A Grammy-nominated artist in the ‘Best Dance Recording’ category for her 2016 hit single, “Rinse & Repeat” with British DJ, Riton, it is unexpected that Kah-Lo considers this her arrival. Following up the 2016 with a joint tape with Riton in 2016, ‘Foreign Ororo‘, Kah-Lo has spent the last couple of years handing infectious dance tunes with an array of seasoned collaborators, from Michael Brun on“Spice”, Diplo to Blond:ish on “Giv Dem”, also working with Davido and Mr Eazi on the latter’s “Money” record with Riton.
Kah-Lo has been on the scene for a number of years, and she has been a prominent voice in Dance music from Nigerian artists all this time too. However, with the bulk of her discography filled with collaborative numbers, the arrival of a body of work over which she stakes full ownership is well worth bragging about. This is exactly what Kah-Lo’s debut EP is about. Titled, ‘The Arrival’ Kah-Lo not only marks her more significant solo effort, but on the five self-assured and rightfully self-obsessed tracks Kah-Lo makes boasts of her beauty, her unique skill and everything about her in between.
‘The Arrival‘ is loud, it’s cocky and it’s Kah-Lo. Opening with a deep bass thump and the monosyllabic expletive, “damn“, Kah-Lo sets out with an arresting and unmistakeable start to her debut album, picking back up after the instrumental intro that follows with brags about how cute she looks. These confident sentiments are carried along through the album, on the song that blares after the EP opener, “Ouch”, Kah-Lo proclaims, “I look so fire bitch I am the match,” and amidst self-reverential gloats that her love is the best, on “Candy” Kah-Lo also slips in that her looks are up there too.
Despite the natural hair movement of the mid-2010s that walked hand in hand with colourism advocacy, even in big 2021, dark skin women are disproportionately underrepresented and in many instances snubbed, as lighter women are afforded privilege for being fairer. Hearing a darker-skinned women shover he beauty in our faces unapologetically, is exactly the medicine society needs. A regular Mary Poppins, Kah-Lo’s music is a trip to a better land, in terms of its sonics too. Hoping to “take you to different places,” as she spits on “Spaceships” Kah-Lo’s music transports listeners to a world of buzz, a Dance utopia so far from the spaces to which listeners in Nigeria are accustomed.
This is the arena in which Kah-Lo thrives. Rapping about drinking, going out and living in an eternal rinse and repeat of the fast life with her friends, ‘The Arrival‘ is the exact kind of soundscape that facilitates Kah-Lo’s preference for a good. As the glaze of gloom that has eclipsed these past couple of years sticks, Kah-Lo’s free-spirited, bold and secure debut album is gravitational in its pull. Rapping in a natural, monotonous timbre, Kah-Lo’s puns are intelligent, as is her ability to work different sounds and inspirations into her own brand of Dance. On “Fire”, where Kah-Lo emerges with a variety of arrangements, Kah-Lo dives into her Pop-bag, doing the same on “Candy” which packs a plethora of instruments, and intimates at Hip-Hop influence, in the name as well as through the bass-line.
Though featuring only one other act, The Knocks, for her debut album, Kah-Lo works with a number of songwriters – Australian songwriter Styalz Fuego on “Spaceships” – and producers and songwrit, from underground beatsmith Dan Gleyzer, who brought the album to a close with an impeccable arrangement of a Kah-Lo harmony on “Candy” to Grammy winning production duo FNZ who produced the “Commandments” alongside Keanu Beats and Bijan Amir.
Leading her own effort and doing so with the expert finesse she’s been training with over the last few years, Kah-Lo has marked a new arrival, the arrival. We’ve been waiting.
Much as we’d like music drops to slow down and give us a chance to catch up with the unique tunes that are sprouting from across the world, the reality of the music business in the post-2010 era is very much different. With amazing songs dropping at an unrelenting pace, it’s not always easy to cut through the noise and sheer volume of it all to find the music that will accompany our melancholy, inspire our next creative breakthrough, tether us our loved ones more securely, or take us to a place of unencumbered elation.
That’s where our ‘Songs of the Day’ column comes in. We try to keep our fingers on the pulse of music from across the continent and beyond, bringing you exciting songs from talented musicians who are continuously trying to bounds of artistry with their music. Last weekend, we spotlighted songs from Midas the Jagaban, M.I and Oxlade, Tems, Rebecca Winter and more. To kickstart this long-weekend, we’re bringing you the best releases from around the continent including Rema’s latest single from his forthcoming debut album, alongside new releases from Prettyboy D-O, Rexxie and Sho Madjozi, Kida Kudz, Emo Grae, L.A.X and Davido, D.A.P The Contract and many more. Enjoy.
Rema – “Soundgasm”
Two years ago when he made his debut on the music scene with his self-titled EP which featured hits such as “Dumebi” and “Why?”, it was clear that MAVIN and Jonzing World had secured another star on their hands. The boy from Benin with the golden voice and otherworldly melodies has spent the time since converting unbelievers into Ravers, thanks to his distinct sound, and radio-ready hits. This year, Rema is focused on his greatest feat yet: the release of his debut album, which we hear should be on the way any minute now.
To whet our appetite, the Mavin star has made an official introduction to a new music genre, which he titled ‘Afrorave’ with a new single, “Soundgasm”. In usual Rema fashion, the lyrics are salacious, the beat is propulsive and the vibes are a-plenty. Singing “Sexy love, what she need from a bad boy like me/Your body high me like lean when we do it skin to skin”, Rema gets straight to the point with his muse, painting a picture of the euphoric sexual experiences they could share if she were to accept. In the song’s accompanying video directed by Bobby Hanaford, we see the singer in a completely different form, playing the role of the loverboy as he sings and serenades his muse with an acoustic guitar. It’s clear that the rebrand is complete and Rema is in full album mode. Watch this space.
PrettyBoy D-O – “Living in Bondage”
Since the beginning of the year, Prettyboy D-O has been teasing the release of his forthcoming project ‘Love is War’, an aptly titled project that is in line with the tropes of anarchy and thug-love, two sentiments that have trailed his brand since his entry unto the music scene. Today, he’s just unveiled one of the project’s promotional singles titled “Living in Bondage”, named after the ’90s Nollywood classic.
Over the song’s menacing production, he rap-sings “Mom I’m at war/say a prayer cause I’m in war, Tell me in the Bible who killed Abel?” over the song’s pre-chorus asserting that he’s constantly on survival mode because of the cut-throat settings he has been born into. Following on from “Jungle Justice”, Prettyboy D-O continues to be a voice for the injustices that happen right on his doorstep in Nigeria. The song is a straight display of his rapid-fire lyricism.
Kida Kudz – “Makaveli”
Next month, Kida Kudz will be releasing a new album, the highly anticipated 10-track ‘TOP MEMBA’ which he’s already teasing with promotional singles “Ball Till We Fall” feat. Bella Shmurda and “Animalistic”. His latest release is the braggadocious number “Makaveli” which finds the Jiggy Boyz top member delivering on his top form with crisp lyricism and clear-cut delivery. Delivering fire bars at a breakneck pace, he raps “started from the ghetto now we global/Am too solid and no one can shake/Dem man know I’m the truth”, boastful about his growth over the years. A literal street chronicle, Kida Kudz paints a visual picture of his years of come-up and the trajectory of his career so far. “Makaveli” is clear proof that he’s ready to up the ante on his next project.
Rexxie – “KPK Remix” (feat. Mohbad & Sho Madjozi)
Talented beatsmith, Rexxie is weeks away from the release of his debut project‘A True Champion’, which is set to feature both local and international acts such Naira Marley, Bad Boy Timz, Midas the Jagabn, Ms Banks and more. Ahead of this, he’s now released the remix to his hit single “KPK”which features Mohbad and South African singer, Sho Madjozi. The remix retains all of the original’s stellar elements, including its infectious groovy Ampiano production, however, this time, there’s the added inclusion of Sho Madjozi’s verse which finds the singer telling listeners to “Ji Masun”. It’s everything you’d expect from this Naija x SA collaboration.
L.A.X – “Pepe” (feat. Davido)
After delivering his sophomore project ‘ZaZa Vibes’last year, singer L.A.X is back with his first official single this year titled “Pepe” featuring Davido. Over the song’s mellow production, both singers deliver verses about their desire to spend their money on that special woman in their lives. Produced by DMW’s Napji, L.A.X sings about blowing his “pepe” on top “Sisi Nene” over the song’s catchy hook before he’s joined by Davido on the chorus who sings about a woman playing games on him: “Which of your niggas go fit deliver/she want to do me wayo”.
DAP The Contract – “Trouble” (feat. Famous Bobson)
Earlier this year, rapper and singer DAP The Contract released a 4-track EP titled ‘I’m Glad You Made It This Far’, a succinct collection of songs to commemorate how far he had come as an artist with his ever-growing fanbase. Without wasting any heat, he’s back with a new single, this time a mid-tempo groovy single titled “Trouble” featuring Famous Bobson. On the song, he assumes the position of both the jaded rapper and the emotional singer, wearing many hats as he delivers the song’s first verse and its infectious hook: “Shawty wanna be my lover/Shawty giving me double trouble“. He’s joined by Bobson on the second verse who’s equally smitten with a dangerous woman.
Emo Grae – “Gone”
If you haven’t been paying attention, Marlian Music signee Emo Grae has a voice of gold and he’s not afraid to use it to sing the most vulnerable lyrics we’ve ever heard. His latest single “Gone” is a romantic number that finds the singer addressing a love interest who has taken his love for granted. Singing “Shey you know say I dey for you, girl I ride for you/Funny how I have no bullets but for your love I’m gone” over the song’s uptempo beat, he speaks directly to his affection for his muse, expressing his commitment to her and their love despite her own hesitation. Another anti-love hit in the works.
Dr. Adaku – “Can’t Touch That”
London-based singer, songwriter, a newly-minted PhD holder, Dr Adaku has just released her first official single of the year, the educative and groovy number titled “Can’t Touch That”. Inspired by her desire to teach others abiut the importance of consent in sexual and romantic relationships, Dr Adaku serves up an infectious Afropop number that’s capable of instructing listeners and attracting them to the dancefloor. Over the anthemic production, she sings-raps “Entitlement is never the answer/And did you know that consent is key sir”, stressing the importance of respecting women’s bodily autonomy and allowing them to exist with the glaring watch of the male gaze. Informative and a bop? We couldn’t stan more.
Releasing their debut novel, Freshwater in 2018, the feats Akwaeke Emezi has accomplished in these three years are remarkable. Named a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honouree that same year, their follow-up novels, the Young Adult debut PET and the instant New York Times bestseller, The Death of Vivek Oji, received similar critical acclaim, the first winning them the Stonewall Book Award, and the latter longlisted for multiple literary prizes this year.
Through what has been a highly prolific career so far, however, Akwaeke Emezi still had their fair share of battles to overcome. “[W]hile my career looks lovely and shiny on the surface, [sic] these were the things I was dealing with behind the scenes,” Emezi explains of their driving motivation to release, Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir. Chronicling their own expertise on how to finish a book – not in terms of structure but the emotional and psychological preparations authors must have – Dear Senthuran sheds the veil of the glamorous perceptions of unending success and happiness we have of their career, and points to the “brutal” consequences “being visible and being shiny and being prolific” had on their personal life.
With each chapter written to loved ones in Emezi’s life, Dear Senthuran, released on June 8, is a bare and vulnerable autobiographical text that reveals the numerous journeys Emezi has traversed throughout their life. From escaping the 1993 civil unrest through the fantastical worlds created by their’s and their sister’s imaginations to the road of acceptance they are still charting as a non-binary, trans ogbanje, where 2018’s autobiographical novel Freshwater cloaked their lived experiences under the armour of fiction, this second memoir is open and proud to share their story as an authentic, unapologetic real-life narrative.
As the Next Generation Leader tells TIME, this Black Spirit Memoir isn’t written to conform to white spaces as most successfully published books are encouraged to do, “speaking in the most intimate language [they] have,” even from the book’s title, Akwaeke Emezi is honouring their roots and writing to a world where these stories are not minimised, marginalised or manipulated to fit into the white gaze. Pronounced like this, Senthuran is a Tamil name, representative of their mother’s South Indian origin. In an audio extract released through Penguin Random House, Akwaeke Emezi speaks with their Eastern Nigerian Igbo inflection, despite having spent many years abroad. This is Akwaeke Emezi’s most personal literary feat yet, and given the politics inherent in one’s personal identity, this book comes as a political statement too. Akwaeke Emezi writes to and for the people that they call their own; as an extract from the book’s blurb reads:
“I want to write as if I am free; as if my people are the only readers as if we are the ones who hold structural power, the ones for whom the markets bend, the ones with resources from generational wealth, the target demographic.”
Doling out four books in the space of three years, Akwaeke Emezi already has a couple more works in the pipeline for next year. According to their website, they are set to debut in two genres: romance and poetry. Their first ever romance novel, titled You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty, has already sold its screen rights to Amazon Studios, with Emezi set to executively produce. Their debut collection of poems is titled Content Warning: Everything and also slated for a 2022 release.
It’ll be a busy year for fans and followers of our “favourite spirit”, but to start with, read more about Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir via their website, where you can also find links to purchase the book.
“The country is burning, both in dream and wakefulness” – Moyosore Orimoloye
In the middle of 2004, at the peak of his troubled, growling reign at the top of Nigeria pop, Eedris Abdulkareem released “Jaga Jaga”. Eedris made his name from being the sort of rapper who blurred the line between his mimicky raps and the biting social critiques that littered his works, but even by measure of all that had come before, “Jaga Jaga” was visceral. Opening the video for the single was a message, or maybe a warning, that what was about to be witnessed was the reality—and perhaps, if we paid attention, the future—of Nigeria’s trajectory. What he goes on to describe is a delineation of chaos, wanton destruction, and death that had people dancing from the creeks of the Niger Delta to the slums on the fringe of Lagos.
It is tempting to ascribe prescience to the musician’s work because in our nostalgia-tinged minds many people can conjure a Nigeria that appeared to worked in their childhoods and adolescence; so jarring was the vividness of “Jaga Jaga” that it seemed like a collage of scenes out of a post-apocalyptic re-imagination of Nigeria that seemed at odd with the realities of the country in that immediate moment. But even while the country appeared to work in walled-up silos, many felt the effect of a country more concerned with the optics of performance than it was with getting to work. What this means more than anything is that as some people’s lives crumbled, other people summoned their best impression of normalcy to keep at it like the country wasn’t on fire: carrying on with zest that comes from decades of practice, singing Eedris’ “Jaga Jaga” as some fantastical accompaniment to their disbelief, and hoping and praying that misfortune did not arrive at their doors while jamming to this polyrhythmic fusion of sounds and sonic markers that started to be called Afrobeats at the turn of the last decade.
When I say Nigeria was burning, I do not give into hyperbole. In October 2005, a plane fell out of the sky and plunged families into grief. In 2010, an armed militia launched an attack against a city in Northern Nigeria, marking the transmogrification of a beast into a soulless leviathan. Conversely, Wizkid was taking the first steps into the path of greatness that would lead him to an undisputed position of cultural infallibility. Davido would follow a year later as would Burna Boy. Two years later, a whole cultural movement was on the map powered by euphoric anthems about lust, partying, and its potent intersection. While this was unfolding, the country slipped onward and onward to an abyss, but we seemed committed to the idea that music was an escape and that, perhaps, if we lost ourselves in the pulse of our catchy music, it would be easier to work through the pain. And for a while, that tactic worked: pain as pleasure, pleasure as pain.
By the time #EndSARS came around in 2020, all our worries had been documented in songs that urged the elected class not to plunge the country into water or mused about the probability of 2010 as the promised year, or the increasing climate for violence in numerous parts of the country, and the violence that the state perpetuates against its citizenry. I guess what I am saying is that the protests were inevitable because no matter how hard you try to turn your away from disaster, no matter how hard you try to build your walls against it in a country that luxuriates in that brand of jeopardy, it still arrives at your doors, leaving you with sadness in your mouth and ruminations about what the future can look like.
