Tonicah is an upcoming Kenyan-born hip-hop artist that has garnered recent fame with her single “Dream Chasers”. It is not unknown to anyone that the number of women in the hip hop industry, especially in Kenya, is not as high as the number of men in the industry. In hip hop videos we often see women as nothing more than props where their bodies are sexually objectified accessories. Tonicah not only sets herself apart with her casual style (as opposed to provocative clothing we see in men’s hip hop music videos), but with her socially conscious music influenced by poetry and jazz music.
What really sets Tonicah apart is her not only her background as a musical engineer, but the type of music a song like Dream Chasers as a female artist. Her song also also shows that she brings something unique from the average Kenyan Hip Hop artist. “Dream Chasers” is a song reminiscent of old school hip hop and has many soulful rhythms incorporated in the song. “Dream Chasers” actually has a quite refreshing music video and message; the message to continue to chase your dreams and continue fighting against the things that hold you back. Verses that say words like “emanate the light energy” and “eliminate the dead weight” are all examples of this uplifting message Tonicah tries to tell her listeners.
I believe that Tonicah’s style may even encourage more female hip hop artists to enter Kenya’s hip hop scene with similar soulful and spiritual elements and styles. In the chorus of the song she says “Dream Chasers, we’re traveling through time, space, cosmic lessons. Dream We’re traveling through where we see the cosmic blessings.” Her skills as a sound engineer are definitely evident in her song and give her that distinctive sound that makes her a special Kenyan hip hop artist.