Hubert Mbuku Nakitare (born 2 October 1982), commonly known by his stage name Nonini, is a
Kenyan
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hip hop recording artiste, entertainer, radio presenter, businessman and philanthropist. He is often referred to as the Godfather because he is very well known.
Education
Hubert Nakitare, alias Nonini, attended Kawethei Secondary School in
Machakos County.
Personal life
Nonini (Hubert Nakitare) was born in October 1982 in California Estate in the Kamukunji
constituency
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
of
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 ...
,
Kenya
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. He is of
luhya Luhya or Abaluyia may refer to:
* Luhya people
* Luhya language
Luhya (; also Luyia, Luhia or Luhiya) is a Bantu language of western Kenya.
Dialects
The various Luhya tribes speak several related languages and dialects, though some of them ar ...
origin. Nonini became a dad to a baby boy in late 2012.
Biography
Nonini was originally signed to
Calif Records, but later joined
Homeboyz Productions. He was introduced to the Kenyan
urban music scene through his debut single "Nonini ni Nani?" He achieved national and regional recognition with his 2002 track "Manzi wa Nairobi," a song which praised the beauty of Kenyan women and a follow-up single "Weh Kamu". He went on to release his debut album ''Hanyaring Game'' in late 2004, which included the hit "Keroro," a Kenyan slang (sheng) term for alcohol. Nonini is famed for releasing the first
Genge hits early in his career.
He runs a video production company named "Pro Habo" which successfully gave rise to P Unit. He is also a radio presenter.
Collaborations and affiliated acts
Later, ''Nani Mwenza'', his collaboration track with Tanzanian musician
Juma Nature
Juma Nature a.k.a. Sir Nature (born ''Juma Kassim Ally'', in 1980) is a Tanzanian hip hop recording artist and record producer. He is the founder and member of a Temeke group called Wanaume, an informal group of rappers from the temeke side of ...
, became a regional hit. In addition, he has collaborated with local artiste
Nameless to create a Friday anthem appropriately titled "furahi-day". Both songs are on his second album ''Mwisho Ya Mawazo'', released in 2007. The album features several guest musicians, including
Nyota Ndogo Nyota Ndogo (real name Mwanaisha Abdalla, born c. 1981) is a musician from Kenya who performs taarab-influenced pop music.
Ndogo is from the coastal city of Mombasa. She was a school drop-out who worked as a house maid. Her father Abdala Atib was a ...
,
Mercy Myra Mercy Myra Grundberg, better known as Mercy Myra, is an R&B musician from Kenya.
Biography
In 1996, she joined the ''Calabash Band'' but left it the next year to join the R&B group ''Destinee'' and in 1997 she joined a band called ''Black Ice'' ...
,
Professor Jay
Joseph Haule (born December 29, 1975), popularly known by his stage name Professor Jay, is a Tanzanian rapper, songwriter, politician and former member of the Tanzanian parliament for Mikumi constituency. He is one of the prominent representatives ...
and
Q-Chief.
[Mwisho ya Mawazo liner notes]
P-Unit
He is the founder of
P-Unit (Pro-Habo Unit), which consists of rappers Bonnie, Frasha, Gabu and himself. The crew has produced several songs, most notably "Si Lazima", a
Swahili phrase which literally translates to "It's not a must." The song talks of times in a relationship when a couple does not need to have sex – they can just go home and relax. People have found the song quite contradictory to the messages he communicated in previous songs. At the
2007 Kisima Music Awards,
P-Unit won the
Boomba
The bladder fiddle was a folk instrument used throughout Europe and in the Americas. The instrument was originally a simple large stringed fiddle (a musical bow) made with a long stick, one or more thick gut strings, and a pig's-bladder resona ...
Group category.
It was the first time Nonini won a
Kisima Award. Their second single is known as "Kushoto-Kulia"; meaning "Left-Right". Both songs are on Nonini's "Mwisho ya Mawazo" album.
Recognition and awards
In August 2007, Nonini was selected as one of the 100 most influential Kenyans by ''
The Standard'' newspaper.
In 2009 he was named ''International Lifestyle Ambassador'' by the
Limkokwing University in Malaysia.
Noni was honored with the MCSK 2012 Cross Over Artiste Award and won Best Hip-Hop Song and Best Director of a Music Video, both for Colour Kwa Face, at the 2012 Kisima Awards.
Nonini has been a two-time Top Earner MCSK Royalties Artiste.
In 2013 Nonini was elected as a director representing the Audio Visual Sector at the Performance Rights Society of Kenya (PRSK), where he expects to help in consolidating efforts towards royalties' collections and represents the plight of artistes in the entertainment industry.
Discography
Albums:
*Hanyaring Game (2004)
*Mwisho ya Mawazo (2007)
*Godfather (2009)
Awards
Won:
* 2004
Chaguo La Teeniez Awards – Best Male Artist
[Nonini – Biography](_blank)
/ref>
* 2007 Chaguo La Teeniez Awards – Best Song ("Si Lazima") & Best Collaboration ("Si Lazima") & Best Group (P-Unit)[The Standard, Pulse Magazine, 20 June 2008]
"Chaguo La Teeniez" awards
/ref>
* 2007 Kisima Music Awards Boomba Group (P-Unit).Kisima Music Awards
The Kisima Music Awards is an annual awards program that recognises musical talent in East Africa. Despite being Kenyan-based the scheme awards artists from a variety of countries, predominantly Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and incorporates a ran ...
Boomba Group (P-Unit), Best Collaboration (P-Unit & DNA – "Una").
* 2009 Named the International Lifestyle Ambassador by Limkokwing University.Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kal ...
), Prime Minister of Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
. The award is in line with the University's of building the skills of their young citizens, particularly in the area of new technology, of Sound and Music, Film and Television and other creative courses.
* 2012 Award for the highest played Artists Across all media stations in the Music Copyright Society of Kenya Awards 2012
Nominated:
* 2008 MTV Africa Music Awards – Listener's Choice (P-Unit & DNA – "Una").
* 2008 Pearl of Africa Music Awards
The Pearl of Africa Music Awards (also known as the PAM Awards) was an annual national music award event held in Uganda. The inaugural event was held in 2003. In 2006, categories for musicians from other East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Afr ...
– Best Male (Kenya)
* Nominated for the Best International Afrobeats Act in the Black Entertainment, Film, Fashion, Television and Arts (BEFTA) Awards UK.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1982 births
Living people
Musicians from Nairobi
Kenyan rappers