Long before the world of socialites, and Instagram models, lay the hot commodities that were video vixens.
You can trace the genesis of the video vixen to American Hip-Hop and R&B of the early 90s. Prior to the 1990s, beautiful women in rap videos tended to be window dressing, treated as ornaments to the rap star flexing at the center of attention.
With Hip-Hop going mainstream worldwide, later on, the brown-skinned beauty became a fixture in music videos.
In the noughties, young women became part of Kenyan music videos, with the aim of appealing to the general populace and capturing their attention hence more ratings.
Beginning in the 2010s vixens were at the height of many young people’s imagination. This is when socialites like the voluptuous Vera Sidika in P-Unit’s smash hit ‘You Guy’, Huddah Monroe in Jaguar’s featuring AY ‘Nimetoka Mbali, Brenda Otieno in Bahati’s hit ‘Adhiambo’, to Becky vixen who has featured in almost all Gengetone hits.
Here were beautiful young women taking the spotlight, radiating beauty and confidence, and even outshining the artistes themselves. Video vixens were not in the pages of magazines, these were women who embraced their body and curves with an irresistible attitude. They transformed the music videos’ aesthetics, as the productions became more detail-oriented and music videos were more like mini-movies.
There have been challenges though. First, there was the sexualisation and labeling. Then there has been the issue of their exploitation both sexually, and monetary-wise. Others also see vixens as living fake lifestyles, bankrolled by shadowy figures. And finally, there is the question of their survival in the era of social media, where people can stream their music without paying for it, and the most popular are now digital influencers aka content creators.
In this article, a few video vixens get candid about their life.
Commercial Model and Video Vixen Caroline Ng'ondu alias Carol Becky. Photo | Pool
Ngo’ndu who prefers the cognomen ‘Becky Carol’ has appeared in music videos such as No stress by Masauti ft Trio Mio, Pokea Sifa by Kidum, Me Like It by KRG, Noma by King Kaka ft Rich Mavoko, and Form Today by Femi One ft Kagwe Mungai. She is currently studying Tourism and International Relations at Zetech University.
“In 2016, while I was in high school I enjoyed watching international music videos and particularly the vixens. I admired their bodies, their look, flare, and sense of fashion and style. I didn’t think the Kenyan videos matched up, but I did enjoy a bit of the Tanzanian videos because they didn’t compromise on their vixen’s quality.
One day I was at my aunt’s store when I started dancing to a song, and she told me, ‘You could be like her (pointing at the vixen on the video). I think you are confident and have a nice body.’
One day, a follower in my DM, suggested that I consider being a vixen. He knew of an up-and-coming artiste who was looking for a video vixen for a Justin Bieber cover song he was doing. He introduced me to him and we did the video. That marked my genesis to the world.
The video got me many referrals and I found myself working with rappers Ssaru, then Masauti, Mejja, Femmie One, and the list grew. The more I worked with big artistes the more I gained followers and even started getting interviews.
Averagely, an experienced and well-networked vixen can get Sh100,000, a semi-experienced Sh20,000 and a novice start at Sh2,500 to Sh10,000.
However, it hasn’t been all smooth. I am tough-headed and this has cost me a couple of gigs. Being in an industry that is male-dominated, sometimes I have to decline sexual advances from directors and artistes.
It’s a common phenomenon. Some will threaten not to pay you when you turn down their sexual advances. Others will cancel you on a project just because you turned them down.
What irks me is that some vixens fall into these traps. They get lured into having sex with an artiste or a director and once that happens, paying them becomes a problem because they now have a ‘thing’ and that implies they work for ‘free’. Many opt to be used this way hoping to become famous.
I have learnt to say no to these sexual advances. I also never accept to twerk on videos. Thirdly I have to be informed of who the other vixens are before I get on the shoot. As I said some of us like to keep it professional while others don’t.”
