Nigeria’s Trenchtok Community Is Charting the Rise of Mara
We speak to the dancers and musicians incubating a guttural sound set to provide Street-Pop with a new lease of life.
Scroll through a certain enclave of Nigerian TikTok colloquially dubbed ‘TrenchTok,’ and you’ll find a concentrated display of unvarnished creativity. In recent years, TrenchTok has become a digital hub for some of the nation’s most audacious young talents, many of whom are dancers central to turning what was once a loose underground experiment into one of the most recognisable new movements in Nigerian pop culture: Mara.
This is not the first time dance has worked as a pertinent vehicle in the evolution of Nigerian popular music. Dance has always anticipated and amplified major shifts throughout the history of modern Afropop. Every major change in Nigerian popular music has often come with, and been driven by, a distinct dance style. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ajegunle, a residential district on the mainland of Lagos, produced Galala, a low-swinging, leg-shuffling dance that moved in sync with the bounce of ragga-inflected songs introduced by Ajegunle-based artists like Daddy Showkey, African China, and Baba Fryo. Later, it morphed into Swo, which was followed by Alanta, with its somewhat comical series of gestures: exaggerated arm flaps, a contorted face, and a leg aloft. Then came the nationwide craze of Yahooze, fueled by Olu Maintain’s hit of the same name, which reflected the controversial lifestyle associated with the rise of internet fraud, commonly known as “Yahoo Yahoo.”
The 2010s were years defined by the formalization of Afropop. As the decade went on, the Efik-based Etighi rose to fame with Iyanya’s seminal hit “Kukere,” its hip-swaying movements inextricably linked with the song’s success. Concurrently, Azonto, despite its Ghanaian origin, found an immense Nigerian foothold. From its stylistic wellspring, P-Square’s Alingo materialized, with Davido’s Skelewu closely in its wake.
This period also saw the rise of indigenous rap and a new wave of Street-Pop, bringing with it a fresh arsenal of moves. The Lil Kesh-popularized Shoki was a playful, shoulder-based dance with a quirky lean, adaptable, and widely embraced. By the late 2010s, the landscape shifted with the emergence of legwork, a broad category of rapid foot movements that became synonymous with Street-Pop. Mr Real’s “Legbegbe” initiated Shaku Shaku, a dance that involved a shuffling, almost drunken-like movement of the feet and hands. Zlatan Ibile then introduced Zanku, a more aggressive and athletic form of legwork that required high leg lifts and stomps that, ultimately, became his signature. Currently, it’s Mara‘s turn. As an Afrobeats subgenre, Mara draws its sonic elements from House music and EDM, but is rooted in the sound palette of Lagos’ Street-Pop scene. The music is often characterized by dense, polyrhythmic percussion and kicks that typically range between 140-160 BPM. Unlike the slick production of mainstream Afropop, Mara is intentionally abrasive, built on a foundation of raw, frequently distorted drum samples, vocal chops, and unexpected sound effects.
Long before Street-Pop found a foothold on TikTok, DJs were laying its foundation in clubs, neighbourhood parties, and on platforms like Audiomack and SoundCloud. Similarly, Mara figures like DJ Cora, DJ Khalipha—whose “Mara Pass Mara” is a standard-bearer—and the ubiquitous DJ YK Mule have been key to building the sound from the ground up.
As DJ Khalipha described to The NATIVE, an authentic Mara track “blends percussive Afrobeats rhythms with atmospheric synths, deep basslines, and often a dark or moody undertone.” Continuing, he says, “It’s designed to hit you in the chest and pull you into a trance-like groove. The feeling it gives is what defines it: emotional and intense.” You hear this on some popular Mara cuts like DJ YK Mule’s “Northerners Mara,” Rema’s “Ozeba,” and Seyi Vibez’s “Shaolin.”
In many cases, dancers are the first to engage with a new mix. They interpret the beats through choreography, upload their routines, and in doing so, set a track in motion across the digital space. When a song hits, it rarely does so in isolation. It rises through TikTok videos, club appearances, and bootleg uploads, with DJs continually tweaking their mixes to respond to audience reactions.
