At a time when the future of music appears profoundly dystopian, with AI models producing gimmicky renditions of music, something is soothing about the current range of Black expression in music. Nowhere are the boundaries between genres and sonic identifiers being blurred with as much gusto as in African music. Singers are rappers, and rappers are dipping into indigenous music to broaden the scope of their sounds. While the threat of AI seems to be hurtling down after all forms of creative pursuit, we can rest assured that the ingenuity of African musicians means that they’ll always be one step ahead. That knack for exciting invention and experimentation is best exemplified by our rising class of talent, who continue to rewrite the rules of what our music can sound and feel like. 

With uNder, our flagship artist celebration column, we aim to celebrate and salute the mavericks who endlessly work to expand the scope of our understanding of music. Whether it’s music to rage to, cry to, dance to, or even sit in quiet wonder with, these acts continue to deliver and show up. On our June entry, we have Xowié, Mavo, Juma Mufasa, and Kalibwani, creators whose artistry expands across diverse forms and whose works continue to remind us at The NATIVE why we invest so much time in seeking out these gems.  

Xowié

For Fans of: Tems, SZA, and Asa. 

Rising South African singer, Xowié, has a lot to say about the modern dynamics of life, the necessities of love, and our shared human connection, and it shows in her music, which is achingly tender yet deeply layered with myriad references rooted in the daily mix of real life. Hailing from KwaZulu-Natal, Xowié’s music is shaped by a blend of several genres, taking inspiration from the R&B, Pop, and Reggae influences she grew up listening to. Raised in a deeply religious yet musically inclined family, she found her footing in music while being drawn to the glossy, ever-mutating sound of legends like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Gil Scott-Heron. The work of these stars also shaped her diaristic approach to writing about romance, body positivity, and self-confidence. 

Xowié got her start in music as a contestant on South Africa’s popular music reality show, Idols, where she showed her gift alongside a talented cohort of singers. She described that experience as “eye-opening” in an interview with Music Custodian. “I was around people who could run vocal scales effortlessly, who had already been writing songs and performing with such confidence,” she explained. “I, on the other hand, had never written a song before. I knew I could sing, but I had also been told I didn’t know how to mix my voice properly. That environment showed me what I needed to work on.” Moving on from Idols, Xowié first offered a glimpse of her talent on 2023’s “Rainy Days,” a cloudy R&B-Soul fusion that finds her affirming her devotion to a love interest even on the most challenging days. “On those rainy days, Imma be right by your side,” she dreamily sings atop a slowly jerking percussive instrumental.  Her interest in romantic dynamics continued on “Hold Me,” a 2024 Deep House collaboration with Fiction, in which she expressed her desire for genuine love without games. 

Her 2025 debut project, ‘A Little Long Overdue (A.L.L.O),’ shows a more evolved version of the singer, presenting her as a human dealing with the pressures of finding her way in a world that’s not always attuned to her desires or pace. ‘A.L.L.O’ opens with “Home,” a pleading call for the familiar comforts of home as an antithesis to the strangeness and rowdy standoffishness of the world Xowié lives in. There’s a sense of assuredness that comes from sitting with people with whom you have shared history, and it’s that quest for cutting loose and laughing with loved ones that serves as the subtext for “Home.” In many ways, ‘A.L.L.O’  chronicles the shifts in Xowié’s life as she works towards her dreams. She’s intuitively aware of this, referencing that “a change is gonna come” on the bluesy “Change.”

Even her reflections on romance capture a transformation of her worldview. “Nobody’s Fool” is as close to a fuck you to a lover that’s playing with her. Operating by her convictions, Xowié clearly will not suffer this fool lightly, singing: “I get so lonely / Still don’t wanna fuck with you.” On the song, she’s also owning up to desire, singing openly about having sex with her floundering romantic interest. “You take me for a fool cause I let you hit it twice in one night,” she starts before sardonically adding, “It wasn’t even nice.” The centerpiece of ‘A.L.L.O’ is “Bittersweet,” a stirring collab with Kenyan singer, Bensoul, that contends with the messy theatre of loving someone that’s not always in tune with those feelings. 

Mavo

For fans of: Shallipopi, ZerryDL & Kashcoming

If you’re active on Nigerian TikTok, then it’s safe to assume you’ve heard Mavo’s latest single “Escladizzy.” The song’s sticky chorus was practically inescapable on the app before its official release, building significant momentum behind what has quickly become the 21-year-old’s biggest song yet. The single, which features Wave$tar, recently debuted on the UK Afrobeats chart after amassing over a million streams in less than two weeks of its release. It’s also helped him earn cosigns from different prominent names like BNXN, Joeboy, and Zerry DL. While the song’s hypnotic Amapiano-inspired beat is undoubtedly catchy, the song’s major appeal lies in Mavo’s lyrical eccentricism, a very unique and distinctive quality that’s quickly setting the Edo native apart as one of the most promising young singers around. 

