SKEY LUCKY “THE LIONESS”

Skey Lucky “The Lioness” is a masc(uline) female representing Afro-pop, Afro-Dancehall and
Afro-RnB musical artist born 12th June 1997 and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, and preferred pronoun is
she/her. She’s the last born and only girl in a family of three, got two elder brothers and parents are
late. She’s out and proud as a homosexual (lesbian). Apart from her being a recording and
performing music artist and doing it as her main career, she also does music business in general,
she’s an artist consultant, brand manager, business idealist which I applied from my business
management studies, music and brand promoter, fashionista, dressing consultant and a part-time
footballer let’s say am all-around, versatile. She’s a smart self-motivated person, determined, focused, and can work without supervision and she’s a lover. She has a started music label called “Lucky
Gung Worldwide” her as the main artist and with time it will be a big thing.

When did you acknowledge you are an artist?

Been a footballer for the longest time in my life from childhood but I happened to love dancing
while growing which propelled to me love music which I was being told am not good at while
growing up. But I was told my late mother loved singing too so yeah and when I joined the high school I
was doing remixes of songs and I performed in internal school events. Afterward got done with
school and started hitting the studio immediately.

As an artist do feel a responsibility to talk about the LGBTQI+ issues in the society you live in?

Yeah as an artist is one of the best ways one can actually communicate about LGBTQI+ issues
through music as part of the entertainment, sending messages, helping the society and community in
understanding, so yes I do.

What is your mission in your music career?

My mission in my music career is to be successful In it, bring a change of society thoughts in regards
to the music industry especially, spread love, create awareness and inspire. There is much I want to do in
the industry but we can save that for the future as we see how it goes.

Congratulations on your new song. Tell me about this new work?

How did you put it together?

Thanks, for “Dat Ting” my new release, it’s one of my best music projects, I felt myself in it
I was me in everything I can say it’s one of the best things in my life currently. It was a project I
worked on from early 2021, there were some challenges I was actually giving up on it because the
producer was really getting on my nerves with excuses and delays but as they say, a project that
gives you a headache turns out to be the best. It’s actually the first project that the beat was made there,
writing of the song and recording the whole of the song in hours (everything same day) and it was
now the producer to finish. On the video, I actually did not know I will shoot in the month of
December but the year it happened so quick, doors opened and boom it was ready for release. It’s the
project that I did with not much planning from the audio to video, but all I can say is that even before
I went to the studio to record, the idea was already there for some time just not written and most of
the songs I write are out of ideas that come or life experiences and not necessarily about my life. I
love themes in this project and more that are yet to come because I am me. It was time for me to be
myself hence the difference from my past projects.

How does is the music business treating you so far, any hardships?

Hardship will always be there not only in music but any career out there so yes it’s never easy,
struggles will always be there, sexual harassment, discrimination, scum, etc but I can as well say it
all depends on oneself. I did not struggle too much because I knew what I wanted, never entertained
nonsense, it’s either we can work or not straight to the point, I was ready and patient to do anything
to do my music (I hawked and recorded my 1st and 2nd songs) I went hard even before I could be
free to express and be myself. I think where I can say there was hardship and somewhat still is just
that I can’t compare with the past is finance because it’s not easy being an independent artist as a
female whether masculine or feminine. But determination, humility, patience, and knowledge of
knowing what you are doing are important. Also gathering knowledge about the music industry and
understanding is very important while 90% of artists assume. So when I was finding myself is when
I was learning the industry as an individual artist and a manager.

NOTE: As a masculine-presenting person, there is difficulty in getting employment opportunities so
this alarmed me because I always wanted to be myself and I love being independent so I was always
business-minded, trust me the longest I was employed was 6 months but I could not keep up
because I was not allowed to be myself as in lack of self-expression, I can’t dress the way I feel, too
much pressure that managing to do my music career was hard so I dropped it. I am open-minded
with things, I do a lot of things but in the same field, both my music and life are versatile because I
got to survive and go hard to achieve my dreams. I am a go-getter.

Any advice or challenges you would like to address in the music business?

I will start by saying knowledge is power, so the knowledge of the music industry as a business is
very important. Most music artists will go to the studio record music, do videos and not know
where to put them which I count that as lack of knowledge out of assumption, doing it because you
see others doing it which one ends up listening to their own music. No one should invest in music
both audio and video with something like $600 example and you don’t know how you will get the
money back, yoh it’s an investment where one needs to do and know the outlets, platforms where
one can put to make the money back with interest because music is an asset it will pay you and
even your next of kins if taken seriously as a business but you can only know that if you know your
the goal towards it and if you take it as a career as well in which that’s my take. Another thing artist
should not sign contracts out of desperation for a contract can put you in a life situation that one
come out from, it can finish your career, even life out of stress, depression, mental health issues, etc
so we just need to be careful.

You are an artist manager, how was/is that conflict or marry with your singing career?

Yes, as a manager I felt like I achieved a lot because when an artist you are managing keeps making moves out of the efforts put by me of course it’s a win. A lot was achieved in less than 9 months which I
never thought would be possible and even to Afrima Music Award level and I was just turning 24
while working with Shivanah and to date, I am happy regardless. This made me know my capability and gave me the knowledge to know where I can make an artist or myself reach in the music industry. I was managing another artist too but the most focus was on her because there was more chemistry. Although, things did not go well and we had to stop working all I can say is that it was a learning process for experience is the best teacher and best wishes to her on her music career.

You are very stylish is that part of selling your brand or is it an innate personality?

About my dressing being stylish, I loved looking good from childhood and I was picky with
clothes so we can say it is an intimate personality but I love fashion, it’s in the heart, it’s my language,
if am both thinking music then it should be fashion or business in general in all I do business is in it
must be. Not a lot of people know but owning a cloth brand is one of my dreams it’s my other take
outside music and it’s a must later in my career. As for my brand and sense of fashion, it’s
advisable for the artist to look good as in always representing themselves well because that’s an
image, it’s a brand so it needs to be well presented all the time. Sometimes one may not have much
confidence but the dressing helps, there is always respect, and a well-groomed brand gets a lot of
opportunities, deals it may not be soon but in the near future because that’s a portfolio too. Artists
need identity, something that someone will always remember them with or mark you with as in
your own image that is not comparable, so it’s not just for my brand but it’s an identity it attracts
some people know me and follow me because of dressing.