Matata and STL (Stella Mwangi) Presents ACHUU!!
Walk away from anything that gives you bad vibes. There is no need to explain oneself. It's your life; do what makes you happy!!
****
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases the 2021 Kenyan/Nowegian* song "ACHUU!" by Matata featuring STL (Stella Mwangi). "Achuu" is the sound of sneezing.
"ACHUU!" is sung/rapped in Swahili, Sheng, and English. Unfortunately, I haven't found any English translation of this song online.
This post presents the lyrics that I found online and their Swahili to English Google translate results- with the statement that I'm aware that this is a partial translation that probably gave the wrong meanings for the Swahili words that are actually Sheng and that gave no translations for the Kikuyu words. In addition to those Google translate results, this post includes a translated Kikuyu line that was given by a commenter in the discussion thread for this video.
I've presented these translations because they give a sense of what the song is about. If you know Swahili, Sheng, and/or Kikuyu, please improve these translations to English so people throughout the world can more fully appreciate and enjoy this song. Thanks!
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Matata and STL (Stella Mwangi) for their music. Thanks to all those who are associated with this video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
*Both the Afro-Pop grou Matata and the rapper STL (Stella Mwangi) are Kenyans who live in Norway.
**** LYRICS - ACUU! (Swahili, Sheng, and Kikuyu)
Oi oi oi oi oi oi Woi woi woi woi woi woi Bad vibes am allergic to Achuu Achuu Achuu Achuu Oi oi oi oi oi oi Woi woi woi woi woi woi Bad vibes am allergic to Achuu Achuu Achuu Achuu ["Achuu" is the sound of sneezing.]
Cheki di gang gang
Hii ni matata mbogi ni genje Checki di ngeus shake di bang bang Pekene jeng jeng Tulisha safisha rada si ni wanjaja Hatupikii chai na ketepa yetu ni ganja tea Hii ni Fantasy Tuna courtesy Hii ni rasta see man a gangster see Sema ngwe utekwe kwe uguzwe cheke kwe kwe kwe Me nataka asanti ya punda rrrr nipe teke ke
Maneno yako bitter shinda hadi mursik Na kama boss ni vita man I don't fight chicks Nina rubber inaeza futa your career erase it Na pia juta juta ka ukona beef at your risk Hii ni lambo ata na
Subaru can't race it Big ego coco jambo let's face it Vile una hang ka bolingo I can't take it Nina swali ehh amigo can I kick it
(Richie)
[chorus]
Uliokoka na bado hujaomoka buda Sahi una kula tu mogoka ukitoa ushuhuda Unjifanya we mreligious na una roho ya judas Una betray my ninjas juu ya salasa buda Round hii tumenona ka paka za butchery Na sura ka matiangi hapa hakuna fogery (Achuu!) Cheki cheki nime clean up nice Oohhhh Shingo maji maji see dat ice
Man dem man dem Niko base na ma gal dem gal dem Tuna blaze tuna burn dem burn dem Bad vibes man a kill dem
kill dem yeah Me ndo kingpin wa hizi pengting Man a freshting na siko flexing I got the juice na siko blending Nime standout lakini bado nina blend in Nie reke ngwere Nyúmete kúraihú
Túmete kúraihu twonete barafù wee Ndīaríkīríe thúkúrú,
Nó ninjúe Mathafú werúte handafú ndúe ndí thahafú
Njítagwo Nyambura Naa ndícokaga na thútha níndagá gacúngwa ashio ange noo gúfútha
Íkíra kíratú gíakú tīgana na gīakwa naa ndúkandehere maúndú matare na fata
Boss am not just somebody am a limitless force
Africans are lost better bring em back to core
Call yourself a lion but you just a house cat
Gotta switch that flip it like an acrobat
Mambo bado mbele ya kuchizi
Catch up with me uta fall kama ndizi
I mean I'm one off no match up you need back up I just add up
[chorus]
Oi oi oi oi oi oi Woi woi woi woi woi woi Bad vibes am allergic to Achuu Achuu Achuu Achuu Oi oi oi oi oi oi Woi woi woi woi woi woi Bad vibes am allergic to Achuu Achuu Achuu Achuu
