonated with you in comparison to other musical genres?

Rap was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. And there’s so many kinds of rap you can enjoy. I love how funny and clever it is. I also love how expressive and borderline aggressive it is. When I’m mad, I don’t want to listen to pop, I want to hear someone talk about how much they hate everybody. There’s also a burst of confidence rap music puts in me. This shit makes me feel good when I listen to it.

What’s it like being a Black and queer woman in the hip-hop scene?

I really do love rap, but it’s inherently misogynistic to a certain extent. My favourite rappers are quite sexist, including Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and Future, whose lyrics degrade women as hoes and sluts etc.

Sometimes I might as well make being a queer woman artist my brand, especially 'cause there’s so few of us in the rap scene. However, sometimes I don’t know if it’s worth pandering to that side because while it’s a part of my musical identity, it’s not solely what me or my music is about.

Does the sexism in rap and the wider music industry hinder your ability to make music?

Oh, absolutely. When I first started rapping, men didn’t really give me respect. And while I wasn’t that good initially, this doesn’t surprise me 'cause men typically don’t respect female rappers regardless of our skill. And the disrespect I received from producers is crazy 'cause I’m literally paying you to be here and provide a service.

Now that I'm a good rapper, and arguably better than a lot of my male peers, I have a lot of male fans who constantly tell me how hard and tough I am. Also, a lot of people have also told me they thought I was a sixteen year old boy, until they looked me up and realised I’m a woman. It’s probably because I don’t have a ‘femme’ voice or tone, but that doesn’t bother me. I’m in my own lane.

You waited two years before releasing another single after “Love Being Used.” Why the wait?

I make a lot of music, but releasing it has been a recurring struggle that I’m working on. It’s a mix of anxiety, because I didn’t have the level of self-confidence back then that I have now. There’s also a conflict between my “go with the flow” creative process, and the “professionalism” the music industry demands. I received a management deal after “Love Being Used,” and the manager tried to make adjustments to my creative process, and made it way more serious than I was ready to be.

What was the creative process for the ITS NOT THAT DEEP EP like?

I’m going to be honest with you, [there was] basically no planning behind this EP. The only goal I had for this year is to put out music for the majority of the year so I can get over my release-anxiety. So I compiled all the songs I made since December 2024, narrowed down the songs that felt polished enough and this EP is the output. I also did the sequencing a few minutes before I uploaded it. That’s the inspiration behind the title, ITS NOT THAT DEEP.

How did you find your collaborators for this EP?

I wish I had a producer who I had creative chemistry with, so I can sit with them and work on music for an entire year. But I do a lot of my own sourcing for beats and I’ve become comfortable working with people virtually. All the songs except for one on this EP, is me looking around for beats on YouTube. “Love Being Used” is also a YouTube beat. It’s about having a good ear and patience, and it pays off.

Do you ever feel the pressure to conform and make mainstream Kenyan music?

No, because my wildest dreams don’t even include Kenya. I love Kenya, and Kenyans appreciate good music. However, we don’t recognise homegrown talent until it’s celebrated globally, and this includes our biggest celebrities outside of music such as athletes. So let me be big elsewhere and people can love me then.

What’s been the most rewarding aspect of your music career so far?

I’m not entirely sure. I feel like I don’t really allow myself to celebrate a lot. Although if I have to choose one moment, “Love Being Used” has not been topped as of yet. Not to sound egotistical, but it was the biggest confirmation that I don’t really need anybody. That was all me, from the recording, the mixing and mastering and finally the promotion. At the end of the day, all I need is a mic, a pair of headphones, my laptop, and I’m good.

Listen to tg.blk’s ITS NOT THAT DEEP below.