Kenyan-American artist, songwriter and music creative Lovince Mckenzie is expanding his musical reach with “Locked In,” a new single featuring Ugandan artist Joshua Baraka and Nigerian vocalist Ayo Maff.
The collaboration brings together artists connected to three major African music hubs: Nairobi, Kampala and Lagos. It arrives ahead of Mckenzie’s forthcoming EP, Dance and Soul, and reflects his ambition to create music that connects audiences across borders.
Mckenzie’s sound draws from his East African identity while exploring Afrobeat, Afro-house, electronic music and global dance influences. His work seeks to bring cultural identity, emotional storytelling and dancefloor energy together in a distinctive artistic style.
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For the artist, the collaboration represents more than a meeting of musicians. It reflects his belief that African music can cross national boundaries while remaining connected to the cultures and experiences that shape it.
Born and raised in Kenya before relocating to the United States, Mckenzie has spent several years developing his music catalogue while exploring creative connections between music, fashion and film.
His earlier releases include “Feel Your Vibe” and “Down,” followed by singles such as “Lover,” “I Know You Know,” “Home,” “Vigelegele” and “My Heart.”
His 2026 release, “On My Way,” marked a move towards Afro-house and electronic dance production, further expanding the range of sounds in his catalogue.
Mckenzie’s international collaboration with Ayo Maff on “Light Up” in 2024 also helped establish his interest in connecting East and West African artists through music.
“African music does not have to be confined by borders,” Mckenzie says.
The artists’ previous releases have attracted audiences across digital platforms, according to the figures provided for this story.
“Light Up,” by Lovince Mckenzie and Ayo Maff, recorded millions of Spotify plays and tens of millions of user-generated video views on TikTok.
Mckenzie’s “On My Way” reportedly surpassed 530,000 YouTube views within two months of its release.
Joshua Baraka’s “Nana” accumulated more than 5.4 million views on its official YouTube video and earned three nominations at the 2023 African Muzik Magazine Awards, according to the supplied information.
These figures illustrate the digital reach associated with the artists’ previous work, although streaming and view counts can change over time.
Joshua Baraka’s involvement in “Locked In” strengthens the single’s East African dimension while bringing his Ugandan audience into a collaboration that also features Nigerian vocalist Ayo Maff.
The project forms part of Mckenzie’s wider effort to build a musical identity that connects Kenyan roots with international influences.
The forthcoming Dance and Soul EP is framed around themes of distance, connection, longing, resilience, cultural identity and freedom.
At the centre of Mckenzie’s creative direction is the idea that an artist can explore international sounds and reach audiences around the world without losing the identity and experiences that shaped their journey.
With “Locked In,” Mckenzie continues to pursue that vision through collaboration, bringing together artists from different African music markets in a single release.
