I used to make 200 per day - DNG on his struggle as a gospel musician

Before he was a hypeman and a presenter at Switch TV , DNG started out as a musician. He tried hustling in the secular scene but his music wasn’t much of a hit until he got saved and crossed over to the Gospel side.

“On July 31st 2003, I gave my life to the Lord and He began the transformation in my life,” DNG told SDE in an earlier interview.

Kora Award

The transformation was incredible as he bagged the KORA Award for the Best Male Gospel Artist Africa in 2004.

DNG during his Kora Award Days (Courtesy) Pulse Live Kenya

But things weren’t a rosy affair as his finances didn’t transform much afterwards. The former Gospel artiste dislosed that he would make Sh160 from his music something that greatly disillusioned him as he was famous but broke.

“The craziest thing I had to do (for money) was when I was a gospel artiste. As a musician one had to release something called a pre-album release tape. It was a cassette that you recorded at Sakata.

The tape had two songs and poetry, you added the poetry to populate the tape. I hawked the tapes at Riveroad and I would spend 40 bob making them and sell them at 80 shillings to wholesalers. Sometimes the sellers would sell 5 tapes and so I would make a profit of 200 shillings and I would spend 40 shillings from the profit on transport,” he revealed on Switch TV.

DNG (Instagram) Pulse Live Kenya

And it was this sad state of affairs that made him quit music altogether and pursue other things.

“The hustle was too hard and I decided wacha ikae. 40 bob? That thing used to mess with your head as you were so popular, you had awards and you have nothing in your pocket. You know how disappointing that is bana?” he said.

Larry Madowo’s first hustle

DNG is not the only celebrity who started out humbly, BBC’s Larry Madowo sold mandazi and tea at Gikomba market to make ends meet. He did this as he experienced a lot of hardship as a child after losing both of his parents by the time he was 14.

“When you grow up with almost no privilege at all, you learn to appreciate the small things….My first job straight out of high school was selling tea and mandazi at Gikomba,” He disclosed during a CNN shoot at the busy market.