king kerby
June 12, 2024

King Kerby’s Perfect Seven ‘Saba: Deluxe’

The Arsenal fan in King Kerby is apparent. 

At first glance the cover art for ‘Saba’ his December LP will tell you that. However the album art designed by South African fine artist Jariiid, doesn’t translate his deep love of the game. 

Artwork in music is often layered. Some artists pick artwork or titles based on pure feeling, while for others, there is significant symbolism. 

Kerby says, “Saba is me entering my alignment era. It’s where I don’t have to strain or force myself into places I don’t belong. It’s all hits, no misses. It’s about being aligned with the right producers, collaborators, sounds, visuals, and creative freedom.” 

‘Saba’ is the Swahili word for seven, representing alignment, completion, fullness, and luck. The cover depicts Kerby wearing a number 7 Arsenal jersey facing the ocean, symbolising an easy flow of life and its offerings. 

“Saba to me means me entering my stress-free era; my soft era. I know people get to see it now and scoff at it, but if only they knew— ” Kerby explains.

The eight-track bow ‘Saba’ features records like “Out The Way,” which are gaudy and confident, and “Wengi,” an ostentatious showcase of Kerby’s creative license. “Wengi” even includes a cheeky nod to Arsenal player Bukayo Saka, who wears the number 7. “Summertime” is a trap R&B sweetener that acknowledges a figurative distance between him and his partner, while “Realign” and “Oceans” reflect Kerby’s affinity for self, spirituality, and overall well being.

 

“Saba to me means me entering my stress-free era; my soft era.

For ‘Saba’ and its follow-up ‘Saba: Deluxe’, Kerby collaborates with Zino D, LD Beats, Ta’Eish, and O’Hara—South African auteurs defining the culture in Jozi and Cape Town. They spent the last quarter of the year in Cape Town packaging what would become Kerby’s third solo studio LP. 

“When I dropped my last album, ‘Kazi Kwa Vijana’ (a collaborative album with Kenyan artist Mr. Lu), it didn’t go how I wanted. In terms of creative input, he was making the beats, and the mixing and mastering didn’t satisfy me because he was very particular about his process. Even after all that, it didn’t feel like my project,” Kerby shares. Despite the record being one of Nairobi’s grails in the Alternative Music scene with hits like “Nakujali” featuring Mars Maasai, Kerby felt he had more to offer as an individual artist.

Kerby’s frustrations and self-awareness became his breaking point. In true alchemist form, he transformed his past experiences of not being able to create his desired body of work into exactly that. “After the Lu album, I tried doing stuff with artists like DJ Mura, but I still felt a gap. I didn’t feel understood as an artist. My potential wasn’t being fulfilled. So I knew I wanted to make an album that represented myself, my team, and my community. This forced me to align with people on my trajectory, and the music on ‘Saba’ is a manifestation of that,” Kerby shares.

king kerby

With the deluxe edition set for release in early June, Kerby is currently rolling out singles that will feature on the upcoming release. His seismic efforts to do internal work and realise his untapped potential led him to seek more organic collaborations. “I spoke with a friend and a director named Apondi, who was shooting a video for me and Big Yasa. She told me about a producer from Cape Town named Zino and connected us. He liked my music and was keen to work together,” Kerby recalls.

At that point, Kerby and his partner Elsie were frustrated with Nairobi’s pace and decided to accept Zino’s invitation to Cape Town. They also visited Accra, where they were inspired by the vibrant creative scene. “Accra kick-started our Saba vision. We worked with producers for major international artists. Seeing their processes rejuvenated us, and we learned a lot that we brought back to our team. From not being phased by the occasion to fine-tuning my identity, it was major.” 

The Ghana visit birthed the project Accra Nights, one of Kerby’s most experimental works. Cape Town followed, where Kerby’s most impressionable ideas came to fruition. “I’m a selector. I’ve trained my ear and love to curate playlists. I’m great at picking sounds, and Zino is a dot connector. He understands sound in very interesting ways and knows who will sound great on what instantly. When we got to Cape Town, we thought about collaborating with Maglera Doe Boy, Kash CPT, and Youngsta, but most guys were either in Jozi or wanted money upfront. Zino suggested Ta’Eish and O’Hara, and we locked in,” Kerby mentions.

With a June release date set for the new music, singles like “Leeches,” which warns against energy vampires, “Niko Order,” a bullish anthem on self-awareness, and “Deuce,” a track brimming with bravado, the deluxe edition promises to be a clairvoyant body of work. This collection will showcase Kerby’s virtuosic achievements from previous years in high regard.

Co-writer: Alfayo Onyango

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