As far back as in 2008, the bulk of the music on the Liberian airwaves were foreign songs, and the few locally ones, were mostly about politics.

This saw international songs controlling airwaves and nightclubs for a long time, pretty much keeping the local songs and artists in the background.

Until a wind of change blew across the land in the name of Kzee, Born Kolando Baby Zulu, a musical greenhorn, who once lived in Ghana as a refugee. Right after he dropped his self-produced album Kakaleka Babies, which became an immediate success across the country— the first non-political hit song in post-war Liberia.

In it, Big-name tried everything – rapping and singing, over a new kind of Gbema beats, rendering the single a hit.

Though Kzee (Kolando Baby Zulu) is not the first Liberian artist to become active in Gbema music, he is responsible for the re-emergence and popularization of the genre in Liberia’s post-war music history.

“Instead of trying to mimic or Africanise western music, Kzee modernizes Gbema’s sound to make it modern-day acceptable with the introduction of soul-touching melody,” said Weego Zico, a veteran Liberian disc jockey, who works with HOTT FM.

DJ Weego Zico added: “Kakalaka was an immediate success because it incorporated a number of lyrical changes, particularly, Pidgin and dialect, as well as rhythm that makes the tunes extremely danceable. This was what people were looking for—a cheerful, midtempo, and bass-filled local music, free of politics. “

As the song’s popularity grew bigger and bigger every month, it became a staple on the airwaves, for more than six months; thereby making him the first non-political post-war Liberian musician to achieve such a status.

Not long after, the song also became a nightclub staple.

Two years later in 2010, after the success of Kakalaka, Kzee released another banger titled “Kountry Chicken”, which went on rocking the country for more than three months. Again in 2012, Kzee returned with another hit single “Chicken Saloma” featuring David Mell, and two years later, with another banger “Da Who Say” featuring JB of Soul Fresh.

These songs like Kakalaka became instant hits because of its potent lyrics, which are soulful to the ear and still relevant today.

“Kzee is the postwar Morris Dorley of Liberian music. Through Kakaleka, he redefined and increased the popularity of Gbema music in the post-war Liberia music setting. Not just that, he inspired a new generation of artists to avoid Africanizing western genres.