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‘Mathematics’ review: Inside Mad Disciples’ Gengetone fusion of Sheng and parody rap
31st May, 2026 05:15 PM
Mad Disciples’ song “Mathematics” is one of those rare underground projects that doesn’t rely on polished perfection, but instead thrives on humour, chaos, youthful energy and raw creativity.
Shot inside a school setting, the project blends comedy, performance and exaggerated classroom nostalgia into a sound and visual style that has quickly found a strong audience on TikTok.
At its core, “Mathematics” plays like a humorous take on academic struggles, where the group uses exaggerated Sheng, broken English and playful pronunciation to create a unique identity.
The chorus: “Mathematics teach me mathematics. Nitamaliza kitabu nikitafuta sababu” immediately sets the tone of confusion, frustration and comedic exaggeration that runs throughout the track.
The verses push this even further, turning classroom experiences into exaggerated storytelling.
Lines like “Mathematics nilipata 0, juu ya kina Shiro walileta mchezo” and “Combination ya mathematics ni matrix” lean into playful exaggeration rather than technical meaning, giving the song a light-hearted, almost parody-like feel of school life.
As the track progresses, it shifts from academic humour into street-style storytelling, mixing slang-heavy punchlines and abstract expressions such as “Hesabu ni hupiga ni hesabu za mabaddies” and “Si uganga ni bidi itabaki wametii”.
The result is not a conventional song structure, but a free-flowing expression of youthful randomness and coded humour that resonates with online audiences.
‘Mathematics’ music video
A bell ringer dressed in a short skirt opens the video, setting a dramatic school-break atmosphere before students rush back into class.
One of the most talked-about moments is when a student walks to the front of the classroom, picks a seated girl, and begins dancing with her as she twerks.
The video also features students in uniforms, casual outfits and even durags, highlighting its blend of school identity and street culture.
The production leans heavily into energy rather than polish. From classroom dancing scenes to outdoor shots featuring boda bodas and white-themed outfits, the video feels intentionally chaotic, almost like a staged school fantasy where discipline breaks down into performance.
Virality
While the YouTube numbers remain modest, with just over 800 views days after release, the real impact of “Mathematics” is happening on TikTok.
Short clips from the song have gone viral, with one video surpassing 372,000 views and tens of thousands of likes.
The comment sections are filled with viewers reacting to the group’s pronunciation style, particularly their humorous swapping of letters, such as saying “bello linger” instead of “bell ringer.”
This speech pattern has become part of the song’s identity, turning what could have been a simple school-themed track into a meme-driven digital trend.
Metaphorical track
Speaking exclusively to this writer, one of the track’s hitmakers, John, explained that Mathematics is a metaphorical track that explores the idea of life situations that people try to calculate or make sense of, but which are ultimately not achievable or predictable.
He noted that the song uses this concept to reflect confusion, ambition, and the randomness of everyday experiences, especially among young people navigating modern life.
“Mathematics is actually talking about things that we try to calculate but they are not achievable,” he said.
He added that Mad Disciples is a three-member group consisting of himself (Kapuru), Chokodidoo, and Litmus, whose real names are John Mburu, Ian Mwangi, and James Mungai, respectively. He added that the trio came together as close friends with a shared creative vision, despite not being age mates.
“There are three of us: I, Chokodidoo, and the third guy is Litmus. Our real names are John Mburu, Ian Mwangi, and the other guy is James Mungai. Yes, Mad Disciples is a crew of three youths, and we are the ones who formed the group,” he said.
He also clarified that the group officially formed in January this year, marking the beginning of their journey as a collective in music and content creation. He said their friendship played a key role in shaping their identity and sound as Mad Disciples.
“We formed Mad Disciples in January this year. The music video for Mathematics was shot in a high school in Murang’a. We are just friends, but not age mates. Yes, we have many other songs but we have not released them yet,” he added.
Author
Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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