Hip hop music has been popular in Africa since the early 1980s due to widespread
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, a French-speaking country in West Africa. Some of the first Senegalese rappers were M.C. Lida, M.C. Solaar, and Positive Black Soul.
There also have been groups in
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
and other countries that emceed before 1989, that knows as Kwanza Unit although it is not very well known. During the late 1980s to mid 1990s, Stevano UGO, Lagos, Nigeria hit “Earthquaking African MC” became the first Afrobeat rap Artist playing on radio Ray Power FM released via Kennis Music founder, Kenny Ogungbe “African Diddy, this sparked more awareness of bilingual rappers started to escalate all over Africa. Each region had a new type of style of hip hop. Rap elements are also found in
Kwaito
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music that features the use of African sounds and samples. Kwaito songs occur at a slower tempo range than other styles of h ...
, a new genre based on house music which developed in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
in the 1990s. Hip Hop the genre itself was created by African Americans during the early 1970s in
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, New York. African Hip-hop and Rap has also women or girls like rapper. They begun Rap in 1980 in south Africa and west Africa. Now we have siter Fa from senegal. Eno Barony of Ghana. Most of the woman rapper were rejected in the society cause of the image of the movement Rap in the World. But now African understand that Rap is bringing education and love from real and wise rappers.
Algeria
Algerian hip-hop music, as a genre, includes the hip-hop music of both native Algerians and Algerians abroad. Algerians living abroad have contributed much to this genre, especially in France, where they are also considered part of the
French hip hop
French hip hop is the hip hop music style developed in French-speaking countries. France is the second largest hip-hop market in the world after the United States.
History
Beginning of French hip hop: the 70s and 80s
By 1982 and 1983, a numbe ...
scene. Some of these Algerians have become prominent.
also has a hip-hop scene, which, while less well known internationally, is among the most developed in Africa and the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
.
Raï
Raï (, ; ar, راي, Latn, ar, rāʾy, ), sometimes written rai, is a form of Algerian folk music that dates back to the 1920s. Singers of Raï are called ''cheb'' (Arabic: شاب) (or ''shabab,'' i.e. young) as opposed to ''sheikh'' (Ara ...
is a genre of music that developed in Algeria during the 1920s as rural migrants incorporated their native musical styles into the culture of the growing urban centers of western Algeria.
has a lively hip hop music scene, including popular and influential crews like Conciencia da Africa, Atitude violenta, Pobres Sem Culpa, Filhos Da Ala Este, Guilhotina Verbal, Flagelo Urbano and Mc Mutu Moxy (Intelektu) Based in
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
, South Africa, and have begun to work with some South African hip hop musicians. Angolan hip hop is characterized by the influence of American hip hop beats with a special flavor of Portuguese flow, mixed with African rhythm and some Caribbean influence. SSP, Mutu Moxy (Intelektu) Political Rap, Kool Kleva, Nelboy Dastha Burda are credited for being the pioneers of the hip hop in Angola from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.
Hip-hop in Angola can be very censored. In order for artists to perform in large arenas where they can get a lot of exposure and recognition, their music has to be reviewed by a board. Because of this, oftentimes artists who tend to speak out on politics in their music have trouble blowing up. Instead of getting to perform at certain events such as festivals and actual concerts, they are forced to perform to small groups in underground areas. This has made the underground hip hop music scene in Angola very lively.
MCK is one of the most popular underground rappers in Angola. He is known for constantly getting in trouble with the law about his lyrics, in which he constantly criticizes and calls out the government. Other rappers in Angola known for this include Brigadeiro 10 Pacotes and Dioniso Casimiro.
Luanda is the music capital of Angola. Many new sounds have came from this city, including a popular one called
Kuduro
Kuduro (or kuduru) is a type of music and dance from Angola. It is characterized as uptempo, energetic, and danceable. Kuduro was developed in Luanda, Angola in the late 1980s. Producers sampled traditional carnival music like soca and zouk bé ...
. Legends like DJ Amado and Buraka Som Systema helped to spread this sound quick internationally by performing across the globe.
Botswana
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...
has never had a large
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
industry, with most of its recorded music coming from South Africa or further abroad. However, since about 1999,
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...
hip hop performers have begun to gain mainstream acceptance; the record labels such as Dagee Records,"US-based DJ Dagizus set to tour Botswana " , ''mmegi.bw''.
Phat Boy etc. has done a lot to promote Botswana hip hop. The hip hop movement in Botswana has grown over the years as evidenced by the release over the years of albums and songs from artists such as Mr Doe,
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek reli ...
