&w=64&q=75)
Odumodu Blvck, Blood Civilian, and Qing Madi have been inducted into the Apple Music's Rising Class of 2024.
Since 2020, Apple Music’s artist development programme, Africa Rising, has showcased the best and brightest emerging artists from around the continent.
The program has played a pivotal role in introducing international audiences to notable artists like Omah Lay, Rema, Tems, Ayra Starr, and Amaarae, among others.
As a frontrunner in identifying and promoting emerging trends, Apple Music's Africa Rising campaign kicks off the new year by introducing the Class of '24. These artists are poised for extraordinary careers, aligning with the program's commitment to discovering and supporting Africa's rising stars.
The Class of '24 comprises South African pop sensation Tyla, Nigerian teenage Afropop singer-songwriter Qing Madi, Nigerian Afrobeats singer-songwriter and producer Bloody Civilian, Nigerian rapper and singer OdumoduBlvck, Ghanaian R&B songstress Mellissa, and South African street rapper Maglera Doe Boy.
Expressing their excitement, the inductees conveyed their eagerness to share their talents with the world while shining a spotlight on their diverse cultures.
Tyla: "I’m excited for my project to be released and for people to be exposed to more Tyla music, for people to come into my world and see a glimpse of South Africa because we’re dominating at the moment!”
Qing Madi: "I feel excited to be a part of a new regime of African artists that are being accepted globally, that are being welcomed. And the fact that we are loved for who we are and we’re not trying to be someone that we are not."
Bloody Civilian: "African music is the source of other genres, and if you listen to music from Africa you can hear how many ways it’s interpolated, how many ways it’s been created, it's very diverse."
ODUMODUBLVCK: "Nigerian hip-hop will definitely keep on growing because we’ve found a way to involve men and women - girls are now rapping to the bars and it’s so cool! We keep things fresh, we keep things interesting.”
Mellissa: "I’m a Ghanaian woman so I love guitars, and the overall feeling that I get when I take in the music as a consumer is phenomenal."
Maglera Doe Boy: "I feel like it’s about to get bigger, which is great for getting the sound to the rest of the world.”
The Class of '24 Africa Rising recipients will be featured in an upcoming episode of Africa Now Radio with Nandi Madida, airing on Friday, January 12, 2024. Stay tuned for an immersive experience into the sounds shaping the future of African music.
The Class of ’24 Africa Rising recipients will be featured in an upcoming episode of Africa Now Radio with Nandi Madida, airing on Friday January, 12 2024.