6 Videos You Need To See Before This Week Ends
All the best music scenes and sets from across the world
All the best music scenes and sets from across the world
Kendrick warned that his new album, DAMN. would bring the heat but he failed to mention his video would carry as much punch as his verses. Kendrick brings Don Cheadle on board for the video of “DNA” and the actor delivers an Oscar worthy performance mouthing lyrics during a mock interrogation with Kendrick.
Idris King and friends serve major #squadgoals in his new music video for “Squad”. Who better to storm the stage with, for a song about community and camaraderie, than his home girls and homeboys. King’s new video does justice to the chill vibe of “Squad” with each shot showing the goofiness and light atmopshere that comes with having a good time with buddies.
Nicki’s “No Fraud” comes in to shut down criticisms of her public hanging by Remy Ma, in the weeks past with diss track, “ShETHER”. Nicki’s response took longer than fans expected but perhaps the rapper, thought the best way to win was to ensure her clapback packed all the right punches. To make sure of this, label mates Drake and Lil Wayne are dragged into Nicki’s response, “No Fraud” with hopes of replicating the success of “Only”. “No Fraud” was shot in London showing Nicki’s iconic curves, the iconic London bridge and enough jewelry to make the a princess jealous.
Riding on the wave of Afrobeat’s acclaim, French Montana features Swae Lee for “Unforgettable” wth a video shot in Kampala, Uganda. The scenes are largely disconnected from the song’s actual narrative. It also features shots of the artists in the ghetto with a cast of street kids dancing and smiling like they were happy to be on a video that already boasts of over 8 million views on YouTube.
Alt-Rock band, Paramore is coming back with a second album after a brief haitus that preceded 2013’s self-titled come back album. “Hard Time” is the lead single off the album, and while it is a superb song, it also confirms earlier fan speculation that the band is taking a turn from its emo roots towards a lighter pop direction. The release of “Hard Time”‘s candy-coloured video, further emphasizes the bands shift to a more playful narrative.
If you missed It, Wande Coal dropped the music video for last 2016 single “Iskaba”, featuring DJ Tunez. Director Sesan shares works in a Vintage tint seemingly inspired by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” , complete with vintage clothing and round top hats. The draw of this pretty picture is somewhere in the colour scheme and Wande Coal’s energetic moves.
Featured Image: YouTube/WandeCoalVevo
Asake broke the internet when he unveiled his new tattoos earlier this year, and he’s doubling down while...
Asake broke the internet when he unveiled his new tattoos earlier this year, and he’s doubling down while ushering in the GIRAN Republic era. On “Military”, Asake ditches the log drums & Amapiano-inspired beats that paved the way to his rapid ascent to stardom. Rapping over stripped back production dominated by a live drum loop, he picks up where he left off sonically on ‘LUNGU BOY’, drawing inspiration from his Hip-Hop influences, as he delivers a defiant, heartfelt battle-cry to his fans and doubters alike.
For the last few months, rumours have swirled around Asake on the gossip blogs, on everything from who he’s dating to his record label situation to his physical appearance, with fans, critics and disgruntled ex team members all throwing in their two cents. Since his emergence in the limelight, Asake has been a man of few words – we should know, we did his first ever magazine interview back in 2022. But on this track, he addresses the chatter head on, opening the song dismissively rapping “ Awon lo lenu won koma so lo/ Tio ba affect bank me, ko ma soro” loosely translated to “let them keep talking, if it doesn’t affect my bank account, there’s nothing to say”. He goes on to flex his financial muscle above everyone in his “set”, despite being “low-key”, while affirming he could drop an album tomorrow with no tracklist, and it would still slap.
He takes a break from the braggadocio between verses to directly shout out his mentor Olamide, the man who gave him his big break. While it does appear their business relationship may have run its course, the mercurial artist is making it clear he remembers how he got here. The Asake & YBNL run will be studied for years to come. In the midst of the continued rise in global consumption of Nigerian music, Asake hilariously raps “Oyinbo koro lenu mi”, a reminder that he will not be diluting his sound for the benefit of our friends in the West.
Quietly dropping the track exclusively on YouTube & Audiomack a couple of days after the 2025 GRAMMY ceremony, in which he was nominated for the second year running, this response may have gone over the heads of those who lurk in the comment sections of the gossip blogs. But it is the most Asake response we could have expected, isn’t it? On his own terms, in his own native tongue, he pulls no punches as he ushers in a new era of independence.
