Henry Ohanga, commonly known by his stage u Octopizzo is a recording and preforming artist, an award winning, humanitarian, and entrepreneur. Born in the slums of Kibera, Nairobi (believed to be one of the world’s largest slums), he longed and desired to pursue his career in music. “Struggles of Nairobi” became the bestselling mixed tape of the year. Octopizzo currently has three albums “Chocolate City”, “LDPC” which stole the number 1 spot on iTunes on its first week of release and “Refugeenius”in which he collaborated with many refugees that were from Kakuma and Dadaab Refugee camps. You can find the on iTunes, and Spotify just to name a few.
Octopizzo is now universally known artist who also has a strong desire for the community outreach and more importantly youth empowerment. He founded a non-profit foundation in 2015 named the Octopizzo Foundation, in hopes to utilize the bonding ingredients of creativity, art, music, culture, and sports to help vulnerable youth to understand their potential and be free from the cycle of dependency and desperation.
Octopizzo has preformed in major events across the globe and has been endorsed as a brand ambassador by more than a few distinguished companies like Guinness, Coca-Cola, and Safaricom. Evenhandedly, he has remained as an active and relevant preforming artist for the past 8 years and every year while gracing some of the biggest festivals like Shambala Fest, Sauti za Busara, Safaricom Live. He has partnered with UNHCR to begin an amazing a powerful initiative-Artists for Refugees. He is the first Kenyan artist to speak out on refugee matters consistently and in a decent time frame. In 2014 and 2015, he was recognized as one of the most influential personalities speaking on refugee matters using social media. He has worked with the United Nations, The British Council in Kenya, and The American Embassy in Kenya, and since he has been in attendance for most vital and global decision- making forums on matters of youths and Arts.
He is the owner of a hip-hop clothing line called YGB WEAR in which it stands for Young Gifted and Black. The YGB line of clothing sells caps and t-shirts. Last year Henry Ohanga was planning to launch a condom company with YGB WEAR with the tagline ‘Lets Do IT’. He has also worked as an actor and has been on a show on MTV called MTV SHUGA Season 2. 2012 he won an award called Coastal Nzumari. Henry Ohanga works to support women who have HIV and helps improve their lives. He is very passionate about working for the betterment of the less fortunate. There was a time when 50 cents came to Kibera to visit, Henry was the one who guided him around the place. He said that is was an experience of a lifetime because he got to know 50 cents and thinks he was a down to earth kind of guy. Henry achieved the peak of his career when he released his song called Ivo Ivo which became so popular that it was called the rap anthem of Nairobi. The success of the song was so much because it was surrounded by a lot of publicity.
On a personal note, Henry passed his primary and secondary school from his home in Kibera. Ohanga went to college at St. Mary’s Changamwe College which is in Mombasa. After college Henry returned to Nairobi to start pursuing his career as a musician. He is the first son out of the four’s siblings in his family. Growing up in the slums never stopped Ohanga dreaming to become a music artist. He’s always looked up to artists like Jay Z and Eminem and always got inspired by them. Octopizzo has been in a lot of freestyle competitions and win them. He has been apart of G Pange Hip Hop Challenge, Usanii Kona Hip Hop Challenge and Hip Hop Halisi Freestyle Challenge. Henry is married and loves his wife very much and one daughter whom he loves dearly. Even though Octopizzo always has a very busy schedule, but still makes time for her and picks her up from school. He says he only works hard to provide for his family who is his daughter, wife, and his three brothers.
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