For me, every #EndSARS protest ground I visited last year always represented an oasis of possibility in a disappearing climate for hope. There were flags, chatter, chanting camaraderie, and, as an act of propulsion, refreshments; and the request was simple: we would like to die no more. I also think the protests became about community and our belief that if we held each other’s hands securely, nothing would hurt us; that briefly, in these small circles, we became impervious to Nigeria’s less pleasant machinations. Under withering humidity, the people stretched their voices far beyond the natural limits of tired, weary minds and demanded that a police unit be scrapped and, not too far from their lips, was the wish that Nigeria would get out a rot. And when the rain came, we huddled beneath leaking stalls and whatever had a roof over its head, biding our time, and perfecting the quick bonds made at protest grounds with people we would probably not see again the next day.
At the protest grounds too, there was the miracle of sound. From my position on the fringes of the crowd, I watched in wonder as inauspicious murmurs on one end of the ground gradually passed through the crowd and warmed their lips till it became an unstoppable cascade of righteous fury. I also watched Afrobeats provide the melodies that lined the mouth of confused and angry protestors. Times without numbers, someone from somewhere in the crowd would break into cries of “Nigeria jaga jaga” and I must assume that it is easy to assume what follows. One time, at the Lagos state secretariat, the Lagos state governor tried to calm irate protesters and they turned on him, witheringly shouting back the words of “FEM”, Davido’s monster hit, to him. It was often music that provided a brief escape between the emotional strain of protesting, even as we protested the loss of our comrades, even when we were confronted with a rain of bullets as we protested the loss of our comrades. Even when we committed more of our lost comrades to earth, Afrobeats—or whatever you call Nigerian music—has been there as a protest chant, an elegy, and a firecracker.
Momentum carries, and two weeks into the protests, many young people I know who were plugged into the pulse of the Internet are carefully straddling the boundaries of optimism and pessimism. But we never stopped talking and raising our voices at protest grounds. Shouting and singing and disrupting and organising, we did it all and music was a weapon. Music, amongst many other things, was the weapon of the people in October. Not necessarily because it contained the words that spoke truth to power or because it enunciated our demands in the clearest terms possible, but because to shout of the words of a Nigerian pop song at a protest ground when the margins of one’s life is crumbling is an act of radicality that almost borders on political defiance in a country trying to neuter you.
On the night of October 20th, 2020, the Nigerian military shot at protesters at the toll gate and more than 100,000 people watched it live on Instagram. As they held hands and sang a medley of folk songs and pop music, we saw the Lekki Toll Plaza turn to a killing field that held the broken dreams of countless people. First came the quiet, the rage, and then the questioning of memory as we retreated to our houses and looked over what we lost and stood to gain. We grieved in private and via 140-character tweets that compressed our feelings into vignettes of anger and resignation. Then the president spoke and said nothing about the shootings and the humour poured out as we searched for tools to memorialize what happened. On a freestyle that later became a single, Burna Boy threads the political with the personal over the death of protesters that night, providing a tragic archiving of an event that shook many to their core. Days later, when DJs spin the track at places where bodies congregate, it elicits a little bobbing of the head first and then a sigh later.
When people talk about grief, not many speak about its ability to obscure time and its effects. It felt like a lifetime but nine days after soldiers shot citizens at the Lekki toll plaza, Wizkid dropped Made In Lagos. The culmination of a sonic journey that started with Sounds From The Other Side, Wizkid called on a phalanx of local and international talents to record an inspired body of work that attempted the nationwide equivalent of a TL cleanse. I cannot speak for everyone but among the people that I know, the tears were still falling but they felt something different to hurt and confusion when the warmth of Made In Lagos embraced them.Afrobeats is a genre that has allowed—required, even—its artists to abandon all constraints that are humanly plausible (grammatical, conceptual, and lyrically) and revel in the imagination of a good time, to stretch the elasticity of that creation till it merges with your immediate reality, even when the country is on fire, and especially when the whole nation is on the edge. I say this not to convince you that Made In Lagos profoundly rescued everyone that heard it from the gloom of an abominable disaster; more that, for many, it sat sad by side with their sadness till they gathered enough strength to attempt to work through its scars and the loss of youthful innocence.
No one who listens to Davido can call him a conscious musician by any stretch of the word. But even the most politically apathetic can become a tool for representation during taut times like this. It is incredulity, I think, that Davido felt the most at “FEM” becoming an anthem at the #EndSARS protests. There is no process to a pop diss song becoming the anthem of the people, but the song of the protests belongs to the protesters. Two weeks after Wizkid released Made In Lagos, Davido dropped A Better Time, his second maximal album in a twelve month span. It was not an album that met the moment, but it was of the moment, transforming pain and whatever tensions that lay at the core of Davido into boisterous pop anthems.
On A Better Time, “I Got A Friend” seems like a celebration of friendship and fraternity but if you listen closer what it really is a litany of obituaries reimagined as a beautiful mess of synths and thumbing basslines. And many times that was what it meant to live in the immediate aftermath of 20/10/20: to transform all that pain into fuel for whatever daily exercise that we define our identities against. For weeks after that date, I never went to bed without tears lining up my eyes and I can say the same for the people I call my own. Yet, I think that in those time of uncertainties, it was a welcome feeling to have two albums, wildly different in approach, that beckoned Nigerians to a light at the end of the tunnel; peddling a form of group therapy, even one that, at its most elemental, comes down to imagining all the things we can do to one another under the neon of a disco club.
It is the night of April 26th, and I am crying as I walk back to my home again. It could be the exhaustion of watching myself struggle with my mental health again but I think that, in that moment, I am sad because the people that are my friends are sad again and my friends are sad because they have lost someone who is their friend and, while dealing with that sadness, they have had to commit their friend to the earth before the sun set that day without the long drawn out goodbyes that grief demands. There is a hierarchy to mourning more often than not, but that night I wished all of the world would stop revolving and acknowledge the tragedy in my network, that my friends would cry without awkwardness because this country is devastation after devastation and I wonder what thing can help get my friends out of their despair.
What Lagos-based singer, YKB, sings about more than anything is rooted in joy or, perhaps more accurately, a long-winded elation that never stays dampened for too long. The sort of joy that can see friends through their toughest times and inspire a laugh and acknowledgement that we still have to go on. A few weeks after the night of April 26th, on Snapchat, I see my friends dancing to YKB’s latest freestyle in an open air party in Lagos and I am happy to see them breathe in the cool evening air that fills their lungs and live a little in spite of Nigeria, in spite of death, and, more importantly, because we have such little time left. I want all my niggas find a way to live with the grief that continues to locate us in this house of jeopardy. I want them to find the peace of mind that Rema sings about and if music is the tonic, so be it. The backdrop to grief doesn’t have to be grim, many times what we need is something to carry us to another place, not necessarily a better place, but somewhere where all the death and loss recedes even for a little while. A place where we are alive and fighting whatever demon needs to be fought, a place where my people are not broken.
@walenchi Is A Lagos-Based Writer Interested In The Intersection Of Popular Culture, Music, And Youth Lifestyle.
Presents were a rare occurrence in my family. Gifting, in material terms during special occasions was uncommon. However, my earliest memory of being offered gifts as a child was when they were offered as an incentive to lose weight. My mother would often promise me a new phone, or a new game, or dolls if I came down to the size that was deemed acceptable to her. In an effort to please, and fulfil these desires, I would try to put away daily meals; I starved, not only in hunger but also in the desperate need for the affection I felt was reserved for only thin children. Still, I would not lose enough weight, and I would not get any of the proposed gifts. I knew that my mother was jealous of all the other mothers who had thinner children. I knew that she longed for us to look like our neighbours, who were stylish as young girls and could fit in most of the attire marketed towards our age group. Even now, I feel like my fatness eclipses all other accomplishments in my mother’s eye. Still, my fatness is objectionable to her.
I remember bringing friends home after university, and her commenting that my friends were all big now. Since I made a conscious effort to go after friendships with people who looked like me, at the time, I received that statement as a total compliment. However, the world has never provided a safe space for big girls like me. Evident in bridesmaids being expected to lose weight for their friends’ weddings, in fashion shows and runways filled with size four women exclusively, generally speaking, thin girls’ friendship groups consist strictly of thin women, and fat women are expected to force our way in or pander to please their ideals of what friends should look like. Exhausted with trying to fit in, I am now resplendent in standing out and having friends who take up space.
Fatness has always been a core part of my existence. In high school, I got compared to anything and everything, mainly large, black animals. I have had people compare me to hippopotamus’ (who are the cutest by the way), gorillas and elephants alike. I was aware of my grotesqueness in every sense of the word, and I despised myself for it. People would speak to me like I was dust beneath their feet and it was deserving because I existed in a fat body. Asides being offered presents as an incentive to lose weight, I had relatives who would rub their daughters’ desirability in my face. In trains with little brides, my dress would be easily identified as the biggest. I began to loathe weddings and any outing that would require measurements and being judged in the presence of many. Sometimes I would break down in tears over countless statements made towards me, knowing that my only comfort would come from my mother wrongly claiming that they were trying to help.
People would encourage me to look ‘better’, so that I could finally be treated as a human being. Then they would say they did this for my health, while my mental wellbeing suffered under daily judgement. My doctors ‘recommended’ several practices – ranging from starvation to strenuous, unhealthy daily exercises – and the word ‘obese’ was violently thrown at me, weaponised to illicit the inevitable emotion of shame they knew would follow. They would suggest enforced food deprivation, encouraging my parents to seek out, on my behalf, strict schools that would ensure the goal of thinness.
I understood very early on that any person who failed to conform to society’s ideal of a worthy body would be effectively punished until they bent into submission or withdrew from social gatherings completely. Romantically too, I was made to believe no options existed for me, in a fat body. No man would want to be with a fat woman, except they were ‘forced’ into doing such – force usually meant if the man in question was also undesirable (due to reasons such as looks, class, ability, etc.). And even if any man felt moved to be romantically attached to me, there was no question as to whether or not he would cheat. In fact, I was readily prepped by family members for such an occurrence to happen in my older years.
At a point in my life, I had only ever encountered thin brides, thin love interests, thin happy people. Nearly every show, music video or organised activity was filled with only smaller people. If fat people were deemed fit to be present, it was only to be the butt of the joke. In Marvel’s 2019 EndGame, Fat Thor is displayed as a gross, destitute version of his previous glamorous character. In fact, his fatness has seeped into his behaviour such that he has no goals or hopes of still being a hero. Rather than be concerned for his depressed state, which is due to their loss against Thanos, the other Avengers make him out to be a less-than. In HBO’s culturally-acclaimed series, Sex and the City, a core character named Samantha adds weight because she has been neglected by her boyfriend and she is suddenly unattractive to the point where her closest friends cannot stand the sight of her. All around us, the media reinforces that visibility was only ever afforded to the desirable.
All of this contributed to me having little to no social skills, a depleted sense of self-worth and a hankering to be a people pleaser. I thought that I was only worthy in service of people, effectively fulfilling the mammy trope that I could not even begin to comprehend at that age. During slavery and subsequently Jim Crow, mammies were larger black women (mainly dark skin) who were committed to the service of white families, even at the expense of their own. Their only gratification came from doing labor, and they did not have sexual agency except when they were over-sexualised as caricatures, with physical depictions of large asses and even larger lips by white people. Martin Lawrence’s character in Big Momma’s House is a shining example of this, of how society does not see fat women as sexual outside of our fetishisation or as commodities for the labor we provide, for example, people often alluding to fat women being able to cook and look after the family.
It is mentally dilapidating to understand how often society punishes you for your identity, then also makes fun of you when you become the very thing they have ascribed you to be. I was taken advantage of, countless times, at first physically and then sexually as time went on. Till date, I have a polarising fear of someone taking pictures of me unknowingly, as my high school crush did so during church, then gleefully showed me the badly-angled views of my back rolls and my panties peeking out from underneath my skinny jeans the next week. I had never been more mortified. So used to being rejected, especially by the opposite sex, as are a lot of fat women, it never occurred to me that a boy would ever like me for whatsoever reason. In an article for EveryGirl, Beth Gilette explains that there’s a stigma around finding a plus-size woman attractive, as men (really, people in general) have been conditioned by media and society for generations to think that thinness is what is beautiful. This is what they see, read, and hear, so attraction to a fat person is a deviation from the norm, which people often find difficulty in admitting.
At sixteen, someone I had been infatuated with for going on three years had to be confronted (by me) before he admitted that the only reason why he had never dated me – by extension, be seen with me in public – was because I was fat. Existing as a person who people cannot be seen out with is a total mind-fuck. As I taste the tips of desirability, as an adult who is becoming more comfortable with their body, I am still floored at the ways in which I am approached romantically, sorely different from my thin peers. There is hardly any intentionality in the way I am ‘asked out’, most men want to put in the barest minimum and receive everything I have to offer. They expect me to jump at their proposals of (mainly sex), because they believe that the privilege would be all mine. Their attraction to me is a favour and by all means my responses must reflect that.
Even within the queer community, I feel unwelcome. It should be a safe space, but I am largely aware of the community’s strict aversion to non-thin bodies. Most of the lesbians I know, masculine or otherwise, are dating thin women. I identify as femme and femmes are expected to be dainty, prettily dressed and soft-spoken. In fact, majority of what we regard as femininity is reserved for thin women. Fatness, tallness, queerness, and ones gender identity automatically reduces their proximity to what is regarded as feminine. It was easy for me to reject the construct when it came to understanding gender identity as I had never felt any connection to the theory as a whole.
My immediate community of friends, family and acquaintances are not the only guilty parties, strangers too, empowered by the media and societal ideals, have been as quick to cut me down, though they don’t even know me. I remember that I have had things shouted at me as I walk in the streets. Market violence aside, I have heard yells of “orobo” (fat person) while trekking on my dad’s office street. Most recently, I had just finished setting up some NYSC documents at a café and was making my way back to my car. A keke rode by, filled with passengers. The driver shouted, to the hearing of the entire street “YOU TOO FAT!” multiple times. Incensed, I screamed curses at him and then opened my door. Ironically, most people looked at me oddly for responding.
I have come to understand that society expects fat people to be dehumanised in silence. They expect us to take the insults, the shaming and all the pain and be content with it as our lot. When you fight back, they are confused. Interactions like these engage a very important yet highly neglected theory: how would the many instances of violence in fat peoples’ lives be different if someone stepped in? How my relatives might have responded if my mother chose to shut down their constant barrages instead of letting them tatter my self-confidence like attack dogs. What difference it would have made if my doctor was chastised by his superiors, or how silly the keke driver might have felt if a passenger had interrupted and asked him to drive instead of talking. How would society’s engagement of fat people drastically change for the better if people felt like our pain was worth paying attention to? Disrespect would become way less casual or normalised.
Reflecting on my privilege in these moments is knowing that at the end of the day, I am shielded by class. These insults were thrown at me while I was on the street walking to meet vehicles. I think of the fat women who face this sort of violence countless times every day. I think of the fat women who might board these kekes and be confronted by such drivers. I think of how often the burden of social anxiety brought on by weight keeps me in bed and yet these women have no such luxury of sleeping in to avoid judgmental society. I think of how buying well-fitting Western-tailored clothing, which became a huge boost to my self-confidence, is also unattainable for these women.
Western clothes in larger sized are not readily available, one would have to reach the very back of markets before coming in contact with people who stock fat sizes. Meanwhile, big-brands charge objectively more for fat clothes and in return, burden us with burlap sack fashion.
For Nylon Mag, Bailey Calfee sorts through retailers who stock plus-sizes for both genders. It comes as no surprise that some brands (such as Old Navy) are charging more for just the women’s plus sizes, and not the men’s. The retail misconception, which argues that more fabric should mean more money, becomes null and void once we recognise that even straight sizes differ from one another, for example, a size 4 is bigger than a 2, and a size 6 is bigger than a 4, but the price for all of them is exactly the same. Thus, the argument holds no weight unless people start paying for fabric variations among straight sizes as well as in plus sizes.
I think about the fat women who are not ‘well-shaped’ and how often fat people are blamed for their disabilities. A 2008 study by Yale reveals delves into the mistreatment of fat people by health care professionals and how we are often denied equal access to health insurance as a result of weight or BMI exclusionary tactics from insurance companies; fat people are effectively made to believe our weight is the cause of any illness we might have in life. I think of how often we are misdiagnosed and mistreated by our healthcare providers. I think of how studies have shown that people who are less desirable are less likely to find work and more likely to receive higher prison sentences.