Cheki di gang gang This is a vicious mbogi is genje Check the ngeus shake one by one Pekene jeng jeng We washed the radar cleaner is not the starter We do not make tea and our kettle is ganja tea This is Fantasy Tuna courtesy This is a rasta see man a gangster see Say yes to your rule cut off the check of the And I want donkey sand rrrr give me a kick
Your words are bitter to the point of death And if the boss is a war man I don't fight chicks Nina rubber can erase your career erase it Also, be careful not to overdo it at your risk This is a trophy and the Subaru can't race it Big ego coco Jambo let's face it Vile una hang ka bolingo I can't take it I have a question ehh amigo can I kick it
(Richie)
[chorus]
You are saved and you have not yet left the buddha You only have to eat mogoka if you testify You pretend to be mreligious and you have the spirit of judas You have to betray my ninjas on the buddha salasa This round we have fattened butchery cats And the shape of the matiangi here is no fogery (Achuu!) Check check I clean up nice Oohhhh Neck water water see dat ice
Man dem man dem Niko base na ma gal dem gal dem Tuna blaze tuna burn dem burn dem Bad vibes man a kill dem kill dem yeah Me ndo kingpin of these pengting Man a freshting na siko flexing I got the juice and I was not blending I have a standout but I still have a blend in
Nie reke ngwere Nyúmete kúraihú Túmete kúraihu twonete barafù wee Ndīaríkīríe thúkúrú, No Mathafú has ever been on the same page Njítagwo Nyambura Naa ndícokaga na thútha níndagá gacúngwa ashio ange noo guffutha Íkíra kíratú gíakú tīgana na gīakwa naa ndúkandehere maúndú matare na fata
Boss am not just somebody am a limitless force Africans are lost better bring em back to core Call yourself a lion but you just a house cat Gotta switch that flip it like an acrobat Things are still ahead of the curve Catch up with me bow fall like a banana I mean I'm one off no match up you need back up I just add up
[chorus]
-snip- Here's a translation from Kikuyu to English for one line in that song:
zach robert, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnt3YJw4C5o&ab_channel=MATATAOFFICIAL [discussion thread] "ikiira kiratu giaku tingana na giakwa na ndukarihiri na
maundu matari fataa (put your own shoes and leave mine alone and don't bring
issues to me that are of no help)"
This pancocojams post presents information about Sheng and presents some online definitions of and examples of the word "Bazenga" and the referent "Bazenga Dadii."
Information about the American word "bazinga" is included in this post to point out that the word "bazinga" and the word "bazenga" probably have different origins and definitely have different meanings.
This pancocojams post also includes an Addendum about the lack of results for the word "bazenga" in Google translate.
The content of this post is presented for linguistics and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. -snip- DISCLAIMER: I'm African American and only understand English. This pancocojams post presents online information about Sheng and online Sheng definitions.
Additions and corrections are very welcome.
**** PANCOCOJAMS EDITORS NOTE The American English word "Bazinga!" has a different meaning than the Kenyan Sheng word "bazenga". These words demonstrate how words with very similar or the same spellings and/or very similar or the same pronunciations can have different origins and meanings.The Kenyan Sheng word "bazenga" predates the American English word "bazinga". I'm not sure whether the word "Bazinga!" was modeled after the Kenyan word "bazenga", Here's information about the English word "Bazinga!" (also given as "Bazinga)". Fromhttps://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bazinga
"Bazinga
A word used instead of saying:"fooled you!" after a prank. It first appeared in the series of "The Big Bang Theory" and is used by the character named Sheldon. It comes from the word "zing" which means to fool or rediculous someone. and just for a cool slang, the[y] added the "ba" to it. And later the series added the "a" to it, and then it became "Bazinga".
