John Oguntunwase

Bars, beats and contemplations: A night at ‘Icyumba cya Rap’

As I attend this show, vibing awkwardly or perhaps unpretentiously, I am reminded of a fundamental question: Why do I love hip-hop this much? Is it because of its lyrical nature that has resonated with me since my teenage years? Is it the old-school vibes—the baggy pants, oversized shirts, and boots? Or is it the influence of my former neighbour, nicknamed Le Monde, who played this genre so often that I ended up memorising countless rap songs? Or maybe it’s this—the show. I’m not sure. Not yet. “This is not the time for that.” A thought hovers at the top of my mind. It’s January 10, and I’m at Icyumba cya Rap, a hip hop show I’ve been waiting for—for a while. I toss a few popcorns into my mouth and move around, vibing under the energy of rap music and the crowd of people dancing. I bump into a friend I haven’t seen in a while, and after a quick, playful push greeting, he says, “But bro, I didn’t expect you to be here. You don’t look like a hip-hop person.”