After 8 years of silence, SirNic216 is finally making his long-awaited return, and this time, he’s not just dropping music, he’s telling his story. His latest 7-track EP Almost Never, marks his first release since his 2017 project. For long-time supporters, this isn’t just another drop, it’s a moment. A long-overdue chapter
The title, Almost Never, is more than poetic. It reflects a near-fatal accident that almost ended his career, and his life. The EP explores what it means to fight through silence, pain, and doubt.
“Almost Never is a prayer in reverse. A quiet scream from the edge of a moment. A confession dressed in resilience,
SirNic216
The sonic direction of the EP is steered by two distinct forces: Lesotho’s own Taks Beats and Thor Björgvinsson, a gifted producer all the way from Iceland. Together, they deliver a soundscape that merges sharp lyricism with haunting emotion and intentional vulnerability. Each track on this EP is a piece of that journey, honest, unfiltered, and necessary. It’s a story of survival. A second chance. A bold return from an artist who almost never made it back.
Fresh off the success of her last single “can’t stop” — which climbed to #1 on the 5FM Top 40 and made waves across streaming platforms — Zimbabwean-Ethiopian rapper and lyricist Hanna returns with her brand-new single “tough crowd”, dropping on 22 August 2025.
Known as one of South Africa’s most exciting young voices, Hanna blends the raw storytelling of hip-hop with the smooth textures of R&B and polished pop production. On “tough crowd”, she delivers an empowering anthem for anyone who’s ever felt like their best still wasn’t enough. Sparked by the heartbreak of someone close, the song speaks to the universal struggle of people-pleasing and the liberation that comes with breaking free.
Her vocals glide between vulnerability and resolve, rising into a hook that feels equal parts pep talk and rallying cry. With sleek, confident production and a tight runtime, “tough crowd” wastes no breath — instead carrying a bold, unapologetic message: you can’t please everyone, so you might as well be yourself.
tough crowd is one of those songs I didn’t realise I also needed to hear until I was done making it,”Hanna explains. “It started out about someone else, then quickly became very close to home. It’s one of those messages that just resonates deeply and that almost anyone can relate to. Whether it’s feeling like you can’t catch a break no matter how hard you try, or for those in the public eye, always being damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”
Hanna
Hanna’s career has been on a sharp upward trajectory. From making her mark in Mr Eazi’s #emPawa100 and Nasty C’s Lift As You Rise, to a Best Female nomination at the South African Hip-Hop Awards for her debut mixtape The Girl in the Durag, she’s continued to cement her place in the industry. In 2024, her critically acclaimed Guilt Free EP earned widespread praise and landed her on Apple Music’s Africa Now Radio’s Big 5 with lead single “Pride.”
Now, with “tough crowd”, Hanna reinforces her new era — one that builds on the momentum of her chart-topping success while championing authenticity, self-assurance, and artistry that resonates deeply with her growing audience.
African music takes another giant leap forward as BabyDaiz drops his brand-new single Matisa today, a record destined to move dance floors, hearts, and the culture itself.
BabyDaiz is not just an artist – he’s a force shaping the sound and spirit of a generation. Rising to fame with his breakout single “Enemies,” hailed by Nasty C as having the “greatest music video in South African history,” BabyDaiz quickly established himself as a creative disruptor. He then sparked a continent-wide wave with the viral anthem “Top! Masambe,” a TikTok sensation that had millions dancing across borders.
Following his breakout hits, BabyDaiz’s Allez Tobina single was more than just another release – it was a movement. Fusing high-energy African rhythms with world-class production, the track redefined the soundscape and cemented BabyDaiz as a true culture shaper. Riding this wave, he shared stages with Africa’s top stars, performed at major festivals, and built a dedicated fanbase – over 2.2 million TikTok followers, 241K Instagram fans, 8 million YouTube views, and 87K+ monthly Spotify listeners. Each milestone sharpened his vision and set the stage for his next bold step.
