09/05/2024
TBT: THE DOHTY FAMILY PUZZLE
In 2003, some reggae DJs in
Nairobi left other established DJ units like Jambo Sounds to form their own.
DJ units in Kenya were getting traction. Scratchaholics had started their thing, then the Hit Squad, MOB DJs, and so on.
Reggae DJ Units was already a thing, with the success of some like King Lion Sounds, Jambo, and so on.
Among the reggae DJs who came together were Kriss Darlin, DJ Ken and the late legendary roots DJ, PattyRanks. They formed Dohty Family.
Their mission was, among others, to spread the reggae gigs from the RiverRoad based clubs to the Up Market ones. And they succeeded, many years later.
Dohty Familyβs main home, in the beginning, was The Florida Clubs. They played at F1 Madhouse on Koinange Street every Wednesday night and F2 on Moi Avenue every Sunday night.
More DJs and hype men like DJ Tsunami, DJ Steve Junior, DJ Moh, the late MC Daddy Konia and MC Jahwatchman, among others, later joined the unit, or were present from the start.
They were the force to reckon with in the reggae DJ industry. While Black Supremacy Sounds of DJ Simple Simon and the late DJ Lastborn (before parting ways) ruled downtown Nairobi, Dohty Family ruled the uptown clubs.
There was a time when Dohty Family had a reggae night every single day. On Monday (Tamasha, Hurlingam), Tuesday (Changez, Westlands), Wednesday (Madhouse, K Street), Thursday (K1, Ojijo Rd), Friday (Tamasha, Langβata), Saturday (Tamasha, Nairobi West) and Sunday (F2, Moi Avenue).
But as they grew bigger, leadership wrangles started. It was a battle of who owned or started Dohty Family.
It turned out that DJ Ken might have been the brains behind Dohty Family, but on pen and paper, Kriss Darlin had the final say. When this reality hit home, DJ Ken was the first one to walk out.
Other DJs felt like they were becoming bigger than Kriss. DJ Steve Roots walked out and went solo. DJ Moh, walked out with MC Jahwatchman too, and later joined forces with his