Cashless Society
In a cashless society, financial transactions are not conducted with physical banknotes or coins, but instead with digital information (usually an electronic representation of money). Cashless societies have existed from the time when human so ...
, Nitro, Konkrete, HT, Flex, Dice, Dj Dagizus, 3rd Mind, Kast, Nomadic, and Draztik to name a few. The release of hip hop albums is slow because of the small market and competition from other genres of mostly dance-oriented music. Since 2000 hip hop has achieved more prominence in Botswana, with rappers like Scar Kast and Third Mind releasing relatively successful albums. In 2006, Scar released his sophomore offering, "Happy Hour". The same year Kast released "Dazzit". S.C.A.R has since won a Channel O Spirit of Africa Award 2007 for best hip hop. New Hip Hop Musicians such as William Last KRM, Ban T, DoubleUp(Ambitiouz Entertainment) and AbtheActivist have found mainstream success in the neighboring South Africa .
Cameroon
After hip hop reached Cameroon, it took two years to actually become popular. This was because when the genre of music first reached the country, it was associated with angry youth and rebellious behavior.
The hip hop scene of
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
includes pioneers like Manhitoo and Negrissim' who broke new ground in the early 1990s. Other hip hop artists from Cameroon are Les Nubians. Stanley Enow and Jovi continue to build the industry.
Krotal, also known as Paul Edouard Etoundi Onambele, is one of the most legendary pioneer rappers to come out of Cameroon. He also founded the popular record label Ndabott Prod in 2007. The label has worked and continues to work with artists such as Abaracadabra, JaHel MineliH, Cyrille Nkono. Krotal himself also works under the label. Evindi and Sundjah formed one of the most influential rap groups out of Cameroon, Evindi and Sundjah in 1995.
Rap in Cameroon has continued to evolve since then. For example, Cameroon was not used to sampling beats. Jovi, who also goes by Ndukong Godlove, was one of the first artist to do this in the country and make it popular. Now many artists in Cameroon follow in his footsteps. Today the most viewed song and video out of Cameroon is Stanley Enow's ‘Hein Pere’, which was released in 2013. Rap in Cameroon is also no longer associated with angry youth.
Côte d'Ivoire
Ivorian hip hop became a mainstream part of the popular music of Côte d'Ivoire beginning in 2009 after the victory of Ivorian hip hop group Kiff No Beat at the hip-hop contest Faya Flow, and has been fused with many of the country's native styles, such as
zouglou
Zouglou ( , ) is a dance oriented style of music originated from Ivory Coast during the mid-1990s. It started with students from a college of Gagnoa drawing on elements of other styles of music.
Zouglou recounts the various social realities e ...
. There is a kind of gangsta rap-influenced Ivorian hip hop called ''
rap dogba
The music of Ivory Coast includes music genres of many ethnic communities, often characterised by vocal polyphony especially among the Baoulé, talking drums especially among the Nzema people and by the characteristic polyrhythms found in rhy ...
''. Ivorian Hip Hop is mostly in the French language, but includes nouchi (Ivorian Slang).
Democratic Republic of Congo
Hip hop in Democratic Republic of Congo is mainly used as a way for people, mainly youth, to express their political views and hold the government accountable. Since the civil war in Congo there has been an increase in random senseless killings, rape, and crime in general. Hip hop has been a very popular way to protest these crimes going on in the country. As citizens' freedom of speech dwindles away. Rap and its lyrics have been used by the youth as a way to protest this and rebel.
Fally Ipupa
Fally Ipupa N'simba (born December 14, 1977), known by his stage name Fally Ipupa, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, philanthropist, guitarist and producer. From 1999 until 2006, he was a member of Quartier Latin International, the music ...
is one of Congos most popular rappers.
The capital of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
, Kinshasa, has long been a major home for pan-African styles of popular music like
rumba
The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba. ...
,
soukous
Soukous (from French '' secousse'', "shock, jolt, jerk") is a genre of dance music from Congo-Kinshasa and Congo-Brazzaville. It derived from Congolese rumba in the 1960s, becoming known for its fast dance rhythms and intricate guitar impro ...
and
kwassa kwassa
Kwassa kwassa (or kwasa kwasa) is a dance created by Jeanora, a mechanic in Kinshasa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that started in the 1980s, where the hips move back and forth while the hands move to follow the hips. It was very popu ...
. Long-time performers on the Kinshasa scene include Profetzion (formerly of
Holokaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and #Collaboration, its collaborators systematically murdered some Holoc ...
