From busking on the streets of Birmingham to a sold-out headline tour, Kofi Stone brought his positive, boom-bap attitude to the iconic King Tut’s in Glasgow. 

Drawing a crowd predominantly of students, Kofi brought a casual vibe for the young listeners’ Friday night ahead. Sporting a baggy jumper mixed with baggy joggers, Kofi wanted to spread his relaxed vibe, not put too much pressure on anything, and just enjoy his time playing.

Heading into the cold Glasgow winter, the days become shorter and the sky more grey. At a time of year when loneliness is at a high and darkness looms, Kofi Stone uplifted listeners as he spoke on the importance of enjoying life whilst also spreading the message of the importance of mental health.

At the start of his set, Kofi paid tribute to fellow Birmingham-native, Benjamin Zephaniah. The topic of much of the poet’s work focuses on racism, poverty, and social injustice, the same subjects that inspired Kofi to begin making music. Kofi was able to meet with Zephaniah before his passing in late 2023, where they not only collaborated to make the song “May Sound Crazy,” which celebrates the multiculturalism of their hometown, giving love to the wind rush generation, the resilience of their ancestors, and bringing unity.

”From the wind rush generation/To multicultural nation/Our sisters and our brothers fight/With self-determination/one generation to the next.” Kofi told the crowd how grateful he was to spend time with the poet and humanitarian, sharing a crucial lesson he learned from him: that life is sacred and to be grateful every day and make the most of life.

A key message Kofi hopes to spread with his listeners is his story and pride as a Black-British storyteller. Kofi told the crowd about his upbringing and the problems he faced growing up because of the colour of his skin. 

In the song “Black Joy," Kofi celebrated his heritage and pride in where he comes from, despite the lasting effects of colonialism that are still present through the systems that have been built in British history. Over smooth yet joyous female background vocals and a soft but uplifting drumbeat, Kofi ruminates over the  joys of being of African heritage with lyrics like, “This is just a celebration of the innovation/cause they always seem to leave us out the conversation.” 

Kofi feels a sense of community amongst black people and wants to spread that love and show a true image of black culture, despite what tabloid media presents. Black people are often scapegoated in media, often presented as violent who create problems out of nothing (such as when Raheem Sterling was reported in the tabloids as being a violent individual for having a gun tattoo, despite this having nothing to do with his character, a story too familiar in British press, subjugating black voices.)

Kofi went on to perform “It’s Okay to Cry,” which focuses on confronting your emotions. In the song, Kofi breaks down the walls of men dealing with their emotions in all settings, ensuring listeners that there is no weakness in being in touch with your emotions and shedding a tear. There is a perception that men have to put a brave face on, when in reality, it is okay to not be okay, and getting help doesn’t make you less of a man. Kofi shared that running from your troubles makes it impossible to ever feel okay. Dedicating this song to his late friend, Kofi doesn’t want to see any more young men take their own lives and spends time ensuring that people can access help: “You ain’t gotta be the tough guy all the time/running from you walls won’t make it alright/it’s okay to cry, sometimes.” 

Kofi continued his message to spread love and enjoyment each day through smooth yet chirpy piano keys blended with warm, golden light on “These Years Are Golden.” The song is off of his most recent album, A Man After God’s Own Heart, which focuses on a woman who spread her wisdom on being present and gracious. “Don’t stress enjoy your life/kick back enjoy the ride/these years are golden.

Kofi’s set spread a deep and loving message throughout. During the song “Colours In My Mind,” Kofi got in the crowd, giving hugs and showing love to his fans. He further engaged at the show’s closing, wrapping up the show by handing out flowers, serving as a token for feelings of love to linger after the set ended, regardless of whether they had a vase.