8 Upcoming Nigerian Projects we are anticipating before the end of 2019
Zlatan's debut, Davido's sophomore, a joint Wurld & Sarz project, and more
With 2019 albums like Burna Boy’s, ‘African Giant’, Santi’s ambitious universe, ‘Mandy & the Jungle’, and Beyoncé’s ‘letter to Africa’, ‘Lion King: The Gift’, Afropop is witnessing a new appreciation. EPs have also become a more mainstream format thanks to Mavin wunderkind Rema, who effectively built up his claim to Afropop’s golden-child crown with three 4-track projects over the last few months.
2019 might be coming to a close, but it looks like we’ll be getting a flurry of new releases contending for spots on year-end recaps. In the last few weeks, a handful of artists have revealed titles and/or release dates for new projects. Fans are already in a frenzy all over the world, but we went ahead to collect eight of the most important ones you should look out for.
Blaqbonez – ‘Mr Boombastic’ (Oct. 25)
Since the release of his Bad Boy Blaq Re-Up, Blaqbonez has gradually gained notoriety for being rap music’s resident rabble-rouser. It also helps that his prolific stream of releases matches his frequent, amusing antics on social media. The rapper recently announced a new EP, ‘Mr Boombastic’, titled after his new meta-persona.
He introduced his new persona, Mr Bombastic, as an irreverent ruffian with a new single, “Shut Up”, and a menacing video to match. He’s repeatedly told the media that Mr Boombastic’s major purposes are getting money, chasing women and flexing on haters. While these themes are common in Blaq’s catalogue, the new EP is an interesting pivot that reframes his artistic growth and should help his ploy to take over the mainstream.
Zlatan – ‘ZANKU’ (Nov. 1)
Zlatan’s rise to mainstream prominence was meteoric. The release of his viral street single, “Leg Work”, coincided with his standout verse on Chinko Ekun’s smash hit “Able God”, effectively catapulting the rapper to major concert stages in December of last year. Since then, he’s had a swell time, getting featured on hit songs like Burna Boy’s “Killin’ Dem”, DMW’s “Bum Bum”, and IVD’s “Bolanle”, while providing his own street hits like “Osanle” featuring Davido, “This Year” and the Tiwa Savage-assisted “Shotan”.
In a singles-driven space, Zlatan isn’t under any pressure to release an album, but he’s doing it anyway. ‘ZANKU (Zlatan Abeg No Kill Us)’, his debut album, will be out on November 1 and its latest single, “Yeye Boyfriend” is already making the rounds.
Psycho YP – ‘YPSZN 2’ (Nov. 4)
Over the last two years, Abuja-based hybrid Afropop-trapper, PsychoYP has been able to build a rabid, cult fanbase, via new releases and guest features. In June 2018, he released his debut full-length project, ‘YPSZN’, one of last year’s standout projects with assists from similar-minded hybrids like Santi and Remy Baggins.
YP has teased a sequel project, ‘YPSZN 2’, in the last few months, and has now confirmed its readiness with a November 4 release date. He’s now updated that announcement with an official tracklist, comprising sixteen tracks and pulling in a variety of features from Skales, Ladipoe, Blaqbonez, Dami Oniru and more. With his proven ability to deliver vibrant, self-assured jams with high replay value, ‘YPSZN 2’ should be delightful enough to command multiple front-to-back listens.
Ycee – ‘Ycee vs Zaheer’ (Nov. 8)
After months of hinting at issues with former label, Tinny Entertainment, Ycee finally gave frightening specifics, last month. Although he’s still dealing with sabotage from his former employer, it is clear all he wants to do is move on with his career. He’s independently released a few singles, like the Headies-nominated “Balance”, but his clearest step forward is the impending arrival of his debut album, ‘Ycee vs Zaheer’.
Scheduled for release on November 8, the album will showcase Ycee’s range as a singer and rapper. Last Friday, he released “Dakun” as the lead single, taken off the melody-driven side of the album. Ycee is looking to re-establish himself as a proficient dual-sided artist, he has everything to prove by the time ‘Ycee vs Zaheer’ hits our playlists in the coming weeks.
WurlD & Sarz – ‘I Love Girls With Trobul’ (Nov. 8)
Since entering Nigerian playlists with “Show You Off”, his 2016 collaboration with Shizzi and Major Lazer’s Walshy Fire, WurlD has continued to turn heads, including that of veteran producer Sarz. The pair linked up for the first time on last year’s single, “Trobul”, promising to extend their efforts into a joint EP.
They returned with “Ego” earlier this year, and have now set November 8 as the release date for their project, ‘I Love Girls With Trobul’. Unlike the multi-genre, blue-eyed nature of WurlD’s debut EP, ‘Love Is Contagious’, the music from the pair is closer to Electro-Pop territory. While they’ve shown their strength as a formidable pair, it’s the first time in Sarz’s storied career that the producer is attaching his name to a project with an artist, which is part of where our hype stems from.
