Rapper and $TREETFE$T founder, Not Benjamin is gearing up to release his debut album, Conversations With Myself, and can’t wait for the streets to finally hear it.
Coming from a successful ninth edition of the popular music festival, Benjamin has been greatly appreciative of the love and support, continuously sharing pictures and videos from the event. “A monumental moment for SA Hip Hop.”
The album follows Benjamin’s 2022 release, his double-sided compilation, NOTBENJAMIN & FRIENDS. He also dropped a single titled Festive Season at the top of 2023, followed by the Morning music video – both expected to appear in the forthcoming album.
Conversations With Myself is set for release on June 30th. Remember to pre-order and we’ll see you in a couple of weeks!
Gospel artist A Mose brings hope through his new music “Imagine Me” The single which features rapper Da Truth was produced by Clean Sounds of Clay, and is a record of hope.
A Mose writes this song from a place where he had a lot of guilt, doubts and pain going on but God’s word kept him going through the Bible.
This song was inspired by Isaiah 60 says A Mose.
““Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you.”
Isaiah 60:1 AMP”
A Mose says this verse reminded him that his time is now and the assurance of God’s glory is always upon him and it kept him going. A Mose uses this song to encourage his listeners to be hopeful, to have faith in God and understand that God loves us so much and His best for us will definitely show up at the right time.
Ugandan-based Nigerian musician Malcolm Rue, born Reuben Kingsley and hails from Imo State, the eastern part of Nigeria. He began music in 2014 as a writer/ poet and then finally moved to music production and recording. His genre of music is Afrobeats mixed with rap, pop, jazz, and urban fusion.
Fresh off the release of his 2021 EP, The Feeling Called Grey, Malcolm Rue introduced us to the beautiful side of life with Yellow Soul 1 in June 2022. Yellow Soul 1, an album of 12 inspirational tracks. All tracks produced by Egarboi, including guest features Dre Murray, S.O, Protek Illasheva, Canton Jones, J’Dess, Daphne Richardson, Kelar Thrillz, Churemi, Oyije, JohnMarie, and Sandra Okafor, Yellow Soul 1 is one project that seamlessly cuts through various African cultures and languages.
“Yellow Soul represents optimism, joy, love, and anticipation for a brighter day,” says Rue.. “Yellow Soul 2 (thank you for the flowers) is born out of gratitude looking where I came from and where I am now, which every one can relate. This is an appreciation album to my fans and those who have been with me so far in my career, my day ones and day nows”.
The project was produced by Egarboi, JohnMarie and Malcolm Rue. The listeners should expect a diverse sound, blend of different genres of music, different languages (igbo, luganda, Latino, Portuguese) different cultures blending with Afrobeat and rap.
Lord of the Chop, Zingah was introduced to fans during the Cashtime Life era as the crew’s pretty boy, Smashis, later exiting the group and adopting the stage name of Zingah and pursuing a solo career. Over the years, through trial and error, as well as critique from fans and industry mates alike, Zingah sought to retire from music in 2022 following a tragic incident that left the music industry shattered.
“The Riky situation definitely hit hard. Seeing him do that made me realize that the dream we think we want just doesn’t matter. Real life is more important, your mental health is important,” said the rapper to online publication Tshisa Live.
All the while, he had already established a presence in the podcasting space as Bhuda T from Choppin’ It. Having grown the platform significantly in less than a year, interviewing some of South African Hip Hop’s most celebrated rappers including Stogie T, MagleraDoeBoy, and Slikour, Zingah appears to have found the inspiration to make music again.
He took to Twitter to reveal that he is working on several songs and seems to be excited to share them. “#HimothyTheBoy is gonna be kinda crazy.”
Before his official retirement Zingah has taken several hiatuses and several rebranding journeys but appears to have reached a comfortable spot as Choppin’ It’s Bhuda T, “Lord of the every, Lord of the entire.”
We can’t wait to hear what he has in store for us.
Recently stumbled upon a rapper by the name of Stuuperman who’s dropped loosies each month since January leading toward his upcoming project and let me tell you – the 012 is jam-packed with hidden gems.
His latest release, which also happens to be the last of his “Supersonic” campaign, is titled Sunnavagun (son of a gun), and it’s a scorcher of note.
Though appearing to be somewhat timid from frequently hiding his face from the camera, Stuu does not shy away from the mic and ensures that the listener is engaged and hangs on to every word.
With 3 projects down and another on the way, it’s safe to say that South African Hip Hop is in safe hands.