Now, after electrifying the streets and streams, BabyDaiz returns with Matisa – meaning “lift it up” in Lingala – a single that embodies elevation in every sense. Produced by Astro and Mathew Otis, the track is a spiritual rising through rhythm, rage, and ancestral release. Drawing from his rich multicultural roots – from South Africa to Atlanta and beyond – BabyDaiz crafts a sound that is deeply African yet universally resonant. Matisa is more than a single – it’s a statement. Proof that African music is not just participating in the global conversation; it’s leading it. With infectious energy, unapologetic originality, and an ever-growing international audience, BabyDaiz is lifting the culture to new heights.
Hailing from Kigali Rwanda, Sano Boi release his debut EP Fingers Crossed, a month after the success of his street-shaking debut single “Drip on Monday” featuring B-Threy. The project’s title, “FINGERS CROSSED,” serves as a powerful symbol of hope for anyone to make it in life, regardless of the hard obstacles.
Fingers Crossed symbolizes my hope and support for anyone striving to achieve their goals, This project is a heartfelt and energetic collection of songs that serves as a powerful symbol of hope and perseverance against life obstacles and are sure to move your feet and soul.
Sano Boi
“90’s Kid”: on this deeply personal track, Sano Boi reflects on his childhood, born in 1996. This song highlights the spirit of “United as one,” where segregation has no seat. Sano Boi shares the story of losing his father at the age of nine and how that profoundly impacted his life. This song is an anthem for all the 90’s kids across the world who grew up with big dreams of contributing to their community and making a change.
“Run It”: Sano Boi showcases his flawless flow and raw talent on this track, reminding everyone that giving up is not an option. “The future is holding tight your Mulla , Guma Ukore Cyane Uzayacyura”. Run it captures the spirit of perseverance and the drive to succeed regardless of the obstacles in one’s path.
“Kama Mbaya Mbaya” ft. BUSHALI: This track, featuring Kinyatrap pioneer BUSHALI, is a powerful declaration of determination. The Swahili title, “Kama Mbaya Mbaya,” reinforces Sano Boi’s message that he will make it no matter what it takes. The song encourages listeners to keep their faith and put in the work to achieve their goals
The project’s title, “FINGERS CROSSED,” serves as a powerful symbol. Sano Boi chose it as he is rooting for anyone to make it in life, regardless of the hard obstacles on the journey.
“ Fingers Crossed symbolizes my hope and support for anyone striving to achieve their goals” Sano Boi
After back-to-back drops that are shaking up the scene, South African genre- bender Seru The Ellipsis is showing no signs of slowing down. Just two weeks after the inspirational Enerjay, and still riding the momentum of Paco Rabbane featuring Blue Pappi & LaCabra, Seru returns with a fresh new single: Fruit & Veg featuring Lowfeye. Fruit & Veg is a vibrant, tongue-in-cheek celebration of confidence and style — using the metaphor of fresh produce to describe dressing at the highest level of freshness. Speaking on the meaning behind the track Seru Shares
The song Fruit and Veg is about dressing so fresh that you look like fresh produce. Have you ever seen a fresh tomato or apple at a fruit and veg? It looks appetizing and delicious. Your drip has to be as fresh as the produce at a fruit and veg — hence the hook: ‘drip on produce super fresh ngathi ngi thenge iskhindi eFruit and Veg.’ The song encourages you to be at your best level of drip at all times
Seru The Ellipsis
This image was taken by Lethabo Motseleng.
Following the motivational tone of Enerjay — an anthem for anyone chasing their dreams despite the doubters — Fruit & Veg adds a playful layer to Seru’s growing discography, showing his range and sharp storytelling through style and swagger. The release also follows a major milestone: Seru The Ellipsis was recently featured as the cover artist of Spotify’s Hip Hop Circle playlist, cementing his rising influence in the South African hip-hop space
What’s up with the recent trend of making music about cars From “Escaladizzy” to “Lamb Truck”, one might suggest that this release is nothing more than an imitation of a proven strategy. Afro-Drill Pioneer, EESKAY, completely disproves that notion with his latest melodic rendition encapsulating an imperfect tale sharing insight into what it takes to build a global movement’ with this release.