Davido – ‘A Good Time’ (Nov. 22)
In September, Afropop superstar Davido advertised October 11 as the release date for his long-awaited sophomore LP, ‘A Good Time’. That day came and went without as much as a new Davido single. However, Gauging his social media activity in the last few days, it looks like go-time.
Earlier this week, he announced an inbound single, “Risky” featuring Jamaican star Popcaan, and publicly toyed with the idea of putting out a pre-order link. In a recent interview with Vibe, the singer confirmed that his album was done, and would contain 13 songs traversing a multitude of genres and high profile features. There’s no concrete release date for ‘A Good Time’ just yet, but best believe it will be one of the biggest music events of the year when it drops.
Peruzzi – ‘Huncho Vibes’ (TBA)
After the lukewarm reception to his debut EP, ‘Heartwork’, Perruzzi returned to playlists with the reggae-inflected “Nana”, last month, to positive reactions.
Pressing on with his resurgence, Peruzzi announced the title of his debut album, ‘Huncho Vibes’, earlier this month, sharing its tracklist a few days later. The album will contain ten songs, with “Nana” serving as the lead single, and label boss Davido being the only guest artist. There is no scheduled date for ‘Huncho Vibes’ at the moment, but with Peruzzi’s confident attitude, our guess is that it will be out in coming weeks, and it could very well be the singer’s best work yet.
Reekado Banks – ‘Daddy To Many’ (TBA)
At the beginning of 2019, Reekado Banks announced his decision to part ways with Mavin Records, after a successful 4-year spell with the label that helped usher him into the limelight. It is not unusual for newly independent artists to recede into obscurity without coordinated backing, but Reekado Banks is inching towards consolidating his popularity.
After a string of loose singles and features, the singer’s new single, “Rora”, has steadily worked its way into becoming a hit. It is the lead single for his coming album, ‘Daddy To Many’, and while there aren’t any other details to go on just yet, the ongoing success and infectious quality of “Rora” raises expectations to the roof. In a recent interview, he revealed plans to drop the album in late October or early November, meaning we could be looking at Reekado’s sophomore album before the year runs out.
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READ: AFROPOP ON THE RISE: THE 2019 REPORT
Maya Amolo Is Committed To Giving You The Sweetest Time
There’s undoubtedly more to come from the talented singer as she looks to solidify herself as one of the...
“Sweetest Time,” Maya Amolo’s latest single, is a soothing, lovesick confessional that mixes intimate, heartfelt lyricism with wistful production courtesy of Ugandan musician and producer SOULCHYD aka MAUIMØON. Alongside fellow Kenyan singer Ywaya Tajiri, the self-acclaimed sweetest girl delivers a lustrous duet that sees her soft vocals, which perfectly complement Tajiri’s more robust voice, skip and flit across moody synths, intensifying the spotlight on her wholehearted delivery. “I can feel you rushing through my system / Every single day it’s my religion,” she sings passionately halfway into the record. The whole thing sounds like the aural equivalent of a warm blanket; a truly affectionate record that immerses and envelopes its listeners in its warmth. This is the brand of vulnerable, understated R&B music that has been helping Amolo gain significant attention since she debuted in the pandemic year.
Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Amolo always had an affinity for music. The singer and producer, who took on piano and guitar lessons as a child, has previously credited acts like Brandy, Erykah Badu, Prince, and Kenyan musical icon Eric Wainaina as her early influences – and it’s easy to see how Amolo’s style draws from this strong lineage of musicians whose music is equally expansive, soothing and vulnerable. After years experimenting with different styles, recording covers to beats she ripped from YouTube and posting them on her Soundcloud page, Amolo released her debut project ‘Leave Me At The Pregame’ in 2020.
The EP, which quickly soared up the charts in Kenya, served as a brief but emphatic introduction to Amolo’s minimalistic take on R&B. Standouts like the emotive opener “Puddles,” “Lush Green”, and “Jokes” showcase her clever and poignant lyricism that reflects on themes of love, depression, and self-healing. Along with sparse, melancholic production and the icy sensuality of her voice, Amolo delivered a remarkable debut that made her one of the most promising figures in Nairobi’s alternative music scene. Two years after ‘Leave Me At The Pregame,’ the Kenyan rising star released her debut album, ‘Asali.’
‘Asali,’ which translates to “honey” in her native Kiswahili, showcased Amolo’s progression as both an artist and a human being, as she swapped out the sad-girl tunes that filled her debut EP for more vibrant and intricate records – thanks in part to Sir Bastien and Kenyan producer and rapper Lukorito – that explore themes of growth and the complexities and rich luster of love. The album’s lead singles, “Foundry” and the self-produced “Can’t Get Enough,” found relative success on streaming platforms, placing Amolo as one of the continent’s most exciting new R&B voices. About a year after the release of ‘Asali,’ Amolo updated the album with 8 new songs on a deluxe version that featured Kenyan stars like Bensoul, Xenia Manasseh and Zowie Kengocha.
