Boiler Room x Ballantine's Return To Nairobi

The 2022 edition of True Music Studios by Boiler Room and Ballantine’s is finally making its way to Nairobi with media personality Sheila Kwambox slated to host.

A partnership between Ballantine’s and Boiler Room, True Music Studios is a global cultural event that pitches tent in different cities throughout the year to celebrate each region's unique sound and talent. It also aims to educate and foster diversity and inclusion while uplifting underrepresented groups. The present cycle has already highlighted Moscow’s Club, Hip Hop & Alt scene, Madrid’s New Wave Perreo and Johannesburg’s bustling Amapiano. Nairobi’s days on the stage will see the local and wider East African drill and rap scene represented as never before. 

Starting 12th April, the 3 day event will shine a light on Kenya’s rising drill scene to a local and international audience. True Music Studios has already amassed a following as a cultural phenomenon in Kenya since its first edition in 2018. This year’s activities include a roundtable conversation centering the evolution of Kenyan Drill, and the place of female and queer artists within it, and a high-octane show whose lineup features a dynamic host of performers including Dyana Cods, Silverstone Barz, Dj Iche and Deejay Otiz. The lineup is curated by Buruklyn Boyz who will also be doubling up as headliners. Buruklyn Boyz have been hailed as Kenya’s ultimate drillers. One of their first releases, ‘Nairobi’, became an internet sensation in 2020 and catapulted them to stardom. They have continued to garner accolades including having their song ‘dream ya kutoka kwa block’ featured by GRM daily as one of the top 7 drill tracks worldwide. 

Boiler Room’s choice of Nairobi as one of the host cities for this year’s event series speaks to the potential of the city’s drill scene. Drill music has progressed worldwide as a result of artists adapting and reimagining it to their contexts, such as in Kumasi, Ghana where drillers infused the city’s influences to create Asakaa, the country’s own drill subgenre. Just as Asakaa has come to be widely revered, Kenya’s young drill movement could be the next frontier.  Boiler Room feeds into this dream and gives us a chance to enjoy and celebrate underrated artists who are contributing to develop a new phase of a distinct East African sound. 

While the in-person event is on an RSVP-basis, a livestream will be available on truemusic.boilerroom.tv