Top 10 African Artists You Should Be Listening To

MsMojo

Africa's music scene is exploding with incredible talent! We're diving into the continent's most dynamic and groundbreaking artists who are taking the global music stage by storm. From Grammy winners to viral sensations, these musicians are redefining what it means to be a contemporary African artist, blending genres and breaking boundaries.

Transcript

00:00Pull up and earn me. Push the star.

00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo.

00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the most talented solo artists from across the continent of Africa

00:11who are slowly but steadily making their mark on the global stage.

00:20Number 10. Bien.

00:22As a solo artist, Kenyan singer Bien is relatively new to the scene.

00:26But his velvety voice has been charming fans for years.

00:29He first rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the beloved Afro-pop group Saudi Soul, with whom he released five albums.

00:43While he is still a member of the band, Bien branched out as a solo artist in 2021 with the release of his debut EP, Bald Men Love Better.

00:51Everything they do, we do it better.

00:54You need a bomb one to love you better, baby.

00:57The Nairobi-based musician blends Saudi Soul's signature Afro-pop sound with elements of rumba and amapiano

01:03to create a unique sound that's as heartfelt as it is dance floor ready.

01:07Beyond just entertainment, Bien also uses his music to spotlight pressing social issues in Kenya

01:12and is an outspoken advocate for artists' rights.

01:15Number 9. Diamond Platinums

01:24Before he hit superstardom,

01:26Tanzanian musician Diamond Platinums faced a difficult upbringing

01:29and worked several odd jobs to fund his studio sessions.

01:33Those efforts eventually paid off in 2010 with Come One B.A.,

01:36the hit single that shot him to fame.

01:38Since then, he has been unstoppable.

01:48He has transformed bongo flavor, Tanzania's native genre,

01:52into a pan-African sensation by infusing it with a more upbeat tempo

01:56and blending Swahili and English.

01:59That crossover appeal has shown in the numbers,

02:06as he became the first sub-Saharan artist to reach 1 billion views on YouTube.

02:11And while he shared the mic with the likes of Rick Ross, Neo, and Jason Derulo,

02:15Diamond Platinums still flies a bit too far under the international radar.

02:23Number 8. Black Sharif

02:24There's a lot to learn from the music of Black Sharif.

02:34The Ghanaian artist fashions himself a philosopher and storyteller,

02:38and his lyrics, which are written entirely by him, clearly reflect that.

02:42After making his debut in 2019,

02:45Black Sharif's breakthrough came three years later with Kweku the Traveler,

02:48a powerful single that showcased his ability to tell raw, emotional stories

02:52in both English and his native Tchwee.

03:01That song catapulted him to international stardom,

03:04but the fame never dulled his edge.

03:07If anything, it made it even sharper.

03:09Black Sharif has since released two full-length albums,

03:12The Villain I Never Was and Iron Boy,

03:14the latter of which broke Spotify's record

03:16for the most streams in a single day by a Ghanaian album.

03:19Number 7. Black Coffee

03:27Greatness often takes time to materialize,

03:29and few stories prove that better than Black Coffee's.

03:32Your eyes, they sparkle in the light

03:36But in the dark, I see that you're coming

03:39Born and raised in Durban, South Africa,

03:41this DJ began his career in 1994 as a backup singer,

03:45and later joined an Afro pop group.

03:47But it wasn't until the early 2000s

03:49that he started making real waves on his own.

03:57His 2005 self-titled debut album,

04:00which featured remixes of South African classics,

04:03put him on the map at home.

04:05But Black Coffee always had his sights set on the global stage,

04:08and his unique blend of Afro beats,

04:10house, and dance music carried him right onto it.

04:13In 2022, his album subconsciously took home the Grammy

04:16for Best Dance Electronic Album,

04:19making him the first African to win in that category.

04:27Number 6. Amare

04:28Try putting Amare in a box.

04:31We dare you.

04:32The Ghanaian-American genre bender is pop,

04:34R&B, Afro beats, and Alte,

04:36all rolled into one brilliant package.

04:38She first caught ears with her dreamy 2017 EP,

04:42Passion Fruit Summers.

04:43But it was her 2020 debut album,

04:45The Angel You Don't Know,

04:46that made critics and fans alike sit up and really listen.

04:57While those projects were rooted in Afro beats,

05:00her sophomore album, Fountain Baby,

05:02took a slight detour into the glitzy world

05:03of electronic and dance pop music to great success.

05:06The self-proclaimed warrior princess brings a voice

05:16that is otherworldly,

05:17a sound that is eclectic,

05:19and a fashion sense that refuses to follow the rules.

05:22If that doesn't deserve your attention,

05:24we don't know what does.

05:32Number 5. Davido

05:34When it comes to steadily churning out hits,

05:44only a few African artists can keep up with Davido.

05:47Ever since he broke out with Damiduro in 2011,

05:50Davido has kept his foot firmly on the gas.

05:53His signature mix of Afro beats,

05:55dance hall, and R&B

05:56lights up dance floors across the continent,

05:58and can take any party from zero to a hundred in a second.

06:01Don't believe us?

06:10Just play tracks like If, Fall, and Femme,

06:13and watch the high-energy vibe instantly lift your mood.

06:21At the risk of being accused of talking too much,

06:27we'll just say that while Davido comes from a privileged background,

06:30that doesn't mean he hasn't put in the relentless hard work

06:33to get where he is today.

