Ghana has been home to some of the most recognizable musical exports from the African continent, contributing heavily to the globalization and development of the continent's sound. While highlife is regarded as the country’s biggest sonic export, the introduction of hiplife some 30 years ago invigorated the Ghanaian music scene and birthed some of the country's most important artists. 

Hiplife music blends hip-hop from the West with Ghanaian highlife sounds like Jama and Kpanlogo — a sound and dance by the Ga people, who make use of nono (metal bell), fao (gourd rattle), and local drums to play beats. These elements were fused with funk, bass, and boom-bap to create hiplife. Hiplife and hip-hop have aural similarities and both use rapping; both genres also reflect a larger culture. 

While Gyedu-Blay Ambolley is considered one of the earliest rappers, as demonstrated on his 1973 song "Simigwa-Do," the term "hiplife" was only coined in the late 1990s by genre pioneer Reggie Rockstone. Still, American hip-hop had arrived in the Ghanaian capital of Accra by the early '90s and local rappers began to release their own music soon after. Duo Talking Drum were among this early cohort, and their single "Aden" was an underground hit in 1993.

As a movement and culture, hiplife is also an identity,  created to encourage people to be daring in their exploration of sound. Pioneering hiplife artists like Root Eye Samini and Shatta Wale (then known as Bandana) fused dancehall and highlife in the early 2000s to make music which could connect with local audiences.  

Collaborations between artists and producers have been crucial in defining the sound, evolution, and amplification of hiplife. Just as hip-hop has developed a plethora of subgenres, hiplife has birthed other sounds such as azonto and asakaa. An offshoot of asakaa, Ghanaian drill, was among the elements in the new Best African Music Performance Category at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

The story of hiplife includes many important producers, artists and labels, including Kassa Records, DJ Rab, Zapp Mallet, Akyeame, Panji Anoff, JayQ, Hammer,  Ex Doe, Chicago, and Okomfour Kwadee. Going forward, the mantle will fall on artists like TicTac, Abrewa Nana, Appietus, and much later a younger generation including  Asem, Richie Mensah, and Beeztrap KOTM continue to amplify hiplife. Afrobeats artists have also taken notice; Tic Tac and Tony Tetuila’s "Fefe Ne Fe" was sampled on the 2019 song "Gbese" by DJ Tunez feat. Wizkid and Blaqjerzee. 

With African music continuing to gain global recognition, the rich sounds emanating from the African continent are ripe for exploration.  Read on for 10 artists who have been essential to the story of hiplife music.

Reggie Rockstone is regarded by many Ghanaians as the godfather of hiplife, having paved the path for many to pursue rapping as a career. Working with producers like the late Rab Bakari (DJ Rab Bakari), Reggie set the ball rolling for hiplife through songs like "Tsooboi." 

His 1997 album Makaa Maka offered an early template for the sound, fusing Western-influenced hip-hop with traditional Ghanaian highlife sounds. The linguistically adept Reggie Rockstone — a Ghanaian boy who was raised in the UK and New York — rapped in both English and impeccable Ghanaian Twi to the shock and admiration of many. By this singular act, he proved that it was cool to rap in your own dialect and not necessarily in English, like American rappers of the '90s.

Reggie's will to make Ghanaian rap music stand out via releases like Me Na Me Kae, and Me Ka did not go unrewarded. He also scored hits with his singles "Keep Your Eyes on the Road," "Plan Ben," and "AH." He has also collaborated withdancehall giant Beenie Man and Nigerian legend 2Face.

Lord Kenya rose to fame when he joined Slip Music, one of Ghana’s celebrated music labels of the late '90s and mid-2000s. His musicality was undeniable, and his hardcore rap style was adored by many for its energetic flow and delivery.  Likened to Tupac Shakur, Kenya was very direct whenever he was on the mic. He never shied away from any lyrical battle thus earning him the title "rap heavyweight." His swagger on and off the mic made him a star, with many eager to catch him anytime he performed.  

Lord Kenya's street affinity, coupled with great stage performances, left a mark on Ghanaian audiences. His albums — including 1998's Sika Card, Yesom Sika, and Sika Baa — solidified his position as one of hiplife’s most important artists. Kenya's hit singles "Enyomo," "Medo" and "Sika Mpo Mfa Neho" as well as his verse on the late Daseebre Dwamena’s song, "Kookoo" ushered in a street approach to the rap scene, as seen in the careers of rappers like Kwaw Kese and Kweku Smoke in later years.

Revered, celebrated, and crowned by music rap purists in Ghana as "Rap Sofo" (high priest of rap), Obrafour influenced multiple generations of rappers in Ghana. The artist first gained popularity in the late '90s with his cadence and mastery over his mother tongue, Twi, as well as his storytelling, lyricism, and wisdom.

Obrafour’s flow complemented the work of legendary producer Hammer, who brought hard-hitting drums, horns, and legendary sharp chords to Obrafour’s 1999 album Pae Mu Ka. The album is regarded as the bridge that connected older audiences who dismissed hiplife as a passing fad and the youth, who regarded hiplife as the future of Ghanaian music. Today, Pae Mu Ka is as important to hiplife as Nas’ Illmatic is to hip-hop.

Pae Mu Ka was the first of several collaborations between Obrafour and Hammer. Together, they created a sound that would influence generations of rappers. Obrafour is held in high regard by rappers such as M.anifest, Guru, Ko-Jo Cue, and Pappy Kojo.