It’s week 2 of our Fresh Music Friday Playlist and we are back to thrill your listening pleasure and bring to you the freshest and best songs from the motherland released this week June 9th 2023. In the fast-paced world of music, staying up to date with the latest releases can be a daunting task. That’s where the “Fresh Music Friday” playlist comes in—a curated collection of fresh tracks hiphop sings released every week that opens the door to an exciting world of musical discoveries with songs from all corners of Africa from East, West, North & South.
We have Abuja based fast rising WTW stars Tobii & DXNZEL as this week cover stars.
Our Playlist for this week boast of a diverse line up of artist representing every region from the motherland with Wasted Eyes by Arguably Ghanaian biggest export in her own right Amaarae fresh off her Fountain Baby album, Mbuzi from East African Boeyyle, South African Tyson Syabatelli, Stormy and Didine Canon 16 representing North Africa along side other artist featured here to make the 20 track playlists a juicy one. This week we have With The Wave Boys from Oil rich Nigeria’s capital city Abuja as our cover stars with their new single Psyche featured on the FMF Playlist
Hip Hop and Rap music have been around for 50 years, seeing many shifts in production, distribution, and consumption. The internet is a key driver in helping shape the ever-evolving music industry and with the emergence of DSPs in the music streaming era, modern-day music listenership travels far and wide, reaching its audience almost instantly.
With the growing number of streaming platforms to choose from, Swedish-founded music company, Spotify has become one of the leading and trusted digital music services across the globe. With its user friendly interface, vast music library, personalized recommendations, user-curated playlists and much more, Spotify has helped various African rappers reach global markets and put them on the map.
With thousands of emcees in the African continent alone, here are the top 10 African rappers with the highest monthly Spotify listeners.
Olamide (Nigeria) – 3,540,854
Nigeria’s top indigenous rapper and label CEO, Olamide has been at the top of his game for over a decade and the YBNL boss isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. With 9 studio albums to his name and another on the way, Baddoo as he is sometimes called, has established an exceptional career for himself and cult following of supporters who can’t get enough of his music.
ElGrandeToto (Morocco) – 3,005,015
ElGrandeToto or Toto is a Moroccan rapper who performs in Darija, French, and English and is arguably the biggest artist from the North African country. Having started off in 2016, he seemingly became an overnight success which motivated him to work harder, ultimately reaching Moroccan mainstream success with 2 albums and countless single releases.
Blaqbonez (Nigeria) – 1,770,235
Currently one of the most hardworking Nigerian rappers, Blaqbonez is a master of his craft both in his music, release strategy, and comic personality. His large online following and listenership are a reflection of his star power and a testament to Hip Hop music still having a spot at the top of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Black Sherif (Ghana) – 1,395,599
Disrupting the Ghanaian music scene and instantly breaking boundaries, the young and talented rapper from Konongo, Ghana, Black Sherif is flying the flag of the black star nation high globally. His unique sound is geared towards creating a mass cult following, with the end goal of creating a global icon.
Wegz (Egypt) – 1,215,472
Ahmed Ali, professionally known as Wegz, is an Egypt-born emcee raising the flag for Egyptian trap and Arabic Hip Hop. Since first starting out, Wegz has been experimental in his music, blending various sounds to create his own, and further promoting the growing Egyptian music scene as a voice for the youth.
ODUMODUBLVCK (Nigeria) – 1,262,026
Currently the most talked-about Nigerian rapper, Odumodublvck is living up to the hype with consistent releases and multiple features, with his hit song, Declan Rice amassing over 6 million streams already. As his debut EP nears completion, it’s safe to say his numbers will keep rising much as his status across the continent.
Nasty C (South Africa) – 1,009,778
Following his entry into the mainstream post the release of his debut album, Bad Hair in 2016, Nasty C‘s star rose to great heights though many had already anticipated it. Formerly David Junior Ngcobo, the 26-year-old rapper is a skilled emcee and one of the best in South Africa, having collaborated with the likes of T.I, Cassper Nyovest, Ari Lennox, Davido, and American Electro-dance music trio, Major Lazer in Junior’s most streamed collaboration, Particula.
Ice Prince (Nigeria) – 885,855
An OG in his own right and former vice president of Chocolate City, Nigerian rapper, Ice Prince has been around well before the streaming era took off and is still buzzing on the streaming platforms having served back to back hits in his prime. With 4 studio albums and an evergreen smash hit in Oleku, the Jos-born emcee bought his “super cool cat” energy to the Nigerian rap scene, paving the way for the new generation of rappers to thrive and be commercially successful.
