Hip hop music has been popular in Africa since the early 1980s due to widespread African American influence. In 1985, hip hop reached Senegal, a French-speaking country in West Africa. Some of the first Senegalese rappers were Munyaradzi Nhidza Lida, M.C. Solaar, and Positive Black Soul.
Anthony Olanrewaju Awotoye, better known as Tony Tetuila, also regarded as the golden father of Afrobeats is an artist from Nigeria. He was born in 1974. He is a native of Oro, Kwara state.
Tomasz Kuklicz, known professionally as DJ Tomekk, is a Polish-born German-based hip hop DJ and record producer. Rappers who have featured in his songs include Ice-T, Fatman Scoop, Khia, Xzibit, Fler, Sido, Kurupt, Lil' Kim, KRS-One, Torch, Afrob, Flavor Flav, and GZA.
Joseph Antonio Cartagena, better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a solo career with the release of his debut studio album, Represent (1993) the following year. Cartegena formed the hip hop group Terror Squad and its namesake record label in the late 1990s, through which he has signed fellow New York artists including Big Pun, Remy Ma, Tony Sunshine, and Cuban Link, as well as then-unknown producers DJ Khaled and Cool & Dre.
Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, known professionally as Ruggedman, is a Nigerian rapper from Ohafia, Abia State, southeastern region of Nigeria.
Inetimi Alfred Odom, better known by his stage name Timaya, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He is from Odi, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Timaya is known for combining Nigerian pop with elements of dancehall, hip-hop, and soca, as well as Afro-Caribbean/Dancehall music. He is the founder of DM Records Limited.
Jude Lemfani Abaga, better known as M.I Abaga or M.I, is a Nigerian rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is widely considered one of the influential rappers in Africa. He gained mainstream attention after the release of his track song, "Crowd Mentality" (2006). Since then, he has released albums Talk About It (2008), MI 2: The Movie (2010), The Chairman (2014), The Guy (2022); playlist Rendezvous (2018), and A Study on Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl.
Enoch Adejare Adeboye is a Nigerian pastor, and the present General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God. He served as the second national president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria.
Chidera Anamege, now known by his stage name Chiddy Bang, is an American rapper from Philadelphia. Prior to its breakup, Chiddy Bang was an American hip hop duo consisting of Anamege, under the stage name Chiddy, and Noah Beresin, under the stage name Xaphoon Jones. The duo was introduced by former band member Zachary Sewall in late 2008 while the two were studying at Drexel University, in Beresin's hometown of Philadelphia. Anamege's sound is based on the fusion of hip hop and alternative using samples from artists such as Ellie Goulding, Radiohead, Sufjan Stevens, Passion Pit, MGMT, Matt and Kim and Yelle. In 2013, Beresin left the group to focus on producing, and Anamege became a solo artist, with Beresin playing the role as frequent collaborator.
William Alfred, better known as Aone, is a Nigerian-born American record producer and songwriter, signed to Rick Ross' label Maybach Music Group. He became active in the music industry in 2008 and is known for his work with urban music artists such as Juicy J, Birdman, Meek Mill, Young Buck, Rick Ross, Wale, Young Jeezy, D Block, The Outlawz, and others. His major influences in producing come from Just Blaze, Drumma Boy and Dr. Dre. His work is marked with a "You are now rocking with Aonebeats" tag in most of his recent music.
Jonathan Matthew McCollum, better known by his stage name Rittz, is an American rapper. His debut album The Life and Times of Jonny Valiant was released on April 30, 2013, rising to number 8 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. His next two albums, Next to Nothing (2014) and Top of the Line (2016) peaked at number 3 on the same chart. His fourth album, Last Call (2017), hit number 43 on the Billboard 200. All of these were released under Tech N9ne's Strange Music label.
Sasha P, also known as the "First Lady of Nigerian Hip Hop", is a Nigerian rapper, musician, businesswoman, lawyer, and motivational speaker.
Kehinde "Kenny" Ogungbe, is a Nigerian DJ, music producer, television presenter and music executive. He is the founder and eponym of the label Kennis Music, and is the CEO alongside Dayo "D1" Adeneye. They own Kennis 104.1 F.M, Lagos.
Abdulrasheed Bello known professionally as Skillz or JJC Skillz is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and television producer.
Emeka Akumefule, known professionally as Blaqbonez, is a Nigerian rapper and singer signed to Chocolate City.
Brian Ouko Omollo, popularly known by his stage name Khaligraph Jones, is a Kenyan rapper known for his hit singles "Mazishi" and "Yego". He released his debut full-length studio album Testimony 1990 in June 2018. Khaligraph Jones has received numerous awards during his career. He was nominated for 'Best Male Artist' at the 2018 Afrimma Awards, won 'Best Hip Hop Artist' at the 2020 AFRIMMA, and was nominated for 'Best International Act' at the 2020 BET Awards.
The Headies 2020 was the 14th edition of The Headies, a Nigerian music awards show held to recognize outstanding achievements in the Nigerian music industry. The ceremony took place on February 21, 2021, due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic instead of December 2020, the usual month for the awards. It was held at the La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in Ibeju-Lekki
David Cross Idukomose, known professionally as Kwate, is a Nigerian hip-hop artist and Afrobeats musician. He is recognized for his singles and musical style, which blends traditional and modern elements. Kwate emphasizes consistency, innovation, and cultural resonance in his music.