Established in Nima, a suburb of Accra, VIP underwent significant personnel changes but never let their commitment to hiplife music falter. Original member Friction later onboarded Promzy, Prodigal, and Lazzy (who later changed his name to Zeal), and Bone championed the vision of the group for over a decade (as well as the departure of  Friction, Bone and Promzy).

Backed by the group's diverse personalities, VIP quickly became one of the biggest music exports of the country, winning six awards at the Ghana Music Awards in (2004), including Song Of The Year for the 2003 hit title track "Ahomka Wo Mu." Over a two-decade period, the group released albums and scored several hits and collaborated with some of the continent's finest, including  2Face, Patoranking and a host of others. Vision in Progress (VIP) epitomized the cultural ethos of hiplife: raw energy, passion and talent.

When Reggie Rockstone, a longtime admirer of the group, arrived in 2014, the group became  VVIP. The group’s success would be further cemented as they crossed over into Nigeria and other parts of the world. "Ahomka Wo Mu" has been sampled and interpolated by various musicians, including songs by  MUT4Y & Wizkid  and Kida Kudz.

While Twi rapping artists dominated the hiplife music industry, very few artists were successfully making music in other local dialects. Tinny — a rapper who raps in Ga, a language spoken by the people of Accra —  rose to the occasion with both rap and fashion. Another product of Hammer’s Last Two record label, Tinny had an unmatched aura that earned him the moniker "Sexy Man Tinny." Early aughts albums such as Makola Kwakwe, Aletse (Akwe Polo), and Kaa Bu Ame still echo in today’s industry. His later works with record producer Richie Mensah on singles like "Ringtone" and "Now I Know" further entrenched his name in Ghana’s hiplife history.

Tinny’s will to pursue rap music in Ga laid the foundation for artists such as Edem, who raps predominantly in Ewe and to a degree music duo Blackstone who performed in Dagbani. Tinny also featured in the BET Hiphop Awards International Cypher (Ghana) alongside Reggie Rockstone, Sarkodie, D Black, Edem, Kwaku-T and Baby G (2010).

In a male-dominated industry, Mzbel created change that still reverberates today through the careers of women like Amaarae, Wendy Shay, Sister Afia and Gyakie. Following in the footsteps of those before her, like Abrewa Nana (a household name in the early 2000s for her role as one of the leading female artists in hiplife), Mzbel's singing and rap skills were not just catchy, but thought-provoking with themes of love, sex, body positivity, and addressing abuse.

Mzbel's non-conformity made her a target by some aspects of the industry. The general public who felt she was a bad influence on younger girls, due to the sensuality in her lyrics and imagery. Yet she was unphased. Mzbel scored national hits with her albums Awosome, and 2005's 16 Years, and touched on issues many regarded as controversial. The rapper stood up for women’s rights and encouraged women to be vocal about things society heavily criticizes women for. She ensured that women were not bullied into silence but instead express themselves fully through art. Her hit single "16 Years" with the late Castro touched on the issue of sexual harassment and abuse young girls face at the hands of older men and, as such, became a national topic.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2008, Sarkodie has churned out multiple hits year after year with a unique flow and delivery. His records touch on multiple subjects, including friendship, family, love, heartbreak, and bad governance. His hold over rap in Ghana has been extended across the continent, making him one of the most influential rappers in Africa.

In 2012, Sarkodie played a pivotal role in the amplification of azonto music (an offshoot of hiplife that melds dance music genre from the early 2010s with upbeat fast-paced sounds and witty comical lyrics) with his song "U Go Kill Me" with fellow rapper E.L. Winning "Artist Of The Decade at the" Ghana Music Awards (2019), cemented his influence and status.

Rapping predominantly in Twi, Sarkodie’s ability to find pockets on the beat has made him a frequent featured artist by the likes of Mr. Eazi, Ice Prince, Flavour, Victoria Kimani, Patoranking and a host of other important artists in Africa. Sarkodie won Best International Act: Africa (2012) and the inaugural Best International Flow at the BET Hiphop Awards in 2019. 

In a time when hiplife had taken a back seat to Afrobeats and amapiano on the Ghanaian market, a group of artists from Kumasi (Kumerica) — a slang used to describe people of Kumasi who enthusiasts of American music and culture — burst onto the scene via asakaa, or Ghanaian drill. Inspired by Pop Smoke’s drill music, the sound reflects their lifestyle on the streets of Kumasi, hiplife elements, and American hip-hop culture such as fashion.

The name asakaa originates from the word saka, a flipped slang of the Twi word kasa, which means to speak. Saka, a style of speaking where words are pronounced backwards, was heard in the songs that were released by the Asakaa Boys. The asakaa sound is credited to the Kumasi-based Life Living Records, and signees Jay Bahd, Kawabanga, O’Kenneth, City Boy, Kwaku DMC, Reggie, Sean Lifer, Braa Benk and Skyface SDW under the moniker The Asakaa Boys.

With songs like "Akatafoc", "Sore," and "Agyeiwaa," and leading the charge, Asakaa (Ghanaian Drill) has gained recognition locally and internationally in the 2020s.

Black Sherif may be young, but he has already charted a path of success for himself in Ghana’s music industry which many are yet to match. Black Sherif’s sound, writing, fashion, and mannerisms have earned him admiration. He first tasted popularity when his song "Money" went viral in 2019; two years later he regained public attention in 2021 with his First and Second Sermon songs and after a Burna Boy cosign on "Second Sermon Remix," Black Sherif's popularity soared.

