In recent years, The Real Vinyl Guru has attracted visitors from across the globe. Tourists, crate diggers, and documentarians come to Kenyatta Market to meet Jimmy and dig through his legendary archive. Word has spread—from Tokyo to Berlin—that Nairobi is a hidden vinyl capital.

Many leave with armfuls of rare records: Kenyan funk, Tanzanian Taarab, Congolese rumba. Some even find forgotten pressings of Western classics, never reissued. International DJs say the shop has helped them uncover samples and loops unavailable anywhere else.

Jimmy’s reputation as a walking music library has earned him media attention, including a recent BBC News feature. But for him, the goal isn’t fame—it’s keeping African music in circulation and inspiring new generations to appreciate analog culture.

Through the internet, international orders and collaborations now extend the reach of the shop. Yet its soul remains local: a small vinyl stand in the heart of Nairobi, run by a man with an ear for history and a heart for sound.