A 1-listen review of A-Q’s ‘GOLDEN’

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Last year, A-Q claimed he might be done releasing albums. It was a difficult proposition to believe, not just because rappers in general barely ever retire from putting together bodies of work, but also for the fact that A-Q always seems have something to say on wax. A heady lyricist with an opinionated streak, it was always a matter of when—and never if—the rap veteran would make his full-length return.

With very little build-up A-Q has just released his new album, ‘GOLDEN’. Earlier this week, he announced the impending arrival of a body of work, giving away the date and keeping all other details under wraps. This sort of furtive, laidback approach to dropping music is the latest indication that A-Q is secure in his status as a cult hero in Nigerian rap music, a position he’s fully embraced with recent releases and achievements.

In 2020, he put out two excellent projects, ‘God’s Engineering’ and ‘The Live Report’ with M.I Abaga; the former won Best Rap Album at the last edition of the Headies. With its unfussy rollout, and as the follow-up to an impressive run from the previous year, the stakes for ‘Golden’ isn’t exactly well-defined. What is sure is, A-Q has a few things to say and it’s time to listen.

In usual 1-listen review fashion, all reactions are in real time while the music plays. No pauses, rewinds, fast-forwards or skips.

“Abraham’s Blessings (feat. BabyBoyParis)”

Seven tracks on a solo Q project, he seems to be getting more succinct as he ages. This piano chords are heavenly, but there’s something about BabyBoyParis in autotune that was initially jarring. This is aspirational, his singing has that familiarity of many male Nigerian pop singers. A-Q sounds so assured without being aggressive, this is growth. He’s found solace in the spiritual teachings of Christianity, and I love how casually he brags about being an executive. Shout-out to Blaqbonez’s success, Q bet on him big. The beginning of this second verse is a bit more vulnerable, but he’s back to being invincible. “Best rap album, I did it without a single” is a hard flex. Great intro.

“Shoot the Messenger”

I can tell this is a BeatsbyJayy beat from just the piano sample flip. I don’t know how I feel about these drums, yet. This is about last October’s protests against police brutality, but it doesn’t feel urgent enough for my liking. Too many namedrops if you ask me, but shout-outs to Oxlade and Mr. Macaroni. “As far as feminism goes, our government should learn from feminist co.” I can bet that line would turn controversial even though it’s not. This is a chronological recall of events but it’s just not hitting. Ehh, I don’t like that ending sequence of rapping from a fatal victim’s perspective. Not a song I’ll come back to, but it’s forever R.I.P to those the general killed at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.

“Breathe” (feat. Chike)

Chike on an A-Q, never would’ve seen it coming, but he did feature Ric Hassani on ‘Blessed Forever’ so there’s some precedence. I like his helium-tinged vocals, the giddy drum bounce sounds more appropriate here. Some very honest introspection going on, he’s come so far from the loud-mouthed underground rapper even though he can still project a brash persona every now and then. People who understand how deeply rotten Nigeria is and still choose to have kids here are superheroes. A-Q has a disdain for stupidity and faking flexing on the gram, that much is clear from this second verse. Chike doesn’t do too much on this song but he elevates it, will revisit this one.

“HeLa”

This album is running just shy of Usain Bolt at full speed. Jayy on soul sample flips is a cheat code, A-Q is walking across these phenomenal drums with purpose. He always raps with a point to drive in. “Conversations with death, I tell him before you take me better pay my respect.” There’s nothing this man doesn’t want to conquer, even death itself. That George Floyd reference made me uncomfortable. Nice interlude, keeps things moving.

“System Failure”

A soundbite I don’t recognise, I affiliate this with M.I. A choir is being sampled here, sounds like a redux version of what Kanye would’ve done in his ‘808 & Heartbreak’ days. No crooning here, though, A-Q is a walking definition of rap cadences and nearly no melodies. Q can actually be very preachy, he has a clear chagrin for world problems that can easily be solved. Okay! This drum bounce switch is IT. This second verse is like Q read a bunch of globalist and socialist manifestos and he’s committing it to wax. Honestly, I’m not even mad at it because I agree with some of it. “The concept of money is flawed” is a line every crypto investor will raise hands to, LOL. I like this, Q’s socially observant songs can veer into conspiracies but there’s little of that here.

“Hardwired”

Sossick produced this, it’s the one I’ve been itching to hear the most. I don’t like this flow over this immaculate sample, the drum actually balances things out. Heh, I don’t like that Jhene Aiko-referencing line, but I get it within the context of the song’s theme. “Y’all sound like broken records but records are meant to be broken” is the sort of half-convoluted, half-poignant lyricism I love from A-Q. That Feminist coven line was unnecessary, I thought we moved past all this. “Y’all saying you want the smoke, but you came with nicotine patches”. That’s a solid bar. I kinda like this, mellow soul-sampling hip-hop with some formidable rapping. Will revisit.

“Read the Room”

Final song. That’s Michelle Obama’s husband’s voice, he has a distinct tone. The piano chords on this tape have been a joy to behold. First time I’m hearing grease-fish hi-hats on this project, and the bass has some sauce to it. Does Q ever really take advice from anybody? Maybe. It’s not that he comes across as unreasonable, he’s just seems arrogant enough to stick by his guns. He’s come this far by being largely self-sufficient so I get it. Yeah, this is personal and I like it. The urgency in this double-time flow is riveting. “When social media comes for you, you won’t survive it/they will lash at you” is a line that stuck out to me some seconds ago. I really like this. Social critiquing that is thoughtful and personally linked, good writing and storytelling. Great way to close.

Final Thoughts

Throughout his career, A-Q has always been the sort of rap artist who takes every opportunity to assert himself and rebel against systems he deems as unfavourable. ‘GOLDEN’ is the latest addition to his unyielding catalogue, packed with self-serving proclamations and steadfast indictments of society. It’s the work of a man whose main concerns have shifted considerably; he’s no longer entirely focused on proving his worth to an establishment that presses against lyricists, he’s more interested in enforcing his worldview in the face of social and political systems he sees as defective.

Here, he references marquee protests from the last year and diagnoses the gross imbalance capitalism engenders. He also raps of his technical superiority and details the increased personal security Christian spirituality has helped him with. ‘GOLDEN’ is an of-the-moment project, curated by a weary and observant mind who’s taken stock of the happenings since his last put out music. At times, it gets preachy but it’s never unbearable because the purpose of these songs are always clear.

With all the positives going for it, ‘GOLDEN’ doesn’t mark any artistic or thematic leaps for A-Q. The beats, mainly supplied by close collaborator BeatsByJayy, lean into his recently emboldened preference for soul samples, and the rapping remains sturdy, wordy, declarative and sometimes provocative. Lasting just shy of the twenty-minute mark, ‘GOLDEN’ is the equivalent of a status update; it’s not an entirely riveting statement, but it’s serviceable enough to make for a complete thought.

Listen to ‘GOLDEN’ here.

@dennisadepeter is a staff writer at the NATIVE.

NATIVE EXCLUSIVE: A-Q IS MOVING FROM VETERAN RAPPER TO LEADER OF A RENAISSANCE

NATIVE Premiere: SOLIS returns with “body signal”

Posted on by Adewojumi Aderemi

Though SOLIS is a well-established musical act within the underground alternative music scene in Nigeria, her official solo releases have been rather sparse since she made her debut on Odunsi (The Engine)’s momentous, ‘rare.‘ First gaining popularity through her YouTube covers and “type beat” freestyles, SOLIS is more comfortable with informal releases and the unstructured, DIY production process behind this method of distribution; her debut body of work, titled ‘Ruled by Venus, Unfortunately‘, a perfect example of how SOLIS’ unfiltered, unadulterated vocalism and lyricism fits so seamlessly within this Bedroom Pop canon.

Since those six tracks in August, SOLIS has continued to enchant listeners strictly via Instagram, guarding her new music closely, whilst still feeding her fans’ appetite for her magnetic voice. But, with the advent of “Body Signal”, which premieres on NATIVE here and now, SOLIS is ready to once more step onto the dance floor with another mouthwatering record.

Produced by Suté Iwar “Body Signal” sounds like an early summer night, every bit as dreamy and wistful as SOLIS’ vocal and lyrics, which gracefully glide across the upper register, setting the scene for her evening affair. With a skilful soprano delivery, SOLIS invokes the power of the moon and its tides to help her win over a potential lover for the night (she explicitly states she doesn’t want him for life).

Promising a love as sweet and tender as her voice, the triumphant melody of the song’s chorus suggests the success of SOLIS’ “Body Signal”, subtle, elemental moves that are painted through the mid-tempo waves of this transient pop song. SOLIS’ first wide spread release since December 2019, “Body Signal” at once coddles listeners in the familiarity of the singer’s tone, but also reveals evolved skills in lyrical depth and her varied vocal styles across the song’s three minutes. Premiering with The NATIVE, SOLIS shares the feelings which she wishes to evoke with the record,”of letting go and freeing one’s mind,” she says, before further explaining: “Oftentimes, we get so caught in our heads about what we look like, whether we’re standing out, if we’re doing too much or too little, and so on, and these thoughts distort the purity of our energy. On this record, I wanted myself and my listeners to simply sit back and let our energy, our signals, flow through naturally. Whoever catches it was meant to catch it.”

How would you describe your journey through time since ‘Ruled by Venus, Unfortunately’?

I think I’m a lot more in tune with the bigger aspects of the industry now. Before, I was all about my writing and the intimacy of my music, which is still very sacred and dear to me, but I’ve also had to sit up and ask myself important questions. [Music] is what I want to do for the rest of my life, so I have to learn the business.

Where was the last place you fell in love?

This question is so funny and fitting because I fall in love every 3 working days. But honestly, the last place I fell in love was on the dance floor, about a week ago. And on that day I fell in love with myself, deeply. I was out at this lounge with my friends, under a few influences, and it had been the first night in over a month I had been out and I had missed it so much – more than anything, I missed dancing! I danced for hours and hours non-stop that night. My partners changed, the music changed, conversations came and left like fleeting moments of a dream, but the dancing never stopped. That night the company was great – I did meet someone I think could be special – but above all else I fell in love with my energy, my aura, my ability to leave everything on the floor. I am the main character in this story.

If you could command one element, which would it be?

Being an air sign, I’d probably say air haha. I think I could make myself fly with that, right? That would be really cool. I could also really mess with people’s heads which is always a good time. Also thinking about it, Aang [The Avatar State] was the main character so it only makes sense I’m him in this scenario, right?

What was your last dream?

Last night I had a dream that XXXTentacion was staying over at my house, which was an Air BnB and then we fell in love and I would sneak him up into my room at night. This was very weird because I have not thought about him a day in my life.

Where is your favourite place to record?

I will record in any space that has good energy, to be honest. I don’t have much of a preference, but I do love recording myself in my room, it gives me a lot of control and I could re-record the same line 100 times until I think it is perfect, haha.

Who have you been listening to since you released ‘RBV,U‘?

This is super tough, I listen to at least 5 new artists a week but I guess the ones I have rinsed the most are Sade, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Mereba, Willow Smith/The Anxiety, Bon Iver, Hope Tala, Arlo Parks and generally a lot of 80’s funk music.

