Apple Music today launches a new monthly on-demand African edition of Rap Life Radio, presented by hip hop aficionado, Ebro Darden and South African TV presenter and radio personality, LootLove (real name Luthando Shosha). Rap Life Radio, Africa Edition will serve as a companion to Apple Music’s flagship hip hop playlist, Rap Life.

“The Rap Life brand, playlist and radio show, is something we hope artists and fans of hip hop all over the world can connect through. LootLove stepping in for a special edition ‘Rap Life Africa’ helps us keep building that bridge. This is dope!” exclaimed Ebro.

“I’m super excited about the launch of the monthly African Edition of Rap Life Radio with Ebro on Apple Music. This is a phenomenal way to kick off 2022! It’s going to be magical! I’ve watched South African hip-hop grow from its infancy to a really commercial space here and it’s been a beautiful journey to witness. Watching it from a continental perspective has also been really exciting, African hip-hop is really taking up space! I’m excited about the likes of Blxckie, KashCPT and LucasRaps,” says LootLove.

During each episode of Rap Life, Africa Edition; Ebro and LootLove will chat about all the breaking news from the world of African hip-hop, while featuring some of the hottest new releases from across the continent. Ebro and LootLove will also discuss how African artists are shaping hip-hop and rap on the continent and around the world.

The first episode of Rap Life Radio, Africa Edition; launches on Friday 21 January and features new music from South African rapper A-Reece, Ghanaian rapper Amerado and Nigerian singer-songwriter LADIPOE.

Rap Life Radio, Africa Edition with Ebro Darden & LootLove will be available on demand on Apple Music every month, as well as the Rap Life playlist featuring the hottest new tracks and trends from across the African continent.

Los Angeles rap duo Coyote is kicking off the new year by displaying their versatility on their new single “Street Lights”. The new single features fellow budding LA rap star Bino Rideaux who coalesces with their somber melodic street vibe on this record with lyrics like “dead homies in my photos, I love the streets, but the streets took bro though”. As opposed to their usual ferociously lyrical uptempo crowd rocking ready joints, the duo affectionately known as the ‘yotes took a much different approach, harmonizing about the streets as they croon “the homies that be trapping be trapped ’cause there’s no escape”.

Having already set the groundwork by touring the world with West Coast legend The Game over the past 3 years, as well as performing at major festival Once Upon a Time In LA, while releasing videos such as “Hoodrat”, “Yea Yea” featuring Blueface, the deuces are truly wild as the two are set to have a huge 2022.

Superstar Mr Eazi and actress/social media personality Temi Otedola are one of Africa’s most unproblematic couples as it’s very rare to hear about any controversy surrounding their relationship. Although the two live very public lives within the spotlight their relationship is one that is quite under wraps until in 2020 the two decided to create a podcast together entitled “How Far? with Mr Eazi and Temi Otedola”.

A safe place for the two to discuss their own personal relationship as well as other hot topics such as finances, friendships, pop culture and whatever comes to mind!. With the release of Season 2, Episode 1 today (Friday 17th January) the two reflect on their Christmas celebrations and Detty December. They get honest about spending, first jobs, and their first-ever paychecks, and define what success means to them. They round off the episode by discussing their hopes for the coming year and how they would like to improve in 2022.

“Like so many podcasts How Far was born out of boredom during the first Covid lockdown but it’s become a true passion project since then. It’s the first time I and Eazi have ever created something together and I love having this space to discuss anything and everything, including relationships, friendship, work and money. It’s scary but so liberating to speak my mind on such various topics and create important conversations with our audience” – Temi Otedola

Season 2: “How Far?” with Mr Eazi and Temi Otedola is out today Friday 17th January 2022. New episodes are out every Friday.

Keep Up To Date with the How Far? Podcast here:

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Bishop Benedict Marfo, better known by his stage name Pope Nst, is a Ghanaian hip-hop singer and composer who hails from Nsuta, a tiny town in the Ashanti region of the country. Because Benedict is a Pope, and Nst is an acronym for Nsuta, his stage name arouses interest. He attended St Peter’s Junior Secondary School for his primary education and Kumasi Academy for his secondary education, both of which were located in the Ashanti area of Ghana. The University of Ghana Medical School, Korle-Bu campus, is where he is now studying for his medical degree.

He found his musical ability when still in junior high school, according to Pope Nst. He does a performance of his own songs in front of his peers. He was also well-known for rapping over the likes of Reggie Rockstone and Okyeame Kwame, among others. Sarkodie and Stonebowy served as inspiration for him to pursue a career in music. It should also be noted that he stutters, however, this is not noticeable while listening to his “flow.” In 2013, he was the winner of the Solid FM and subsequently K FM freestyle Saturday competitions. In addition, he writes songs in both English and Twi, the indigenous language of Ghana. He has one studio album, two EPs, about five singles, and more than seventy freestyle songs to his credit. Ghanaians adore him for the messages he conveys via his songs.

