Def Jam Africa expands to Senegal, Cameroon and Ivory Coast

In May, UMG launched Def Jam Africa, which is the label’s division entirely dedicated to the continent's hip hop, Afrobeats and trap talent.

Def Jam Africa will now have additional A&R, marketing and digital resources based at UMG’s offices in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Dakar (Senegal), and Douala (Cameroon). The resources will be dedicated to discovering hip hop talent across all the French-speaking markets.

The offices will operate under the leadership of Universal Music Africa director-general Franck Kacou, who will work closely with Universal Music sub-Saharan Africa CEO Sipho Dlamini and Def Jam Africa's teams in Nigeria and South Africa.

The first artist signed to the label in the three new countries include Tenor (Cameroon), Suspect 95 (Ivory Coast) and Omzo Dollar (Senegal). The trio joins a roster of other African artists such as Boity, Cassper Nyovest, Nadia Nakai, Nasty C, Tshego, Tellaman, Larry Gaaga, Vector and Ricky Tyler, who just released his album Small World on the label.

“There is a wealth of domestic hip hop talent here and in the surrounding countries that has the potential to transcend language and geographical boundaries to appeal to audiences throughout Africa, France and beyond," Kacou said. 

"I look forward to working alongside Sipho to expand our community of artists across the continent, and to help elevate hip-hop from Africa to new heights.”

Interim chairperson and CEO of Def Jam Recordings Jeff Harleston said: “The reaction to the recent launch of Def Jam Africa showed the weight and respect that the Def Jam name and brand carries globally.

"We are excited to welcome these new markets to the Def Jam family. It provides an important opportunity for audiences worldwide to discover the incredibly talented hip hop artists emerging throughout the continent.”