), and the Congo Brazzaville rapper
Passi
Passi () is a hip hop artist who became famous in the mid-1990s with the group Ministère AMER, which included himself and Stomy Bugsy. He is most widely known, however, as a solo artist, as well as a participant in many other groups, such as ...
, is home to a thriving hip hop scene, which has exerted a strong influence on Gambian hip hop but Gambian hip hop is now evolving its own unique style. In 1999, the Gambia Radio & Television Services gave out the first Gambian Rap Award. The first crew to win the award for best new act was Da Fugitvz, who rapped in Wolof, the national language of Senegal, and thus became popular in both countries. They also later played at
Popkomm
Popkomm was an international trade show for the music and entertainment business during the 1990s and 2000s, and also integrated a congress and festival. It was held in Cologne for most of its existence, later moved to Berlin with entries from at ...
in Germany.
Ghana
Hip hop in Ghana is commonly referred to as
Gh hiphop
Gh hip hop, Gh rap or Ghana hip hop is a hip hop genre, subculture and art movement that developed in Ghana during the late 1990s. The hip-hop genre came into existence in Ghana through Reggie Rockstone, who is known as the hip-life father, and ...
. The phrase GH Rap was created by
Jayso
Paul "Jayso" Nuamah Donkor (born June 1, 1983) is a Ghanaian rapper, record producer, singer, songwriter and entrepreneur. After 10 years in the music industry as a rapper and producer, Jayso gained more attention following his work on Sarkodie' ...
and
Ball J
Albert Serebo Ayeh-Hanson (born 8 November 1984), known by his stage name Ball J or Ball J Beat, is a Ghanaian rapper, sound engineer, record producer and entrepreneur from Accra. He spent most of his formative years in the U.S State of Calif ...
when they released their first Skillions mixtape. According to the two rappers, GH Rap means Hiphop made in
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
.
Hiplife
Hiplife is a Ghanaian musical style that fuses Ghanaian culture and hip hop. Recorded predominantly in the Ghanaian Akan language, hiplife is rapidly gaining popularity in the 2010s throughout West Africa and abroad, especially in the United K ...
is also a
Ghanaian
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
highlife
Highlife is a music genre that started in present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its history as a colony of the British Empire and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It describes multiple local fusions of African metre and wester ...
. This started in the late 1980s and early 90s with the hiplife father Reggie Rockstone, VIP, Talking Drums and Nananom. But others did a mix of English with Twi or Ga like Heaven n' Hell, this was copied by secondary school and small area rap groups who will rap in pidgin English (a mix of English and other dialects). The Ghanaian music scene has also produced a number of rappers and DJs who are both locally and internationally renowned. Ghanaian rapping is mostly in the English language, but is also sometimes in
Twi
Twi () is a dialect of the Akan language spoken in southern and central Ghana by several million people, mainly of the Akan people, the largest of the seventeen major ethnic groups in Ghana. Twi has about 17-18 million speakers in total, includ ...
Hausa
Hausa may refer to:
* Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa
* Hausa language, spoken in West Africa
* Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states
* Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse
See also
...
.
Guinea
Although Guinea is not much known internationally for any variety of
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
, there is a local hip hop music scene, which has produced one crew with an international reputation,
Kill Point
''The Kill Point'' is an American television series that follows a group of U.S. Marines recently returned from serving in Iraq as they come together to pull off a major bank heist of a Three Rivers Bank branch in Pittsburgh. The series, produced ...
, which has toured across West Africa. Many groups use Guinean folk
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...
s and styles in their music. The Guinean Africa Rap Festival is held in Conakry.
Hip Hop in Guinea first appeared in the 1990s. Since then, it has been used in the country to fight political and social battles, and in the fight for civil rights and justice. It is constantly being used to criticize the government. Rap in Guinea often features references to Congos history and historical figures. It has entirely changed the sociocultural identity of Guinea's youth, which are now more concerned with making political changes in the country.
Most rappers in Guinea are also activists. Masta Tito is one of the most popular rappers out of Guinea. He is symbolic of the rapper-activist combo in Guinea. Other rapper-activists in Guinea include Cientista Realistas, As One, F. B. M. J., Bunca MC, Rock Salim, Dame Cotche, Race Preto, Fil Cap, Best Friends, Daw Tchaw, Baloberos, Torres Gemeo.
Kenya
Madagascar
Hip hop has rapidly grown in popularity in
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
in the past decade. The local name of hip hop is "Haintso Haintso", meaning "H. H." (for hip hop). Malagasy hip hop, although largely reflective of Western genre standards, has been moving toward incorporation of more Malagasy musical tradition in its style and instrumentation.
