Born in Kinshasa and educated in France, Youssoupha Mabiki makes progressive hip-hop that hearkens to golden age French rap. He exploded in popularity when his 2007 debut album, À chaque frère, sold over half a million copies. Fiercely intelligent both academically—he holds a master’s degree—and emotionally, his songs often hold up a cinematic mirror to society. His searingly political flow takes aim at racism and inequality, with brooding beats fuelling hits like “Entourage”, “Chanson française” and “Astronaute”.