By Alex Roberts
Let’s face it- there just wasn’t enough love spread around in the previous piece about Nairobi rappers who need more love. Hence- we’re rocking another piece about four more of the dopest rappers coming out of the +254 right now, and why you’re criminally insane if you don’t give them a listen.
Four) Wakadinali
Anyone who knows about Nairobi music knows that the real sound comes out of the East side of town, not the more bourgeois West side. There is no Nairobi rapper that epitomizes this sound more than Wakadinali. To put it as simple as possible: he’s no bullshit, no frills, all heavy beats and hard hitting lyrics.
Three) Xprso
In Nairobi right now, Xprso is at the forefront of the best hip-hop collectives out there. It is just that simple. Right now, they’re pushing the boundaries of what’s being done with Kenyan hip-hop, and always seem to be leading the pack into experimentation; to the point where their music could almost be defined as fusion. They’re audience is growing, and they’re just too ill not to give a thorough listen to.
Two) Miss Cashy
There are some rappers that manage to simply define the sound of a city: Miss Cashy has that part of the game locked down for Nairobi. Hers is definitive of truly Nairobi hip-hop; right down to the crackling lyrics in Scheng. She’s definitely known for her fast flow, but is worth a slowed down listen, as her tracks feature deeply personal and introspective stories that need a deep dive to fully wrap your head around.
One) Xtatic
The story of Xtatic is, in all honesty, a bit of a mystery as to why she didn’t get bigger than she did. All the makings of a truly popular MC can be found with Xtatic’s hard hitting tracks. She’s got more than enough flow to satisfy the most hard core of hip hop heads and treats her lyrical timing with decadent glee. On top of this she’s been in the game for literally years but ran up against issues with the international music powerhouses. Hers is the case of better late hearing her tracks than never.
