The dawn of 2025 means we’re somewhere around the midpoint of this decade. Freaking mental, we know! And since we’re halfway, we thought it fitting to do a list that serves as a multi-year dissection of the 20’s so far. To set the narrative straight, this isn’t a list of our fav tracks during this period. Neither is it a countdown based on perceived quality. But rather, it’s a layout of tunes we believe had a considerable effect on their respective scenes, as per the scope of our coverage. Typical of our approach, we won’t limit ourselves to the scene in our country code, but we’ll roam for a bit, all the while keeping it EA. Let’s head in!
1. “Mpumuza” by Akeine, Cxnrvd & Chxf Barry (2020)
It’s one of those unpretentiously feel-good numbers, yet it does pack a melodic quirkiness (thanks to Chxf Barry’s production chops) that elevates it from a mere unidimensional dancy feat. It’s also worth noting that it wouldn’t be the same bop without Cxnrvd’s prowess. In fact, the team back here believe that’s the hardest he’s ever gone on a tune, own or featured, but that’s another day’s discussion. There’s a celebratory feel about this particular collab, almost as though it was an inflection point for the broader collective, Bantu Vibes, which itself was angling to pronounce itself more prominently onto the scene at the time. The track, a crowd fav compact with oomph & no filler second, was emblematic of the outfit’s ambition that would later manifest itself beyond recording artistry; into other disciplines too. Yet even without attaching any profundity to it, it’s quite the bop, and that’s nifty on its own!
2. “Purpose” by Mvfasta (2022)
We’re pretty sure Mvfasta himself would be caught off-guard by this pick. And yet, though not among the highest stream-counts of his catalog, it was quite the artistic statement. By that point, the rapper had been rolling with underground outfit Green Ferry Music for a while & they’d been staking their mark on the fringes of the 250 scene. “Ubwonko”, the album on which the track is housed, is a commendably well curated project with some pretty cool numbers on there. Still, “Purpose” stood out to a devoted section of the fanbase, due to its boldness & disregard for algorithmic formula bullcrap. It is what it is without apology, and it’s that kind of ballsiness that quietly inspires more artists to dip their feet into more adventurous waters.
3. “Ndongo” by Ambroy (2022)
As a practical complement, this is the entry we’ll say the least about. Thing is, Ambroy himself is a full scene. He’s doing something distinct, replicable into a whole subgenre, with rather expansive cultural potency. One hopes he’s self-aware about it all. And this particular piece has so far been the apex of his trajectory. It’s caught some important eyes lately in retrospect. But like we’ve said, without giving away much, we encourage you to head to this site’s search bar & type the brother’s name to help yourself down the rabbit hole. While at it, immerse y’all’s selves in his catalogue on all platforms and contextualize this bop into the background of all that magic, it’ll slowly sink in.
4. “Personal” by Nviiri The Storyteller & Kivumbi King (2024)
This particular joint’s the most recent on the list. It’s noteworthy mostly due to Nviiri’s personal arc up to that point, coupled with the cultural synergy that’s realized with Kivumbi King’s presence on here. The team back here is persuaded of its sitting potential, perhaps not by metrics of relative popularity, but more of influential cult status type stuff. Eyes peeled!
5. “dawa” by Wanja Wohoro & Junior Nyong’o (2023)
Wanja’s a leading figure in Kenya’s surprisingly potent Afro indie scene. “dawa” is a 2-minute example of her and her beau Junior laying down everything she’s sonically done right to get her here; raw pipes, ringy stripped guitars, & a conscious eschewing of overproduced layers of sound, preferring the strength of melody & the delicateness of words to the prevalent forced suaveness of poppy production. Her artistic bets, like the one evident in this number, have spawned some clones, and we’ll take that; it’s a cool thing, a sign of influence!
6. “Thinking” by XPRSO ft Palm Trees (2020)
Activist-esque songs tend to be cringey, and it’s quite predictable why. But XPRSO doesn’t do cringe, so it was quite a treat when they had a go at framing a boppy anti-corruption piece five years back, that feels apt for the current political climate in the 254. Featuring Palm Trees, it was the third track on their seminal EP “Nairobass”. The track lent a conscious facet to the collective’s adventurous catalog. And it’s a template that proves that politically packed music doesn’t have to be artistically complacent or presume on the message to carry its weight at the expense of sonic intricacy.
7. “Leeba” by Cxnrvd ft Ledra (2021)
“Smoooooooo-oooth…” How many Conradisms can you pack in a Conrad joint? Yes, the answer is yes. Dude was on a roll. It’s freaking mental how the elements gel so, well, smoothly. There’s contrasts galore, melting into the moment. From a cultural vantage point, you have the lingual mashup alongside a percussive carpet that bears regional undertones, yet couched in modern production. Moodwise, you have some conventional sing-talking typical of the artist juxtaposed with the playful feel elsewhere on the track, felt in the frisky whispers, high-pitched intrusions, and whistles. The three years that’d follow would see a number of acts within the subgenre experimenting with regional-modern fusions, and it’s been largely to delightful effect.
8. “Too Strong” by Mars Maasai & Chevy Kev (2021)
The track, like many before it & after, highlights the individual brilliance of XPRSO as a collective. Chevy rolled with the bunch for a time. And his sonic compatibility with Mars on here is quite a delight. We included the piece simply because it’s some of the strongest of the earliest post-Spotify material that Chevy features on, and also because it’s part of a larger conversation we’d love to broach in an upcoming feature. For now, help yourselves to the tracks on the list, our new year’s treat to y’all!
