Five African Queer Artists You Need To Know

Mx Blouse is a non-binary, South African recording artist, writer, rapper, and DJ with a taste of different genres – which ranges from Hip-hop, R&B, and kwaito.

Blouse was born in Melmoth in northern KwaZulu-Natal and later grew up in Johannesburg. Their first foray into the music industry was as a DJ in Cape Town. In an interview, they expressed that it’s through the art of writing that they got to hone their songwriting ability. They made their debut EP (Believe The Bloom) in 2017.

Even though, they are regarded as gender non-conforming rapper in South Africa, they are offering a new dimension of the Hip-hop genre, while using its influence to make music that reflects their mindset.

Troye Sivan is a South-African born Australian singer, actor and YouTube personality. He is arguably one of the best pop stars of this generation who are making their way into global scene.

In 2018, the New York times reported that Sivan is a new kind of pop star topping the charts while defying the norms and demonstrating his sexual orientation through his music.

Before then, in 2013, Sivan revealed on his YouTube channel that he is a gay.

His debut album “Blue Neighbourhood” captured the trials and tribulations of queer adolescence.

Dua Saleh is a non-binary, Sudanese-American poet and singer. Apart from her wonderful performances in poetry and music, she sometimes, also delve into acting.

Having started writing poetry from a young age, in 2017, they recorded their song “First Take” followed by their debut EP Nūr was released in June 2019 through a record label tagged Against Giants.

A Netflix show “Sex Education” is Dua Saleh’s first professional acting role. As time went on, they kept appearing in more movies and TV shows.

Angel-Ho is a queer artist from Cape Town in South Africa who has been a prolific musician since she started her career.

Her EP “Alla Prima” which she describes as “hip hop haute couture” in using her queerness as the medium to express her art. Be it in song tracks and videos, or live performances.

She has been one of the great black trans musicians who are currently making waves on the African continent.

Lelo Whatsgood (real name Ntsikelelo ‘Lelo’ Meslani) is a young, unapologetically black, queer creative equipped with many skills and talents.The Johannesburg- based multi-talented queer artist is fast becoming a creative force that is redefining South African queer culture.As one of the premier DJs in the country, Lelo is not only making the party interesting but is also using his creativity as an activist for the queer community.