It was dubbed to be the biggest hip hop event in Kenya and I must say, the 1-1-Six clique did not disappoint. Fans came in the thousands to enjoy performances from the Christian hip hop stars and made #UnashamedKenya trend on twitter.
There were concerns whether the venue would be able to host the fans, but security was tight, and the organization was flawless.
The Mavuno Dome – off Mombasa road – began packing up as early as 7pm, as eager fans warmed up for the night, enjoying music from Bupe, Astar and the crowds’ favourite Eko Dydda who curtain raised for 1-1-Six.
DJ Pdogg hyped up the crowd for the first emcee KB, who opened the performances with the famous 1-1-Six anthem.
Chants of “One One Six! Am Unashamed!” filled the dome as the fans sang along. The emcees took turns to perform as the crowd rapped along to their favourite tunes, word for word.
Andy Mineo blew up the stage after KB, and paved way for the Samoan heavyweight Tedashii. The super energetic crowd kept requesting for the hit song “Dum Dum” which features Lecrae with Tedashii. He gave in to the fans demands and Lecrae stepped onto the stage for the first time amid ear-splitting screams.
Trip Lee then brought the house down with his catchy hooks, most notably from his award winning song “Hero” off his album “Between Two Worlds”. Finally, the most anticipated act of the night, Lecrae stepped to the mic and left the fans asking for more.
Performing hit songs such as “Background” and “Joyful Noise”, Lecrae proved why he was nominated for a Grammy
The performances were energetic and the rappers kept the crowd on their feet for four hours straight. One thing that is not too common in most hip-hop concerts is that in between performances each rapper engaged the crowd, encouraging them to live Unashamed for Jesus.
The busy stage eased up slightly as performances came to a close, with all the five rappers singing songs together such as ”Man Up” from their Man Up compilation album. Tedashii then led the audience through a short time of prayer and reflection to end their show in Kenya.
The Unashamed Africa Tour now moves to Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa. To have a listen to their amazing music, visit Reach Records where you can also get free downloads.