From the first 808 drop, “Lamb Truck” hits like a victory lap, fusing EESKAY’s unique delivery with razor-sharp production from Wana Sn and Tubase that feels like the pavement under a roaring V12. Its bold energy and confident lyricism position it as the season’s next breakout hit, engineered for festival stages, car rides, and global dance floors alike.
This isn’t just music, this is motion. “When you hear it, you’re in the driver’s seat. You feel the power, the hunger to win.
EESKAY
”Already buzzing on socials and sliding into heavy rotation on key playlists, “Lamb Truck” which is like nothing you’ve heard before is being tagged “Song of Summer 2025” by early listeners. It’s the kind of record you don’t just play, but live.
Algiers The capital witnessed a unique event : “Rencontre – Digging the Past, Documenting the Future: Archiving Algerian Hip Hop” an unprecedented cultural event dedicated to the Hip Hop memory in Algeria . Organized by Dawer El Hip Hop presented by Monst-R “Sohayb Kehal and Mohamed Amine Benloulou collaborating with the artistic space “El Mahatta” presented by Reda Mhenni Aka “El Moutanakil” this project was able to unite artists, researchers and activists towards a shared goal : exploring effective methods to extract, classify, document and archive the Hip Hop scene in Algeria.
Visual presentations and committed speeches.
The first part of the event started at 17:00 with an opening speech by “Monst-R” (Sohayb Kehal) and “El Moutanakil” (Reda Mhenni), who welcomed the attendees and represented the programme of the activity. The event started directly with screening of selected clips (about 35 minutes) from the documentary “The Eternal Spirit of Hip Hop in Algeria” which covered the history and beginnings of Algerian Rap, followed by screening of another short documentary “Ketba Fel Heetan”(writing on the walls) a 5 minutes documentary puts the graffiti art under the spotlight as a means of artistic, social, political resistance. Both of the projects were directed by “Monst-R” (Sohayb Kehal)
At 18:00, was the beginning of the third screening, which is a documentation video made by “Nabil Djedouani” exclusively for this event .The video discusses his experience with Algerian hip-hop, forms of grassroots archiving, and alternative cultures, specifically through lens of cinema .His contribution established theoretical foundations for thinking about the role of the archive in hip-hop culture.
After the shows and before announcing the break, the highlight of the event took place, where “Monst-R” revealed physical archival materials (a collection of cassettes, CD’s and books some of them rare) represents a sample of the projects that were produced in Algerian rap (some were officially released and others remained exclusive and never saw the light of the day)
Examples of the presented material:
● cassette of the first official album in the history of Arabic rap “Intik” under the title of “Gris” produced in 1995 and has never been officially released.
● cassette of the first official relesed album in Algerian rap by “MBS” under the title of “Ouled El Bahdja” was released in 1997
● Cassette of the album “Guerre Civile” by “Hamma Boys” was released in 1997 ● The complete discography (cassettes and CD’s) of the rapper “Lotfi Double Kanon”, whether with his group or as a solo artist.
● CD of an album by “Soldatesk” which was produced by “3rd Rap Record” shortly before 2004 and wasn’t officially released.
● The book “Arab El Rap” written by “Aridj El badraoui” and “Bassant Mahmoud” was published in 2023.
After that, the break was announced, and a small exhibition of the physical archives (cassettes, CDs, etc…) was opened, where attendees were able to view them, take pictures, and engage in discussions over coffee
The Archive as a Space for Creativity
Following the break, the second part of the event commenced with a more dialogic and academic character, bringing together three speakers with diverse approaches and experiences in archiving.