So this is a conversation between all the characters where Sheldon fools everybody with his classic joke and then say:"Bazinga!" instead of fooled you!" or "Gotcha!"...:
FromHoward and Rajesh: "We're going to the goth club!"
Sheldon:"I've always wanted to go to a goth club!...... Bazinga!"
by bazhelga August 16, 2011 -snip- "Rediculous" is probably an accidental misspelling of the English word “ridicule”.
Here's information about The Big Bang Theory (television series) From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bang_Theory "The Big Bang Theory is an American television sitcom ...The show premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007, and concluded on May 16, 2019, having broadcast a total of 279 episodes over twelve seasons"... -snip- For what it's worth, I'm African American and have never watched an episode of The Big Bang Theory. My guess is that this television series didn't have many African American viewers.
By Laura Dean, Nov. 01, 2013 ..."There are 42 languages
spoken in Kenya—Swahili and English are the two official languages—but Sheng is
overtaking them all as the language of the big-city youth. It is a
Swahili-based slang, with bits of English thrown in alongside other Kenyan and
non-Kenyan languages. And, remarkably, it’s catching on across all parts of
society.
Sheng began its life as a slang largely used by gangs in the poorest corners of Nairobi. The widely agreed upon origin story of Sheng is that in the 1980s and 1990s, a massive migration of people from the countryside to city resulted in large numbers of young people living in close quarters with their families in low-income neighborhoods in Nairobi. “When you had all these young people living together in these very crowded areas of Nairobi, [they needed] a language of secrecy,” says Professor Mungai Mutonya, senior lecturer in socio-linguistics at Washington University in St. Louis, “where they could be able to communicate without getting the information out to their parents.”
Now the secret is out. Today it isn’t uncommon to see Sheng pop up almost anywhere—on billboards, on the radio, in political campaign ads, and public service announcements. It has become the lingua franca of Nairobi’s youth, who make up 60 percent of the Kenyan population. Politicians, advertisers, and schoolteachers are taking notice.
Each neighborhood speaks its own variety, and the language itself changes almost weekly. “Whatever Sheng you are speaking now, the words you’re saying now, when you go like even for three months and you come back, they’re done,” says [Kenyan rapper] Octopizzo. The language is familiar enough that a Sheng dictionary came out recently. But dictionaries for Sheng have a short shelf life because of how rapidly the vocabulary change. “After a year,” he says, “the dictionary is expired.”
Its dynamism is one of the language’s unique features. Mutonya says that new Sheng words or phrases are often introduced by entertainers, DJs, and musicians like Octopizzo, all of whom compete to make their own original contributions. Sometimes such innovation is driven by necessity: Octopizzo invented a word for marijuana, octombeedo, so that it would get past the radio censors. Not surprisingly, words that describe illegal substances or law enforcement change most rapidly.
“It’s like a code,” says Octo, “[even] your parents don’t know what you guys are talking about.”... ****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORD "BAZENGA" AND THE REFERENT "BAZENGA DADII"
These excerpts are given in relative chronological order with the oldest excerpt (in this case, the one with the oldest date for the word "bazenga" that I've found) given first. Numbers are included for referencing purposes only.
"Utashangaa! Here Are The Latest Sheng Words From Kayole" by Caren Nyota, September 2, 2019 [Pancocojams article summary:
This article provides a list of Sheng words that came from Kayole including "bazenga"
"Bazenga – the big man"
-snip-
Kayole, a neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya, is where a lot of Sheng words come from. Click https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2019/08/in-kayole-youthful-criminals-are-ready-to-kill-just-to-impress-their-girlfriends/ In Kayole, Youthful Criminals Are Ready To Kill Just To
Impress Their Girlfriends" by Joseph Muraya, August 21, 2019 for more information about Kayole. -snip- It seems like the meaning of the word "bazenga" ("father" as given in Excerpt #1 & #2) has changed to "big man". However, I'm curious whether the word "bazenga" in the 1990s was a shortened form of "bazenga dadii" ("big daddy). Or is "bazenga dadii" a new form of the old word "bazenga"?
