It’s the talk of town, and not just in Kenya but across the border. Everyone is fawning at Marioo’s 'Nairobi', especially Bien’s verse. Barely a week of releasing the official video, it has amassed almost two million views on YouTube.

The song is about a hook up, but also has the city left, right and centre as the setting. Marioo sings, "Nilikutana nae 'Kilimani, Nairobi, 2015, kibaridi cha asubuhi, ki jua fulani sio kikali, saa tano," capturing the unpredictable nature of the weather and the city’s people. 

Nairobi is not even the first border crossover. Years ago, King Kaka and Rich Mavoko did 'Lini', a song famous for Mavoko's hook, "Nikija Nairobi unipeleke Java nkanywe kahawa, nicheze na boli baada ya hapo si tukule shower."

As of this week, Nairobi is the number one trending song on YouTube in Kenya. It’s also the latest in a line of songs that would easily make up a two-sided cassette about the city that never sleeps, songs that transcends mathree routes, generations, genres and styles.

Kenyan Boy, Kenyan Girl - Necessary Noize

"Kenyan girl, would you come take a walk with me Nataka chali wa Nairobi Kenyan boy, would you come take a walk with me Oh, ati nataka manzi wa Nairobi," is arguably one of the most iconic lines ever written and sung about desirable ladies and gents from Nairobi.

The song, the first single from Necessary Noize II, had the country on a chokehold, in an era when music videos were waited for in bated breath. The video features what were essentially the hottest nganyas then, the ‘Moneyfests’ of that era. 

Nazizi does the heavy lifting from the get-go, going on artfully to elaborate how she met her ‘Kenyan boy’ in a Buru Buru mat, vibed with him, before offering to take him for laps round town. 

Along the way, in what is essentially verse three, she lists down almost all the city’s PSV routes, name-dropping drivers, conductors and friends who manned the roads. It’s a love song sung for the city.

Githurai – Mr Googz x Vinnie Banton x Mr Lenny

The three artistes synonymous with Ogopa Deejay put the name of the city’s suburb in everyone’s mouth, celebrating a chaotic hood with a video that showcased how raw the streets were, proudly playing pool table, jumping on to matatus, or chilling in kibandaskis toothpicking fries. 

‘Come together we can do this together, Take your time we staying here forever, Ona Mr. Lenny, Mr. Googz, Vinnie Banton, Hepi na mabeste kule chini Githurai,’ part of the hook went, while ‘Na wasee tumetoka Githurai’ become a catchphrase in the era of kuku dance.

If history is to be believed, none of the three came from Githurai! Googz was from Umoja Innercore, Mr Lenny was living in Eastleigh and Vinnie came the closest, as he was housed in Zimmerman. 

Manzi wa Nairobi – Nonini

Never one to be romantic, genge’s bad boy views Nairobi’s babes with very horny eyes. But he woos them with flattery, admitting, ‘Dunia nzima hakuna manzi ka wa Nairobi.’ 

Nonini, infamous for unprintable lyrics and songs not meant for the family radio came out of the Calif paddocks blazing, asking Nairobi ladies, ‘Kaa wee ni manzi wa Nairobi amka uanze kukatika,’ as he weaves on the dancefloor checking them out.

Nairobi - Mayonde x Stonee Jiwe

Circa 2017 and these two artistes decide to remind everyone how awesome the city is. The song opens with the sultry Mayonde singing, ‘South C, South B, 111, 23, Westie, Kangemi, Na doni, namba nane baby,’ a rallying call for the many boroughs, as the current governor Johnson Sakaja would call them. 

The has one of the best poems ever dedicated to the city, almost as good as Empire State Of Mind, Jay Z and Alicia Key’s song that captures New York in all its blinding lights.

‘Ain’t no city like ma city oh no no no, Na-Nairobi, They can’t do it like we do it in the 254, Na- Nairobi, Ma hustler Na madem supuu, Kawangware to Buruburu, I love ma city oh yes I do, Na, Na Na-Nairobi,’ Mayonde reaffirms.

Dandora L.O.V.E  - Zakah x Kah x Kabee 

Unlike most of the go-happy songs about the city, Dandora L.O.V.E captures the essence of life and every day’s struggle for those living on the other side of Moi Avenue. 

At that point in time, Dandora, home to Kalamashaka, was curving out its space as the voice of conscious rap, a sub-genre that spoke truth to power. 

