Why Diamond hitting 1 billion views is a blessing for Kenyan artists

Diamond hit 1 billion YouTube streams and this was a huge deal for many reasons. For one, it is always assumed that Nigerian artists are the biggest in Africa and he has literally bucked the assumption. Another reason why this is a huge deal is that no other east African artist is anywhere close to curbing his popularity as most are still some ways away from achieving such a monolithic milestone. Another interesting reason why this is a huge deal is that it coincidentally, Zari decided to bury the hatchet with him right at this moment.

Wasafi artiste, Diamond Platnumz

And an even more interesting take that appeals to me is the fact that Diamond’s win is proof Kenyan artists can aspire to greatness and actually get it. Ofcourse, this is assuming they have either as much or more talent than Diamond. And after this, we can then assume that they have the management team in place to help them navigate the business of entertainment just like Diamond was fortunate to have constructed around him. And then comes the real secret weapon in Diamond’s arsenal: Kenyans. You see, Diamond managed to land his 1 billion YouTube views courtesy of the support shown to him by Kenyans who for some reason decided to park their goodwill right at the Tanzanian’s feet. And this is an opportunity for Kenyans. Now, picture if you will, for argument’s sake, an artist with Diamond’s talent as stated earlier. this guy also gets to team up with a management team that has financial muscle. They decide to invest in Kenya’s new version of Diamond, allowing him to work with awesome producers and sound engineers and make collaborations to introduce him (or her really) to new markets. The Kenyan Diamond can have access to all the best Afropop artists from Nigeria, Ghana, Congo or wherever else. Then, our Diamond example gets the backing of Kenyans. Kenyans as a bloc embrace his music instead of hating and attacking. And this support allows him to garner YouTube views in the millions. Then from there, he can focus on growing his brand in Tanzania and Uganda. And from there, he can also begin to grow into Congo, Rwanda and West Africa. And this Diamond character could already exist in the mould of Willy Paul, Otile Brown, Sauti Sol, Khaligraph Jones, Ethic, Ochungulo Family or whichever other talented act I haven’t mentioned. And the only missing link to their success is Kenyan support. To bring everything full circle, Diamond hitting that 1 billion views mark is actually a blessing because now everyone has realized just how important Kenyan support is and Kenyan artists have just realized what the missing link to their success is.