Baloji

Combining the rhythms of funk and ragga alongside the city beats from his native Congo, Baloji earned recognition as one of Africa's most groundbreaking MCs. Lubumbashi welcomed his arrival in 1978, after which he relocated to Ostend in Belgium alongside his father when he turned three; there, his passion for French hip-hop led him to establish the group Starflam during adolescence. Though he initially abandoned his recording goals, a missive from his mother—unseen for over two decades—prompted the creation of his introspective first record, Hotel Impala, in 2007. Endorsed by the notable selector Gilles Peterson, this recognition brought an opportunity to participate in Damon Albarn's Africa Express initiative, preceding the issue of Kinshasa Succursale in 2012.