The opening was with “Fada Vex”, a rapper and Hip Hop activist for over 30 years, who used his podcast “Cha Derna” as a living example of archiving, seeking to answer the question: “Why and how can we archive the Algerian Hip Hop and rap scene?”
It was followed by an intervention from “Ibtissam Boulebrachen”, a researcher and activist in Rai music, who spoke about the intersections between rap and Rai, focusing on the late “Dr. Hadj Miliani”, who was an important bridge between rap and Rai and wrote in both fields. Then came the turn of activist “Zakaria Akhrouf”, who, drawing on his experience in collecting rap archives, shed light on issues related to copyright and the obstacles that must be overcome to lay a solid foundation for the Algerian rap archive.
After that, the floor was opened to the audience to ask questions, before the atmosphere heated up in a lively discussion between “Fada vex” and “DJ SL.” Everyone then moved on to the second break, which served as a prelude to the third part of the event.
Open Discussion and Remarkable Conclusion
The third part lasted for about an hour and took the form of an open discussion among the attendees, aiming to determine the necessary methods and develop a practical roadmap for beginning the documentation of Algerian Hip Hop’s memory. The dialogue included an exchange of experiences between veterans and youth, as well as the sharing of ideas on how to collect scattered archives, protect them from loss, and make them accessible to researchers and the public.
As for the conclusion, it was another remarkable moment, as another part of the archive was unveiled- this time in a different way. Multiple copies of Album “El Facteur” (2004) by Fada Vex were displayed, along with signed copies of the poster for the album “Ramz El Maktoub” (2010) available for sale. This moment turned into a spontaneous conversational space, where attendees exchanged stories and memories tied to these works, took photos, and enjoyed an atmosphere that combined nostalgia with celebration of the scene’s history perfectly embodying one of the event’s goals and giving the audience the chance to acquire an important piece of Algerian rap’s archive.
Foundational Act and Collective Space
This open discussion underscored the strength of the event in bringing together diverse voices and experiences in a single space, with participation from activists and contributors from various backgrounds: rappers, directors, producers, cultural actors, academics, graffiti artists, and slammers. It succeeded in breaking generational barriers by uniting figures from the early days of Algerian rap with contemporary names, such as Fada Vex, DJ SL, Icowesh, Monst-R, Zahham, Ztella and others…
The event “Digging the Past, Documenting the Future: Archiving Algerian Hip Hop” marked a first step toward answering the essential question: “What are the most effective methods to preserve and document the memory and archive of Algerian hip-hop ?” It also opened the door to the possibility of establishing a future platform and a comprehensive project that would bring together both physical and digital archives, serving as a reference for future generations and preserving the memory of a culture that has remained marginalized for decades. This event was followed the next day by another activity in downtown Algiers, at the venue of “Artissimo” titled “Gaâda Hip Hop”, which also resonated strongly especially with the addition of live performances by rappers, breakdancers, and beatboxers…
The streets are talking loud! and they’re speaking in soul! Today, Nairobi’s rising producer and sound engineer Noisey Boi officially drops his highly anticipated debut producer mixtape, ‘Street to Soul’ a 7-track odyssey that blurs the line between street bravado and heartfelt truth.
Featuring a majestic lineup of Kenyan talents, Wanji, Mambah, Suns of Wuand Insync, delivering raw authenticity, unapologetic street energy, and soul stirring reflection. Crafted, produced, mixed, and mastered entirely by Noisey Boi, the mixtape captures the pulse of urban Nairobi and its undercurrents of resilience, identity, and healing.
From heavy, head-nodding trap to moments of quiet reflection, ‘Street To Soul’ captures the duality of life in the city, the energy we expose to the world, and the soul we meet when no one’s watching.
