Bien Fires Back at Critics Over His Viral Interview on the Breakfast Club

Kenyan music sensation Bien-Aimé Baraza, popularly known as Bien, is making headlines not just for his music but for his unfiltered comments on the current political climate in Kenya.

This follows his recent appearance on the highly influential US radio show, The Breakfast Club.

Speaking at the US-Kenya Creative Economy Forum 2025, Bien addressed the mixed reactions to his interview, standing firm on his decision to speak out.

Amidst his successful USA Tour, which saw fans driving for hours and even flying from Canada to attend his shows across various states, Bien's stop at The Breakfast Club sparked a significant conversation back home.

During the interview, Bien spoke about the current state of politics in Kenya right now, a topic that drew mixed reactions from the public. Some critics, he noted, felt he could have said something else about music or good things about our country.

However, Bien remains unapologetic about his choice of subject matter, saying he spoke for the majority of Kenyans who are voiceless.

“Whoever didn't like how I addressed the issues, should wait until the day they’ll go the breakfast club to address the way they want because when I went there, I didn't go there to speak for myself. I went there to speak for people who don't have the opportunity to get there, who don't have a voice,” Bien defended himself.

He emphasized that "anybody who's standing on the side of goodwill understands what I'm trying to do. I don't care what you think about this. You shouldn't have said what. None of my business.”

During his Breakfast Show Interview, Bien talkedin length about how he feels the Kenyan economy is doing and the effect of Gen Zs in the current political storm.

Bien described the recent times as "very tough economically", acknowledging that as a country, they are currently "not doing so well".

"The whole thing I think the news came out at a very bad time because at that time economically and even now we're not doing so well as a country," he said.

“We are not going through a very easy time. Our government has no opposition. The opposition is the youth. For the last year or so, there have been so many abductions, there's been freedom of expression, but no freedom after expression," Bien declared during the Breakfast Club interview.

For those surprised by Bien's sudden prominence as a solo artist on such a major platform, he clarified that he might have come out as a solo artist a few years ago but that doesn’t mean he isnew to the music scene, revealing he has been around for close to two decades.

“People think I started the other day as a solo artist but guys I've been singing for 20 years. I've been in the game 20 years.”

Looking forward, Bien expressed immense optimism about the US-Kenya creative economy collaboration. He envisions "all of us exporting our art," much like Nigeria exports art as a primary commodity alongside oil. He believes the artists present at the forum are "world-class" and sees the opportunities extending to everyone.

As for his approach to thriving in the music industry, Bien shared a key philosophy:

"I don't follow trends... I've been in the game too long. I've seen trends coming and going.” Instead, he focuses on being disciplined, andstaying focused and attributes much of his success to having a great team that believes in him.