Exclusive : Listen to Juliani – Piece of your ear

Arguably the hottest Gospel rapper in Kenya right now, Juliani (Julius Owino) is not ready to cool down any time soon. He just released his Debut Album “Mtaa Mentality”.

….Born and raised in Dandora, he was at one time a member of the group Ukoo Flani before making a turn-around. “Deskmate (in school) was part of them na chuo yangu ( and my school) was just next to them so the more nilikaa nao the more nilijiingiza, eventually wakani accept after kucheki performance yangu Florida 2000,” he says (the more I stayed with them, the more I drifted to them and eventually they accepted me after they saw my performance at Florida 2000 nightclub). On his transition to gospel, he adds that he was raised in a Christian home and one of his friends called Brayo (of the secular group Warogi Wawili) was born again and would encourage him. He eventually found himself in church “na nikajipata mbele ya pulpit nikiinua mikono na machozi kwacheeks” (and found myself at the pulpit with my hands raised and tears down my cheeks). So how did he hook up with Kijiji Records and Hip Hope?

Juliani says that he was at a K-Krew mission at Moi Forces Academy in Nairobi where he performed and Astar (2007 Kisima & 2007 CHAT Award winner) was impressed with his skills. It was then that Blackman(Producer David Muthami) told Astar to look for Juliani so that he could do a remix to Astar’s single Close Yor Eyes. “The same night tulifanya (we recorded) Pendo Kweli (Juliani’s second single) and when Kanjii heard it the next day alikuwa (was) like lazima nibaki (you’re remaining here)”, he says. And the rest, as they say, is history. Prior to that, after he got born again, he chilled for a year or so and in the process recorded his first single Jesusnosis.

Juliani is the 3rd born with 6 siblings (only one girl) and live in K-South with his mom Alice and dad Killion. “Hustler! Nataka ku-improve niwe baller! Ni drive Ki-Mercedes lakini ma fans hawataki ku-buy ma-CDs“.