This morning, Asake released another record, the Magicsticks-produced “WHY LOVE”,which notably comes under his new imprint Giran Republic. Reverting to a more familiar sonic cocktail of pulsating log-drums and choral vocals, he sings melodiously,“You know I’m a Soulja boy, but in your case, I’ll calm down.” The duality of man.
The rumours will keep swirling and people will keep talking, as they tend to do when you reach the heights the Lungu Boy has soared to. And for all the aesthetic change and talk of a new era, it appears Asake is going to continue to do what he has done more consistently than nearly every artist in Nigeria since his mainstream emergence in 2022: drown out the noise with new music.
We spoke to the Grammy-nominated young star about his smash hit "Kehlani" and new project ‘A Jaguar's...
The most distinctive quality of Jordan Adetunji’s music is how eclectic it sounds: it’s a melting pot that blends the jerky rhythms of club Rap with elements of Rock, R&B, Jersey Club and Afropop, creating addictive bitesize records that are inventive and strikingly dynamic. His growing discography, which currently includes a handful of singles and a debut mixtape, houses seductive and melodic rap songs that owe much of their influence to Cash Cobain’s raunchy interpretation of Drill music. The animated records erupt with the frenzy of hardcore Punk as well as other colourful and vibrant sounds that could easily soundtrack an anime fight scene. This comprehensive approach to making music that adopts influences from an array of established and obscure styles was inspired by the video game soundtracks Adetunji heard as a kid.
“Growing up, I played a lot of games like Need For Speed, Fight Night, Tekken, and a bunch of role-playing games, and I heard a lot of music in these games that inspired me to start making my own music as I grew older,” he tells me during a Google Meet conversation one afternoon in late November.
Adetunji’s clear aspiration to stretch his music out across genres and play with form is what birthed 2023’s ‘ROCK ‘N’ RAVE,’ his official debut project that manages to neatly encapsulate much of what he is about. Tender opener “INAUGURAL EPISODE,” is a slow, heartfelt confessional that’s buoyed by elegant violin strings and serves as a soft introduction into his eclectic and distorted world before listeners are immediately jolted to live with the insistent and booming bounce on “DECAY.”. This arbitrary style also birthed “Kehlani,” his inescapable breakout single which took off worldwide and peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single also recently earned him a 2025 Grammy nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance where he is up against heavyweights like Beyonce and Future, highlighting just how far he’s come in a short amount of time.
Long before the 25-year-old became a Grammy-nominated act, he was just an inquisitive teenager with a knack for tinkering with different sounds and melodies. Born in London, Adetunji lived in one of the city’s largest commercial areas for about 10 years before relocating to Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland, with his mum and siblings. Even though he had been fascinated by the idea of making music as a kid living in London, it wasn’t until he got to Belfast that he began to cut his teeth as a budding musician. There, he picked up music classes in high school, specifically learning how to play the trumpet.
“From there on, I started trying to record my own music on my mum’s laptop. After a while, I got my own small computer, a cheap interface and then I started recording songs and putting them online,” he tells me of his early journey.
After posting a bunch of spirited rap videos on Facebook, Adetunji put out his first official single in 2020 titled “Close 2 You.” The Dancehall-inspired single was followed by the frenetic, Rock-influenced “Wokeup!” just months after, quickly briefing early listeners that he wasn’t one to boxed in. British singer and songwriter Oli Sykes, who is most famous for being the frontman of the Rock band Bring Me the Horizon, happened to be one of Adetunji’s early admirers and he was intrigued by the then-upcoming singer’s Alt-Rock and Rap experimentation. He reached out to Adetunji and subsequently got him a deal with RCA Records.
Even after his recent signing with 300 Entertainmet/Warner UK Adetunji continued to record music in his bedroom, just like he did as a kid, tinkering and incorporating even more disparate elements to his already expansive sound. It was during one of these recording sessions that the framework of what would eventually morph into “Kehlani” was created.
“I had always wanted to write a song about someone who embodies a certain powerfulness and someone who is strong and stands for what they believe in. So I just ended up putting Kehlani’s name in when I was making the song,” he tells me, speaking of the inspiration behind the song.
