CTA - Cleaning The Airwaves (Free Rigga album)
Posted by mwapi on May 4th, 2010
1. The Awakening (Download)
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43: 18-19)
Written by Charles Righa, David Muthami and Daniel “SJ Sparrxx” Lanco
Additional Vocals By David Muthami
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
2. Life (Download)
Now all has been heard; here is teh conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 & 12:13)
Written by Charles Righa
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
3. Ibada Yangu feat. Chizi (Download)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing t God - this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12;1)
Written by Charles Righa
Additional Vocals By Kanjii Mbugua, Mwendie Mbugua & Carol Atemi
Additional Production and Vocal Arrangement by Aaron “Kruical” Rimbui
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji records 2007
4. Go feat. hip Hope - Astar, Juliani, Michelle and Cii (Download)
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 18-20)
Written by Charles Righa, Richard Njau, michelle Kwambo, Julius Owino and David Muthami
Additional Vocals By Ciiru Karanja
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
5. Without You (Download)
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9.25)
Written by Charles Righa
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
6. Interlude - He is (Download)
7. Know You (Download)
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17.3)
Written by Charles Righa
Additional Vocals By Diana “Dee” Nduba
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
8. Friend Indeed feat. Astar & Dee (Download)
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep war. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one my be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12)
Written by Charles Righa & Richard Njau
Additional Vocals By Diana “Dee” Nduba
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
9. You Are God feat. Kanjii (Download)
He will bless those who fear the LORD - small and great alike. (Psalm 115:13, Psalm 10)
Written by Charles Righa
Live Guitar By Isaac Ogila
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
10. This Is For You (Download)
For everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saves. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heart? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? And it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news! (Romans 10:13-15)
Written by Charles Righa
Additional Vocals By Diana “Dee” Nduba
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
11. Interlude - The Nails (Download)
12. Who Am I feat. Neema (Download) - Dedicated to my mom
The King David went in and sat before the LORD and he said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O God you, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O LORD God. (1st Chronicles 17: 16-17)
Written by Charles Righa & Neema Ntalel
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
13. The Tongue (Download)
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21/ James 3:1-12)
Written by Charles Righa & David Muthami
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Additional Vocals By Ciiru “Cii” Karanja
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
14. Amini feat. Kanjii (Download)
As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:17-21)
Written by Charles Righa
Produced and Arranged By Aaron “Kruical” Rimbui
Additional Vocals By Kanjii Mbugua
Mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
15. Mabadiliko feat. Brian King (Download)
The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make river flow on barren heights, and springs withing the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and parched ground into springs. I will put int he desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, and fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it. (Isaiah 41:17-20)
Written by Charles Righa
Guest Appearances By Kijiji Family and Friends
Produced By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
16. Sifa feat. Kanjii (Download)
Priase the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (Psalm 146: 1-2)
Written by Charles Righa
Produced By Ambrose Akwabi of Mandugu Digital
Additional Production By David “BlackMan” Muthami
Arranged and mixed by David Muthami
Kijiji Records 2007
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Rigga - The Awakening
“Yo, I met this brother while I was journeying to Nairobi, Kenya at a youth conference. This guy is a rock solid Christian dude that is as real in person as he is on CD. Definately support his awesome ministry…” (Jamar Dawson)
For the typical fan, Hip-Hop music conjures up certain imagery - a tough as nails demeanor, a pompous arrogance, a ragged look, and often a one-dimensional sound. Well, pick up Rigga’s creative new debut, The Awakening, and you realize those are nothing but empty misconceptions.
This soft-spoken multi-lingual rapper is unafraid to be modest and unassuming, as he fills the album with stacks of vertical music - a greater majority of the songs find the artist speaking not to you or me, but directly to God. He graciously allows us a window into his conversations. As such, The Awakening could easily be referred to as a collection of urban prayers. The Christian person will no doubt enjoy this album’s content.
Review
But don’t be fooled, Rigga will bowl you over with his an uncompromising approach when he needs to. Take the title track for instance. This three-minute intro is a brilliant hard-hitting cypha that announces it well –quality hip-hop record underway! More hardnosed jams that true hip-hop head will bounce to include Life and Without You. The former finds Rigga musing over hard beats, wondering where his life would be without the love of God in it. The latter’s laid back West-Coast flow is a throwback to the 90’s Gospel Funk of groups such as Christsyde and Mr. Real. Cleverly switching sides is the East-Coast influenced He Is (interlude) – think early Grits albums.
But The Awakening smoothes out beautifully, with enough crossover material to broaden the record’s appeal. Ibaada and Mabadiliko are great examples. Arguably the sweetest single to come out of the Kijiji Records stable, Ibaada is packed with heavy-hitters, including Chizi on the hook, as well as Kanjii and Atemi Oyungu on additional background vocals. In similar vein is Mabadiliko, a smooth-as-silk sweet-as-honey pearl that features the sultry voiced Votaries’ front-man Brian King. Usually, we’d advise you prepare the repeat button, though some start-stop banter by a mish-mash of Rigga’s friends holds it back a little.
By and large, the record is produced by David “Blackman” Muthami, (though Mandugu Digital’s Ambrose chips in with the previously released Sifa, and Aaron Rimbui contributes Amini, an afro-leaning track that is totally misplaced, both stylistically and content-wise – the obvious influence of an Afro-centric production house on a young hip-hopper). Back to the producer. Blackman does an admirable job of adding some sweet spice to the record. Take Go, for instance. Featuring the highly talented hip-hope trio of Juliani, Astar and Michelle, its playful ragga beat showcase a producer expanding his repertoire. It helps that each MC on Go, especially Michelle and Rigga himself, hold it down beautifully. I could easily hear a remix with the likes of The Chiefs or Daddy Owen on it. Only a weak hook prevents Go from being the album’s biggest hit.
Kanye West’s popularity shot threw the roof when he began incorporating pitched-up vocal samples from soul music into his work. Know You might not have an 80’s sample, but its pitched-up hook, layered on a tight beat beautifully compliments Rigga’s desire to know his Heavenly Father more. The Tongue is brilliant. And very clever. It has spaced out electronic sounds very reminiscent of a Timbaland joint. It doesn’t hurt that Rigga drops some keepers on it. Peep this:
“With the same mouth mi nitasema mi nimeokoka, the same tongue, kwa ma-manzi nawaroga,
Kiburi, maringo, na kusengenyana, matusi, maovu na kudanganyana,
Ulimi huo huo nitamsifu bwana, then I wonder why maombi yanaumana”
Other tracks on the record include Friend Indeed featuring Astar, the reggae-infused You Are God featuring Kanjii and the charming and evangelistic This Is For You.
Bottom Line
All up Rigga’s The Awakening is a great debut. It is obviously top-heavy with Kijiji personnel, a blessing and a curse (this team, though talented, can become a little repetitive when regularly featuring on each others’ projects). Still, outside of a producer whose repeated ad libs we can do without, there is nothing lackluster about this effort – Rigga barely puts a foot wrong. With one of the cleanest hip-hop flows and a real knack for crafting his yearnings for God into hit songs, dare I say The Awakening is one of the top hip-hop albums of the past year or so, Gospel or otherwise.
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More Videos Of Charles “Rigga” Righa
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Rigga in A Village Easter Experience 2010
Chit Chat - Buzzin
Chit Chat - I La La Like It