Last Tuesday, near the end of his Instagram Live chat with DCP Frank Mba, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Police Force, Naira Marley had something on his mind. Seemingly out of the blue, the singer delivered a vitriolic warning to the over 30,00-strong audience that had tuned in for the live chat. Speaking in Yoruba, he said: “Now that SARS are being taken out of the streets,” – a weirdly optimistic point considering precedents – “ensure that you don’t misbehave or steal, if not they’ll let another (rebranded) unit back out. ”
It is symptomatic of a certain group of Nigerians’ perception of – or even apprehension towards – youth movements that Naira Marley felt the need to tag on this counter-narrative. Especially at a time when the nation was coming to terms with a national crisis about how an instrument of the state that is primarily entrusted with the protection of citizens is engaged in a lucrative racket at the expense of those very citizens – ironically, mere moments after Naira’s live session ended, fresh reports of police extortion and brutality reached the Internet and have continued unabated leading to unlawful arrest, and tragically, in some cases, losses of life.
In a further kicker, just as he prepared to get off the live session, Naira Marley intoned that he had nothing to lose if all went to hell. Taken in isolation, it might seem like an unnecessarily harsh thing to say to a people looking up to him as a leading figure – at that time – in the fight against police brutality, but if you really want a truly holistic view of what he was trying to say with these closing remarks (if you can pardon the banal peek at his limited understanding of the issues affecting young Nigerians) you’ll understand that it is a reflection of Naira Marley’s reality.
By virtue of his celebrity, Naira is insulated from the too-often survivalist, brutal reality of more than 80% of the Nigerian citizenry. He is of a specific Nigeria, whose own problems might be fantastical chimaeras for the majority of this country; so, to put it very plainly, Naira Marley does not truly comprehend the scope of how insidious and dehumanising it is to have your everyday life hawked over by a tactical unit originally set up to protect against armed robbery. What he does understand is the privilege that life in his bubble can confer and the potential for a continued prosperous existence if the illusion of a calm, unproblematic Nigeria can be kept up. But, at that moment, the biggest danger was this: that in Naira Marley’s hands, the #EndSars hashtag, currently serving as a repository of our generation’s evolving abolitionist instinct towards oppressive instruments of the state, faced the threat of petering out into another chance for the police to foot-drag and pontificate over an issue that continues to end the lives of young Nigerians.
Fortunately, the days since that live chat have been characterised by everything but the inaction that the Nigerian Police Force hoped for from Nigerian youths. Young people everywhere are protesting, criticising, and disrupting with the ultimate goal of getting a response and point of action from the government. As protests have continued across the country, driven by an egalitarian spirit of camaraderie, Naira Marley has continued to tweet, and the reaction to his statements reflect a more pertinent question: what is the place of music stars in the #EndSars and our wider protest culture.
The brief platforming of Naira Marley in the opening days of the movement owes much to the run of singles he went on in 2019 that established him as one of the biggest pop stars in the country. After receiving criticism for his support of cybercrime in the early months of last year, Naira’s songs piqued curiosity and caught attention for the lascivious themes that dominated them, the air of dissent that cruised through his music, as well as spinning a fraud allegation into a larger-than-life stance of irreverence that birthed a strong stan base named after himself. Surgically going after layers of puritanical culture with every line of his in 2019, Naira Marley endeared himself to an emergent generation of young Nigerians tired of being creatively and economically stifled who often imbued his more reflective songs with pseudo-philosophical meanings.
Between his status as a popular dissenter, clashes with the Nigerian judicial system, and Nigeria’s famed lack of leadership of youth, Naira’s voice has been both a place of recognition for young Nigerians and a cultural resonant power, continuing the time-honoured tradition of popular Nigerian musicians having the soft power to reflect the voice of the people and wink at their requests in their music. The most popular protest musician in Nigerian history is undoubtedly Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the famed maverick who invented afrobeat, using his sonic creation as an unabashed political tool to speak truth to power and make music geared at social revolution. By the time Fela passed in 1997, he had spent a significant part of his adulthood as a political martyr, straddling the thin line between dissident and musician.