Saudi (South Africa) – 807,880
Sawfside rapper, Saudi began building a name for himself in 2016 through single releases and crafting a unique sound. He dropped D.R.U.G.S Inc the following year under his former label, Ambitiouz Entertainment where he frequently collaborated with fellow label mates, Emtee and Sjava. In 2018, Saudi was offered the opportunity to feature in Schoolboy Q’s X from the Black Panther Album alongside 2Chainz which earned him international recognition and skyrocketed his listenership.
Marwan Moussa (Egypt) -796,390
Rapper/ producer and songwriter, Marwan Moussa has become one of the main influences in the growth of Egyptian Hip Hop in recent years. He explores the various elements of Egyptian rap and also expands his creativity through his lyrics and music visuals to appeal more to his growing audience.
Honorable mention: Sampa The Great (Zambia) – 712,535
Missing out the top 10 slightly and the only female who came close is award-winning Zambian singer-songwriter & rapper, Sampa The Great. Sampa released her debut album, The Return, following years of soul-searching and personal growth, which earned her many accolades and acknowledgments in the Australian music scene. The Zambian-born and Botswana-raised rapper’s unique musical style landed her an opportunity to have her song, Never Forget feature in the 2022 “Wakanda Forever” trailer – adding to her very long list of wins.
Izzo Bizness is a Tanzanian rapper making waves in the East African hip-hop scene for over a decade. He is unique for his versatile flow, catchy hooks, and socially conscious lyrics.
He is also a businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who runs his own record label, Uprise Music.
Background
Izzo Bizness was born Emmanuel Bryceson Simwinga on 13th November 1986 in Mbeya, Tanzania. He grew up in a musical family, as his father was a choirmaster and his mother was a singer.
Rapper Izzo Bizzness on stage
Izzo started rapping at the age of 11, inspired by artists like Tupac Shakur, Nas, and Jay-Z.
He attended Mbeya Secondary School and later moved to Dar es Salaam to pursue his higher education, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Dar es Salaam in 2010.
Career
Izzo Bizness started his music career in 2006 when he released his first single, Mr Christmass. The song was a hit and earned him recognition and awards. He then joined the Bongo Flava group Wakilisha, which consisted of other rappers like Quick Rocka, Ngwair, and Fid Q.’ under MJ Records.
In 2009, he left Wakilisha and signed with Uprise Music, a record label he co-founded with producer Dupy.
He has continued to release singles and collaborate with other artists, including an EP titled “The Capricorn”.
Trust God album release
Izzo Bizness will release his debut studio album, “Trust God”, on 18th June 2023. The album will consist of 18 tracks featuring artists like Joh Makini, Mwasiti Juma, Dizasta Vina, and Damian Soul.
The album is a testimony of his faith journey and gratitude to God for his blessings and challenges. He announced the album title and release date on his social media platforms with the hashtag #TrustGod.
The album is anticipated to be a milestone in his career and a source of inspiration for his fans and listeners. The Trust God Album is expected to explore themes related to Izzo Bizness’s faith journey and his relationship with God.
Izzo Bizness is a rapper who trusts God and expresses his faith through his music. He is a testament to how God can use rap to spread His message and His glory. He is a rapper who deserves your attention and support.
Izzo explained that the project will be available on major streaming platforms.
Tyson Sybateli feels like a new man as he finally delivers his anticipated first release of the year titled “It Worked.”
Since dropping Home in May 2022, Tyson spent his time promoting the project through performances, interviews, as well as delivering stellar feature verses. He soon bagged a partnership with Puma and although things seemed to be looking up from an outsider’s perspective, Sybateli admits that he used that time to self introspect and “figure s#*t out.”
The high-energy track details the rapper’s days of feeling pressured, building his brand while building himself, and finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel – it all worked out.
We are inching closer to the release of J-Smash‘s debut album, Toxic Perfectionism, and while we wait, he decided to give us a taste of what to expect in the upcoming project.
The DJ/ producer brought together Flow Jones Jr., Thato Saul, Kwesta, and YoungstaCpt for his latest hit, The Truth and it’s a head-bobber of note.
Thato Mathata opens the track with his signature cadence as he speaks of life in the township, later handing the mic to Jones who delivers the chorus. YoungstaCpt and Kwesta draw the track to a close boasting about their credentials and undeniable lyrical abilities.
