Best New Music: Zinoleesky & Omah Lay Get Vulnerable On “Last Time”
off his latest EP 'Grit & Lust'
As the Nigerian music scene continues to witness global success with international audiences, and household names like Wizkid, Tems, Kabza De Small and Burna Boy etch permanent prints in our minds, the music coming out of Africa is advancing at a breakneck pace. In the mix, a commingling of genres are rubbing shoulders with each other, including Street Pop which continues to witness a steady rise with current frontrunners such as Bella Shmurda, Zinoleesky and more, championing a creative renaissance on the continent.
Zinoleesky—the crowned Prince of Marlian Music has spent the past few summers racking up a formidable repertoire of hits, pushing the envelope with stories cut straight from the burbs of Lagos. Undeniably a consistent hit-maker armed with a slew of memorable one liners and catchy hooks, Zinoleesky continues to make a name for himself with a string of hit records including 2020’s “Kilofeshe,” “Naira Marley” and “Gone Far.”
With relatable tales of his steady come-up, Zinoleesky continues to top his best effort, resulting in the release of sophomore EP ‘Grit & Lust’ which showcases a slew of breezy productions with Amapiano and Afropop sensibilities, and bookended with his precise determination on each track. On the 8-track project, he taps two artists who have cut through the fray in recent years with beautifully produced music and powerful lyrics. On “Many Roads,” he taps Mavins pop princess, Ayra Starr for a catchy number with memorable melodies. However, it’s on the slow-tempo number “Last Time,” which features Port-Harcourt wunderkind, Omah Lay that Zinoleesky truly shines and flexes his muscles as an artist.
The Niphkeys-produced track ushers listeners in with soft piano keys and Zinoleesky’s distinct vocals. He sings solemnly, heavy with emotion as he expresses the difficulties faced in most modern day relationships. Recounting horrors of dating and romance has always been a prevalent theme in Omah Lay’s music, as gleaned from his moody debut album, ‘Boy Alone,’ so it’s no surprise that Zinoleesky tapped the rising star to further his loverboy anguish.
In contrast to his usual bubbly spirits, Zinoleesky takes a different approach on this number with a sobering, almost too personal vulnerability right from the song’s opening moments. “Say I’ve been trying to leave/Give me love at no cost, say the rest na bonus,” he sings in the first verse, addressing his muse who is withholding her affection from him. Segueing between each other’s pained vocals, Zinoleesky and Omah Lay paint a picture of unrequited love shaded with moments of deep grief.
“Last Time” is coloured with a lot of pain and hurt, and its sombre tone is retained right from its opening moments to the very end. While both artists express their emotions, they also seem to shift the blame of the relationship to their partner. At one moment, accepting their own part to play in the relationship’s dissolution and in another moment, presenting contradictions. With lyrics such as “How I feel about my feelings is my business not yours” to “Would you let me use you as a lifeline/Cuz these feeling’s for a lifetime,” the pair adeptly capture the conflicting emotions that come with navigating romance.
As the song draws to a close, Zinoleesky takes over to reiterate the track’s initial premise. Singing “But my money don go jollificate/ Uhn, I need something to take all this pain away,” the affecting singer offers existential and poetic self-reflection about longing for someone who’s heart can’t be trusted. Omah Lay is well known for his ability to reach deep within his bag and bring forth emotions that give each new release an element of the unexpected. As the pair’s first official collaboration, “Last Time” is undeniably hypnotic, but not obviously commercial. However, as a stark departure from his typical solo offerings, “Last Time,” is further evidence of Zinoleesky’s versatility and his ability to satisfy a legion of audiences. It’s safe to say that street pop is in safe hands.
Listen to “Last Time” off ‘Grit & Lust’ 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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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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