Who have you been working with?

I’ve been working with a lot of the boys from FOREVATIRED and that has been the most natural and fun process for me because they get me and the type of music I want to make. They are also super experimental and down to try anything which is super important for me creatively. I’ve also worked with producers/artists like LMBSKN, DAP the Contract, Suté Iwar and a few others, all of which have been a joy. I’m just really enjoying creating music right now.

What does the rest of the year have in store for SOLIS and her fans?

I am super happy to say my debut [album] will finally be coming out this year. We might get another single, but more than anything, I am beyond elated that the project will be coming out because it is a story that I think needs to be told, and that I think will heal many of the ears that it reaches. We might get some beautiful visuals from it too.

Love or lust?

I would say love, because love is the answer to everything. But lust is fun, and I’m a fun girl too.

Listen to “Body Signal” via your service of choice here.

Images by Danielle Mbonu

ICYMI:BEST NEW MUSIC: SMALLGOD UNITES HEADIE ONE, O’KENNETH, KWAKU DMC & LP2LOOSE FOR “SINNER”

WurlD’s features Amaarae and Erica Banks “Bossy Part II”

Posted on by Adewojumi Aderemi

WurlD has been on his ‘AFROSOUL‘ journey for a whole year now. Coming out with the original 7-track project on May 15 last year, the unique fusion project was given the deluxe treatment in November with two new songs entering the top end of the tape, “BOSSY” and “CHOP ‘N’ PRAY”. The former track, featuring Kida Kudz and a voice over intro and outro from Cuppy, at the time of release, earned our pick as ‘Best New Music’ for its favourable redefining of the term “bossy” which is often used with insulting, misogynistic intentions. As WurlD refits the standout track with an Amaarae and Erica Banks remix, “Bossy Part II” retains all its original appeal. In fact, it exceeds it.

Going straight into WurlD’s verse at the song’s opening, though the original began with Cuppy demanding her lover’s presence, “Bossy Part II” remix starts off on similar notes to its ‘AFROSOUL (Deluxe)‘ edition. Again, WurlD is complementary of his muse and her financial buoyancy, appreciating his luck being the one she chooses when she wants that “yum yum yum,” considering her abundance of suitors. After the song’s first chorus, like the original, Kida Kudz’s signature accent swoops onto the song, before Erica Banks steals the verse from beneath his feet with just the kind of bossy grace WurlD has spent the song’s introduction describing.

Delivering a characteristically bold verse, Texan born Erica Banks, sets the bar high ahead of the Amaarae verse that acts as the main draw to the remix, as is always the case when her name appears in the credits. Manifesting the jet-setting of our dreams, which seem unattainable thanks to the ‘Rona (it has nothing to do with our pockets), Amaarae delivers fun, flirty bars that live up to our expectations, as usual.

Originally led by WurlD, both Amaarae’s and Erica Banks’ verses make for appealing additions to the record, especially as all their deliveries differ, giving the groovy beat a variety of flavours and WurlD’s characters a variety of faces. Where Erica Banks plays the “Bossy” muse WurlD speaks of, trading lines over the song’s second chorus, Amaarae joins WurlD in singing to the song’s subject, harmonising with WurlD as they both repeat, “she bossy!“

Featured Image Credits: WulrD/Instagram

ICYMI: NATIVE PREMIERE: SOLIS RETURNS WITH “BODY SIGNAL”

What’s Going On: Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, AU supports power grab in Chad & more

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Our Latest Column, “What’s Going On”, Will Tally Notable News Headlines From Across The Continent — The Good, The Bad, And The Horrible — As A Way Of Ensuring That We All Become A More Sagacious African Generation. With This Column, We’re Hoping To Disseminate The Latest Happenings In Our Socio-Political Climate All Over The Continent, Whilst Starting A Conversation About What’s Important For Us To All Discuss. From Political Affairs To Socio-Economic Issues, ‘What’s Going On’, Will Discuss Just That. 

Every so often, we have to remind other parts of the world that Africa is not a country. This is not entirely due to the fact that a  significant portion of people in those parts are unenlightened, as continent-wide similarities when it comes to social, political, and economic issues leave us wondering whether Africa is a country too. For one, Africa is teeming with corrupt and inept leaders—many of them dictators—who have failed to invest in meaningful infrastructure, all while derailing and rejecting systemic change through violent means if necessary. In addition to this, they are fully aided by deeply patriarchal, religion deferring, and ultra-conservative social constructs, that ensure that these harmful systems are in place.

At the same time cross the continent, the current generation of African youth are pushing against these systemic boundaries, in order to continue the arduous work of rewriting the narrative. Even with all of the endeavours, talent and records being witnessed from music to tech, the limitations put in place by the continent’s political landscape still looms large. Every week, disparaging headlines from around Africa make their way to the news, reminding us of the bumps affecting these perceived stripes, and the roadblocks which delay our growth towards more wholesome and enabling societies for all Africans. Below are few news bits of what’s been going in on in the past few days.

African Union supports unconstitutional power grab in Chad

A month ago, Chad’s long serving President Idriss Deby was pronounced dead. At the time of his passing, Deby had been president for three decades and was getting set for his sixth consecutive 5-year term in office. Within hours of his death, a transitional military council led by the former president’s son, General Mahmat Idriss Deby, took over executive duties of the country. The move is unconstitutional, seeing as Chad’s constitution stipulates that the Parliament speaker should take charge of presidential duties in the demise of a sitting president.

The transitional military council has capitalised on former President Deby’s autocratic ruling style, even though disguised as democracy, installing itself into power and allotting eighteen months as the period of its duties before elections can be held. Chadians haven’t hidden their chagrin at the military’s power grab, turning out in protests across the country’s capital, N’Djamena, earlier this month. In true African fashion, the military banned protests and brave citizens who took to the streets anyways were met with brutal, state-sanctioned show of force by the police, including the use of tear gas to break up gatherings.

Instead of reprimanding the military council for taking power unconstitutionally and violating the rights of protesters, the African Union has chosen to lend its support to Mahmat Deby-led council. A fact-finding mission sent to Chad had set out six options for the AU to recommend to Chad, including urging the military to share power with a civilian president, however, the union has chosen to “support the transition process in N’Djamena”. Usually, the events of the past months should’ve elicited reproach and even led to possible sanctions, but considering that the AU has long been committed to protecting, and turning their faces away from, the interests of dictator-styled government, the union’s stance on Chad is anything but shocking.

Kidnapping is an epidemic in Nigeria

In a statement delivered via a twitter thread earlier this month, President Muhammadu Buhari made an “appeal” for the release of the students of Greenfield University, Kaduna, who’d been abducted. Over a week prior, the bodies of two of the kidnapped students were found, bringing the total number of deceased abductees found to five. Speaking on Channels Television on Sunday evening, Ahmad Gumi, controversial Islamic cleric and apparent negotiator to the bandit gangs perpetrating the abductions, claimed that the Greenfield students have yet to be released because the set of bandits involved in this abduction seem to have ties with terrorist group boko haram.

Since late last year, the abduction of students from various levels of educational institutions has become a frequent occurrence in the northern part of Nigeria. Usually, the bandits request a ridiculous sum of money from the government, after which the abducted are released once those demands are met. However, Gumi’s claim that the bandits involved in kidnapping the Greenfield students are linked with Boko Haram complicates things even further. Over the years since establishing itself as a radical, insurgent force, boko haram has terrorised northern Nigeria, infamously abducting 276 students from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno state back in 2014.  That incident is symbolic of the ways boko haram has run amok in the region, and there are contentions that such incidents continued to happen afterwards but were seriously underreported.

It’s arguable that boko haram paved the way for bandit groups to target schools and kidnap students, with about half a dozen instances making it to mainstream media over the last few months. These incidents have caused uproar from the Nigerian citizenry, who also aren’t convinced by the government’s response, especially with how they’ve consistently failed to stem boko haram. So far the government has seemed to accede to bandits’ demands on a few occasions, emboldening the kidnap of students since the rewards seem to be quite high. President Buhari’s “appeal” is extremely weak in a time where definite measures need to be taken to stamp this practice of banditry out.

There’s also fears that the latest bout of cases of abductions are being underreported, especially since it’s mostly affecting one region of the country. For those living in the southern part, these cases are only acknowledged when reports filter through. Also, there’s a rise in insecurity everywhere in Nigeria, which is making it increasingly difficult to only focus on the north. At that, it is important to note that the rampant nature of kidnapping is a humanitarian crisis that demands our full attention and outrage. Kidnapping is a nationwide epidemic that keeps growing every day, and a constant clamour for the government, and even external forces, to better secure (Northern) Nigeria is currently the best way to avert this crisis.

Tigray is still being persecuted

The ongoing war—genocide seems more fitting—in Tigray, Ethiopia is violent representation of the popular saying, when two elephants fight it’s the grass that suffers. What initially started as a political standoff between the Tigray’s People Liberation Front (TPLF), the political party representing the Tigray region, and the Ethiopian government has deteriorated into a targeted humanitarian crisis aimed at regular Tigrayans. With armed assistance from neighbouring Eritrean troops and local, informal forces with tribal motivation, the situation has caused forced displacement of people from their homes, torture for young men, and gross sexual abuse on women of varying ages.

“The situation in Tigray, Ethiopia, is, if I use one word, horrific. Very horrific,” World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a news conference on Monday. “Many people have started dying actually because of hunger, and severe and acute malnutrition is becoming rampant.” Ghebreyesus went on to add that rape is rampant, and there’s barriers to getting humanitarian aid into Tigray, claiming that the Ethiopian government is using all avenues as weapons of war with little regards to how it affects the most vulnerable in the region.

At the moment, there’s no proof of Eritrean troops vacating the region, even though their presence and aid in the atrocities has been widely condemned by the global community. Also, in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s bid to fully centralise power, the Ethiopian government is still pushing for national elections while violence continues within its border. It’s another reminder that lives are being lost and people are being cruelly persecuted for political and ethnic reasons, which, sadly, is commonplace in Africa’s political landscape.

Congo declares end to latest Ebola outbreak, amidst allegations of sexual assault by aid workers

Since it was first identified in 1976, the Ebola viral disease has had twelve different outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, making the African country the worst hit by the disease. In February, the latest outbreak was first detected in the eastern province of North Kivu, where the previous epidemic lasted for 22 months, only ended last June and claimed over 2,000 lives. By contrast, the just ended outbreak claimed six lives, and was largely eradicated due to vaccination drives by local health workers.

“Huge credit must be given to the local health workers and the national authorities for their prompt response, tenacity, experience and hard work that brought this outbreak under control”, WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said in a statement. She went on to admonish for continued vigilance against future outbreaks, and a use of the growing expertise in emergency medical response to address other health threats facing the country, including the Covid-19 pandemic.

The celebrations, though, have now been interjected by new reports of sexual abuse being perpetrated by male aid workers. Nearly two dozen women have come forward alleging unwanted sexual advances and rape by male aid workers, who offered jobs in exchange for sex. According to reports, several women became pregnant after these heinous sexual encounters, with one woman confirmed dead following a botched abortion in an attempt to conceal the pregnancy from her husband and children. In the 14 claims, three of the seven organisations the men claimed to represent are United Nation agencies, and most of the aid workers are Congolese.

