Nimefika

Basically every track on this 2001 album became a hit in Kenya, and they can still be heard blasting out at clubs and matatu sound systems. E-Sir was part of the Ogopa wave in the early 2000s, and even though he made only one album — he tragically died in a car accident shortly after the release of Nimefika — his blend of hip hop, dancehall rhythms, and R&B have had a lasting impact on Kenyan music. He rapped in sheng, and was central to the development of homegrown rap (together with legendary Kenyan hip hop groups like Ukoo Flani Mau Mau) at a time when American artists were ruling the airwaves. His verbal dexterity shines on “Lyrical Tongue Twister,” while “Boomba Train” is a classic example of the Ogopa sound. A Kenyan classic.