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 fuelled by Atlanta trap and the dank pulse of their home-grown gqom; Ghanaian rappers often lace their tracks with rhythms or samples that echo the local high-life 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.