Stanley Enow

Stanley Enow ranks among Cameroon's foremost rappers while also maintaining careers as a radio and television personality, entrepreneur, and activist acknowledged by UNICEF. The award-winning artist, frequently aligned with major endorsements, moved from the tougher rap emphasis of his first full-length release Soldier Like Ma Papa in 2015 to brighter, more pop-driven work such as the 2019 album Stanley vs Enow and featured appearances with Afro-pop performers including Mr Eazi and Davido.

Carrying the nickname "Bayangi Boy," he was born in Bamenda, capital of the Northwest Region of Cameroon, though he spent his childhood in Bafoussa in the West Region. He took up rapping and breakdancing during high school before attending the University of Douala, from which he earned a degree in business journalism in 2010. Enow rose to prominence as a radio host in Douala on the programs The Groove and Cocktail Hit Parade, supplied voice-overs for advertisements, and presented the weekly music television show Mboa. Following strong audience response to his live sets in 2012, he began recording in 2013 with the triumphant hip-hop single "Hein Père," which became a major success across Cameroon. The track received Best Video of the Year at the Balafon Music Awards and supported two wins at the Cameroon Academy Awards, in addition to Best New Act honors at the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards and the African Muzik Magazine Awards. Further singles such as "Tumbuboss" and "Njama Njama Cow" led into the debut album Soldier Like Ma Papa, released on his Motherland Empire label in 2015.

While running the label and a clothing line and securing multiple large endorsement deals, he issued additional singles and videos, among them 2016's "Follow Me" and 2017 collaborations with Mr Eazi on "Adore You" and Davido on "Caramel." By the time of 2018 releases including "Elle Est La" and "Casanova," Enow had shifted from rapping to singing, producing music that was more upbeat and accessible than his earlier output. The second album Stanley vs Enow followed in 2019 and included contributions from Pit Baccardi, Diamond Platnumz, and Ariel Sheney. In August 2020 he was named a UNICEF National Ambassador for his work on social issues, particularly children's rights. He returned to hip-hop with the September single "Tu vas lire l'heure."