I think about how desirability determines or takes precedence on just about everything in this world, and how severely I am lacking in this area. I worry about my fat brother, by extension fat children as a whole growing up in the age of internet bullying, harassment and social ostracisation. A report from Nationwide Children’s states that fat kids who are victims of weight-related teasing or bullying are 2-3 times more likely to report thoughts of suicide or to engage in self-harming behaviour, such as cutting. This is an alarming statistic. Even fat children are not safe from weight-related attacks, from peers or guardians alike.
Every good thing I feel about my body, any positive thought about my looks was something I had to give myself. Asides from my sister’s constant support, there was no sudden affirmation from society that made me who I am. There was no partner who poured their endless love into my body, and there was definitely no support from my immediate family when they realised I had made a choice to start enjoying my body, rather than spending every waking moment in fear of the word fat. Even if everyone else hated my body, I was determined to take intentional steps towards doing the opposite.
Unfortunately, loving oneself does nothing to shield from the societal repercussions and systemic injustices that come with living in a fat body. We have been groomed into hating our bodies; into comparing ourselves to smaller women, into hating larger fat people. We have taken on several ‘diets’ that range from dropping an entire class of food to only eating within a small window. Society has long since turned weight, and hating fatness or fat people into a currency, and the billion-dollar weight-loss industry booms off our insecurities each day.
I can encourage you to show kindness and all other pretty, flowery affirmations, however, I would like to instead challenge straight-size people to confront fatphobia, in all spaces. Fat people already do every second, so the onus would be on you all instead. Discuss why your friendship group is all thin women and how you could actively support a fat friend. When the people around you comment on or make a fat person feel ashamed, do not stay silent. Straight-size men, stop approaching fat women as mules, instead, take the care you would when talking to thin women, add jara and give it to us as well. Give labor to the fat people in your life, rather than always expecting it from us.
Chiamaka Ejindu is a fat, dark-skin woman committed to liberation for all marginalised people in every sense of the word. Tweet her @AsChiWasSayin to hear her wisdom on body politics (disabled or otherwise), sexual health and mental wellness.
No victor, no vanquished. That was the edict issued by the General Yakubu Gowon-led federal government of Nigeria in January 1970, following a civil war that lasted about two-and-a-half years. With estimates of around a hundred thousand military deaths and over a million civilian casualties in the south-eastern Nigeria region, the conflict was way too fatal to be summarised into a pacifying statement.
It wasn’t some quibble, it was a war; and as we know, wars have victors and they have vanquished, too.
The civil war was effected by South-eastern Nigeria’s secession, with the region self-determining itself as the Republic of Biafra, an independent country officially declared by Major Chukwuemeka Odumegu Ojukuwu on May 30, 1967. Over a month later, Nigeria, which was now firmly under military control, declared war on the region under federation principles, deeming Biafra’s separatist move as an undermining of Nigeria’s sovereignty. What followed was Nigeria using every tool at its disposal to suffocate the self-separated region into surrender—massacring towns, and cutting off aid supply channels, using starvation to weaken and kill off a significant portion of the region’s civilian population.
“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian civil war,” a tweet from the official handle of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari read last Tuesday. “Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.” Appearing as part of a thread aimed at addressing the attacks on government facilities in the country’s southeast, the tweet was widely decried for its explicit threat of genocide in the region, especially within the context of Nigeria’s widespread security problems and the manner in which the president has addressed these issues.
Just last month, Mr. Buhari made an “appeal” to the kidnappers of the students of Greenfield University, Kaduna, asking for their safe release despite the fact that the deceased bodies of five abductees had already been found. It was symbolic of the limp tone the president and his administration have adopted in addressing bandit-related activities prevalent in Nigeria’s Northern region which is fast becoming a nationwide epidemic, a sharp contrast to the caustic tone used in addressing the security and vandalism issues in the southeast. Many Nigerians on Twitter quickly reported the president’s tweet invoking the late ‘60s civil war, leading to its deletion and the temporary suspension of the account for “abusive behaviour.”
Like many government officials, it is widely believed that Mr. Buhari isn’t directly responsible for managing his Twitter account, but as an elected office holder, it is still meant to disseminate his statements and amplify his ideologies, even if its handler(s) give him some modicum of separation from the account. In literal fashion, the thread carrying the genocide-implying tweet is a slightly edited transcript of the president’s address during a meeting with the joint service chiefs earlier that day. It’s another indication that Mr. Buhari, a former military dictator in the early ‘80s and a commanding officer during the civil war, seemingly still harbours the autocratic ideals that defined the decades of sustained military rule in Nigeria.
By recalling the genocidal conflict which claimed millions of Igbos and ethnic minorities in the southeast, the president is knowingly using one of the darkest, most brutal times in Nigerian history to exacerbate the same ethnic, political and religious tensions which were ingredients for the civil war. The secession of Biafra and the ensuing conflict was a culmination of coups, pogroms and blindsiding tactics, a complicated order of events with a devastating outcome for all Nigerians which is still experienced today.
Philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” With President Buhari’s threatening comments, he’s almost condemning Nigeria to repeat a bloody past. Across primary and secondary school education curricular, there are no part of the History and Social Studies curriculum dedicated to the civil war, leaving millions of young Nigerians in the dark about a pivotal, even though gruesome, part of the country’s history. With the internet as a sprawling resource for knowledge, though, many are aware of this past and the conditions behind them.
Five decades after the war, pro-Biafra agitations are alive and are probably at its loudest in the years since. The motivations haven’t changed, it’s still a quest for autonomy amidst tussles defined by ethnic, religious and political differences. Where the gift of hindsight and a democratic system of government should be beneficial in addressing the issue, the president’s tweet is emblematic of the lack of nuance and brashness with his administration. During his first 4-year term, the Buhari-led presidency backed three phases of Operation Python Dance, the armed military action aimed at forcibly quelling the separatist movement, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). It also publicly persecuted Nnamdi Kanu, founder and leader of IPOB, arresting and detaining him for over a year-and-a-half.
We the Yoruba people agitated fiercely for the recognition of June12 and we never stopped till we got it. Today June12 is a National Holiday.
But people are telling Igbos to shut up about a war that killed 3million of their people.
And you expect them to believe in One Nigeria.
— #OurFavOnlineDoc 🩺🇳🇬🇬🇧💎 (@DrOlufunmilayo) June 1, 2021
In its second term, this administration’s dedication to “crushing” the separatist agitation is still unwavering, intermittently sending soldiers to the southeast for armed operations that have played its role in the worsening security situation in the region. Since last August, security forces have clashed with IPOB members on several occasions, a trend that doesn’t seem like it’ll be stopping anytime soon. In that time, there’s been attacks on several police stations and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices, a violent raid on the country home of Imo state governor Hope Uzodinma, an attack on the prison in Owerri which set nearly 2,000 inmates free, amongst other sinister occurrences.
These events have been broadly attributed to militant operations or, as they are colloquially referred to these days, unknown gunmen. These attacks have also coincided with the emergence of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), formed last December as the paramilitary wing of IPOB. The army has routinely raided towns in south-eastern states and faced off with ESN members, with civilians being fatally caught in the crossfire. While it’s been routinely accused of the attacks on government facilities across the region, the ESN has routinely denied and explained that its aim is to protect private citizens against bandit-related activities, allegedly perpetrated by herdsmen of Hausa-Fulani descent.
The current situation of things in Nigeria’s southeast is complicated, its outcome can become greatly devastating, and the president’s incendiary statement inspires no confidence that a peaceful resolution will soon be reached. Over his time as a democratically elected president, Buhari has been accused of being tribally biased, and the difference in tone when addressing insurgency in Nigeria’s north and southeast doesn’t swing the argument his way. Pro-Biafra agitations have always bordered on the region being unfairly treated when it comes to economic allocation, infrastructural development, and political inclusion. In an ideal democracy, these are issues that can be addressed without guns. For the president to seemingly espouse autocratic ideals, is to validate the idea that unity can only be achieved by force—even if it means genocidal ethnic cleansing.
They’ve started picking up IMSU students and tagging them IPOB members. Oraifite has been on fire since morning, everyone is mostly indoors. My peaceful Owerri is gone 💔💔
A few days after Mr. Buhari’s incendiary tweet, the Coalition of Northern Groups issued out a communique claiming that “the Igbo have benefitted more than any other tribe in terms of economic monopoly”, going on to state that pro-Biafra agitations are borne of “pent up jealousies against the North and its people.” The communique ends with scarcely veiled resolutions, even going as far as threatening pogroms against people of southeast origins. This is the sort of reaction this administration is currently engendering with its tone-deaf and violent stance, and it remains to be seen if things will change positively for the sake of wholesome unity.
At the moment, though, it doesn’t look like it. On Friday, two days after Twitter deleted Mr. Buhari’s tweet, the Nigerian government suspended Twitter’s operations in the country. It’s the latest move in this administration’s explicit aim to censor free press and gag freedom of speech amongst those living in Nigeria. Considering that social media bans and restrictions are mostly employed in countries under dictatorships, it feels very much like the president is intent on waging “War on Everybody”, similar to his regime in the ‘80s.
Africa’s e-commerce sector is experiencing a huge boom. Currently, the growing industry is estimated to be $19.8 billion with further reports by McKinsey stating that these figures are set to grow to $930 billion by 2025. These stats show that there is a profitable avenue for African designers to market and sell their products globally especially as competition is growing in the luxury sector due to the rise of domestic brands. While US and Chinese retailers such as Amazon and Aliexpress have attempted to break into the African market, they are marred by a myriad of logistics issues and hefty import duties and taxes to name a few.
African e-tailers such as Konga, Jumia, and Afrikea are currently some of the home-grown names that have been working the African fashion and beauty landscape for several years now and have been credited with revolutionising e-commerce in Africa. While these players definitely deserve their stripes, there is a new generation of industry players such as Industrie Africa and Jendaya, a new e-commerce platform set to launch mid-July this year, which are redefining what it means to be a diverse luxury brand and consumer in this age.
Patriotic sentiment behind purchasing is on the rise and the term ‘Made in Africa’ is no longer associated with cheap goods but unique, limited-edition cult pieces, however, many consumers and brands are still on the lookout for a retail experience tailored to their taste. In a recent article with Business of Fashion, Vanessa Azar, the head of L’Oréal Luxe West Africa shared some of these defining qualities which include “the quality of the platform’s image, consumers’ level of trust in the online platform, and whether the platform already has a history of selling luxury goods.” This automatically rules out e-tailers such as Jumia and Konga which have been slow to tailor their image to a specific consumer and have not exactly built the strongest track record for trust and consumer satisfaction.
This has meant that in the meantime, African consumers are having to shop for their favourite luxury items from an online store abroad and ship it to a family member in the United States or United Kingdom to deliver them back home upon their return, in order to avoid high tariffs incurred from shipping directly from those sites to their home address. This act alone shows that there is space for new players to come in and build a strong all-inclusive distribution, shipping, and logistics model. In fact, this is what inspired CEO and Co-founder, Ayotunde Rufai to start his own company, Jendaya, one of the few e-tailers championing the continental African.
Rufai got the inspiration from his Nigerian aunt who frequently shipped her luxury items to his house where she would require his assistance to ship or return items at her will. Observing this strenuous process to stay connected to the things that his aunt loved, Ayotunde began conceptualising the idea for Jendaya in 2018 before reaching out to his co-founders Kemi Adetu and Teni Sagoe. “We entered a competition with the University of Monaco which is like a luxury competition they have annually and because we made it to the semi-finals, we had to create a pitch deck and a business plan and we found it was a really viable business idea.”
“We are the first or only platform that actually focuses on and prioritises the continental African consumer when it comes to luxury e-commerce, our idea is to allow the global shopper to discover diverse luxury brands, as we set a new diverse standard for what it means to be luxury.”
Following this landmark moment at the competition in Monaco, Rufai and his co-founders would learn, unlearn, and re-learn the game several times before launching the editorial vertical of Jendaya in 2019 providing a way for their community to get comfortable with the brand. Initially meant to launch in 2020, Rufai would have to put his plans on hold when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and completely changed the way in which consumers engaged with fashion.
However, due to the fact that stay at home practices encouraged many consumers to purchase more and increase their e-spending power, Rufai was able to focus on growing the Jendaya community, meeting and connecting with names such as influencer and model Mayowa Nichols, actor Maisie Williams (known for her role as Arya Stark on “Game of Thrones”) and Frederico Marchetti, the CEO and Chairman of Net-a-Porter. He tells me that this allowed for the brand to redefine its perceptions of luxury African fashion explaining that due to the global nature of the average Jendaya consumer, “this has meant we are going for people who we deem to be real and not the standard definition of a luxury brand/influencer.”
Ahead of Jendaya’s official launch next month, we spoke to Ayotunde Rufai about the brand’s pilot phase one, the realities of e-commerce in Africa, and the future of sustainability in fashion. This interview has been slightly edited for clarity.
NATIVE:How does Jendaya plan to foster a brand identity that consumers can trust?
AYOTUNDE: I think what is really interesting is that in terms of mobile phone usage and internet use is that Africa has the second-largest digital footprint after China globally so I don’t think it’s that people are not aware of Internet usage and how to shop online. At the end of the day, Fintech is like booming on the continent and people are trying to crack the use of international banking and banking beyond banks through the internet and use of the phone and then there are platforms like Konga and Jumia which are success stories of fast fashion or the everyday use of e-commerce. Now, it’s just a matter of making convenient luxury goods for a specific demographic who engage in that and engage in it very well.
If you look at the stats of top spenders of luxury in Selfridges or Harrods, it’s always Nigerians and Africans who are part of that demographic so when they are home in Mozambique and Kenya, it’s not that they don’t know how to use the Internet because they well-travelled and cosmopolitan but the problem is building that trust and showing people that this is authentic which matches up to similar experiences shopping your home in your London or on sites such as Net-A-Porter. It’s also about understanding the nuance of being a metropolitan Nigerian or African and how they like to shop luxury and providing this for them so that they are comfortable to shop on Jendaya rather than waiting to travel to get these items.
NATIVE:How do you plan to stay on pulse with all the brands that your community is interested in?
AYOTUNDE: This is why I spoke about us being people-powered and community-driven. Also, we ourselves are the customer and have either been on ground or been of the culture or from the continent and so we know what is cool and hot and what isn’t yet but what could potentially be hot through our global community of tastemakers. In terms of setting a new diverse standard and allowing the global African shopper to discover new brands, we want to highlight the newer and exciting brands at the moment but a 100% we have Balmain, Dior, Prada, Givenchy, but the ones I want to speak about are Casablanca, Area, Tara Matthews, Marty Moto and Pablo Erroz. In terms of African brands, we also have Tokyo James, Richard Mnisi, Jermaine Bleu, Mazelle Studios, Abiola Olusola and we also have brands coming later in the year which is exciting. Things like this are always fluid so some brands will come in after we have launched.
NATIVE: Creating a reliable one-stop hub for shopping in Africa cannot be easy in a pandemic. What challenges have you had to overcome while preparing towards your official launch?
AYOTUNDE: One of them is probably just been creatively trying to convey exactly who Jendaya is onto our web development and to the visual aspect to who we say we are. In terms of conveying to our developers that this is the message and this is our objectives and mission and we need this to match up to what we are going to be launching visually. Good web developers are hard to come by so I think that’s been one thing that we have been battling with to make sure that everything gets the same experience when we launch.
Also, the logistics and the operational part of everything. So in terms of inventory and making sure we have got good enough rates coming through (because we’ve been running dummy tests) but making sure that the ones coming through are bearable as we start and just sort of working out the logistics in the backend in terms of how are we syncing our inventory levels and things like that. So those two things are probably the biggest hurdle at the moment; making sure that our identity is kind of presented well visually for when we launch and the logistics and operational aspect of the whole journey.
NATIVE:Also with the pandemic, a lot of consumers have turned to e-commerce and online shopping. Would you agree with the statement that the future of fashion is going to be a lot more sustainable, community-driven, and social-oriented?
