Best New Music: Brazy updates “Attends” with befitting DBN-Gogo assisted remix
let's all be cake
In music, success is measured in different ways. For most artists, it’s the ability to communicate with listeners on a deeper and emotional level which serves as a determinant for their success. Given that attention spans continue to decline and we’re constantly in search for the next best thing, it’s always impressive to find a new artist who is able to break out authentically and garner a loyal following. With a small but mighty discography, London-based, Nigeria-born rapper, Brazy is making waves in the industry speaking directly to young audiences, both back at home and in the diaspora, while simultaneously bypassing the norms with her genre-defying music.
It’s impossible not to have heard her earworm track “Attends,” a catchy song delivered in French, Chinese and English, which found success fast and easy on the Internet. Since its release in 2022, Brazy has earmarked herself as an artist to watch who came into the game confident, and ready for a good time. The snippet, which debuted months prior, showcased a thrilled audience dancing to the intoxicating hook with a witty pre-hook, “Cheat on me, I’ll cheat on you.”
In a NATIVE exclusive interview earlier this year, Brazy shared that she had recorded the song to perform in the Paris leg of an intimate show for Cruel Santino’s ‘Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN’ tour. “When I performed it in Paris, I hadn’t put the snippet out but the way the audience reacted was insane. I thought because it had that Bouyon feel it was nostalgic to them or other black people in Europe like Amsterdam. Then I heard it took off in Ghana.”
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“Attends” captures Brazy’s effervescent, carefree sound perfectly. The upbeat production seamlessly tied in with Brazy’s fast-paced delivery as Brazy returned to tell her love interest that as much as they’re a match made in heaven, “Me and you I think it’s fate, you be custard and I be cake,” she won’t hesitate to leave his side at the first instance of inconsistency.
Brazy is keen on expanding her craft and connecting with her growing audience who consist of young people who look just like her. With this in mind, she’s recently just released the DBN Gogo-assisted remix to “Attends,” a clear tactical move within her arsenal to widen the scope of her discography and open her to an entirely new audience. In recent months, many Afropop artists are expanding their worldview and collaborating with a diverse cast of artists and producers from around the world, including standouts such as Victony’s “Soweto” which pulls the effervescent production of Tempoe and the brilliance of Rema and Don Toliver.
While there’s certainly arguments to be made for and against cross-cultural collaborations of this ilk, Brazy’s “Attends” is a clear standout which further showcases her artistic brilliance. Arriving only a few days ago after an announcement on the rapper’s Instagram page, “Attends (DBN Gogo Remix)” is a fusion of two hitmakers who are strutting with palpable confidence and creating more bright spots on the sonic canvas of the year.
The remix takes an entirely new sonic direction to the song’s original version. Over the bouncy new track, Brazy and DBN Gogo flip the upbeat instrumentals of the song for a more toned down pitch laid over familiar House-sensibilities, all the while retaining Brazy’s infectious vocals. From the onset of “Attends (DBN Gogo Remix),” it’s clear that Brazy and DBN Gogo are just having fun as they dance across the scintillating production with delectable keys.
As the track builds up, Brazy’s vocals come into focus, as she enunciates a much calmer and richer tone to suit the now mid-tempo production. Thankfully, she retains the original, well-loved lyrics only to be met with gleaming swishes in sound effects that key perfectly into Brazy’s futuristic palette. When the pre-hook arrives, Brazy chants the first verse again as the low-cadence drums now jump to the forefront of the track.
DBN Gogo’s seamless production is an instant standout on the track. Sticking to her sonic roots, she blends and contours keys and percussions into her orbit with an ease that provides the perfect backdrop for Brazy’s catchy lyrics. It’s not lost on us that Brazy tapped the South African DJ, producer and music executive for a befitting update to the track given the burgeoning success of Dance music on the continent and the diaspora. In the past few years, South African music has soared across the continent owing to the global rise of Amapiano and more, and it has found an audience IRL and in online spaces such as Instagram and TikTok.
Given that Brazy is no stranger to finding viral success on online spaces, the remix is a perfect commingling of two like minds who are keenly observing the culture while contributing to it in real time. By the end of the track, all expectations have been effectively met. It’s a fun and memorable spin on an already potent single–let’s all be cake.
Featured image credits/NATIVE
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Best New Music: Blinky Bill mines inspiration from the old on the rap banger, “Boss”
A standout off his new album, 'We Cut Keys
Blinky Bill is a savant of the avant. Since the late 2000s, the Kenyan artist and producer has gained a rep for being authentic, creating with very little reverence for norms or trends. As a foundational tone-setter for the eventual arrival of Nu Nairobi, a loose community of artists who champion expression that’s alternate to the mainstream, Blinky’s bonafides are sealed, especially buoyed by a formidable solo catalogue since the much beloved, seminal group, Just A Band, dispersed—and reassembled in 2022.
