Brian Robert Ouko is a seasoned Kenyan rapper popularly known by his stage name Khaligraph Jones. He is an award-winning singer and songwriter specializing in the Hip-Hop genre.
With no doubt, he is among the greatest rappers who have existed on Kenyan soil. His well-crafted songs have seen him top international charts and receive several awards and nominations both locally and internationally.
This article looks into the life of Khaligraph Jones, outlining his age, career, family, education, and achievements.
Khaligraph Jones Age and Birth.
Khaligraph was born on June 12, 1990, in Kayole Estate in Nairobi, and raised in the same place. He later moved to Bondo, where he spent some of his years in early life before moving back to the city to find his way.
His challenging life in the streets of Kayole-Nairobi played a key role in inspiring him to work hard and live a better life in the future, a goal he has since achieved indisputably.
Education Background.
Khaligraph Jones’ history of education is not well known to the public as he never likes talking about it. However, in a past interview, the artist revealed that he had dropped out of high school to pursue his passion for music while in form four.
Khaligraph Jones Career.
Papa Jones, as he is known began his musical career at the tender age of 19 years under the close mentorship of his elder brother who has realized his passion. In 2008, he made his first appearance on stage at a function dubbed ‘Words and Pictures’ where he was given a chance to perform.
In 2009, he participated in a much-hyped competition dubbed the Channel O Emcee Africa event and emerged the winner. His victory at the event catapulted him to a public figure almost immediately due to the creativity and electrifying performance that he had delivered.
The renowned ‘Yego’ crooner released his first debut studio album named ‘Testimony 1990’ in 2018. The Album is a testimony of his life, his struggles and tribulations as well as those of his country Kenya, and consists of hits such as ‘G Like That’, ‘Instagram Girls’ and ‘Superwoman’ Ft Mr. Eazi.
Read also Top Ten Best Rappers in Kenya.
In 2021, Khaligraph partnered with Odibets, a betting company based in Kenya for a rap challenge dubbed #ODINARE meant to encourage upcoming rappers in Kenya. In the challenge, the participating rappers were requested to post a short rap clip with 16 bars using an instrumental provided by Khaligraph Jones.
More than 10,000 clips were submitted in the challenge, which dominated the streets of social media for weeks. Kibera-born rapper Katapila won the challenge and walked away with the Ksh 1 Million grand prize.
Read Rapper to Win Ksh 1 Million From Khaligraph Jones And Odibets.
Awards and Nominations.
The rapper has received several awards and nominations since joining the music industry both at the local and international levels.
During the Fifth Annual African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA), he was named the “Best Rap Act of the Year”. The electrifying event was held at the House of Blues in Dallas, Texas, the United States in 2018.
In 2020, he won the Best Hip Hop Act crown at the Soundcity MVP Awards held at Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. His victory at Soundcity saw him take a big stride in the international music industry where he received compliments and criticism in equal measures.
He received diss tracks from his rival rappers including BlaqBonez of Nigeria, whom he thrashed at the competition. However, the rappers had just dared devil as Khaligraph soon made an irrefutable comeback dubbed “The best Rapper in Nigeria”, which sent them to their nests without a word.
In 2020, Khaligraph Jones was nominated for BET awards under Best International Flow Category, becoming the first Kenyan Musician to be nominated for the much-hyped international awards.
He has performed on several events in his music career including the Coke Studio Africa and worked with other local and international artists such as Otile Brown, Sauti Sol, and Wakadinali (Kenya), Rayvanny (Tanzania), and Sarkodie (Ghana).
Some of his hit songs include Tuma Kitu, Yego, Now You Know, Mazishi, Khali Cartel 2, Kwendaa, and Hao Ft Masauti.
Khaligraph Jones Wife and Family.
Jones is married to his beautiful wife Georgina Muteti, and together they have one daughter named Amina Jones Ouko. Khaligraph had a girlfriend in the past, with whom they broke up over claims of Khaligraph being abusive.
Read Top Ten Most Searched Lyrics Songs on Google.
Wealth and Net Worth.
Owing to his successful music career, Khaligraph is a fairly wealthy man. He owns several properties including a flashy car collection. He has also done endorsement deals with big companies both locally and internationally. His estimated net worth is about Ksh 100 Million.
Social Media Accounts and Followers.
Khaligraph Jones is an active musician in all spheres including on social media. Currently, he runs a YouTube channel with 482,000 subscribers. He also has a Facebook page with over 229,000 followers and an Instagram account with 1.8 Million followers.