None of the musicians who have come after Fela have matched up to the weighty clarity of his social equality demands as a protest musician or even possess the guttural sucker punch of his music. Naira Marley, for all his Fela-like stances and interpolations, has never matched up in this regard and when the time came to lead a protest, didn’t. His platform was meant to be the trigger for a class-crossing social movement but ultimately that proved not to be. Importantly, beyond making music, Fela had a firm grasp on the political realities of the community around him and the wider African continent, something that is key for anyone trying to improve their society beyond the posturing of agitprop – which cannot be totally said about any of the musicians who have attempted to make protest music after him,
Runtown is not the most politically vocal Nigerian celebrity, however, he lent his platform to the #EndSars movement, becoming the first musician to amplify the message beyond the labyrinth of social media and empathise with the struggle in a way any average Nigerian youth can relate to – from a place of weariness and righteous anger. Summoning a coalition of the willing, he joined a protest on Lagos Island, taking off at the LagosToll Gate. Runtown was joined by Falz, Tiwa Savage, WurlD, and Jaywon, and instead of concerted efforts at elevating their profiles through the visibility of the protests, the musicians simply lit the fire for what has now evolved into a social revolution across the country, giving speeches and moral support to people who came out.
One way or the other, most of the seminal voices of the Nigerian music industry have contributed their voices to the protests after some days of inertia. Rudeboy called the SARS unit “criminals”, Mr. Eazi provided a more succinct reaction, saying that police reforms were needed while referencing the tragic murder of the Apo Six. In the opening days though, nobody shook the table quite like Wizkid did, when he quote-tweeted a get-well-message to Donald Trump from President Buhari’s handle, to demand action and going on a brief back-and-forth with Lauretta Onochie, an aide to the President.
Donald trump is not your business!
Old man! Police/Sarz still killing
Nigerian youth on a daily! Do something!
Nothing concern u for America!
Face your country !! https://t.co/thxmoYb7VE
A dedicated campaign to bring the demand of the youth to international attention also caught the notice of celebrities across the world. Shatta Wale released a song titled “Fuck Sars.” Cardi B brought significant exposure to the problem, Trey Songz has amplified the message with a series of social media posts, as has Kirk Franklin; similarly, a number of footballing stars like Mesut Ozil, Fikayo Tomori, and Tammy Abraham have stood with the Nigerian youth
The woke culture of the 2010s has fully blossomed, breeding a hyper-aware generation of music consumers who have urged – read: dragged – Nigerian celebrities like Toyin Abraham to confront their privileges and insulation their stardom (which given to them by their audiences’ voices) provides them. Burna Boy has built a global brand off his perceptions of and responses to the ills of the wider Nigerian problem but was silent – due to his mother’s surgery, he explained – in the early days of the movement and upon returning to social media has continued to polarise opinions. On one hand, he’s creating an NGO to help with logistical needs and on the other, alienating observers with the condescending tone of some of his messaging.
With all this happening, the #EndSars protests have taken off. Coming years after the high-handedness of SARS and other police divisions had been identified as part of a systemic rot, the movement is an oasis of frustration and outpouring of trauma for many, that even the disappointment of Naira Marley’s no-show could not stem. Clearly learning from that incidence – and other civil protests in the past – our generation are emphasising an anomalous system of hierarchy that accentuates horizontal structuring and does not centre any figure.
The most impactful pop musicians of the movement have been those who have found their footing, using their platforms, community organising skills, and activism to bolster the movement, within this fluid structure: while Runtown led the way, Small Doctor has also shown up, organising a group of protester to take the agitation to the Lagos state capital all the way from Agege. Skales joined a peaceful protest in Ilorin. Oxlade convened a protest across Surulere that has now surely cranked up the heat on the state government and national legislative. Davido used his social capital as a literal bulletproof against twitchy-fingered policemen in Abuja while negotiating the release of arrested protesters. Wizkid galvanized the crowd with his presence at the Nigerian Embassy London and Adekunle Gold played a role in organising a protest against SARS in Houston.
