Wyre vs Redsan: Who is the King of Kenyan dancehall?

Redsan and Wyre

Kenyan dancehall heavyweights Wyre and Redsan have been making headlines for all the positive reasons. Their music is doing all the talking for them rather than off the mic hullabaloo. Both artistes were among the pioneers of mainstream music in Kenya about a decade ago. Their ability to maintain relevance year in year out is something worthwhile. Many artistes have come and gone but these two have stayed and matured.

But what exactly sets these two gifted artistes apart? An insight into Wyre and Redsan reveals many similarities and few differences.

Hit power

If you are asked to name one Wyre song that hasn’t been a hit, it’s hard to think of any. Ever since he started, Wyre has managed to release hit after hit. The same applies to Redsan.  Wyre’s latest track ‘Nakupenda Pia’ and Redsun’s ‘Badder than most’ respectively have been undisputed club bangers. Tracks that the two released decades ago are still cool to listen to, and their command on radio airplay is unrivaled. Both are talented hit makers.

Collaborations

Wyre is quite ahead of Redsan in terms of worthy collaborations though not by far. He has collaborated with world renowned Jamaica artistes such as Cecile, Peter Morgan, Gramps Morgan and Alaine.  He has also collaborated with a number of local and east African artistes. Cumulatively, he is one of the few African artistes with the highest number of collaborations

Redsan recently collaborated with Jamaican dancehall superstar Demarco to wide acclaim. A few years back, he also did a number of collabos with upcoming international artistes.

Achievements and honors

Recently, Wyre won the Best New Entertainer award at the 32^nd annual International reggae awards held at Miami Florida. Having beaten the likes of Chronixx and D-Major to the award, it was the greatest feat ever achieved by a Kenyan artiste.

Redsan on the other hand, recently signed a lucrative music deal with Pan Africa music company Rockstar4000. His hit single ‘Badder than Most’ is said to have caught the attention of heads of the multinational music corporation. The deal will see him get financial, recording and distribution benefits. It’s a kind of deal never that’s uncommon in the Kenyan music industry hence a notable achievement.

Consistency

Consistency is a trait that many artistes never possess. Most musicians stay relevant for a while then disappear and others take over. It can be said that it’s the inability to handle competition.  Both Wyre and Redsan are consistent with well appreciated music since the turn of the millennium. However, Redsan has a weak spot in that he sometimes stays out of the limelight for a while perhaps to garner some rejuvenation. Wyre on the other hand is always on the grind and has never stayed out the music scene.

Style and Flow

Both artistes have embraced the Jamaican flow which utilizes Jamaican slang. To break the monotony,  they have sometimes opted for a little Swahili . Wyre has sometimes fused his style into other music genres such as bongo, genge and mugithi as evidenced in his collabos. Redsan has preferred to stay strictly dancehall and it has worked out well for him.

So who is the King of Kenyan dancehall? this is a close call, maybe left to your preference and taste.

[poll id=”4″]