6 unforgettable moments from MTV Shuga

The year was ’09, glossy lip gloss and loud eyeshadow were the in-thing and MTV Shuga was the hottest show on TV. It’s been nine good years since the release of the first season of Shuga, which started in Kenya before moving to Nigeria then finally to South Africa with MTV Shuga Down South for its fifth and final season.

MTV Shuga S1 – 5 is currently available for streaming or downloading on Showmax.

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One of the things we love about Shuga is how it continues to drive the point home and be daring enough to tackle issues of sex, drugs, HIV/Aids and sexual violence without being preachy.

Shuga may have evolved while retaining only two actors from the original Nairobi cast, but we will always cherish the first two seasons. Lupita was just dipping her feet into the acting pool, Nick Mutuma was making interesting choices with his hair, Size 8 was fighting Lupita for a spot in a big ad agency and megastar Wizkid was just a kid making a cameo appearance alongside Banky W. Aaah, such good times. Watch now »

Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

1. Nick Mutuma’s baby locks

Yes, Nick Mutuma still had those cute baby locks and he sometimes wore a hoodie and looked like a tortured soul trying to find love. And boy, did he know how to brood. Sorry Jon Snow, but Nick perfected the brooding gentleman, so be humble, we were here first.

You can now find a clean-cut Nick Mutuma in the Nigerian hit series This Is It, Seasons 1 and 2 are on Showmax. Watch now »

2. Lupita Nyong’o’s seduction scene

She may be queening in Hollywood right now, taking over comic cons as a Pink Ranger and getting ready to embrace her greatness once again as one of Wakanda’s elite female warriors Nakia in Black Panther, but Lupita was once a go-getter named Ayira. In a scene that involves “showing and not telling” and dim lights, Lupita parades herself in front of everyone for 15 seconds to earn a spot at Maverick ad agency run by a charismatic fella called Felix (played by South African Tumisho Masha, who you’ll also see in The Wild and Saints and Sinners, both on Showmax). Watch now »

3. Shix Kapienga’s assault

In the second season of Shuga, radio host and Nairobi Half Life alumnus Shix Kapienga (Nancy Karanja) played Baby, a 16-year-old girl who’s raped by her uncle (Nairobi Half Life’s Olwenya Maina) while also having to deal with her mother’s ignorance on the matter. Watch now »

4. Lupita’s Bye Felicia strut

Truth be told, Lupita’s Ayira was a woman of many talents; one of those was to march out of her boss’s office in 6-inch heels after quitting her job and terminating their quid pro quo relationship. Some of us can’t even be that graceful in flats. Watch now »

5. Nick vs Brenda Wairimu or Nick vs Avril

Seems like his brooding paid off, because Nick found love in the second season of Shuga in the arms of Dala (Brenda Wairimu from Kona). It was a sweet love story we were all rooting for until Nick started flirting with Miss B (Avril) on his radio show and we got really confused about whose side we should be on. Watch now »

6. Juliani’s spoken word presentation

We first see Juliani as Ayira’s (Lupita) competition during the ad agency presentation, and as usual, he was in his element spitting out rhymes. From there on, the spoken word art that he is well known for forms the series soundtrack. Watch now »

Other familiar faces you will spot in Shuga

Mkamzee Mwatela (also in Stay)
Anto Neosoul
Valerie Kimani
Neville Misati (also in How to Find a Husband)
Shirleen Wangari
Nick Ndenda
Raymond Ofula

Relive these and other awe-inspiring moments in MTV Shuga, Seasons 1 to 5, on Showmax »

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