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Bebe Cool recently sat down for an exclusive interview with UK-based Nigerian media personality DJ Edu on the BBC podcast 'This Is Africa,' where he shared journey from a struggling musician in Kenya to an international star.
Since releasing Circumference and Motivation—the first two singles from his upcoming album Break the Chains—Bebe Cool has been on a non-stop promotional tour, both locally and internationally.
During the interview, he recounted his early days, including his bold move to Kenya in pursuit of a music career. He initially sought out renowned producer Ted Josiah but was unable to meet him.
Struggling to find a breakthrough, Bebe Cool ended up living with a security guard. His fortunes changed when he met a man named Mohammed, who owned a private studio.
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"I knocked on his door, and he welcomed me. He asked me what I wanted to do for a living, and I told him I sing. He asked me to prove it, so I freestyled over 11 instrumentals. He was impressed and told me to find a producer so I could come and record," Bebe Cool recalled.
His big break came when he met Lucas Bikedo, one of the founders of Ogopa Deejays. From there, his career took off as he gained popularity performing at various Miss Kenya pageants before forming the first Bashment Crew with Redsan and Jose Chameleone.
Bebe Cool also opened up about one of the darkest moments in his life—the day he was shot. He explained that he was at a location where artistes from the Good Lyfe Crew were in an argument with a police officer.
When he and his security team approached to mediate, the officer misinterpreted their actions and immediately opened fire.
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"Since I always move with security, I sent my man to talk to him—policeman to policeman—but he just opened fire. It was traumatic, five people got injured," he said.
Bebe Cool was left wheelchair-bound for almost a year after undergoing surgery. His struggles didn’t end there—just months later, he narrowly escaped the 2010 Kyadondo Rugby Club bombings, where he had been performing at a World Cup viewing party.
"I did not get any therapy after that because our country was not yet at that level. I said, let me use this and become a stronger person, and yes, they made me a stronger person at heart," he reflected.
Bebe Cool also spoke about his latest album, Break the Chains, revealing that he deliberately embraced Afrobeats—a genre that is dominating the global music scene.
"Afrobeats is what the world is listening to. As an artiste trying to sell Uganda to the world, I can't resist the sound," he explained.