“I decided to pursue medicine at the University so that in the future I can help people, especially children with such a speech disorder. Medical school admission is very competitive, but after three years of intensive studies, written exams, and interviews, I was admitted into the first medical school in Ghana and one of the best in Africa, the University of Ghana Medical School. All along I was still recording mixtapes and releasing singles. I am currently in my fifth year of the six-year medical school training” – Pope Nst

He is a fictitious rapper who raps about the realities of life in order to enlighten his audience. He has two studio albums and eleven singles to his credit. When he joined high school in 2010, he grew fascinated with hip-hop/rap music and culture. Pope Nst has previously released one Mixtape Album and two Extended Plays, which are also available on iTunes (EPs). He collaborates with Ipappi, who is widely regarded as one of Ghana’s top music producers. In the opinion of Pope Nst, the Ghanaian hip-hop/rap scene is the most developed on the African continent.

“I get inspiration from almost everything around me. I have decided to write at least a verse every week, so anything I see in my environment is a rap to me. It takes me at least a day to write a 16- bar verse, but it can take me at least a month to write a full song.” – He added

The album title of his most recent release, “C.I.T.I.Z.E.N.,” relates to his great devotion to Ghana’s history and culture, which is reflected in the album’s title. According to the 26-year-old “The album cover includes a picture of my elementary school class teacher and his students. He is the second from the teacher’s left. The record has a special meaning for him. During the recording of the album “CITIZEN,” Pope Nst made no mention of medical school. A new album chronicling his six-year experience through medical school, which began in 2017, is now being written by him.

“Music has been a part of me long before I even decided to study medicine. I study every day, and I write lyrics every day too. I am going to be a neurosurgeon. I believe music is my primary purpose on earth, so I will never quit rapping.” – Pope Nst

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2GB6RHhT9EKxkks5PYYyxO

Audiomack: https://audiomack.com/pope-nst/album/citizen

Apple Music: https://geo.music.apple.com/album/citizen-ep/1604236297?app=music

Boomplay: https://www.boomplay.com/share/album/38521478?

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Os6ZAn7Mh18

GH Drills’s music was never going to be one of simplicity, that was defined by rigid genre boundaries. Hailing from Ghana, GH Drill has quickly established himself as the face of Ghanaian Drill in an international market. Starting out in church choir to national radio success, GH Drill understands the hard work and perseverance it takes to be an artist who is going to make it.

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GH Drill believes that you can always find light in the dark. ‘’Although the inspiration for ‘De3 Obr3 na 3di3′ was picked up from other people’s struggles and stories, I am an artist full of vibes and positive energy’’. The dance/drill track is enough to get anyone on the dance floor. It was a long writing process, working to perfect the track and to detail GH Drill’s raw emotion and depth of feelings.

‘De3 Obr3 na 3di3’ demonstrates an artist with a real voice, putting their heart on the line and finding good in the bad. We have no doubt that GH Drill is crafting out his own lane in a competitive scene.

‘De3 Obr3 na 3di3’ is available on all digital streaming platforms globally here: https://ditto.fm/de3-obr3-na-3di3

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Instagram: gh_drill
Twitter: @GhDrill
Facebook: Gh Drill

Spotify today announced that Ghanaian breakout star, Amaarae, has joined its EQUAL Music Programme as January’s Artist of the Month. The red-gold-green nation’s global sensation is the cover of Spotify’s EQUAL Africa playlist, which compiles music from “the fiercest African women making waves”.

Spotify EQUAL is a pledge to amplify the voices of women in the music industry, as only 25% of artistes on the charts are female, according to a study by Spotify-funded USC Annenberg.

The EQUAL programme spans seven categories, which include the EQUAL Artists of the Month and the EQUAL local playlists, where Amaarae represents the January 2022 selection.

“I’m incredibly proud to be EQUAL’s Artist of the Month in recognition of all the barriers my creative work looks to break. It’s a win for Ghanaian and African female creators,” says Amaarae.

New York-born Ama Serwah Genfi is creating R&B, Soul, and Afropop fusions that have global appeal. Amaarae, who is a strong advocate of gender equality, is fast achieving fame. The rise of “The Angel You Don’t Know” album maker on Spotify is phenomenal, with more than 10 million monthly listeners, and over 116 million streams for her “Sad Girlz Luv Money” remix alone.

With this viral hit, which features Kali Uchis and Moliy and which debuted at #80 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 2021, Amaarae became the second Ghanaian to break into the Billboard charts – 50 years after Ghanaian-English Afro rock band Osibisa first paved the way.

Today, the entertainer known to her social media fans as “Fountain Baby” follows in the footsteps of fellow Ghanaian female star Gyakie who, with her selection in April last year, became the first African woman to partner with Spotify for EQUAL.

Other African artistes to have been featured on EQUAL include Kenya’s SSARU and Muthoni Drummer Queen, Nigeria’s Ayra Starr, and South Africa’s DBN Gogo.