With NATIVELAND only a week away, we’re unveiling many special surprises and announcements in the run up to the highly anticipated festival. This week, we’re partnering with Hennessy–one of our official sponsors for NATIVELAND 2023 to give back to our community and allow one lucky artist the chance to make their debut on the NATIVELAND lineup.

Kicking off today, NATIVELAND and Hennessy have partnered on the “Very Special Freestyle” which invites artists from around the country to submit an open freestyle verse to award-winning NATIVE Records and 44DB producer, Trill Xöe’s “Very Special” beat.

To participate, rappers must record a 45-second verse over the beat titled: “Very Special” by Award-Winning Hip Hop Producer, Trill Xoe. The verse must include these three words: NATIVE, Very Special, and Hennessy and be uploaded to social media using the hashtag #nativelandxhennessy. The winner of the competition will be selected by our judges Trill Xoe (Producer), Teezee (NATIVE Records Label Exec), and Odumodublvck (Rapper).

In 2023, Nigerian hip-hop continued solidifying its place as a force resonating across the nation and beyond. The “Very Special Freestyle Challenge” is an effort to continue championing the future of Nigerian rap today. This partnership aligns with our unwavering commitment to spotlighting the best of talent in the underground and mainstream talent coming out of Africa tomorrow: today.

NATIVELAND 2023 will return to Lagos next week Friday on December 22, 2023 at an all new location, SOL Beach Lagos. Click here to purchase your tickets.

Featured image credits/NATIVE