Key Themes:
Bravado: The confidence and loudness of the streets
Street Energy: Grit, tension, and survival
Hustle Truth: The grind behind the glam
Roots & Resistance: Cultural identity and defiance
Reflection & Acceptance: Emotional maturity and healing
“Street to Soul is about the in-between. The person we show the world vs. who we meet when it’s silent. I wanted to craft a project that speaks to both.”
Noisey Boi
The Voices Behind The Sound
The experience was surreal and I enjoyed it. The energy was on top. And for my first performance, I was really surprised and grateful for everything.
Wanji
Damn, Street To Soul – where can I start? I just love the way it captures the essence of street life while also bringing soul to it. One listen leaves you healed, inspired, and ready to face the world. It’s definitely on my playlist!
The mixtape is basically souls from our streets speaking, crying, talking loud. Ni journey moja true. This is our art. This is a piece of us. I am grateful for the chance to create something worthwhile alongside my homies.”
After earning attention for his sharp storytelling and breakout collaboration with Emtee, fast-rising rapper JP Keller returns with a powerful new hip-hop single titled “Elevate,” featuring 19-year-old rising rap star Priddy Prince. The much-anticipated track officially releases on August 8th, 2025, across all major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Audiomack, and YouTube.
Produced by acclaimed beatmaker Asap T, Elevate stands from first listen as the song blends introspective lyricism with melodic hooks, perfectly capturing the hunger, resilience, and self-belief it takes to rise in today’s challenging music scene. JP Keller delivers hard-hitting bars reflecting on his early beginnings and personal growth, while Priddy Prince’s unforgettable hook adds both catchiness and depth.
This track is about rising through pain and pressure, building something powerful from within. It’s about knowing your worth — even when the world doesn’t give you credit yet.
What’s the talk if there ain’t money inside it? All I care for is money and power, I want the whole thing
Priddy Prince,
With JP Keller leading the charge through authentic narratives and compelling visuals, Elevate is set to cement his place as one of the most promising and dynamic voices in hip-hop this year. Priddy Prince has been on a strong run this year with his growing discography, including popular singles “Brrr” featuring Baby Daiz and KindlyNxsh, and “Hoeveel” with Luda G. Elevate builds on this momentum, further establishing him as one of the most promising young voices in hip-hop.
South African rapper and practicing lawyer Dan Mwale makes a compelling return with his latest single “Blessing and a Curse” — a deeply introspective track that explores the emotional weight of choosing stability over passion. Known for his thoughtful lyricism and genre-fluid sound, Mwale uses this record to question what success really means when it comes at the cost of your calling.
Raised in Johannesburg by Zambian parents, Dan Mwale is no stranger to duality. With a cum laude law degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Certificate of Merit in Intellectual Property, he has built a parallel career as a legal professional — all while developing a distinctive voice in South Africa’s hip-hop underground. His music combines sharp bars, melodic undertones, and emotionally layered storytelling that reflects both his corporate discipline and artistic edge. Dan’s journey in music began over a decade ago, and he was part of the early wave of rising South African talent — collaborating with peers like Maglera Doe Boy, PatrickxxLee, and the late Costa Titch. While many of his contemporaries went on to become household names, Dan chose to pause and pursue law full-time. That decision — and its emotional aftermath — forms the heart of “Blessing and a Curse.”
Built on moody, atmospheric production, the track sees Dan confronting themes of identity, ambition, and self-worth. It’s a confessional yet empowering piece that captures what it means to chase a “safe” life while wondering what might have been left behind. “Blessing and a Curse” marks Mwale’s first official release of 2025 and signals a return not just to form, but to purpose. With over 400,000 streams across platforms and a growing fanbase in South Africa and abroad, the single sets the tone for a new chapter — one grounded in maturity, lived experience, and fearless storytelling.
Beyond the music, Dan Mwale is building a vision that bridges creativity and legal advocacy. As the founder of Floggnation Records, he plans to provide pro bono legal support for emerging creatives — a reflection of his desire to see artists protected and informed as they grow.
