“Jamaicans Get Paid More In Kenya For Less Effort” — The Remake Movement Exposes Ke. Reggae Industry

Kenyan reggae artist TUFF LION pulls up to Iko Nini ahead of his debut album, dropping THIS FRIDAY, 16th October 2026 with The Remake Movement. From the streets of Kibra to a fully live album recorded by a 23-piece band (strings, horns, backing vocals, three days in the studio), Tuff Lion talks about: 🔥 Why Kenyan DJs "open the email, click the link and never play the music" 🇯🇲 Why Jamaican artists love coming to Kenya: "it's the easiest place to play" 🎤 Promoters who only want one-hour cover sets from local artists 📱 Can TikTok and the internet break Kenyan reggae into the mainstream? 🕌 Growing up Muslim and finding Rastafari through the music 🦁 Every track on the album: Music On Fire, Tuff Lion, Guidance, Kryptonite, Cost Of Freedom, Mola, Energy, plus the interlude with [FEATURED ARTIST], the album's only feature Reggae is Kenya's favourite genre, so why do we always look outside? Tell us in the comments 👇 🎧 Stream the album from Friday on all platforms: [LINK] 🎟 Album live experience: 7th November, [VENUE] 📲 Follow Tuff Lion: [IG] [TIKTOK] [YOUTUBE] CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 1:45 Roots: Damian Marley, Kabaka Pyramid, Chronixx and the reggae that raised him 6:45 Kibra, school and choosing music class 13:50 Muslim and Rastafari: where the message comes from 18:50 Has hip-hop and dancehall lost the message? 23:30 Kenyan crowds, promoters and paying local artists 27:20 "Kenya is the easiest place to play" for Jamaican artists 28:50 Kenyan DJs who never play local reggae 33:00 TikTok, the internet and breaking Kenyan reggae 35:55 Why "Tuff Lion"? 36:40 Album track by track: Music On Fire, Tuff Lion, Guidance 41:00 The interlude and the album's only feature 42:00 Kryptonite 44:30 Cost Of Freedom 49:30 Mola: a Swahili song for the people 50:10 Energy: fusing Kenyan sound with reggae 52:00 Music that lasts 20 years 53:10 Representing Kibra and the ghetto 57:00 "They only want covers" 59:10 Release day, the launch show and the deluxe songs 62:30 Recording with a 23-piece live band Subscribe and turn on notifications 🔔 Iko Nini every week. #TuffLion #TheRemakeMovement #KenyanReggae #IkoNini #Kibra #ReggaeKenya #KenyanMusic #NewAlbum #RootsReggae #PodcastSIGN] UP ON LemFi using the IKONINI referral code, click on this link https://referral.lemonade.finance/invite/jmbLoTGSeDjjrCQa9 Iko Nini is a Kenya podcast that covers everything Kenyan entertainment, politics & social issues SUPPORT IKO NINI THROUGH CASHAPP $IKONINI BECOME A MEMBER FOR EARLY ACCESS & EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5h4-WH0LAV4CWs380yM33A/join