Kenyan rapper and viral sensation Ngesh wa Vasha, whose real name is Mary Wangechi, has finally broken her silence after months of social media absence and public speculation about her whereabouts.
The rapper, best known for her breakout 2023 hit “Rieng Genje” with the Spider Clan, opened up about the harsh realities of fleeting fame, financial struggles, and her decision to step out of the limelight.
Speaking to a local blogger, Ngesh lamented the emptiness of maintaining a glamorous social media image while privately battling poverty.
“It is not about staying in the limelight and getting nothing, you see. It is not about being busy making videos that don’t earn you anything in return. You can’t be all over social media showing fans where you have gone, what you have done, yet you have no money. Money is everything actually,” Ngesh candidly shared.
Her disappearance from the scene puzzled many fans, especially after “Rieng Genje” became an unexpected national sensation, amassing over five million views on YouTube.
Ngesh, the only female member of the Spider Clan, quickly became a fan favorite thanks to her distinct Swahili-Kikuyu slang and memorable rap lines, including the viral “cash crop za Nyandarua ni waru” hook.
Despite the sudden success, Ngesh revealed that the group didn’t reap any financial benefits from their online fame.
“As long as we were not getting money from our YouTube, we would not continue to release videos or make music. First of all, I would not stay in the limelight. I refused that, too,” she explained.
The rapper also addressed the internal disagreements within Spider Clan, which contributed to the group’s short-lived success. She said the team wanted to maintain their online buzz at any cost — something she wasn’t willing to do.
“The group was pushing us to do something, but I didn’t want to. Like, why should I stay in the limelight when I’m broke? Why should I come and lie to them that I’m fine, but deep down I’m suffering? I can’t accept that,” Ngesh firmly stated.
Before her viral moment in 2023, Ngesh had dabbled in music, releasing a solo track “Dem Dem” in 2022 shortly after completing high school.
Though it failed to make an impact, she persevered, eventually forming the Spider Clan with fellow artists, leading to their breakout hit.
However, the fame came with its own share of misconceptions.
“When you meet people in the streets, they say you have money, and you can’t tell them you are broke,” Ngesh recalled.
Today, the once-rising star has retreated to her hometown of Naivasha, where she’s taken up small hustles like selling second-hand clothes to make ends meet.
She also hasn’t released any new music in over a year.
It’s a sobering tale of how internet virality doesn’t always translate to financial security, especially in an industry where artists often lack the resources and support to turn fame into a sustainable career.
Her revelations also mirror the harrowing tales of some other big names like Colonel Mustapha of Deux Vultures how currently works in construction (‘mjengo’) despite being the king of the airwaves more than a decade ago.
