Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in
Johannesburg,
South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of
house music featuring the use of African sounds and samples. Typically at a slower tempo range than other styles of
house music, Kwaito often contains catchy melodic and percussive loop samples, deep bass lines, and vocals. Although bearing similarities to
hip hop music, a distinctive feature of Kwaito is the manner in which the lyrics are sung, rapped and shouted. American producer
Diplo has described Kwaito as "slowed-down
garage music," most popular among the black youth of South Africa.