Khaligraph Jones and Breeder LW- "Ni Kubaya (official music video) discussion thread Eric Geovanni, June 2020
"Ni kubaya can be same as It's LIT or it's Baaaad 🔥🔥
The cane reps the big Daddy factor(Bazenga
Daddy).He is talking about how hard he is into the hustle to get to the top of
the game.”… -snip- The Kenyan rapper Breeder LW uses the nickname "Bazenga Daddii" and "Bazenga Dadii". I replied to this comment on that YouTube discussion thread. To summarize that comment , I think that the name "Bazenga Daddy" ("Big Daddy") reminded me of the very well regarded African American rapper Big Daddy Kane, particular since Breeder LW (Lyrical Wizard)'s use of a cane in this (and in some other videos?) might be a play on the name (and homage to) Big Daddy Kane.
A number of commenters in YouTube discussion threads for Breeder LW's music videos refer to that rapper as "Bazenga" and/or "Bazenga Dadii". To read a few of those comments, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/08/khaligraph-jones-and-breeder-lw-ni.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Khaligraph Jones And Breeder LW - "Ni Kubaya" (Official Music Video & With Comments From TFLA Discussion Thread)"
****
Excerpt #6
"Bazenga
It's a Kenyan slug used to mean that one is a beast in
something
I am a bazenga in fifa"
by Thau May 11, 2020
-snip-
“Slug” is probably an accidental is spelling of the English word “slang”.
In standard American English this sentence reads "I'm extremely good at playing football (soccer) and I'll be that way for the rest of my life".
In that comment, the word "beast“ has the African American Vernacular English (AAVE) definition "someone who excels at something". This meaning comes from the custom of considering someone who does something very well as being extraordinary (extra-ordinary) and/or superhuman (doing something beyond what mere humans can do) coupled with the AAVE originated terms "killing it"/ "killed it" (murdered", "slayed" etc).
"Fifa" is the highest governing body for football (what people in the United States call "soccer". Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA for information about FIFA.
Is this a correct definition of the Sheng word "bazenga"? And if so, does it predate the use of that word as a referent for Kenyan Hip Hop artist Breeder LW who many consider a beast in Kenyan Hip Hop music?
**** ADDENDUM- GOOGLE TRANSLATE AND THE WORD "BAZENGA" I've found that Google translate from Swahili to English usually doesn't provide any results for the word "bazenga" or the word "bhazenga" (which I put in that translation feature to see if that would result in any definition.)
However, Google translate gave this result for this comment from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-vr2-Q9mp0 "BREEDER LW - "YES BANA FREESTYLE" (Official Music
Video)" posted by Breeder LW, Feb. 4, 2020 yielded t
mwangi victor, 2020
"Eeei buda ..we ni bazenga enyewe 💪
we ni bazenga enyewe 💪
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English
"Eeei buda ..we are the ones who will come 💪
he is the guardian of himself 💪" -snip- Notice that Google translate didn't give any English translation for "Eeei buda". Read a definition for "buda" above in this pancocojams post.
Is "guardian" a correct definition for "bazenga"?