AYOTUNDE: That’s exactly what it is because even pre-pandemic, we’ve kind of seen that the buzzword in fashion has been sustainability and community. I think the pandemic just really exasperated this and sped this realisation up so that a lot of brands who weren’t focused on their digital strategy, we saw like so many brands doing things online and tapping into the theme of diversity and equality and I think the pandemic just really sped this up and we actually saw these strategies in play. 2020 was good for the realisation of a lot of things we had already known and we were working towards and we just saw that in real-life action, last year gave birth to a few platforms which are mainly Black-owned such as Black Owned Everything and Black Fashion Fair but they are a testament of speaking to a specific community and the power of community and how you can be direct and unapologetic and create new standards for what it means to be luxury and cater to the luxury consumer. I think this has made way for platforms like ours to kind of thrive now. If anything, last year helped prove the content or the market more than anything else.
NATIVE:This year, Jendaya also partnered with Positive Luxury to work on some initiatives aimed towards the sustainable development of brands out of Africa. How do you plan to go about this partnership?
AYOTUNDE: That’s actually coming along because it’s still the early days of that partnership because the idea for us is that we want to empower brands and show them the value of being on Jendaya. So, if there are ten to twently Western brands, the same should also be done for African brands too so, for us, we want to proliferate and promote the work of African brands on our platform. But also, through collating the sales metrics and sales data on Jendaya, brands will be able to apply for business loans tailored to their earnings from our stats. We are also working with matching them up with other retailers not only those stocked on Jendaya that they can use to boost their visibility and showcase their work.
NATIVE: When will Jendaya be available to the public?
AYOTUNDE: Currently, July 21st is the official date we have now. Initially, it was July 1st but again what we are doing with visual representation has a lean-on effect for other things because we need the visuals to match. All roads lead to then.
Featured image credits/MazelleStudioxLouisVuitton/Jermaine Bleu/Torlowei
Tami is the Community Manager. Pitch an idea on our For Us By Us column for Pride Month
Ladipoe’s revival is here–but you knew that. After weeks of winning over hearts and ears across the country, the rapper and singer’s latest single “Feeling” featuring Buju has made its way to the top of the TurnTable Top 50 chart. The song tallied 54.2 million in radio reach and 1.65 million equivalent in streams making it the first Hip-Hop/Rap song to reach the top of the charts since its inception last year. This is a worthy victory lap for Ladipoe who may just be contending for song of the summer for the second year in a row.
Coming in at No.2 is Olamide’s “Rock”which slides down from its No.1 spot last week after tallying 49 million in radio impressions and 1.49 million equivalent streams. This comes days after the rapper announces and releases the tracklist to his forthcoming project titled ‘UY Scuti’. The song is closely followed by Burna Boy’s “Kilometre” which rounds up the top 3 after spending three consecutive weeks at the top of the charts.
Blaqbonez’s “Bling” featuring Amaarae and Buju remains at No.4 this week, leading songs such as Wizkid’s “Essence” at No. 5 featuring Tems, Cheque and Fireboy DML’s “History” at No. 6 and Adekunle Gold’s “It Is What It Is”at No. 7 which all remain at their respective spot from the previous week. Rounding off the top 10 at Ruger’s “Bounce”at No.8 this week, the singer’s first top 10 entry, Gyakie’s “Forever Remix” featuring Omah Lay at No. 9 and Bella Shmurda’s “World”at No.10. Elsewhere on the charts, Lojay and Sarz’s “Tonongo” debuts at No.32, the first single off the duo’s recently released EP ‘LV N ATTN’ which featured Wizkid.
You can go through the full rundown of this week’s TurnTable Top 50 here.
On Tuesday June 1, in response to the ongoing violence devastating Imo State, the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari released a series of seemingly threatening tweets, in a similar vein to his harrowing statement that came a whole two days after the Lekki Massacre back in October. Implying that state violence was his answer – to both peaceful protest and insurrection alike – on Tuesday, President Buhari concluded a thread addressing the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the separatist organisation believed to be responsible for the violence in the East, with the now-deleted words: “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War [in which Buhari himself served as a commander]. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”
This tweet, in particular, stood in violation of Twitter’s abusive behaviour policy, therefore as a consequence was deleted, and the President’s account suspended.
Now, it appears that Nigeria’s Federal Government are now throwing a public tantrum. In a press release, ironically shared to the subjected platform itself, the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications announced that the foreign government would be indefinitely suspending the operations of Twitter in Nigeria. With no details of when or how this ban would take effect, the press release cited “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence,” as the social media application’s fault, going on to state that, “The Minister [of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,] said the Federal Government has also directed the National Broadcasting l Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.”
The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria.
— Fed Min of Info & Cu (@FMICNigeria) June 4, 2021
Of course, there were jokes – with tweeters mocking the Federal Government for spreading the news via the precise app they wish to get rid of and using an archaic Twitter logo to do it – but this time, Nigerians weren’t simply meme-ing through the pain as we do. This time, there was overwhelming worry and fear at the silencing of youthful voices by the Nigerian government and the dangers to democracy that the information vacuum of a Twitterless Nigeria poses. In true dictatorial fashion, President Buhari’s government paid no mind to the protests of the people, nor did they consider all the costly implications to livelihoods this ban would produce. This morning, the good people of Nigeria woke up to find Twitter inaccessible using mobile data, however, internet service providers are yet to comply with the ban.
With the debilitating level of competency they have shown over the past six years, it is utterly shocking and gravely disheartening that the Federal Government would be so quick in their ill-advisable reactionary response to Buhari’s tweet being deleted for violating the apps regulations. It might be a foreign concept to men in power, but perhaps it might have swerved him to play by the rules this time. As Governor Seyi Makinde said in a statement appealing for the reversal of the ban, “Twitter has become the platform for young people and indeed all Nigerians to exercise their fundamental right to express and publish an opinion.“ Taking away this platform takes away this freedom and infringes upon our rights to freely and safely speak to our government. If it weren’t obvious before, it is abundantly clear now that the Nigerian government don’t want to hear from the Nigerian people.
Elsewhere in his statement, Governor Makinde also recognises the impact this ban will have on our international reputation, our economy, foreign investment and the livelihoods of Nigerians businesses and individuals who rely on the platform for communication and promotion. He states, “Nigerian youths and digital communications organisations earn a living from being able to use the platform to post communications on behalf of their clients. Others who may not have physical stores also rely on Twitter to give visibility to their products and services.” During the EndSARS protests especially, we were all witness to multiple ways in which Twitter supports and empowers young people in Nigeria. From enabling and easing crowdfunding, to acting as an emergency hotline, from mobilising groups in search of missing persons to educating users at home and abroad on contemporary issues and their historical context, as many dissertations of bright young Nigerians graduating this year will read, Twitter has been an essential administrative auxiliary in the current affairs of young Nigerians. It should be studied, tapped and used by the government to connect with us, understand us, represent us and effectively govern us. It should not be discarded in a childish unreasonable tantrum.
I, therefore, use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to reverse this suspension for the greater good of Nigerians.
Full statement https://t.co/xvHyhLK9Ge
Since the effect of the Twitter ban, Nigerians have taken to sharing VPN providers, with ‘Thank God for VPN’ now trending in the country, however Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has today ordered that those still using Twitter, via VPN be immediately prosecuted.
Further, as expected, others are also peddling their own versions of the social media website, including Adamu Garba, whose inflammatory tweets regarding the President’s account suspension and his assertions that “Twitter is clearly an IPOB online Terror machine,” powered government support of this troubling ban. Previously petitioning the Nigerian government to sue Twitter Inc. CEO Jack Dorsey, following the philanthropist’s support of the EndSARS movement, Adamu Garba is now pushing for government officials and other Nigerians to make the switch to a very laughable, Crowwe App, which ironically has its own twitter profile. According to their Twitter bio, this alternative bird app (which apparently copied Spotify’s terms and conditions) is, “a Nigerian multi-purpose app built to ensure privacy in instant messaging, ease mobile payment, and let you connect with friends and family.” Existing social platform, Discord, which has been popular amongst gamers, is being courted as another alternative.
In the wake of the Twitter ban, Nigerians are also amplifying the previously scheduled June 12 protests, which were organised in prior months in response to the multiple political and police killings that persist across Nigeria, and the governments lackadaisical response. Falling on Democracy Day, this protest continues our resistance to persisting insecurity in Nigeria, police brutality, abuse of state power and the bad governance that enables all these. On June 12, Nigerians will fight for our democracy from the same military general responsible for overthrowing Nigeria’s first democratically elected president. It is a sardonic reality Nigerians are facing, and with every move the federal government make, the future looks even more bleak for democracy within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
As he rightfully professed on his early 2019 project, Sarz is not your mate. One of Nigeria’s most exciting producers, Sarz has a bevvy of soundscapes up his sleeve, and a unique penchant for collaborative music-making that has worked to the benefit of many of our brightest stars, not least Wizkid and Niniola.
Producing defining singles for both acts, such as “Beat of Life” and “Maradona”, Sarz further proved he was the magic trick when he brought out a joint project with WurlD, ‘I LOVE GIRLS WITH TROBUL‘, fusing with the self-professed Afrosoul artist in effortless style.
Like all of us, budding Afro-fusion star, Lojay, has had a front row seat to Sarz’s production prowess, and unsurprisingly set his sights on working with the industry front-runner. Bold and perseverant, Lojay reached out to Sarz looking for just one single, but in true Sarz fashion, the pair found themselves with a full EPs worth of music, stocked with potential hits that should take us through the summer.
Leading with a strong Best New Music contender at the time, “Tonongo” was an exciting tease of the strength and synergy this new duo have to offer. Setting him on course, the full EP ‘LV N ATTN‘ lives up to the stellar standard set by its lead single, and here is what I had to say about it on first listen.
In usual 1-listen review fashion, all reactions are in real time while the music plays. No pauses, rewinds, fast-forwards or skip
“Tonongo”
I am so excited for this project by this first song. The familiarity of it all is so inviting, plus what a seductive, alluring opening!? Lojay’s silky vocals, plus Sarz’s melodic production, and that kick… Christ, this song is so sweet. Ok, the second verse is a oh.. ok this bass guitar?? You guys need to pump up the bass on your speakers when bumping this track. Ok, time to get into unfamiliar territory, the end of this song feels bittersweet, because I love it so much I don’t want it to end but, new music time!
“Park O x3”
HELLOO!!!! Sarz is showing UP! with this introduction. Yes, I want to sit in a Mercedes, God forgive me not sure about methodist. These lyrics are hilarious, I wonder where he’s going with this. The beat is absolutely crazy. Lojay is really quite a witty lyricist, I greatly appreciate the vehicular puns he’s dishing out on this track. And his switch up game, when it comes to all the different flows and melodies he runs trough, is also fire. The highlight of this song is definitely Sarz’s production with that rock-like intro that reappears at the end.
“LV N ATTN” featuring Wizkid
Ok, I am ready for this one!! Loving the soft chimes to introduce it. Lojay kind of sounds like Wizkid I nearly thought this was it – or maybe I’m projecting my wants and needs to hear Wiz, my GOAT.
OK THIS HOOK IS FLAMES Lojay took it to the falsetto and this is about to be a HIT, Thank God I am hitting the club this weekend!!! Is this Wizkid? I’m so unclear… wait, Wizkid is like… rapping ? Okay, this is so different and SO hard!! I credit Sarz, always bringing out the best. Ugh Wizkid is giving the bars that screaming treatment, it reminds me of Thug and I might cry. I hope DJs play the Wizkid verse, because it’s coming late on in the song, but it’s also one of the best Wizkid feature verses in recent time. From ‘Made in Lagos‘ I’m so used to hearing one kind of Wiz, which he does perfectly, but this new flex has blown me away.
“Panty!”
Okay, this is a chill number, a bit underwhelming and kind of generic, especially following the high of the previous song. Oops, but this hook is phenomenal. Lojay really knows how to arrest our attention over the hook – also he is incredible with melodies. I am a really big fan! The production is a bit boring and kind of a disappointing offering from Sarz, but I am just so sold on Lojay it’s alright. Oh, Okay Sarz gets into his bag on the last ten seconds.
“Monalisa”
Okay, a fun dance number. Rapid shakers here, mellow chords there, Lojay masterclass everywhere. This project needs to be longer, I am so upset this is the last song. We need a Niniola remix of “Monalisa” sha. Sorry to be that person who boxes artists but I NEED to here “Nini de” on this record.
Final Thoughts
Sarz is such an incredible producer and collaborator, he has so many artists with whom he just naturally melds, as though they are destined to make music together. From Wizkid to Niniola, WurlD, and now Lojay, whenever Sarz gets down with an artist, the music they make together comes up in back to back bangers, and that’s exactly what he’s done here with Lojay.
As a rising singer who has been grinding underground for some years, according to the press it was Lojay’s perseverance and the power of social media that got him into the room with Sarz but from the sounds of this tape, he already had what it took to stay there. Lojay is naturally smooth and boasts a number of strengths. He knows how to work a melody, his lyricism is punchy and he definitely knows how to create a Pop sensational record. I’d be surprised if a few of these songs didn’t make it into the charts. A cool eclectic blend of world genres, from Rock tones to Dance grooves, to R&B and Afropop, Sarz unites these disparate sounds into one cohesive joint, with undeniable mainstream appeal.
Back in the Tomi Thomas was once holding it down as a member of the famous LOS crew. These days, he’s sustaining momentum all on his own as a formidable solo artist by soundtracking some of the most romantic cuts to come from Lagos over the past few years. His crisp, relatable lyricism and clear-cut delivery have been the legitimising force of his entire creative output, which he seems to improve upon with each release.
Earlier last year, Tomi Thomas stunned listeners with the bouncy GMK-assisted cut “Lagos (Everyday)”, a song about love and perseverance in Nigeria’s busy metropolis, which also got the Best New Music treatment at the time of its release. Next he served up a new groovy number, “Hopeless Romantic”, the titular single to his highly anticipated EP which he has now released alongside its promotional singles, “Who Knew” and “Again”.
The 6-track EP ‘Hopeless Romantic’ has been well received since its release yesterday, as fans have been waiting patiently on a new Tomi Thomas project since 2016’s ‘Black Couch. Vol.1’ and ‘Illusions’, the joint EP he released back in 2018 with producer, Leriq. According to the singer, he’s been through a lot of growth and expansion in the five years since he embarked on those releases and has experienced life in all dimensions. This growth is what we now witness on his newly-released project where the singer is unafraid to pack in sharp, clear observations about life, love, and pain.
The EP’s most compelling track is “Hurricane”, the sultry closing number produced by Genio Bambino which finds Tomi Thomas teaming up with Reggae legend and Grammy-award-winning artist, Buju Banton. Opening up with the threatening sounds of thunder which signals an ensuing hurricane on the horizon, the song begins by mimicking its quite-literal title and setting the scene for what’s to come. Over the up-tempo production, Tomi Thomas quips “You’ve caused commotion in the homes of men/Everybody knows you’re a case don’t pretend,” comparing a love interest’s presence to the intensity and strength of a hurricane.
He continues on the memorable chorus “Like a hurricane again/she coming like a hurricane again, say Lord,” as the song’s groovy production progresses from a gradual build into a crescendo. It’s clear that the object of his desires is a force that he can’t seem to get escape. Buju Banton joins the singer on the next verse of the song, singing, “Crazy man surround yuh gyal/Turn yuh waistline and make dem head top spin,” equally smitten by a dynamic woman in his life. He goes on to admit that this woman has such a hold on him that nothing else can measure up to the feeling of being in her presence (and that of her backside).
The song’s memorable production pretty much demands that you dance along to it, placing listeners fully in sync with the tumultuous feelings these artists communicate. While both artists realise the fate that awaits them if they cross parts with this hurricane-like romance, they both seemingly embrace the ruin that potentially awaits them, as they float over the song’s tumultuous production. It sounds like the perfect death – albeit temporary.
“Hurricane” is exactly the kind of addictive number you’d expect from a dynamic artist such as Tomi Thomas and the Reggae powerhouse, Buju Banton. Listen below.
