Knock Knock, Don’t Look Down… Breathe: Kojey Radical Arrives at the Royal Albert Hall.
“It’s been a journey to get here, and I want to take in every moment.”
On Wednesday 20th May, British rapper Kojey Radical celebrated a career milestone with a specially curated show at the historic Royal Albert Hall, in celebration of his sophomore album ‘Don’t Look Down‘, released in 2025. The evening opened with a set from Jaz Karis, before Kojey took to the stage joined by a number of special guests, including Wretch 32, Ezra Collective, Cristale, Shaka, Cash and Mahalia.
The show opened with the intro track from the album, Knock Knock. It was a surreal moment as the lights dimmed and the crowd heard Kojey’s voice:
“Don’t look down if you got the world at your feet (Down) Just breathe You’re probably just scared of falling (You’re probably just scared of falling) It’s like I was the only one that didn’t know the party was for me (Don’t look down)”
The set that followed turned out to be the most open and emotionally generous show I’ve ever attended. I especially loved seeing an all-black male band on the Royal Albert Hall stage — electric guitars in hand, keys and drums.
The first song Kojey performed was Silk ft Masego from his 2022 album Reason to Smile. The crowd erupted as he entered the stage, people were clapping and smiling, and even standing in Rausing Circle. Kojey paused to address them — thanking everyone for being there, for their support. He then started chanting:
“championsss… united fans suck it”.
This was one of my favourite moments of the night, solely because it was so wonderful to see him so happy and on such a high. Headlining an iconic venue in real time, fresh from designing a car with Lotus, Kojey watched as Arsenal were crowned Premier League Champions after 22 years. What began as Kojey’s idea for the theatre to be painted blue quickly transformed into something else entirely — a sea of red, with Arsenal shirts scattered across the crowd, the room unmistakably charged with celebration.
The energy in the room continued to build as he moved through the set. Continuing with the Reason to Smile album, Kojey then performed Pressure. ‘Heavy is the crown, but, I’ma wear it ’til I die’. This was one of my favourite songs of the night — there was a moment where he simply sat on stage and sang directly to everyone who was standing. It felt intimate and personal, and you could tell he meant every word.
He then performed Reason to Smile feat. Tiana Major9, followed by Comfortable, with Jaz Karis joining him on stage. He then sang with a woman dancer joining him on stage. Something I noticed throughout was that no matter who joined him, however briefly, he gave them their flowers and said the loveliest things about them.
“Black woman are beautiful init”
Kojey spoke to the crowd again:
“thank you the journey in music is hard you never know where you’re starting and when you finish”
Beautiful ft Shaka and Wretch 32 then started playing, and out through the door came the artists themselves. Songs that followed included Breathe ft Col3trane, which is a personal favourite, as well as 97′ and Nappy. He then paid a nod to the extroverted introverts, performing Drinking My Water, with MNEK joining him on stage, followed by a song that needs no introduction — War Outside.
Kojey then circled back to Cashmere Tears, sharing that when he first wrote the song, he was ready to quit music. Covid happened; he had great music out but couldn’t perform it anywhere. It was also the time he was becoming a dad for the first time, and he bet everything on his Reason to Smile project. He then spoke openly about the passing of his late friend Harry Uzoka, sharing how Harry was an even bigger Arsenal fan than him and how he does it — the music — for Harry. He wasn’t afraid to show his emotions throughout, and that took real courage.
Kojey also spoke about his battle with depression. It was a surreal moment that choked me and brought tears to my eyes, as I felt and could relate to every word he said — about how you don’t see low moods and depression coming. There’s no warning sign; you don’t know why, but one day it just hits you.
I locked into his words and could feel the beauty of his heart and the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was a moment that held a quiet honesty on a stage of that scale. A comforting moment that followed was him waving out to his mother, siblings, and son in the crowd — a soft reminder of grounding and love within all of that vulnerability.
Kojey reminded me that you don’t need to wait for a “blow moment”. If you have dreams and goals, go for them and reach those milestones as they come, rather than holding out for some distant version of success. How many people can say that thousands gathered for them on a Wednesday night — a room filled with beautiful faces, all coming together to celebrate and witness something special.
Takeaway moment: before the show Kojey told fans to be present, not on their phones too much, and in the moment with him. There was one song where I saw that come through clearly — Everyday, which at first listen sounds like a love song but is in fact about his weed dealer haha. The whole room had their phone lights up, swaying from left to right. For a moment it felt calm and almost angelic — like you could forget your worries and believe everything was going to be okay.
You can stream Don’t Look Down via Warner Records.
Words: Kanika Phillip
Pictures: Kate Vice