** Here's another comment from that same discussion thread:
Mesh Ronald, 2020 "I remember singing "chuki ndiyo nahisi
nikiwaza..." song you came thru sang with me your name back then was
baraka. That was in highschool bro "Nyati boys" on that "Murgor
ablution block" basking during the evening ulikuwa baraka kweli na chuo
ilikuwa inatambua we ndo bazenga. You being in form 4 and we being barely on
second year men we really appreciated your efforts kuna
siku preps ulitokolezea na ukatufunza chemistry subject and it was really a
wake up call and a different perspective given the attitude we had towards the
subject man, to cut it short you a true inspiration not only to nyati family
but also to Kenyan hip hop industry. BAZENGA DADDY TK TO THE WORLD. -snip- According to a commenter on another Breeder LW YouTube discussion thread (Khaligraph Jones And Breeder LW- "Ni Kubaya") "TK" = "Tough Klan" Breeder LW (Lyrical Wizard)'s record label. Another commenter on that same discussion thread wrote that "TK" are the rappers that Breeder LW performs with. Those comments can mean the same thing. I put the words "ulikuwa baraka kweli na chuo ilikuwa inatambua we ndo bazenga" in Google translate Swahili to English and got this result: "you were a real blessing and the college was recognizing you". Google results Swahili to English gave the exact same result for those words without the word bazenga at the end. It's possible that that translation feature might have assumed that "bazenga" was a name although that word isn't capitalized. But it seems to me that -in this example and in full sentences other portions of sentences that include the word "bazenga" Google translate either acts like that word isn't there or repeats that word in the box for the English translation.
If I correctly understand what I read, "bazenga" is a Sheng word that didn't come from Swahili. Therefore there's not surprising that Google translate from Swahili to English wouldn't have a result for that word. However, it seems strange to me that that results sometimes acts like that word isn't even found in the sentences or portions of sentences that I've copied for Swahili to English translation.
This pancocojams post showcases the Kenyan Hip Hop official
YouTube video for "Ni Kubaya" by Khaligraph Jones and Breeder LW.
Selected comments from the discussion thread of the reaction
TFLA's reaction video for "Ni Kubaya" are included in this post. Read
my editor's note for the reasons why I featured comments from the discussion
thread of that reaction video rather than comments from the discussion thread
for the official video.
The content of this post is presented for cultural,
entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Khaligraph Jones and Breeder LW for their music.
Thanks also to Big Ralph for publishing reaction videos of Kenyan and other
contemporary music and culture. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this
post.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I included comments from the That's Fire LA (TFLA) reaction video rather than
comments from the YouTube official music video for Khaligraph Jones and Breeder LA's track "Ni Kubaya" because almost all of the comments in
the official video are in Swahili and I don't understand that language. In contrast, although there are a lot of Kenyan commenters in TFLA's discussion thread, most of the comments are in English. The commenters on that TFLA discussion thread who speak Swahili and Sheng often explain the Swahili and Sheng terms, or give some
background about these Kenyan rappers, or provide some information about Kenyan culture. This is because Big Ralph, the host of
TFLA, is African American , and doesn't speak Swahili or Sheng. However, he has demonstrated his sincere interest and
enthusiasm for Kenyan culture and Kenyan contemporary music in particular. For these reasons, a number of the comments in TFLA discussion threads about a showcased Kenyan video are responses to the questions that Big Ralph asks during his reaction video. For instance, comments in that discussion thread about the cane that Breeder LW is carrying in this video
are responses to the question "What's up with the cane?" that Big
Ralph asked while he was watching that video. Also, the comments about the bumping elbow movement that is done in that video are responses to Big Ralph's question "What's
with the elbow thing" (What is the meaning of the bumping elbow movement
the two rappers did in that video?")
I'm learning about Kenyan culture while watching these videos
and reading these discussion threads-and the discussion threads for the
official video.And while I'm reading
those discussion threads I'm often looking up the meaning of Swahili words on
Google translate, which I realize may get the slang meanings of those words
wrong. Also,while I'm reading these
discussion threads, I also try to search out the meanings online of Sheng words
or other words that Google translate doesn't give any results for or which I
search for to try to validate Google's results.
Additions and corrections are very welcome.
****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM TFLA REACTION VIDEO FOR KHALIGRAPH
JONES AND BREEDER LW'S OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO"NI KUBAYA"
All of these comments are from June 15, 2020 (the date this
reaction video was first published and August 17, 2020 when I last retrieved
these comments.) . These comments are given in relative chronological order
with the oldest comments given first, except for replies. I'm adding multiple comments that say basically the same thing throughout this compilation to replicate the way that YouTube discussion threads are.