Hip hop spread to Madagascar in about 1985 together with
breakdancing
Breakdancing, also called breaking or b-boying/b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance originating from the African American and Puerto Rican communities in the United States. While diverse in the amount of variation available in t ...
. The local rap scene (Rap Gasy) remained underground until the late nineties, although artists as early as 1994 were attracting attention with their politically provocative lyrics.
On 21 June 2007,
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
chose a 15-year-old Malagasy rap star, Name Six as its first-ever Junior
Goodwill Ambassador
Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a publ ...
for Eastern and Southern Africa. The young rapper's work continues the genre's tradition of social critique and political commentary, focusing largely on the challenges faced by children in underprivileged communities in Madagascar and voicing the views and concerns of the young, who are routinely omitted from political decision-making processes.
Malawi
Hip hop culture in
Malawi
Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeas ...
is relatively young. Notable rappers who were early on the scene include Criminal A, Bantu Clan,
Real Elements
The Real Elements is a Malawian hip-hop band that gained notoriety in the 1990s and 2000s in Malawi. The group consisted of Marvel, Plan B, Stix, and Q. The group holds a special place in the Malawian music industry because it propagated Malawia ...
, Dynamike, Dominant 1, Knight of the Round Table, and Wisdom Chitedze. The scene started to gain traction in the late 90s and expanded further in the early 2000s when cheap computers and recording gear became widely available to artists. The launch of
Television Malawi Television Malawi (TVM), founded in 1999, is a public broadcaster run by the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) in Blantyre, Malawi. The station transmits its signal throughout the country via satellite.http://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.docum ...
in 1999 provided a platform for rappers to have their music videos beamed to a national audience. The music video to Wisdom Chitedze's song Tipewe was on regular rotation on the station in its early days. In the early to mid-2000s artists such as Nospa G, M Krazy, David Kalilani, and Gosple helped push the music further. A lot of Malawi's early hip hop music contained social commentary, religious, and introspective themes.
By the late 2000s the scene had picked up further with artists such as Barry One, Basement, Mandela Mwanza, Hyphen, Fredokiss, and
Tay Grin
Limbani Kalilani (born 15 June 1984) is a Malawian hip hop artist better known by his stage name Tay Grin. In 2009 Tay Grin founded an Entertainment & Event Promotion company, which helps to promote events across Malawi. The company is known a ...
gaining notoriety. Tay Grin's music video for the song Stand Up was featured considerably on
Channel O
Channel O is a South African-based music channel which first started transmission in 1997. Its main concept is African music in Africa and the diaspora.
Channel O can be accessed via DStv, a satellite pay TV service for pan-African households. T ...
. He was not the first Malawian rapper to get his song on that station; that accolade goes to the Real Elements. However, Tay Grin's got much more airplay. In 2009, Phyzix released his debut studio album The Lone Ranger LP which contained the hit singles Cholapitsa and Gamba. Around the same time, Christian rap started to gain popularity and that movement was spearheaded by Manyanda Nyasulu, DJ Kali, KBG, Double Zee, Liwu, C-Scripture, Asodzi, Erasto, and Sintha.
Some of the producers who helped pioneer the sound of Malawian hip hop include Dominant 1, Maj Beats, The Dare Devils, Kond1, Dynamike, Keith Justus Wako,Qabaniso Malewezi, Tapps, Dizzo, Sonye, Kas Mdoka and Rebel Musiq.
DJs such as Dr Gwynz and Kenny Klips also helped push the music on radio. They hosted a show called The Hip Hop Drill which involved playing rap music and a phone-in rap competition whereby rappers called in and competed to spit the best bars.
Morocco
Namibia
Hip hop music and culture have a big influence on the Namibian youth, with American appersupac Shakur and he Notorious B.I.G.being popular. Most of the urban Namibian youth have adopted a hip-hop lifestyle, including their dress code. Early amibian hip hopacts include a group called Dungeon Family.
Niger
"Rap Nigerien", a style of Nigerien hip hop, began to develop in the late 1990s, mostly in
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
, and has become one of the dominant popular music forms in Niger. It is a mélange of different languages spoken in
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesIvorian hip hop). Young, dissatisfied Nigeriens have used the form to talk about common social problems. Local recordings are mostly sold on cassette tapes and
compact discs
The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in October ...
, as with most forms of contemporary
West African
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, ...
popular music.
Hip hop groups began to appear and perform in
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
in 1998. In August 2004,
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
opened its "Scene Ouverte Rap", where 45 new groups entered selections among an informal count of 300 existing groups. Shows took place at Niamey's
Jean Rouch
Jean Rouch (; 31 May 1917 – 18 February 2004) was a French filmmaker and anthropologist.
