Shema Konditi popularly known as DJ Shema.
For years, Nairobi’s nightlife has throbbed to the pulse of Gengetone and Amapiano since their infectious beats dominated clubs, festivals and social spaces.
However, something has quietly been shifting beneath the surface a drumbeat slower, deeper, and more nostalgic.
R&B, the soundtrack of Kenya’s millennial upbringing, is making a powerful comeback and at the heart of this soulful revival are two lifestyle DJ collectives from We Outside and Rhythm & Brunch.
Led by Shema Konditi and Josiah Shihuli popularly known as JT the Drone, the two lifestyle DJs have positioned themselves as curators of a culture many thought had slipped away.
Together, they are part of a growing movement reconnecting Nairobi to the slow jams, harmonies, and heartfelt lyrics that shaped a generation.
According to Shema, he believes the city has simply been waiting for its moment.
“Gengetone and Amapiano has taken over the scene but I feel like the older crowd, the millennials, were really missing out on what we grew up listening to, which was R&B. That’s what’s really ignited this whole comeback,” Shema said.
JT echoed the sentiment saying for him, Rhythm & Brunch was born from observing whom Nairobi’s entertainment scene was leaving behind.
“We launched as a lifestyle R&B event. Nairobi has a lot of millennial age group that were opted out from the entertainment scene and they needed a home,” he began.
“So we saw it fit to bring millennials to their home and their soulful music and taste.”
In a city where daytime lifestyle events are flourishing, R&B fits perfectly into the new cultural rhythm.
“The Kenyan community, especially millennials, are well travelled and they appreciate the culture. The biggest culture is daytime lifestyle events driven by the rhythm, R&B music, ” JT explained.
Nairobi itself, Shema said is a fertile ground for the genre’s resurgence being a vibrant city that has become very diverse over time.
The lifestyle DJ from We Outside noted that what he liked about the Kenyan capital is the open mindedness people have towards music.
He added that we are grounded to what we grew up listening to.
As R&B events grow, so does interest in homegrown acts.
Shema was quick to name the artists shaping Nairobi’s new R&B identity.
“Xenia Manasseh is someone I really look up to and I think she’s doing a phenomenal job. Even Njerae, I really like what she’s doing with her sound right now,” he noted.
Josiah Shihuli popularly known as JT the Drone.
For JT, he believes Nairobi could even become a continental hub for the genre.“The global epicenter of music stream in the African region is Nairobi. There is room and opportunity for growth that’s why we’ve created this platform to really push the Kenyan sound to the global scene,” JT explained.
For both collectives, R&B goes far beyond music, as it is an experience.
At Rhythm and Brunch, dress codes like denim transport audiences back in time.
With such dress codes, Shema said it takes them back to the od days of how we used to rock the denim jackets and baggy jeans.
According to him, trends change every day, but we still end up going back to what we grew up wearing.
JT explained that their approach is rooted in simplicity and nostalgia since they go back to the basics, soulful rhythms, lifestyle, dress code and food.
Locations too, are carefully chosen from coastal breezes, to Tigoni’s greenery, to the open air of Uhuru Gardens.
“The groove is constant. We just tap into the basic elements and give the ticket holder that VIP experience,” JT said.
The duo however noted that creating spaces that resonate with a mature audience comes with its challenges.
“With the older crowd, it’s not easy to impress them. We have to think of a concept that caters to everybody’s likes but it’s a fun challenge,” Shema admitted.
JT added that the feedback has been phenomenally well while noting that they have created a vibrant R&B community that links the millennial to the sound.
He added that as the movement grows, both believe Nairobi will continue to lead Africa’s soulful revival one slow jam at a time.
Rhythm & Brunch and We Outside said their upcoming Joe Thomas live concert marks the beginning of a long term vision to redefine Nairobi’s R&B experience.
The lifestyle entertainment brands revealed that although fans often ask which single global act they would bring to headline in the city, their sights are set on something much bigger.
“We're already bringing Joe Thomas in December,” they said, describing the collaboration as one of the biggest joint projects the two brands have undertaken.
According to them, Joe is just the starting point for a wider plan to introduce bigger R&B elements in the country.
The curators insist they do not want to limit themselves to one dream artist.
“We cannot box as one artist because we're looking at a long term and projecting numbers and growing the brand,” Shema said.
“We're kicking off with Joe Thomas but we're looking into the greatest of the greatest R&B artists coming into Nairobi and partying.”
While they declined to reveal future acts, they promised that upcoming shows will deliver nostalgia and bigger artists adding that fans should imagine seeing their favorite R&B legends performing at Rhythm & Brunch and We Outside concerts.
Asked why they chose Joe as the first major headliner, the team said the decision was both sentimental and strategic.
“We all grew up listening to Joe. Our parents too grew up listening to him and some of us were probably conceived to his music,” Shema joked.
Bringing him to Nairobi on December 5, 2025 is therefore a milestone, JT emphasized.
The duo’s mission is to break the long held belief that certain artists are inaccessible unless one travels abroad.
“It’s time for us to try and bring those people down to our backyard and give people experience,” JT said.
With Joe Thomas expected to attract an older demographic, the curators said understanding and adapting to different audience needs is critical.
The lifestyle DJs said one has to learn the art of patience.
Consequently, for a show like Joe’s, the crowd is a very older crowd and they cannot stand on their feet for eight hours non-stop.
They noted that the audience have to be catered to which meant providing adequate seating, prioritizing comfort, boosting security, and making sure every generation feels safe and considered.
They are also applying feedback from previous events to elevate the December concert.
“We’re taking the feedback we've had over the year with our previous events and applying that to making sure we have a very smooth sailing event,” Shema said.
Balancing the expectations of the performer and the crowd,
they said, comes down to detailed contracts.