The dance that is built around Mara is equally intense. The movements are a clear evolution of legwork, but are noticeably different from earlier forms. While Zanku focuses on quick footwork, Mara is a different beast altogether. It pushes the tempo and complexity, demanding a new level of physical dexterity, stamina, coordination, and creative interpretation. This involves full-body contortions, acrobatic leaps, sudden drops to the floor, and a disorienting, almost convulsive, attack that seems to defy anatomical limitations. The legwork, in particular, is executed at an astonishing pace, a blur of quick-fire steps and powerful kicks that sometimes send clouds of dust billowing around their feet; this stirred-up dust is part of the appeal. There’s an impressive, almost daredevil quality to it.
One of the fascinating aspects of Mara dance is its syncretism. Dancers borrow from everywhere, extending beyond regular African dance forms to subsume elements from Hip-Hop and even martial arts. Some dancers, like the aptly named Kung Fu Master, explicitly draw on Shaolin imagery and kung fu cinema, incorporating a flurry of feints, strikes, kicks, and gravity-defying postures that resemble fight choreography. “When the beat hits, my body just takes over and does things that sometimes even surprise me,” Kung Fu Master tells The NATIVE.
The movements are thrillingly untamed, an explosive outpouring of energy that is spontaneous and incredibly skilled, born from an almost compulsive need to innovate. “Mara dance is created from a bunch of freestyles,” says dancer and choreographer AfroFeet. “Most times we just want to try to do something no one has seen or done before.” Teee Dollar, one of the scene’s charismatic choreographers who doubles as an artist, explains it more viscerally: “Creating steps is through vibes and ginger. Inspiration comes from anywhere — the street, Fuji, Naija classics, anywhere. Most of the time, I feel the beat and enter freestyle mode. I move according to what the rhythm shows me. Then I refine it, package it, and, gbam, it’s ready.”
This relentless pursuit of the unprecedented is the core of Mara’s visual identity. Dancers often inject comedic timing, creating a sense of lightheartedness even as they execute mind-boggling feats. It’s not uncommon to see backflips, handsprings, and other gymnastic feats all performed with a captivating looseness, their faces often etched with a mixture of intense concentration and ecstasy. Sometimes they engage in friendly battles, constantly one-upping each other with new steps, twists, and contortions.
Much of Mara’s ascent is owed to TikTok. Since the platform arrived internationally in 2017, its algorithm, which favors discoverability and rewards engaging, short-form content, has proved to be the perfect incubator for dance trends. The Mara dances are not specially designed to be widely replicable in the way TikTok dance trends often are. They are performances: rip-roaring, competitive, meant to impress. And the dancers, many of whom operate without formal training or institutional support, use the app to test out sequences, showcase routines, and build virality, sometimes before a song has even dropped. The late Odogwu Mara was one of the early dancers to popularise this on TikTok. His videos were filled with joy, technical prowess, and an unmistakable hunger to break new ground.
The impact of this digital ecosystem is profound. For many of these dancers, TikTok serves as a studio, stage, archive, and primary promotional tool. The platform itself may not directly monetize their output and creativity, but it provides considerable visibility. Teee Dollar’s career took off after he started sharing dance videos on TikTok in 2018, which led to significant street recognition and subsequent collaborations with major industry figures like Davido, Olamide, and Seyi Vibez. According to AfroFeet, TikTok has helped to push dancers into believing they can be whoever they want to be. He affirms that, beyond being perceived as vanity metrics, the likes, comments, and shares are a form of direct audience feedback that is very encouraging. This exposure allows talent from the “trenches” to gain a significant following, a path Poco Lee had earlier exemplified through platforms like Instagram, paving the way for dance to be seen as a viable route to fame and influence.
Even DJ Khalipha attests to the positive utility of TikTok. “TikTok helps me test new beats, gauge audience reactions in real time, and spark dance trends that bring the music to life,” he explains. “It’s also created a direct feedback loop between me and my community.” Viral fame, even in its often ephemeral TikTok iteration, can translate into brand partnerships with local businesses, mobile phone companies, or beverage brands. There are also performance opportunities at smaller club nights or even, occasionally, as backup for more established artists, and a level of influence that was previously the preserve of those with significant industry backing or connections.