He is considered one of the founders of cinéma vérité in France. Rouch's practice as a filmmaker, for over 60 years in Africa, was characterized b ...
Centre Culturel Franco – Nigerien (CCFN) in August 2004.
Nigeria
Nigeria is sometimes called Naija.
Afro Hip hop in Nigeria dates back to the late eighties and early nineties. The first place hip hop gained popularity in Nigeria was in Lagos, Nigeria. During this time (1980s), Nigeria was under a military governorship. This period of military governorship brought about crisis in Nigeria which involved the devaluation of currency, loss of jobs and persistent unemployment especially for new graduates from the University. Hip hop during this time was used as a means of escape by youths from the country's crisis. It was made popular by using Nigerian languages in the lyrics along with traditional hip hop beats, such as those made by the founding fathers of hip hop, DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambata and Grandmaster Flash. Since there were very few record labels to sign a new musician at this time, the youths decided to start making music on their own with a very little budget. The music videos were very simple and not grand and expensive. The availability of computers and cheap music editing software in the late 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century enabled Nigerian musicians to achieve higher quality recordings which quickly won over the Nigerian audience. This was a very cheap way to make music and a new Nigerian hip hop musician would make music and sell it on a CD. This was one way for the youths to be independent from the government by being lucrative and creating jobs for themselves, since the government was not helping them. Hip hop was used during this time for entertainment, but also to criticize the government and demand change. Groups and solo artists during that period include the likes of Junior & Pretty, Daniel 'Danny' Wilson, Plantashun Boiz, Remedies with members
Eedris Abdulkareem
Eedris Turayo Abdulkareem Ajenifuja (born December 24, 1974), popularly known as Eedris Abdulkareem, is a Nigerian hip hop, R n B and Afrobeat artist, songwriter and singer. He was the lead rapper of the defunct Nigerian hip hop boy band The R ...
, Eddy Remedy & Tony Tetuila. The late 90s and the early years of the new millennium saw an outburst of artists and groups, many returning home from the Western Diaspora, like eLDee da Don of Trybesmen, U.G.O, Madarocka and the S.O.U.R.C.E. Intl Clique,
Naeto C
Naetochukwu Chikwe, stage name Naeto C, is a Nigerian rapper, Afrobeat artist and record producer.
Early life
He was born in Houston, Texas and is of Nigerian origin.
The Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha appointed Naeto C, as his Speci ...
of W.F.A, and from Europe, JJC and the 419 squad became a part of mainstream
Nigerian
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...
music after the collapse of pop trends like
Yo-pop
Yo-pop is a style of Nigerian popular music, popularized in the 1980s by Segun Adewale. The style did not remain popular for long as it was quickly replaced by afro towards the end of the 1980s.
It was a style influenced by juju music
''Juj ...
. These up-rising artists in Nigeria began to localize hip hop and make songs in English and any other Nigerian language as a means of self-expression, thus making Nigerian hip hop multilingual. Just as Nigeria's
Nollywood
Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in ''The New York Times''. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there ...
movies have done with Western movies, Nigerian hip hop has begun to displace Western popular music. Musicians such as Eedris Abdulkareem started making multilingual hip hop music and the lyrics were usually in English, Pidgin English and another Nigerian language such as Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa.
''Hip-Hop World Magazine'', based in Nigeria, is a prominent publication that has helped fashion the orientation of hip hop culture in Nigeria and across the continent. ''African Beatz'', Blast and ''Bubbles'' magazines are other similar major Nigerian hip hop publications.
Rwanda
Hip hop spread to Rwanda in the early to mid-1980s. The most prominent figure in the early Rwandan scene was DJ Berry (Nsabimana Abdul Aziz), who was a DJ for Kigali Night and Cosmos and a presenter for
Radio Rwanda Radio Rwanda (est. 1961) is a radio station of the Rwandan Broadcasting Agency (RBA), a public broadcaster that also owns Rwandan Television (RTV), Magic FM and other public radio stations.
Before the attack of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) ...
, in addition to being an early
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
and
breakdancer
Breakdancing, also called breaking or b-boying/b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance originating from the African American and Puerto Rican communities in the United States. While diverse in the amount of variation available in ...
. The Rwandan government of the period did not approve of hip hop, however, and DJ Berry was forced into exile in
Goma
Goma is the capital of North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the Albertine Rift, the ...