Much as we’d like music drops to slow down and give us a chance to catch up with the unique tunes that are sprouting from across the world, the reality of the music business in the post-2010 era is very much different. With amazing songs dropping at an unrelenting pace, it is not always easy to cut through the noise and sheer volume of it all to find the music that will accompany our melancholy, inspire our next creative breakthrough, tether us our loved ones more securely, or take us to a place of unencumbered elation.
That’s where our ‘Songs of the Day’ column comes in. We try to keep our fingers on the pulse of music from across the continent and beyond, bringing you exciting songs from talented musicians who are continuously trying to bounds of artistry with their music. Mid-week, we spotlighted songs from Chi Virgo and Joeboy, as well as DJ Neptune featuring the legendary Wande Coal. Today, we’re sharing some of the songs we’re most excited for again, from Mida the Jagaban, M.I and Oxlade, Tems and more.
“All My Life” – M.I ft. Oxlade
For almost as long as he’s been a presence in the music industry, Oxlade has been a muse to the stars, supplying honeyed hooks and verses that have shown his range and impressive singing credentials as songs like Ice Prince’s “Kolo” and DJ Tunez’s “Causing Trouble” prove. On “All My Life”, Oxlade supplies a delicate chorus to M.I. as well as his unmissable backing vocals. The rap legend’s verses are a mix between mushy and humorous, as he details what his loving process looks like, with lines such as “dey find your number/ Sudoku/ So, I can introduce you to my whole crew,” over Chopstix’s jaunty production.
“Wuje” – Midas the Jagaban
London-based singer, Midas the Jagaban’s 2020 project, ‘Midas Touch’, spawned a number of enjoyable listens such as “Cloud 9” and “Party with A Jagaban”. The project melded the buoyant sounds of West Africa with the production patterns of modern music from places across the black diaspora. The video for her latest single, “Wuje”,off ‘Midas Touch’, reimagines a post-apocalyptic future of her city, displaying a metropolis in the throes of a revolution. Midas’ choreography is in sync with the feel of “Wuje” as she mixes the hedonistic with the social-political.
“Nana” – TÖME
Over the last twelve months, Canadian-Nigerian singer, TÖME, has been making music that speaks to her experience of being Nigerian without being within the geographical confines of the country. Her 2020 album, ‘Bigger Than 4 Walls’, established her as an artist to look out for. Her latest song, “Nana”, blends Afrobeats’ tonality with the poignant lyricism of the indie-folk music of her childhood. “Nana” sees TÖME make a tribute to her individualism over an ebbing instrumental, packing in lyrical choices that urge her to move on despite what might be happening in her life at the moment.
“Ordinary People” – Tems
Last year, Tems made a statement with her debut project, ‘For Broken Ears’. Mining angst and elation, she established herself as a presence on the scene as well as making appearances at the #EndSARS protests near the end of the year. In keeping with her awareness of social issues, her latest release, “Ordinary People”, a cover of John Legend’s original, is part of a series of releases curated by Apple Music to commemorate Juneteenth with songs of freedom. Tems’ melodic voices carries over the track’s simple piano chords, reminding of the power we have to effect change even as ordinary people.
“COACHELLA” – Sarkodie ft. Kwesi Arthur
Ghana remains one of the few places in West Africa where Hip-Hop continues to shine in the mainstream. Ghanaian rappers, Sarkodie and Kwesi Arthur linked for what sounds like a potential chart-topper on “Coachella”. With Arthur handling hook duties, Sarkodie delivers a vociferous pair of verses over a beat that sounds like an homage to the animation flicks that were ubiquitous at the turn of the 2000s.
“GLIDIN” – Pa Salieu ft. slowthai
Releasing his debut mixtape, ‘Send Them To Coventry‘ last year, the past six months have been full of career highs for Pa Salieu, who earned a spot on the shortlist for the Brits Rising Star award and won the BBC Sound of 2021 poll. With his first release of the year, Pa Salieu is teaming up with a fellow groundbreaking young rapper from the UK, slowthai, for a high-octane record with all the makings of a hit.
Opening to LiTek and Whyjay’s infectious beat, which fuses Grime and Electronic sounds, the KC Locke-directed video, released simultaneously with the song, shows the pair of artists in a psychiatric ward, cluing us in to the frenzy to follow in the video’s three minutes. Over the mischievous production, Pa Salieu, with his distinct and alluring Gambian intonations, is accompanied by slowthai, as the pair’s lyricism and delivery reflect the manic implications of these visuals, swerving between dissing their opps and talking about self-love, branching by boasts of their affluence and also their way with girls. Depicting anarchy through a fisheye lens, this video perfectly encapsulates these two amped-up artists, and could very well become one of this summer’s part favourites for Africans in the UK diaspora.
“Lemonade” – Ria Sean
Ria Sean has just had a big week. Her deal with Aristokrat Records was announced after being recommended to the label by producer LeriQ. Keen to hit the ground running, the video for her debut single under the label , “Lemonade” has been released. The story of a couple caught between love, hate and intense passion, “Lemonade” blends Afropop and R&B with lo-fi instrumentation. The video is beautifully choreographed as it cuts between shots of great dancers and Ria sporting brightly-coloured fabrics while her elastic voice keeps the song going.
“BAD” – Ogranya
Last year’s ‘Imperfect‘ captured Ogranya’s evolution into suave singer in real-time, straddling icy piano synths and trembling percussions, the singer bolstered his reputation with strong song-writing and an alchemical ability to deliver refreshing melodies. He has kept up his prolificacy with a weekly series of singles released in 2021 and his latest single, “Bad”, displays all the things we have come to admire about the singer. His syrupy flow slows down the pace of the song to just the right sequence that allows him toy with the song’s title and his verses that sound like he’s gasping for air.
Tomi Thomas is a relentless romantic. Whether threading a sombre elegy to Lagos in tandem with GMK on “Lagos (Everyday)” or interrogating his lustrous desire for a love interest on “Sleeping Over”, Thomas’ soundscape has been defined by the investigation of attraction towards certain places, people, and things. With attraction as a thematic reference point, the mode of executions drifts between spacey, emo-ballads and the sturdy patois-inflected Hip-Hop/Soul hybrid tracks that filled ‘Black Couch Vol. 1′.
In his own words, the five years since the release of Black Couch Vol. 1. has seen him experience life in all dimensions. His songwriting has gotten more precise and pointed as a showing on “vibrate”, off Remy Baggin’s Hentai proved. His voice is richer and the things he’s seen in the years since his last project have all led to this latest project, a six-track titled ‘Hopeless Romantic’.
The project’s most recent pre-released single, “Again” saw more of his warm singing and some warped muffling that added gravitas of sorts to the record’s allure. In tune with the theme of the project, that we had ascertained from the lead, title single, “Hopeless Romantic”, on “Again” Tomi Thomas is makes sacrifices for a loved one and at times it feels like his voice might collapse into the skeletal production. What rang clear from the project’s promotion is that Thomas is refreshed and ready to explore attraction in exciting ways on ‘Hopeless Romantic’, and we’re going to go on the ride with him.
In usual 1-listen review fashion, all reactions are in real time while the music plays. No pauses, rewinds, fast-forwards or skip
“Love Me Now”
The cadence that opens this project is so breathtaking. I always enjoy spoken word and to see it incorporated here is such a delight. Not many would be so daring but Tomi Thomas clearly dares, and the reward is so sonically pleasing. There’s just a pathos to his voice that makes this song visceral, urgent even. The soft guitar strums just about elevate this song. It’s coming to an end, but I will definitely add to this my playlist rotation.
“Hopeless Romantic”
The title track! It feels like Tomi Thomas’ beat selection is just so much better overall. There are no pockets of the song where it feels ponderous or like he’s just passing time. Then he keeps switching between a languid style and a more charged patois-style delivery that is intoxicating. He’s still vulnerable in some places but he’s clearly more confident and that seeps into how his lines are delivered and how he’s saying things.
“Again”
I have a problem with the sequencing here. “Again” coming directly after “Hopeless Romantic” feels a bit jarring but it’s not a criticism of the song itself. It’s perfect lounge music that has just enough suggestive innuendos to make bodies swirl when it comes on. Hoping this picks up and we get to hear it at more places as the world opens up more. Ethereal bliss.
“GoGo Dancer”
Big, lustrous energy. The percussion is definitely wavy and the way Tomi staggers his flow earns him extra cool points but after the vibrant start he made he’s lost me for a few here. The hook works though, something’s just not connecting with this track. I had high hopes for this because of the drums and the echoey effect at the beginning. Win some, lose some I guess.
“Waiting”
I love these sorts of tracks where the artist is revelling in their sexual desires and how they want to pleasure their partners. It’s obviously an effect of how R&B has moved from clean lyricism using predominantly synonyms and innuendos to a more muddied plain for expression. Additionally Tomi Thomas makes it work over what seems like a narcotised beat. The pulse of Nigerian Pop slowed down considerably last year and this song keys into that change. This is a very dynamic track and I will be revisiting it.
“Hurricane”
The gem in Tomi Thomas’ crown. It almost feels like his career has always been building up to this moment where he’s going toe to toe with a Grammy winner. I didn’t know what to expect but this is so melodic and beautifully rendered. Mr. Banton’s verses have fire in just the right amount and I would sashay to this if I could dance. But I can’t so bob my head I shall.
Final thoughts
The time away has obviously served Thomas well. He’s assured, confident, and in possession of a golden voice that can do tricks in different sorts of situations as required, but the real advancement is his writing. He’s always been good at writing tracks that felt intimate but to write the kind of tracks that are also forward-facing, in terms of their accessibility to Pop audiences, is a creative breakthrough that makes this extended play a great listen.
‘Hopeless Romantic’ is light and fun in the right portions without scuppering the thematic vision of the project. The production is smooth and grooving, a nice counterbalance to some of the more instrospective instrumentals that Thomas has worked with on songs such as “The Renaissance” and “Hope In The Wild”. It would be an overestimation to say that the project would fundamentally alter the music landscape of Thomas’ career, but he doubles down on his strengths and updates his oeuvre with a body of work that sounds like his most engaging.
When I was 15 years old, a close family member pulled me aside to interrogate my frequent use of the vanity mirror in our family home. “What is your business with a mirror if I may ask? Isn’t it supposed to be for girls?” came my aunt’s concerned voice, as she chastised and berated me for caring a little too much about my physical appearance. The constant reminder that my care for my appearance was unnatural because I am a man was endlessly reinforced throughout my childhood and well into my adulthood. Here I am now, in my mid-twenties, yet still turning over fraught memories of that event in my mind, congratulating myself on how I got over such chastisement.
None of what I’d encountered as a growing young man is new. Recounting a similar ordeal at a much younger age to DazedBeauty beauty influencer, Enioluwa Adeoluwa, now popularly called Lipgloss Boyor Beauty Boy by his loyal 150k following, shared his experience of insensitive criticism about his appearance. “Growing up, I heard worse things even when I wasn’t wearing makeup, just because I’m effeminate, and so, why should I be bothered now?“ Enioluwa also shared how he’s found the beauty of authenticity as an adult and isn’t going to be giving that up anytime soon.
“I feel like I can do anything, I can conquer anything. I can go out there and take anything, because if I can wear make-up in a society like Nigeria, what’s stopping me from fulfilling my dreams?”
It’s no secret that gender perceptions can contribute to how a person cares for themselves. Much of society’s reaction towards male beauty standards is rooted in years of conditioning and social exertion which forced a heteronormative stimulus and lifestyle. The bulk of our reactions to certain things as adults are a result of the binary gender norms that were enforced when we were much younger. I may have found a way to manoeuvre through the cutthroat scolding, growing thick skin after years of hiding myself, but that should not be the case in society. It will therefore take a much more deliberate amount of effort to unlearn, learn and relearn these limiting perceptions of gender binaries.
“If we continued to actively police the activities of men – femme or not – we would birth a generation of men that solely broods on insensitivity, insecurities and doubt.”
This sentiment has been echoed by men in the beauty industry for some time now. Actor and style consultant Denola Grey, who recently featured in an interview with Aunty Bettyof Genevieve Magazine, for Linda Ikeji TV, shared that “I decided that I will not let their eyes be my cage.” His words immediately rang true, typifying the current attitudes that many effeminate men feel towards taking control of their self-expression. For many non-masc presenting men, words like this are very important in conversations because they lay, without any hesitation, the real-life experiences of how our patriarchal society enables and upholds the othering of femme-presenting and androgynous men. We have been conditioned to live a certain way, act a certain way, speak a certain way, approach situations a certain way, exhibit a certain form of lifestyle, and address situations from a very streamlined, acceptable perspective. As a result of this, anything that deviates from the norm has been attacked and ridiculed, affording non-masc presenting men very little space to occupy in the beauty and fashion industries and in society at large.
“When allowed a platform for expression and very thoughtful exhibitions, they bring to manifestation the number of mild and wild thoughts us as men have towards Beauty, Health, and Androgyny.”
In regards to fashion, there is even less room for non-masc presenting men to express themselves without the constant belittling and enforcement of toxic masculinity. Despite more and more men turning to androgynous dressing, many who choose to express themselves through their sartorial choices are perceived to be homosexual, a crime that is punishable for up to 14 years in Nigerian society. Denola Grey once shared that “If you see somebody dress really flamboyantly or like just really vibrantly or with some flair, they automatically say, oh my god that guy is gay. But, he just has nice clothes and likes dressing up. I’ve seen people be afraid to express themselves because they are afraid of being labelled as gay persons.”
Besides how uncomfortable it feels to notice hateful eyes watching men who take a leap into androgynous styles of dressing, it is also denigrating to hear constant slurs and assumptions about the sexualities of those who seek to explore their looks.Although androgynous fashion literally involves the striking of a balance in style between the two most popular genders, it is safe to say that receptions from non-involved parties could pass as toxic when androgyny leans towards more feminine angles.
Africans, in particular, are guilty of this because of the ways in which we have been socialised to express ourselves as men in society. There’s an almost template-like perception of what masculinity should be perceived as, making generations go through deep and unreasonable fear of expressing themselves. “For many years, we have had people speak on our behalf, and try to force us into boxes. Finally, we get to express our culture, background and creative abilities through our works,” Adebayo Oke-Lawal, Founder and Creative Director of Nigeria’s leading androgynous label, OrangeCulture, once told OUT.
“What we need to do is swiftly but subtly transition into an era that embraces and sees non-conforming as strengths, instead of weaknesses. Besides eliminating stereotypical threats, androgyny provides a space for inclusion, warmth, awareness, consciousness and activism.”
Society determines what masculinity should be about. It holds such an enormous piece in today’s modern world, that it is placed with so much value. This has caused men to receive the most ridiculed experiences when they wear clothes that are “traditionally” for women. But men too want to look good.
According to Men’s Health, 1 in 4 men do not like how they look. As unfortunate as it can be for a continent with very numerous growing countries, Africa is also taking a lapse on this one. Besides how African men have to deal with the constant reminder of our natural virility, we also have to admire from the sidelines, other non-African male beauty influencers who are taking to their fears and fighting against the social pariah unjustly brought in by the system.
However, the world is currently transitioning into that age of freedom and expression. In Nigeria, with the rise of the alternative scene, frequently dubbed the alté scene, we’re coming into times where both androgynous and masc-presenting men alike are becoming freer with their self-expression. It is therefore very important that we begin to have very thoughtful conversations that challenge the status quo, especially in a time where gender normative living is still rampant. We should learn to normalise safe spaces for men and allow them room for conversation and actions that help to improve their minds and thought processes. It could be very therapeutic.
The fashion and beauty industries are particularly important because, for most African men [and women] these spaces offer a safe haven. It offers a platform that not only seeks to inspire conversations on cultural issues like activism, social conservatism and the likes, but also masculinity, femininity, effeminacy, and gender binaries. And as Adebayo Oke-Lawal tells Design Indaba,
“fashion will be a huge part of the way Africa shapes its future and the way Africa progresses as a people on the continent and within its various countries.”
Though New Music Fridays are a global phenomenon across genres, thanks to, new music isn’t restricted to the weekend only. From music videos to sporadic drops from artists who don’t feel the pressure to conform, throughout the week there are an abundance of new music releases that can be difficult to keep up with alongside the week’s tasks. It is quite a task to cut through the noise and get to the good music from across the continent, be it undiscovered genres or up-and-coming artists. But never fear, The NATIVE is here.