The artist has gone on to deliver multiple hit songs such as "Kweku The Traveller," "Soja," and a monstrous guest verse on Odumodu Blvck’s "Wotowoto Seasoning." In 2023 he won Artiste of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards and aBET Awards Best International Award. Additionally, he has performed on global stages atMOBO Awards, Wireless Festival, and 2023's AfroNation.

With a charisma like that of Lord Kenya, King Paluta is an energetic rapper with some "thugness" in his delivery influenced by life on the streets of Kumasi. As a young man, he often slept in the studio, where he learned how to operate the equipment in the studio and dropped his first official single in 2015. 

Despite releasing music and being popular in Kumasi, he would only gain national attention in 2023 for "Yahitte," which earned him the award as the Best New Artist at The Ghana Music Awards in 2024. In the 2024 alone, he has scored two charting-topping singles, "Aseda" and "Makoma," making him arguably the hottest artist in Ghana.

As a student of hiplife, King Paluta has fully embodied the genre as evident in his music. He has positioned himself to carry on the legacy of those before him as far as hiplife is concerned, and he is on track thus far.

MF DOOM has been gone for more than four years now, but the mysterious masked rapper’s legacy lives on. Since his passing in 2020 at age 49, podcasts and books have traced his life, while innumerable tributes in song and memorial sets at major festivals have highlighted the rapper's legacy. Now, there’s a revamped look at one of his most popular projects.

A deluxe 20th anniversary edition of DOOM’s 2004 album Mm..Food was released on Nov. 15 by Rhymesayers Entertainment and Metalface Records. It features previously hard-to-find remixes, including one by Madlib, as well as interview clips. There are also vinyl, CD, and cassette versions with extra goodies. 

Mm..Food is notable for many reasons. It is both bizarre even by DOOM’s eccentric standards (this is, after all, the guy who rapped an entire album as a Godzilla villain), and was also arguably his most commercially successful project, with multiple successful singles and even a gold certification.

It also has quite a history. Below are 10 fun facts you may not know about Mm..Food. And no, we don’t count the fact that the title is an anagram for MF DOOM’s name — consider that a bonus.

Every Song Has A Double Meaning

The album’s title is a clue to its major conceit: the songs are food (or sometimes drink) themed. But things aren’t always as they seem, especially with a supervillain.

"It had to be two things: It had to be a food people could relate to and there had to be another play on the word," DOOM explained to XXL. "So it's about finding a word where you can take two different approaches to it."

The idea was that, in addition to the surface explanation, there would be a second meaning for each song relevant either to hip-hop or to society at large.  

"Food is nourishment," DOOM said. "And this is nourishment on a hip-hop level." 

Mm..Food Gave DOOM His Only Platinum Single

MF DOOM has two certified gold albums — this record and his Madlib collaboration Madvillainy. Both reached that status just this year. But Mm..Food has two gold singles, "One Beer" and "Hoe Cakes."

Even more remarkably, the album also has a platinum one, DOOM’s only million-seller: "Rapp Snitch Knishes."

"Kookies" Had A Different Beat…And Contains A Surprising Second Meaning

The original beat for "Kookies," which appeared on initial pressings of the album (and is now billed as a remix), was produced by Just Blaze. The reason it was removed? It contained an unlicensed sample from a "Sesame Street" record that the producer got when he was six years old. Just tells the entire, very charming, story here. 

Per the album’s dual-meaning conceit, the song isn’t just about the kind of cookies you eat, DOOM explained in an interview that took place in 2004.

"‘Kookies’ is ill, totally on some Internet porn type s—," he told writer Luke Fox. "I notice when you online on some porn s—, the word cookies comes up. Oh, I guess that's the picture as it saves to your hard drive. They call those cookies. So, I got a fever for them cookies. I'm a cookie monster, trying to go into the cookie jar. 

"So, on the surface the song sounds like I'm talking about regular cookies," DOOM continued, "but there's little innuendos that'll let you know."

The Album Came With A Bonus Disk & Recipe

A bonus CD called, appropriately, Mm..LeftOvers was given away with some copies of the album. On the record are several remixes that have been repurposed for the Mm..Food 20th anniversary reissue. It also contains one of this writer’s favorite DOOM duets, the hilarious "Hot Guacamole" with MC Paul Barman. ("What type of ill type of ill tricks do the mask do?" Barman asks. "The faceplate remove, and I give chicks tattoo," DOOM responds.) 

In addition to music, the bonus disc comes with a bonus recipe from the artist himself, for "Villainous Mac & Cheeze." If you want to make the dish, you can find the recipe here.

DOOM Asked For A Surprising Change To The Cover Art  

Mm..Food’s cover shows a cartoon DOOM at a table, eating breakfast. But artist Jason Jägel’s original cover had one major difference from the version we’ve come to know and love: it showed the rapper smoking a blunt. 

Once the drawing came in, art director Jeff Jank got a request to remove the blunt. The ask didn’t come from the record label, or a nervous manager. Instead, it came directly from DOOM himself.

A Number Of The Beats Are Special Herbs

A lot of the music on Mm..Food is familiar to die-hard DOOM fans, because the beats appear with different titles on his Special Herbs series of instrumental albums. For example, Special Herbs, Vol. 4, 5 & 6, released a full year before Mm..Food, contains three beats that would show up on the album. 