I've also added some translations and explanations under some comments, and I've included my reply (#19) to a comment about the rapper Breeder LW's nickname "Bazenga Daddy" and his custom of carrying a cane as his signature look. Numbers are added for
referencing purposes only.
1. Vinny Dé That fire LA thanks bruh for putting Kenyan Music on the
map.Ni Kubaya means dangerous”
** 2. VidVersal
Tough Klan is Breeders record label 🔥🔥👑
** 3. Strictly Krack LW means Lyrical Wizard
** 4. olusinaah TK means tough klan
** 5. victor omedo OG NATION STAND UP!!!
-snip-
In Kenya, "OG" is usually a referent for
khaligraph Jones.
"Yoh he's saying "Jua ni kubaya" which in slang it
means "know that it's lit"😂😂😂
Literally that's what it means
In one of Khali's lines he says "ujue ni kufire"
which means "you should know that it's fire"😂😂
But bro come to Kenya once all this isht is done we talk
some Swahili over drinks👊😁"
** 9. Swiftlord Tv "Ni kubaya means "its getting lit" "
**
10. AA AA
"Ni kubaya means It's liiiit/ it baaad!"
** 11. Michael Lawrence
"Mbaya =badnikubaya
= it is bad /tough"
** 12. Michael Lawrence
"Nikubaya can be translated as situation bad or situation
tough"
**
13. Milch Shake
"A Cane in kenya is a symbolic accessory that emulates Wisdom and maturity among most traditional elders. In reference to Hiphop I guess it means he's GROWN. Greetings from +254 🇰🇪"
**
14. Cyltrevor_
"the cane is a symbol to show he big or lets say wise
old in the game"
**
15. Emmanuel Addae
"In Africa, the person with the cane is the boss."
**
16. Tonny Brian
"The cane is his signature look"
** 17. Qboiyd
"The cane signifies being an elder and
wealth in most african communities."
** 18. Eric Geovanni
"Ni kubaya can be same as It's LIT or it's Baaaad 🔥🔥
The cane reps the big Daddy factor(Bazenga Daddy).He is
talking about how hard he is into the hustle to get to the top of the
game.Khaligraph shows why he is current rap king in Kenya and Africa and the
need for the machine gun rap relating to the current global situation."
**
REPLY 19. Azizi "@Eric Geovanni, thanks for sharing that information
about how Breeder's cane "reps the Big Daddy factor (Bazenga Daddy)".
I'd like to add that Breeder using the "Big Daddy" (Bazenga Daddy)
name and an actual cane in his rapping self-presentation is a creative way of
giving a shout out to Grammy Award winning African American rapper Big Daddy
Kane whose most well known track is "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" .”
**
20. RAYNOR B "Best rap in kenya and best in Africa #breeder lw is on fire"
** 21. Ndellah_ fitness "LW means LYRICAL WIZARD..now you know😏😏"
** 22. octavia warigia "the cane in african society is a statement piece showing
status age new beginnings from boyhood to manhood all dat …"
** 23. munaa._h vevo
"ni kubaya means its finna get lit🔥😊"
-snip-
"Finna" is an African American Vernacular English
word that means "fixing to" (getting ready to).I believe that "finna" is a
regional (mostly Southern) African American Vernacular English word that isn't
used that often in the Eastern part of the United States where I live (and
maybe not in other parts of the United States).
**
24. S.A.W V
"The cane is the pimps’ magic stick! 😼Refer
to 50 cent ft snoop P.I.M.P. In local Kenyan and general African culture it is
a sign of male age and wisdom used by older people also for purposes of
support.🤓
When these two get on a track "jua ni kubaya"♨♨"
**
25. ODUOR OMONDI
"The cane is fly"
-snip-
"Fly" here is an old African American Vernacular
English word that means "very fashionable" the same way
"bad" or "lit" would mean if they were used instead of the
word "fly".
