Album Overview: The Art of Gengetone by Joefes

December 9, 2025 19

Written by Edwin Agesa on Tuesday, 9 December 2025.

Three weeks since its release, The Art of Gengetone by Joefes continues to ripple across the Kenyan music scene, an ambitious 22-track statement from one of Gengetone’s most consistent contributors. Working under Black Market Records and still an active member of the celebrated trio Mbuzi Gang, Joefes uses this album not just as a showcase of sound, but as a declaration: Gengetone is evolving, and he intends to be at the centre of that evolution.

From the opening track, it becomes clear that the album is built on both experimentation and identity. Joefes respects the raw, unpolished energy that birthed the genre, but doesn’t shy away from layering it with new influences. The beats bounce between heavy basslines reminiscent of early Gengetone and more polished Afro-fusion rhythms, giving the project a broader, more global texture. His flow remains familiar, playful, cheeky, streetwise—yet there’s a more deliberate sense of composition, as though he is piecing together not just songs, but stories.

The presence of his fellow Mbuzi Gang members, Fathermoh and Iphoolish, adds a familiar warmth to the project. Their chemistry, sharpened through years of collaboration, brings out some of the album’s most memorable moments. Whenever the trio meets on a track, the energy spikes: the punchlines crack harder, the hooks land sharper, and the signature Mbuzi Gang mischief becomes impossible to ignore. Their appearances remind listeners that while Joefes is stretching creatively, he hasn’t abandoned the roots that made him.

Across the project, Joefes touches on the everyday life that fuels Gengetone—street tales, nightlife escapades, friendship dynamics, ambition, romance, and the humorous chaos that defines Kenyan youth culture. But he does so with a maturity that was less obvious in his earlier work. Tracks that seem light-hearted on the surface carry intentional arrangement, and even the club-leaning cuts are crafted with an ear for replay value. The album plays like a diary of Nairobi’s pulse: energetic, chaotic, joyful, unpredictable.

What stands out most is the sheer volume of music Joefes has delivered. Twenty-two tracks is no small feat, especially in a genre where singles often overshadow full bodies of work. But the length works both as a strength and a statement. It feels like Joefes wanted to create a time capsule—something that captures every corner of Gengetone’s sound, from its playful chants to its gritty undertones. The project becomes not just entertainment, but documentation.

The Art of Gengetone is also an important cultural gesture. At a time when critics often claim the genre has lost its initial fire, Joefes counters with a project that’s loud, proud, and intentionally Gengetone. He refuses to let the sound fade, instead offering proof of its versatility and relevance. The album reinforces the idea that Gengetone is not just a trend, but a living, breathing cultural movement capable of growth.

In the end, Joefes delivers more than a collection of songs—he delivers a reminder. A reminder of where Gengetone came from, where it is, and where it could go next. And in that space, he positions himself not just as a participant, but as an architect of the culture’s future.