Hardstone, born Mbaruku Harrison Ngunjiri Maina, is a legendary Kenyan artist hailed as the pioneer of urban hip-hop and ragga. He achieved massive success in 1997 with his breakout hit "Uhiki," produced by Tedd Josiah, which famously fused Kikuyu lyrics with a ragga flow over a sample of Marvin Gaye’s "Sexual Healing." His debut album, Nuting but de Stone, earned him international attention and a Kisima Music Award, setting the stage for the modern Kenyan music scene. After relocating to the United States in the late 1990s, Hardstone continued to release projects like Stone Republic and achieved a significant milestone in 2015 by signing with Atlantic Records, solidifying his legacy as a "Godfather" of the genre who successfully bridged the gap between East African sounds and global urban music.