Artist: Willy Paul | New Mp3 Songs, Video Downloads & Short Biography

Alright, so let’s talk about Willy Paul—yeah, that guy. Honestly, if you’re into Kenyan music at all, you’ve probably bumped into his songs whether you wanted to or not.

His government name? Wilson Abubakar Radido. Pretty official-sounding, right? But nobody calls him that. Born in September ’93, straight outta Mathare—one of Nairobi’s rougher hoods. Life didn’t exactly deal the kid a royal flush. His dad was hustling as a carpenter, and his mom, styling hair to make ends meet. Not exactly silver spoon territory.

Dude ended up dropping out of school in 2011—money just wasn’t there. Fast-forward a bit, and bam, he breaks through with a jam called “Rabuka.” But the big song that really had everyone talking? “Sitolia,” his collab with gospel star Gloria Muliro. Thing is, the track started a whole messy drama. Willy claimed he got the short end of the stick on royalties—some exclusive copyright saga with Muliro. Talk about gospel beef. They did patch things up, though, and even made another banger, “Kitanzi.” Seriously, if you haven’t heard it, what are you doing?

Come 2012, the guy gets a nod for Kisima Music Awards’ Male Artist of the Year thanks to his manager, David Grey. But 2013? Whole different league. Groove Awards crowns him Male Artist of the Year, sharing the spotlight with Gloria (yeah, same Gloria Muliro) snagging Female Artist of the Year. Power duo vibes.

Look, Willy’s not just riding solo. His tracklist? Pure collab heaven. He’s worked with Alaine from Jamaica (“I Do”), Nandy from Tanzania (“Njiwa” and “Hallelujah”), Yemi Alade from Nigeria (“Nobody”), Rayvanny (“Mmmh”), Cecil from Jamaica (“Sikireti”)—the guy collects international features like souvenirs. Oh, and let’s not forget those solo hits everyone knows: “Jigi Jigi,” “Kanungo,” “Malingo,” and of course “You Never Know”—that one blew up so big he even landed a US tour. Not bad for a Mathare kid, huh?

And hey, music isn’t even his whole hustle. Willy Paul holds the top position as the chief executive officer of his record label, Saldido International Entertainment. Gotta respect the grind.