29. Shane Eagle (South Africa)
28. Vector (Nigeria)
He may have been quiet for most of 2021, but Crown Of Clay remains one of the biggest hip hop releases of the year.
27. Wordz (South Africa)
Wordz is the product of a praying mother. The Pretorian uses 12-tracks to Reflect on his upbringing and the teachings of his mother. The rapper has previously delivered two mixtapes L3 (Long Lost Letters) in 2018 & Death B4 Dishonor in 2019.
26. L-Tido (South Africa)
L-Tido returned this year with Pressure, his first project since 2018’s 16. The South African went all out for the four-track EP tapping the likes of AKA and Stogie T. However, it felt rushed, unpolished and was mildly disappointing.
25. Rouge (South Africa)
Rouge just keeps getting better every year. Confidence is sky high, and I feel like she moved up several strides this year. In 2021 Mrs. popular bagged a verse from Sarkodie and used the moment to inform us of her status change. “We’re not in the same WhatsApp group.”
24. Lucasraps (South Africa)
Durban-born rapper Lucasraps capped off a near perfect year for him by landing a spot on Snoop Dogg’s Algorithm: Global Edition album. If you get recognized by Snoop Dogg it means you’re doing something right.
23. Maglera Doe Boy (South Africa)
Everything Maglera Doe Boy was doing in the past was building up to this moment. Using a unique style called “Strata” Doe Boy has been able to create a lane for himself by rapping about his lived experiences in the gang infested townships. In 2021 he finally released his debut album 2 Player.
22. Loose Kaynon (Nigeria)
Loose Kaynon’s last memorable hip hop contribution was on the Choc Boi Nation compilation, and that was in 2015. Fast forward to 2021, Loose returned with a new album titled Survivor’s Remorse. Like M.I Abaga, he also participated in the Lamb 3.0 cypher
21. Kwesta (South Africa)
20. Khaligraph Jones (Kenya)
19. M.anifest (Ghana)
18. Gigi Lamayne (South Africa)
Gigi Lamayne started 2021 on a mission by dropping a handful of freestyles on social media, which she eventually followed with the release of her album Mermaids And Stuff.
17. Holstar (Zambia)
During a previous interview with Creative-HipHop, Holstar admitted that he often feels left out of the modern day genre. Since then he has been doing so many things right and has decided to experiment more with his music. This year he released two albums and also participated in the Zamrock cypher.
16. Psycho YP (Nigeria)
Abuja-based rapper, Psycho YP continues to make a name for himself as he climbs the ranks of Nigerian hip-hop music with his airtight wordplay and melodious sing-song flow. In 2021 YP released a nine-track album, Euphoria, with features from Alpha P, PatrickxxLee and J Molley.
15. PdotO (South Africa)
Listen to “Cold Waters: Low Tides And Lost Tapes” to find out why PdotO earned a spot on out Top 50 list. The explosive MC lets his fans know how he’s coming right off the bat, with clever wordplay and crafty metaphors.
14. Nata (Sierra Leone)
“The best kept secret has now spoken.” – US-based Sierra Leone rapper Nata reminds me so much of Rapsody. Not just because of her delivery and looks but her cadence as well. In 2021 she released her album ‘Rookie Of The Year’ to great acclaim, and was also nominated in 3 categories at the 2021 Afrima awards including Best African Rapper/Lyricist and Best African Act In Diaspora (Female).
13. Emtee (South Africa)
Emtee has grown up in the industry and has evolved as an artist. The rapper has expanded his style to express his new love for fatherhood. His 2021 endeavors and the release of Logan fully conceptualizes his growth.
12. The Big Hash (South Africa)
Back in January, The Big Hash released “Peace Of Mind” as his first single of 2021. Unfortunately, the song was removed from streaming platforms amid his legal battle with his former label, Innanetwav. However, he persisted with his mission to release new music by releasing “Heavy Is The Crown”, featuring Blxckie and YoungstaCPT, on Soundcloud. Fast forward to November, The Big Hash released his first independent album titled “ARIES: A Precursor To Heartbreak Hotel”.
The project came in two parts, with a total of eleven songs with features from the likes of Rowlene, Blxckie, YoungstaCpt, Flvme, and Ayanda Jiya. The Big Hash isn’t stopping, and already has a new album scheduled to arrive in 2022.
11. Kwesi Arthur (Ghana)
As we await the release of Son Of Jacob, Kwesi Arthur continues to wax strong. In addition to collaborating with Sarkodie, the Tema native also scored a collaboration with Chicago-based rapper Vic Mensa.