Dennis is a staff writer at the NATIVE. Send me pertinent headlines @dennisadepeter

FOR US BY US: DESTIGMATISING DRUG USE IN NIGERIA

Songs of the Day: New Music from Olamide, Elaine, Kwesi Arthur & more

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

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.

In line with our goal of curating content for our community, our “Songs of the Day” column curates some of the most essential recent releases for your reading and listening pleasure. After a short break effected by the Eid public holidays, we’re back to put you on some of the best releases around. Today’s curation includes new drops from Olamide, Elaine, Yemi Alade, Kida Kudz and more. Dig in, enjoy and you’re welcome.

Olamide – “Rock”

Over a decade into his legendary career, Olamide is still as prolific as ever. Just over six months after his acclaimed last album, ‘Carpe Diem’, the rapper is getting set to drop a new full-length, ‘UY Scuti’, named after the largest star in the universe. Ahead of its mid-June release, he’s shared its lead single “Rock”, a romantic cut where he bares his affections to a love interest. Singing over groovy but relatively mellow production, Olamide lets his tender side shine, reminiscent of classic love songs in his catalogue like “Melo Melo”. The accompanying video hones in on the dance-ready elements of the song, focusing on a dancer pulling off energetic moves before going on to join Olamide at the end of the video as the love interest being sung about.

Blxckie & Nasty C – “Ye X4”

South African rap superstar-in-waiting Blxckie is gearing up to release his debut full-length, ‘B4NOW’, this Friday. Ahead of the project, he’s shared a few singles, and he recently added the highly anticipated Nasty C-assisted “Ye X4” to the line of pre-release drops. Named after Blxckie’s signature adlib, the two rappers combine for an ultra-boastful banger, lauding their varying levels of prominence in SA’s rap scene and sending out cutthroat bars to unbelievers. Over spacey piano synths and a thunderous bass pattern, Blxckie raves about his rising worth and Nasty C growls of his unimpeachable star power.

Elaine – “Right Now”

On the back of her lauded debut project, ‘Elements’, and its blockbuster single, “You’re the One”, Elaine emerged as the latest bright beacon in South Africa’s current, creatively thriving R&B space. In the eighteen months since, the singer has been quiet on new music front, but she’s clearly readying her next project. On her new single, “Right Now”, Elaine is at her most assertive yet, waving off an unfaithful partner and choosing to end things permanently rather than entertain any emotionally manipulative moves to patch the relationship up. In the accompanying video for “Right Now”, Elaine is seen living her best life alongside her girlfriends, capturing the self-sustaining energy of resonant lyric lines like, “I’m in my bag right now/I can’t afford to lose right now”.

Femi One – “Adonai” (feat. Bern Mziki)

For an artist who’s scored multiple big singles and has been a staple of Kenyan rap for a minute, Femi One’s debut album can be described as overdue. She’s gearing up to release her first LP, ‘Greatness’, and while there’s no definite release date set just yet, she’s already dropped its lead single. “Adonai”, with its obvious religious reference, is a celebratory song where Femi One attributes her life and fortunes to the guidance of the Higher Power she defers to. While she exclusively raps in Kiswahili, and the hook is sung by Bern Mziki, her spiritually reverent motives are palpable in the performance.

Kwesi Arthur – “Winning” (feat. Vic Mensa)

Vic Mensa’s visits to Ghana and South Africa spawned several collaborations with artists in both countries, the strongest of them is arguably his feature on Ghanaian rapper Kwesi Arthur’s “Winning”, a brash drill thumper where both rappers state their commitment to constant success. Kwesi Arthur leads the way with a repetitive hook and an exuberant verse touting the achievement of himself and those around him. Vic Mensa follows with a fiery rap verse, bragging about being financially secure and disrespectfully dismissing those who don’t mix with his driven lifestyle. The accompanying video captures the song’s frenzied energy, showing both rappers spitting their verses in dimly lit settings.

Sho Madjozi – “Jamani”

Following the release of the music video for “Shahumba”, South African singer/rapper Sho Madjozi has shared the video for “Jamani” as the latest promotional drop for late last year’s ‘What A Life’. On a project that leaned into Jaar Electronic and Gqom, “Jamani” was something of an outlier, being the only Amapiano song but it’s grown into a fan favourite. The video, shot in Kenya, highlights the song’s suitability for dancefloor purposes, showing Sho Madjozi and backing dancers as they pull off vibrant dance moves at a buzzing hangout spot at night.

Yemi Alade – “Dancina”

In support of her fifth studio album, ‘Empress’, Yemi Alade has been dropping music video for select songs off the project. The latest is a set of visuals for “Dancina”, an up-tempo song where the singer performs snappy catchphrases over an Afro-House beat and generally encourages listeners to dance and live in the moment. “Dancina” continues Yemi Alade’s known preference for packing her visuals with energetic, choreographed dance moves and colourful outfits, as she and her cast of backup dancers capture the song’s light-hearted verve.

Kida Kudz – “Ball Till We Fall” (feat. Bella Shmurda)

On paper, Kida Kudz and Bella Shmurda seem like a great match; on wax, they actually are. “Ball Till We Fall”, the new collaborative single from the pair coins in on the visible similarities in their delivery styles, which blend Fuji-inspired melodies, rap cadences, street-smart lyricism and catchy songwriting to varying levels. On the song, they flaunt their affluence and street cred, linking it to the most obvious Afropop cliché: their desirability amongst women. “I got something wey go make your head burst/dem other guys can’t do it like us”, Kida sings on his verse, setting the tone for Bella Shmurda to sing about groupies wanting to fly out with no visa.

Suté Iwar & Tay Iwar – “Swayy”

Last September, Abuja-based polymath Suté Iwar released ‘Colors’, an impressive EP delving into the intricacies of romantic situations. Later this month, he’ll be following up with the release of a new album, ‘199X’, and he’s already building anticipation with lead singles. “Swayy”, the third single over the past three weeks, features brother and fellow polymath Tay Iwar. On the groovy self-produced song, Suté only shows up for a handful of lines, ceding the floor Tay’s ever immaculate vocals as he ruminates on self-worth and betting on himself instead of adhering to the lies “they” told him. “If I told you all the lies they told me, would you think I’m moving in the right direction?” Tay questions, ultimately relishing the scenic path he’s travelled over the course of his career.

@dennisadepeter is a staff writer at the NATIVE.

ICYMI: ANTICIPATING THE RETURN OF LIVE SHOWS

Best New Music: Smallgod unites Headie One, O’Kenneth, Kwaku DMC & LP2Loose for “Sinner”

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

When pictures of Headie One visiting Ghana surfaced on the timeline a few weeks ago, it was expected that the rapper had not only linked with local Drill artists—specifically those in Kumasi—but had also collaborated with them on wax. Facilitated and headlined by Ghanaian producer Smallgod, we can now hear the result of that meeting on “Sinner”, a gritty new number that finds the North London mcee join ranks with O’Kenneth and Kwaku DMC, both prominent names in Kumasi Drill, as well as fellow British Driller LP2Loose.

These four heavyweights come together for a cross-continental slapper that brings a healthy balance of potent technical proficiency with an aura of levity. Without feeling forced, “Sinner” finds the four rappers spinning quips about their rockstar lifestyle, revelling in various types of pleasures—materialistic, hedonistic, fatalistic. “Oh Lord I’m a sinner/I’m stuck in my ways, I’m a driller”, O’Kenneth chants on the instant repeat-worthy hook, his confession coming across as gleeful instead of remorseful. His colleagues follow suit, all sounding thrilled to list out the vices they indulge in without seeking any absolution.

In his stunning verse, Kwaku DMC admits to kneeling and praying to the Lord for being a savage and sinner, but his unrepentance is glaring in lines where he claims to link with “5 bad bitches”, and rhymes Breaking Bad with “breaking law”. Much like his other excellent features, Kwaku conveys supreme confidence in his verse, rapping with slack-jawed rhythmicity that falls right into the pocket of the fast-ticking beat. On this song, he and O’Kenneth’s contributions are symbolic of Kumasi Drill’s continued evolution with respect to the forebears that inspired the scene.

An obvious touchstone for the Drill music coming out of Kumasi is African-American culture. Widely referred to as Kumerica—an amalgamation of Kumasi and America—the scene is packed with rappers who consistently reference the Bloods street gang sect, namedrop popular American streetwear brands, and even wear their American Drill influences on their sleeves. At the same time, there’s a musical connective tissue between the increasingly distinct style of Drill being made in Kumasi and UK Drill music.

In his tragically short but hugely impact career, Pop Smoke (R.I.P) became a global source of inspiration for budding Drill artists, Kumerica rappers included. While he indented his songs with the recognisable and unflappable Brooklyn swagger, pioneering Brooklyn Drill in the process, Pop Smoke famously worked with UK Drill producers, whose fusion of oddball samples and foundation-shaking bass provided both sublime melody and grimy knock. Within this sonic framework, Drill songs could be brash, menacing, groovy, catchy, and everything in between. Kumasi Drill has adapted this musical ethos and continues to refine it to resonate even more with locals, without losing its global appeal.

“Sinner” is a blistering example of that slightly twisted bridge between UK Drill and Kumasi drill. Smallgod’s beat is uncluttered but also booming, comprising an immaculate piano sample riff, greasy hi-hats, reverb echoes and stomping bass. There’s enough negative space to accentuate the hassle-free flows of the Ghanaian contingent, and it has enough momentum to rival the faster-paced delivery of the UK rappers. Rapping with his trademark deadpan fervour, Headie’s verse leans heavily into his star power, referencing Louis Vuitton duffle bags filled with cash, hitters for hire, a Ghanaian girl on his speed dial named Akos, and “street niggas turnt entrepreneurs”.

LP2Loose closes out proceedings with a high octane verse visualising the ways he can (and will) violently see to his opps. He’s also reverential of Kumerica, underlining the obvious sense of kinship that fuels this song, even though there’s a clear contrast in style. “Sinner” is a blistering example of the possibilities for collaborations between Ghanaian drillers and UK drillers, and perhaps could be a blueprint because there will undoubtedly be more collabs between players from both scenes.

Watch the video for “Sinner” here.

@dennisadepeter is a staff writer at the NATIVE.

BEST NEW MUSIC: YAW TOG IS TAKING ASAKAA TO THE WORLD WITH “SORE (REMIX)” FEATURING KWESI ARTHUR AND STORMZY

TurnTable Top 50: Ladipoe’s “Feeling” makes instant top ten debut

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Ladipoe’s revival is here. The rapper/songwriter’s latest single, “Feeling” is a growing fan favourite and Ladipoe just might be in the running for song of the summer for the second year in a row. About a week after achieving the feat, “Feeling” is still at the top of Apple Music’s Top 100: Nigeria, but if you consider that metric insular, the song’s No. 6 launch position on TurnTable’s Top 50 chart is nothing to scoff at. Without an official music video, “Feeling” makes its top ten entry on the back of 770,000 streams across freemium streaming platforms and 35.01 million radio impressions.