06:34Number 4. Wizkid

06:42You've most likely heard Drake's chart-topping hit One Dance,

06:54but you may not be familiar with Wizkid,

06:56the voice behind its groovy post-chorus.

06:58Born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun,

07:07Wizkid is one of Africa's most influential musical exports.

07:11He started making music at just 11 years old,

07:14but it was his 2010 hit Hala At Your Boy

07:16that launched him into the spotlight

07:17and set the stage for a career

07:19that would help take Afro beats global.

07:21If you sing with Drake, bye, I like your boy

07:24I got my stride, I like your boy

07:27I pop my body

07:28Over the years, Wizkid has consistently raised the bar,

07:32collaborating with other international A-listers

07:34like Justin Bieber, Calvin Harris, and Beyonce.

07:37But his own work has been just as impactful,

07:40most notably 2020's Essence,

07:41which became the first Nigerian song

07:43to crack the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

07:45You don't need no other body

07:48You don't need no other body

07:53Number 3. Thames

07:54It was Wizkid's Essence that gave Thames

08:02her first international hit.

08:04Before that, she first made waves in Nigeria

08:06with 2018's Try Me,

08:08which landed her on multiple artists-to-watch lists.

08:11So why you wanna try me?

08:13Can't try me

08:14You're out to destroy me

08:16Destroy me

08:17After breaking onto the global stage,

08:19Thames built strong collaborations,

08:21helping to craft hits for heavyweights like Drake,

08:23Beyonce, and Rihanna.

08:25In fact, she co-wrote Rihanna's Lift Me Up,

08:27which made her the first Nigerian singer

08:29to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song.

08:32Despite these impressive accomplishments,

08:34Thames remained somewhat in the background

08:36until 2024,

08:38when she took center stage

08:39with her debut album, Born in the Wild.

08:41It produced the critically acclaimed singles

08:44Burning and Love Me Jeje,

08:45the latter of which won a Grammy

08:47for Best African Music Performance.

08:57Number 2.

08:58Tyla

08:58Although she only launched her career in 2019,

09:02Tyla has already become

09:03one of Africa's biggest music stars.

09:05The South African singer

09:06got her big break in 2023 with Water,

09:08which became an international hit

09:10after it sparked a viral dance challenge

09:12that flooded social media.

09:21But anyone thinking that she would be

09:23a one-hit wonder was quickly proven wrong.

09:26Tyla kept the momentum going

09:27with a string of successful singles,

09:29including Truth or Dare and Push to Start.

09:32Her status as a rising star

09:41was solidified when she won

09:43the inaugural Grammy Award

09:44for Best African Music Performance,

09:46becoming the youngest African artist

09:48to win a Grammy.

09:49Tyla always dreamed of being

09:50the biggest pop star out of Africa,

09:52and judging by her meteoric rise,

09:55she is well on her way.

09:56Before we unveil our top pick,

10:06here are some honorable mentions.

10:08Asha K.

10:08Mr. Money has taken Fuji music

10:10from the streets to the world stage.

10:18Ira Star.

10:19Nigeria's Sabi girl sure knows

10:21how to craft incredibly catchy tunes.

10:22energy don't dialogue

10:25for a friendly and conscious

10:27I'm allergic to so-co-so

10:30Fatumata Diawara.

10:31This Malian singer draws from her experiences

10:34to make deeply resonant music.

10:44Nasty C.

10:45South Africa's rap prodigy

10:46forged his own path

10:47with sharp lyrics

10:48and a versatile flow.

10:49I used to have tech

10:50in the fridge in the bank

10:52I'm not going back

10:53I had bad bugs

10:54I had roaches and rats

10:56I'm not going back

10:57He is bold,

10:59he is unapologetic,

11:00he is an Afrobeats icon

11:02in the making.

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11:25Number 1.

11:26Burnaboy

11:26Calling yourself

11:34the African giant

11:35takes a lot of confidence

11:36but Burnaboy

11:37has the talent

11:38to justify it.

11:39Raised in Port Harkot, Nigeria,

11:41he was surrounded

11:41by music from an early age.

11:43His grandfather

11:44even managed

11:44the legendary musician

11:45and activist

11:46Fela Kuti

11:47whose influence

11:47still echoes

11:48through his work today.

11:49Burnaboy

11:58infuses everything

11:59from hip-hop

12:00to reggae

12:00into Afrobeats

12:01to create a sound

12:02that is unmistakably

12:03his own

12:03and impossible

12:04to ignore.

12:05His music

12:06is wildly entertaining

12:07and just like Kuti,

12:09he also uses it

12:10to speak out

12:10on the issues

12:11facing Nigeria's youth.

12:12With a Grammy

12:13on his shelf,

12:14BET awards

12:15to his name

12:15and millions

12:16of records sold,

12:17Burnaboy

12:18has more than

12:18earned the right

12:19to call himself

12:20the African giant.

12:28Which of these artists

12:29do you already have

12:30in your playlist?

12:31Show them some love

12:32in the comments below.

12:33I really like to party

12:34I really like to party

12:37I really like to party

12:39I cannot control my body

12:41In n

12:51You

12:51can really see

12:52on the workforce

12:53in thevoor

12:54I just want to

12:55use

12:56that

12:57where

12:58your

12:59what

13:01you

13:02would not

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