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Afro B

Afro B is a leading figure in the emerging Afrowave scene. While his parents hail from the Ivory Coast, Afro B was born in Charlton, South London and grew up in Greenwich. His love of music started at a young age, when he would play piano in church. His involvement in London's hip-hop scene began later on, when he was part of a team (which also included collaborator Kenny Allstar) that put on a club night called All Star Skankers. From there he began DJing, and recording his own tracks followed from there. As a DJ he would play Afrobeats, sounds that came direct from Africa. It was as he and other artists began to riff on that material the fusion genre Afrowave, blending Afrobeats with hip-hop and dancehall sounds, was born. When he released 'My Sweet Coco' featuring Mista Silva, with its mellower tempo, Afro B began to carve his own place in the Afrowave scene. The follow-up 'Baba God' brought Ghanaian and gospel influences into the mix and collaborations with big names in the scene such as Emeli Sandé, 67, NOT3S, Tion Wayne, and Yxng Bane boosted his profile. It was with 2018's 'Drogba', written in tribute to Ivorian footballer Didier Drogba, that Afro B really began to make waves, however. The track, produced by Team Salut, racked up over 32 million views in the year following its launch and cemented Afro B's position in the emerging Afrowave scene.