Ugandan singer Eddy Kenzo has rejected being grouped among Uganda’s Big Three artists, saying the label undermines his achievements and fails to recognise the distinct path he has taken in the music industry.
For years, Bebe Cool, Jose Chameleone and Bobi Wine have commonly been referred to as Uganda’s Big Three, a label associated with their influence on the country’s music scene. However, Kenzo says he does not believe the same ranking should be used to categorise his career.
Speaking during an interview, the Big Talent Entertainment boss argued that his accomplishments should be assessed on their own merits rather than measured against those of other musicians.
“It is disrespectful and undermining for someone to put me under the so-called big three,” Kenzo said. “I keep hearing people saying those things but I feel that is putting me down.”
He questioned the criteria used to rank artists, adding that the work he has done throughout his career is unique and should not be reduced to a comparison with other performers.
“I do not know what they base on to grade the things I have done,” he said.
Kenzo also explained that he does not believe in the idea of placing musicians into a fixed hierarchy because every artist brings something different to the industry.
According to the singer, other musicians can maintain their status as the Big Three without including him in the group. His objection, he stressed, is to being placed in that category rather than to the recognition given to Bebe Cool, Chameleone and Bobi Wine.
“People are big in their own way and I do not mind. They can be the big three and it is okay. But to put me in that line is demeaning,” he said.
Kenzo added that he has never viewed his career as a competition with fellow musicians, explaining that his goal has been to establish an identity and build a path of his own.
“The miles I have walked are numberless. All this time, I have never competed with anyone. I came here to start a foundation of my own,” he said.
He further argued that musical talent cannot be measured through a single ranking, noting that even an emerging artist can possess abilities that distinguish them from more established performers.
“Everyone is unique in their own way just like me. No one can ever be me and I can never be Chameleone or Ssemakula or anybody else,” Kenzo said.
His comments add another perspective to a longstanding conversation about who belongs among Uganda’s most influential musicians. Rather than campaigning for a place in the established group, Kenzo is arguing that his career should be considered separately.
The debate over Uganda’s Big Three continues to reflect differing views about musical influence, longevity and achievement. Kenzo’s position is that no single label can fully capture what an artist has contributed to the industry.
For Kenzo, the message is clear: he wants his work judged on its own terms, not through a ranking that places him alongside other artists.