,
Zaire
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
, where he continued performing. He later moved on to Germany and recorded "Hey You", which became a hit on both Rwandan and Ugandan radio. After returning to Africa in 1990, Berry continued to promote hip hop in Rwanda until his death from AIDS in 1996. By the mid-1990s, hip hop was growing increasingly popular in Rwanda, due to the introduction of 101 FM Kigali and TVR in 1995, and American and French rappers like
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
and
MC Solaar
Claude M'Barali, professionally known as MC Solaar (; born 5 March 1969), is a French rapper of Senegalese and Chadian origin. He is one of France's most famous and influential hip hop artists. Some consider him the best French rapper of all ...
became popular.
The first locally recorded Rwandan hip hop hit was "Peaced Up" by KP Robinson ft Mc Monday Assoumani. This was promoted by DJ Alex of Radio Rwanda from 1997.
has one of the most active hip hop scenes on the continent, and has produced international stars like
MC Solaar
Claude M'Barali, professionally known as MC Solaar (; born 5 March 1969), is a French rapper of Senegalese and Chadian origin. He is one of France's most famous and influential hip hop artists. Some consider him the best French rapper of all ...
. US hip hop became popular in Senegal in the early 1980s, and a few MCs began rapping. During this period, many Senegalese rappers were copying American performers quite closely. One often-cited reason for the prominence of Senegalese hip hop is the ancient musical and oral traditions of that country, which include some practices, like
griot
A griot (; ; Manding: jali or jeli (in N'Ko: , ''djeli'' or ''djéli'' in French spelling); Serer: kevel or kewel / okawul; Wolof: gewel) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician.
The griot is a repos ...
s and tassou, which are similar to rapping.
It was not until later in the decade that a more distinctive Senegalese sound began evolving, along with the use of Wolof lyrics. The 1990s saw a division in the Senegalese scene, with some artists remaining underground, associated with the American alternative hip hop scene, while others, like Black Mboolo ("Alal"), fused hip hop with Senegalese
mbalax
Mbalax (or mbalakh) is the national popular dance music of Senegal and the Gambia. In the 1970s, mbalax emerged as the distinctive sound of postcolonial Senegal. Derived from a fusion of indigenous Wolof sabar drumming with popular music principa ...
style, (this is called "mbalax rap" or "rap ragga soul"), which uses the
sabar
The sabar is a traditional drum from Senegal that is also played in the Gambia. It is associated with Wolof and Serer people.Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
rap music was originated by a Sierra Leone–based rapper; YOK Seven in the late 1990s. Prior to this time pop rapper Jimmy B had already blown up in South Africa. His pop rap was a rave in Sierra Leone during the mid 1990s. Hip hop music in Sierra Leone includes Grammy-nominated artist and author Freddy Will.
Somalia
One of the most internationally renowned Somali rappers is Canada-based
K'naan
Keinan Abdi Warsame (born 1 February 1978) ( so, Keynaan Cabdi Warsame, ar, كَينَان عَبدِ وَرسَمَ ''Kaynān ʿAbdi Warsama''), better known by his stage name K'naan (), is a Somali Canadians, Somali-Canadian musician. He ...
(real name Kanaan Warsame). The award-winning artist is a rapper and a poet with three albums, ''The Dusty Foot Philosopher'' (on BMG Music), ''The Dusty Foot on the Road'' (on Wrasse Records) and ''Troubadour'' (on A&M/OctoScope Music) He has been one of the most popular artists in this country and across the continent this century and is very politically engaged. He had a major influence on rap when he released The Dusty Foot Philosopher. In this song he combined African instruments with American hip-hop to form a new sound. Many artists have followed in his footsteps. Soobax is one of his most popular tracks.
South Africa
Although the history of South African hip hop in Cape Town can be tracked back to the early 1980s, cultural exchange between the United States, the West Indies, and South Africa was widespread since the 19th century. South African artists were influenced by
minstrel
A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer ...
bebop
Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...
and beyond, which was partly in response to British imperialism.Ariefdien, Shaheen and Nazli Abrahams. "Cape Flats Academy: Hip-Hop Arts in South Africa." In Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop, ed. Jeff Chang, 262-70. New York: BasicCivitas / Perseus Books, 2006. The political history of Africa plays a predominant role in South African music. In the late 19th century gold was discovered in Johannesburg, and people from different tribes began to migrate to the Johannesburg area. As a result of the rich diversity of various South African tribes, traditional music of South Africa mixed with European music led to the development of a different sound.
The musical and social movement of hip hop in South Africa has grown exponentially in the last two decades, most notoriously in the form of home-grown
Kwaito
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music that features the use of African sounds and samples. Kwaito songs occur at a slower tempo range than other styles of h ...