Moreover, the digital amplification of Mara is translating into tangible real-world influence and commercial viability. The subgenre is expanding beyond its niche origins, infiltrating pop culture and fueling Nigeria’s emerging rave scene. Its imprint is visible on mainstream efforts like Rema’s Grammy-nominated ‘HEIS’ and even in the genre-hopping styles of alté staples like Cruel Santino on the S-Smart-assisted “FTR” and Brazy on “Daddy.”
At street level, it’s propelling a new wave of hyperlocal Street-Pop, giving the sound both edge and elasticity. Mara is still evolving, its direction and how far it can reach is already being shaped by these talents who have built an informal but powerful engine around it. “Mara is a sound from the trenches, from the gutter, but I see it as the new face of Street-Pop,” Teee Dollar asserts. This ambition also comes with a sense of duty. As an artist, he’s clear-eyed about what’s at stake: “The mission is to take Mara worldwide without losing what makes it real,” he says. “It is the food for the streets. It got me to where I am, and it’s my responsibility to take it further.”
Shekhinah Returns With Surprise Album, ‘Less Trouble’
The South African R&B star is at her most assertive on her first album in four years.
South African R&B and Pop singer Shekhinah has released a new surprise album titled ‘Less Trouble.’ The Durban star, who had been quiet for most of the year, took to social media shortly before midnight to share the new album’s cover, synopsis, and tracklist, simply stating, ‘If you’re seeing this my album LESS TROUBLE is out now at Midnight,’ in an Instagram caption.
The soulful singer first began teasing ‘Less Trouble,’ her first album in over four years, about a year ago when she released its lead single “Risk,” a bouncy Afropop-inspired collab with Ghanaian star MOLIY. A few months after the release of “Risk,” she put out “Steady,” a dreamy pop number that suggested that something bigger was on the horizon. But then it was largely radio silence about a project until its surprise arrival at midnight.
If 2021’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ represented a coming-of-age for Shekhinah, subsisting some of the dreamy, youthful exuberance of her debut album for more measured musings on themes like heartbreak and grief, ‘Less Trouble’ finds her at her most assertive, writing and singing with the acuity of someone who is grown, decisive and discerning. The delicate opener “Break Up Season” sets the tone for the rest of the album as she shows little tolerance for shady behaviour and toxic patterns.
Other standout cuts on the album like “Bare Minimum,” a sombre collab with fellow South African award-winning singer lordkez, the ethereal, in-your-face interlude “New Casanova,” and the percussive “What Are We,” where Shekhinah contemplates the nature of a relationship but ultimately demands all or nothing, all drive home a part of the album’s synopsis, which reads ‘A BOOK ON MORE HEARTBREAK BUT LESS HEARTACHE.’
Shekhinah invites a couple of new collaborators on ‘Less Trouble,’ featuring the aforementioned MOLIY and lordkez as well as multi-instrumentalist Mars Baby and Young Stunna across the album’s 11 tracks. Mpilo Shabangu handled the majority of the album’s production, while other producers like Michael Morare, her longtime collaborator, Mthintheki Mzizi, and Vuyo also contributed to the album.
Listen to ‘Less Trouble’ here.
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The NATIVE’s First Impressions Of Amaarae’s ‘Black Star’
‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for Amaarae, and The NATIVE team offer our thoughts after a...
Change has always been a constant theme in any discussion about the career of Ghanaian-American star, Amaarae. Since she emerged as a singular voice in the late 2010s, she has evolved from a sirenic Afropop-adjacent singer into a Punk-Pop firestarter with minimal fuss. ‘Fountain Baby,’ her 2023 sophomore album, was a sweeping departure from the lilting melodies and shapeshifing cadences of the hypnotic ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ emphasizing her commitment to charting new courses with her music.
In the lead-up to her new album, ‘Black Star,’ she has wholly embraced a Pop aesthetic and sheen that was reflected on the album’s promotional singles, “S.M.O.” and “Girlie-Pop!.” Now that the album has arrived, the singer has advised listeners not to go in expecting a continuation of the soundscape on ‘Fountain Baby.’ As keen followers of Amaarae’s career from its start, we are sure that ‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for her, and we offer our thoughts after a few listens.
WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF AMAARAE GOING INTO THIS ALBUM?