In late January, Blinky Bill released ‘We Cut Keys 2’, his first project release in over five years and the sequel to his debut project, ‘We Cut Keys While You Wait’. The new album is a semi-sprawling 16-song set where Blinky jams in a truckload of viscerally exciting music ideas, roaming across jazzy keys, pounding electronic bass, funky guitar riffs, and traditionally-inspired rhythms. As with all of his albums, there are lyrical moments driven by profundity, fitting for an artist who’s adept at exploring personal concern with an accessible, everyman’s rapper finesse.
At that, what really elevates ‘We Cut Keys 2’ is that it feels like the most fun album Blinky Bill has made till date. As exciting as the genre-blurring swings on his previous two projects were, there’s a lot more assuredness to the music here, even when his inspiration ventures further than anything he’s done before. Lodged in the lower middle part of the album is “Boss,” a rollicking banger that repurposes the rustic groove of traditional Luo music. The result is a swaggering rap banger with a distinctly Kenyan and East African core.
The first thing that meets listeners’ ears on “Boss” are thick low end drums, all pounding bass and no snare, accented by handclaps and what sounds like a glinting triangle sample. It doesn’t take long for the song to get fuller, with the addition of local drums and a central Benga guitar riff. It’s a musical carnival, where the old informs the new, where the urban is rooted in the pure charm of heritage. Even though the ethos is very familiar in current Afropop, it’s nothing like I’ve ever heard, and that will probably be the same for many listeners.
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Blinky Bill doesn’t complicate things with his raps, “Boss” is a celebration of self and declaration of reverence of the culture and music that came before him. “They need to know I’m a champion,” Blinky coolly asserts in a sing-rap cadence, segueing into a hook that repeats the song’s title with an infectious stomp. As for reverence, it’s in the performance as much as it is in the music. Amongst one of the more thoughtful guests, early 2000s Kenyan rap icon Maji Maji, of the seminal duo GidiGidi MajiMaji, delivers an energetic verse, with his grizzled chants floating over a section of the arrangement stripped of the pounding.
Rounding out the song are the yelped adlibs by another Kenyan music legend Melkizedo, making the union of old and new feel even fuller. On an album with over a dozen guests, including American rapper Goldlink and British-Ghanaian artist Fuse ODG, Blinky Bill hits a novel, incredibly rewarding note with “Boss.”
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Best New Music: Lojay and Olamide are a captivating pairing on new single, “Arizona”
a masterstroke in
Since his dazzling breakthrough with revered Nigerian DJ-producer, Sarz, on their collaborative EP, ‘LV N ATTN,’ Lojay has rightfully earned the ears of many listeners by carving out his own space in Afropop complete with a charismatic personality, emotion-laden songwriting and back to back hits. The 5-track offering evidently primed him for greatness and has sustained the artist since then as he proves he’s worth more than his salt.
Earlier this year, the singer served up his sophomore effort, ‘GANGSTER ROMANTIC’ which more than proves his solo capabilities as a performer. What makes ‘GANGSTER ROMANTIC’ an easy listen is the faultless sequencing that accentuates Lojay’s emotions throughout the project, from playboy to loverboy, and from self-assured to hesitant. Although his career is still nascent, Lojay has worked with some of the best hands in the music business and, with his ability to make great music, the signs portend good tidings for his future.
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On the other side of the coin, Nigerian rap legend, Olamide continues to leave an indelible mark on Nigeria’s music history with a series of timeless hits and the mentorship of prized signees via his record label, YBNL. The release of his latest and according to him, last album, ‘Unruly,’ crystallised Olamide’s status as the leading street-pop artist of our generation, eclipsing all leftover doubt.
And if it is truly the last we hear of Olamide in album mode, as he chooses to focus on expanding and reaping the benefits of the powerhouse that is YBNL, he is well within his rights. A few weeks ago, his star signee, Asake pushed the boundaries of his success a step further after snagging a Grammy nomination for “Amapiano” under the Best African Music Performance category. As Olamide joins Lojay for an intoxicating delivery on “Arizona,” it is evident that he is currently on flight mode, breezing through with potential hits like the superstar he is.
From the opening seconds of “Arizona,” it is clear that we’re in for a good time. The track opens with signature log drum-shakers combination that portends the song’s irresistible and dance-ready quality. With this solid sonic foundation, Lojay and his guest star, Baddo lay down poignant and intimate verses that find them in loverboy anguish. Lojay’s lush chords alongside Olamide’s sonorous bars come into the picture, making for an instant recipe for success.
The track leads in with a heart-thumping mid-tempo beat, credited to P.Prime, only to be accompanied shortly after by echoey chords fading in and out of the track. Lojay’s croons take over as he sings, “What’s your lucky number baby, give me update,” immediately alerting us that we have another love-themed track on our hands. He takes on the narrative approach to detail an interaction with his love interest, where he beckons her to commit and follow him to various parts of the world.