Without possessing the institutional knowledge of public laws, mobilisation techniques, and effective organising that mark out activists, music celebrities seem to have found an alternate role in protest as lodestars to strengthen the weary and urge increased participation online and offline. Yet, the Nigerian police and authorities, perhaps sensing an opportunity to play to some of their egos, have targeted them as weak links. Using the dialogue offer made to Naira Marley, the Nigerian Police Force has corralled Davido into an ‘agreement’ whose entirety has not been made public and predicated on a framework that does not have the majority backing of the protesters who have sacrificed so much in the fields and online.
Through it all, Davido’s “Fem” has emerged as the song of the movement, perfectly capturing the exasperation – and unbroken spirit – of youths and young adults everywhere from Ibadan to Benin and Abuja. Joining Fela’s “Zombie” African China’s “Mr. President” and Eedris Abdulkareem’s “Jaga Jaga”, “Fem” will now be remembered as the song of our revolution, as a left-centre addition to the canon of Nigerian protest music. But Davido’s contributions to the protest does not give him the key to leadership and hopefully, he realises this.
Now is not the time to look to musicians and celebrities to lead the charge for a moral right, not when they wittingly and unwittingly benefit from the current situation of things in ways that obfuscate the true toll of Nigeria’s problems for them. They can touch a glimpse of our struggle in their creative endeavours but shared identity is not shared reality in any way. And with unconfirmed rumour that the police plan to withdraw mobile police protection from visible celebrities, we can only wonder what happens to their activism?
Are they willing to deal with the true face of the Nigerian collapse, are they willing to lose certain privileges to call out who needs to be called out? The coming days will reveal the answer to this but we should be prepared to bring our music stars from the glorified pedestals we have placed them and lead our charge with or without them.
Featured image credits/YagazieEmezi
Please share any useful information about #ENDSARS protests @nativemag
For the next phase of her career, Skyla Tylaa is actively working on creating music while entertaining with...
As a child growing up in South-east London, Skyla Tylaa had a natural affinity for the arts. Whether it was...
As a child growing up in South-east London, Skyla Tylaa had a natural affinity for the arts. Whether it was music or stage performances, she found herself exploring these interests intently from a young age. That devotion manifested in multiple ways – her attending the BRIT School and Sylvia Young Theatre School where she performed in a West End production of Annie or her fiddling with several musical instruments while she figured out her creative identity. Through it all, music was a constant, the backdrop to her home life where she grew up between Jamaican and English influences. She remembers being exposed to Drum & Bass, Funky House, and Garage. “I think that’s had a big influence in my DJ career,” Skyla Tylaa admits.
Progressing into adulthood, those musical influences persisted even if she didn’t always engage with them professionally. Things changed when she started DJ-ing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Possessed by a visceral desire to experience the euphoria of interacting with people through music, she burrowed deeper into DJ-ing. “I couldn’t be in my room and just have people commenting,” she recalls. “I need to see people’s energy, and feel everything in the moment.”
Since then, she’s enjoyed a meteoric rise that has taken the world by storm. Mentored by DJ Tunez, she performed multiple times on the American leg of Wizkid’s ‘Made In Lagos’ tour and came out of the experience raring to go. “Opening for Wizkid on his tour was a transformative experience,” she says. “It taught me a lot about resilience and adaptability in my craft. I was still pretty much a start-up DJ when I went on tour and it made me really realise how important it is to connect with the audience. Touring from city to city with different crowds, it helped me to learn how to read the room and keep the vibe going.”
Almost as importantly for Skyla Tylaa, Rihanna was present at one of those tour stops and was impressed by her set, stopping by after the show to congratulate her. “After that I felt like I could conquer the world,” she says. Since then, she’s been selected by Rihanna to DJ at a Fenty X Puma Creeper launch event in London in 2024, marking a full-circle moment between the women.
