Simon Njoroge (24 October 1993 – 30 August 2015), popularly known as Shrekeezy, was a Kenyan advertising strategist. He was also largely involved in art and entertainment as a radio host, TV presenter,

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

, DJ and Entertainment Executive.
He first gained major attention for his successful online radio show ''Shrekeezy Live'' which was later taken up as a daily radio show on Hero Radio Kenya after gaining over 40,000 fans on social media. As a marketing executive at Hero Radio, Simon developed huge interest on

Internet marketing The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

and took part-time classes with

Chartered Institute of Marketing The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) was founded in 1911. It has over 30,000 members, including more than 3,000 registered Chartered Marketers. CIM offers 130 study centres in 36 countries, and exam centres in 132 countries. In 1952 Prince ...

. During this period, he played a major role in marketing muicbook.com, a social networking site that was founded by his colleague and close friend Samuel Keige. The site was however sold to Afroleo.com. He left Kenya a year later to be the personal assistant of Tanzania-based Indian entrepreneur Nilesh Bhatt. He later that year joined Pilipili Entertainment, a Tanzanian film production company owned by Nilesh Bhatt as the marketing manager. He had since worked as a Digital Strategist in major East African Advertising agencies like Scanad, MetropolitanRepublic, Express DDB and BrandVision Advertising. As an entrepreneur and investor, Shrekeezy co-owned Trans Africa events, an event organizing company based in Tanzania and is the founder and acting CEO of Phorex East Africa a modelling and PR agency operating across the

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

region. He founded The Nigerian Festival in Tanzania( Naija Fest), Tanzania Social Media Awards(TSOMA Awards) and the upcoming East Africa Awards known as Mashariki Awards to be held in December 2015 at the Carnivore Nairobi. He was also largely involved in planning the Club Music Video Awards in Uganda in 2013 in partnership with ROCKSTAR4000/Sony MUSIC AFRICA. On the morning of 29 August 2015. Shrekeezy decided to take a boat ride from Whitesands Hotel to Mbundya island in Dar Tanzania before drowning. Before dying, Shreekezy posted a photo of the same island that took his life on Instagram captioned; "The boat ride from #WhiteSandsHotel to #MbundyaIsland is the scariest thing I’ve experienced in a long time,But am here……..#TanzaniaDay8." His body went missing after the ordeal but was found after a three-day-search.

Life and career

Early life(Music Artist)

Shrekeezy was born Simon Njoroge in

Nakuru Nakuru is a city in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, Rift Valley region of Kenya. It is the capital of Nakuru County, and was formerly the capital of Rift Valley Province. As of 2019, Nakuru had an urban and rural population of 570,674 inhabitant ...

, Kenya. He is from a family of three. He developed an interest in technology and art at age 10. After completing his secondary school Education, he moved to

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

at the age of 17. During this period, Simon got to meet several stakeholders in the Kenyan music industry who inspired him to join the Kenyan media. He regularly appeared on the WAPI(Words And Pictures) Concert Freestyle battles where he met media personalities that helped circulate his music. Shrekeezy met up with Kenyan popular MC and media personality DNG who grew interest to his music and called him up for a radio interview at a Kenyan popular radio station 97.1 One FM where he was an evening radio host of the Fired Up Radio show. DNG played a big role in circulating his music during the time. He later went back to his hometown

for a while where he learn of a radio station being launched. He developed interest in radio hosting, inspired and motivated by DNG, he approached the radio station for a possible spot for a HIPHOP Show. The owners of the station were pleased by Shrekeezy's presentation during his first meeting and instantly gave him the spot. It is said he started the show SHREKEEZY LIVE the very same day. SHREKEEZY LIVE grew to be one of the biggest radio shows in the region and earned him great popularity. He quit the media after becoming a prolific digital strategist in Nairobi, he later moved to Dar es Salaam and the Kampala working with leading brands in the regions including Pilsner Ice, Tusker Lager,

Kenya Commercial Bank KCB Bank Kenya Limited is a financial services provider headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. It is licensed as a commercial bank, by the Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator. The bank has also been running Agency banking model ...

