In the last five years, rap music has doubled in popularity in Poland, co-ordinate to Spotify listening data. Today, rap music accounts for 23% of all music listened to in Poland on Spotify, and it's drawing in new listeners of all ages and a multitude of local creators. And so to highlight the growing and sonically diverse rap scene unfolding across the country, Spotify Poland launched a campaign that asked a deceptively unproblematic question: What is rap?

Depending on whom you enquire, the answer changes, but all the experts agree that it's on an unstoppable path of growth. "Polish Rap is so diverse, colorful, hard to define, and that is the beauty of it!" said Mateusz Smółka , Music Squad Lead Eastern Europe, Spotify. "We at Spotify, together with artists, are looking for the answer to a question 'What is rap?' to hear unlike voices and show how broad this genre is. Just most of all nosotros are celebrating all kinds of rap, and nosotros are covering all kinds of examples on Spotify!"

Young Leosia , one of the best-known Gen Z DJs and rap music artists in Poland, takes the conversation even further, sharing her perspective equally a creator. " Rap has become the most pop music all over the world, so that'south not something nosotros invented, only in general, I think that rap is all about the truth," shared the rapper. "Information technology's nearly existent experiences that people tin can chronicle to."

She's not lone in her thinking. Nosotros also asked thirteen of the almost-streamed Smoothen rappers to add their voices to the entrada and share their views on rap. They didn't disappoint.

But to understand what rap is in Poland, we also had to explore why and how the land'southward robust rap scene came to be.

Exploring the genre'south rise on-platform

When Spotify music editors created the Generacja Hip Hop playlist (at present the RAP GENERACJA ) at the stop of 2017, rap was on the rise, just it wasn't notwithstanding responsible for near of Poland'south mainstream hits similar it is today. It featured more influences from trap music and did non include as much experimentation, dance, R&B, or rock-inspired beats.

Experts aspect the genre's evolution to the trend among artists to collaborate. Specifically, many rappers began to grade supergroups and super collaborations. Our music editors bespeak to 2018 as the genre's turning bespeak, when two of the biggest rappers at fourth dimension, Taco Hemingway and Quebonafide , recorded a tape-dandy album together under the name of TACONAFIDE . From there, rap and its super collaborations were prepare for the spotlight.

Every bit part of our contempo campaign, Spotify rebranded the playlist where it all began, Generacja Hip Hop, into RAP GENERACJA . With a new fresh name and vibrant redesign, the playlist remains the go-to choice both for fans and artists to check out the hottest and biggest releases in Polish rap. Over the last three years, RAP GENERACJA climbed to number i on the Spotify Shine playlist rankings, becoming the state's most-listened-to playlist and marking a 240% growth in listenership. Recently, the playlist has made waves around the earth and has become a top x rap playlist on Spotify's global playlist rankings.

And, to spotlight the diversity of the genre's sound, Spotify launched seven new playlists, including a fresh playlist for immature artists, called Młody rap , and playlists celebrating the history of Polish rap, legendary tracks, and artists. Those playlists include Polski Rap 2000. , Polski Rap 2010. , and Rap historie .

The outburst of new playlists reflects the genre's versatility and energy. "Polish rap is the buzziest and near influential genre at the moment in Poland, taking over the charts and inspiring the mainstream, only also flirting with pop, electronic/trip the light fantastic toe, culling, rock, and multiple other genres," said Mateusz.

The artists making waves and speaking for generations

Whether creators teamed up into supergroups or maintained a solo career, all have had a front-row seat to Poland's evolving rap civilisation. And, as they connect with a growing listenership, artists are racing to prepare (and pause) streaming records.

The trending artists also speak to the variety of sounds and styles within the genre that have become popular in the final v years—too as the potential for emerging creators to take off. Simply await at the top 10 rappers over the concluding five years, about of whom launched their careers inside the same time menses:

  1. Taco Hemingway
  2. Quebonafide
  3. Bedoes
  4. Lanek
  5. Tymek
  6. White 2115
  7. Żabson
  8. Mata
  9. Immature Igi
  10. PRO8L3M

And looking more deeply at electric current trends and record breakers, artists Tymek and Big Scythe lead the charge with the most-listened-to song in the last v years, their hit " Język ciała ." Merely nipping at their heels is the latest record-breaking vocal on the platform, Mata 's " Kiss cam (podryw roku) ." Mata'due south rising and fan favorite creators like Young Leosia reflect the changes sweeping across the music scene and how a new generation of Smooth rappers is resonating with their audiences.

"For me, rap is a civilization—a culture I grew upward in," shared Immature Leosia, pictured. "I've always loved music and wanted to make it my full-fourth dimension job. Now that I've achieved and then much, it's like a dream come true." Photo credit: Wiktoria Maciuk

"My adventure with music started when I was a society DJ."

"At my DJ sets, I mix trap with Afrobeat and dancehall. I thought it would be absurd to make some tracks you lot can easily mix at the parties, bangers that people volition love. I spoke with music producers I vibe with, took their beats to the studio, and recorded seven tracks."

"Polish rap is full of strong personalities and rappers who are non just creating music only inspiring and deeply connecting with fans," explained Mateusz. "These artists are considered to be the voices of the young generation."

Looking to rap's time to come

Based on these trends, one affair listeners can virtually certainly look is more growth within the genre. As rap continues to evolve within Poland, experts in the scene forecast more surprises and local talent joining the scene. Already, the top 15 artists of the year in Poland in 2020 were Smoothen rappers, and 2021 is well on its way to continuing the tendency.

Nonetheless, Mateusz pinpoints i major area of development within rap, explaining, "For sure 2022 will excite us with many more amazing twists inside the audio, as one of the principal characteristics of Smoothen rap is that this genre is very much alive, and change is part of its DNA. But the key revolution that is just around the corner is the gender revolution. More and more women will rap and prove off their amazing skills, powerful storytelling, and unique vibe—and deeply influence the scene and the sound in the process."

Young Leosia is already calculation her voice to the gender revolution. The creator'south influential sound blends diverse influences from pop to funk and has helped shape the future of the sound. Not merely that, her work is as well helping inspire a new moving ridge of women artists.

"Hopefully the scene is changing at present," she reflected. "Nosotros are setting an example for hereafter female person rappers in our land. I would love to speak up about the subject equally much every bit I can and encourage other women to go on working and trying. At the finish of the twenty-four hour period, if you lot work difficult enough, you lot will always achieve your goals."

Her terminal communication for boyfriend rappers: "Don't exist afraid to try."

Join the rap revolution and start listening to the hottest tracks in Poland on RAP GENERACJA .