In August 2024, a few months after she delivered a splendid Colors performance, Amolo released a new project titled ‘What a Feeling.’ The 5-track EP, which essentially serves as an ode to Amolo’s home city, Nairobi, sees her experimenting with an array of dance sub-genres without straying too far from her R&B roots. While the project still retains much of the melancholy and elegance that defined her earlier work, there’s a hypnotic and pulsating energy that courses through ‘What A Feeling,’ that highlights a shift in the singer’s sensibilities. Amolo’s honeyed vocals gently seep through subtle Dancehall, Electronic, R&B and House-inspired production and the accompanying visualizer, a mashup of camcorder footage of her and her friends in Nairobi, also adequately captures the charming and nocturnal vibe of the tape.
The project produced standout tracks like the sensual “Let It Flow,” the title track and “Take It,” which later got remixed by Ugandan singer Soundlykbb and rapper SGawD. With Amolo’s latest release, “Sweetest Girl,” the Kenyan rising star continues her intricate exploration of R&B music, merging it with varying styles to produce her own distinct and refreshing variant. There’s no telling what Amolo might do next, but with only a handful of releases to her name so far, there’s undoubtedly more to come from the talented singer as she looks to solidify herself as one of the genre’s most prominent faces across the continent.
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T.I Blaze Updates ‘Shakur’ EP With Deluxe Version
Following the success of “Trenches Luv,” the street-pop star is back with seven new songs on the deluxe...
Over the last few years, street-pop, a guttural version of afropop, has surged to mainstream popularity, birthing stars like Asake, Seyi Vibez, and Shallipopi. On the homefront, a generation of younger stars also put unique spins on the sound. Singer, T.I Blaze, has been a notable star in the sub-genre since his 2021 single, “Sometimes,” and a subsequent remix with icon, Olamide, launched him into a different stratosphere.
Since “Sometimes,” Blaze has established his profile as a reliable source for songs that reflect the pulse of the streets while archiving his come-up story across a debut album (‘El Major’) and three extended plays like ‘The Fresh Prince Of Lagos’ and ‘Dangerous Wavy Baby.’ His 2024 EP, ‘Shakur,’ further underscored his evolution as an artist, featuring slippery numbers about escapism, his thoughts on life in the fast lane, and brotherhood with features from rising stars like Tml Vibez and BhadBoi Oml.
In 2025, the singer has picked up where he left off last year, releasing “Trenches Luv,” a balmy February release that examines the dynamics of romance from his point of view as a young adult moulded by the hard realities of life on the street. The success of “Trenches Luv” has led to a deluxe version of ‘Shakur’ with the singer adding seven new songs to the original version of the project. Impressively, on the new version of the project, TI Blaze taps up Ayo Maff and Ghanaian star Arathejay on “My Brother” and “Mario Remix,” respectively.
Led by a galala-inflected opener, “Track 1,” ‘Shakur (Deluxe)’ is both raw and complex with the singer sounding refreshed on songs like “My Brother,” “Dodge,” and “Introduction.” In many ways, this project is an invitation for listeners to explore the many facets of T.I Blaze’s artistry as well as a portent to celebrate his roots and offer a glimpse at his evolution.
Listen to ‘Shakur (Deluxe)’ here.
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NATIVE PREMIERE: Rigo Kamp Runs Ahead Of The Pack With The Visuals For “Marathon”
Rigo Kamp’s Marathon video is an intimate Afro-juju revival that pays homage to Sir Shina Peters and stamps...
Last Friday, Rigo Kamp, a NATIVE uNder alum and one of the architects of an equal parts nostalgic and refreshing sound released his self-titled debut EP, delivering a propulsive fusion of Alte, R&B, Funk, and Soul-infused rhythms.
Featuring previously released singles “Morning Sun” and “Summer”, the six-track eponymous EP executively produced by Odunsi The Engine sees Rigo lean heavily into his element as a sonic alchemist, jumping from silky falsettos to gritty grooves without losing an ounce of cohesion, and ultimately stamping the Abuja-born, Lagos-based singer-songwriter as a mad scientist of sound.
Just last November, Apple Music named Rigo Kamp as its Up Next artist, an acknowledgment that underscored his potential and confirmed what the tastemakers and underground scene already knew. Weeks later, he delivered an exhilarating live set for Spotify Fresh Finds in Lagos, proving he’s just as compelling live as he is in the studio.
On “Marathon”, the refreshing opener to the Rigo Kamp EP, Rigo borrows the bounce and swagger of Afro-Juju legend, Sir Shina Peters’ golden-era, fusing nostalgia with re-imagination to birth a vintage performance that feels like a private party for two, where it’s just Rigo, and you.
Get an exclusive first look at the video for Marathon here:
Listen to the Rigo Kamp EP:
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