Apple Music celebrates resurgence of Mzansi HipHop with 4 Newcomers for ‘Rap Life Africa’

Apple Music is shining a spotlight on the new wave of hip-hop acts that emerged in 2024 by featuring them on their flagship playlist, Rap Life Africa.

Rap Life Africa is home to hip-hop’s heavy hitters and songs that speak to the moments that define the culture today. It’s only fitting that Apple Music closes out a year of covers by featuring rising stars, Usimamane, Tony Dayimane, Ziggy4x and KindlyNxsh.

These emcees have brought an exciting new energy to the hip-hop scene and have dominated the charts. Newcomer Usimamane, whose viral track “Cheque” catapulted him into the limelight, released his debut album through gamma. which hit number #1 on the Apple Music album charts, marking a major achievement for the freshman.

Tony Dayimane also dropped his much anticipated debut Red October: Induction featuring heavyweights Okmalumkoolkat, Kwesta and Emtee, while Ziggy4x brought a fresh new sound from Cape Town with his viral track “Honne” and his debut EP Gangsta Baby. In a year of notable remixes, newcomer KindlyNxsh’s “Eish Chief” got the superstar treatment from none other than Nasty C.

“The streets have been dying hard for something fresh, and what makes my sound resonate with people is: relatable lyrics, soulful vocals, cultural relevance, catchy melodies and emotional authenticity. These factors combined have helped me resonate with people on a deep level, creating a loyal fan base and critical acclaim.” – Usimamane

“We caught hip-hop at a space where it wasn’t shining like it was back in 2016, 2017 and respectfully, the genre of amapiano was everywhere and often compared to our genre because it was new and the same for hip-hop, all we needed was new faces in the game and obviously via social media it was able to introduce us to new fresh artists with a new culture being formed which is what the culture has been hungry for, since 2021 and yeah as the ‘innanet.wav’ it does seem like we are here to stay.” – Tony Dayimane

“I think because my music is raw and authentic, the combination of my voice, lyrics, content and texture of my production gives a full picture that’s easier for people to buy into.” – Ziggy4x

“Hip-Hop in South Africa has gone through a lot as a whole. In the past few years, we’ve lost multiple vital hip-hop heavyweights, and after their passing, it’s left us in a challenging place as consumers and creators. This year, I feel that everyone, including myself, became extremely hungry and ready to fill the spaces our late legends have left behind for us. I personally came to the realization that… if I don’t take charge now, it’ll never happen. And now that I have, even as an independent artist, I’ve really made it my time, with nothing but a dream, music, and an iPhone.” – KindlyNxsh

This fresh class of rappers rose to the occasion by creating conversation around the genre and proving that it’s still as culturally relevant as ever in Mzansi. Simultaneously, established hip-hop acts returned to the charts like they’d never left with A-Reece’s Kill the King: the mixtape topping the chart in five countries, while Nasty C’s Confuse The Enemy – EP, Emtee’s DIY 3, and Blxckie’s see u soon each topping the chart in four countries.

Apple Music has also released the names of the Top 10 SA Hip-Hop Artists on Apple Music Worldwide, the Top 10 SA Hip-Hop Albums on Apple Music Worldwide and the Top 10 SA Hip-Hop Songs on Apple Music Worldwide (Worldwide streams from November 1, 2023, through October 31, 2024)

Top 10 South African Hip-Hop Artists on Apple Music Worldwide 

1 Nasty C

2 A-Reece

3 AKA

4 Blxckie

5 Big Zulu

6 Emtee

7 Usimamane

8 K.O.

9 Cassper Nyovest

10 Kwesta

Top 10 South African Hip-Hop Albums on Apple Music Worldwide 

1 Nasty C, Strings and Bling

2 A-Reece, P2: THE BIG HEARTED BAD GUY

3 Nasty C, I Love It Here

4 Usimamane, 20th: Days Before Maud

5 A-Reece, Kill The King: the mixtape

6 AKA, Levels

7 AKA, Touch My Blood

8 A-Reece, Today’s Tragedy, Tomorrow’s Memory: the mixtape

9 K.O, SR3

10 Blxckie, B4NOW

Top 10 South African Hip-Hop Songs on Apple Music Worldwide 

1 K.O, “SETE (feat. Young Stunna & Blxckie)”

2 AKA, Nasty C, “Lemons  (Lemonade)”

3 Nasty C, “SMA (feat. Rowlene)”

4 Usimamane, Sjava, “Uvalo”

5 AKA, KDDO, “Company”

6 Usimamane, “Cheque”

7 Inkabi Zezwe, Sjava, Big Zulu, “Umbayimbayi”

8 Qwellers, “Typhoon (feat. Sastii, LaCabra, Lowfeye & Blue Pappi)”

9 AKA, “All Eyes on Me”

10 Nasty C, Runtown, “Said”

The final episode of Rap Life Radio With Ebro and Africa Now Radio host, Nandi Madida, will air on the 20th of December.