Olamide slips in immediately after, raining praises on her physical appearance while explaining how crazy she makes him feel, “Nobody got this type of ukwu, omo buruku/You make a nigga coocoo.” As opposed to clearly expressing in words in a similar way to Lojay, he takes the onomatopoeic approach, creating melodies by repeating similar sounding words. It wouldn’t be Olamide without a comedic and memorable one-liner. So when he wraps up his verse saying “Agege bread no dey get label” it reiterates his witty penmanship many listeners have grown to love. His razor sharp flow, matched with the track’s smooth progressions and ‘Piano log drums in the background allow for his verse to carry tension of its own, forging “Arizona” as one of the catchiest feel-good numbers in recent months.
With a pairing as promising as this, coupled with the synergy the pair were able to display, it is safe to conclude that Lojay has added another string to his ever-growing catalogue. His efforts are a clear indication of his desire for growth and global visibility, achieved by his consistency all bound together by his admirably raw approach to relaying his lived experiences.
Listen to “Arizona” here.
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Best New Music: Brazy furthers her dance and rap fusions with the self-assured and sexy “OMG”
Regardless of whatever she’s rapping over, Brazy’s sureness is her
Not too many young artists have a firm grasp of their identities in their formative years, much less the possibilities of what they can do with their skill-set. It often takes months of practice and refinement for latent gifts to become tangible potential and budding stardom. Within that period of needed growth, precociousness plays an evident role in how quickly things get fully rounded. Nigerian-born, UK-based rap artist Brazy has been evolving in plain sight, and there’s an obvious perception of her abilities, in relation to the kind of music she can make.
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In two-plus years of releasing music, Brazy’s catalogue is littered with singles that cater to her curiosities. On official debut single “Siren,” she tag teams with frequent collaborator L0la, her airy cadence creeping alongside the eerie flute synth creaking under the weight of heavy bass. “Gingerbread,” one of her more distinct songs, features a melodic rap performance reminiscent of Sugarbella-era Rico Nasty, while “Selecta” couples freewheeling quips over UK Funky-influenced production. Throwing paint to see what sticks? Maybe. Lack of imagination? Never. Ear-holding execution regardless of what direction? Definitely!
Nearly a year after releasing “Attends,” the mildly viral hit song that’s helped make Brazy a budding cult star, she’s turned in a new single that furthers her electrifying fusion of dance and rap. At first glance, it’s easy to parse “OMG” as an attempt to replicate the success of its predecessor, possibly on a bigger scale. It’s not a terrible ambition to have. In the same breadth, it’s also easy to admit that the song isn’t hackneyed or a barefaced repetition of what worked before.
Breakout artists often face the pressure of repeating the same tricks in order to sustain their level of success or ascend further into ubiquity. If there’s pressure, it rolls off Brazy; she seems so Teflon. Part of that stems from how organic making music has always been to her. In an interview with The NATIVE earlier this year, she explained that becoming an artist was a spontaneous endeavour, and it’s highlighted in her carefree raps and equally blithe flows. Also, as a music listener with an expansive taste, her production choices are a reflection of her boundless, globalised vision.
“Attends” was inspired by Cruise music from the trenches of Lagos, Buoyon rap with its Kreyol roots and deep French affiliations, as well as Reggaeton and Dancehall. “OMG” leans into an existing template for Brazy, sounding as fun and assured as ever. Obviously, it’s catchy, too. Helmed by Parked Up, plinking piano notes glimmer alongside wall-rattling bass, with a psychedelic hue adding to the song’s ear candy appeal. Aptly relying on her insouciant swagger, Brazy’s rap-talking cadence gives every line a lilt that makes them immediately memorable. There’s zero friction as she switches between English and Yoruba, even if—or especially because—the repeated chants of “Farable” and “Kilonsele” are delivered with that very British intonation.
At the core of her music, alongside the exuberance, there’s a strong sense of self-belief from Brazy that she’s in control of her surroundings and any situation she’s in—especially where it concerns attraction. “Just because I’m looking hot/Doesn’t mean you should fear,” she raps with a sly grin on her face. It’s on the same instantly memorable level as “Cheat on me, I’ll cheat on you” from “Attends.” It’s also proof that Brazy has embraced fully buying into her own hubris.
Rather than her ego suffocating room, the levity with which she wields her confidence is refreshing, obviously with a sexy edge—all heat, no steam—and the music, to put it simply, slaps. Regardless of whatever she’s rapping over, Brazy’s sureness is her identity. She just happens to know how to make dancefloor heaters, too. “OMG” is further proof.
Watch the video for “OMG” here.
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