Njeri’s meteoric rise in local music circles began with the release of her first official single Nduta in 2015, a hard-hitting party anthem largely in Kikuyu and delivered with a confidence and bragadoccio that immediately sparked comparisons with STL. Her next single Miti Ni Dawa, predictably featuring STL, became quite the club banger, partly thanks to the impeccable production of Ace of Fullhouse Music. Miti Ni Dawa took Njeri a few notches higher in the general pecking order of Kenyan rappers to take seriously and made No King that much more palatable as a statement of intent. Her latest release, however, is on a different trajectory.
Moyo was co-written by Njeri and Coast-based crooner Otile Brown, with the obvious objective of exploring and showcasing a softer, more sensual side of Njeri’s persona. The overall result of this experiment is a rather cheesy love song about the heart wanting what the heart wants. While Njeri is in her element on the Kikuyu verse, she’s unconvincing throughout the rest of the track, having making do with lyrics that at best barely grab attention and at worst become worthy of a facepalm or two. Shakila Bachnana’s contribution at the bridge is the most forgettable bit of the whole thing and seals the fate of the song as completely unsalvageable.
Dr. Eddie handles both the production and music video direction duties on Moyo. As expected, the music video sees Njeri and her love interest going through the usual motions of being in love (cue pillowfight). It works for the purpose, with a few added bonuses such as some very suggestive shots of Njeri working on a lollipop. She loves candy, and it shows…
THE BOTTOM LINE
Even though Moyo sharply deviates from what fans were expecting, it shows that Njeri can potentially make softer, cheesier, lovey-dovey music but there’s something about this track that just doesn’t work. A stronger lyrical prescene and the abscence of Shakila Bachnana would have improved its current state.