Attuned the tastes of our community, our ‘Songs of the Day’ is an expert compilation of the new releases we know our audience both needs and wants to hear. ‘Songs of the Day’ promises to keep you updated on our Fresh Meat alumni, praise the effortlessness behind the best collaborations, diversify your palette with our genre inclusive picks – all in all, we’ll be putting you on. Over the weekend, we rounded up with a potential summer hit from Darkoo, a collaborative song by South African House veteran Oskido and Nigerian singer Niniola, an ode to money by Starboy singer Terri, a self-assuring song from Preye, and more. For our mid-week edition, we’ve got new videos from Joeboy, and DJ Neptune, featuring Wande Coal, a release from ENNY who was named one of our top ten newcomers of 2020, and more music from Skaa, Chi Virgo and more. Get into it!
“Show Me” – Joeboy
Releasing his debut album two years after his inescapable hit breakout record, “Baby”, Joeboy has maintained his top spot in alternative Afropop, with his irresistible love songs that fall ‘Somewhere Between Beauty &Magic‘. A stand out on the — album, inescapable since its February release, Joeboy’s “Show Me” has just been fitted with a music video, a romantic drama directed by Ademola Falomo.
On the record, Joeboy admits to being addicted to a particular lady, pleading with her to trust his good intentions and give him a shot at love. In the new video for the song, Joeboy captures the anxiety of talking to an unrequited love, whilst his muse portrays the apprehension one might feel before you let your guard down with a new love interest. With their text exchange (which is incredibly one-sided) popping up on the screen, this very contemporary video ends in a swanky party set at a beach location, where Joeboy’s new love finally gives him the sign he sings desperately for on the songs chorus: “Show me that you want me Show me that you need me Tell me that you love me And I go dey okay.”
“Dubai” – Skaa
Based in New York, Filipino-Nigerian Rapper, Skaa has been in his Afropop bag lately. Using the pandemic year to trace back is roots, Skaa opened the year with “RightNow“, featuring Buju before the Nigerian singer’s alleged abuse of his ex-girlfriend came to light, and returns alone with a similarly uptempo, Afo-leaning number, “Dubai”. Over the infectious production of Beatz by DB, Skaa delivers a strong sung chorus, hat is interestingly the highlight of the song considering his rapping origins. Boastful about his clearly healthy bank account, “Dubai” is an enticing record to Skaa’s muse, whom he wishes to spoil with shopping trips to the infamous city. But not for nothing though. According to Skaa, to be in for a chance to win this all expenses paid shopping trip, “all you gotta do is go low.” Once you get into the groove of the song, you might not be able to help yourself.
“I Want” – ENNY
One of our favourite newcomers last year, British-Nigerian rapper, ENNY is known for her self-affirming socially conscious records. On her newest single, the 26-year-old London native leads, “I finally made some time for me” so we know we’re in for more of the same. Unapologetic about wanting what she wants, when she wants it, ENNY raps about finding herself and then loving herself, no matter what: “I’m so flawed, but that’s calm.“
Being Black British “and African too, but so far removed” ENNY and those around her, have had to struggle to place their identity into the boxes society forces us to tick, and being intrinsically different has given ENNY a non-conformist streak, which she celebrates on this song. As Paya’s genre defying beat, that blends R&B sensibilities with an electro-pop feel, ENNY’s delivery is partway singing, part rapping in a natural London accent, sounding unique and out of place, in all the right ways.
“Music Messiah” – DJ Neptune ft. Wande Coal
With one of the hit records of the year last year, DJ Neptune has spent the past few months basking in the glory of “Nobody”, releasing several iterations of the song, from an Amapiano remix to an icons cut. In the run up to his next album, ‘Sounds of Neptune II‘ DJ Neptune is finally out with a follow up single, this time featuring the timeless hit-maker, Wande Coal.
Calling himself the “Music Messiah”, a claim which is tough to contend given how many different vibes he plays with to a top quality over Dapiano beat, Wande Coal’s collaboration with DJ Neptune is a fun, Amapiano-inspired number, that cuts the song length characteristic of the genre into half. Directed by Adindu Collins, the music video is equally as playful, depicting a series of raves the duo and their crew attend, whilst jamming to the lively bop.
“Somebody Else” – Rebecca Winter
An Afro-Fusion British-Nigerian artist, Rebecca Winter’s music serves the Pop delight of ’00s American predecessors, such as Cassie. Co-written by Gabzy, Winter’s newest single is titled “Somebody Else” and sees her question her partner on whether a new lover is making them behave distant and nonchalant. Clearly insecure in the relationship now, Rebecca Winter is not asking for anything but honesty, “I just wish you’d keep it real,” she sings at the chorus’ end. Not interested in competing for anybody’s love, Rebecca simply wants to know if she is wasting her time, but by the sounds of it, she has her answer. Leave him sis.
“Crybaby/Rain” – Chi Virgo
Since her debut EP, ‘Under The Moon‘, Chi Virgo has been flaunting her vault of unreleased music, whether that’s in IG stories about how in love she is with all the new music she’s been working on, throwaway tracks on YouTube or a double sided single pack, which was released this week, “Crybaby/Rain”.
The first of the two tracks is “Crybaby” a rousing number over which Chi invokes some powerful vocals as she mocks her ex-lover’s sadness after all they have put her through. Full of. angst, complete with electric guitars, now that Chi Virgo is so over her ex, she can revel in their own misery; “all I wanna see you do is just cry baby,” she sings, and we love it. “Rain”, by contrast, is a melancholy isolated track that describes a low period in Chi’s life, where the rain is the only companion she seeks – not romance and not friendship, but the powers she gains from the loud drowning showers of rain.
There has never been a more urgent need to champion the voices of queer people in our society than there has been in 2021. This year’s theme “The Fight Continues” urges all members of the LGBTQIA+ community and all allies alike to recognise the multitude of battles that the community has been facing through the years. While here in Africa there have been wins across the fort, as countries such as Angola legalised same-sex marriage earlier this year, the fight is far from over in many other countries.
All across the continent, queer people continue to face persecution by those who deliberately misunderstand them and mete out violence against them using law and convention as a justification. Queer people are endlessly denied of their fundamental human rights and for many within the LGBTQIA+ community, being queer or appearing queer is a sure death sentence, particularly due to the harmful religious conditioning that many of us grew up on.
Last month, the Ghana Police Service arrested 21 people including 16 women and 5 men “suspected to be lesbians, gays, transexual, queer and intersex” by order of the Ho Circuit court for unlawful assembly at the Nurses and Midwives Hotel, Ho. However, none of these people were unlawfully assembling, instead, they were engaging in an activity with a sister organisation based in Ho to strengthen the capacities of the LBQTI+ community. The very nature of their meeting is a crime punishable by imprisonment in Ghana and many other countries across the African continent.
In Cameroon, queer activists are calling for the release of two transgender women, Shakiro and Roland Mouthe for “attempted homosexuality.” Both women have remained in police custody for over two months, awaiting trial for simply choosing to exist as themselves. Similarly, this week, on the eve of the commencement of the annual Pride Month, a time for celebration and acknowledgment of the community’s continued struggle for their rights, the Uganda police raided an LGBTIQ+ centre and arrested 44 people who were present on the premises on grounds of a breach of COVID-19 rules, a tactic that has previously been employed by the Ugandan authorities to justify the arrests of many LGBTQ+ organisers and activists.
Yesterday, Uganda Police raided an LGBTIQ shelter and arrested 44 members of our community. The continued use of COVID restrictions to violate the LGBTIQ+ rights in Uganda continues. #ReleaseThe44
— Sexual Minorities Uganda | SMUG (@SMUG2004) June 1, 2021
However, queer liberation has never been up for debate. As long as African LGBTQIA+ people are oppressed, the whole of Africa is oppressed and there is an urgent need for us to come together as a community and speak out against the continuous violence that goes on in the name of preserving our African culture and traditions.
This Pride Month, the NATIVE is committed to championing the voices of queer activists and people across Africa and the diaspora at large. We recognise the struggles that many of our brothers and sisters in the LGTBQIA+ community face, and we have remained devoted to ensuring that everyone in our community is seen, represented, and celebrated for who they are.
That’s why this month we are opening up our column ‘For Us By Us’ to members of the LGBTQIA+ community across Africa and the diaspora, urging that we tell our own stories about the continued fight for freedom and queer liberation on the continent. This call for submissions is open to everyone alike, including writers, activists, creatives, and anyone passionate about a topic that affects the queer community in Africa. Think of it as our way of giving a voice to those still on the margins who deserve to have their voices amplified, fostering a safe space dedicated exclusively to promoting the stories told by our community through the month of Pride and beyond.
For further inquiries, please contact Adewojumi Aderemi and/or Tami Makinde via the email address woju@thenativemag.com and tami@thenativemag.com with the subject ’For Us By Us PRIDE’.
In keeping with the dominant theme of his career, Olamide’s first post-Carpe Diem release, “Rock” has ascended to the top of the Turntable Top 50 after debuting at number two last week. It is the icon’s first chart leader after “Infinity” and “Triumphant” had peaked at number two and three respectively. Ahead of his forthcoming album, UY Scuti, the signs are reading well for the Bariga-born popstar.
Following Olamide on the chart is Mavin artist, Ladipoe, with “Feeling”, his rap-sung collaboration with Buju that continues the rapper’s impressive run of form since last year’s “Know You”. The song has moved one place from its number three position last week, marking the first time that the Turntable’s top two positions are being occupied by rappers.
Ahead of a series of concerts outside Nigeria, Burna Boy’s former 3-week No. one song, “Kilometre” slides to number three on this week’s chart while Blaqbonez’s Amaarae and Buju-featuring single “Bling” moves up a place to number four. Wizkid’s ubiquitous “Essence” featuring Tems also moves up a position, completing this week’s top five.
Superboy Cheque and Fireboy DML’s “History” moves two places down to number six on the charts, retaining a presence more than two months after its release and Adekunle Gold’s new single, “It Is What It Is” moves to a new peak at No. 7. Rounding out this week’s top ten of the Top 50, Dangbana Republik and Bella Shmurda’s “World” moves down one spot to number 8 while Gyakie’s “Forever (Remix)” holds at No. 9 after topping the chart for four non-consecutive weeks; and JAE5’s “Dimension” with Rema and British-Nigerian rapper Skepta moves to No. 10.
.@Olamide’s “Rock” moves to No. 1 on this week’s TurnTable Top 50— making it the No. 1 song in Nigeria
It drew 46.9 million in radio reach (up 87%), 14.1 million in TV reach (up 184%) and 1.57 million equivalent streams (down 15%)
Back in March, Amazon Prime Video premiered the hotly-anticipated sequel to Eddie Murphy’s 1988 Coming to America. Considered a classic to many Black audiences Coming to America, in its monolithic representation of Africa as an out of touch decadent culture, is a deeply problematic movie, that would likely face significant backlash if it was released today. So naturally, as the film’s sequel approach, Coming 2 America became the subject of query as to whether the film would make the same pitfalls as the original or if it would be retrofitted with todays; social clime in mind, where essentialist tropes and misrepresentations in media are rightfully being challenged.
Though all black people across the world are racially targeted and subjugated, in 1988, and for many years after that, Africans in the diaspora were discriminated against both for their blackness and for their proximity to their African national identities – exhibited through accents, food, clothes etc – even within Black communities. As global popular culture began to expand its gaze on Africa through the second half of the 2010s, discrimination did fade, but overt prejudice was smoothly replaced by erasure, less so of African cultures, stories and creations, but most obviously of the African people whose ownership is unfairly denied in the creative entertainment industries.
Twice this week alone, we have seen examples of Nigerian creatives being denied ownership of their cultural creations; but what is truly brilliant is that Ugo Monye and Gbemisola Isimi, like Fisayo Longe earlier this year, are all taking a stand against appropriation of African art and culture, showing us that we do not have to live in the shadows as our own greatness earns others success.
On Sunday afternoon, Culture Tree, a UK-based educative cultural centre that teaches Yoruba, amongst other things, shared the outcome of their attempt to trademark the phrase “Yoruba Stars,” an affirmation of her students’ mastership of the language, especially those between 1.5 and13 years. Finding that a British company, Timbuktu had trademarked the word “Yoruba”, Gbemisola Isimi, the founder of Culture Tree was opposed by outdoor clothing store who made a proposition to sell her the “Yoruba” trademark, but refused to let her trademark “Yoruba Stars.” That is until Culture Tree’s Yoruba Is Not For Sale campaign went viral.
Having now withdrawn their opposition to Culture Tree’s “Yoruba Stars” and surrendered their registration of the “Yoruba” trademark, Timbuktu’s initial resistance is exemplary of the imperialist attitudes that persist in the creative industries in the West and continue to disenfranchise African people. Even in selecting the name of an African city, which they falsely describe as “a fictional location which literally means “the middle of nowhere”, a location that has intrigued mankind for centuries,” the company Timbuktu extends colonial erasures of African cultures and identities into the contemporary world, and has been allowed to get away with it for many years, with the support of the law.
“I feel this is the height of cultural appropriation,” Isimi shared via Culture Tree’s initial post, but according to Elnathan John, a Nigerian author, this case is “not an argument about ‘appropriation’. Just the law.” For many, it is both. In the first instance, as Gbemisola Isimi repeats, it is unethical for a single person or company to hold the trademark of an entire ethnic group, to possess the power to block other creators from using a key signifier in their identity in their business trademarks. Similar to the outcry regarding Disney’s years long trademark of ‘Hakunna Matata’ on t-shirts, Timbuktu’s resistance to Culture Tree begs the question, why should English or American corporations have the right to dictate how Africans use their own languages?
In the first place, this is appropriation, but there is also something to be said about intellectual property laws that enable, and in these cases facilitate appropriation and the subsequent suppression of African creators. The UK International Property Office, replied to Culture Tree explaining that, “when examining trade marks, [their] role is to interpret existing laws and be as transparent as possible in our decision making processes while reflecting the society around us,” pointing to that fact that the law doesn’t fault Timbuktu’s “Yoruba” trademark.
As John states in a tweet, “trademark, especially international trademark can be complicated and is governed by a series of agreements, accords and conventions.” Speaking with NATIVE, as she discussed Fisayo Longe’s ongoing against Boohoo, Fashion Consultant and Intellectual Property lawyer, Kike Ojewale corroborates, saying, “there are still gaps within the various forms of intellectual property protection.” Going on to assure Culture Tree via Twitter that, “once a trade mark is registered it is possible for a member of the public to challenge the validity of the mark if it is believed that there are grounds to remove the mark from the trade mark register,” the UK’s IPO shows that the “complicated” “gaps” in current IP law puts the onus is on us – the people whose languages and cultures are being capitalised on by people who don’t know, understand or live it – to fight back, if we wish to maintain ownership over our cultures and creations.
— Ugo Monye Fashion (@ThisIsUgoMonye) May 27, 2021
Fortunate enough to have won their fight with the support of public opinion (although Gbemisola Isimi is still appealing for more equitable property laws), Culture Tree were lucky to minimise their exposure to the gruelling legal processes of negotiating trademarks and IP laws. Ugo Monye, a Nigerian menswear designer, well known for his kimono stylisation of the traditional Agbada, might not be so lucky.
Back in March, Ugo Monye Official, as the brand is named on Instagram, posted their disappointment that their Reale design was copied in the movie Coming 2 America. At the time, many encouraged the brand to sue, legal action which they have now taken, calling out Paramount Pictures, New Republic Productions, Eddie Murphy Productions, Misher Film Productions and the movie’s costume designer, Ruth E. Carter specifically. In a statement released today, Ugo Monye Limited (UML) make clear that “all our brands and designs (including the Reale Design) and creations are protected by the Copyright Act, Trademarks Act and other Nigerian penal laws and International Treaties,” before going on to describe the extent of the alleged design theft. According to UML tailors and designers in Nigeria were commissioned to recreate the design without authorisation from UML, nor was the designer given any credit or compensation.