, which is actually a distinct musical genre in itself.
Much of hip hop and Kwaito in South Africa is derived from western beats and tunes mixed with localized rhythms and accents.
Lyrically, South African hip hop is largely reliant on the political landscape from which the country has only recently emerged. If the explicit mention of
Apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
is not offered, lyrics will often revolve around the residue of the political system; such as the prevalence of HIV and AIDS, violence in the major cities, and what it means to be South African.
On the other hand, Kwaito has been seen as more devoted to "positive imagery", taking listeners away from the harsher realities of
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
life, where it originated. Currently, South African hip hop is beginning to diverge and acquire its own musical style, as individual provinces are developing their own styles of hip hop.
As much as hip hop has grown in South Africa it is still in its infancy in terms of recognition and artists rarely sell well. Differences in styles and approaches to the art have led to the South African market being split into sectors, for example:
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
has long been termed South African hip hop's birth ground with its more politically charged and socially conscious artists.
There is also a large number of Women in hip-hop in South Africa. South Africa has a significant number of women active in the mainstream hip-hop scene, more than many other countries in the region.
Tracing its origins in South Africa, the youth embraced hip hop and its culture from the United States including its break dancing and graffiti aspects. These styles of expression were the predecessors to involvement in the music, due to the high cost and difficulty in finding music. Economic and political sanctions made finding American music extremely difficult. U.S. hip hop albums were seldom imported, but rather sent by relatives outside the country. The audience was not totally approving however. Many were not happy with the links US hip hop had to the "structures that were largely responsible for the devastating conditions in the Third World countries." The young people took hip hop and its anger, passion, and style in order to express themselves. They localized the music to express culture, frustration, and hope in order to tell their own stories. The older population used that anger and passion to pass messages against the occurring apartheid, and also to connect with the youth. The music was perfect for the time because it was able to take the language of the underprivileged, parade it, and make it attractive to the point where people took pride in their style of music.
Hip Hop will never die,the legacy continues with K MAX ZA and Rikhado Makhado "riky rick"
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Uganda's hip hop scene began in the early to mid-1990s, especially among university students at
Makerere University
Makerere University, Kampala (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922. It became an independent national university in 1970. Today, Makerere University is composed of n ...
and elsewhere. The Bataka Squad, formed in the early 1990s are the originators of the Lugaflow style, using the native Luganda language. Other formative groups on the Ugandan hip hop scene in the early 90s include Young Vibrations, MC Afrik, DJ Berry, Sylvester and Abramz and Kaddo. Club Pulsations in Kampala was a hotspot for Ugandan hip hop in the 90s. In 2002, Klear Kut were nominated for the Kora All Africa Music Awards in the "Most Promising African Group" and "Revelation of the Year" categories.
In 2003 Geoffrey Ekongot, Saba Saba aka Krazy Native, of the Bataka Squad, Francis Agaba, the late Paul Mwandha of Musicuganda.com, and Xenson formed the Uganda Hip Hop Foundation. In 2003, the Foundation hosted the first Ugandan Hip Hop Summit and concert at Club Sabrina's in Kampala. It was so successful that they have hosted it every year for the past four years. In 2005 the Bavubuka All Starz was formed under the leadership of Silas aka Babaluku of the Bataka Squad, with the mission of bringing hip hop music and community together to address social causes. Keko is currently one of the most promising and talented rappers in Uganda. Of late Uganda has produced globally recognized MCs like Bana Mutibwa whose commonly known as Burney MC. In 2013 he represented Uganda at the biggest hip hop festival in Europe (
Hip Hop Kemp
The hip hop subculture in the Czech Republic emerged after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Since then the subculture has become an influential urban phenomenon, with hip hop groups, clubs and festivals appearing across the country. Notable hip hop ...
).
Lumix Da Don, a.k.a. Lumumba Patrick was an underground Ugandan rapper, record producer and CEO of Valley Curve Records. He made hip hop the biggest genre in Northern Uganda.
Kiga flow is performed in Rukiga and Runyankole.
Zambia
Hip hop in
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...
has its roots in the late '80s and early '90s; many young people were influenced by American hip hop mostly shown on imported programs by the local broadcaster
Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) is a Zambian television and radio station, formerly state owned, now technically a statutory body but still essentially under government control. It is the oldest, widest, and largest radio and ...
