10. BLAISE (NIGERIA)
Blaise’s discography in truth is not glittery enough to have her considered as one of the greatest ever African rappers. She didn’t win awards, she didn’t release any solo projects and she wasn’t popular enough, but if Jay Electronica can be deemed a legend despite not having any solo albums to his name, then Blaise can be considered a great off of freestyles and guest verses alone. No?
Also Read: The Six Best Female Rappers In Africa Right Now
Blaise is one of the best lyricists in Nigeria (debatable top 5), but for some reason she was always missing in action, like Mesut Ozil in big games. She was one-of-two female rappers of the now defunct hip-hop group Trybesmen, the other lady in the group was a certain Sasha. As we all know, Sasha hugged the spotlight and in sequence achieved a very decent career for herself, while Blaise was quite the opposite. It’s no secret Blaise is the more lyrical of the two but I always say talent alone is not enough to cut it in this industry. If this was a list on the “hottest ever African rappers,” then Sasha will definitely be on here in place of Blaise. But it’s not.
Blaise during her in-and-out rap career was rated highly among her competition … but she was only known by a small section of the Nigerian audience … a number largely made up of people who claimed to be hip hop heads. It’s hard to be popular when you don’t crave the spotlight, a trait I’ve observed to be common with a lot of MC’s both past and present. Blaise will pop out the blue with stellar guest verses and TV appearances every now-and-then but she never really left the underground. She had plans of finally releasing a solo album some four years ago, but till this day, nothing has dropped. In a way it’s a good thing because her legacy can stay preserved. The Nigerian makes my list because she’s simply the most curious case of all.
Blaise didn’t fulfill her potential as a rapper but she did just enough to land a spot as one of the greatest ever African rappers. You agree?