Top 10 Best Dancehall Artists In Africa (2023)

Check out the current ranking of the best dancehall artists in Africa presently. Dancehall is a superb type of music that originated from Jamaica but has become a very widespread affair. It is being enjoyed in different parts of the world, and Africa is not an exception. It is not only being listened to by Africans, but there are also Africans that are doing well participating directly in this genre. So, while enjoying beats from foreign dancehall artists, Africans are also dancing to the tunes of dancehall from Africans like themselves. 

Indeed, Dancehall music is one unique style that has a different sound from other types of music. It allows lovers of the genre to flow easily. Of course, it also has its own criticisms, one of which is that it is tough to listen to what the singer is singing. Nevertheless, there are some Dancehall artistes in Africa doing well, with their superb vocals, producing good tracks, and so on. 

Here are the ten best dancehall artiste in Africa:

Top 10 Best Dancehall Artists In Africa

  • 1. Shatta Wale

Shatta Wale is regarding as the best dancehall artist in Africa as things stand now, and he is well-known in various parts of the continent. He is from Ghana that has been a source of inspiration to many folks around. He was born in 1984 as Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr and has been a lover of music from childhood. Also known as the Dancehall Kin, he left school and traveled to Jamaica where he got trained in the industry and is now a reggae and dancehall artiste. 

  • 2. Stonebwoy

STONEBWOY is another superb dancehall artist doing well in the African music industry and is doing well for himself. He has a lot of fans from different parts of the continent and he has won many awards since he started. Born in 1988 as Livingstone Etse Satekla, STONEBWOY was raised in Greater Accra Region, and he has grown into a popular artiste who now owns his own record label used in promoting himself as an artist ( Burniton Music Group)

  • 3. Patoranking

Born in 1990 as Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, Patoranking, although hails from Onitsha in the southeastern part of Nigeria, was born and raised in Ijegun-Egba Satellite Town. He started from scratch, working with the likes of Slam and XProject underground, but has evolved into a top reggae-dancehall singer and songwriter.

In 2010, Patoranking struck a deal with Igberaga Records and made “Up in D Club” after the deal. He became a part of Foston Musik in 2014 and produced “Girlie O” that became widely embraced. 

  • 4. Samini

Next on our list of dancehall artists in Africa is the boss of Samini record label, Samini, another superb dancehall artist who is known for his talents and boldness. Interestingly, he played a role in the rising of Stonebwoy – another superb dancehall artiste. He started singing from childhood and was able to release his first album in 2004. Since he broke into the scene, he has worked with various big names and has won various awards, like the best African Act at the MOBO Awards (in 2006).

  • 5. Wizkid

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun was born in 1990 in Nigeria and he started singing at a pretty young age. He is a singer and songwriter who became popular after signing a record deal with Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) back then in 2009. After his ” Holla at Your Boy” was widely embraced by music lovers in the country, he built on that to become one of the biggest musicians in the continent as things stand now. He has the reputation of being the first-ever Nigerian artiste to accumulate over 1 million followers on the popular social media platform Twitter. He is the fifth guy on the list of Best African dancehall artists. 

  • 6. Fancy Gadam

Fancy Gadam is another talented dancehall artiste in Africa. Fancy has a lot of fans and supporters in different parts of Africa, and he has earned himself a big recognition in the industry. He also has the reputation of starting music from childhood, singing at school events and public places. He keeps getting better as he moved on working on what he enjoys doing. For instance, Fancy was going about learning production skills from studio to studio. Right now, he has made various albums that have been widely embraced from different parts of the continent, and he remains one of the best dancehall artists in Africa. 

  • 7. MzVee

Generally, there are more males doing dancehall than their female counterparts. So, many of those dominating the charts of best dancehall artists are usually males. Africa is not an exception. You barely see a female dancehall artist here too. Nevertheless, in a male-dominated industry, MzVee is a female dancehall artiste that is not only doing well but has been regarded as one of the best in the continent. 

She might have chosen to settle for the likes of afro-pop genre or soul (where there are several females doing fine), but she opted for the Dancehall genre. Born in 1992, Vera Hamenoo-Kpeda started the music back then in 2012. She dropped her single in 2014 and has grown into one of the most followed artists in Africa, working with the likes of Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, and so on, and has won various awards too. 

  • 8. Kaakie

Grace Kaki Awo Ocansey is another talented female dancehall star in Africa. She is doing well for herself in the industry and has been able to make a name for herself in the African music industry since she started some years ago. Born in 1991, Kaakie grew up as a music lover has made different songs.

  • 9. Iwan

Abdul Razak Issahaku is another talented dancehall artiste in Africa, and he has been around for some time now. Although he is not as popular as some other folks in the industry, this guy is doing well for himself. Born in 1985,  the musician came from the prestigious University of Ghana and has proceeded to receive awards for his exploits in the reggae/dancehall industry.

Abdul is one of those musicians that started by singing songs others have sung, and he was able to establish himself to a large extent with that. He became well-known for his talents and is now a celebrity with tons of fans and supporters from Ghana. 

  • 10. Scata Bada

Up next is Sscata Bada, who was actually born as Rashid Morety. He is a talented African dancehall artiste from Ghana. The talented musician has been doing well for himself since he started some years back, and he has amassed a lot of fans and supporters. He was born in 1987, became a professional musician after accumulating some experiences, and he joined a label where he produced his first single. The song went viral (perhaps, the Sarkodie factor also played out). After achieving some level of success, he felt matured enough to begin managing his own career. He was under the Baddest Empire before joining Abbey Music Records.

  • 11. Burna Boy

Born in 1991 as Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, Burna Boy is another talented dancehall artiste from Africa. He was born in Nigeria, and he has released various songs that saw his rise. Damini joined Bad Habit/ Atlantic Records in America in 2017 after some impressive exploits that have fetched him several fans and supporters from different parts of the country. In the year 2019, the musician won the Best International Act at the 2019 BET Awards. 

Here are the best dancehall artists Africa can boast of. They are doing well in the industry, and have made a reputation for themselves since they started their respective music careers in their respective countries. 

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