How this video came to be:
Every issue AFAR Magazine chooses a destination at random – by literally spinning a globe – and sends a writer on a spontaneous journey. He/she travels without an itinerary, and relays the adventure in a first-person dispatch.

In February, they sent Jorm to Kenya for 6 days. In Nairobi he met a local rapper named Kaka Sungura aka “Rabbit”*. They made a song and a music video together. This is that video.

Check out www.afar.com to read Jorm’s article!

Rabbit’s Sheng Swahili lyrics translated:

Nilikuwa Proud sana singeeza kuomba bop

(I was too proud to borrow a shilling)

sahizo Nursa nimechujwa nimechapa watoi wasoft

(that time I was kicked out of nursery school for bullying soft kids)

shairi za Chesimba zinafanya walami wanitafute

(now white people are looking for me coz the poetry of Mrs. Chesimba taught me)

mi ndio King Simba, inafanya wasanii wasiniguse

(now I’m the king simba, fellow artists cant touch me)

kuna time nilikuwa kwa bench nakatsika vile game inachezwa

(there was a time I was on the bench, disgusted at how the game was being played)

ata coach anaskia wivu anajua tricks naeza leta

(even the coach was jealous he knew the tricks I would bring to the game)

ndio niliamua kuquit game, Haimaanishi mi ni quitter

(and so I quit the game, it doesnt mean I’m a quitter)

sahii ile game nacheza nabonga na Game kwa Twitter

(now the game that I play, I’m chattin with the game on twitter)

Pro Kid South Africa, na Mode 9 ni kwisha

(Pro kid from south africa, & Mode 9 is the s#!t)

wanajua mi ni new kid kwa block, niko na new talk,

(& they all know I’m a new kid i gotta a new talk)

nafanya stuff na Lonely Island kutoka New York

(I’m doing stuff with Lonely Island from New York)

nawashow Mtu Hivi Hivi, wananishw am on the boat

(I’m showing them MTU HIVI HIVI & they show me I’M ON A BOAT)

ile hard living ya mtaa iliniletea mistari

(the hard livin’ from the hood brought me these lyrics that i now write)

Majournalist wananisaka Niko kwa gazeti za Kigali

(the journalists are looking for me I’m in the newspaper in Kigali)

niko Burma kiugali, maji kata kiu kali

(I’m in Burma eating Ugali, the water quenches my thirst)

niko busy kiu kazi, nawatongoza kiucouzin

(I’m busy hustlin, and flirtin posin as their cousins)

MORE RABBIT VIDEOS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnLO2dqQlNg&feature=related

*African folktale ref not 8 Mile