Like Rihanna, Skyla Tylaa is inspired by music from the breadth of the Black diaspora, playing sets that take as much influence from the fervid restlessness of Hip-hop as they do the wavy melodies of House music, and the dancefloor summons of Afrobeats “I love partying! I genuinely love it,” she explains. “When preparing my sets, I’m always thinking of people having a good time. Whatever I can do to connect with them, I’m down to do it!”
In the last few years, few genres have shown the propensity for inspiring a great time with the regularity that Amapiano does. From Johannesburg to Windhoek, to Lagos, London, and New York, the log drums and mutating basslines of the genre have proven integral to a new Pop framework that is as amorphous as it is exhilarating. Since first hearing the genre while on a visit to Ghana years ago, Skyla Tylaa has been hooked. “It was the log drum, the sound, just the vibes that came with it,” she says. “I was like ‘wait – what is this?’ When you hear Amapiano, it’s one of those sounds that no matter what, you’re gonna dance.”
Diving into the genre, she’s picked up valuable lessons from important figures like Maphorisa, Uncle Vinny and Major League DJz while putting her youthful spin on the sound. It’s all coming together for the DJ who’s working with her sister, music heavyweight Jada Pollock, to figure it all out one step at a time. “When I found my passion for DJing, Jada was right there, urging me to dive into the ‘Made in Lagos’ tour,” she says. “I wasn’t sure I was ready, but she believed in me and knew I could handle it. My love for music has been with me since school; it just took some time for me to realize that this was the direction I wanted to pursue. Once I found my calling, her support became endless–she attended my early gigs and pushed me to perform at major festivals like Afro Nation.”
She’s since performed at leading festivals such as Wireless, Piano People and Australia’s Promiseland as well as selling out headline shows across London, London, and Ghana. For the next phase of her career, she’s actively working on creating music. This month, she released her debut single, “Bombshell,” a searing Amapiano banger that has all the hallmarks of a potential summer hit. “Bombshell” features Tanzanian Bongo Flava act, Diamond Platnumz, as well as South African acts, Tyler ICU, Khalil Harrison, and DJ Exit. It’s a blockbuster showing that sits well in the tradition of the genre. “The idea was initially played to me by Tyler ICU in March 2024,” Skyla Tylaa says. “He and I had a session while he was in London, and this was one of the ideas we worked on. Khalil was already on it, at the time, and I loved what I heard!”
After seeding it into her live sets last summer and starting live teasers with a dance challenge, Diamond Platnumz reached out about potentially working on the song and it was arranged. “I started teasing the new version of the song in my sets and then a whole new viral dance challenge came about online in December,” she says. “From that point, I knew the track had all the elements (features included) to be a big release in 2025 !” For DJ Exit, a chance to be part of a transformative song like “Bombshell” was an opportunity he didn’t want to pass up. “What drew me to this single was the chance to be part of something boundary-breaking,” he explains. “Gqom and Amapiano are both powerful in their own right, but fusing the raw, percussive energy of Gqom with the soulful, hypnotic swing of Amapiano creates a sound the world hasn’t fully experienced yet. This isn’t just another collaboration–it’s a cultural statement.”
The Xhosa word, ‘basazomangala,’ meaning ‘to be shocked,’ is uttered several times on “Bombshell,” and it reflects the message that Harrison was trying to pass on the track. ““Bombshell” is really about letting people know that there’s still so much more to come from me,” he says. “It’s a celebration of the present moment, but also a reminder that this is just the beginning. We’re all dancing to what’s happening now, but there’s an energy in the air that says the best is yet to come.”
In light of Amapiano’s rise to global prominence and the international acclaim it enjoys, Harrison is right about more things being on the horizon, and Skyla Tylaa agrees with him: “When I was introduced to Amapiano, I fell in love instantly and that time it was just on the verge of global appeal. It’s global now and still growing and that makes me appreciate it even more! I love it, and the world loves it! The feeling is mutual ! We can all enjoy it together!”
