'We're not friends!' Femi One addresses alleged beef with Azziad over ‘Utawezana’

Kenyan rapstress Wanjiku Kimani, popularly known as Femi One, has reignited the conversation around the success of her 2020 smash hit song ‘Utawezana’ featuring Mejja.

The song was perceived as having contributed heavily to the overnight stardom of social media personality Azziad Nasenya, whose career blew up after she posted a TikTok video dancing to the song.

‘Utawezana’ was also primarily influential in the elevation of Femi One to the A-list Kenyan rapper that she is today going by the many accolades she received on the bask of the song’s success.

Despite a few music critics, then, claiming that Azziad was solely responsible for turning the song into a hit, Femi One has come out to rubbish those allegations saying it was always going to be a smash; with or without the TikToker’s contribution.

According to Femi One, Azziad was only one of hundreds of social media personalities who posted dancing videos to an online challenge of the song hence cannot be credited for its success.

The Kaka Empire signee, while acknowledging that she and Azziad do not know each other, sought to clarify that they do not have any beef between them either, as far as the conversation the success of the song brought up goes.

“People don’t really want to know my side of the story. First of all, mimi na Azziad sio marafiki, hatujuani kabisa. Alifanya challenge just like everyone else mwenye alifanya challenge na akasubmit the video and tukapost hiyo video…na mimi na yeye hatuna issue yoyote, hajawai niambia ako na issue na mimi, na mimi sijawai mwambia niko na issue na yeye,” said Femi One on Radio Citizen’s Mseto east Africa show.

She went on to state that the song was destined to be a hit going by the level of creativity she and Mejja put into it at the studio from the onset of the project, and not because of Azziad’s dancing video.

“Ngoma ilikuwa ikuwe a success from kutoka turecord hiyo wimbo…from the creativity, the storyline, tulikuwa tunajua wimbo utafanya vizuri. Na kusema ukweli ni mipango ya Mungu, hatuwezi sema ati ni mimi nilifanya ama ni Mejja alifanya, ni unafanya tu kazi, ukifanya kazi nzuri the rest unawachia Mungu, na mimi naamini wimbo ulienda according to God’s plan.”

She also claimed she was saddened by the criticism she received on the back of the song’s success as she deemed all the negative comments as stemming from a sexist angle.

 “Honestly mimi nilifeel, venye nilipata backlash yote, nilifeel watu wananicriticize sana kwa sababu mimi ni mwanamke na niko kwa industry na wimbo yangu imeblow up,” she said.

“Sikuona watu wakicriticise Mejja as much because people kwa society wanafeel like men wanadeserve hiyo success lakini mimi kwa sababu wimbo ni wangu na umefanya vizuri hawataki kunipatia hiyo credit.”

Femi One further stated: “Actually hapo ndio mahali issue ilianzia kwa sababu watu hawakuwa wanataka kuona nikipost hiyo wimbo, nikicelebrate nikisema eh wimbo yangu imefikisha 5 million views watu hawataki. Yaani it’s something that iko kwa society, people hawataki kuona, hawaamini mwanamke anaeza fanya kitu mzuri na akuwe successful, they would want to credit someone else for it.”