Beninese hip hop

Hip hop music is a genre developed in the 1970s by African Americans in New York City. It began to spread across the world in the 80s, and became a major part of Beninese music after a 1992 concert by Senegalese-French rapper MC Solaar. At that concert, the crew H2O performed a Fon language-cover of Solaar's "Bouge de là". H2O are known for using folk styles like the Mahi tchinkounme and Yoruba gbon.

DJs, rappers and crews

• Sakpata Boys: for a long-time the most popular crew in Cotonou, known for using chants and other elements from Beninese voudou
• Ardiess Posse: The next most popular crew to have emerged in the late 1990s. One of their most popular single is "Agbando" released in 2003 which was a feature song on their sophomore album "Evolution".
• Diamant Noir: Arguably the best beninese rap group, it consists of Amir and Anouar. Their debut album, "Faux freres, Vrais Jumeaux" (Fake Brothers, True Twins) was launched in 2005. It was a major success on the hip hop scene and influenced a lot of other rappers and crews.
• Kaysee Montejano: A talented beninese lyricist,he is known for his metaphorical abilities and his religious references in his rhymes. He launched his debut album "Genesis" in 2005. It featured major hits like "Say it all out" and "Ma vie".
• Skykoon: Known for his ability to produce quality english lyrics, he has been rather off the hip hop scene and occasionally releases singles. Two of his major hits are "Say Skykoon" (rated number 5 on the Beninese hip hop charts) and "The Skykoon anthem". He is also the owner of a clothing company of the same name.

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