Mavo tries to rewrite the rules with his music. While he mainly operates in the Afropop realm sonically, it’s in his sometimes staggered flows and lyrical composition that he brings something fresh to the table. 2023’s “Ukanigbe,” his official debut single and the follow-up project, also titled ‘Ukanigbe,’ introduced his recognizable sound and a creative vocabulary that mixes slangs, made-up words, and eccentric ad-libs to really good effect. In his world, there’s a constant insistence that there’s “no more way for poor people” (for whatever reason), two Moët translates to “Tumo Weto,” while indecipherable words like “fadonomogba,” “obromokpopo,” and “somonoyopkpon” make perfect sense. 

On his sophomore project, ‘SANKO,’ which came about a year after his debut, he christened himself Kilogbede (a persona he created), sounding a lot more assured than he did on his debut. Standout cuts like “Expensive Shit,” “Kilobizzy,” and “Feel Nice,” – which appeared on the deluxe version of ‘SANKO’ – helped raise the singer’s stock, taking him from relative obscurity to one of the more prominent names in the underground scene. He also began to garner a loyal following at this point, as his clever use of social media helped him attract a swath of chronically online zoomers who bought into his music and idiosyncratic lexicon. By the time his latest project, ‘Kilometer,’ arrived, his reach had begun to extend beyond his contemporaries. Cuts like “No More” were already beginning to transcend the underground circuit, but it’s “Escladizzy” that has proven to be his breakthrough record, setting the stage for what is about to be very exciting times for the talented young singer. 

Juma Mafasa

For Fans of: Juls, Kwesi Arthur & Ser∅tonin

Juma Mufasa is a smooth operator. His music, an effortless mix of Afropop-inflected R&B and Hip-Hop, usually flows at a slow to mid-tempo pace, mostly making for really sleek and serene tunes. If there’s one song that perfectly encapsulates his sound and vibe, it’s probably 2023’s “Maame Water,” a Produ B-produced record that sets the Ghanian singer’s musings about a love interest to a lush beat. While a significant portion of his discography adheres to this soothing sonic format, his songs often carry a weight and depth that belies their seemingly gentle delivery.

His 2021 debut, ‘Children Of The Sun,’ served as a solid introduction to his unique style as well as a profound submission of a young artist striving to establish himself as one to be reckoned with. Songs like the striking opener “Sometimes” and “MMM” both echo the same sentiment, offering an intimate glimpse into the life of a young, talented Ghanaian navigating the unforgiving and relentless pursuit of greener pastures. His words are incredibly salient and relatable, laying bare his humble beginnings and aspirations as he gently sings “I’m from a place you no for enter, a place where you for better get up and get am.”

About a year after the release of ‘Children Of The Sun,’ Mufasa updated his debut with 5 new songs on a deluxe edition that kept in line with the original’s essence. Of the new additions, “Children with Adult Problems” was the clear standout, a collaboration with fellow Ghanian singer-songwriter Marince Omario. Like the title suggests, the song finds both artists chronicling their shared realities of life in Accra over calming choral vocals. In 2023, Mufasa released a joint tape  with KwesiSoul titled “CITY ON FIRE.” Next to the rising melodic rapper, Juma Mufasa was able to flex his rapping chops, laying multiple sturdy verses over mostly Hip-Hop inspired production. 

Since “CITY ON FIRE,” the Ghanaian singer has continued to dish out more dulcet tunes that chart the evolution of his sound as well as his road to success. 2024’s ‘The Sandwich Tape’ a 3-pack with Yartii, came with a more polished touch, producing some of his finest cuts yet while his newer singles like “Iris” and “My Village People,” which incorporates Highlife influences, shows he’s expanding the scope of his sound while retaining the sharp lyrical potency that makes his music deeply resonant. 

Kalibwani

For Fans of: Common, Jesse Jagz, and M.anifest

Part of the appeal of uNder has always been how it introduces us to artists operating in seemingly unconventional fashion. Ugandan writer, strategist, publisher,  and producer, Kalibwani, is one of those freeflowing acts who continue to operate across creative endeavours. Starting out as a producer, Kalibwani first turned heads with his work on  Josh Forehead’s 2021 trap-influenced hit “UGX,” signalling his frontline role as part of the sonic revolution ongoing in East Africa. Kalibwani stepped out as an artist with a scene-stealing feature on Kenyan singer, Maya Amolo’s, 2022 single, “Foundry,” where he rapped about being posted up with his homies and being there for his lover in any circumstance. 

It took another year for Kalibwani to pop out on a track, joining the a selection of artists on “SHE WAAN,” a posse cut about treating a lover to the best things. Like his verse on “Foundry,” Kalibwani’s is similarly slippery on “SHE WAAN,” infusing his melancholic harmonies into the song while rhythmically staying on topic. The clearest indictor of his artistic direction arrived on 2024’s “Not Safe In The West,” a genre-meshing fusion of Dancehall and Hip-Hop that derides the struggles of existing as an African in the Western world. Produced by Kalibwani, “Not Safe In The West” has the same distinctive percsussive genius that made “UGX” a standout. Most importantly, it’s a clear-eyed rebuke of the dangers that continue to face black people in Western-populated spaces–a clear sign of Kalibwani’s poweful sense of perception. With only a small catalogue till now, Kalibwani keeps showing signs of being on the precipice of a breakthrough while still experimenting across creative forms.