Airtel Bharti Airtel Limited, commonly known as (d/b/a) Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications services company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. Currently, ...

Samsung Mobile Samsung Mobile Division is one of five divisions within Samsung Electronics, belonging to the Samsung Group, and consists of the Mobile Communications Division, Telecommunication Systems Division, Computer Division, MP3 Business Team, Mobile So ...

MTN Uganda MTN Uganda is the largest telecom company in Uganda, with 11.2 million subscribers, accounting for 55 percent market share, as of 30 June 2017. By 31 December 2019, its customer base had increased to 12.6 million customers. In March 2021, the Uga ...

, and

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

Music career: ''Down For My City #DFMC''

In February 2014, Shrekeezy released the single down for my city featuring various African artists from 5 countries. The artists included the leading female rapper in the

region

Stella Mwangi Stella Nyambura Mwangi (born 1 September 1986) is a Kenyan-Norwegian singer, rapper and songwriter. Much of her music concerns the situation in her home country Kenya, and discrimination her family had to endure after moving to Norway in 1991. ...

, US based Kenyan rapper Kanja, Nigeria's afropop artists Wondaboy, Award-winning Ghanaian actress

Juliet Ibrahim Juliet Ibrahim is a Ghanaian actress, film producer and singer of Lebanese, Ghanaian and Liberian descent. She won the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the 2010 Ghana Movie Awards for her role in '' 4 Play''. She has been referred to as ...

and UK Based Sierra Leone musician and music Producer Silvastone. The song received major airplay in various African countries and topped charts in South Africa, Botswana, Kenya and Sierra Leone.

Death

He mysteriously disappeared in Tanzania on 30 August 2015, where he was living and working and found dead two days later. He had drowned on Saturday near Mbudya Island, off the Dar es Salaam coast in Tanzania. His body was found on Tuesday after a three-day search, according to a relative. His remains were buried at his parents home in Kabatini area in Nakuru County, Kenya on 5 September 2015.

Influences

Shrekeezy stated that the artists who have influenced his musical style include artist such as T.I.,

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

and

Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, ...

. He's also inspired by

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. Anderson began his music career in 2007 and gained popularity in 2010 with his third mixtape '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big''. He then s ...

D'banj Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (born 9 June 1980), better known by his stage name D'banj, is a Nigerian singer and rapper and the founder of Mo' Hits Records with producer Don Jazzy. He has won several music awards, including the awards for ''Best Af ...

Ice Prince Panshak Henry Zamani (born 30 October 1984) better known as Ice Prince Zamani or just Ice Prince, is a Nigerian rapper, hip hop recording artist and actor. He rose to fame after releasing " Oleku", one of Nigeria's most remixed songs of all t ...

and

. Shrekeezy cited

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

as his major influences, on an interview, he once said; On his media career (i.e. radio and TV), Shrekeezy has cited

Tim Westwood Timothy Westwood (born 3 October 1957) is a British DJ and presenter. He is often referred to by other DJs and artists appearing on his shows simply as Westwood. He was described by ''The Guardian'' in 2022 as "a veteran of the hip-hop scene ...

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...

The Ellen Show ''The Ellen Show'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ellen DeGeneres that was broadcast during the 2001–02 season on CBS, aired from September 24, 2001, to January 11, 2002. It was DeGeneres' second attempt at a sitcom, ...

as his major influences

Activism

Shrekeezy had played a major role in bringing together different corporates, organisations and companies to support JIKINGE campaign, a HIV Aids youth awareness program he founded in 2012.

Performances

Awards and nominations

Discography

Mixtapes

Singles

Featured singles

Filmography

References

External links

Rapper Shrekeezy aliyewahi kufanya kazi na Navy Kenzo afariki kwa kuzama baharini Mbudya

Young Artiste Ready to Take Kenya by Storm
{{authority control 1993 births 2015 deaths Kenyan Christians Kenyan male film actors American music industry executives Hip hop singers Midwest hip hop musicians Kenyan rappers Kenyan musicians Kisima Music Award winners Alumni of Strathmore School Interscope Records artists Atlantic Records artists Kenyan male television actors People from Nakuru County 21st-century Kenyan male actors Deaths by drowning