Gospel artiste Papa Dennis has disclosed that he was a victim of a gang attack where he received a thorough beating after a collaboration with Jimmy Gait put him in the limelight.
In an interview with the Star, the Makekes hitmaker narrated that after the song got traction, his popularity grew and since he was living in Eastlands at the time, a gang of 20 men attacked him demanding money.
"The first time I appeared in the papers after recording the Makekes audio with Jimmy Gait, I was attacked with a gang of 20 in Eastlands. They demanded cash from me. I was beaten and left for dead.
"I was supposed to go shoot the Makekes video in South Africa the following week and it's at this point that I felt like giving up. I went into prayer and God fought for me," he was quoted by the publication.
[caption caption="Gospel Artiste Papa Dennis June 27, 2018. (Instagram)"]
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The award-winning artiste explained that his journey in gospel music was not easy noting that the collaboration was what raised his profile in the Kenyan gospel music scene.
"When I was starting music, all was not rosy. I used to stay in Umoja and worked at a local candle factory, where I earned Sh4,000. The amount was very little and could not sustain me. I could walk from Umoja to town or even Rongai just to record a song," he told the Star.
Papa Dennis has collaborated with African artistes including Nigerian Korede Bello for the song Wonder and Tornado with Tanzanian artiste Ray C.
The songs have sparked rumours that he is switching to secular music, claims he dismissed stating; "I'm still a gospel singer. Ignore the rumours that I've switched to secular. A love song is neither secular nor gospel, it's just about love."
He adds that he has performed in schools where he encourages the students to pursue their education.
"Apart from spreading the gospel, I also encourage them to study hard because their parents and guardians are working hard to pay their school fees, unlike me who never had the privilege.
"After my mother died, life became unbearable and I just reached standard eight. And for those who are talented, focus on books first, music will come later, after you've completed your studies," he was quoted by the Star.
[caption caption="Gospel Artiste Papa Dennis July 9, 2018. (Instagram)"]
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