Keyti

Keyti (born Cheikh Sène on 22 December 1972) is one of the pioneers of Senegalese hip hop. Apart from musical activities, Keyti has been presenting conferences and panels throughout Senegal for the past decade, discussing the social and political impact of hip hop on young people in his home country.

Keyti became well known to the Senegalese audience in 1998 with his group Rapadio after the release of their first album 'Ku Wéét Xam Sa Bop'. The album changed the face of Senegalese hip hop by addressing issues affecting the youth. The success of the album is credited with introducing a new breed of Senegalese rappers whose music focused on politics and socio-economic problems.

In 2003, Keyti released his solo project 'Jog Ag Daanu' which earned him a reputation as one of the most respected lyricist in the Senegalese hip hop scene. The album also earned him collaborations with artists like Nix, Gaston and As Malick. In the same year, he took part in the Artistes Unis pour le Rap Africain (United Artists for African Rap) project that involved 17 other West African hip hop artists to promote children’s rights. The project went on a three-year tour to such countries as Benin, Togo, France, Burkina Faso, Niger, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Mali.

In 2008, Keyti was part of the Bring the Noise project initiated by the British Council for Ghana’s 50 years of independence and the 200th year anniversary of the abolition of slavery by the UK. Bring the Noise was presented in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, Nigeria and the UK. In 2008, Keyti directed a 26-minute documentary on Senegalese hip hop called '100% Galsen'. The film premiered at the Black Soil International Hip Hop Film Festival in Rotterdam, Holland.

Since October 2012 he has been the co-host of Journal Rappé (Rap Journal), a weekly news bulletin on YouTube. Between March and August 2014 he worked with ex-juvenile detainees as part of the Youth Urban Media Academy (YUMA) project initiated by AfriCulturban.