. Early rappers and crews include
Blaaze
Lakshmi Narasimha Vijaya Rajagopala Sheshadri Sharma Rajesh Raman (born 15 October 1975), professionally known as Blaaze (), is an Indian Tamil language playback singer and rapper in Indian cinema who specializes in writing and performing rap m ...
and
Chilu Lemba
Chilu Lemba (born 27 August 1975) is a Zambian-born and South African–based radio and television presenter, voice over artist, author and musician. His voice is heard across the continent daily on ads ranging from branding commercials for wash ...
.
Daddy Zemus
Anthony Mbinga Kafunya (1 May 1968 – 3 January 2001), known professionally as Daddy Zemus, was a Zambian musician and songwriter. Hailed as the King of Zam-ragga, he was one of the first artists to fuse local music with ragga, hip-hop and R& ...
was one of the first artists who fused ragga and hip hop and is widely revered as the first artist to proudly use local languages to present his craft in this art form.
The first hip hop album to be released in Zambia was actually a gospel hip hop album called ''Talk About God'' by a duo called MT God Bless which was released on cassette tape in 2003. (Mandiva Syananzu & Tommy Banda were the two rappers). It got massive airplay both locally and internationally. MT God Bless were also the first Christian hip hop dual to have their music video played on South Africa's Channel O. Pictures of the cassette tape can be seen on Mandiva's Facebook page with the year 2003 inscribed on it. In 2005 C.R.I$..I$. Mr Swagger released what is considered the biggest debut release by a hip hop artist in Zambia titled "Officer in Charge". Other notable artists to come up over the years are Black Muntu, The Holstar, Conscious, Takondwa, Pitch Black, Diamond Chain, 5ive 4our, Zone Fam, C.Q Krytic, Slap Dee, Macky 2, Mic Diggy and Urban Chaos
In 2007 The Hip Hop Foundation of Zambia was formed, as a registered arts and culture organization. The organization was formed and registered under the Zambia Association of Musicians as a group member. ZAM is registered under the Zambian National Arts Council.
Zambian rappers Slap Dee and Macky 2 are widely considered the most popular vernacular Hip Hop artists in Zambia. Zone Fam formed in 2007 and gained popularity in 2011 when they released their debut album single "Shaka Zulu On Em". In November 2013 they released "Contolola" which gained the number one position on the Afribizcharts.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
hip hop music has been a big hit to the young people of Zimbabwe, through the rise of amazing artists like the late Calvin who sang with
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
n rapper
Cassper Nyovest
Refiloe Maele Phoolo (born 16 December 1990), professionally known as Cassper Nyovest, is a South African rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, record producer and amateur boxer. Born and raised in Mahikeng, North West, he is regarded as one of t ...
and the Changamire Hip Hop award winner Holy Ten who collaborated the
Nasty C
Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo (born 11 February 1997), known professionally as Nasty C, is a South African rapper, songwriter, and record producer.
After releasing three mixtapes, one being "Undisputed" and two EPs, Ngcobo released his debu ...
from
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
.
Bulawayo
Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council ...
born rappers like POY and Naborth Rizzla played a big role in the growth of rap music in Zimbabwe through running tours around colleges and Universities. Victoria Falls City also has a huge hip hop movement with big promoters like Mordcai Ngazah and Brighton Musaidzi creating amazing platforms like their
Victoria Falls News
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
weekly newspaper and Umclulo an African Hip Hop Magazine and strictly hip hop radio station.
Hip Hop and Civil Rights in Africa
Rap has been used as a form of political protest in Africa since it reached the continent. Fela Kuti is legendary in Africa for being one of the first artists to use rap to critique the government. Since then, a large majority of rappers in Africa have followed in his footsteps. Rappers in Africa are often responsible for political change. For example, Keur Gui, a popular rap group in Africa helped to lead the Y'en a Marre movement in Senegal. They played a large role in getting thousands of Senegalese citizens to vote and make sure President Wade did not serve a third term.
Because hip hop in Africa has such a large impact on politics, many countries have begun censorship of rap. However, banned artists often gain popularity as listening to them is seen as a form of protest and rebellion.
Rapper PilAto for example, was arrested for participating in protests when he accused future member of the ruling party in Zambia of stealing state resources in 2017, in one of his songs.
Recordings
*''Bongo Flava. Swahili Rap from Tanzania'' (2004) compilation by Out Here Records
*''Lagos Stori plenti – urban sounds from Nigeria'' (2006) compilation by Out Here Records
*''African Rebel Music – Roots Reggae & Dancehall'' (2006) compilation by Out Here Records
*''Urban Africa Club – hip hop, Kwaito and Dancehall'' (2007) compilation by Out Here Records