“My brother was there with me while I was making “Kehlani” and I remember debating if I should keep the name in or take it out because I didn’t know what the reaction would be,” he continues. Unsure of how people would take to the song, Adetunji posted a snippet of the song on TikTok and to his surprise, it immediately took on a life of its own. This encouraged him to complete the song which he released shortly after and the rest is history.
Following the success of “Kehlani,” Adetunji shows no signs of taking his foot off the gas. He secured a highly anticipated remix with the alluring and self-assured inspiration of his Grammy-nominated single before closing out 2024 with the saccharine, Lil Baby-assisted “Options” which is cut from the same cloth as his breakout record. Speaking of how the collaboration came about, he explains that the Atlanta rapper was one of the first people to reach out to him after he released “Kehlani.”
“He showed me mad love. I finally met him in London and he said he would like to work with me. I sent him two songs that I had recorded and he dropped a verse on one of them,” he explains.
Looking to further acquaint his newfound audience with his eclectic soundscape and to cement his status as one of the most inventive new acts on the scene, the Grammy nominee recently announced the imminent arrival of his latest mixtape titled ‘A Jaguar’s Dream.’
“A Jaguar, to me, is someone who moves through spaces and conquers every space it enters. This is how I feel with my sound constantly evolving and conquering every space I enter into,” he explained in an official press release. “A Jaguar’s Dream is an entry into my love life and my world of thoughts through sound and emotion. A real manifestation of my dreams I wish to make reality.”
Marked by a month-long marathon of concerts, raves, and highly-entertaining activities, these songs lived at...
Bright city lights, choc-a-block traffic, beach parties, daily concerts, partying till we see the sun – just a few of the ingredients that make up the recipe for a glorious Detty December. And while December has always been the official party season in Nigeria, laden with lavish splendour and a very busy period for the Nigerian music and entertainment industry specifically, things changed around the mid 2010s, when Mr Eazi popularised the phrase “Detty December.”
What was once the way we celebrated the end of the year and beginning of a new one, transcended into a full blown cultural phenomenon and tourist attraction for Lagos and Accra specifically. Marked by a month-long marathon of concerts, raves, and highly-entertaining activities, music lives at the centre of Detty December.
The music that’s popular around this end-of-year time has always played a key part in the season’s enjoyment, with the biggest hits from the past year culminating into the soundtrack of the season. Nestled at the heart of this exuberance are the party-starters that weave the fabric of our most unforgettable nights, and ultimately soundtrack the timeless memories of Detty December.
Travel through memory lane with us as we take stock of the anthems that have powered Detty December vibes across West Africa for the past decade.
2015
Baba Nla – Wizkid
When the concept of what we know as Detty December really started to take hold, Wizkid had already spent the previous few years as one of the seasons’ champions with songs like “Don’t Dull,” “Azonto,” “Jaiye Jaiye” and Back To The Matter. As the worlds of Ghana and Nigeria came together to create Detty December, Wizkid and Legendury Beatz’ growing relationship had brought the best of both together sonically with the first official song of the season, Final (Baba Nla).
Coming right in the middle of the party season, “Baba Nla” became an instant and inescapable hit, and he had the whole country singing about and affirming his run at the top. With a boastful title and fitting lyrics “Say my gbedu is final, wen me drop everybody no dey tire,” it was as though Wizkid knew he had cracked the code, and was bragging about it.
In a year filled with electronic synth-heavy records such as Skales’ “Shake Body”, Wande Coal’s “Ashimapeyin”, and hip-hop classics like Ycee’s hard-hitting “Jagaban”, “Baba Nla” served as a seismic sonic shift in the music, that reaffirmed Wizkid’s foresight and dominance of the scene.
2016
Mad Over You – Runtown
2016 crystallised a welcome shift in the soundscape from these parts. Inspired by Tekno’s mellifluous summer hit, “Pana,” Runtown took charge of the Ghana-inspired “pon pon” sound to deliver a peerless end-of-year masterpiece with “Mad Over You.”
And with a key part of the Detty December experience being a seasonal whirlwind romance, songs like “Mad Over You” helped serve as a time stamp of these moments. That year, “And if she follow me go, na enjoyment go kill am oh,” was the glue that held all situationships together, stamping a memorable festive period for millennials as they came of age. Sonically, 2016 also crystallised a welcome shift in the soundscape from these parts; moving from a heavy and fast paced dance ready sound, to a more stripped down highlife inspired sound. Whilst Runtown was caught in the thick of a prolonged dispute with his record label, Eric Manny records, the singer turned his adversity into what will forever mark one of the most memorable Detty Decembers to date.