For the second week running, Burna Boy’s “Kilometre” sits at the summit of the Top 50. The Grammy Award winner’s latest single has been garnering worldwide attention since its late April release, and its current chart-topping position proves that the song is receiving just as much love amongst listeners in Nigeria. This week, streaming numbers for “Kilometre” significantly reduced, however, it increased both Radio Airplay impressions and TV reach to remain No. 1 on the Top 50.

Wizkid and Tems’ “Essence” is at No. 2 this week, moving up one spot from its previous position. Blaqbonez’s “Bling” follows closely, ascending to a new peak of No. 3 as a result of increases in streaming activity, radio reach and TV reach. Cheque and Fireboy DML’s “History” spends a third straight week at No. 4, while Gyakie and Omah Lay’s “Forever (Remix)” rounds out this week’s top five, falling three spots from its previous No. 2 position. Jae5’s “Dimension”, featuring Rema and Skepta, continues to be a mainstay in the top ten, entering this week at No. 7 after falling two spots from its former peak position.

Adekunle Gold’s “It Is What It is”, the lead single from his upcoming album, enters the top ten at No. 8, rising three places from its No. 11 debut position last week. Rounding out the top ten for this week is Peruzzi and Davido’s “Somebody Baby” (No. 9), and Dangbana Republik & Bella Shmurda’s “Rush” (No. 10), which moves four spots up from last week.

You can take a look at the full rundown here.

@dennisadepeter is a staff writer at the NATIVE.

BEST NEW MUSIC: LADIPOE LANDS ANOTHER HIT WITH “FEELING”

NATIVE Exclusive: Ozedikus talks upbringing, early musical days & growth as a producer

Posted on by The Native

When Ozedikus talks about how the earliest years of his life were split between worrying about making it to school in his little village in Edo and contributing his quota on his maternal grandparents’ farm, he does it with a casual acceptance that his calm speaking voice only amplifies. To the producer, that routine was one of those things. In fact, when he speaks about all of his growing up years, the move from Edo to Lagos to live with his military father, moving into the barracks, and moving out of the barracks, he recounts it surgically, giving the details in calm, measured bits without over-romanticising or glossing over details. “That’s just how life was,” he remembers, his voice carrying evenly over the distance bridged by our Zoom call.

All these experiences have directly – and indirectly – carried Ozedikus, born Igbinoba Osaze, into the path of music. Sometime after moving outside Ojo Barracks, his dad urged him to get piano lessons and it began his fascination with music, starting with playful competitions among his contemporaries in the area before music –  playing instruments for churches –  morphed into a source of livelihood as he transitioned to teenagehood. Searching for a medium to further express himself delivered Ozedikus to a DIY studio in the Ojo area called Much More Studio, where met a young Crayon and Soft; united by a voracious appetite for music, Ozedikus and Crayon formed a musical alliance that was going to change their life and take them to the center of Nigerian pop.

 

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Almost halfway into our conversation, there is barely a pause or stop to reflect on Ozedikus’ end when I ask him what he considers the biggest song he has made is. “Dumebi”, the soft-spoken producer offers earnestly. It is not a stretch of imagination to say that even within afropop’s galaxy of jet-heeled breakouts, shooting stars, and viral moments, “Dumebi” signalled a subtle change in the make-up of the genre. While the song in itself is primarily a cathartic expression of Rema’s angst and lust, its scattered drum patterns and flitting melodies boil down to Ozedikus’ inspired production and it’s almost comical when you know that beat was rejected by its primary recipient.

Setbacks and rejections nonetheless, Ozedikus’ stock is on the rise and he is seeking newer ways to express himself musically, while insulating himself from the cut-throat nature of the music business. Last year, he scored another hit with Rema courtesy of the singer’s coming-of-age anthem, “Woman”. Through it all, Ozedikus still just wants to make the music that makes you feel something.

NATIVE: Tell me about your upbringing and what that was like?

Ozedikus: I grew up in Edo state. I was living with my grandparents from my mum’s side. My mum was a teacher in Benin and I’d just stay with her parents while she was working. I stayed there till I was about seven and that’s when I came to Lagos to be with my father. While I was in the village, I used to go to school part-time and work on the farm part time. I attended primary one-three in the village and when I came to Lagos I had to go back to nursery two because the standard of education in Lagos was quite different from how it was in the village.

Where did you move to in Lagos?

When I came to Lagos, my dad was still in the military so we lived in Ojo Barracks. After a few years, we moved to Okokomaiko. We lived there for a while before we moved to our permanent house around Iyana-Ira.

You talked about your dad being in the military, did that have any impact on your upbringing?

I think the biggest one was that for the earliest stages of my life, I wasn’t living with my dad. I was about nine years old before I started staying with him constantly. Also, living with him in the barracks had an impact on me because living there is a totally different way of life. A lot of people who lived there eventually don’t turn out right because of certain things and there’s also the stereotypes. Also, there are specific ways my dad being in the military has affected me that I can’t necessarily explain, but I know it had an impact on me.

How did you get into music?

I wasn’t musically-inclined till around JSS2. The church my parents attended had a branch that was right in my compound and they needed someone to play the keyboard and my dad suggested I learned how to play. They made an arrangement for someone to teach me how to play and after learning for a month, my teacher had to leave because he was a touring artist. He didn’t come back for a while and I just started linking up with friends in the area because a lot of people in the area were interested in music at that time, it was a trendy thing to do. It became a little competition to see who the best keyboardist, guitarist, and drummer was.

How did it evolve from you playing at churches to you becoming a professional musician?

Initially I was just playing in churches for the thrill of it but over time I found out that churches were willing to pay for me to play, so I was playing for different churches and getting paid. That was the first way that I was earning from music. Over time, when I went to school – an affiliation program at Federal University of Technology, Minna, that I did in Lagos – I saw that more churches were willing to pay me. I also became known as one of the top keyboardists in my area. Some of my friends in the area who were producers usually took me to the studio to play the keyboard for them during sessions and that’s how I found out about production.

Do you remember the time frame when that transition happened?

I think the first time I stepped into a studio was around 2014. That was the first time I saw how it all worked and played the keyboard for my friends in the studio. It took me an extra two years before I developed an interest in making beats because around that time to even get into production you need to have a laptop and some kit, and it was not easily accessible for me at that time. It was when I had access to a laptop two years later that I started learning production.

I read that you used to make graphic designs, how did you get into that?

It was way back before I started producing because I had a laptop and I was trying to do different things with my laptop. Usually, I’d go to my friend’s studio and when they were done working, I’d tell the artist that if they needed artwork for their music, I could do it. That’s how I started getting closer to the studio and it just spurred my interest in production.

What did your early beats sound like?

It was mostly gospel music because that’s where I was coming from. Gospel music and hip-hop were the biggest influences for me. A lot of people used to say my production sounded like church music and I think it’s just what happens when people transition from making music in the church to secular music. Over time, I just evolved and it helped that before I fully got into production my major inspiration was Masterkraft. Back then, he was a pianist for Tim Godfrey, and we used to score them to play at our own events. When I saw him transition to production, I knew it was something I could also try out. I observed him and started tweaking my sound to make it sound less churchy. 

What musicians were you working with as you made that journey into production?

Most of them were just my friends in the area, but I remember working with Crayon and Soft because we all started in the same studio (Much More Studio) at Ojo Barracks.

You’ve worked with Crayon that long?

Yes, when I was living at Ojo Barracks I didn’t have a studio to work at. I was working in the church mostly and some guys would just walk past and they used to enjoy what I made. A friend found out and said he’d take me to a proper studio to make music. He took me to Much More Studio and I met a lot of people there including Crayon. I was still learning and they taught me how to arrange recordings. Soft used to live around that area and he came around occasionally. I met Crayon while he was recording a song there and we just started working together. The first song we made was taken to radio stations and it was rejected because the quality wasn’t nice. He came back and told us to make a proper song which we did, and that’s just how our relationship started.

What was the earliest song that gave you mainstream buzz?

It was through Crayon. His song was the first one I produced that got played on radio, it was a song called “Stay Loyal”. He took the song to City FM and they tweeted it and tagged us. That’s how it all started. We did two other songs that got plays and that’s when I started getting calls from other people.

How did you get to meet Don Jazzy?

Around the time I was working with Crayon, I left the area and moved to Ojodu Berger in 2016. I was an in-house producer for a label and Crayon used to come around to work with me. We did a song then and it started to pop. A friend of Crayon played the song at the Mavin office and BabyFresh heard it. He called Crayon and asked him to come over with me. They asked us to play songs we’d worked on and we played them a number of songs. It was the day we also met Don Jazzy and we just had a conversation and left. From then, we started working on songs and sending them to them. All this happened from 2017 to 2018.

Was that also the same timeline when you started working with Rema?

I met Rema in 2018 when I was visiting Crayon on the island. Crayon was already living with the Mavin guys because he was under development and I was still on the mainland. I hadn’t seen him for a few months and I was on the Island for something and just decided to go see Cray. That was the day I met Rema and after a while I started living with them. We just vibed and started working since then.

Rema once said that “Dumebi” was rejected by another artist, what do you remember about making it?

An artist reached out to me and asked me to make a beat around an idea. I went to a friend’s place and worked overnight and one of the beats I made was the one for “Dumebi”. But apparently the beat wasn’t what the artist was looking for because it was sounding R&B-ish. I sent the beat to another artist and he said he liked it but when I got to the Mavin studio that evening, I told Rema what happened and he told me to send the beat to him. Rema liked it, but since someone already liked it, he said if the person used it, we’d remake the beat. When they wanted to put out the song, I hit up the artist to know if he used the beat, but I didn’t get any response and that’s just what happened.

How would you describe your style as a producer now?

First off, a lot has changed. It has also come down to access to certain types of equipment and tools that a street producer might not have access to. Working with Mavin and BabyFresh, I’ve also gotten experienced; same thing with Altims. They are super-talented and are always willing to share ideas with me. My style now is just trying to make great music. When I got to Mavin I remember how I was sounding; listening to Altims and BabyFresh just made me better. I’ve also grown musically and in how I feel music.

Moving to the business side of things, there’s a reputation for Nigerian musicians for to not respect the producer’s input, how do you handle that?

I’ve been lucky to have met the right people at the right time because before I started working with Mavin, I didn’t know much about the business side of music, it was just making beats and getting paid for me. The first songs I did with them, I saw the release format and every detail being taken care of. I asked questions and it was explained to me and that’s why I’m always grateful to them because a lot of people I had worked with in the past knew I didn’t have this knowledge and took advantage of that. If Mavin also wanted to take advantage of me, I’d still be in the dark, but they didn’t and I know what’s right now.

What are you working on at the moment?

Currently, I’m compiling my project. I plan to drop a single first and see how it goes. It’s already in the works but it could be this year or anytime in the future, depending on how the plans work.

@walenchi Is A Lagos-Based Writer Interested In The Intersection Of Popular Culture, Music, And Youth Lifestyle.

