Gig review: Kofi Stone at Rescue Rooms

Starting the night strong, Saiming took to the stage, accompanied by a local Notts DJ at his side. With his ridiculously smooth and versatile delivery, and the kind of quiet confidence that doesn’t need to announce itself, he pulled the crowd into his orbit, blending alternative rap, smoky introspection, and a distinctly London cadence that feels both familiar and entirely his own. Despite a few technical difficulties, leading to an acapella performance of fan favourite elephant roundabout, Saiming held the attention of the packed out Rescue Rooms, with an understated but magnetic presence, that got the crowd suitably fired up for Kofi Stone.

From the moment Kofi Stone stepped onto the stage, with the DJ booth decorated like a garden from a Pinterest board and oversized flowers bowing down, there was an electricity in the room, with fans clearly excited for the main event. Performing songs “for the dreamers” and “for the day ones”, Stone’s presence was enigmatic but not pretentious; his music speaks for itself. His presence alone carried the weight of lived experience, and as the first warm chords rippled out, the crowd leaned in with the kind of attention usually reserved for storytellers rather than performers. He doesn’t just rap; he narrates, confesses, reflects. And on this night, he invited the audience into a world built from memory, melancholy, and the soft glow of hope.

Standout tracks of the set included These Years Are Golden, Diamonds in the Water, and Stories In Pyjamas, which each had the crowd singing every single word, often finishing off the track with voices louder than Stone himself. Before introducing the track It’s Ok to Cry, Kofi talked to the audience about a friend who had passed away from suicide, and speaking about how we need more safe spaces for men to be vulnerable and to be able to talk about their mental health. The song, and his words, hit with a rawness that felt almost disarming in a live setting. His delivery was measured but magnetic, each bar landing with the clarity of someone who knows exactly why he’s saying what he’s saying. The chanting of “It’s okay to cry sometimes” was beautiful, and the song was dedicated in memory of his departed friend, Hugh. 

Despite Kofi switching it up mid-set with a love song, the crowd did not let up with their singing, at multiple times chanting the artist’s name. All The Flowers Have Bloomed was another track that landed with the crowd, with Kofi holding up a rug that stated the name of the track and the title of his 2025 album. Throughout the night, Kofi reminded the crowd of various important topics: you only live once, there is no judgement here and the one that garnered the biggest and loudest reaction - Free Congo, Free Sudan, Free Palestine. The room shouted, cheered and clapped in agreement and solidarity.

Ending the show with an encore up on the Rescue Rooms balcony, throwing out flowers into the crowd, Kofi Stone appeared truly humbled. His gift as an artist is his ability to make vulnerability feel like strength, and live, that truth becomes impossible to ignore. He relies on sincerity, craft, and the courage to tell the truth plainly, not spectacle or controversy. His performance at Rescue Rooms was a reminder that hip hop can be tender, poetic and profoundly human, and that we could use a little more vulnerability in our lives.

Kofi Stone performed at Rescue Rooms on 25th March 2026.