It Has The Riskiest Stretch Of Any DOOM Album

Every review of Mm..Food complains about the long string of four consecutive skits that sits right in the middle of the album. Pitchfork, for example, called it "a nasty rut that makes Mm..Food? pretty much unplayable front-to-back after the first few spins."

Certainly, DOOM was aware that taking a full six and a half minutes in the middle of his LP to devote to skits might not be a popular decision — but he proceeded anyway. Audiences are left with a brilliant audio collage that advances his character’s narrative, ties into the themes of the album and gives nostalgic glimpses into his childhood via its samples, including The Electric Company.

The Album Inspired A Cookbook

Appropriately, a food-themed rap album inspired an actual cookbook. Bushwick Grill Club put together Mm..Food — The Recipes. It features spicy beef lettuce wraps (because of the album’s "Beef Rapp"), chopped cheese knishes (for "Rapp Snitch Knishes"), and more. 

Illustrated by Cassady Benson and written by food industry vet Frank Davis, the cookbook is "about taking an album where DOOM laid out a 15-dish menu and turning that motherf—er into a recipe zine," Davis wrote.

It Introduces A Different Comics-Inspired Alter Ego.

DOOM, of course, took his supervillain character from Doctor Doom. But on Mm..Food he inspired a friend to adopt a comic character personality as well. Rapper Stahhr appears on the song "Guinnessez" as "Angelika," a personality named for Angelica Jones, a.k.a. Firestar, from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. 

"I didn’t know that I was going to be named Angelika on the song," Stahhr told Complex. "DOOM called me one day and said, ‘Yo, I had this dream, you were flying, you had these blue lasers shooting out of your eyes. That’s your energy, really powerful, I want you to look [Firestar] up.’ I went to the comic book store, I bought all the comics about Firestar and I read them, like, ‘This is exactly me.’"

The Album Led To DOOM’s First National Tour

Amazingly for an artist who put out his first single under the MF DOOM moniker in 1997, it took until the Mm...Food album cycle for DOOM to mount a nationwide tour. The trek, with opener Brother Ali, took the villain from coast to coast. 

He kept the album’s culinary theme going even on the road, as a canned food drive was set up in conjunction with local food banks for each show. The Mm..Food Drive Tour reportedly raised over a thousand pounds of food.

As pop and country music ruled the airwaves over the summer, Hanumankind helped bring a much lesser-known genre to global audiences: Indian hip-hop. His rambunctious track "Big Dawgs" almost instantly became a viral hit, taking over Tiktok and soon reaching No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 9 on the Billboard Global 200 chart — a first for an English song by an Indian artist.

Though "Big Dawgs" is in English, its global success has helped give exposure to the world of Indian hip-hop, which has been building a steady foundation in the country. In recent years, Indian hip-hop has become a more grounded and nuanced underground subculture than the more Bollywood-friendly commercialized branch of the genre. Hanumankind is just one of many artists who are bringing pure authenticity, telling their own stories and seamlessly infusing regional Indian languages into their music.

While the genesis of Indian hip-hop dates back to the '90s, the most prominent breakthrough came in 2014 with Naezy's "Aafat!," a diaristic critique of the authentic Indian experience. With subsequent releases like 2015's "Meri Gully Mein," Naezy became the blueprint for a rejuvenated movement that was far more confident in subject matter and less reliant on commercial avenues for publicity. 

Like Naezy, the rise of modern Indian hip-hop artists has largely been through democratic means, helping the genre reach audiences more organically and, in turn, feeling more relatable. Part of this authenticity also comes from necessity. With mainstream releases in India often falling prey to censorship spurred by nationalism, the genre has paved the way for meaningful conversations and commentary on social, political and personal upheavals; for example, Street Academics' 2016 track "Chatha Kaakka" used a dead crow as an analogy for the lives of the underprivileged, while Arivu's 2019 release "Anti-Indian" that clapped back at the increasingly insular and dangerous wave of nationalist sentiment across the country. With artists like Hanumankind continuing to exploit their creative freedom and use art as cultural review, Indian hip-hop is on its way to making an equally powerful impact in India and around the world.

As the interest in Indian hip-hop continues to grow, get to know Hanumankind and five more hip-hop artists from the country you should be listening to.

Before "Big Dawgs" was "rolling through the city" and taking over social media and charts, Sooraj Cherukat — aka Hanumankind — was already deeply entrenched in the Indian hip-hop and rap scene. The rapper, who grew up in Texas but moved back to India to pursue higher studies, left behind a career in investment banking to make music. He released his debut EP, Kalari, in 2019, showcasing his smooth flows and South Asian pride while effortlessly incorporating his Western inspirations — a combination that has become his signature.

Two years later, his track "Damnson" would establish him as a mainstay on the Indian festival circuit. But it was 2024's "Big Dawgs" — heavily inspired by UGK, Project Pat and his "Patta flow," and Pimp C, whose line "Top notch hoes get the most not the lesser" makes an appearance in the opening — that throned him as an underground star poised to become a mainstream icon. With imagery leveraging grassroots Indian motifs like the Maut ka Kuan (translating to "The Well of Death," a popular attraction at Indian street fairs), "Big Dawgs" was both a nod to his roots and his creative influences growing up, making HMK's brand of Indian pride truly global.

At just 23, Akriti Lal — known as Pho to her fans — is one of the few female artists to have made waves in the hip-hop scene in India, crowning herself as an emphatic, poetic and sensitive storyteller. Just like her live performances, which see her invite the audience to be part of the show, Pho's songs brim with an intimate, electric energy.

