Long before becoming one of Kenya’s most recognised hip-hop artists, King Kaka says there was a time when belief, persistence and a packed phonebook mattered more than fame. In a recent Instagram post, the rapper shared a personal story from 2008, taking his audience back to the early days of his music journey — and revealing why he once kept KSh80,000 inside his socks.
At the time, he was still performing under the name Kaka Sungura and had only released tracks such as Dodoma and Nakam. He was not yet a household name, but he had already started thinking bigger.
"I had just completed recording an album titled Tales of Kaka Sungura."
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Inspired by stories he had read about international artists taking time to build anticipation before official releases, he convinced his team that the project deserved a proper launch.
“I had read in big magazines that The Game had stayed in the studio for years before releasing The Documentary. I said Let me try the same route.”
With the plan in place, he approached a club in Westlands known as Club Katike, which was located where the Naivas outlet stands today.
King Kaka recalled meeting the club manager, whom he identified as Rafiga. He introduced himself and requested a date for the album's launch. The response was cautious. The manager reportedly told him that if people showed up, the opportunity would work in his favour. If not, he would simply have to accept the outcome.
I called every contact. Once the venue was secured, he went into full promotion mode. I designed all my posters for the event . When 22 August 2008 arrived, the unexpected happened. The venue filled up. I knew almost every face in the audience. “I could name each and every person in the crowd.” "I carrying KSh80,000 in his socks that night."
The manager reportedly approached him again and admitted he had been impressed by the turnout.
Years later, King Kaka says that the same story would appear in a book under the theme of hard work and determination.
For King Kaka, the story was not about money or popularity. It was about effort. His takeaway to fans was simple:
“How bad do you want it?”
