Hip-hop was born in the Bronx, but it's easy to trace its hypnotic rhythms and storytelling traditions back to Africa. Today, the cross-diaspora conversation continues apace, as contemporary African rap repurposes influences from home and absorbs ones from abroad. South Africa has produced scenes fueled by Atlanta trap and the dank pulse of their homegrown gqom; Ghanaian rappers often lace their tracks with rhythms or samples that echo the local highlife tradition; a crop of Nigerian rappers effortlessly blend pop, rap, and R&B—it's no surprise that Drake is an avowed fan. With lyrics in Zulu, Yoruba, Ngoma, Twi, and more peppered with American slang and English phrases, African rap is a multi-genre, pan-continental, wide-open feast of beats, rhymes, and experience. Our editors regularly update this playlist—if you hear something you like, add it to your library.