Best New Music: Patoranking & Victony Are A Delectable Pairing On “Babylon”
a searing standout from the Dancehall veteran's fourth album, 'World Best'
Music stands at the intersection of all of life’s experiences. It’s a nod to cultural references while being a charged conduit for the musician’s own personal sensibilities. The best songs are those who are confidently placed on this intersection, such as the lead record from Patoranking’s fourth album, ‘World Best’. Influenced by the convergent genres of Reggae and Dancehall, the artist has been one of contemporary afropop’s most visible champions for the Caribbean-hoisted movement. That has placed great responsibilities on the shoulders of the man born Patrick Okorie, and by reaching deeper into his expression, every project has been to serve the purpose of uniting those transcontinental messages with the turning motivations of his own heart, the ever-evolving details in the chasm of his reality.
Appearing with Victony, the song “Babylon” is the finest example of that fusion on the superstar’s new album. It’s a convergence of several artistic choices, like the dystopia-evoking title which is chosen. Babylon’s place in the biblical canon cannot be debated, because it was a sharp, pristine demonstration of divine influence in the affairs of man, and ever since the word has signified the dysfunction of the modern world, largely popularised by the rasta believers which evolved from Jamaica. On Patoranking’s record, the word occupies a similar place, a formidable opponent whose trappings are familiar and likeable, but ultimately dangerous. The choice of Victony as feature also hits another fine stroke at meta-artistic conversation, since the artist has consistently evoked biblical imagery and themes in his own music.
View this post on Instagram
A lithe, slightly screeching, softness, his voice is the first you hear it calls from the depths of emotions with just the words: “Babylon, Babylon”, and follows up with the more revealing line, “Me I go run and run until I find Heaven’s gate”. It’s a framing that puts the record in visible light, as a piece of social commentary. But the social is invariably tied to the personal, in that humans make up every society, and grander problems can often be whittled down to smaller, interconnected issues.
Throughout his career, Patoranking has always reflected this perspective. Removed from the maximalist existentialism of his younger peers, his narratives are framed around vibrant, everyday spaces, the kind you can walk into after a hot noon in Ajegunle or Ebute Metta. It’s a place where stories of temptations are rife, and on “Babylon” he does depict that. “Dem say make I no go where enemies dem set trap/ I waka with leg like who dey Cele church,” he sings in the introduction of his verse, bouncing with the assuredness his long practice bestows on him. Phantom’s production is a sizzling presence in the song’s success, a zesty pair of the contemporary Caribbean bounce and the more aged dub style, which emerges from electronic influences.
Sometimes collaborations don’t work as well as expected, but there’s double pleasure here as the listener didn’t see this coming. Victony’s standing among OG artists is cemented, but Patoranking wouldn’t be touted as the next older artist he was going to work with. It becomes a success that they both find an appropriate topic, while delivering naturally through their distinctive styles. Taking their verses midway and finishing off each other’s rhyme schemes, it’s a testament to the close working relationship that birthed the record, which was a marked evidence of what Patoranking said in his interview with NATIVE Mag, that “We like to take new directions; if everybody’s going left, we want to go right”.
“Babylon” is the centrepiece of one of 2023’s most assured mainstream projects. Coming from the deep wells of emotion it emerges from, it’s a fine record which propulsively advances the motivations of both its creators. When one considers the thematic preoccupations of afropop today, it’s likely that no other record would touch on the same concerns as this record. And while rarity doesn’t bestow greatness, at least not immediately, there’s the potential for blossoming into a singular achievement.
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.
Keep reading...
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.
Keep reading...
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:
Keep reading...