2017
Manya – Mut4y ft. Wizkid
For the third year running, a delicate blend of Nigerian and Ghanaian culture came together to soundtrack the party season, this time bringing more nostalgia into the mix. Back in the 2000s in Nigeria, “Akhoma Womu,” was an inescapable hit, and Wizkid brought that energy back with an interpolation of the song’s hook.
In the same year he released his critically acclaimed LP, ‘Sounds From The Other Side,’ which contributed to African music spreading into global terrain, Wizkid rounded off the year with “Manya,” an infectious earworm that felt both nostalgic and refreshingly new.
That same year, Wizkid illustrated his commitment to community, with a bold move at his concert where he broke the barriers between VIP and regular ticket holders, and united all his concert goers. This move is probably what cemented his GOAT status on the streets, and set him apart from his peers. The mid tempo song was the party starter of the season, and clubs, concerts, parties against strong contenders such as Reekado Banks’ “Like” and Kizz Daniel’s “Yeba”.
2018
Able God – Chinko Ekun
At the beginning of 2018, Nigerian music was decidedly in an era populated by sheeny, mid-tempo, balmy tunes that fixated on the minutiae of affection and the specter of romance. By the end of the year, Street-Pop had roared back to a prominent position within the culture thanks to a series of zeitgeist-shaping sounds that mined the pulse of the streets and came along with a glut of zesty dance styles. Chinko Ekun’s “Able God” was the most propulsive of the songs from the cluster of street-influenced jams that flooded the Nigerian music scene in that year.
Built around a simple request to have abundant financial resources, it’s a catchy tune that reflected the cultural thrust of the year while hinting at a near-future of Nigerian Pop that would see Street-Pop reach its critical and commercial pinnacle. Produced by Rexxie, “Able God” boasted spurts of the rhythmicity that the esteemed producer infused into Street-Pop without losing the bombast that defined Street-Pop’s underground era. Rapper, Chinko Ekun, dexterously swapped verses with former YBNL act, Lil Kesh, while a then-ascendant Zlatan shared a verse of the year contender amidst his blistering come-up. From its release in August, “Able God” was simply inescapable thanks to its aspirational-yet-demanding call to action and it, rightly, served as a backdrop to year-end revelry across the country. – WO
2019
Ma Fo – Naira Marley
At the height of his powers, Naira Marley had Nigeria in a spell. Whether he repulsed you or drew you in with his devil-may-care disposition, the singer was almost omnipresent in cultural discourse. An unprecedented run in 2019 birthed a series of songs – “Am I A Yahoo Boy,” “Opotoyi,” and “Soapy” – that muscled their way to the top of the Nigerian music scene. Still, of that single streak that year, the one that ruled the airwaves come December was “Ma Fo,” his Young Jonn collab that you couldn’t escape if you were in Nigeria at the time.
An undeniable victory lap, “Ma Fo” was produced by Rexxie, crystallizing a partnership that had developed between the producer and Naira Marley. The song was a jam for the ages that tapped into the spirit of Detty December while paying homage to Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and financial capital. Mere months after December 2019, the world would go into a lockdown that brought activities to a grinding halt. Thanks to that lockdown, “Ma Fo” was the fuel for the last full-blown blaze of hedonism in Lagos for close to 12 months. – WO
2020
KPK – Rexxie , Mohbad
The COVID-19 pandemic was more than just a global health crisis, it was a reset button on how we experienced music. Amapiano and lo-fi music peeled through the mainstream, albeit reimagined in our own way. We weren’t just listening differently, we were searching for a reminder of what outside felt like.
Then came KPK, a reinvigorated anthem of defiance after months of isolation. Rexxie, who had quietly been sculpting the DNA of Street-Pop since the Zlatan-led Shaku Shaku explosion, was now fully in the driver’s seat. His signature street bounce paired with log drums dictated the tempo of Nigeria’s reawakening. Anchored by Mohbad’s rebellious charm, irreverent lyricism, and an unfiltered raw energy, “KPK” was a party-starter on arrival in December 2020
When COVID restrictions eased and the streets lit up again, “KPK” wasn’t just a song, it was a victory cry, and a reminder that for the first time in what felt like forever, we were really back outside – J.F..