ICYMI: IN CONVERSATION WITH TOYE ARU, THE PRODUCER WITH AN AFFINITY FOR BIG SOUNDS

How Blaqbonez successfully secured a return of investment on his music

Posted on by Tami Makinde

Last week, Blaqbonez released his sophomore studio album ‘Sex > Love’, a charming collection of anti-love anthems that revealed the rapper’s growing penmanship and his knack for instantly catchy melodies. The project runs the span of different moods with the rapper at one moment delivering slinky, mid-tempo Afropop and at another, resorting to a blown-out Trap beat, both aptly providing the perfect backdrop for his vivacious rap flow, and restless melodies. 

Although it’s only his second LP, serving as the official follow up to the M.I-executive produced debut ‘Bad Boy Blaq’ in 2018, it’s arguably his tenth official project throughout his entire career having already released a number of mixtapes and EPs including 2017’s ‘Last Time Under’ and 2019’s ‘Mr. Boombastic’. Each project marked an era in Blaqbonez’s professional life and fine-tuned him into the well-oiled machine he is today. That is why his near residence atop the Apple Music charts in Nigeria this weekend and his debut in the top 10 on the TurnTable Top 50 charts are welcome and expected. This is an artist who has been patiently putting in the consistency and hard work which seems to finally be paying off.

 

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For a rapper that’s still relatively young in the game, Blaqbonez’s work rate so far is incredibly phenomenal and nothing short of awe-inspiring considering the singles-driven market that dominates the Nigerian music industry. To have amassed over eight projects throughout the span of his career is a testament to his restless and hard-working spirit which always has him consistently self-promoting his rapping abilities. 

The magnitude of his current win is felt because we’ve all had front-row seats to the journey behind his gradual progression. During a career-defining run in 2017, Blaqbonez released his seventh mixtape ‘Last Time Under’, a pivotal creative turning point where he first showed the workings of an artist on the cusp of explosion into stardom. He didn’t hack the winning formula immediately, in fact, it took time for his blend of bar-heavy Rap music and his penchant for spacey Trap production to win over the hearts and minds of audiences at the time.

Even still, Blaqbonez did not give up. The next time he was creating a project, he once again made a play for expanding his sonic range, this time catching the attention of M.I and Chocolate City, the label under which he is currently signed and operates. Blaqbonez’s star power has only continued to shine brighter as he’s advanced in the industry providing a working benchmark for what other artists can aspire to if they put in the right amounts of consistency and hard work.

Speaking to Apple Music in a recent interview, the rapper shared that “An important thing for me is giving you something different with everybody of work,” and it’s this effort to level up with each body of work that has fashioned Blaqbonez into the creative powerhouse he is today. Whether listeners are coming in touch with Mr. Boombastic or Emeka the Stallion, they can be guaranteed that the rapper will consistently be aiming to top his last effort.

Although everyone has their own journey that determines the course that their life would take, it’s hard to imagine anyone better suited for this moment than Blaqbonez. Social media is constantly awash with screenshots, pictures and videos of the rapper aggressively self-promoting himself and his music. It’s impossible to not want to see the rapper win because his wins are almost ours given that we’ve been subjected to months and years of his rigorous self-promotion social media savvy techniques. 

With an infectious larger-than-life personality and his overwhelming sense of confidence in himself, Blaqbonez has successfully relied on his charm to get him ahead. When Burna Boy’s “Kilometre” knocked out his Amaarae and Buju-assisted single “Bling” from securing the Number 1 spot over the weekend, the rapper had taken to social media to plead with Outsiders to stream his music and boost it to the coveted top position. He worked hard to convince everyone that he’s every bit as good as he thinks he is, and now the music is finally catching up to his self-proclaimed title as the ‘Best Rapper in Africa’.

Blaqbonez’s current win is even more monumental when you take into account the fact that he’s winning alongside a fellow rapper and MAVIN signee, Ladipoe who also topped the Apple Music charts this weekend with his new single titled “Feeling” featuring Buju. To understand the importance of a moment like this is to fully appreciate the long-winded battle that rappers in Nigeria have had to face to earn their stripes in the music industry. There was once a time that rappers were premiere acts for record labels in Nigeria–during the dominance of Strom Records in the noughties which saw the rise of artists such as Naeto C, Sasha P, and more. In the years since then, it hasn’t been an easy feat assessing the commercial viability of rap music but we’re now coming into times where the new vanguard of Afropop hitmakers are consistently working to show the world that African music can be multifaceted and diverse covering a range of genres. 

This weekend, while we celebrated career-defining milestones from artist management powerhouses, Mavin and DMW which just celebrated 10 years of Davido marking a decade since he released his smash hit “Back When”, it’s interesting to see how much perceptions of a superstar has changed and developed through the years. With their joint win, this week, both Blaqbonez and Ladipoe, who are known to embody authenticity in their creative output, now represent a welcome change in the way that the Nigerian music industry currently operates. Hip-Hop may slowly be regaining its stripes, and now the numbers are there to back it up. All in all, on ‘Sex > Love’, Blaqbonez delivers his most self-assured offering to date and one that listeners will surely want to blast on repeat in the weeks and months to come.

Stream ‘Sex > Love’ below.

Featured image credits/

ICYMI: A 1-Listen Review of Blaqbonez’s ‘Sex > Love’

For Us By Us: Life as a young, neurodivergent Nigerian

Posted on by Tami Makinde

As we all know, conversations surrounding mental health are far from an accurate representation of what actually is. Given society’s codes and cultural beleifs, there is heavy stigma against people who are living with mental disabilities, especially when it comes to the point of needing and seeking help. According to the World Health Organisation, one in four people is dealing with a different mental health issue, however, access to the right psychological and medical care is not easily obtainable for these people.

In a country with an estimated population of over 200 million people, these figures are steep when you also take into consideration the dearth of medical facilities focusing on the mental health and psychological needs of patients. According to reports, there are only eight federal neuropsychiatric hospitals in the country which are severely underfunded, understaffed, and inadequately managed to treat the country’s neurodivergent citizens.

This is dangerous for those who live with this reality, as untreated illnesses are more likely than not to worsen and aggravate over time, leaving many people vulnerable to the harsh realities of navigating a neurotypical world whilst neurodivergent. For many young people, it can take years before they receive any substantial mental health diagnosis, which could either be due to their own fear of what’s going on with them, or a fear to share e their struggles with a world that constantly chooses to misunderstand them.

That’s why this Mental Health Awareness Week, we are fostering and encouraging the difficult conversations about our struggles with mental health to make it easier for ourselves and those closest to us to heal holistically. One member of our community admits that she was ashamed of her mental illness for so long because it made her feel weak especially in comparison with her mother who society had labelled strong. However, she kept spiraling and working through countless depressive episodes before plucking up the courage to seek out help from those closest to her. Like many of her peers, she had used unhealthy avoidance tactics to temporarily solve the problem, which didn’t gain desired effect. So rather than speculate and guess, we decided to hear directly from the people within our community, and they’ve kindy shared what it’s really like to be living with a mental illness in a country like Nigeria.

With the new Lagos state tele-therapy services called ‘The Lagos Helpline’ being rolled out in the past week, we decided to speak to 5 young Nigerians about their experiences living with mental health disabilities in Lagos.

 

I have been diagnosed with a generalised anxiety disorder for about 10 years now. In 2011 when I was 17, I had my first depressive episode, and I’ve been on this journey since then. My symptoms have existed for long before I was diagnosed, pretty much for as long as I’ve known myself, but I didn’t have the correct language to express how I felt. It took me a while to open up fully about what was going on with me, because it took me a while to accept it myself. I’m only starting to see the beauty in the way my mind works and seeing that rather than something that holds me back, it gives me a unique perspective. I haven’t always welcomed that unique perspective, and society, in general, doesn’t welcome anything that’s divergent from the norm, so I lived in a constant battle for a few years.  

D, 26, F.

One year later DETO BLACK’s first official single, “Tesla” is here

Posted on by Adewojumi Aderemi

On Thursday May 13, Odunsi’s path-altering EP, ‘EVERYTHING YOUR HEARD IS TRUE‘ and it’s standout record, “body count” turned one. To commemorate the day, the song and EP’s breakout star released her first official single, a soft-toned, loud-mouthed anthem for the bad bitches she’s been telling her aunties about the past year.

The star in question is DETO BLACK, and her new, debut single is “Tesla”. As the sirens blare through the speakers, DBlack is pictured strutting towards her vanity plated Tesla, customised with gemstone rims and a bedazzled steering wheel to match her dancing front teeth which part seductively biting her intimidating chrome nails. It’s no wonder “bitches so obsessed with [her]” as she professes on the opening bar of the track; Deto Black is a moment, and this is her moment.

Back on an Odunsi (The Engine) production, “Tesla” is predictably self-affirmative, as is Deto’s brand of… well everything. As her shadowed face she flirts with the hand-held camera in the intimately shot music video, I am reminded of the opening scene in Beyoncé’s “Ring The Alarm” – not least because of the sirens that consistently sound through the two-minute record. But where Bey passionately sings in pursuit of her man, and defense of her relationship, DETO BLACK calmly dismisses her ex with a quick one-liner before she gets down to business.

It’s a shot she’s taken before, on her verse on the leaked “FRANCHISE” refix. After playing on her likeness to Nicki Minaj – “I’m a motherfucking monster” – DETO BLACK’s opening bar on the track’s final verse follows, “broke up wit my ex then I turned into a rockstar,” celebrating the freedom she’s found since she left that lame niggga from her past life (so she spits on “Tesla”). From her very debut on “body count” to her TTG (Trained To Go) CRACK freestyle, “Pop Sh*t”, Deto Black has consistently empowered herself in relationships, whether she’s taking charge in sex, prioritising her pleasure (both carnally and in terms of her welfare), or simply blocking men who can’t get with it. In the wider Nigerian society, she’d be considered something of a radical for her sex-positive female-centric lyrics; but as she told Vogue last year, DETO BLACK is simply “doing the Lord’s work” for young, African women who have a myriad of oppressive conducts to manoeuvre, including patriarchal standards projecting themselves into heterosexual relationships.

Her lyrics aren’t her only offensive tool in her rage against the system. Prior to the advent of her instantaneously prolific music career, DETO BLACK already established herself as a creative and thoughtful image-maker. And in her imagery, she similarly defies social standards with her iconoclastic fashion, captured quintessentially in the lurid video for Thursday’s “Tesla”. Speaking with Paper Magazine, Deto shares that her direction for this “powerful and sexy” music video was centred around her “idea of what it means to be a Black African woman and a rock star; the perfect blend of divine feminine and masculine energy.” In a conversation with BRICKS Deto further stated of the record, “it’s a very sexy song where I try to make the girls feel like their sexuality and sensuality are superpowers.”

Not only does DETO BLACK embody sexual freedom in her bars and across her visual media, sensuality is a sermon Black preaches to other women, channelling sextivists that came before, from the anti-heroes of ’00s Nollywood to sexually liberated rap icons, including Kelis whom she references in the music video for “Tesla” and previously borrowed hairstyles from with her green/blonde two-tone dye job. All over her Instagram Deto’s media tells of her angst from society’s patriarchal binary gaze, an archive of her ascent to icon status.

