Hardstone
Encyclopedia
Hardstone is a Kenya
n musician. His music is a mixture of ragga
, reggae
and hiphop. He sings in English, Swahili
and Kikuyu languages. He is a pioneer urban style artist in Kenya and topped the Kenyan music scene for a while in the late 90's.
He emerged in 1997 with popular hit "Uhiki" and an album named "Nuting but de Stone", produced by Tedd Josiah
of Sync Sound Studios and released internationally by German-based Kelele Records. Guest artist on the album were Fiona Mungai (of Shadz O'blak) and Eric Wainaina
. The album contained two versions of he Uhiki his, original and Pinye's remix. The latter version contains samples of Sexual Healing
by Marvin Gaye
. At the 1997 Kisima Music Awards
, Hardstone won the "Best new artist of the year" category.
He recorded a second album known as "Ziwe Nkulu", but it was left unreleased while he moved to the United States in 1998. He left Kenya to enhance his career, In 2003 he released another album "Hardstory". The song "Uhiki (Pinye's remix)" was also on "African Groove" compilation released by Putumayo World Music
in 2003.
In 2008 he recorded Stone Republic 12 tracks on Vigintillion Records. Featuring the music of Hardstone, the Godfather of Kenyan Hip Hop, with producers include Edward "Eddie Hands" Rollins, and Paul "Arkitekt" Himmel.
In 2010, Hardstone created "Stone Island Entertainment" an Independent Record Label. His new album project, "Stone Island" is due to launch early fall 2010 and will accompany his scheduled world tour returning to his homeland of Kenya to perform then Denmark and London.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n musician. His music is a mixture of ragga
Ragga
-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and hiphop. He sings in English, Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
and Kikuyu languages. He is a pioneer urban style artist in Kenya and topped the Kenyan music scene for a while in the late 90's.
He emerged in 1997 with popular hit "Uhiki" and an album named "Nuting but de Stone", produced by Tedd Josiah
Tedd Josiah
Tedd Josiah is a music producer from Kenya. He started as a musician, first briefly with the group Ebony Affair before forming a new group, Hart in 1993. The group was disbanded in 1995 and Josiah joined Sync Sound Studios as a producer. In 1999 he left Sync Sound Studios and formed Audio Vault...
of Sync Sound Studios and released internationally by German-based Kelele Records. Guest artist on the album were Fiona Mungai (of Shadz O'blak) and Eric Wainaina
Eric Wainaina (musician)
Eric Wainaina is a Kenyan singer-songwriter. His career was launched with his debut album, Sawa Sawa, in 2001. Wainaina's music is a blend of Kenyan Benga rhythm and East African guitars, with some modern harmony.- Childhood :...
. The album contained two versions of he Uhiki his, original and Pinye's remix. The latter version contains samples of Sexual Healing
Sexual Healing
"Sexual Healing" is a 1982 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Columbia Records label. It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime album the previous year...
by Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
. At the 1997 Kisima Music Awards
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, predominately Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and incorporates a range of music genres.-History:Named after the Swahili...
, Hardstone won the "Best new artist of the year" category.
He recorded a second album known as "Ziwe Nkulu", but it was left unreleased while he moved to the United States in 1998. He left Kenya to enhance his career, In 2003 he released another album "Hardstory". The song "Uhiki (Pinye's remix)" was also on "African Groove" compilation released by Putumayo World Music
Putumayo World Music
Putumayo World Music is a New York City based record label, now specialising in compilations of music from various nations, regions or musical styles which may be classified as world music.-Etymology:...
in 2003.
In 2008 he recorded Stone Republic 12 tracks on Vigintillion Records. Featuring the music of Hardstone, the Godfather of Kenyan Hip Hop, with producers include Edward "Eddie Hands" Rollins, and Paul "Arkitekt" Himmel.
In 2010, Hardstone created "Stone Island Entertainment" an Independent Record Label. His new album project, "Stone Island" is due to launch early fall 2010 and will accompany his scheduled world tour returning to his homeland of Kenya to perform then Denmark and London.