On the rap song, crafted on a catchy, danceable beat that still makes it a club banger, Zakah raps unabashedly about life in one of Nairobi’s infamous hoods, saying, "Kabla hii suffering, Uzikwe, Nani ako tayari, Dandora ndio sinema, Vipi man, Wacha wao wakuje slow, Wapate si tumeshavunja law."

My City My Town - CMB Prezzo x Cannibal 

In what is arguably Prezzo’s last major hit, he struts on the song like he holds the keys to the city. He is boisterous, proud and loud, highlighting the city’s best spots, joints he would walk in and steal the show.

As the song title suggests, he raps about the city while Cannibal does the same for his hometown Mombasa.

Prezzo is living in the moment, rapping: "In my city huwa ni full starehe, All night long, Manze fun to the break of dawn, Shawties walking around, Spot in em thongs, 5 in the morning singing a happy song, No matter what believe that," before going in to name-drop Galileo and Skyluxx, hot clubs that have, ironically, given way to the city’s ever relentless real estate exploration. 

Niko Poa - Mejja x Bro 

One of Kenya’s premier song writers could not miss out on the action. Then a skinny artiste fresh from Nyeri making a name for himself in a talent-packed Calif Records, he wrote a song about Nairobi and how he was acclimatizing to a city he described as unpredictable, rapping: "huku Nairobi nimejua watu wengi, wengine wazuri wengine hawanipendi."

Niko Poa is a letter that’s also an outsider’s observation, describing Clemmo, his host as welcoming, before admitting that he’s found a place to get his miraa fix. 

Those Days In Nairobi - Dynamq 

"Nairobi was once good, better than Hollywood," is the set up to one of Kenya’s most original and renowned reggae jams. Dynamq captures the pulse of the city, especially the rough neighbourhoods in very picturesque and colourful words, taking us in and out of places some would think twice before visiting. 

He sings; "I know Kawangware used to be so rough, Kona mbaya was the place that was so tough," but at the same time, acknowledging the rich sounds that moved the city, and the deejays and emcees who were famous.

The song is unmatched in capturing Nairobi’s reggae scene and the vices that the genre has always been identified with. 

Kanairo Dating - Mejja 

After almost two decades of living in Nairobi, Mejja has seen it all, including in his own personal life. Two years ago, he waxed his experiences, walking the listener through the city’s dating scene, from match-ups with pyschos to drama with baby daddies.

In the chorus, he raps, "Nimetafuta kila chuom, Nimetafuta kila rima, Natafta mdenge, haha wewe, Nimetafuta kila chuom (Chuom), Nimetafuta kila rima (We'), Natafta mdenge (Ayy), Kanairo dating, blunder!"

Nairobi – Bensoul x Sauti Sol x Nviiri the Storyteller x Mejja

What’s more true about the city’s dating scene than "Nairobi, yule anakupea, pia ananipea, akikuletea, ananiletea, wanakula fare, sote tuna-share, ogopa sana mam?"

Take any celebrity romantic scandals, including those involving the artistes on the song, and Nairobi becomes a city that doesn’t believe in live and let live, but hurt and get hurt back.  

At 8.2 million views, the songcontinues a legacy of experiences that indicate a soulless city, one that welcomes people with open arms before breaking your heart into tiny pieces and ripping your soul out.

Nairobi – Buruklyn Boyz

As the city that never sleeps ventured into other genres, two boys from Buru buru caused a scene with a hard-hitting hit that cemented their place as Nairobi’s drill ambassadors.

Nairobi is the duo’s biggest hit by views, a corona hit that introduced their style to a wider audience looking for an escape from gengetone. 

And they were bold, stating, "Tuna-take over Nairobi mzima, East, West, mpaka CBD, Hii ndio mbogi imeivisha drill, 254 tunachafua scene, Si ndio the trend, NTV, kwa hii game si ndio ma MVP."

Other notable mentions include songs like Nairobi Girl (Chris Kaiga), Eastlands Anthem (Walanguzi), Eastlands (Sewersydaa & Skillo), Nare (Kantai & Pavelee), Mat za Ronga (Tunji & Khaligraph Jones), Piga saluti (Lyrical Assassins & KGB), and Uko Sure (Rabbit & Man Njoro).

Album names after the city include Nairobbery and Nairobizm (K South), Funky Town (Camp Mulla), Dem Kutoka Mwiki (Femi One), and Dandora Burning (UKOO FLANI MAU MAU).