 

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“One time, a young Nigerian girl told me my music made her feel proud to be Black and that she was capable of doing anything. That made everything feel worth it,” DETO BLACK shared with CRACK in the premiere for “Pop Sh*t”, emblematic of her influence within her Nigerian community and indicative of the long term impact her career is set to have on the industry.

Somewhere in my drafts is a piece detailing how “body count” changed everything. On fan favourite, Amaarae and DETO BLACK shun misogynistic expectations from society, and, along with Gigi Atlantis, encourage women to do the same, through the medium of sex. “body count” doesn’t feel like women being given a space, it’s women owning the space, commanding the space and inspiring us all to take up space; in the year since, we have seen a certain rise in a number of women from Black’s cohort doing just that. 

Now, rising rappers within the non-conforming Lagos creative scene – names such as T6lu, L0la, Brazy, ytboutthataction, SGaWD, DEELA, Ictooicy – command the attention they deserve, in their multiplicity, not simply as tokens; and Amaarae and Deto Black’s verses of the year on “body count” marked a critical point in the community’s immersion in rising female rap. Increased visibility of women in rap is not unique to the alternative Nigerian music scene. In the dominating American music industry, more and more women are enjoying commercial success in rap and the progressive politics, that demands greater and fairer opportunities for women responsible for diversifying hip-hop, are the backbone of the counter-grain, revolutionising alté community. These are the ideals Deto Black embodies, and the politics that attract not only a youthful, empowered audience, but also industry heavyweights who have their own various experiences of the perils of capitalistic conformity.

Appearing alongside Skepta on “FRANCHISE” and in his recent SkAir 5, though their growing up experiences and the way oppression manifests in their lives might differ, as a black man raised in the UK and an African woman, both Deto and Skepta’s lyrics and message are lined with an understanding that the world placed them at a disadvantage for sole gain of the white man. That will not stop them from getting it though.

In spite of the pandemic, DETO BLACK has been working continentally, from Lagos, to London to LA, even linking up with Young Thug in Atlanta. It is in link-ups and co-signs such as these, including most recently a nod from Theophilus London, that DETO BLACK has kept fans on the edge of their seats for her music.

Her’s has been an interesting, noteworthy breakout year. “I’m a busy bitch, you a basic bitch,” Deto brags (not without slamming a couple counterfeit competitors, of course) about her fruitful year since her first ever appearance on what I wouldn’t hesitate to name the song of the year. In the Nigerian music industry, where quantity is key, and new artists emerge from the woodwork monthly, frequent releases are advised. Teni, for example, after the epic couple of years she had, between 2018 and 2019, lost her steam once the pandemic hit, stalling her debut album. On the other hand, thanks to backing from the Mavin industrial machine, Rema rose to instant stardom with his debut EP and has maintained his spot at the top with consistent charting singles and a strong media presence. DETO BLACK certainly has the latter, and has kept listeners gagging for the former – no album out.

It’s cosmic timing that DETO BLACK’s debut single coincides with the re-release of Nicki Minaj’s breakout mixtape, ‘Beam Me Up Scotty‘. This past year has be DBlack’s ’09. Deliberately lo-fi, DETO BLACK’s studio shoot for her “Pop Sh*t” Freestyle is her very own tribute to “Itty Bitty Piggy”, a preemptive diss to whoever dares to come on smoke; where Nicki rounded off in 2009 with “I win, you lose,” Deto picks but up, 11 years later, on “Pop Sh*t” saying, “I don’t start no fights but I can finish ’em.” Again, delivering the most memorable verse of the track alongside an all male cast, including the Grime veteran Skepta, “FRANCHISE” is an effort not far off Nicki’s spot on Young Money’s “Roger That”, full of cheeky brags and hard-hitting, memorable bars.

When asked about her plans for early 2021 back in October last year, DETO BLACK answered, “I have no idea and it’s so exciting.” A slight disappointment for fans who were expecting new music, the time has finally come, Deto’s ‘Pink Friday‘ moment is here. Though the content will certainly differ – it’s not ‘Pink Friday‘ – the impact of this imminent EP is poised to be just as defining, for both Deto Black and likely the heavily contested arena of rap in Nigeria – whether you like it or not.

As with everything the self-professed creative polymath does, it’s hard to know what exactly to expect. One thing we can be sure of, “that freaky shit!“

Featured Image Credits: Deto Black/Instagram

ICYMI: HOW BLAQBONEZ SUCCESSFULLY SECURED A RETURN OF INVESTMENT ON HIS MUSIC

A Round up of our inaugural TheNATIVE Wellness Hub

Posted on by The Native

From being forced inside indefinitely as the Coronavirus pandemic ravaged the earth, to witnessing our people all over the world victimised by the very officers sworn to protect our lives, this past year has been laced with tragedy, characterised by trauma which has had an adverse effect on everyone’s mental health. So, this year’s The NATIVE marked Mental Health Awareness week with a plethora of resources to help our community understand and properly care for their mental wellbeing.

As part of our Mental Health Awareness Week, NATIVE partnered with Eudaimonia Wellness for ‘The NATIVE Wellness Hub’ on Friday, a retreat that allowed a few members of our community to take a break as the week rounded up. The day was filled with restful and mindful activities that centred our guests, as well as thoughtful conversations that enabled us to share our own perspectives and digest the wisdom of others. Overall, throughout the day, we learned the best ways to look after our mental health and the wellbeing of those around us.

Kicking off with a Pilates class led by The Store House, Friday’s retreat included a conversational painting sitting, courtesy of The Art Room, where our guests flaunted their artistic skills through meaningful paintings that affirmed and manifested positivity through the use of colour. The following session was led by our Managing Editor, Damilola Animashaun, who shared her experiences with music journaling. Listening to songs such as “Born Tired” by Jhene Aiko and Tems’ “Free Mind” the music journaling session encouraged our community to find new meaning in songs, and to use the words and melodies of others’ healing to engender our own. With tears, laughter and engaged conversation, this activity was a moving end to a peaceful day.

Brought to you by Eudaimonia and The NATIVE, this weekend’s Wellness Hub was an opportunity for our guests, currently going through stressful times, to push pause, reset and re-centre, in order to ensure that our days ahead stay brighter than the dark times we have overcome.

Watch a round up of the day’s events below:

 

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Featured Image by Dante Karibi-Whyte for The NATIVE Wellness Hub

ICYMI: For Us By Us: Destigmatising Drug Use In Nigeria

AV Club: How Kayode Kasum’s film ‘This Lady Called Life’ examines verbal abuse at home

Posted on by Tami Makinde

Last month, Kayode Kasum’s 2020 film ‘This Lady Called Life’ saw its digital release on Netflix Naija, eliciting positive reviews from the new set of viewers acquainted with the film. Viewers commented on the ways in which the director had dealt with parental abuse, anxiety, insecurities and more, all through the lenses of a single working mother trying to make it in life for her young son–who we later learn is actually begotten from sexual abuse.

Navigating life as a single mum fuels the actions and motivations of the lead character, Aiye (played by Bisola Aiyeola), however, the film’s main plot follows the budding love story between her and Obinna (played by Efe Iwara). It tracks how the pair handle the challenges coming their way while working through Aiye’s years of trauma, and ending in true Nollywood fashion with a wedding. While Nollywood is never lacking in its arsenal of love stories, the sub-plot that unpacks verbal and emotional abuse is worth giving this film a watch, as it tracks how these triggers can manifest in our adulthood.

 

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Our relationship with our parents and our primary family unit frames is our earliest source of socialisation during our formative years. It has a bearing on how we relate with the world, how we relate with other people, and most importantly, how we relate and view ourselves. In ‘This Lady Called Life’, we see that Aiye’s upbringing with a verbally abusive mother has scarred her and left her feeling unsure of herself and her abilities.

Aiye is a gifted cook. She knows beyond the rudimentary education of working as a professional cook but she’s been down on her luck struggling to make ends meet in a city like Lagos. But Aiye is buried in self-doubt about her capabilities. We see her constantly mulling over the actions she wants to take, but can’t. We hear the words she chooses not to say out loud to others around her. We see her dreams and her fears and the face she puts up to the people around her.

She even has nightmares of flopping on stage during her chef presentation while her entire family is in the audience. When Aiye takes centre stage to deliver her presentation, she chokes. She’s somehow gone mute and no matter how audible she tries to be, the angry crowd jeers and sneers at her, including her mum who’s front row to her worst nightmare armed with insults, make her feel worse. Because she has internalised years of criticism and berating from her mother, she’s constantly afraid of making any big steps in her life. 

When Obinna signs her up for an audition for ‘Amateur Chef’, she almost self-sabotages her chances by reliving her nightmare in reality. During her audition, she stumps again just like her nightmares. She also has a lot of inner conversations where she doubts that she can be successful or make it in life. However, it’s constantly overthinking that almost ruins her chances to succeed. 

In Michelle Obama’s Netflix documentary, ‘Becoming’, she points out that she was seen and heard while growing up, therefore when she went out into the real world and found that wasn’t the case for Black women, she struggled to understand why. For women like Aiye, she grew up being told she was a mistake and she was a failure at everything because she had a child out of wedlock. These words constantly ring in Aiye’s head when she grows up, negatively impacting the voice in her head so that she’s constantly putting herself down and feeling insecure about her abilities. 

While Kayode Kasum examines the source of the scar, he does not go any further than this. We learn that her mum is traumatised coming from a family which never showed her love and validation because of the mistakes she made as a young woman. In her efforts to punish herself because of years of being told she was worthless, she distances herself from her children while they are growing up and becomes overbearingly abusive to them to steer them off the same path once followed. Her plan backfires because the more she lashes out at them with her words, the more they internalise and believe that they are not worth anything and neither Aiye nor her sister ever feels like she can confide in her mother when Aiye is raped and impregnated. 

Watching moments where Aiye’s mother (played by Tina Mba) lashing out insults in her native tongue, Yoruba is particularly hard to get through for any African child. For most of us, growing up was a series of verbal and physical punishments from parents, family members and even teachers. We see the effects in our society today where children have negatively reinforced all their lives and are unable to form a strong sense of identity as adults and an inability to question unfair treatment. 

Aiye is able to confront her mum and stand up to her when it affects her son. When her mother physically assaults her son, Aiye lets out pent-up years of the anger of enduring the shame her mother felt towards her. It is a cathartic experience for her where she yells, “Your shame is your shame”, reclaiming years of her self-confidence lost to shrinking herself. However, this release is one-sided as Aiye’s mother only regrets her actions because her daughter reveals she was raped. She further apologises when she narrowly escapes death and realises the value of her daughter, Aiye’s life.

In parent-children relationships, it doesn’t have to get to the point of such a revelation for an adult to realise that they shape a child’s world view and frame how they would also relate with their own offspring. It’s a vicious chain that’s been known to cause depression, anxiety, anger, hostility and dissociative disorders in people. ‘This Lady Called Life’ is a recommended watch, especially as its Mental Health Awareness Month. At the NATIVE we encourage our community to seek out unhealthy patterns and foster healthier and safer communication skills with everyone around us.

To help you on your search, we’ve put below are a few websites to get you started on your journey of healing. Although they are not specifically tailored to the Nigerian experience, these websites have proven helpful to us, and we hope they will be to you also.

