Gig review: Kofi Stone & more at Mimm Studios

On Sunday, Mimm Studios and Big Nature Collective hosted an exceptional event that brought together a diverse array of artists from across the country, alongside some local talent. 

The evening commenced with an engaging Q&A session featuring emerging hip-hop artist Kofi Stone, who discussed his collaboration with the late Benjamin Zephaniah. Kofi also hinted at a major feature with Chance the Rapper on his upcoming August release, setting an exciting tone for the night.

Mimm and Big Nature went all out, creating an intimate and progressive atmosphere with art and lighting produced by local artists just for the event. They really captured the intimate and progressive tone that the collective is all about.

The supporting acts started just after the Q&A, and the first act Stan Fara came ready to bring the heat. Showcasing his unreleased music he gave the crowd what they were looking for, meaningful rap with some fun bars thrown in. As a part of Big Nature collective Stan Fara was able to fully showcase his melodic flow and bring some energy into the room after sit down for the Q&A. 

The night wasn’t just about music; Nottingham poets Cae Capurro, Cara Thompson and Davina Songbird captivated the audience with deep, personal poetry that embodied Mimm and Big Nature's commitment to showcasing progressive art in all forms.

Following the poetry, we heard from the Manchester rapper Meduulla. The twenty three year old, uses music to highlight the contrasting cultures of the UK and Zimbabwe. While Meduulla highlights important social issues in her lyrics she brought the vibes as well with her hit song “Lifes a box of chocolates”, complimenting the vibes of what was to come from the main act. The next support act was none other than Nottingham’s finest, Jimmy Rocket. Bringing that Nottingham energy we needed in the run up to the headline, with great crowd interaction and a pumped performance Jimmy Rocket perfectly represented what his home city was about. 

Now for the nights main event and having heard Kofi’s latest tracks you could tell the crowd was buzzing for the performance. The emerging artist has been making headlines with his features and new talent energy that he has been bringing to the UK hip hop game. 

In the intimate setting, with the perfect jazzy setup Kofi was in his element, as he started the set with Blame My Environment, followed by his mellow bop Diamonds in the Water. Kofi had the whole room swaying from side to side. You could tell the crowd were feeling the energy in the room, with every head bopping, lighters in the air and a sense that this was an artist that is putting the East Midlands on the map. 

This really resonated with the crowd as you could see the exodus of the smoking area straight to the dance floor as May Sound Crazy blared through the sound system. As the night went on, Kofi blessed us with a Nottingham exclusive sneak peak at Oh What an Evening, a new single from his upcoming project. 

The preview really showed us that Kofi had a lot more in store for us after his hiatus from releasing, he had the whole crowd singing back the lyrics they just learnt. It was evident this is going to be on repeat all summer for the real UK hip hops fans.

Towards the end of his set, Kofi paid tribute to his grandfather, a poet who inspired much of his music, by freestyling some heartfelt poetry. The emotional performance was met with a very warm reception from the fans.

To conclude the night, Big Nature’s resident DJs Eküa and DJ Mush Lovetook over, spinning club bangers and grime classics that kept the energy high. The event was a resounding success, marking Big Nature as a collective to watch. Be sure to catch their next event, Don’t Quit Your Day Job, an inclusive art night featuring music, poetry, and exhibitions.

The night was made possible by the Nottingham C.A.No’s promotion alongside funding from Arts Council England. The event is the first of the series “Let’s Build Fam” and we can expect to see more from dedicated crew at Big Nature Collective.