For Tyler ICU, having DJs from the diaspora like Skyla Tylaa engage with Amapiano and its culture is a win for the genre. “This shows the power of the genre–it’s not just a sound, it’s a movement,” he says. “When someone like Skyla, who appreciates the culture and brings her own flavour, plays Amapiano in places like London, New York or Toronto, she’s not just playing music, she’s building bridges. That’s how we grow–by letting the world feel it in their own way, but staying true to where it started. It’s important that the roots are respected, but the branches can reach far.”
Just a couple of weeks since its release, “Bombshell” has crossed over 650,000 thousand views on YouTube and continues to be a sensation on TikTok. Like everything Skyla Tylaa has done up till now in her career, it’s shaping up perfectly and has shown that she has a knack for the right collaborations. She intends to keep making music. “This year, my focus is all about music,” she says. “I recently signed with Robots and Humans (Sony) in the UK and Epic in the US, which has given me a different level of drive to really want to create good music. I’m also looking forward to exploring the Afro-house genre and collaborating with other talented artists.”
The rapper’s decision to embark on a local university tour of this nature could go on to become a...
There’s no denying that OdumoduBlvck’s 2023 mixtape ‘Eziokwu’ established his musical genius. While...
There’s no denying that OdumoduBlvck’s 2023 mixtape ‘Eziokwu’ established his musical genius. While the half dozen projects that preceded ‘Eziokwu’ almost served as target practice, largely showcasing the early iterations of Okporoko music – his unique melodious rap fusion – it was his major label debut that truly grounded the rapper in Nigeria’s rich Hip-Hop lineage. The album’s far-reaching success culminated in a historic joint tour with fellow 2023 breakout star Shallipopi, which saw the two share the stage across 9 cities in the United States. Similarly, riding the high of his latest mixtape, ‘The Machine Is Coming,’ the Anti-World Gangstar head huncho recently announced a new tour. This time, however, instead of taking his new collection of infectious bangers to stages abroad, the rapper decided to visit different universities across the country for what he calls the ‘Greatest School Tour Ever.’
Touring in Nigeria is a subject that has become somewhat controversial over the last few years, splitting opinions amongst many fans, industry experts, and artists themselves. Back in the mid-2000s to early 2010s, local touring was very much the norm. Platforms like Star Music’s ‘The Trek,’ as well as a few prominent local promoters, enabled some of the biggest names like 2face, Olamide, and M.I to hold annual nationwide tours. These tours included stops in cities like Warri, Makurdi, Owerri and many other places that artists are less likely to visit today. University tours were also popular as they presented an avenue for these artists to connect with their younger audience, who mostly served as the bedrock of their fan base.
The rise of digital streaming platforms, which has partly informed the industry’s rapid evolution over the past decade, coupled with other economic and infrastructural issues, has, however, forced a sharp decline in local touring, making it an almost altruistic endeavour in today’s Nigeria. Afropop gaining global exposure meant that the international market immediately became more viable and lucrative to our biggest stars, and this reshaped their priorities. The extensive, multi-city shows became reserved for diaspora fans, while the local audience, in most cases, are treated to a solitary annual show.
OdumoduBlvck looks to buck this trend with the ‘Greatest School Tour Ever,’ prioritizing his primary audience before tending to those abroad. In truth, the Lagos-born rapper is not the only one who has embarked on this type of tour in recent times. A couple of years ago, UK-based rapper Kida Kudz and Ckay also went on similar campus tours, with the latter making stops at 10 different universities across the country. Llona, one of the breakout stars from last year, is also currently on a nationwide tour coming off the success of his impressive debut album ‘Homeless.’ The ‘Greatest School Tour Ever,’ is however, peculiar and momentous because of its timing and OdumoduBlvck’s standing as one of the biggest names around.