2021
Zazoo Zeh – Portable, Poco Lee & Olamide
By the middle of December 2021 when “Zazoo Zehh” dropped, Lagos was already in full Detty December mode – streets buzzing, speakers blaring, and the air thick with the energy of a city making up for lost time.
At his core, Portable is a fighter – literally and figuratively – and “Zazoo Zehh” boldly mirrors that energy. The Agege-bred underdog had spent years clawing for attention before earning an invaluable stamp of approval from Olamide, the godfather of Street-Pop. Bolstered by the frenetic production of wonderkid, P.Priime, “Zazoo Zehh” became unavoidable.
Portable rode the wave like a man possessed, sweeping the end-of-year attention with unhinged performances. His unpredictable stage antics, and wild off-stage persona made him an instant sensation and crowned “Zazoo Zehh,” the season’s inescapable anthem – J.F..
2022
Chance (Na Ham) – Seyi Vibez
When Seyi Vibez’s debut album, ‘Billion Dollar Baby,’ arrived near the end of 2022, it was with crackling invention and well-earned confidence. The centerpiece of the album was “Chance (Na Ham),” a blistering, if slightly-discordant song that moved between urgent pleas for a chance to be heard and some of the singer’s romantic impulses.
Steeped in the Yoruba oral music style of apala, “Chance (Na Ham)” was polarising upon release due to its perceived lack of melody, the style of lyricism employed, and comparisons to Asake’s sound. Rather than dull its momentum, the back and forth over the song spurred it to the top just in time for Detty December, earning Seyi Vibez cultural cachet that he parlayed into a staying anthem that played across Nigeria in its peak entertainment season – WO.
2023
Cast – Shallipopi ft ODUMODUBLVCK
By the time December 2023 arrived, Shallipopi and Odumodublvck had done more than just break into the mainstream, they had rewritten its rules. Shallipopi’s meteoric rise, built on the back of his infectious energy and near-mythical redemption arc through “Elon Musk,” had given Nigerian Street-Pop a fresh new face. Meanwhile, Odumodublvck had bulldozed through the underground with “Declan Rice,” a song as boastful as it was undeniable.
When the two finally joined forces on “Cast,” the result was volcanic. The Busy Pluto-produced track was a heady mix of Shallipopi’s hypnotic Benin-bred swagger and Odumodublvck’s no-holds-barred lyricism. Together, they created a record that moved through the streets like wildfire, fanned further by social media’s insatiable hunger for its unfettered audacity.
It was a match made in controlled chaos. Shallipopi’s surrealist street lingo provided the melody, while Odumodublvck’s guttural delivery turned it into a full-blown call to groove. Despite push back at its abrasive lyrics, “Cast” was one of those rare anthems that did not fade away but instead only got louder – J.F.
2024
Oblee – DJ YK Mule
If there’s one unshakable truth about Nigerian street music, it’s that the most unexpected moments often spark the biggest movements. A single phrase, a beat, or even a throwaway ad-lib can be plucked from obscurity and turned into an anthem provided it falls into the right hands.That’s exactly what happened with “Oblee.”
At first, it was nothing more than a casual phrase, buried deep within Seyi Vibez’ “Flakky” – a fleeting moment in a song that most would have skimmed past. But in the world of Nigerian street music, all it takes is one sharp-eared disruptor. DJ YK Mule was that disruptor.
A mad scientist of sound, DJ YK Mule has long thrived on the fringes of mainstream production, crafting hyperactive, speaker-rattling beats that refuse to go unnoticed. When he stumbled upon “Oblee,” he drenched it in his signature mara beat, turning it into an irresistible melody . Slimcase, Qdot, and Kashcoming were enlisted for a remix that transformed the track from underground curiosity into a full-fledged street sensation.
Suddenly, “Oblee” was everywhere – pulsing through bus parks, street raves, Lagos markets, and anywhere with speakers loud enough to make walls tremble. It didn’t need a carefully plotted rollout or industry backing; the streets handled that. It reminded everyone that in Nigerian music that the streets dictate the charts, and that anything can become a phenomenon, as long as the people embrace it. And perhaps most importantly, it left behind a mantra that has taken on a life of its own: Oblee delayed is not Oblee denied – J.F.