Kemnachi: I had zero doubts that she would impress me again. Amaarae always comes correct. She is audacious with her choices, taking creative risks most artists would not dare to imagine, and somehow rendering them seamless, deliberate, and effortless. Her music has a way of enveloping me: it’s fluid, slightly dangerous, and yet irresistibly sensual. Every project feels like an immersive world she has curated down to the finest detail. With ‘Black Star,’ I knew it was not going to be a mere collection of songs but another meticulously constructed realm.
Bamise: I expected something fun, genre-bending, and sonically diverse in the fashion that Amaarae’s music typically is. I may have taken the album title a bit too literally, though, because listening made me realise I had an eye out for some Pan-African statements or something to spark discourse on African identity, but I didn’t quite catch any of that.
Boluwatife: Amaarae has largely delivered throughout her career, so I knew she was going to come correct again. She’s one of those forward-thinking artists who take the kind of risks most others wouldn’t, but she always manages to make it work. She’s proven to be a musical omnivore who constantly meshes her wide-ranging influences into something new, fluid, icy, and more often than not, sensual. I knew ‘Black Star’ wasn’t going to be any different.
WHAT SONGS STOOD OUT ON THE FIRST LISTEN?
Wale: I liked “Girlie-Pop!.” I feel like it captures Amaarae’s vision of pushing Afropop into the future. She’s also really grown comfortable with music and lyricism and will not dumb down her message for anybody. The instrumental for “Girlie-Pop!” is also a wonder; it’s so dense, but there are pockets for Amaarae to be emotive about her feelings. Top song!
Daniel Akins: I need to hear “B2B” at the next rave I’m at. Amaarae is in her Dance era, and I’m here for it. Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” with PinkPantheress is the collaboration I knew I needed, and I’m glad they finally linked up. It’s a clear standout on the project; their ethereal style complements each other.
Shina: “B2B” was the one that did it for me. That is my favourite track on the project. The number of times I ran it back was unhealthy for a first listen. It was also really fun to catch the Don Toliver “Best You Had” sample. I need to hear this outside!
HOW WELL YOU THINK THE GUEST APPEARANCES ENHANCED THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE?
Israel: The guest features on Black Star aren’t mere flexes. They’re strategic, theatrical, and sometimes emotionally resonant. They enhance, yes, but they do so on Amaarae’s terms. A standout for me was PinkPantheress on “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” The tradeoff is that a few songs feel like dazzling cameos rather than an integrated conversation, yet overall they enhance the album’s drama, texture, and bravado with precision.
Daniel Banjoko: Everyone showed up and delivered, no weak links here. Instead of just guest spots, they felt like vital pieces of a bigger puzzle. Charlie Wilson on “Dream Scenario” nailed his part especially, making the track sound exactly like its name promises.
Moore: The guest appearances on ‘Black Star’ feel very intentional; each one enhances the album’s world without overshadowing Amaarae’s vision. PinkPantheress’s signature airy delivery meshes with Amaarae’s experimental pop sound. Naomi Campbell’s commanding voice on “ms60” is an unexpected but powerful addition, adding drama to the track. Each feature feels carefully chosen.
WHAT SONG IS THE BIGGEST SKIP?
Bamise: Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t get the PinkPantheress collab, “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” It feels like a PinkPantheress song with less pop in it, and just borrows the title of the iconic Soulja Boy song but has no other similarities. It’s between that and “ms60.” For me, the chorus of that sounds like something I’ve heard from Amaarae before, and I doubt its absence would have diminished the album.
Shina: I feel like biggest skip is a strong word for a solid project, but if I have to pick a song to skip, it’ll be “ms60.” I think it’s easily forgettable.
Wale: It’s hard to single out a song that stuck out to me, but hearing Naomi Campbell on “ms60” threw me off. It’s just too contrived to bear for me.
WHAT SONG HAS THE BIGGEST HIT POTENTIAL?
Boluwatife: My gut answer would probably be “She Is My Drug,” just because of how she beautifully reworks the melodies from Cher’s “Believe.” DJ remixes of this song could go crazy. But if I were to think a bit more logically, TikTok would probably lap up “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.”
Daniel Banjoko: “Kiss Me Thru the Phone pt 2” goes crazy. Amaarae and PinkPantheress are the perfect match. This collab feels like it was destined to happen, and it delivers in full. Honestly, I can’t believe it took this long, and now I just need more tracks from these two, ASAP.