In this case, Ugo Monye does seem confident he has the backing of the law, but as Kike Ojewale says, “these rights are pointless if they are not enforced, and enforcement is expensive for any brand, let alone small brands.” In comparison to the huge business engines that produced Coming 2 America, Ugo Monye is David facing a giant Goliath. With unimaginable zeros to throw and a surplus of human resources, Ugo Monye, like Fisayo Longe are brave in their stand against global industry powerhouses, and they are doing so for the benefit of the next generation of African creators to come. “In addition to protecting our business and goodwill, we believe it is high time we took a stand against cultural appropriation; non-Africans continuing to profit off African culture [unauthorised],” UML’s statement concludes.
Though the likes of Coming 2 America, Black Panther, The Lion King, and its accompanying Beyoncé produced compilation album, were pieces intended to empower people, using the motherland as a source of Black pride without careful consideration, attention and behind the scenes representation, has led these movies to complicity in silencing African creatives and taking advantage of our art and artists. It is imperative that as more and more people from the West shine a brighter spotlight on Africa that they do not gatekeep exposure and they do not abuse their capitalistic advantage as creators from the imperialist America. African voices, designs, languages and cultures should be represented as our own and not minimised through the Western lens or co-opted by Western corporations looking to eroticise themselves by affiliating with a culture that isn’t theirs.
In 2021, Nigerian creators are not backing down, they are taking a stand and fighting back. The likes of Fisayo Longe, Gbemisola Isimi and Ugo Monye promise a future that holds the hope that we will no longer have to fight for our right to own and share our stories, our way.
Wojumi is a bad bitch & she’s going to brag about it. Tweet her your latest cultural exploits @dewoju
From timeline conversations to new music Fridays, it seems like everything we consume is characterised by high volume and fast pace, and it can become overwhelming at times. As much as one can try to keep up with new releases from rising stars or stay in tune with the latest incoming hits, or discover sounds from countries all around the continent it’s often difficult to cut through the noise to find the songs that speak directly to us. This is where The NATIVE comes in.
In harmony with the tastes of our community, our ‘Songs of the Day’ compiles the recent releases we know our audience both needs and wants to hear. We are keeping you updated on our Fresh Meat alumni, raging over effortless collaborations and diversifying your palette with our genre inclusive picks. This weekend’s round-up includes a potential summer hit from Darkoo, a collaborative song by South African House veteran Oskido and Nigerian singer Niiniola, an ode to money by Starboy singer Terri, a self-assuring song from Preye, and more.
Darkoo – “She Like” (feat. Blanco)
In the time since making her first major splash with “Gangsta”, Darkoo’s subsequent output has earmarked her as a consistent, capable hit-maker, while purposefully expanding the scope of her artistic abilities. Darkoo’s new drop, “She Like”, is a giddy song with high potentials to soundtrack the summer of reopened public spaces. Joined by Blanco, the pair are boastful of their chances with women, owing to their affluence and fame accrued from being rap stars. “We got the hundreds and the figures, no tax/bad b, I hit it to the max”, she raps at the top of her verse, before slipping into her infectious, gruffy voice over the lustrous keys and groovy drums. “She Like” is the second single from Darkoo’s debut EP, ‘2 in 1’, out mid-July.
Oskido – “Banky Banky” (feat. Niniola)
In his illustrious career, spanning 26 years, Oskido has been a fixture in South Africa’s constantly evolving Dance/Electronic music space. A big part of his continued relevance lies in his willingness to grow with the times while keeping in touch with the older sounds he helped pioneer as a DJ, vocalist, songwriter and OAP. On “Banky Banky”, one of the three tracks on his new EP ‘Back to the Future’, he leans into the Amapiano wave that’s the current toast of SA, and he sources guest vocals from Nigerian singer and self-proclaimed queen of Afro-House, Niniola. On the track, Niniola sings with self-convinced prowess and Oskido joins in with a few chanted raps of his own, adding a wizened edge to the lush, mid-tempo pace of the instrumentation.
Sizz the Truth – “For the Bandz”
Early last year, Ghanaian rapper Sizz the Truth dropped his sophomore EP, ‘GreySkies Are Smokescreens’, a 5-song set with loose storytelling and personal resolutions. Well over a year later, he’s still pushing traffic to the EP, especially with the release of the new music video for standout track, “For the Bandz”. Backed by twinkling piano riffs and cavernous 808 bass, Sizz admires a lady who handles her business and can go to whatever lengths she deems necessary. The video splits focus between depicting the song’s theme through cinematic shots, and the visceral effect of its high octane beat as Sizz performs his set with high energy.
Terri – “Money” (feat. Bella Shmurda & Mohbad)
In celebration of his birthday, Starboy Records singer Terri dropped “Money”, a proclamation of constant desire to fill his pocket and live his best life. “More money, more money/anything wey better pass more money na more money”, he sings over Tuzi’s delightful guitars and live drums. He’s joined by Bella Shmurda and Mohbad, both singers following his lead by detailing their materialistic and hedonistic intents when money isn’t a worry.
Preyé – “Peace of Mind”
Around this time last year, majority of the world was knee-deep into lockdown measures in order to combat the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Written in the throes of lockdown, Preyé’s “Peace of Mind” is reminiscent of the fight to stay sane in a time of “overwhelming sad news, limited movement and barely being around loved ones.” At that it’s more emblematic of the positive mind-set that that helped the singer get through that period. “I must to find me/I must to love me/I must to see me, with all of my heart/I must to be me”, she sings on the balmy chorus over light piano chords and jazzy drums, interjecting each line with “someway, somehow”. In its accompanying video, Preyé sings and prances with a bubbly fervour, projecting an unassailable optimism that makes her lived-in lyricism even more riveting.
Skales & Davido – “This Your Body”
When we last spoke to Skales, the singer made his newfound appreciation for life explicit. A year later, he’s seems to still be counting his blessings and making new songs destined for dancefloor audiences. “This Your Body” is his latest release, an Amapiano-infused song with assistance from apex pop-star Davido. From its title, the song is predictably centred on both singers being enamoured by the physique of their love interest, as they sing of the raunchy intentions and the lengths they would go to in order to woo these women. Nothing about this song is remotely novel, but it reinforces the flair for dance music Skales and Davido have become popular for, to varying degrees of success.
Azekel – “DUPĖ”
There’s a quiet but deeply electrifying feeling when you meet someone and the level/dimension of attraction is mutual. In that moment, you might find yourself thanking the Higher Power you believe in. That’s the basis of Azekel’s “DUPĖ”, a song where the ecstasy of reciprocal attraction inspires appreciation for the divine. “How did you read my mind/can tell that you’re in tune”, he sings over the soulful folk instrumentation. Although he goes on to butcher the enunciation of the sole Yoruba line—“Mo fe dupe baba” (I want to thank you, Father”)—his expression is clear and relatable.
One of the first major events in the American music industry to take place during the full swing of the COVID-19 global pandemic, last year’s BET Awards were a groundbreaking display of what award shows, public performances and mass gathering would look like in a pandemic. Held virtually last year, in respect of the lockdown, this year BET will return to a live award show in Los Angeles on June 27 8pm ET, airing live on the BET channel as well.
With just one month until the show, yesterday, BET revealed the nominees for this year’s awards, including a total of seven nominations for last year’s ‘Best Female Hip-Hop’ winner, Megan Thee Stallion and other notable nods for Dababy, Chloe x Halle and Pop Smoke. The BET Awards are a celebration of Black artistry in America, but they are also commemorative Black musicians worldwide, who are nominated within the ‘Best International Act’ category and the ‘Best New International Act’ viewers’ choice category.
Representing Africa in the Best International Act category are two of Nigeria’s biggest Pop acts, Burna Boy and Wizkid, and Diamond Platnumz from Tanzania. In this category, our African stars go up against Aya Nakamura, a Mali born French-based artiste; Headie One and Young T & Bugsey from the UK; Brazil’s Emicida; and French rapper Youssoupha, born to a Congolese father and Senegalese mother. In the viewers’ choice category for the Best New International Act, Tems and Elaine stand a chance of bringing it home for Africa, going head to head with Brazil’s coveted MC Dricka, British Pop sensation, Bree Runway, joined by Arlo Parks, half-Nigerian but also representing the UK, as well as French singers Ronisia and Bramsito. Judging by social media reception on the BET International Instagram page, African artists are the buzz in each of these categories, which is especially important in the Best New International Act category as that is viewers choice. Our confidence for a continental win across the International categories is definitely not misplaced, but if you’re in doubt, below is a breakdown of each artists’ campaign to prove just how sure we are of this bet.
Tems
Few newcomers have had as exciting and prolific a year as Tems had. Since featuring on the cover of NATIVE‘s Issue 004, Tems has led Apple Music campaigns and concluded partnerships with YouTube Music, she has made history whilst topping local charts, locally and internationally, with singles of her own and featured credits, namely on the ‘Made in Lagos‘ standout track, “Essence”. Releasing ‘For Broken Ears‘, her debut project last September, Tems’ unprecedented red streak ascent since “Try Me” went supersonic, and she now ranks comfortably amongst the cross-over African stars who have been inching for an international break long before Tems even released her debut single, “Mr Rebel” just three years ago. With the second most votes from the public so far, Tems is a clear favourite to win the Best New International Act Viewers’ Choice Award.
Elaine
Debuting officially in 2019, Elaine has been accomplishing groundbreaking feats right from the start. Dropping ‘Elements‘ in September that year, leading with singles, “Slip Away” and “I Just Wanna Know” Elaine became the first independent solo female artist to reach number one on Apple Music and iTunes album charts in South Africa, and went on to become the first South African artist named under Spotify’s Radar program for emerging artists. Spotlighted in our Fresh Meat column last June, following Elements was a significantly successful year for Elaine; she was nominated for ‘R&B/Soul Album of the Year’ at the South African Music Awards, bagged a Colombia Records deal and continued to clear her path as a trap-soul, alternative R&B singer with numerous charting singles. With this BET nomination, 2021 looks to have even more Ws lined up for Elaine, let’s hope and vote a win in this category is amongst these.
Other nominees for the Best New International Act
Where the Best International Act category is packed with male talent from across the world, the Best New International Act nominees reflect the changing landscape for women in music. Empowering initiatives for women – the likes of Femme Africa, which has recently joined the Spotify Equal Board – are truly making a difference in creating a more egalitarian industry, executives are being called out for the misogynistic biases towards marketing and promoting male artists, and audiences are increasingly conscious of their own complicity in making success that much harder for female artists. This has led to more women being recognised and commended deservedly, evident in this year’s Best New International Act category.
Alongside Tems and Elaine is Bree Runway, a British rapper hailing from Hackney, London who has become something of a pop culture icon this past year, with her nostalgic, dramatic visuals that accompany her assorted musical style. Also from the UK is half-Nigerian indie musician, Arlo Parks, who earned three nominations at this year’s Brit Awards, for British Album of the Year, British Female Artist and lastly Breakthrough Artist, which she won. Leading so far is Brazil’s MC Dricka whose music is an provocative fusion of Latin notes, Dance production and hype sung rap that has earned her wide attention across the region. The final two nominees for the BET 2021 Best New International Act, Viewers’ Choice Award are Bramsito, the only male in the category, and Ronisia, both from France. Whilst Ronisia is still in her earlier stages, Bramsito has a sizeable discography behind him, complete with a platinum certification that proves he is a top contender locally.
Out with arguably the most favoured album of last year, Wizkid is a very likely winner for this year’s Best International Act award, not only given the quality of the project, but his ubiquitous global presence over the past year. Beginning the ‘Made In Lagos‘ campaign with the H.E.R.-assisted R&B cut, “Smile”, Wizkid kept music lovers in a tight grip through the second half of the year, relentlessly teasing his album to no avail. Finally dropping ‘Made In Lagos‘ to heal his country in the wake of EndSARS protests he had lent his voice to, Wizkid’s post-album campaign has been a multimedia experience, with a YouTube live concert, a special edition NATIVE issue, Puma collections and more. In today’s abundant world, good music isn’t the only mark of a strong artist, but one of Africa’s leading stars, Wizkid has it all in his pocket, a W for him would be no surprises.
Burna Boy
Winning BET’s last two ‘Best International Act’ awards, this year could mark Burna Boy’s third consecutive win in this category, adding another notch in his belt after winning the Grammy’s album equivalent category, ‘Best Global Music Album’ back in March. Equally as magnetic a global presence as Wizkid – multiple editorial spreads, including a recent GQ cover, a BoohooMan collaboration, and multiple placements on mainstream globals album such as Justin Beiber’s ‘Justice‘ and the Coming 2 America compilation album – in terms of global acclaim, Burna Boy and Wizkid are toe-to-toe, so close in the race one can hardly compare. When it comes to their key albums for this year however, where Wizkid’s might have had a more lasting impact with audiences in these parts, given that Hip-Hop is a defining genre in contemporary music for Black people in America and the BET, endorsements, features and executive production from some of Hip-Hop’s most influential hitmakers on ‘TAT‘ lends partiality to Burna Boy’s chances.
Diamond Platnumz
There is no question about it, Nigerian music is disproportionately represented in the global perception of music coming out of the content, and our artists are awarded more visibility for this. Though the world might not be as tuned in to African music outside of Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana, that is no indictment on the music coming our of other nodes, and Diamond Platnumz’s unstoppable commercial success is clear proof of that. With no album behind his campaign this time, Diamond Platnumz has released a deluge of singles in the part year, ranging from Latin inspired Pop songs such as, “Haunisumbui” to a Hip-Hop infused “Quarantine” anthem that speaks to our obsession with learning dances during lockdown. Earning three spots on Africa’s most viewed songs on YouTube in 2020, with “Jeje” (1), “Waah” featuring Kofi Olomide (3) and “Gere” (7), Diamond Platnumz, has so far been tearing up East Africa with vivacious, entirely COVID-unfriendly live performances, that are a key component of this artist’s merit.
Other nominees for the Best International Act
Releasing her second self-titled project last November, Aya Nakamura, is the only woman nominated in the category, joined by rapper Youssoupha, who stand a chance of taking the award back to France. Close by in the UK is Headie One, who enjoyed a noteworthy year – wining a MOBO award and earning a Brit nomination – and British-Nigerian-Jamaican duo, Young T & Bugsey, also nominated at the Brits, who emerged with their debut album last year. Brazilian rapper, Emicida is the sole South American artist nominated, boasting an equally prolific year, including a GQ Brasil spread and a Netflix Brasil partnership.
In both these international categories, the competition is stiff, but as always our musical acts stand as favourites to bring the awards home. In the Best New International Act category, you have the power to make that happen by voting for Elaine or Tems, which is as easy as liking their pictures on the BET International IG page: here for Elaine and here for Tems. Simulcast via BET Africa on June 28 at 2am CAT you can also win a chance to attend the live show in person by registering on BET’s 2021 Awards website here. In the mean time, view the full list of nominees for the 2021 BET Awards here.
Staying True To Our Mission Reshape The Face Of African Popular Culture, The NATIVE Team Curates A Monthly List To Spotlight The Best And Most Exciting New Artists On The Continent. Some Of These Artists Have Dropped Songs To Some Regional Acclaim, While Others Are Brand New On The Block, Working Towards Their First Big Break. Tune In To What’s Next. Click Here For April’s Fresh Meat.
Around the middle of every month, the NATIVE newsroom begins to deliberate on the emerging artists we’d like to feature on the month-end column, Fresh Meat. Entering its fifteenth installment, Fresh Meat has always provided an avenue for the team to engage with the diverse and vibrant range of nascent musical talents popping up across the continent. As much as this is a well-deserved pat on the back for our dedication to seeking out and spotlighting the budding stars of tomorrow, today, it’s also a testament to the real-time evolution of music being made in African.
The truth is, African music has always been multi-faceted, multi-dimensional and multi-layered. In an increasingly globalised world, with major roles played by the internet and social media, that heterogeneity is positively emboldened. It’s a shame that we’re still trying to escape Afrobeats as an umbrella descriptor, but the progressive nature of the music being made by young Africans is a continued indication of a near-future where labels are secondary to the quality of the music. That’s what Fresh Meat stands for: A celebration of a generation of artists who are taking advantage of possibilities and influences, both immediate and far out, to emphasize a much more liberal narrative for music made by Africans.
