EP Review: XPRSO.'s 'Nairobass'

XPRSO. released a project for our ears on the 20th of March and it couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

The collective consisting of MR. LU*, RVMP, Mars Maasai and BBYY. are known for their sporadic project release’s on Sound Cloud, but NAIROBASS is their debut release to the world and is out on all major platforms. It’s a 7 track EP emitting pure Nairobi vibes. The cover art translates this so well with a tout hailing passengers on a matatu. The tones are dusty and if you look close enough, you can sense the socialised message coming through the imagery. 

The album covers topics such as love, romance, societal norms and politics. The beauty about all of it is the flow. The arrangement of the songs allow you to feel the entirety of the album without preempting its message. 

‘Party’ is soulful and feel good as fuck. It’s nostalgic of the zilizopendwa era but with a modern twist. Mars Maasai’s voice is sweet! Seriously, I repeated this song on the first listen over and over. Other feel good songs are ‘Katika’, ‘Woof Dog’ and ‘Wasted’. ‘Katika’ was a pleasant surprise with a classic (South African) House Music twist and ‘Wasted’ is the cherry on top. As the last song on the EP, you have no choice but to stan XPRSO. for the work they’re doing.

If you enjoy Kenyan meme culture, then ‘Woof Dog’ is such a fun song to listen to. No doubt you will find yourself saying the phrase at random moments of the day. It has a cypher-like style where each artist bounces off the other lyrically. 5 stars!

On to the social/political aspects of the EP, you can’t really talk about Nairobi culture without addressing the political unrest of the city. Especially in these quarantine times. Every Nairobian will relate to the words relayed in the various songs addressing this. Youth culture, violence, inadequacy and how boomers messed it all up for us. Listen to the kids perhaps?

NAIROBASS is enjoyable to any progressive thinking Kenyan. It feels like home, rooted in tradition but inspired by modernity.

I would encourage you to listen to the EP from start to finish before putting it on shuffle to get the full intended experience. Stream it and check out their new website. Follow XPRSO. and ask your favourite radio stations to play it!