Omah Lay Is Ready For The Next Phase Of His Career
His debut album is a few hours away
2020 was a remarkable year for historic reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic effected global uncertainty, putting a question mark on any and almost everything. For then rising singer, songwriter and producer Omah Lay, that period of dizzying doubt was a blessing in disguise.
Omah Stanley Didia has always been surrounded by music. At a young age, his Grandfather played the drums for the singer Celestine Ukwu before he passed away in 1977. Omah Lay initially started out as a rapper in a rap group with the stage name ‘Lil King’, then delved into music production which seemed to be useful to him at the time. After making beats for people which went uncredited, Omah Lay decided to pick up the microphone and make music for himself, music which appeals to the new generation.
Port Harcourt, a small city in Nigeria and the treasure base of the nation sees some of the most talented musical creatives out of the country, including Global superstar Burna Boy, pioneering street-pop storyteller Duncan Mighty, Afro-fusion duo Ajebo Hustlers, and it was also the fostering environment for Omah Lay. Emerging from a city that’s produced some of the most definitive artists in Nigerian pop, the singer was working within a lineage while trying to stamp what made him uniquely special.
Omah Lay kicked off his musical career in April 2019 with his debut single “Do Not Disturb” and a month after, proceeded to release his sophomore single “Hey Brother.” His consistency, delightful melodies and all round soulful and sensual energy landed Omah Lay a recording deal with KeyQaad and afterwards, the singer took a 7-month hiatus off putting out materials to rebrand for a majestic re-entrance.
In January 2020, the multitalented wunderkind arrived with the hit record “Bad Influence,” a track that set the artist in the eyes of many. Already gaining attention of listeners and mostly female fans, he followed up with the romantic number “You”, which sees the artist chanting sultry love lyrics to his muse, lyrics such as “If you need a fire, I’ll be your lighter, Please be judge and put me on trial/If you think I’ll hurt you, put me underwater take me court, yeah, I don’t need a lawyer”
As the world ground to a halt due to the pandemic, Omah Lay released his debut EP, ‘Get Layd’. The EP which hosted 5 tracks, including already existing tracks, “You” and “Bad Influence,” featured a blend of catchy melodies and groovy mid-tempo beats, produced by Omah Lay, Bizzouch, El Jack and Andre Vibes. The EP which also housed the records “Lo Lo”, “Damn” and “Ye Ye Ye” which garnered over 20M+ streams across all platforms less than a month after its release while making an additional 100M+ streams by the third month of its release. The smooth and relaxing music Omah Lay presented at the time was exactly what listeners needed to carry on at such a low period, serving as comfort music and landing Omah Lay a spot on the NATIVE’s first edition of its Best New Artists column, uNder—previously known as Fresh meat.
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Six months later, Omah released his sophomore EP ‘What Have We Done,’ following the release of the 6lack-assisted “Damn (Remix)”. The tape saw four new tracks, “My Bebe”, “Can’t Relate”, “Godly” and “Confession”, produced by Echotheguru, Tuzi, Tempoe, and Omah Lay respectively. ‘What Have We Done’ is a fine offering by an artist dealing with the anxiety that comes with stardom. On the standout record “Godly,” Omah Lay chants lyrics such as “Men I thank God I godly, say God no ungodly/It’s why I Jaye sometimes, a little Henny and ice,” stating his appreciation for the good things of life and his accomplishments so far. The sophomore project stood as a solid follow up for the artists’ debut.
Since then, there have been a handful of singles from the artists, singles that have made listeners and fans hold on to the artist up until now. He kicked off 2021 with a smash hit as he featured alongside Alpha P on Masterkraft’s official remix for Justin Bieber’s peaches. He followed up with another hit “Understand” shortly after which touched down as one of the best songs of the year and rounded off the year with a more relaxed and melodic tune “Free My Mind,” a mid tempo record which finds the artist speaking on forgetting his worries by drinking alcohol and focusing on the more positive things.
Now, Omah Lay is ready for the next phase of his career as his debut album ‘Boy Alone’ is only a few hours away. For months now, Omah Lay has teased the release of his debut album with teasers and promo clips of the new universe he’s creating. The album is set to host 14 tracks, including already released records “Understand”, Justin Bieber-assisted “Attention” and his most recent offering, Ppriime-produced “Woman.” Records like these have set the tone for what’s to come on the album. His debut album is set to be a combination of all his emotions, sweat and tears all tied together into 40 minutes. While the new stories Omah Lay is set to tell on his new album remain unknown, he has spent most of the last two years cutting his teeth as one of the most exciting artists of the now.
‘Boy Alone’ will be a body of work with a fine mix of love songs, infectious tunes and fiery club bangers, neatly packed from one of Port Harcourt’s most viable hitmakers.
Featured Image Credits/The NATIVE
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.
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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.
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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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