PAPI THE ICON SHARES HOW HE BECAME A BIG NAME IN THE PHOTOGRAPHY INDUSTRY
Speak of being multi talented, speak of being a JOAT, now, talk of success. we get to meet Papi.the.icon. The lad who is rollercoasting his way to the highest level. Having grown in coastal area of Kenya, he has learnt the art of taking life with it’s course. He is a rapper, photographer and a prolific videographer.
TYM: Briefly, who is Papi.the.icon
PAPI; Am just a peace of cake with extra sugars.
Motivation is my way forward..
Focus on going to the furthest state. If you can live being the best,then let what you like doing be the best…
Am still, and its untill am understanding education keeps expanding, atleast every weekend i have shoots, I teach and help people out on visual works.
TYM: We all have a starting point in life, tell me how did you start? And how was it like?
PAPI: Well thats too classified for now..
I used to have issues with my family starting over, everyone was against it, everyone till I got my first Celebrity videoshoot, I was helping a different crew by then on shooting, and when the video was done my name was featured and i got video credits.
Then I got to some point all i could do is free photoshoots just to win a crowd and yes, the turn up was huge.
I recall first time’s shoot i slept at 2:30 in the morning after editing 327photos. I still have the raw photos upto this date.
TYM: About the crew how did you come up with it? And how many are you?
PAPI: We are 14 members excluding I,
Balanced Gender
TYM Tell me about your designs…how do you market them?
PAPI: Every shoot we go we hand out free merchandise. Every event has free merchandise, every live interview has a free merchandise.
And also Safaricom prepaid sms marketing and The social media.
TYM: Are there challenges?
PAPI: Challenges yes…
The government is taking advantage of youths.
Photographers in particular whether with a license or permit to do any shoot cops will still demand money from you.
Theres just no freedom to photographers.
The government should allow and pay for short courses of the jobs they promise the youths.
Music wise we have to pay to get paid, this needs alot of explanation but if you into kenyan music, then you dig.
TYM: I dig…speaking of music I’ve totally loved your music and especially coastin.
Tell me is it on YouTube yet?
PAPI: Not yet i wanna start shooting some of them here in mombasa but the lyrical video to Coastin and light up are there.
TYM: what would you tell the youth out here who have dreams of grinding in the same way you do especially in photography, what do you have for them?
PAPI: Word of encouragement
Keep with the tags when posting
@papi.the.icon @papi.thebantu
To new beginnings👏
BE-me films/bantuvibes
#uptownvibes
Keeping up with the afreakans
Afreakan tribe-My vibe my Tribe
#bantuvibesafrica #ignairobi #afreakantribe #afreakantribemusic #mytribemyvibe #isupportkenyanphotography #nairobi #mombasaraha #nrgfestival
Its never about the camera you use, or the photographer. Its how you take the images …
Fight for your rights, photos are not bombs that may cause a catastrophe to the city, it’s a skill that becomes a profession over more interest. So work with another photographer, learn and teach, you’ll eventually pick up to something. I’ve personally learnt alot, alot…and I appreciate your patience and co-operation with me may the Almighty bless you and more so the work of your hands.