‘In Kenya, all we are told is to dress skimpily and shake our butts on camera’
Commercial Model and Video Vixen Sheryl Laura Wanyama. Photo | Pool
Call her Mayah if you may. Mayah makes her money through hosting events in Nairobi, doing commercial modeling, and video vixening whenever an opportunity arises.
“A video director, King Kenon who now happens to be a good friend, is the guy who introduced me to the industry. We met on Instagram. At the time, I would post my photoshoots on IG, my feed was very active and I guess I gave the impression that I was a model when actually I was just having fun. Kenon then slid into my DM and asked if I would be interested in featuring in an artiste’s song as a vixen. We met and did a shoot for an up-and-coming artiste. That was back in 2018 and it marked the beginning of my vixen journey.
I used to love dancing and twerking back then haha! Dancehall music was huge and twerking had become a thing because the video vixens did it. I was young and loved it. From one song to the other, I ended up appearing on a number of notable songs such as Prakata by Willly Paul, and Panda by Redsan where you will see me vigorously shaking my ‘assets’. Just to be clear I no longer twerk on camera, I overgrew it.
When I joined the industry, I was still in campus and didn’t know how the industry worked. I got Sh3,000 paid for my first shoot and I was so excited as a student.
As time went by, I got Sh2,000 to Sh5,000. The figures then rose up from there. I received so much support from my parents especially my mother (I had already lost my dad). She used to tell me, “if you continue like this you're going to be the next Vera Sidika’. Vera, then was the best sought after video vixen.
I learnt of exploitation like sexual advances and nonpayment from other vixens who came before me. This information helped me a lot, because I now knew how to go protect myself. No artiste has ever hit on me, save for the crew members or the stylist. Being hit on is normal, and in my case, it’s never been a bother.
My qualm with the profession is on its perception.
Here, it’s all about showing your glutes, thighs, and boobs. That’s why vixens tend to be reason either slim-thick, or thick. Of course, it’s not like vixens elsewhere don’t shake ass, but they do so on certain terms and projects. I feel Kenyan directors need to up their game and also let’s have stylists who are well-versed in vixening.
‘When I went back to vixening, my boyfriend dumped me’
Her Instagram boasts 36,000 plus followers. Soffie describes herself as a commercial model, actress, and brand influencer. She has appeared in a number of music videos as a vixen such as Mambo ya Mhesh by Bahatio, Wavy by Khaligraph Jones, Show Kitu by King Kaka, Odi Love by Willy Paul among others.
“I got into vixening in 2019 after finishing form four. There was this neighbour whom I was fond of and who knew of my interests in modelling. One day he told me, “Soffie there is this friend of mine, a video director who has asked me to find him a lady to feature on a musical shoot he is doing.” That’s how I ended up connecting with director Tery Joelz.
My first project was Show Kitu and I connected so well with Joelz that he kept plugging me on other shoots.
In 2020 I got signed to a model agency Chava Agency, and I got a manager. He drafted my portfolio and upgraded my rate card, so any gigs since have always been through my manager. He gets the deals, and we split the pay in percentages. Working with an agency has been my lucky strike because I have never been exploited. There is some level of professionalism that it brings.
Of course, I have heard stories of vixens coerced to have sex to get shoots. Sometimes, vixens are lured with free alcohol and have to do shoots for free. I’m glad this has not happened to me. The worst that ever occurred, is not getting paid for a shoot by an artiste.
Last year, I stopped vixening for a period to protect my relationship. I was dating a certain Tanzanian artiste whom I feel was very insecure. I think he was worried about the money I was making and the connections. He asked me to stop doing it, promising to provide for me, which he never did. It was actually my mother who urged me to go back into vixening. I remember her saying to me, “Soffie brand yako inashuka, you need to do something about it.”
That’s when I decided I will get back and that was the end of my relationship with the Tanzanian. The things we did for love lol!
Some music shoots may also involve a lot of extremes such as wearing skimpy clothes and excessive touching which even though its acting, it’s sometimes irritating.
I am planning to quit vixening in the next two years.
My plan is to set up my modelling agency, and sign up models to offer vixening services.”
