Rapper drops mic to prepare dinner

With Valentine’s Day coming up in just about two weeks’ time, gospel singer and rapper David Muthengi, alias Holy Dave, is set to launch a adore music.

It will be a treat of a different form for his enthusiasts. For many months now, Holy Dave has been trending on the internet for his foodstuff, not his new music.

His cooking demonstrate, HDsKitchenShow, has turn into so popular that it has spawned a cooking problem exactly where followers share hunger-whetting videos.

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“My new foods company came up by mistake. When the nationwide curfews commenced early previous yr, individuals had been no extended heading out to consume or party, and I did not have a lot to do,” he reported.

“One night, I bought liver out of the fridge and begun recording myself as I well prepared it. I posted the video clip on social media and it received a good deal of likes. My mum, who taught me how to cook, called me and advised me to do a lot more video clips.”

And he did. The next working day he baked a cake, and then created pizza and hen. He shared the recipes and movies with his followers, and mates started out positioning orders for foods.

“Anyone who viewed my posts became a probable customer. I recognized that this is one thing that had been in me and I manufactured up my brain to flip it into a really serious business enterprise enterprise,” mentioned Holy Dave, introducing that he grew up observing heaps of cooking displays.

He cashed in on the new prospect, and has now employed quite a few staff who enable him supply meals and catering providers at birthday events, weddings and amusement occasions.

“It is a new small business that is nonetheless struggling with teething issues, but I am realising continual progress each individual day.”

Really like Ballad

But that doesn’t signify Holy Dave, who is in his early 30s, has thoroughly presented up music. His new release is a ballad titled My Sort of Female, a collaboration with impending artiste Lorna.

It evokes a emotion of déjà vu, stirring up memories of his 2013 launch, You Seem Familiar. The emotional enjoy track won the hearts of lovers with its clean supply and heartfelt lyrics, which include a line indicating like does not only ‘happen’ on Valentine’s Working day.

For some time now, Holy Dave, who was at 1 time among the country’s most celebrated gospel rappers, has been out of the limelight.

He exited the Bambika show on Citizen Television a calendar year in the past, and with no new tunes to give to his admirers, he was nearly created off as a star of yesteryears.

Holy Dave’s star started to increase right after his 2012 singles Push On, featuring Izzo, Mara Hio Hio, which he launched alongside Bantu, and Ni Msoh, a hit he labored on with the then top rap team Kelele Takatifu.

He ended up successful awards that yr at the 2012 Coast New music Awards. Two several years afterwards, he scooped a Groove Award for the Wanna Be hit, a project he labored on with rapper Diana Kiamba, aka Dee. 

He worked on a handful of much more very low-critical tracks right before having time off the new music scene. And then in 2019, he made his comeback with Tia Bidii Zidi, a music that chronicles life’s difficulties.

“The fact is that music, specially all through this Covid-19 pandemic era, was not paying and I had to glance for a facet hustle. I experienced to internalise and get actual with myself as to how I would pay back my expenditures and make a residing,” he said..

Holy Dave, who has a degree in personal computer science and an MBA in strategic administration and finance, realized he wanted to adjust lanes.

“My mentor gave me a several classes to teach by which I made revenue. I also had some aspect-time work opportunities with economical establishments, but my heart was not in it. I needed to do some thing that satisfies me.”

In his soul-searching mission, he give up his position and made the decision to release no new tunes. But when Covid-19 strike, Holy Dave, who is pursuing a PhD in small business administration at the College of Nairobi, also had to just take a crack from teaching.

Cooking presented him a perception of balance in the chaos, and what started off out as a uncomplicated online video shared on social media spawned a organization.

The artiste explained to gain an edge in the food stuff business, he is taking research very seriously, studying menus, expenditure ideas, as perfectly as hospitality factors that deliver about buyer fulfillment.

“I have learned the artwork of layering. I am using my showbiz label, Holy Dave, as perfectly as my showbiz attractiveness to navigate new grounds,” he claimed.

“During the vacations, I started an Airbnb venture, which essentially comes about to be an on-demand enterprise in Nairobi. With this, I am able to put together foods for attendees and provide groups of about 25 clientele – a double gain from a company perspective.”

He reported he charges Sh30,000, inclusive of menu elements, for these kinds of a team of clients, or Sh20,000 if the ingredients are furnished.

“I have professional his cooking. The greatest factor is that he is very simple in conditions of creating recipes that are workable and relatable. I imagine with time, this guy will grow to be a major Kenyan export, talking from a cooking encounter point of view,” stated Chris Kirwa, a nicely-regarded gatherings manager.

Daniella Kamaru, a 28-yr-old Kenyan residing in the US, explained she figured out of Holy Dave’s exhibit as a result of buddies who had been discussing his Instagram posts. When she came to Kenya in December, she and her mates decided to sample his meals.

Dream Resort

According to Daniella, Holy Dave could develop into as preferred as unbiased cooks in the US who tailor-make menus for consumers.

“The knowledge was great and the rates had been cost-effective for the two times we ended up served in the course of our Airbnb stay,” she claimed.    

For Holy Dave, this is just the beginning: “I have an overall approach for setting up a aspiration lodge that arrives with a sensation of home – I will be my guests’ host. Even so, this might not take place now as it arrives with a big expense.

“I will need to lease a excellent location, ship in kitchen products and do the job on inside décor. All this will price about Sh4.5 million.”

He added that because his cooking exhibit – which usually attributes famous people and other influential personalities – is geared at inspiring the ordinary Kenyan intrigued in cooking, he does not use difficult recipes or approaches.

He counts between his inspirations the late American chef and creator Anthony Bourdain, celeb chef Bobby Flay and Kenyan award-winning chef Ali Alamin.

“Juggling all these matters – songs, school and organization – is not quick, but I think in ruthless concentration, which is the skill to regard time,” he explained.

“In any situation, these three sides do the job collectively in conditions of complementing ‘Holy Dave the brand name. I am applying the instruction to have an understanding of how small business is effective and how to control my funds as I create my empire.”

An avid journey and journey lover, Holy Dave mentioned even nevertheless several know him as a gospel rapper, he would not want to be typecast as there is substantially extra he wants to investigate in lifetime.

“I have been functioning on many assignments with upcoming artistes as I want to participate in a mentor position in the industry,” he reported.

“Together with my sister (media individuality Joey Muthengi), we are operating the Muthengi Basis, which is reaching out with viable innovations to assistance the underprivileged.”