In the last three years, Kenyan hip-hop has experienced an explosive growth on Spotify, with its streams more than doubling and its influence expanding far beyond Nairobi. This surge in popularity coincides with the tenth anniversary of Octopizzo’s landmark album, Long Distance Paper Chaser (LDPC), a project that is now seen as an early catalyst for the genre’s rise on streaming platforms.
According to new data, Kenyan hip-hop streams on Spotify have jumped a staggering 152% from 2022 to 2024, growing from over 170 million to more than 430 million. This phenomenal growth is primarily driven by Gen Z, with 61% of all plays coming from the 18- to 24-year-old demographic. The genre’s appeal is also broadening, as female listeners now account for 27% of all streams, up from low single-digit figures.
The movement is no longer confined to the capital. While Nairobi remains the epicenter with almost 94 million streams in 2024, the genre has found deep engagement in cities like Mombasa, Nakuru, Thika, and Kisumu, building momentum nationwide.
At the forefront of this movement is the rap trio Wakadinali, who have amassed around 46 million lifetime streams on Spotify. Their street-rooted style and fiercely independent ethos have made them the most-streamed hip-hop artists in Kenya for 2024. Other key players driving the genre’s success include veteran artist Nyashinski, who is the second-most streamed hip-hop act, followed by Octopizzo and Khaligraph Jones. New voices like Toxic Lyrikali, who is building a fast-growing fanbase from Eastlands’ Kayole estate, are also contributing to the genre’s new era of dominance.
Here are the top 15 most-streamed Kenyan hip hop artists on Spotify, 2022-2024