Alternative hip-hop group, Camp Mulla is back. But presumably, what you actually want to know, is where they went.

Back in 2010, the quartet had just begun to make waves in the industry, with the release of their debut single “Party Don’t Stop”, which sky rocketed them to mainstream fame. By 2012, that single and other subsequent works earned them a nomination for Best International Act (Africa) at the 2012 BET Awards. They became the first Kenyans to be ever nominated for the BET alongside Lira, Mokobe and Ice-prince but lost to Sarkodie and Wizkid.

In 2013, Camp Mulla released their first studio album, FunkyTown; the 15th and last track featured Wizkid. Following the release of the album, the group’s lead singer, Karun and rapper, Thee MC Africa both left the group to pursue university degrees and solo careers.

Five years after, the group is now reuniting with all members included. They were the surprise act at the Wave concert at the Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi yesterday. Tekno had performed at the concert too, as part of his Lion King tour. While Camp Mulla performed alongside The Kansoul, a Kenyan afro-pop/Genge music trio.

https://twitter.com/CampMulla/status/906783380313919488

Fans within and outside Kenya are excited about the return of the group. On their Instagram post Camp Mulla wrote, “This is for the fans! It’s time for Kenya to lead African music into the next age. We are ready to serve you more hits, back older and wiser. This Party Don Stop.”

Though the group has been absent for nearly 5 years, Camp Mulla is still revered as the most one of the most progressive off-shoots of the African music renaissance from the late 2000s into the early 2010s. They leveraged the spread of youth and urban culture across the continent, as similarly done by groups like Chocolate City and MoHits during the time, bringing the added twist of a sound that tested the barriers of everything else in the mainstream. Camp Mulla’s return fits perfectly into today’s relatively alt-Afropop music industry and we look forward to hearing new material from the group.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@campmullaofficial

Fisayo is a journalist who thinks writing is hard and reading too. But her journey somewhere reveals, words are like pawns on chessboard when writing. She wants to see, create and share with the world, experience & communicate these experiences. Tweet at her @fisvyo

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