As humanity works overtime to scrub off the scent of pandemic era which rampaged the entertainment industry and threatened a devastating resurgence, we’ve all witnessed a boom in outdoor activities globally and in Sierra Leone.

Entertainers and musicians are not left out of this and have doubled down to create soundtracks to support the wave and thanks to this, we’ve had a sonically hotter year, with the airwaves taken captive by banger tracks after banger tracks.

Last year 2021, Sierraloaded started the Hottest Artiste List, an undiluted run down of the Artistes that shaped, defined and led music among Sierra Leonean consumers throughout the year.

This list underscores the entertainers who scored the biggest hits, tours, mega moves on the local and international scene, the award winners, and in general, the people we’ve listened and danced to for the past 12 months

Be sure you are following Sierraloaded on all social media platforms so as not to miss out on this list.

Kao Denero – #12

When it comes to consistency over the last 20 years, no one in Sierra Leone music is touching Kao Denero. This dude eats, sleeps and breathes in the studio. And the result? A steady stream of quality content almost on a year basis.

Permit us to re-introduce the CEO of Black Leo Entertainment and Sierra Leone’s Special Envoy ‘Ambassador’ for Entertainment and Investment, Amara Dennis Turay popularly known as Kao Denero.

Kao Denero is highly regarded because of his versatility in making hits across all genres of music. He is well known for splitting heavy bars with an awesome relatable storyline and a great deal of heavy lyrically lifting to the delight of his listeners.

From being a refugee from Sierra Leone to the United States of America to hitting the world through his music, Kao has had a spectacular career in his 20 years+ stint as a musical icon, winning many local and international awards and nominations.

In 2021, Kao Denero entered the studio to introduce young Sierra Leonean rappers on ‘Fityai Corner’ Cypher. Following the success of the cypher, he extended his network to bring more rappers onboard with a Continental Cypher featuring Lyrical Joe from Ghana, King B from Cameroon, Shadow Boxxer from Sierra Leone, and many others. (Ultram)

Fast forward down the clock, Kao Denero has gifted his fans this year with hot musical offerings like ‘Leh Dem Talk’, ‘Salone Na Contree’, ‘God Notto Man’ and most recently, ‘All Face Value (Yes Sir)’.

Collaboration wise, the Black Leo rapper has appeared in several songs including Atical 4yoh’s ‘Youthman Be Conscious’ and Prezo Colabo’s ‘5VO’ which also featured Star Zee. His vocal prowess was also recruited by Skillz 8figure in ‘Man Dem Ready’ and Kai Kizzy Nation in ‘Star’. In July, UK-based Rapper Ghost VnX enlisted Kao Denero and American Rapper, The Game in ‘Marathon’. This song will go down as one of the best collaborations in Sierra Leone can be proud of.

Kao Denero recently returned to Sierra Leone from the United State and has immediately announced a collaboration with Ghanaian Dancehall Great, Shatta Wale. He is also expected to host the Back to My Root festival which will be headlined by Kenyan International Rap Star, Khaligraph Jones.

With these in mind, it’s clear Kao Denero deserves his place in the #12 position on The 20 Hottest Artistes in Sierra Leone 2022.