Her precocious 2022 debut EP Bheetar Bahar (translating to "inside outside") explored the inner desires to love against the external stimuli that hold us back from doing so. Since then, releases like "Kabhi Kabhi" and "Sambhav" have established her as an emotive writer uncannily in tune with the intricacies of human nature. Working in tandem with her lyricism is an honest, grounded approach; Pho speaks from the heart, lacing her work with endearing sincerity that lends itself to romanticism.

Along with Hanumankind's "Big Dawgs," Shreyas Savgekar and Kratex's "Taambdi Chaamdi" (translating to "Brown Skin") has also helped Indian hip-hop gain attention this year. The self-love anthem went viral in July not just for its good-natured comedic treatment, but also for clever wordplay and references delivered in Shreyas' native Marathi tongue, a cornerstone of his artistry. Savgekar looked to his Maharashtrian upbringing and childhood to inspire the song's catchy hook "Lakalakalaka," taken from the phrase "Lakh lakh karun chamaktoy" ("See how they're shining"), which his grandfather used to describe glimmering fireflies at dusk.

Beyond "Taambdi Chaamdi," releases like "Uddhat" and "Khankhanit" have made Savgekar into a spokesperson for the evolving Marathi rap landscape. In a landscape where Marathi rap songs can be "heavily influenced by the West and we can see Marathi artists struggling to find their authenticity," as he told Rolling Stone India in 2023, Shreyas' work stands as a celebration of Marathi grit and culture, an ode to soil and struggle characterizing the humble, yet proud man.

"Hip-hop, I find, is the most liberating of all genres because I think anybody can do it. All we need to do to express ourselves is just to write and pick up a beat online and just say what you feel. That is so liberating," Garv Taneja, aka Chaar Diwaari, told Rolling Stone India in 2023. 

True to his words, zero budgets and a DIY-approach haven't stopped Taneja from leapfrogging over the proverbial *chaar diwaari* — translating to "four walls" in Hindi, often the term used for a constrictive space — of expectations and creative blocks and creating immersive, phantasmagorical, and often horrific, worlds for his music videos. 

From the horror and rap medleys of "Teri Maiyat Ke Gaane" ("Songs For Your Funeral") to his bone-chilling delivery on "Barood" ("Gunpowder"), Chaar Diwaari is an expert on toeing the line between defiant and disturbing. While society continues to debate the dichotomy between what is acceptable and what might be art, Taneja's music exists in the liminal space where they are one and the same.

For many, ThirumaLi, or Vishnu MS, is largely considered an OG of the Malayalam rap and hip-hop scene in South India. When he began making hip-hop close to a decade ago, few knew about the genre, and even fewer were making music that was beyond flimsy facsimile of Western rap and hip-hop.

ThirumaLi started out rapping in English, but switched to his native Malayalam before long, soon cutting through the noise with scathing social and political commentary and an authentic voice. His music is characterized by colloquial lyrics and delivery, aligning with the "raw" nature of rap that drew him to the genre in the first place. 

Whether in celebration or in critique, ThirumaLi's kitchen-sink and direct approach stands out. On tracks his "Avastha" (translating to "state of things"), he calls out overconsumption and moral policing, while "Sambar" cheekily warns people not to underestimate him by likening his flow to *Sambar* — the South Indian dish that's deceptively simple, but still packs a punch.

Once Daiaphi Lamare — better known as Reble — starts spitting bars, you'll understand why she's one of Indian hip-hop's most exciting rising stars. Reble's power lies in how unabashedly she embraces her tribal roots, weaving them with practical concerns about the balancing act of being a woman, a teenager and everything in between. 

Tracks like "Bond Fission" proclaim her single-minded determination to succeed no matter the circumstance: "A maven, I've been patient with this s—, don't need no audience for this is, not a stadium, this art is beyond craniums," she raps in front of a plain gray wall, adorned only with a carpet. Meanwhile, "Believe" gently injects a boost of confidence in the face of doubt: "I know deep inside my heart I'll never be at peace If I don't make it to that place I'll never be complete."

But it's on songs like "Terror" — where Reble employs her Meghalayan ancestry to breathe power into her verses, mixing English with her native Khasi and Jaintia — that she truly shines. "Terror" unfolds as a cosmic celebration of her heritage, weaving a tale of power passed down through time. The immersive, encompassing track is perhaps most representative of the artist she is: unapologetic, fearless, profound, and a bastion of a proud history.

Havoc is excited. The Mobb Deep MC and acclaimed industry producer is preparing to film a video with Wu-Tang Clan MC-turned-actor and Internet crush Method Man, and the thought of new music for the masses has him thrilled to pieces.

"This shit is about to be fire," he says enthusiastically. "I can't wait for everybody to check it out."

This single is dropping as part of a larger project with Method Man, which will serve as a tribute to their fallen comrades Ol' Dirty Bastard (ODB) and Prodigy, respectively. But that's not the only new music in the pipeline: after getting the blessing from his late rap partner estate, Havoc will drop the final Mobb Deep album featuring never-before-released verses from the late, great Prodigy, and production by longtime Mobb Deep producer Alchemist, on November 2nd, 2024 — on what would have been Prodigy's 50th birthday.