Moore: “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” has the biggest hit potential on the album. The song has a nostalgic, sad party girl vibe that makes it appealing, and it’s also catchy and well-produced. PinkPantheress consistently performs well on platforms like TikTok, and her fanbase overlaps in a really interesting way with Amaarae’s. The collaboration feels organic and exciting, and will likely create a lot of buzz.
OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Wale: There is a very visceral quality to how Amaarae expresses desire that I don’t hear very often in a lot of music. It’s abstracted and warped in futuristic textures, but it’s very profoundly human, and it’s always great to hear that even as she advances the sonics of her delivery. I do, however, have an issue with the thematic scope of ‘Black Star.’ I thought there would be overt references to her experiences of navigating her Ghanaian identity, but those references are limited to samples and interpolations. It’s still an incisive listen and a triumph for finding ways to advance music from Africa.
Bamise: It’s Amaarae; she can never go wrong. But for me, this is the album that excites me the least from her catalogue. Other than how bass-heavy some songs on the album are, like “S.M.O.” and “She Is My Drug” among others, it feels similar to other projects I’ve heard from her in a way that’s not exactly refreshing or mind-bending. I may have gotten spoiled by how diverse and eclectic Amaarae’s music tends to be, but I wanted more from her. I expected more gangster, Hip-Hop Amaarae. Thematically, I didn’t get anything that gives the Black Star of Ghana, or black stars are ruling the world. Will I listen again and enjoy every bit of it still, though? Yes, I will.
Shina: So first off, this is a solid body of work. I love the fact that Amaarae stuck with the Dance, Electro-Pop route she was going with throughout the album. The features also played their part, adding their unique touches to each record. I would say, though, a feature I would’ve loved to hear on this project is 070Shake. I think she would have been perfect on “100DRUM,” but we don’t always get what we want, do we? Thematically, I think Amaarae could’ve leaned heavily on her Ghanaian heritage, seeing as the title and cover of the album are a nod to that. Maybe Amaarae just wants us to dance, and that’s what I’m just gonna do, and you should too.
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Tems Partners With Hennessy For Leading Vibe Initiative
Launching in Lagos, Nigeria, this event pioneered by Tems marks the beginning of a continent-wide movement to...
In July, Tems announced the Leading Vibe Initiative (LVI) to support women in music and the creative space on their journey to make a mark in their fields and create space for other women in those industries. Born from Tems’ journey as a self-taught artist with a focus on driving change, the initiative offers training, mentorship, industry access, and community for women in music in Africa.
After a rigorous selection process for its inaugural cohort, Hennessy will join the two-time Grammy Award-winning star to celebrate the launch of the Leading Vibe (LVI) Initiative in Lagos, Nigeria. Held from August 8 to 9, 2025, the two-day event is the beginning of a bold new chapter in Hennessy’s long-standing commitment to music and culture in Africa.
“I’m excited to partner with Hennessy in bringing this initiative to life, supporting talented young women in music as they find their voices, embrace their power, and shape the future of the industry across Africa and beyond,” Tems said about the partnership.
The Leading Vibe Initiative aims to champion the next generation of female artists, producers, songwriters, and music professionals, increasing representation within all areas of music across the continent and beyond.
With Hennessy as lead partner, this ambitious program kicks off with an immersive event in Lagos featuring curated workshops, networking moments, and panel discussions led by top-tier talent from across the global and African music industries.
“Her vision, talent, and purpose align deeply with Hennessy’s legacy of championing those who push boundaries and redefine the world around them. We’re honored to support the Leading Vibe Initiative and to continue empowering African communities and cultures,” said Vincent Montalescot, Hennessy Global Chief Marketing Officer.
Hennessy’s partnership with Tems builds on the brand’s decades-long history of supporting music and artistic expression globally and on the continent. From Hip-Hop to Afrobeats, Hennessy continues to stand beside the artists and communities that shape culture.
In Africa, the Maison has deepened its commitment through meaningful initiatives like In the Paint and now, with the Leading Vibe Initiative, is taking a focused step toward amplifying women’s voices in music. With the Lagos launch as a powerful first step, the Leading Vibe Initiative will expand across Africa and globally, creating a cross-continental network of empowered women ready to shape the future of African music.
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