At the recent 17th Headies Awards, the rapper became the latest recipient of the Next Rated award, a highly coveted plaque that’s historically reserved for standout acts whose music defines the zeitgeist at a given period. He received the award just two days after he gave an electrifying performance at Afe Babalola University. His latest mixtape, ‘The Machine Is Coming,’ a precursor to his highly anticipated forthcoming debut, currently sits at the No. 2 spot on the Turntable Top 50 Album charts. It is unheard of in recent times: that the Headies Next Rated act, who has one of the top projects in the country, is on a local university tour. The Abuja-native has, however, shown on numerous occasions that he has never really been one to abide by existing standards. The famous opening lines from his breakout single “Declan Rice” (I can do without their Policy I Know), did not only serve as a message to gatekeepers and naysayers but also as a manifesto that declared his mode of operation going forward.
At the time of this writing, the rapper has only made two stops on his ongoing tour, but his decision to embark on a local tour of this nature already looks to be paying dividends. The first two shows have produced viral clips that capture his star power, the hysteria of his headline shows and his rapidly growing influence, especially amongst younger listeners. The viral clips have already created an increased demand for shows, with many young fans harassing the rapper to add more dates to the tour. With the release of ‘The Machine Is Coming’ and his recent crowning moment at the Headies, it’s safe to assume there’s more attention on him now than ever. While it is, of course, still early days, the rapper’s decision to embark on a local university tour, especially given that he’s currently experiencing a career high, could go on to become a significant moment, one that potentially inspires a shift in the touring landscape in Nigeria.
From working her way out of London’s Myatt’s Field, Tanika is now setting her sights on the bright lights...
Across a career that's in its second decade, Tanika has proven to be a force in her own right, holding her...
Across a career that’s in its second decade, Tanika has proven to be a force in her own right, holding her own on collaborations with Black British stars like Stormzy and Wretch 32, as well as popular record producer Naughty Boy–working with the Grammy-nominated beatmaker on his acclaimed ‘Hotel Cabana’ album.
Following a stint as an actor, she returned to the studio in 2021, releasing a new extended play, ‘333,’ in 2023. The project carried all the hallmarks of Tanika at her tantalising best: lilting cadences, well-paced narratives, a songwriting that reaches for the heart of the matter.
On her latest song, “Fast Fwd,” she’s growing into her own and stepping into a new era. In many ways, “Fast Fwd,” a hypnotic, sultry anthem, is landing just in time for summer revelry. Produced by her longtime collaborator, Naughty Boy, her silky vocals land effortlessly on the mid-tempo instrumental and pulsates with her desire for her love interest.
Joined on the song by her fiancé, Kida Kudz, they make an interesting duo and replicate the synergy they had on “Nobody,” off Kudz’s 2021 ‘Top Memba.’ Distinctively marked by use of neon lights, the video for the song captures the effervescence of romance that Tanika hums about throughout the song.
From working her way out of London’s Myatt’s Field to becoming a star with millions of streams, Tanika is now setting her sights on the bright lights of superstardom. Ahead of the official release of the single, we had a brief chat with Tanika about her career, the influences for “Fast Fwd,” and working with KIda Kudz on it.
Her answers, which follow below, have been lightly edited for clarity.
How would you describe where you are in your career right now?
I’m just enjoying the journey.
What does the release of “Fast Fwd” signify for you?
It signifies love.
Why is Kida Kudz a fit for the song? (
To be honest, we didn’t plan to do another song together. I have worked on two records with him before (“Nobody” and “Tasty Time” ) but we never thought to shoot a video for it.. “Fast Fwd” felt like a real testimony of our present moment in the relationship.
You’ve worked extensively with Naughty Boy and he’s helped with “Fast Fwd,” what’s your relationship like and why does it work?
Naughty Boy knows me very well. We’ve known one another for over 10 years, so he knows what fits me musically. We gel. I think him knowing me and being a fan of Kida’s music made it all work. Naughty Boy does his listening before he makes a beat for you. A lot of producers don’t really understand the importance of knowing the artist musically but he does.
What were you aiming for with the video?
To be honest, I’m aiming for nothing. I’m just enjoying the journey. It’s been a very long road and I know I still have a long way to go.