Ugandan female rapper Jocelyne Tracy Keko has revealed for the first time that she has never been admitted to Butabika. During an exclusive interview last Friday on KFM’s D’Mighty Breakfast show hosted by Ben Mwine and Jackie Deweyi, Keko denied allegations of having been admitted to Butabika Referral Mental Hospital. “I did go for rehabilitation and that was at Serenity Centre but not Butabika.”
Keko, who has been rumored by a section of Ugandans as a musician who is currently out of form due to her mental flux, cleared the air when she assured her fans that she is on form and that she is working on her new album titled Love from Venus, which is yet to be released.
Below are excerpts from the interview:
Qn: Hey Keko we understand you are a Jap but what about your accent? Was your English from ‘Old money’?
Keko: When I was growing up my mother used to make me listen to CNN and that is where I learnt English from. I actually come from a humble background.
Qn: What about rumours that you wanted to quit the music industry?
Keko: That is not true; when the road gets tough the tough get going.
Qn: Some people think you feel yourself, is it bad anyway?
Keko: People think I’m cocky, but one thing I’ve learnt to believe is that people think differently and you can’t change what people think about you. All you have to do is to be yourself.
Qn: Keko you are very tall…!
Keko: Not very tall. I’m just six feet. I don’t even feel tall because I hang out with Big Trill, Navio generally all rappers are tall.
Qn: What do you feel about short men?
Keko: Actually short guys are more confident than tall ones.
Qn: About the rehab story, what really transpired? Did you go to Butabika as people allege?
Keko: I have never gone to Butabika. I went to Serenity Centre because I wanted to stop getting drunk or getting high or whatever. However, that is sometime back. It’s now 11,12 months ever since I left the rehab centre.
Qn: Oh really?
Keko: Yes. Although people want to make a whole big thing out of it. They want to crucify you forgetting that there are so many junkies out there. When you talk about drugs, people think that it is cocaine, but I didn’t do cocaine. I was smoking weed, taking alcohol and smoking cigarettes which didn’t do well with me. I grew up from a Christian family and I had never taken drugs. I started taking drugs when I joined the music industry. I think because of influence but I have decided never to do it again.
Qn: How do you feel about being clean?
Keko: It is amazing, I’m very happy that I came up and fixed myself. Actually I formed up an NGO Sober Up-so High, which I have been running together with my manager ever since I left the rehab centre. The aim of that company is to help people especially high school students to fight drug abuse and we have been moving to a number of schools.
Qn: Are you single?
Keko: No.
Qn: Who is the lucky one? There was a rumour you were getting married?
Keko: That’s nonsense. I’m not getting married. I am not introducing anybody.
Qn: But there is someone?
Keko: Yes.
Qn: The rumours were saying that someone is a girl
Keko: Uhm, no comment. I plead the fifth.
Qn: Any person you would love to do a collabo with?
Keko: Yeah. I think I would love to have a collabo with Angelique Kidjo. But she is too high though I’m not giving up yet.
Qn: What are you up to? What should your fans expect?
Keko: I’m working on an album Love from Venus. It has 12 songs on it and its going to be out soon.
Qn: How do you have your fun these days?
Keko: I still hang out with friends, laugh, shout and dance like I used to, although these days I don’t drink. I only take soda.