“Life never used to be like this; things were different way back…” Khaligraph Jones
Brian Robert Ouko, popularly known as Khaligraph Jones, is arguably one of the best rappers in Kenya at the moment. His charisma, unmatched lyrical ability, and consistency have positioned him as the face of the hip-hop genre not only in Kenya but also across East Africa.
Khaligraph’s achievements over the past few years are a reflection of his talent and hard work. However, before his breakthrough, the self-proclaimed OG faced hard times, which led to depression. Therefore, looking back to his life before fame will act as an inspiration to talented artists and netizens who are still living in poverty. we now explores the early life of Khaligraph Jones and how he shot into fame through the music scene.
Early Life
The hip-hop star was born in 1990 in Kayole, Nairobi. He is the 4th child in a family of 7 children. Khaligraph’s mother named him Brian ‘Robert Ouko’ after the late Kenyan politician Robert Ouko, who had been murdered in the year of his birth.
During his childhood, life got hard each and every day as his parents weren’t stable enough to upkeep all the kids. His education wasn’t spared either, as he was forced to drop out of school before sitting for his KCSE exams.
Things got even worse after his father died. They were then forced to relocate from Kayole to Dandora.
Not once, not twice, very many times. Things used to happen at some point; you would think it doesn’t get worse than this, and then something else happens.” Khaligraph told Antoneo Soul in past interviews as quoted by Pulse.
Early music career and struggles
Khaligraph Jones alias Papa Jones kicked off his music career back in primary school. While in high school, his talent got better and better. Khaligraph was even collaborating with Hope Kid, who was his schoolmate. At the time, he was primarily focusing on gospel music. However, his career officially started at the Words and Pictures (WAP) function in 2008.
One year later, he won the Channel 0 Emcee award. This seemed to be a huge turning point in Khaligraph Jones’ music career as it defined his journey. Thereafter, Jones mainly concentrated with Cyphers. In 2012, the young rapper collaborated with iconic rapper Abbas Kubaff in a single, Tema ma Verse.
Khaligraph Jones’ breakthrough moment
Papa Jones shot to fame through his hit song Yego, in which he celebrated the achievements of Kenya’s Javelin star Julius Yego. As talented and hardworking as he is, Khaligraph dropped other top singles within a short period. Some of the songs include Mazishi, Toa Tint, King Khali, and Yes Bana.
This paved the way for his collaborations with ‘big’ names in the game, including Sauti Sol, Nyashinski, Nameless, STL (Stella Mwangi), and Mejja, just to name a few. The rapper who had become a superstar never became egocentric, as he even recognized his mentor, the late Kantai. As a way of showing his appreciation, Khaligraph Jones collaborated with Kantai in a single, ‘Ting Badi Malo’.
Khaligraph Jones achievements
Khaligraph Jones is now a well-known rapper in Africa at large. For instance, Khaligraph was awarded as the Best Rap Act in the 2018 African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA).
Others include East African Rapper of the Year at MTN Uganda in 2021 and Best Hip Hop Act at the Soundcity MVP Awards in 2020.