**
26. Kevy Riverside
"The song is all bout flex but they been talking bout the
covid19 issues lyk the curfew ... Its a dope track tho🔥" -snip-
From https://www.dictionary.com/browse/flex "Flex is a slang term meaning “to show off,”
whether it be your physique, your belongings, or some other thing you consider superior
to those of others... "
**
27. Ndung'e Sammy "The elbow thingy is because of corona, many people have
stopped the handshake and hugging as a form of greetings."
-snip- The very brief scene in which the two rappers touch elbows as a greeting is found at 2:12 in the official music video of Khaligraph Jones and Breeder LW's "Ni Kubaya" and at 4:35 in the TFLA reaction video.
** 28. Anne Jackline
"Oooh! the elbow thng is a new swg of sayin hey 🤜🤛,
coz of the corona s.... -snip-
"swg"= "swag"
** 29. BENA YUN
"When you see Breeder in the scene just know its baaaad.....
Good bad you dig? TKWay...."
** 30. Leon Sheriff
"Breeder is the GodFather.. BAZENGA.."
** 31. Robin Muganda "Kenya to the world ✔✔"
** 32. EricJames Kamau
"The elbow is the new way of greeting to reduce rate of
spread of corona virus"
**
33. lakeside trend "So in the song their is some line about durag and chains
that's why you see em wearing a lot of ice and durag" -snip-
ice= jewelry. In this video, it means those large silver necklaces which is (or was) a signature rapper look.
"Durag" is a newer (2000s) spelling of "do-rag". I remember we (African Americans) used to spell this word
"do-rags" meaning rags-a scarf or an old piece of material-that was
worn over the hair to protect the hair and/or the hairstyle. The hairstyle was
called a "hair do" and after going to a hair salon we would say that
we got our hair "done".
** 34. Cavine Kevin
"The elbow thing is the current greeting...( corona greetings
)😄"
** 35. JUN JUNIOR254
"We have to great each other with the elbow because of corona
😂"
**
36. Stoni Tangawizi
"We aren't bumping fists at the moment due to the Rona, we're
elbowing it out. 😎"
** 37. Double Trouble
"They rockin fake chains tho🤣Pizzo Still De King👑"
-snip-
Octopizzo is another Kenyan rapper who is Khaligraph
Jones's chief rival and has his own group of stans (enthusiastic fans).
** 38. milton duaynetv
" #khaligraphjones #TFLA my boy you dope I'm from Kenya yeah
all this dope music is from Kenya. "Ni kubaya" - means its baaaddd
....like its aout to go down#nikubaya
...#visitkenyaTFLA dope trap music dropping down here in Kenya 🌆⚡⚡💯
** 39. R King
"if you understood swahili you
would loose your mind listenning to this bars fahm"
** 40. Dan Ksly
"T.K is a group of rappers that breeda comes from"
** 41. BLA Haha
"Jua = know
Ni = is
Kubaya = bad times"
Know its bad times
**
42. Caroline Karenge "They are the heavyweights in the kenyan rap industry😂😂😂"
** 43. sylvester washiali
"The cane, a symbol of power and wealth"
** 44. Birir "Khaligraph back home appears in like 5 out of 10 songs in
every playlists and every song his on issa hit I mean issss lit"
Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams post provides information about and examples of the Sheng word "noma" and the phrase "noma sana". The content of this post is presented for linguistics and cultural purposes.
All copyright remains with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. **** PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE This post's target audience is people throughout the world (like me) who don't speak or understand Sheng and Swahili but who repeatedly come across the phrase "noma sana" in discussion threads of contemporary Kenyan and/or Tanzanian music.
I gathered information about the meaning of "noma sana" from various online sources.