Positive Psychology 

We Have Kids

Help Guide 

Psychology Today

[Featured image credits/Netflix]

ICYMI: HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR #MENTALHEALTHAWARENESS

NATIVE Premiere: Watch Ruger in the new video for “Bounce”

Posted on by Tami Makinde

21-year-old Jonzing World signee, Ruger has spent most of the year convincing listeners of his star power. Arriving on the scene back in January with the anthemic debut single “One Shirt” featuring label mates D’Prince and Rema, the singer, songwriter and producer’s instantly catchy melodies proved to be a worthy introduction to his undeniable talent.

His debut EP, the 6-track ‘Pandemic’, was replete with club bangers and heart-throb romance numbers, all created during the COVID-19 lockdown last year. The short and sweet project saw him take on different forms, which showcased his impeccable ear, genre-melding sounds and appreciation for cadence and melodies. “Bounce”, an instant standout from the project seems to have received the most love from fans around the world, and now, Ruger has brought the music to life with a new video.

Over the song’s bouncy Afro-reggae production by KukBeats, Ruger sings “Wiggle that booty and whine for me, So crazy you drivin’ me/ Girly put it on me nicely, she ridin’ it, am slidin’ in” directly addressing a romantic interest and revealing his desire to be physically intimate with her. Speaking about the single, Ruger reveals that his goal is to see “the whole world on their feet”, a sentiment that feels like the driving force for most of this song.

The energy-filled visuals for “Bounce” find Ruger in his element showing his boyish charms while bringing the song’s sensual message to life. We see shots of Ruger and his muse, played by brand influencer and director Naomi Offor, as the pair share intimate and cosy moments in a range of locations. As night falls, Ruger throws a party to celebrate his love and their union. However, at the party, things take a turn for the worse when his muse is physically harassed by another male guest. This causes Ruger to spring into action and defend his woman, while also giving her a chance to seek her revenge on her assailant.

The visuals for “Bounce” is enough to conjure therapeutic levels of excitement given the constant gloom of the past few months as they offer a glimpse into the sort of artist that Ruger could potentially become with more skin in the game.

Get an exclusive first look at Ruger’s “Bounce” below.

Featured image credits/JonzingWorld

ICYMI: Burna Boy’s ‘Kilometre’ debuts at No.1

Turntable Top 50: Burna Boy’s “Kilometre” debuts at No. 1

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

After winning the Grammy for Best Global Music Album earlier this year, Burna Boy has taken it upon himself to publicly enjoy a victory lap and it appears listeners are in agreement. His ultra-catchy, self-reverential “Kilometre” debuts at pole position on this week’s edition of the TurnTable Top 50 charts. It’s the first headlining solo single since last year’s acclaimed ‘Twice As Tall’, and the brief heat check indicates that Burna’s ongoing prolific run continues to prove popular.

“Kilometre” isn’t just No. 1 this week, it’s also set a few records of its own. It’s the first song by a solo artist to start its Top 50 stint at number one, and it’s also the first song to simultaneously top the streaming chart and radio airplay chart as well. “Kilometre” is Burna’s second time at the top of this chart, following the inaugural No. 1 stint as the featured artist on Wizkid’s “Ginger”. It makes him just the third artist with multiple No. 1s, joining Davido and Omah Lay who had previously held a 26-week long duopoly at pole position prior to this week’s chart edition.

After four non-consecutive weeks at the top, Gyakie and Omah Lay’s “Forever (Remix)” drops one spot to No. 2 this week, while Wizkid and Tems’ “Essence” remains at its No. 3 spot from the previous week. Cheque and Fireboy DML’s “History” also remains at its peak No. 4 position, Jae5’s “Dimension” with Rema and Skepta moves up one spot to round out the top 5, while Peruzzi and Davido’s “Somebody Baby” moves down from No. 2 to No. 6. Chike and Simi’s ubiquitous collaboration, “Running (To You)”, enters this week at its peak No. 7 spot, while Blaqbonez’s “Bling” (8) is the first top ten entry for the Chocolate City-signed rap artist and his collaborators, Buju and Amaarae.

Teni’s former, history-making No. 1 single, the Davido-assisted “For You”, drops down one position from No. 8 to No. 9, with Davido’s “La La”, featuring Ckay, rounding out this week’s top ten following the release of its accompanying music video. Just outside the top ten is Adekunle Gold’s introspective single, “It is What It is”, which debuts at No. 11. You can check out the full rundown of this week’s TurnTable Top 50 here.

ICYMI: APPRECIATING BURNA BOY’S PEERLESS CREATIVE RUN SINCE HIS REBIRTH

Best New Music: Ladipoe lands another hit with “Feeling”

Posted on by Tami Makinde

There is no doubt about how bright Ladipoe’s star is currently burning. Last year, the self-appointed Leader of the Revival consistently delivered on his best form, garnering considerable fanfare all year, all without releasing an album. Instead, he leaned heavily on his loyal fanbase and his vision to become a beacon of light for the next generation of rappers, sustaining momentum throughout a year that redefined the way we experienced and consumed music.

Last year, he scored one of the most ubiquitous anthems of a self-isolated summer with “Know You”, his collaboration with Simi which went on to bag the Headies Award for Best Collaboration at the most recent edition. The Teni-assisted “Lemme Know (Remix)” followed shortly after, and Ladipoe used it as an avenue to pique the interest of music lovers everywhere when he opened submissions for a freestyle challenge.

This year, while he’s already served up the hard-hitting prophetic single, aptly titled “Rap Messiah”, which speaks true to his rapid-fire lyricism and rapping abilities, it’s his recently released single, “Feeling” featuring controversial singer, Buju, that solidifies Ladipoe’s position as one of the most dynamic hitmakers in the country.

 

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The Andre Vibez-produced “Feeling”, captures the beauty of focusing on the uplifting experiences in life and encourages listeners to be present in each moment. Buju opens the song with an instantly memorable hook, “I like the way I’m feeling now/No come use your reggae spoil my blues and rhythms now” he sings, setting the tranquil scene for the rest of the number which finds both artists in a state of unflappable chill.

As Ladipoe takes centre stage, there’s a quick shift in gears. He starts the song self-assuredly singing “Way out my feelings and nothing can stress me’,  quipping about his unperturbed state of mind and how it helps him move with purpose and take measured steps. On the song’s second verse, Ladipoe pulls the legendary move of self-sampling saying, “All I wanna do is Jaiye,” in reference to his sunny 2019 single. For those who have paid close attention to Ladipoe all these years, this self-assuredness and conviction in his dazzling rap skills is nothing new and he certainly affirms this by worthily flexing and referencing a pivotal moment in his career.

It’s Ladipoe’s commitment to living a full and stress-free life that underscores everything he preaches about, and what we’re seeing pay off for the rapper with each drop. Buju also rounds off the number with a quick solo performance singing “they gats fear when they see boys/we roll up in nice toys” cheerily boasting to the good life he now enjoys after many years of dreaming of this exact moment.

The sweet spot on “Feeling” is the union of vocals between Ladipoe and his guest. They’re both able to hone their individual sounds and increase the gravity of their reach much like the early noughties formula of pairing an R&B hook with a hard-hitting Hip-Hop/Rap verse. The idea of inserting melody into Hip-Hop is not new at all and has been done by some of the most notable rappers today including Drake, LL Cool J, Diddy, and more. Ladipoe adopting a similar formula is only a testament to his growing artistry over the years, adding to the foundation of legendary pairings over the years like Wande Coal & Naeto C, MI & Jesse Jagz, and many more.

When we last spoke to the rapper, he shared, “I’ve elevated from thinking that when I hear a song, I have to rap the sickest verse, to ‘when I make music, I need to make a great song”, typifying his current attitude towards approaching his craft. On “Feeling”, we can hear the sonic manifestation of his earlier statement, Ladipoe is focused on redefining what rap means to the world, whether that’s by inserting a melodic hook or by experimenting with the tempo at which he delivers his verses. It’s this penchant for staying ahead that has now led him to this moment he presently enjoys.

Currently, “Feeling” sits comfortably at the #1 spot on the Apple Music Top 100 charts in Nigeria, and at #10 of the Audiomack all-genres charts, his second #1 in the past year. This moment is made all the more special given that Ladipoe is a rapper signed to one of the major labels in the country, particularly one which has nurtured and built up Afropop stars through different generations. Back in the noughties, labels such as Storm Records ushered in a new generation of rap stars including Naeto C, Ikechukwu, Sasha P and more, who were regarded as the mainstream acts of the time. Although Rap music doesn’t enjoy the same dominance as it once did in the industry, moments such as Ladipoe’s current winning streak certainly show the workings of an eventual comeback. This is certainly bolstered by the fact that “Feeling” claimed the top spot from another rapper—Blaqbonez’s “Bling” was previously at that peak spot.

Ladipoe is certainly no stranger to everything he’s currently experiencing. He’s bet on himself and his abilities consistently and this sets him apart as he continues to push against the boundaries of what’s possible and acceptable from a rap artist in the industry.

Listen “Feeling” below.

Featured image credits/Instagram:scrdofme

ICYMI: A 1-Listen Review of Shekhinah’s sophomore LP ‘Trouble in Paradise’

For Us By Us: Destigmatising drug use in Nigeria

When Odunsi (The Engine) sang on Amaarae’s album closer, “Swallow all those pills/Still ain’t gonna heal,” I felt that.

Suffering from a recurring depressive disorder, milder variations of pills and potions are a staple on the Down-Bad menu for me. For getting through each difficult day, I usually reward myself with a glass of wine or a cocktail, if things are getting particularly trying, I opt for a drink then and there. Pretty much dependent on alcohol to cope with stress, my drinking habits are akin to addiction and an indication of a deeper psychological issue, so professionals say. Similarly, when I kick back tequila (which I HATE) at the cub or snack on some edibles (which always make me feel sick) before an event, this is a form of self-harm that I am using as a coping mechanism for social phobia. Or when I ramp up my use of [redacted] because I’ve noticed it makes me lose my appetite, that’s an eating disorder manifesting itself in a new way. These behaviours aren’t exceptional to me, nor are they uncommon. I’m sure a few readers will be able to relate, or at least notice these behaviours in someone they know. This is because our mental health is suffering, especially during these troubling couple of years, and oftentimes the easiest way to deal with it is to not deal with it at all – where intoxicating substances come in.

Most prevalent in young Nigerians between their 20s and 30s, substances (ab)use is a common form of self-medication in these parts, for depression and other undiagnosed mental health issues. Especially as the stigma against mental healthcare remains particularly hostile, a lot of young Nigerians look to drugs – as opposed to professional help or psychological resources, which are scarce and fiscally inaccessible to most Nigerians – to help them simply “feel better,” an innocent, albeit harmful, coping mechanism that could open up worlds more pain.

Releasing a three-track EP, ‘Meraki’ last October, to mark one year of sobriety, Rookie SBK started in this fashion, using drugs to pass the time he was at Babcock University, “aka the trenches.” A performing member of the TRYBE and Fresh Meat alumni group, Forevatired, in his uni days (and to an extent still now) Rookie was a bona fide shy guy. Stuck in an unhappy place, this period became an unhappy time for Rookie, but with the help of a new friend, bouts of euphoria were not only possible, they became regular.

