This year, in honor of Black Music Month, we’re exploring the undeniable impact of Black music and musicians around the world. Since Kazakhstan has few local Black artists, this playlist focuses on songs with significant influence from Black culture—primarily from local hip-hop artists, including Scriptonite, the biggest hip-hop artist for Russia who is originally from Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, and whose latest album Свистки и бумажки is built around traditional West Coast sound. M’Dee, a key new R&B star, is working within the genre’s lineage and combines the best parts of R. Kelly and The Weeknd, while the band Ирина Кайратовна is the brightest example of comedy hip-hop from Kazakhstan, offering a unique mixture of elements from Beastie Boys, Lil Dicky, and Odd Future. Dive into our Black Music Month playlist, and if you hear something you like, save it to your library.