Sheng, popularly defined as an acronym for “Swahili-English slang” (Mazrui, 1995), emerged in the 1960s in the multicultural environment of Nairobi. It is an urban language which combines mainly Kiswahili and English but also other Kenyan languages such as Kikuyu, Luyha, Dholuo and Kikamba. Sheng is characterized by an important linguistic flexibility. It does not have an official status even if it is widely spoken, especially by the youth. Originally used as a vehicular language between people from different regions, it is becoming a vernacular language, some people born in the 1980s or later having Sheng as their first language. Sheng is not a unique linguistic phenomenon in Africa. In the last fifty years, urbanization and globalization have prompted the emergence of new urban linguistic codes. Such codes are based on multilingual speech and characterized by unstable vocabulary. Many of these varieties derived from a criminal slang to a youth code. Despite constant devaluation by educationalists, traditionalists, language planners and the elites, those youth languages have expanded and transformed into urban varieties that feature highly in popular culture and the media. This is the case for Nouchi (a mixed code made of French and local languages spoken in Abidjan), Tsotsitaal/Isicamtho (Johannesburg), Hindubill (in Kinshasa, mainly made of Lingala and French), and others."... **** WHAT "NOMA" AND "NOMA SANA" MEAN These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
Use : Leta noma uchapwe = cause chaos and you will be beaten
Period: Mid 90's
Related to: Zusha,Tafash,
Synonyms: Leta ngori, Zua noma, Leta genje, Mezesha,
Leta noma
- Area of origin : Unknown
Etymology:
Derived from the swahili and sheng words 'LETA' is a swahili word meaning 'BRING' while 'NOMA' is a sheng word meaning 'CHAOS' "
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM TWO YOUTUBE DISCUSSION THREADS These comments are given with a citation for their their Kenyan YouTube sources. Some
supplemental information may also be included after these comments. I've given the Google translate results from Swahili to English although I don't have much faith that these results are always correct.
All of these comments were published in 2020. These examples are given in no particular order. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
Comments From Source #1 FEMI ONE X MEJJA - UTAWEZANA (OFFICIAL VIDEO), Femi One, April 1, 2020
1. Dennis Joe "noma"
**
2. Isaac bling anman
"😂😂😂😂nomaa
Sanaa🇨🇩" -snip- "CD"= abbreviation for Democratic Republic of the Congo
Elongating written words by adding vowels is one way of intensifying that word.
**
3. ALVIN INDIRE
"Noma
Sana imeweza kabisa" -snip- Google translate from Swahili to English: "imeweza kabisa"= "completely managed"
-snip- My guess is that "completely managed" here means something similar to the African American Vernacular English phrase "on point"
** 4. qlasic love
"I week still number one trending 👏👏👏👏
Noma sana"
** 5. Vicky Mbwambo
"Oiiiiii man noma sana
Me nitawezana femi" -snip- Google translate from Swahili to English gives this result for "Me nitawezana" = I will be able to".
** 6. Mery Njau
"Noma sana watching from tz
🇹🇿🇹🇿
🎶🎵🎼🎧
utawezana & i love kenya so much" -snip- "Tz" = Tanzania -snip- Google translate from Swahili to English for "utawezana"= "You will be able to". Does this mean that the commenter can understand the words spoken in this track?
"The Dholuo dialect (pronounced [d̪ólúô][3]) or Nilotic
Kavirondo, is a dialect of the Luo group of Nilotic languages, spoken by about
4.2 million Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania,[4] who occupy parts of the
eastern shore of Lake Victoria and areas to the south. It is used for
broadcasts on KBC (Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, formerly the Voice of
Kenya)."... -snip- The Kenyan rappers Japesa and Khaligraph Jones are both Luos.
** 3. Miston Champe "Noma tena sana👑" -snip- Google translate from Swahili to English: "tena sana" = "again very" I think the entire comment means something like "Again, this is really awesome."
** 4. Vindee Bazenga Dadii "Nomaaaaaa💯💯💯💯💯ja
kisumo owadwa💯💯💯👊👊👊" -snip- Google translate from Swahil to English gives no results for "ja kisumo owadwa".
