Across Africa, a new generation of rappers is emerging. Drawing on the explosion of UK drill and contemporary hip-hop sonics, and creating new flows and wordplay out of their native languages, these artists are shaping new, often hyper-localised styles of rap, and bringing stories of racism, politics, gender and poverty into the spotlight.
In 2020, the boundaries between these sounds have become increasingly blurred and experimentation has thrived. Drill has arguably been the greatest beneficiary; Headie One topped the UK album charts with an expansive drill project which draws on Afrobeats, R&B and trap elements, while the late Pop Smoke’s genre-blurring ‘Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon’ returned to the top of the Billboard 200 that same year.
This wave of experimentation is influencing the music being made across Africa too, as rappers explore new ways to express themselves. Western sonics are being fused with homegrown sounds and native languages, from the disenfranchised young men telling their truths over drill productions in Ghanian and Kenyan cities, to South African feminist icons laying rap verses over gqom beats. Here, DJ Mag highlights six exciting artists.
Kumasi, in the Ashanti region, is Ghana’s second largest city. Musically, it’s renowned as a hub of innovation, from the ’90s hiplife movement pioneered by Reggie Rockstone to the Ghanaian rap of Lord Kenya and Akyeame. Today, the city’s youth is masterminding a new sound, fusing the grit of UK drill and the grandiosity of its Brooklyn counterpart with local influences to create Kumerican drill.
Also known as Asakaa music, Kumerican drill has been simmering underground for a couple of years. With the help of co-signs on social media from Virgil Abloh and Vic Mensa in recent months, heaters like ‘Akatafoc’ and ‘Sore’ have gone viral. Both tracks are produced by teenage Cardiff-based producer Chris Rich Beats. It’s an interesting aside, which speaks to the organic, youth-led development of the wider drill scene.
‘Akatafoc’ and ‘Sore’ are essentially posse cuts, showcasing artists on the frontline of the scene. Of those, the gravel-toned O’Kenneth is the most attention-grabbing. He spins his street tales through a melodic fusion of English and Twi, switching between straight-talking bars and sung verses, which brings a luxurious texture to his sound.
In August 2020, O’Kenneth dropped ‘Straight Outta Kumerica’, a collaborative EP with fellow Asakaa driller Reggie Osei. The 6-track EP (and Kumerican drill more generally) benefits from the sonic expansion of the wider drill scene, allowing O’Kenneth to showcase his musicality. String-led opener ‘Abasakoom’ is akin to buttery smooth trap, while ‘Ya Parke’ and ‘Ain’t Shid’ draws from cinematic Brooklyn cuts. ‘M.O.B’ is London winter-cold, full of funereal keys and dark bass.
