Who are the best rappers in Africa? Since the early 1980’s the music genre of hip hop has gained popularity largely to the influence of African American culture, the widespread of hip hop got to Senegal in 1985 and some of the earliest Senegalese rappers are M.C Lida, M.C Solar and Positive Black Soul.
There are also other groups in countries like Tanzania that were existing before 1989. In the late 1980’s and middle of 1990’s the Nigerian artiste, Stefano Ugo released a hit track titled ‘earth quaking African mc’ which went on to be rap afro beat song that was played on radio, the station then was Ray Power FM.
Kenny Ogungbe, then a rapper released ‘African Diddy’ brought about the awareness of being bi lingual as a rapper, this acted as a catalyst as soon other bi lingual rappers started to spring up from other areas in Africa.
Other rap styles can be observed in Kwaito in the 1990’s south Africa although hip hop originally was created in the 1970’s Bronx New York by African Americans. Hip hop and rap has always been used as tool of political protest in the continent, also because of this it has been censored in many countries yet these rappers still gain popularity with the citizens as a form of protesting or sometimes rebellion.
Top 10 Best Rappers In Africa
10. MANIFEST
He has been in the music space since the year 2005 and is signed to Singitdamit music, he currently has five albums and his last released album was in 2016. He was born on the 20th of November 1982 and his first single titled ‘manifestations’ was released in 2007.
Manifest also released a free album ‘the birds and the beasts’ in order to draw attention to his nonprofit organization.
His album ‘immigrant chronicles: coming to America’, in 2016 he released a diss track directed towards fellow Ghanaian rapper sarkodie of which the latter responded with a track of his own, Manifest’s diss track went on to win the hip hop song of the year at the Ghanaian music awards.
Two years after the released diss tracks the beef was settled in 2018 and in 2020 Sarkodie featured Manifest in his track ‘brown paper bag’.
9.PHYNO
Phyno’s original names is Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike, he was born on the 9th of October 1986. His career in music started as a producer back in 2003 and he is well known for rapping in igbo language, his first studio album was ‘no guts no glory’ in 2014.
Phyno is from Anambra state but raised in the state on Enugu, phyno does his rap in igbo language because of the huge respect he has for his culture and it helps him to be himself, his net worth is estimated to be 11 million dollars.
8.NADIA NAKAI
Nadia Nakai is another one of the best rappers in Africa. Also known as Bragga , she is a south African rap artist but was born in Zimbabwe.
Her single released ‘like me’ which was released in 2013 shut her into the lime light. Her father is from Zimbabwe while her mother is a south African.
She studied communication, marketing and media studies all at Monash university in Johannesburg.
She was a cohost in the Mtv base show, her third single was released in 2015 ‘saka wena’ which she featured the Nigerian Rapper Ice prince.
Her second single released was titled ‘whatever’ she featured Dotcom and Psyfo. Bragga, her E.P was released in 2016 and the following year she released a single tilted ‘Naa meann’ where she featured fellow south African rap artist, Casper Nyovest which top most charts in South Africa.
At the S.A style awards she won the most stylish performing artist in the year 2020.
7.KALIGRAPH JONES
The real name of Khaligraph Jonees is Brian Ouko Omollo. He is a rapper from Kenya, he is the first Kenyan rapper to win an award and recognized internationally.
He became recognized and popular in 2009 when he was a participant in Channel O MC Africa challenge and made it to the finals.
He was born on the 12th of June 1990 and released his first album which was titled ‘Testimony 1990’ in the year 2018.
His career in music started when he was in elementary school but it actually kicked off in 2018.
6.AKA
Aka is the richest rapper in Africa. Aka is a South African rap artist and also goes by Kiernan Jarryd Forbes.
He signed a huge multi album deal with Sony in 2014, his album ‘levels’ released in 2015 went certified gold. He was born on the 28th of January 1988 in Cape Town, Western Cape.
His first album ‘alter ego’ was released in 2011. His career started in 2002 when he formed a group with two of his friends the group called “Entity”.
5. M.I ABAGA
Jude Abaga also known as M.I Abaga was born on the 4th of October 1981. He became quite popular when he released ‘crowd mentality’ which became a conversation in Jos where he was born and raised.
His first album ‘Talk about it’ was released in 2008, his net worth is estimated at 8 million dollars.
4. SARKODIE
Sarkodie is a rapper from Ghana with seventy-nine awards and his birth name is Michael Owusu Addo.
He was ranked as the 19th most influential Ghanaian citizen by E.tv Ghana also he won the 2012 Africa BET awards for the best international act.
He was born on the 10th of July 1988, most times he raps in his native dialect. Also in 2017, he launched his own clothing line.
3. FALZ
The fame of Falz sky rocketed after he released his single ‘this is Nigeria’ which was a version of the single released by childish Gambino ‘this is America’.
His style of rap has a lot of humor fused with Nigerian traditional sound.
2. CASPER NYOVEST
He is the first rapper from south Africa to fill a stadium of 72,00 fans, his name is Refiloe Maele Phoolo and he is from South Africa.
He became famous after the release of his single ‘Gusheshe’ in 2013.
1. NASTY C
Nasty C is the best rapper in Africa. Nasty c is a south African rapper, his name is Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo.
He is the youngest rapper to win the freshman prize at the South African hip hop awards in 2015.
CONCLUSION
Hip hop surely is becoming a competitive genre of music all over the world and it is without doubt we can agree that Africa is taking its rightful place In Hip hop.
