Julius Owino known professionally as Juliani is a Kenyan hip-hop gospel rapper, songwriter and activist based in Nairobi, Kenya. Born and raised in the suburbs of Dandora – with other six of his siblings, music was always part of him and the love grew more when he started hanging out with members of the renowned hip-hop group in Kenya Ukoo Flani. As many know, Ukoo Flani were and are hardcore hip hop artists and many associate hip hop with violence, drugs and even prostitution but Juliani ended up making gospel hip hop music.
On his transition to gospel music, Juliani acknowledges until this day that being raised in a Christian home was one of the reasons for his choice but his friend – who was part of Warogi Wawili which was under Ukoo Flani – Brayo, had earlier gotten saved and encouraged him to follow the way of Jesus. In 2005, Juliani got saved and his spirituality grew day by day leading him to venture into gospel hip-hop music. Juliani’s success in music is immeasurable, with the influence he has had over the years, the awards he has won and the countries he has toured, it’s safe to say that he is one of the revolutionizers of Kenyan hip-hop music, especially gospel hip hop.
In a recent interview, Juliani discussed his upcoming show – Juliani Session with 100 people. When explaining his
decision he pinpointed it as his new venture because many people are afraid of calling him for gigs in fear that he is expensive. “I love intimate performances, having fifty thousand people in an event is okay but I love seeing and connecting with my fans after my performance, this is the feeling I want to create with the Juliani session”, explained Juliani. In addition, the session will cost five thousand and it will be held in September ( date and venue to be communicated). Juliani promised that it will be the best experience ever for anyone who will attend the event as he plans on giving the performance of a lifetime.
While talking about his forthcoming project, “Total Man”, Juliani narrated that its an endeavor that is aimed at redefining masculinity in Kenyan Society. According to him, respect for others, survival skills, and family care are the key attributes of a “Total Man”. “Being a man in Kenya is not easy”, reflecting on the challenges men face in the country, Juliani noted and this project will be a game changer not only for men in the society but also for the entire society.