KiDi

Hometown: Accra, Ghana

KiDi’s rise started on primetime Ghanaian television in 2015 as a contestant and winner of the MTN Hitmaker talent show. Shortly after, he signed a record deal with Lynx Entertainment and released “Say You Love Me.” His official entry as a recording artist was a low-tempo R&B song he composed and produced. KiDi’s most successful songs, like “Touch It” and “Say Cheese,” are a fusion of Afrobeats and Highlife. “Champagne,” the feel-good standout from his recent EP 4Play, romanticizes a celebratory night out with alcohol abundant and the party perpetual.

Yago

Hometown: Nyagatare, Rwanda

Innocent Nyarwaya, better known as Yago, is a Rwandan singer, TV and radio presenter, and YouTuber whose recent foray into music raised some eyebrows in his home country. Yago is letting his music do the talking, however, particularly in the languages of Afro-fusion, Bongo Flava, and dancehall. On his debut “Suwejo,” a Bongo Flava song released in November 2022, he reminisces on the lowest points in his journey, while praising God for helping him to fulfill his destiny.

Jeriq

Hometown: Enugu, Nigeria

Jeriq’s verses often recount gritty and unfiltered realities. The 24-year-old rapper tells stories about the unconventional ways he escaped his unsavory past, delivered in a mix of English and Igbo, a language indigenous to the people of Eastern Nigeria. Released in May 2022, Jeriq’s album Billion Dollar Dream lays out his dedication to achieving his dreams. A standout of January’s deluxe version of the album, “My Bro,” featuring Eastern Nigerian rap pioneer Phyno, is a pledge of allegiance to ride-or-die friendships.

Mia Guisse

Hometown: Dakar, Senegal

Mia Guisse emerged to Senegalese stardom in 2017 as part of Maabo Group, a band she started with her ex-husband Abdoul Guissé. After three years in the group, she embarked on a solo career with her debut single “Idda” in 2022. The title of the mbalax song symbolizes a period of mourning in Islam, a reference she used to say farewell to her past self and christen a new beginning. On follow-up “La Vie est Belle,” Mia Guisse urges listeners to seize the day and embrace the beauty all around them.

Minz

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Minz has been a fixture in the Nigerian underground since his 2018 single “Skin.” The Afrobeats singer is a romantic at heart, and his buoyant subject matter reflects his sanguine disposition toward intimate entanglements. Late last year, Minz released “Wowo,” an Afrobeats song softened with saxophones and an outlet to embrace his unconventional beauty amid negative comments from others. A remix with Nigerian rising stars BNXN and Blaqbonez has given the song new life.

Ish Kevin

Hometown: Kigali, Rwanda

Often lumped into Rwanda’s Kinyatrap movement, Ish Kevin is more drill than trap, and he’s setting the record straight with an adjacent movement called Trappish. Similar to Kinyatrap, it features hyphy verses delivered in Kinyarwanda, Swahili, English, and French. His style of music is oriented toward young Rwandans who would rather hear optimistic messages than social critiques of poverty. Trappish II, a sequel to the 2019 installment Trappish Music dropped, in March 2022 and he closed out the year tapping in African Artists You Should Know alum Juno Kizigenza for the triumphant single “Full Stop.”

Bruce Africa

Hometown: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Newcomer Bruce Africa started releasing music barely a year ago, but his spark is swiftly catching on to Tanzanian listeners. First discovered as a contestant on the national talent show Bongo Star Search in 2021, he was signed to IAM Music and released his first single under the label in September 2022, a Bongo Flava track titled “In Love” where he exhibited his feathery vocals and penchant for romance. More notable is his December 2022 single “You,” where he yearns for a long-distance partner and contemplates closing the gap.

MC Caro

Hometown: Buchanan, Liberia

Caroline Moore, or MC Caro, uses her voice to speak on political issues and raise social consciousness in Liberia. The 26-year-old rapper got on Liberian listeners’ radar in 2018 with a string of viral songs chronicling systemic inequality in the West African country. A year later, she was courted by her current label, Smoov HQ, where she released her debut album KING CARO. “Spot on Fire,” from her December 2022 project My Way, detours into low-tempo Afrobeats fitting for a late-night drive. MC Caro continues to represent the plight of the masses and presses for government accountability while sharing relatable experiences from her own life.

John Frog

Hometown: Juba, South Sudan

John Frog is comfortable using dancehall, Bongo Flava, and Afrobeats in situations that suit him. “Action n’ Energy,” a mellow Afrobeats single he released in January 2022, provided a vital push for his music across East Africa. John Frog embraces social commentary and serves as an inspiration to underserved South Sudanese youth, while also painting pictures of a hedonistic lifestyle in his music. In recent single “Juju,” he finds himself befuddled by romantic interest to the extent he believes he must be under a spell.

Kaien Cruz

Hometown: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Kaien Cruz started learning to play the guitar at the age of eight, a hobby which matured into releasing songs online in high school. The non-binary South African artist’s music combines R&B and Afrobeats and sounds sugarcoated and delicate. From their January 2023 EP 4 Piece Combo, focus track “Talk down 2 me” softly captures an epiphanic moment in a toxic relationship that leads to a resolution to finally choose self-respect.

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