Flex Boogie, featured on this song by producer/radio deejay The Prince, is a Pretoria-based hip-hop artist who was part of the pioneering hip-hop group Ba4za at one point. He has undergone numerous changes since then – from an overhaul of his image, to recently appearing in a liquor advert on national television (Flex Boogie’s real name is Hakeem, and he’s Muslim). But he doesn’t rap this song. Instead, he provides fillers over sparse house beats, hollering “tsokotsa” (dance) every so often.

In the lead-up to her new album entitled “Ticket to the world”, German-Ghanaian vocalist Ayo collaborates with Congolese-French emcee Youssoupha for a bit of social commentary. “The city’s burning down/ but there’s no water” she sings before her rap/spoken word crusade. It must be pointed out that Youssoupha’s verse is very similar in structure to this song of his. (P.S.: Her facebook page is somewhat of a gem.)

“My new album is more involved. It takes you on a spiritual trip. It is about good and bad, about body and soul, and about finding the balance. It takes you out of your comfort zone and makes you feel part of the music” says vocalist Ntjam Rosie. This music is the perfect backdrop for the Southern Hemisphere’s transition into Spring.

A Professor song has become standard in any house club in South Africa. He ropes in kwaito artist Brickz for yet another club-friendly heater.

Lesotho’s Charles Alvin possesses an effortless flow which is expertly complemented by the music. The video, shot around the surrounds of Maseru by upcoming director Sehlabaka Rampeta, is not half-bad either.

Fredy Massamba was in South Africa in September last year. That is when him and Tumi (formerly of Tumi and the Volume) linked up to record this song.

Big FKN Gun enlist the help of Cuss Group co-conspirateur Ravi Govender to direct this stark look into the realities of a drug currently causing turf wars in Durban. The video features an appearance by artist Evl Jon, whose exhibition “Ward 56” opened this past week.

Johannesburg party rap comes to the fore on this club banger-assured collaboration between DJ Switch and Reason.

This Starz-produced collaboration between surefire Nigerian heavyweights follows hot on the heels of Shank’s victorious Music Video of the Year nod at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards. Expect beautifully haunting visuals courtesy of Patrick Elis.

And straight from Belgium to the world, the duo of Joy Adegoke and Wim Janssens (better known as Joy Wellboy) makes exquisite electronic funk for outstanding music connoisseurs and occasional listeners alike. We dig it!

Further Reading

On Safari

On our year-end publishing break, we reflect on how 2024’s contradictions reveal a fractured world grappling with inequality, digital activism, and the blurred lines between action and spectacle.

Rebuilding Algeria’s oceans

Grassroots activists and marine scientists in Algeria are building artificial reefs to restore biodiversity and sustain fishing communities, but scaling up requires more than passion—it needs institutional support and political will.

Ibaaku’s space race

Through Afro-futurist soundscapes blending tradition and innovation, Ibaaku’s new album, ‘Joola Jazz,’ reshapes Dakar’s cultural rhythm and challenges the legacy of Négritude.

An allegiance to abusers

This weekend, Chris Brown will perform two sold-out concerts in South Africa. His relationship to the country reveals the twisted dynamic between a black American artist with a track record of violence and a country happy to receive him.

Shell’s exit scam

Shell’s so-called divestment from Nigeria’s Niger Delta is a calculated move to evade accountability, leaving behind both environmental and economic devastation.

Africa’s sibling rivalry

Nigeria and South Africa have a fraught relationship marked by xenophobia, economic competition, and cultural exchange. The Nigerian Scam are joined by Khanya Mtshali to discuss the dynamics shaping these tensions on the AIAC podcast.

The price of power

Ghana’s election has brought another handover between the country’s two main parties. Yet behind the scenes lies a flawed system where wealth can buy political office.

Beats of defiance

From the streets of Khartoum to exile abroad, Sudanese hip-hop artists have turned music into a powerful tool for protest, resilience, and the preservation of collective memory.