• Bobi Wine dismisses the “Big 3” label, saying Bebe Cool, Chameleone, and himself aren’t the ultimate music legends.
  • He credits pioneers Herman Basudde and Philly Lutaaya as more influential figures in shaping Ugandan music.
  • Bobi argues the Big 3 rivalry was a media invention, though it undeniably commercialised and transformed the industry.

Firebase boss Bobi Wine has poured water on the claims that the “Big 3” namely Bebe Cool, Bobi Wine and Dr Jose Chameleone are the godfathers of the Ugandan music industry. The self styled ghetto gladiator who a couple of years shifted his attention away from music to politics said that he doesn’t even know about the relevance of the “Big 3”.

Bobi Wine, Bebe Cool

He believes that there are greater figures in the industry that many people fail to recognize, like Herman Basudde and Philly Lutaaya. In his view, these artists are more influential than the Big 3, who themselves have drawn inspiration from them. Consequently, he argues that the concept of the Big 3 is merely a fabrication of the media to serve its agenda.

“To be honest, I don’t see the significance of the Big 3; it seems pointless. There are greater legends that many of you often ignore, such as Herman Basudde and Philly Bongole Lutaaya. For me, they are more important because we took our cues from them. They too had mentors from whom they learned. Thus, the Big 3 is simply an obsession created by the media,” remarked the Kyarenga artist.

There is certainly a truth to the fact that many legendary figures in the Ugandan music scene often lack recognition. Nonetheless, the Big 3 undeniably transformed the music industry into the urban environment it enjoys today.

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Their rivalries frequently stirred intense competition, motivating each other to excel, which in turn commercialized the industry and paved the way for the current generation of musicians.

Furthermore, it was these beefs surrounding the Big 3 that led Bobi Wine to adopt the nickname “His Excellency,” a title that has seemingly accompanied him into his political endeavors.