Born Kejuan Muchita in Brooklyn, New York, Havoc was raised in the Queensbridge Housing Project — the same place that would give the world rappers like MC Shan, Cormega, and of course, Nas — and attended the High School of Art & Design in Manhattan, where he met Albert Johnson (later known as Prodigy). There, the duo would form Poetical Prophets, which later became "The Infamous" Mobb Deep. 

Havoc isn't only known for his rhymes — whether as a solo artist, notably on "American Nightmare," where he traded bars with ex-Juice Crew MC Kool G Rap, or as one-half of Mobb Deep. He's also become one of the most acclaimed producers in hip-hop, sitting behind the boards crafting tracks for Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, and Eminem. 

GRAMMY.com spoke with Havoc to talk about his new projects, his legacy with Mobb Deep, and how being both a rapper and a producer is a blessing and a curse.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Let's just dive right into it. Let's talk about your new single with Method Man and your new album.

The concept of the album is to pay tribute to our loved ones who passed away — to Ol' Dirty Bastard, and to Prodigy. We thought it would be cool to do a salute to them. Method Man and I had worked together before this — and seeing that we worked together so well, you know, we decided to do it again. 

With the Mobb Deep album: that's been a long time in the making. I wanted to make it years ago, but it wasn't completely my decision. I also needed to work with Prodigy's estate, and they needed time to come to terms with the idea. I gave them as much time as they needed — and of course, we hit a few bumps in the road, but nothing major. We were finally like, "It's time." It's time to continue with the Mobb Deep legacy — to remember Prodigy — and to give the supporters the music that they miss, and love, from Mobb Deep. 

Alchemist was one of the people that we worked with when we did the Mobb Deep albums. We were always in contact because we were good friends — and I wanted to have him included to keep up with the Mobb Deep tradition. His inclusion is what our supporters would expect from a classic Mobb Deep album. 

I wanted to explore, a little bit, what you said earlier about collaborating with Method Man to both pay tribute to your fallen comrades, and to produce new music. How much of it would you say is paying tribute to ODB and Prodigy, while educating young heads about their history — and how much of it is the "new sound" that's representative of where you two are in your careers right now?

It's equally a bit of both. We're talking about where we're at right now in our careers and our lives — we're both older now. Method Man really doesn't like to curse too much, and I understand — but I'm on there, talking my talk, as usual. Nonetheless, Method Man is in the greatest space he's ever been in, in his life.

You also have a great deal of influence in hip-hop as a producer. Some may go so far as to say that you're one of the most iconic producers of all time. From your perspective, the two-fold question is this: would you say your impact is more felt as a rapper, or as a producer? And is that your legacy, in this industry, and how you'd like to be remembered?

I believe I'm better received as a producer than as a rapper — which is kind of like a gift and a curse. It doesn't bother me too much, but I pour a lot of my heart into writing — I started as a rapper first, and did production later. 

I don't know how the transition happened — how I became better known for my production work more than my rapping — but I'd love for people to know how rapping is indeed my passion, because, to me, it's tough being a rapper that writes his lyrics and does his production at the same time. That's a big leap. If you could ask any rapper that same question, they'd tell you that it's a lot to do. 

I'm happy that I'm being recognized, but I'd like respect for my pen game. 

Let's go back to the early years — 1991, and your appearance in "Unsigned Hype" in The Source when you started to make headway in the mixtape scene in New York. Did you recognize that you were tapping into something special, or did that recognition come later?

I think we knew we tapped into something special, whether people recognized it at the time or not. So, when the recognition from a broader audience came along, it just affirmed what we knew all along. 

With "Unsigned Hype," that opened the floodgates for us. One thing led to another, we signed our first record deal, and that's when we started releasing our singles and working with Wu-Tang Clan and other artists. That's when we took hip-hop by storm. So we knew that we'd tapped into something special, and we hadn't even finished the full album yet. 

Read more: The Unending Evolution Of The Mixtape: "Without Mixtapes, There Would Be No Hip-Hop"

Where did your mind go with it, once you realized that? Did that change the way you made music, from that point forward?

I believe so. We had a unique recipe, and we followed that recipe for the rest of our career. And we knew that people wanted a specific sound from us, and they wanted us. They didn't want Nas, or Big L, or even Biggie. They wanted Mobb Deep. So we never tried to be like anyone else — we just gave them us, and that was the winning formula.

How did you handle being drawn into the intense East Coast-West Coast feud, particularly after 2Pac named you in 'Hit 'Em Up'?

We were ready for it. We were prepared for war. Look, hip-hop is a contact sport. It is very competitive. So I just looked at it as a rap battle. At the time, I looked at it and thought, "Well, maybe when we see each other in person, there will be a little scuffle." We're artists — we might rap about certain things, and speak about political issues and life in the hood, but at the end of the day, we're entertainers. 

I thought people had more respect for human life. I never thought it was a life-and-death game. But when it became a life-and-death game, it shook the core of my existence. I didn't like it at all. And I don't believe that anybody involved — not Pac, not Big, not anybody — deserved to lose their life over some rap beef. 

It made me paranoid, and I believe I still have PTSD over it. Biggie Smalls and I share the same birthday. So it hits closer to home for me. 

Did you ever get a chance to squash the beef with Pac while he was still alive?

Not at all. He died in the middle of our beef. We put a record out called "Drop a Gem on 'em" in response to "Hit ‘Em Up." We put the single on the radio — it was clear we were dissin' Pac — and, not even seven days after we first dropped the single, we found out he got shot in Vegas. And we pulled the record from the radio — purposefully.

