Hip-hop music

What is Hip-hop/Rap?

Hip-hop/ rap is a genre of music that was developed by African American in the 1970s in New York. The genre revolves around four main elements namely; emceeing which is currently referred to as rapping, deejaying, graffiti and breakdancing. Basically, for a song to be classified under this genre, it should have some aspect of rapping, depending on the tempo of the song, the beats can either be fast or moderate; this represents the deejaying bit which is also experienced during live performances. Additionally, videos under this genre are mostly artistic with lots of painting and sophisticated dance moves.

Where did rap music come from?

There are many theories available regarding the origin of Hip-hop. However, reliable sources indicate that this genre originated from the Bronx area of New York in the 1970s. The genre came up as a result of the diverse culture that was experienced in New York back then. The City hosted lots of immigrants especially from Puerto Rico and Caribbean countries. Hip-hop is believed to be a mixture of various musical elements from various cultures that were exhibited in New York at that time. During gatherings popularly known as Block Parties, DJs would play around with different sounds, creating a blend that later ended up being referred to as Hip-hop.
While it is not exactly clear who came up with the name of the genre, some of the DJs that were so instrumental in its development include; DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa and DJ Disco Wiz among others.

What is the real hip-hop meaning?

Initially, hip-hop just represented a type of music, however, it evolved into a global movement where the oppressed used it as a means of airing out their grievances. In the United States, Black musicians have and are still using rap music to fight against racial oppression, inequality in matters of education, voter rights and employment among others. The same situation has been witnessed in different parts of the world as musicians have been releasing rap music to fight against various policies and educate the masses on various issues of public importance.
In Kenya for example, rapper King Kaka in 2019 released an explosive song dubbed ‘Wajinga Nyinyi’ castigating leaders for misappropriating resources.Wajinga Nyinyi went viral online and caused an uproar across the country. Sauti Sol and Nyashinski also teamed up on ‘Tujiangalie’ documenting some of the social ills affecting the country.

Which are the top 2022 Hip-hop rap songs in the world?
1. Way 2- Drake ft Future and Young Thug
2. Up – Cardi B
3. Girls want Girls – Drake ft Lil Baby
4. Off the Grid – Kanye West
5. Thot Shit – Megan Thee Stallion
6. Family Ties – Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem
7. Off the Grid – Kanye West
8. Diet Coka – Pusha T
9. Million Dollars Worth Of Game – 2 Chainz ft. 42 Dugg
10. Fish Scale – NBA Youngboy

Top 2022 Hip-hop songs in Nigeria:
1. Hate Me – Olamide ft Wande Coal
2. Shakara – Ice Prince and CKay
3. Belong To You –Phyno ft Peruzzi
4. Reminisce - Alaye Toh Se Gogo
5. Blaqbonez – Commander

Top 2022 Hip-hop songs in Kenya:
1. Shida za Kidosi – King Kaka ft Khaligraph
2. Sifu Bwana - Khaligraph Jones ft. Nyashinski
3. Sipangwingwi – Exray ft Trio Mio and Ssaru
4. Na Ng’ang’ana - Trio Mio ft. Kingpheezle
5. Usiniharibie Mood – Mejja

Top 2022 Hip-hop songs in Tanzania:
1. Mulla – Rosa Reef t Abby Chams
2. Yule – Stamina ft Saraphina
3. Unakaaje Chini – G Nako
4. Sogea – Darassa ft Sani Boy
5. Take One Episode One – Country Wizzy

Who are the top musicians in this genre right now?

Globally, some of the top artists in this genre include; Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B, YE (Kanye West), Megan the Stallion, J Cole, Lil Nas, Dababy, Saweetie, Future, Travis Scott, Lil Wayne, Jay Z and Logic among others. Continentally, the top artists in the genre include; Khaligaph Jones (Kenya), Nasty C (South Africa), Olamide (Nigeria), Ice Prince (Nigeria), Phyno (Nigeria), Mejja (Kenya), King Kaka (Kenya), Nyashinski (Kenya) Darassa (Tanzania), Rosa Ree (Tanzania) and Rostam (Tanzania) among others.

How to listen and download Hip-hop/rap music on Mdundo.com
Hip-hop music is available for free download and streaming online on mdundo.com. To listen to rap music on Mdundo, visit mdundo.com and search for the specific genre. A catalog of available MP3 Hip-hop music from top artists will then be provided for you to select the songs you want. You can download/listen to music on Mdundo through your phone, laptop or any other device that can access the internet.