Phyno Essentials

Phyno continues his country's tradition of producing rappers who make music that's distinctly Nigerian. However, unlike many of his predecessors, Phyno raps in his native Igbo language while his production, which is generally brash and raw around the edges, is as visceral as any coming out of Africa right now. Starting off as a producer in 2003, he struck out as a rapper in his own right in 2010. It was a wise move—2014 debut No Guts No Glory spawned a run of hits that elevated the rapper to a household name. Hear him at his intimidating best with this playlist of pure fire.