He may just be 21, but rapper, producer, poet Phinoshey Elber Meso is digging into music heritage to gain inspiration for his style influenced by hip hop, soul, jazz and classic East African guitar sounds.
He spends hours poring through vinyl records at the Melodica Music Store in Nairobi, listening to the music of some of East Africa's pop music pioneers.
He may just be 21, but rapper, producer, poet Phinoshey Elber Meso is digging into music heritage to gain inspiration for his style influenced by hip hop, soul, jazz and classic East African guitar sounds.
He spends hours poring through vinyl records at the Melodica Music Store in Nairobi, listening to the music of some of East Africa's pop music pioneers.
“I have not learned music formally but just listening to these records has given me the ear to pick styles from different generations and fuse that into a contemporary sound,” he says.
One of the songs from his debut album that is officially released today is ‘Twisti’ a track inspired by Kenyan guitar legends whose music he has studied like John Nzenze, Daudi Kabaka and Fundi Konde.
He drops lyrics paying tribute to the African Twist of Kabaka and Co. over a catchy guitar riff. Last October, Phinoshey released an EP that addresses topical issues like crime and violence, police brutality and mental health.
He used the song “Nightmares” to document his own battles with mental health going back to a time in 2017 when he felt ‘worthless’ because his dreams for a career in music had stalled.
After completing school he did various odds jobs including working at a books warehouse. His parents were skeptical about his pursuit of music but he eventually convinced them to support his dreams and he lights up as he recalls that his dad was among those excitedly watching him during a TV interview last week.
He has also been studying his favourite subject, outside music, which is International Relations and was supposed to complete his Diploma in June but that was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“When artists are struggling to make ends meet then that is when education comes in, so I have made my studies connect with my music through collaborations with acts from other parts of the world,” says Phinoshey.
In 2019 while on a class trip to Rwanda to study the history of the genocide, he connected with artists in Kigali and even wrote a song with a Rwandese artist that is awaiting release.
Using online connections he has recorded a song with French artist Liana & Moods after discovering her music on the Internet.
“I messaged her via Instagram and we connected after I sent her samples and a beat. We exchanged ideas on the production until I eventually mixed and mastered the track.”
The song hit 10,000 streams on Spotify and that has opened his eyes to the new models of the music business beyond just uploading the music on YouTube.
“There is a lot of money in this industry, such as sync licensing which is creating music for TV and movie soundtracks. We must also distribute our songs to various streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.”
There are also free distribution labels for independent artists, such as United Masters, an online platform with whom he has inked a deal for his new album. Most of his income music is generated from music production, creating beats, and mixing tracks for other artists.
He has set up a home studio working with a new generation of artists and earlier in the year produced the theme song for the 2020 Nairobi Design Week Labelled Human featuring artists like Clef and Bandana, Sogallo and Caleb, Bakhita.
Phinoshey's debut album “The Son from Kibera” which is officially available via streaming platforms today contains 16 songs. “The album is inspired by my upbringing, the things I used to see, hear and some of what my friends experienced.”
He explains that the music should be an eye opener to the youth that you can chase your dreams through art and music and become a role model without indulging in vices. “This album will be an introduction to my style as a performer and the values that I represent,” he says.
Phinoshey’s interest in music started at a very young age singing in the school choir and attending performances at venues like State House Primary School. “In high school I would skip classes to go write the music or exchange lyrics with my friends,” he recalls with a laugh. He admired the lyrical prowess of American rapper Nas who is widely acknowledged as one of the most transformational rappers of all time.
Right now Phinoshey is focused on creating an impact with his debut album.
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