It wasn't until maybe 20 years after the fact that we got a chance to speak with Snoop Dogg. I never thought I'd get a chance to chill around West Coast rappers, but time heals everything. Now, I'm friends with Tha Dogg Pound. I'm friends with Snoop Dogg. I'm in Los Angeles all the time. But that was way down the line.

You have to understand that when it came to Snoop, we didn't have any "beef" to squash, especially after Biggie and Pac were murdered. Once we started hanging out with West Coast artists, we knew that beef was over — and I believe the media hyped it up more than it needed to be, to be honest. No life is worth losing over some rap beef. 

For a brief period, you and Prodigy weren't on the best of terms. You even engaged in a bit of a Twitter (now X) back-and-forth that left many fans — myself included — bewildered. Looking back on all of it now, what was the issue at hand, and how did you guys resolve it?

Prodigy and I have known each other for so long, we're brothers. Internally, differences were brewing — but when you're brothers, you're going to get into arguments and disagreements, but at the end of the day, you still love one another, and you're going to work things out. 

It was never meant to spill over into the public. And I take responsibility for that. I expressed myself publicly at a time when I shouldn't have been near any electronic devices, you know what I'm saying? I was drinking, and you're emotional when you're drinking — but when I was sober, I realized what I was doing was wrong. 

I'm not going to go on record to say what we were beefing about, but at the time, I thought it was valid. Prodigy and I squashed it a year later, though — we knew it was bad for business, plus, we'd known each other for too long to let it go on like this. 

Let's touch a little bit on the G-Unit years. There's a lot that you did with the label — and you'd already had that relationship with 50 Cent before the signing. So, tell us what you learned during the G-Unit era about the business, hip-hop, and so on.

I'd begun working on a solo album, and the late Chris Lighty was my manager. He'd told me about this young dude named 50 Cent, and I heard some of his stuff and I was blown away. 

I'd told Lighty that I wanted to work with Fif, and 24 hours later, I had him in my studio. At the time, he told me how much he'd admired Mobb Deep, while also hinting that he was considering working with Eminem and Dr. Dre, as they'd shown some interest. He'd even asked me what I thought he should do! 

Well, my solo album never came out. Years later, when Mobb Deep got shifted around from label to label, and got dropped from Jive Records, Fif had already sold 10 million records with Get Rich or Die Tryin'. And I didn't believe that he'd even remember me — but when he heard what happened, he called me up and said he wanted to sign Mobb Deep.

Prodigy initially didn't want to do it, but he changed his mind once he sat down with 50 Cent. The rest, as they say, is history. I was so pleased to be down with a crew that had sold so many records. But a lot of our fans, at the time, was hatin' on it. They thought we'd sold out. 

I don't even know where to begin with this, but: let's talk about Prodigy's death. It was a gut punch to me, and I can't imagine how it was for you. Where did you find the resolve to take on the responsibility of being the torch-bearer for all things Mobb Deep once Prodigy was gone?

I found it while I was thinking about Prodigy. I was thinking about him, and I was saying, "If God forbid, the shoe was on the other foot, he'd be moving forward." He'd be celebrating the Mobb Deep legacy. I don't think he'd want Mobb Deep to fall to the wayside. He'd be missing me like crazy, but he'd be taking Mobb Deep to the next level. 

With that, I found the resolve. I then thought about the supporters, and how they deserved one last Mobb Deep project. And I'm gonna make sure that happens because I don't want to be the one that fumbled the ball just because Prodigy isn't here. I'm the one who has to make sure that the masses hear it. 

And this is the last Mobb Deep album. At least, for now. There are still plenty of Mobb Deep verses to go around, but that's not for me to decide. I spoke to the estate about this album, and this album only. That's where my focus is. 

So, after this final Mobb Deep hurrah, what is next for Havoc?

There are a lot of things I want to get involved with — documentaries, film scoring, getting my label off the ground, mentoring young artists — that I don't think I'll ever be bored. No, there won't be any Mobb Deep anymore, but there's still Havoc. And that's my legacy. 

The new generation of artists in the Arabic music scene continues to burst onto the global scene at a rapid pace. Whether artists are creating music in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) or are part of the Arab diaspora, Arabic songs and albums are having a moment. Sounds from the region and its diaspora are expanding beyond listeners who speak the language, and finding its way to  anyone who appreciates good music.

The rise of Arabic music’s global popularity is part of a decades-long effort by the creative community to showcase the breadth of musical talent coming out of MENA. Arabic singers of the '50s, '60s, and '70s — including Lebanese legend Fairuz and Egyptian icon Umm Kulthum — garnered appreciation from audiences far beyond the Arab world. Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant candidly shared in an interview that Umm Kulthum had "blown a hole in the wall of my understanding of vocals."

Arabic pop stars of the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s became worldwide sensations for their infectious melodies and fusing Arabic rhythms with other cultural sounds. Egyptian pop star Amr Diab seamlessly blended Arab instruments with Spanish flamenco, propelling him to international superstardom for over four decades. 

Some Arab artists even collaborated with their Western counterparts to create hit music. Among those collaborations include Sting and Algeria’s Cheb Mami for their 1999 smash "Desert Rose" (which was performed at the 42nd GRAMMY Awards) and Don Omar’s song with Egyptian singer Hakim "Tigi Tigi" in 2007, mixing together reggaeton production with Arab rhythms and instruments.

