Written By: MIM!—Kae Sun, Baloji, Siji, Tinie Tempah and Rotimi could not be more musically different; but despite their markedly different genres—urban-folk, rumba, soul, hip-hop, and R&B respectively—they all have one thing in common: creative genius ... oh, and undeniable magnetism ;) Read more about Kae Sun, Baloji, Siji, Tinie Tempah and Rotimi below, and watch a music video from each of them.
1. Kae Sun: Kwaku Darko-Mensah who goes by the stage name Kae Sun is a singer / songwriter / MC from Ghana but currently based in Canada. His sound is acoustic, urban-folk influenced with flecks of hip hop. Last year Kae Sun released his debut full length LP
Lion On A Leash. We love him because he is original, we swoon over him because he also writes poetry (Kae Sun's work is regularly published in
One Ghana, One Voice). Learn more about him by visiting
www.kaesunmusic.com.
Kae Sun On the lookout official music video from Kae Sun on Vimeo.
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2. Baloji: For this talented Congolese Belgian rapper who was born in Lubumbashi and grew up in Wallonia, music is personal. Baloji shares, "I’ve got these songs where I talk about stuff that happened to me five years ago when I was an illegal immigrant living without ID papers and I got this expulsion order." We love him for his charisma, we swoon over him because he's unapologetically and supremely honest about who he is ("I’m just trying to be myself. People can just take it or leave it because that’s who I am and I’m not about to change it!") Visit
www.baloji.com for more information.
LE JOUR D'APRES / SIKU YA BAADAYE (INDEPENDANCE CHA-CHA) from BALOJI on Vimeo.
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3. SIJI: The second born of twelve children to Nigerian émigrés in London, SIJI spent much of his early childhood in Lagos and London before moving to the US to further pursue his musical ambitions. His cultural heritage combined with the socio-political spirit of the time, exposed young SIJI to the politicized music of the Afrobeat legends Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Tony Allen as well as the soulful grooves of Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and Otis Redding. We love SIJI because he is soulful, we swoon over him because he is smart (SIJI has a Masters degree in Engineering Product Design, and is a self-taught piano, percussion, and acoustic bass player). Visit
www.sijimusic.com for more information.
SIJI - "Yearning For Home" Music Video from SIJI on Vimeo.
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4. Tinie Tempah: Already a hit-maker in the UK with the chart-topping success of his singles Frisky and Pass Out, rapper Tinie Tempah is looking to solidify his place in music with the release of his debut album The Disc-Overy, which is slated to be released in the UK on October 4th (no word yet on a US release date). We love Tinie Tempah because he has swagger, we swoon over him because he is so confident ("Sometimes I'll listen to albums and half of the songs are fillers so I want mine to be as striking and as brilliant as each other."). Get more information at www.tinietempah.com.
Tinie Tempah - Passout from Tim Brown on Vimeo.
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5. Rotimi: As an opener for artists such as Estelle and N*E*R*D, Rotimi Akinosho has solidified his standing as one of the brightest up and comers in the business. With his hit single
Beautiful Music securing hundreds of Myspace and Facebook plays a day, Rotimi is on track to developing himself as a capable artist and force within the music industry. We love him because his voice us reminds us why we love classic R&B music, we swoon over him because he is naturally talented (at 15 years old Rotimi wowed the historically brutal Apollo Theatre crowd, singing his way to first place at amateur night).
Rotimi - Beautiful Music from Christopher Amos on Vimeo.
Written By: Nani Hapa—Fresh, fun, and bright, Koko Celeste is an independent designer based in Brooklyn, New York. Her eponymous label is inspired by, among other things, her Nigerian heritage, old fashion magazines, New York City, and what she says is "the ability to dance in her clothing." We love that this fashion conscious designer has a conscience and donates 10% of her proceeds to various initiatives aimed at improving health and water standards in Africa. 
Written By: MIM!—Following the underground success of his mix-tape Something About Nothing, and the commercial success of his album Attention Deficit, Wale seems to have mastered the winning formula for maintaining credibility with hip-hop purists while scoring major points with fans of mainstream (read: radio friendly) hip hop. With the release of his new mix-tape More About Nothing Wale hits it out of the park and reminds us why he is worth the hype.
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