Global Hip-Hop: Rappers Around the World Share Photos From Self-Quarantine

Age: 28
Location: Johannesburg

“Realizing how many creatives are not making money, I’ve tried to create opportunities,” says the Epic Records signee, who achieved a U.S. crossover with her viral 2019 hit “John Cena.” That includes a beatmaking competition for her upcoming track “Sena Ala,” for which she is receiving over 3,000 submissions a week from producers around the globe.

Age: 42
Location: Milan, Italy

Though many artists are still learning how to create music in isolation, Marracash has plenty of experience doing so. The “SUPREME - L’ego” hitmaker says he wrote his March album, Persona, in self-imposed isolation prior to the pandemic. “This is a very introspective moment,” he says. “This allows me to get deeper and deeper into the chapter of Persona.”

Age: 24
Location: Shanghai

Vava has taken the opportunity to practice her English while preparing to release an album later this year through Warner Music China. “I’ve been watching a lot of Will Smith movies as well as Friends,” she says. “I have enough material [to] write a new song every day.”

Age: 29
Location: Mumbai

"When the pandemic hit, everyone was trying to equip themselves mentally, emotionally and financially," says DIVINE, who became Mass Appeal India's first signee last September. In early April, the "Chal Bombay" rapper released "Salaam" in support of essential workers like doctors, nurses and the police, who are "real life warriors," he says.

Age: 24
Location: Paris

The French superstar treated fans to a quarantine gift with M.I.L.S 3 on March 7. The album marked his second consecutive chart-topper in his native country, but he maintains that there’s still work to do for the genre: “Rap in France has yet to reach the recognition it deserves,” he says. “But we’re getting there.”

Age: 29
Location: İzmir, Turkey

“Everyone thought people would start listening more [to music] at home, but it didn’t turn out that way,” says the rapper about streaming trends in Turkey. But that hasn’t kept him from releasing two new singles in May. “It’s not productive every day,” with worries about the virus on his mind, he says, “but this is part of the creative process.”

Age:24 Location: Singapore 

In addition to appearing on Universal Music Singapore’s advisory single “Stay Home,” Yung Raja has frequently shared his pandemic experiences with fans on Instagram. “Having a platform where so many people follow you can be used for good,” he says. “Inspire, spread good vibes, lift each other up.”

Age: 20
Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Though the singer-rapper, whose song “Iron Man” appeared on Barack Obama’s 2019 summer playlist, was looking forward to performing at festivals like Coachella and Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water this year, he’s using his downtime to learn audio engineering. “In this time, I need as much knowledge as possible,” he says.

Age: 34
Location: Los Angeles

As she gears up to release an EP, the recent Mass Appeal India signee has taken her music across the globe with her All Around the World (Wide Web) virtual tour. "It's been really exciting to interact with old fans and engage with new people who might not have heard the music before," she says. Kumari also released single "N.R.I." in April.

Age: 27
Location: Shenzhen, China

After releasing new album AIR PLAN last December, The Rap of China winner maintains that he is "still optimistic" for a few live performances later this year. In the meantime, he's continually working on new music, with his process remaining largely unchanged amid the pandemic. "After every move, the first thing I always do it arrange a recording room to ensure that I have a good music creation environment," he says.

Age: 40
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The rapper and Def Jam Recordings South East Asia managing director has used his extra free time as an opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of the hip-hop industry in Asia. "I've probably watched every single rap video or lyric video produced by any Malaysian act," he says. "It's given me time to study other markets like the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, and understand what's going on at a grass roots level."

Age: 35
Location: Oslo, Norway

The Norwegian hip-hop duo comprised of Chirag Rashmikant Patel (pictured) and Magdi Ytreeide Abdelmaguid hasn't worked on music much during lockdown, with the latter welcoming his fourth child and the former struggling to draw inspiration from the pandemic. "It's hard to make a rap record about a virus," says Patel. "I don't see how that angle is natural -- how is it going to be anything but corny?"

Age: 26
Location: Paris

Despite recently teaming up with French artist Bramsito for "Criminel" last week, Niska has constantly battled with boredom, taking on new challenges — including an attempt at cooking, which he livestreamed on Instagram — as a result. "Cooking isn't my chosen field, but if that entertains people, it's a good thing," he says.