Baker Boy showered with gifts by young fans at milestone gig

The children ranged from tweens to teenagers; my daughter, who is 2½ years old, plus another baby carried by a parent, were two of the youngest in the audience. The kids were engrossed by Baker Boy’s performance, surprisingly bearing through the heat in the packed room and cheering on his dance moves.

The stage production mirrors the Djandjay album cover, with dried reeds encasing the musicians and platform. The crowd raps along to the lyrics, jumping, and raising and clapping their hands to the beat, matching Baker Boy’s energy. During Peacekeeper, he flips the mic towards a young fan who recites the verses verbatim. The rapper raises his eyebrows, impressed by his skills.

At the end, his guitarist cheekily states that there’s only one song left to sing, leading the crowd into Happy Birthday.

He stays behind after the show to take selfies with fans. I hear one young child tell their parents in excitement that Baker Boy shook their hand twice. As we walk back to the car, I hear my two-year-old daughter utter “Baker Boy”, and it heartens me to know there are local artists like this for future generations to look up to.

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