Inside the Rise of Maandy, a Kenyan Rap Queen

Maandy, popularly known as Maandy Kabaya, is a Kenyan rapper, songwriter, performing artist, and entertainer.

She was born in January 1999, in Nairobi, Kenya, and grew up in Kawangware and Waithaka, where her grandmother used to live.

Her grandfather used to hand-make and play guitars. 

Educational Background

Maandy attended Moi Girls’ High School in Nairobi, Kenya, from 2012 to 2015 for her secondary education.

Then she attended the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Events and Convention Management after completing four years of study.

Also Read: Ssaru’s Journey: Breaking Barriers in the Gengetone Scene

Career of Maandy

After high school, she attended a DJ school and then began her career as a DJ.

She DJed at various events and TV shows.

Her music career began in 2016 with the release of her first song; she then took a year-long break.

When she came back in 2018, she released singles such as “Like a Boss”, “Mad”, and “The Baddest.”

In 2019, she released her first album titled “Kabaya,” which contained eight tracks, including “Sema Nami”, “Watiaji”, “Ride”, “Energy”, “Taste”, “Kabaya”, and “Wikipedia.”

Her second album, “Frisky,” was released in 2021 with a total of twelve tracks.

“Shash na Lipgloss”, “Sirudi Home”, “Mambo Gani”, “Relax”, “Money Man”, “Hivi na Hivo”, “Uwongo”, “Relax”, “Bad Gal Anthem”, “Magizani”, and “Forbidden Fruit “among others.

The album exploded on all major music streaming platforms within the first week of its release.

“Flavour” was her third album, which she released in 2023. “Sita Sita”, “Tena’, “Flavour”, “B4 I GO”, “Nitarudi”, and “Spoil”, including others, making a total of eleven tracks in the album.  

Her first Extended Play (EP) is titled “Dem Mauru”; it was an end-of-year project that she released on December 30, 2023.

It contained six of her singles, such as “Lele” (remix), “Mbichi”, “Bubblu Bubbly”, “Dem Mauru’, “Emba”, and “How Come.”

She has collaborated with various Kenyan artists, including Breeder LW, Nameless, Mejja, Trio Mio, Femi One, Exray, YBW, and DJ Gibbzy, on powerful projects.

Also Read: From Nyeri’s Majengo to Stardom, Mejja’s Inspiring Journey

Awards

Her talent has not gone unnoticed, for she has gained several awards and recognitions.

Maandy won the YouTube Silver Button for hitting 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel.  

Spotify EQUAL Africa Ambassador named her artist of the month in May 2023.

She was nominated for the Female Video of the Year at the Pulse Music Video Awards in 2023 for her hit song “Bubbly Bubbly”.

In 2022, she got nominated for “Sirudi Home” under the best collaboration, with BreederLW and Ndovu Kuu, at the Pulse Music Video Awards.

Her journey is marked by resilience and creativity; she has successfully established herself as Kenya’s most respected female voice in the Genge tone and urban music.

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