Baloji Essentials

Gestating in the '90s as part of Belgian hip-hop collective Starflam, Baloji emerged as a fully-formed solo star with his 2007 debut LP Hotel Impala. Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but raised in Belgium, Baloji's sound draws from both continents—his songs radiate raw, unbridled energy with pulsing, tropical guitar rhythms and rat-a-tat dance beats, his raps and rippling flow hewing to more traditional European hip-hop styles. Even on laid-back, sparkling grooves like "L'hiver indien", Baloji can't sit still, his verses emanating with an infectious propulsive drive.