After racking up over 6 million streams and sparking 200,000 TikTok creations worldwide in just one month, Kenyan music sensation Bien has brought Nigerian rap heavyweight Phyno aboard for the remix of his viral anthem “All My Enemies Are Suffering.” This powerhouse brings two celebrated artists connecting over shared African heritage while creating music that’s taking over playlists from Nairobi to Lagos.
The track builds on the traditional Isikuti rhythms of Kenya’s Luhya people from Kakamega, a sound that’s been captivating listeners across Africa and beyond. Bien, who recently became the first East African artist to visit New York’s legendary Breakfast Club radio show, has taken his Western Kenyan roots and crafted them into something that feels both deeply ancestral and completely modern.
“When Phyno first heard this track, he got it immediately,” Bien explains. “The Isikuti drummers we recorded are from my home village of Kakamega. There’s something about these rhythms that connects us all across the continent. Phyno felt that connection right away.”
The remix pairs Bien’s soaring melodies with Phyno’s razor-sharp bars about surviving envy and pushing through obstacles. Phyno delivers verses that hit just as hard in Igbo as they do in English, proving why fellow rappers call him “the greatest Nigerian rapper of all time.”
“All My Enemies Are Suffering” pulls from the deep well of Isikuti tradition—a Bantu rhythm that connects communities across Africa. The recording features authentic village drummers playing the full ceremonial setup: the guiding bell, the steady middle drum, the intricate mixer drum, and the commanding mother drum that anchors everything together.
This marks the first time Luhya Isikuti has crossed over on this scale, introducing global audiences to a sound that’s been moving people for generations. The call-and-response vocals echo the spiritual traditions of African independent churches, but Bien’s songwriting transforms them into something that speaks to anyone who’s ever had to rise above their circumstances.
Bien arrives at this collaboration riding high. The Grammy-certified songwriter (for his work on Burna Boy’s “Twice as Tall”) has successfully transitioned from Sauti Sol frontman to solo star, recently earning the sole Kenyan nomination at the 2025 Trace Awards. On the other side, Phyno brings his own heavyweight credentials. Fresh off releasing his fifth studio album “Full Time Job,” the Enugu native has spent years proving that African hip-hop doesn’t need to copy anyone else’s blueprint. His indigenous approach to rap, delivered primarily in Igbo, has built him an empire that spans music, business, and cultural influence.