The artists featured in this month’s edition of Fresh Meat are tied together by a keenness for emotional authenticity. Whether it’s the catchy refrains that colours Tha Boy Myles’ affectionate infatuation, or it’s the deeply personal expressions in lordkez’s scented music, or Phaemous’ solipsism-tinged brand of R&B/Neo-Pop, the featured artists below create music that you can enjoy and also live with.
Liya
Joining Davido’s infamous 30 billion gang last October, Liya was crowned the First Lady of DMW (literally the first woman to be signed to the eponymous label) mere days after she met with the label head, owing to her “amazing” output, he says. The three official singles available on Liya’s streaming profiles corroborate Davido’s assertions and offer an audible explanation of why he had to pick her up on the spot.
Professionally making music for four years, Liya’s first official single, the slow and melancholic “Trust Issues”, came in June 2020, which was then followed up by the Electronic/Dance-inspired, “Be My Vibe” mere weeks before being signed. Now, Liya has officially been crowned the reigning queen of DMW with “Melo”, with an opulent video that depicts her in regal attire, being accosted by paparazzi, something that will be a fast-approaching reality now that she’s an official member of the 30BG. Liya’s most Afropop leaning record, “Melo”, is a Yoruba number that flaunts her vocal range, particularly on the pre-chorus where she delivers an arresting harmony over the bright Zaki Magic beat. Describing her sound as “pure Afro”, Liya’s musical range is already palpable in her sparse discovery, as is her dedication to inserting her roots into every sound she creates.
Injecting Afropop language into her ballad-style singing on “Trust Issues” (“as e dey boogie down low, wetin you wan’ really know?”), soulfully singing “You dey try to jonze me but I no be mumu” on “Be My Vibe”, Liya’s music has its own distinct identity, not unlike the iconic singers who have influenced her. Asa, Nina Simone, Fela Kuti and Angelique Kidjo – whom she samples “Melo” – are the figures that the 22-year-old has looked up to since she was a child longing to emulate their legacies; so far, she is on course to knock down some of the achievements of these legendary names. Hitting one million views on YouTube in her DMW debut, “Melo”, Liya is prepping for global acclaim, as Davido promised her. Especially if she retains her diversity and authenticity, there’s no reason she shouldn’t get there.
Moonga K.
Officially debuting in 2017 with a soulful, alternative EP, ‘Free’, Moonga K. has spent a considerable amount of time in the game, enough time to even need a year-plus hiatus following his alt-pop debut album ‘Wild Solace’. Where ‘Free’ was more tranquil, with only the fourth track, “Nocturnal Phospenes” standing out as a Pop number, and the bonus track “She” offering a more inspiring performance, Moonga K.’s penchant for experimentation was displayed in full on the feature-length project, ‘Wild Solace’, which boasts an exemplary opener, “Walking Emojis”, an alt-rock jazz-infused number, over which his soulful vocals deliberately fall off the beat. Closing the February 2018 project with “The Art of Ageing”, Moonga K. spent the next two years on his growth, releasing a manifesto to maturity last year May, ‘an ode to growth pt. 1’.
Born in Zambia, raised in Botswana, now based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and growing up in close proximity to American soundscapes – thanks to rapid internet connectivity and sadly imperialist persistence – Moonga K.’s music has always incorporated an eclectic melange of production styles, genres, eras and national tastes. But on ‘an ode to growth pt. 1’ Moonga K. seems to land on a soundscape that suits him best, an alternative R&B flavour that emphasises the appeal of his soulful vocals, which make for a more consistent and coherent offering than his past works.
As well as exploring a variety of music styles, Moonga K. also broaches all of life’s key talking points – from addiction in love to feelings of isolation and mental distress – through poetic storytelling that makes clear his inspiration from alternative music icon, Frank Ocean. Boasting of the privilege of the internet that has granted him access to listeners far and wide, Moonga K. is in a new moment, capitalising off the success of his past album with more frequent releases of mystic music videos and evocative ballads. He might have been in the game for a while, but this season is Moonga’s K.’s; we’ll be watching eagerly as he steps into all that he deserves.
lordkez
Genre-mashing—and other similarly inclined descriptions—is a consistent term used to signify the colourful range of music being made by younger artists across the continent. lordkez fits into that billing, but what makes the South African singer’s music truly remarkable, is in how singular she makes it all sound. The threads in her sonic tapestry include R&B, Neo-Soul, Jazzy Hip-Hop, Lo-Fi beat music, Trap, atmospheric Electronic music, poetry, and any other thing that catches her fancy.
“I would say ‘Fusion Music’,” she told Equateof her style of music. “I create as I grow and as I feel…those things are byproducts of my insatiable desire to express myself as a musician.” In service of her main priority, lordkez’s music reflects her coming-of-age story with an intensely personal and artsy edge. In 2019, the 21-year old artist debuted with ‘Revenge Season’, a broody EP where she reconciles her past experiences with who she’s becoming. “…the theme is so bloody and dark, because it represents me “killing off” a part of me that I felt was holding back my light,” she told Coeval last year. In a linear thematic progression, her follow-up EP, last September’s ‘Charcotta’, is very much the work of an artist who’s accepted herself and is curating her own peaceful ideals.
Where her debut leaned into moody, contemporary R&B and quiet storm-inspired stylings, ‘Charcotta’ effectively expanded lordkez’s musical purview. Neo-Soul played a more integral role, there are jazzy flourishes, as well as features from AYLØ, J. Tek, Blind MIC, and South African rap veteran Priddy Ugly. Her latest release is ‘JUICEBOX’, a brief 4-song pack with a far more upbeat tone than her previous work. The new project takes musical cues from Hyperpop and Bubblegum Trap, as lordkez playful asserts her individuality amidst themes of romance and infatuation.
Across her short but remarkable discography, lordkez’s personal and artistic evolution is vivid. “I’m a person that wants to heal, grow and inspire people to do the same”, she told Equate. lordkez’s commitment to constantly sharing bits herself through her music—and extended to her phenomenalmusicvideos—will undoubtedly endear her to more listeners as her music keeps getting discovered.
Ssaru
Kenyan Rap and Gengetone, the musical blend of Dancehall, Reggaeton and Rap that’s been all the rave in Kenya for the past two years and counting, are decidedly male-dominated scenes. However, this backdrop doesn’t stop teenage rapper, Sylvia Saru who has cut through and continues to thrive. Ssaru—her performance moniker—began to captivate her first set of listeners through viral freestyles that displayed her ability to weave through varying musical styles with nimble rap flows, and her brand of unflinching, sexually provocative and bravado-laced lyricism.
In November 2019, she scored her breakout moment with the release of “Nyama”, a lively freestyle over a jittery trap beat, which was accompanied by an aptly rough, DIY music video. With more eyes on her, Ssaru quickly went about manifesting her potentials, going on a prolific spree of singlereleases, freestyle drops, and featureappearances throughout 2020. In a year defined by a pandemic and seemingly best suited to artists with tireless work ethics, Ssaru flooded the market, showcasing the multiplicity to her artistry in the process. In early year single, “Dose”, she raps with a fiery verve that personifies her resolve to make music that’s authentic to her. Later in the year, she collaborated with Mejja Okonkwo on the hit song “Leo”, an uber-raunchy Gengetone cut clearly aimed at dancefloor rotation.
Recently triggering a new phase in her career, Ssaru’s commitment to taking fuller creative control of her music is the main motive. She started the year with “Zitoke”, a London-produced bop indicating growth in her songwriting chops, and she recently followed with “Dea Moda”, a blistering freestyle of cocksure bars over a groovy Afropop beat. “Although majority see me as a Gengetone artist, I can basically describe myself as a versatile artist,” she told The Standard last year. While she spent the majority of last year proving her versatility, hopping between rap and dance releases, Ssaru’s latest drops indicate an artist getting comfortable with the idea of blending her interests into a colourful, distinct swirl. Having showed the capacity to be a rapper’s rapper, the people’s rap artist, and everything in between, Ssaru has much, much more to offer as she keeps growing.
Acebergtm
At all times, Acebergtm is straddling the divide between rapping and singing and on the slightest prod can segue from an R&B-leaning single into a bar-fest. The singer, born Ikechukwu Okoronkwo, has often attributed the duality of his approach to growing up in a music-loving family that saw him exposed to a variety of music styles with Haitan-American musicians, Wyclef Jean, making a particular impression on the youngster. Over the last two years, Acebergtm has grown from being an underground mainstay to being on the cusp of a mainstream breakthrough via a number of great-sounding loosies and strategic positioning.
His experiment with expressing himself creatively started with poetry before he graduated to writing his own music at the age of 15, using songwriting to distract him from the vices in his area and craft his own sound and voice. In those early years, he was still highly influenced by the emotional openness of Drake’s earliest work and that theme influenced his earliest track, “Letter to God”. A stint in university did not diminish his love for music, only serving to strengthen his passion for music. His official debut, “Heart Breaker”, released in July 2020, saw the rising singer muse a relationship he cherishes, switching effortlessly between singing about his need for his love interest and dropping bars that detailed his commitment to her despite the evolving landscape of his life. On the song, Acebergtm is operating in a unique position in the Afropop space: taking the reins for emotive crooning, whilst also handling responsibility for the vivid rapping that offered narrative to his hooks.
The rough edges of his artistry are smoothed over on his eclectic six-track debut project, ‘Far From Home’, where the singer meshes hip-hop, soul, and Afropop into a hypnotic fusion that neither sacrifices lyrical excellence or melodic potency; in fact, both variables are in constant harmony across the 19-minute run of ‘Far From Home’. Across the project, he carefully dissects coming of age, attraction, and the thrills of hedonism over vibrant techno-influenced beats and Amapiano/Afropop fusion instrumentals, showing the diversity that comes with exposure to a variety of music styles. Project opener, “Rockstar”, is Acebergtm at his most unbothered and unfiltered, showing unrestrained energy that elevates this love song to party fare as its percussive and fluttery elements encourage his pop leanings. On “Danca”, Kel P weaves a thrumming Amapiano-influenced beat, merging it with gorgeous horns that compliment the confessional feel of the single. In the second half of the project, Acebergtm slips into hip-hop territory with an ease that seems in-bred: on “What I Like” and “Loyal”, he raps over the sort of production that wouldn’t have been out of place in the early 2000s hip-hop time capsule, tempering his lines with melodic interludes that display what a well-rounded musician the Lagos-based artist is.
Sayfar
The last few months have shown that no matter how widely proliferated it gets, there’s a riveting freshness to Amapiano helmed by those closest to the culture. Case in point, the remix to Falz’s “Squander”, which features Kamo Mphela, Mpura, Niniola, and additional production by South African producer Sayfar. Reimagining Willis’ original beat, Sayfar’s work on “Squander (Remix)” is more compelling; he retains the groove of the OG version for the most part, but his additional piano chords have a glittery feel to them and the log drums knock much harder.
Soweto-bred Sayfar did not start out making Amapiano, but he’s becoming an emergent force in the Dance subgenre that’s constantly evolving. In 2017, he combined with frequent collaborator Aubs for ‘This is War’, a booming EP indebted to Tribal House and Afro-House. In the years after, his output slowed down, seemingly working on his craft during this period of hibernation. Last December, Sayfar returned with his solo headlining debut, the Ida-assisted “Kuze Kuse”, an invigorating take on Amapiano that leaned into the subgenre’s tribal knock.
Last month, he completed his re-emergence with the release of his debut EP, ‘Rhandzu’. A stellar 5-song project with vocal features on each track, the EP finds Sayfar deftly emboldening the relationship between Amapiano and Deep House. He combines thumping low-ends with cinematic keys and sweeping strings, curating a set that’s simultaneously loud and lush. Throughout the set, he forms a palpable symbiosis with his vocal colleagues, retooling his instrumental sets to fit their distinct powers. Similar to his scene-stealing assist on “Squander”, it highlights his value as an elevating collaborator, a trait that will make him even more noticeable as he name continues to spread within and outside SA.
Tha Boy Myles
If there’s one lyric that defines Tha Boy Myles, it would come from his chorus on the irresistible fan-favourite, “Bop Love”, off his debut project, ‘Mylstone’. “Girl I’m not a criminal but I’m smooth,” Tha Boy croons, referencing his attractive smooth vocals through an equally smooth play of words on “Smooth Criminal”, by Michael Jackson, the smoothest of all. Melodically, lyrically, and vocally, Tha Boy Myles is smooth, and it is this quality that is most attractive about his first project.
Debuting with “Boma”, back in March, Tha Boy Myles came out with a lead single that drew industry attention, with its catchy details and stunning production, courtesy of Qasebeatz. Heavily Afrobeat-inspired instrumentation – with it’s fast-tempo percussion and chorus-chanted adlibs – is boldly complemented by an electronic dance break on the hook of “Boma”, indicating a budding genre dexterity in Myles. Considering his tracks his infinity stones – as if the ‘Mylestone’ pun wasn’t enough – each record on this project brings its own unique contribution to the love song soundscape, without ever losing the coherence of the tape. “It’s all about love” with Tha Boy Myles. From professing his infatuation on “Bop Love” to begging for a girl not to leave him as he leaves us with the album closer, “Stay”, Myles is at full capacity when he is singing affections. This is a pocket that has already earned him commercial success, with “Shima” becoming a staple on the radio.
Though he might not have the zeal for sociopolitical topics as the Kutis, or acclaim to sing gratefully and gracefully of his many achievements as Wizkid does, what Myles does share with these artists who inspire his sound, is a passion for live instrumental performances. With less than three months in the public eye, Myles has already released a “Boma” live rehearsal clip and a live performance video of “Shima”. When things are back open, he’s an artist you’ll definitely want to catch.
Phaemous
Over the last five years, a creative network of sorts has emerged out of Abuja. Led by iconoclasts like Lady Donli, Psycho YP, and the Iwar brothers, the city has carved a reputation as a haven for indie and exploratory sounds as well as a thriving metropolis for innovative photographers like the tragically passed Tony Zitta and the internationally recognised producer, Ransom Beatz. R&B singer Phaemous, is also a presence on the scene, operating with varying degrees of regularity since at least 2018 when his smoothly-layered “Devil In California”-interpolating single, “Devil On My Shoulder”, made a big splash and established him as one to look out for within the Abuja musical ecosystem. Marinated in personal drama and angst, Phaemous’ brand of R&B is inspired by the oft-tenebrous brand of the genre popularized by global icons like The Weeknd and Bryson Tiller.
Despite taking inspiration from these artists, Phaemous still remains fiercely identifiable as a Nigerian, singing in a distinctive Nigerian cadence and spicing up his music with identifiable lingo. In 2019, he joined with Blaqbonez and Psycho YP for “Cruise Control”. a mid-tempo love anthem that paired Blaq’s syrupy drawl with YP’s infectious sing-rapping. Phaemous’ music ascends a notch when collaborating with fellow Abuja-based creatives as “Ex-Cuses”, a collaboration with Drayko, and “Elu” featuring UCee proved, with the latter seeing the singer move ever closer to the sort of salacious lyricism that populates Nigerian pop.
On his recent debut tape, ‘PHÆWAY Vol. 1’, the singer melds the R&B/soul influence of his earlier work with the neo-pop elements he has acquired over years of experimentation to create a balanced body of work that marks a creative breakthrough for him. At ease tenderly trilling over simple piano chords that ascend with his notes as he is making pop hooks, Phaemous made a project that bore the stamp of the two years it took to craft. “I explored my Gemini ego with a touch of Greek mythology, which symbolises the spiritual connection I have with my music,” he said about the project in an interview with Music In Africa. On “Running (Intro)”, the singer is at his most reflective, repurposing a story about seeking love to fit in with his broader feeling of wanderlust. On “Violet”, another addition to the canon of collaboration between Phaemous and Drayko, the duo lay their lovelorn feelings over a dim trappy beat. Working with smartly engineered minimalist beats that accentuate his vocals, Phaemous proves on ‘PHÆWAY Vol. 1’ that narrative can thrive even within the dance-ready music leanings of the Nigerian market.
Wojumi is a bad bitch & she’s going to brag about it. Tweet her your latest cultural exploits @dewoju
@walenchi Is A Lagos-Based Writer Interested In The Intersection Of Popular Culture, Music, And Youth Lifestyle.
