Over the past three years, Kenyan hip hop has exploded on Spotify – its streams more than doubling, its fan base growing younger and more diverse, and its sound stretching far beyond Nairobi into every corner of the country.
This surge in popularity arrives at a fitting moment: on 8 August 2025, Octopizzo’s Long Distance Paper Chaser (LDPC) turns 10. Released in 2015 as his second studio album, LDPC remains a landmark project – one of the early catalysts for Kenyan hip-hop’s rise on streaming platforms. But the story it now ushers in is even bigger: in 2025, this is a genre that doesn’t just survive; it dominates.
Fuelled by Gen Z
From 2022 to 2024, Kenyan hip hop streams on Spotify soared from over 170 million to over 430 million – a 152% leap that works out to nearly 60% annual growth. This isn’t a casual uptick; it’s a full-blown movement powered by Kenya’s youth, with 61% of all hip hop plays coming from 18- to 24-year-olds, cementing the genre as Gen Z’s unmistakable anthem.
Hip hop’s powerhouse status is, however, not limited to young men. While early streaming audiences skewed overwhelmingly male, women now make up 27% of all Kenyan hip hop listens (at almost 28 million total streams), up from the low single digits, proving that the genre’s growing appeal cuts across gender lines and resonates with fans from every background.
From Nairobi to Thika and beyond
Kenyan hip hop is no longer just a Nairobi story. While the capital still drives the scene, clocking almost 94 million streams in 2024, deep engagement is taking root across the map – from Mombasa’s coast to Nakuru, Thika, Meru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nyeri, Murang’a, Nanyuki and beyond, the genre has found an audience far beyond its early urban strongholds. What once lived in the capital now moves nationwide—with fans, artists, and scenes building momentum in every direction.
Wakadinali on top
At the centre of this surge stands rap trio Wakadinali: unapologetic, street-rooted and undeniably dominant, with around 46 million lifetime streams on Spotify. Their rise isn’t just impressive – it’s symbolic. From their raw Sheng drill lyricism to their fiercely independent ethos, Wakadinali embody the evolution of Kenyan hip hop from a niche subculture into a national movement. In 2024, they also top the list of most streamed hip hop artists in Kenya, with tracks like Hizi Stance, Sikutambui, and Kichwa mbaya(ft Masterpiece King) leading performance on Spotify’s editorial playlist 254Flow, a space increasingly defined by gritty realism and fan-fuelled momentum.
They’re not alone. Nyashinski, Kenya’s second-most streamed hip hop act with around 28 million streams, continues to straddle lyrical depth and mainstream success with tracks like Shots (with Cedo) and Under the Influence (with female hip hop heavyweight Femi One).
Octopizzo, now a decade out from LDPC, remains central to the genre’s narrative arc, coming third with 23 million lifetime streams, while Khaligraph Jones, Buruklyn Boyz, and Boutross anchor the sound’s more gritty, street-born edge.
Rising voices are reshaping the landscape too. Toxic Lyrikali, barely out of his teens and emerging from Eastlands’ Kayole estate, is building a fast-growing fanbase on the strength of his lyrics and grassroots momentum. His breakout track Chinje earned a spot among 254Flow’s top streamed songs – a major feat for an artist with no major features or traditional media backing.
These new-gen voices aren’t waiting for industry co-signs; they’re moving audiences on their own terms.
Here are the top 15 most-streamed Kenyan hip hop artists on Spotify, 2022-2024