Read more: 5 Arab American Artists To Know In 2024: Lana Lubany, Felukah & More

While Arab pop had dominated mainstream Arabic music scene, hip-hop was becoming more prominent in the region by the mid and late 2000s.OGs like Syrian rapper Omar Offendum, Iraqi emcee Narcy, Palestinian rap group DAM, Moroccan juggernaut Don Bigg, Lebanese rap pioneer Kalash, and Palestinian lyricist Shadia Mansour laid the foundation for the success of the genre in the region. 

Now in recent years, Arab artists like Elyanna and Saint Levant are performing at major music festivals in the United States like Coachella and Gov Ball. Other artists like Morocco’s DYSTINCT and ElGrandeToto and Egypt’s Wegz have sold out tours in Europe and North America. Bands like Mashrou’ Leila and Cairokee defined a generation of indie Arab artists in their heyday in the 2010s.

As the infrastructure for the new wave of Arab artists started to take more shape over the last five years, so too have the growth of local record labels in the Middle East and North Africa, helping to promote and cultivate homegrown talent. And while their presence remains fairly new, their impact has been felt on local scenes in Egypt, Jordan, and in the region almost immediately.

Many Lebanese rappers, for example, have found a home with local label Beirut Records.

"The scene in Lebanon hasn’t grown as much as it should have — despite helping to pioneer rap in the region — because there weren’t a lot of chances or opportunities for Lebanese artists," emphasizes Hiba Abou Haidar, founder and CEO of Beirut Records. "What Beirut Records is doing is giving artists these opportunities to pursue a career in music."

SVNBIRDS, which primarily supports Sudanese creatives locally and across diaspora communities, has similarly proven to be a hub for emerging Sudanese talent. "There’s not a solid industry infrastructure at all in Sudan, especially with the outbreak of the war and the diaspora scattered around the world. We act as an incubator, able to spread Sudanese music to the diaspora and beyond," says Menna Shanab, public relations manager for SVNBIRDS. 

From Tunisia to the UAE and everywhere in between, here are five independent record labels in the Middle East and North Africa highlighting the musical talent of the region.

Beirut Records

Location: Beirut, Lebanon

Artists to know: Bu Nasser Touffar, Sandy Henoud, Kalash

Beirut Records started in 2017 in its capital namesake as a community for underground Lebanese rappers, producers, and singers to come together and create music. The label is "on a ruthless mission to put Arabic music on the map," working first with hip-hop artists before expanding to R&B. Today, they've grown their reach beyond Lebanon’s borders.

Whether listeners are looking for the lyrical versatility of Nuj or Ziggy, or the commanding and sultry voice of Sandy Henoud, Beirut Records continues to set a standard of excellence for homegrown Lebanese talent.

BLTNM

Location: Ramallah, Palestine

Artists to know: Shabjdeed, Al Nather, Daboor

BLTNM is unapologetically Palestinian — not only in their artists, but through the themes each artist explores in their music. Formed in 2019, BLTNM prides itself on the lived experiences of its artists, striving to showcase true Palestinian identity in a way that subverts outside assumptions of what that identity means.

That subversion also shines through in their music, finding innovative ways to push Palestinian hip-hop to new levels of creativity.The hyperactive rap style of Shabjdeed intricately fills every aspect of Al Nather’s production, which is inspired by Atlanta trap music. Rapper Daboor’s confrontational and in-your-face style harkens back to the essence of hip-hop as a genre of protest.

Red Diamond Tunisia

Location: Bizerta, Tunisia

Artists to know: Samara, Amal Fathi, Tchiggy

Established by Driss Dhaouadi and Mouhammed Wadhah Kefi in 2019, Red Diamond Tunisia has quickly become a driving force for showcasing Tunisian rappers. As the country's first rap label, Red Diamond Tunisia continues to cultivate hip-hop artists across the country and put Tunisia on the musical map.

RDT boasts a roster of incredible talent that must be heard and respected. Versatile emcees such as Samara, Tchiggy, and Joujma, and pop singers such as Amal Fathi create earworms that feature elements of R&B and Afropop and nostalgic boom bap hip-hop. Throughout, these artists showcase their lyrical prowess, which is rooted in their native Tunisian dialect and colloquialisms.

SVNBIRDS

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Artists to know: Soulja, Montiyago, Big Moe

SVNBIRDS has quickly ascended since 2020 to become a cornerstone for cultivating and amplifying talent from Sudan. Founded by a collective of artists and music enthusiasts, SVNBIRDS continues to export Sudanese rhythms fused with hip-hop and Afropop to the rest of the region and the world.

Listeners can expect to hear the smooth lyricism of Soulja and the melodic raps of Montiyago, among other incredible Sudanese talent. Production at the label — led by producers 77, Khayyat, and others —  incorporate aspects of groovy syncopation of traditional Sudanese rhythms with trap and R&B, creating distinctly signature sounds that define the label and its artists.

SSC Music

Location: Tangier, Morocco

Artists to know: NovaQueen, kouz1, Mocci

What grew from a recording studio to a full blown indie label in just one year, SSC Music has become a powerhouse in Moroccan music. Founded in 2020, the label has become a mainstay   with the new generation of Arab artists and Arabic music, exporting Morocco’s pop and hip-hop artists across the Middle East and North Africa.

Listeners can come listen to the Afropop influences of kouz1, whose dreamy sultry hit "Love" boasts over 63 million views on YouTube and over 43 million streams on Spotify, or the R&B talents of NovaQueen, among many other talents at SSC Music.