“I guess codeine was my gateway drug”

For most people, weed and alcohol is where they make their start, but for Rookie SBK, it was something most would consider a little “harder” than the legal alcohol or the so-common-it-might-as-well-be-too weed. “I tried codeine first and fell asleep on my ass but didn’t get hooked. Not long after that, I started sipping codeine proper, weed followed and then other drugs as well. I guess codeine was my gateway drug,” Rookie tells me over IG DMs where he openly shares with NATIVE his year-long road to sobriety. A “gateway drug” is a substance that leads its user to use of, and potential subsequent addiction to, more dangerous drugs. Rookie started with codeine and continued on with weed, molly, booze and other substances; Bentley (a source who asked to remain anonymous) started with weed and went on to add MDMA,  LSD, Nos and Mushrooms to his repertoire, similar to guitarist, Bendrixz (“Obe”, “Your Love” and “Abena”) who went from cooking up WEEDOMIE (yes, weed and Indomie) to toying with a few other common substances, including molly.

My gateway drug was the liquor, and though, like Bentley, it led me to use of but not dependence on “hard drugs”, I very quickly after my first house party developed an alcohol addiction (which is apparently if you drink more than. From mine, Bendrixz’s, Bentley’s and Rookie’s experience, I see why Dr Momodu, who works in general adult psychiatric care, would say, “it’s better not to start.” Using alcohol as a specific example (as Bentley states, “Anything that causes a chemical reaction or imbalance to your mind or body” is a drug), Dr Momodu explains, “assuming that [one doesn’t] start, the opportunity to move from social drinking to regular drinking to addiction will not happen.” She does appreciate though, that the reality for many people is not so black and white, especially when it comes to people who are suffering from mental illnesses, who might not understand their symptoms or who don’t have the knowledge or context that would encourage them or afford them to seek professional help.

“We are not a mentally aware society, so people have symptoms and they really don’t know what to call it, they just know that they’re not feeling great, they’re just not happy. They don’t know that maybe this is depression and they should go to the hospital, for example, they’d rather speak to a friend who has also probably had that experience and says, ‘oh somebody gave me this,’ and then you use it.”

In my conversations with Dr Momodu, Bentley, Bendrixz and even Rookie, friends seem to be a huge part of how people get introduced to drugs. Rookie observed his classmates successfully do drugs without losing their minds or flunking in class, which led him to believe he could too, whilst Bentley and Bendrixz began experimenting with drugs (weed) with their friends. As the two became seasoned users, drugs became a means of bonding with friends, and also a facilitator to social interactions when they were crowd-shy – a “social lubricant” to use Bentley’s phrase, a confidence booster, as Dr Momodu describes it – a type of use that indicates social anxiety.

“Smoking a spliff with friends and listening to music and then eating a pizza afterwards is just really nice, music sounds better and food tastes better. Giving people hugs or dancing with the person you fancy or laying down on a comfy couch with sweatpants on whilst under the influence of MDMA is literally fucking amazing, it’s called ecstasy for a reason. Tripping balls off acid and seeing the carpet literally breathe like it’s a living being is mind-boggling, I mean, who wouldn’t wanna see that?”

Attributing 20% of the push to try drugs to peer pressure, Bendrixz tells me that the memories he’s able to build with his friends while high is one of the components that makes substance use so enjoyable for him, that and “what it unlocks in my mind that I cannot access when I’m sober,” a feeling which Bentley describes as “heightening or changing my perspective on how I experience the world, but also how I think and feel about certain things.” Where Bentley (Bendrixz too) uses drugs to “open up new avenues of thought that you normally wouldn’t be able to access or not access as quickly,” myself and Rookie were more interested in the mind-altering power of substances to lift us out of our mundane, lonely, depressing every day into euphoric bliss. Though you know drugs won’t make you good, they will definitely make you feel good – both physically and mentally, as Bentley points out – and to those going through a rough time, this is the draw.

“It’s called ecstasy for a reason”

In comparing the realities of Rookie and myself to Bentley and Bendrixz, companionship in drug use appears to be an important component in maintaining control and sanity. The one bad trip Bentley points to was when he was hiding a major life event from his friends: “I was in a bad place at the time because I was in the process of dropping out of uni and I hadn’t told anyone, not even my friends, I had so much work to do that I just hadn’t done so I probably shouldn’t have been taking strong psychedelics at the time.” I reached my rock bottom after spending two days in bed with no social contact, not even on my phone. Rookie started his dalliance with drugs on his own and ended it in September 2019 after a trip to the hospital and a tearful phone call from his loving mother.

“Drugs have the potential to be dangerous and life-threatening,” Bentley reminds me, but in a country that criminalises drug use and places such an intolerant stigma on addiction, it is near impossible to forget. Nigerian law includes the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, which is self-described as “[a]n Act to establish the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to enforce laws against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs and to empower the Agency to investigate persons suspected to have dealings in drugs and other related matters.” Whilst the Act remains ambiguous as to what extent drug use is a criminal offence, the stigma Nigeria places on addiction is glaring and dangerously unproductive.

Considered to be within a person’s control, as opposed to looking at drug abuse as an illness, Nigerian society often attributes addiction to negative spirituality, practising victim-blaming when addressing substance dependency. Sure, in music and youth culture we have the likes of Naira Marley bragging about the quality of his MD on “Opotoyi” or DJ Enimoney coming up with his friends on “Diet”; Even as far back as the 1970s, Fela Kuti was championing and channelling the power of the ganja. But with all these more realistic representations of how drugs exist in our society, which are often falsely accused of glamorising drug use (the truth is, these are just stories about real life), Nigeria reveals her position when songs like Olamide’s “Science Student” are banned by the NBC, or pop stars snidely remark on publicly broadcasted interviews that cocaine addiction is exclusively for the rich.

Both trivialising and demonising mental health issues and their correlation with drug use, through common insults such as “you’re obviously on drugs,” or common sentiments suggesting young people that (ab)use drugs are misguided antisocials, Nigeria has a very poor, and actually harmful attitude towards substances, one which Dr Momodu believes needs urgent reframing. She recommends we look at substance use and abuse through the disease model, understanding that whilst some people can safely consume drugs, others might be susceptible to more problematic substance use. Looking at it through this lens gives further evidence as to why Dr Momodu would encourage everyone to simply stay away from drugs. If you’re going to ignore doctor’s orders, however, (so like all of us) Bentley advises that you do your research extensively, and make sure you buy from a dealer you trust well.

“I think you need to know exactly what it is you’re putting into your body, you need to know the direct effects and possible side effects and see if you’re gonna like them/can handle it. With a drug like ecstasy that causes you to potentially overshare, you might not feel comfortable with that. Or how you might think the visuals on acid might be cool but time dilation (time slows down significantly on acid) might be scary to you. I feel you need to know both the good and bad side effects of drugs before ingesting them so you can make an informed decision before taking them.”

Bendrixz’s advice also doesn’t discourage people from taking drugs, but similarly suggest ways one can mitigate against bad experiences. He says, “Bad experiences? I mean, everyone has one, with everything they do, be it drugs or alcohol. It doesn’t mean you stop. If anything, you learn what got you so fucked up, and learn so that it never happens again.”

Noting that Rookie, who did research and did trust his dealer and did learn from his past experiences, still needed to go cold turkey, one can see the varying approaches, outlooks and responses to drug use and drug dependency even within the community of people who use drugs. I cannot conclude that drugs are exclusively bad, and everyone should either stop or stay away, because the likes of Bentley and Bendrixz enjoy them rather healthily; and frankly that advice is idealistic, everyone will do as they wish to do. However, we cannot ignore the psychologically detrimental effects of drug use, where these potentially harmful substances become coping mechanisms and a way to avoid practical and professional help in dealing with one’s mind, which, in some instances, is even triggered by drug use in the first place.

“I had to relearn how to tap into certain emotions and feels manually.”

When you turn to a fat glass of wine after a stressful day, light up a J before settling into a good meal, pop some molly to invigorate the night, or get on a tab so you can record more creatively, drugs are helping to bypass the problem you’re facing – be it a compulsive disorder, an eating disorder, social anxiety, self-esteem issues, or even something as simple as boredom – as opposed to overcoming these issues. These are innocent, normalised acts, but signs nonetheless that self-care and potential intervention is needed, because the problems still exist, whether you’re high and numb to it, and especially when you’re sober and immersed in it. Rookie’s anecdote about his struggle to make music post-sobriety is a good example of the temporary solution drugs put on our psychological trials. He says,

“My creativity suffered for a while and more specifically my self-esteem. I had attributed most of my creativity and finesse to these substances, so when I got sober it was hard adjusting and even comparing stuff I had made when I was high, there a was a clear difference in quality but eventually, I noticed the drugs only helped relax and reduce my anxiety so it was easier to focus and tap into certain emotions. I was making music way before drugs, so I had to relearn how to tap into certain emotions and feels manually.”

This past year has been incredibly dark, troubling and difficult. With everyone going through everything at the same time, looking for help can seem ridiculous, and distractions the more appealing choice. But drowning yourself in a drink, or work or anything that you use to escape might feel good, or at the very least numb (which is world’s more appealing than what right now has to offer), but it won’t help anybody be good. I asked, for myself and those like me, and all those reading this piece too, ‘how do you maintain mental wellness now?’ Rookie answered, “I try to mediate daily and do the most mundane shit I can think of like take walks or ride a bike. Also, I have a support system so if I’m feeling troubled or down, I reach out and it really helps me get through it.”

It might be “mundane” and boring and a look like trial, but there are always means to properly get through to the light. And if that feels impossible, if it feels lonely, if substances feel like the only way to cope with the darkness, there are also people whose literal job it is (so don’t feel guilty or burdensome) to help you into the light, so tap in and let’s conquer the fight.

Here are some resources for you and your loved ones. Life is full of peaks and troughs, so remember, it will always get better.

Help:

NATIVE: A list of helpful tips and resources for those struggling with their mental wellbeing

Dr Momodu at the Lagos Island General Hospital

Tranquil & Quest: A mental health with both in- and out-patient facilities and therapies specially tailored to drug (ab)use.

Rehab HC: An online helpline that will help you find the best drug rehabilitation facilities for you in Nigeria

National Alliance on Mental Illness: This page gives a breakdown of the symptoms and helpful treatments for people suffering from drug addiction

National Institute on Drug Abuse For Teens: Gives useful information on drugs and its health effects on mind and body

Mind: A list of resources and helplines available in the UK, but also online, including resources for families of users.

Psychiatric Times: Extensive resources about mental health, including a podcast series, Pyschpearl Podcast 

ICYMI: Suicide Prevention: Our Collective Responsibility

Helpful resources for #MentalHealthAwareness

Posted on by Tami Makinde

For many people all over the world, the past year has been extremely difficult. All around us, as the world shut down due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media showed us in real-time the frailty of life in different communities across the world, to the point it seemed that we were constantly in mourning. For anyone, this was incredibly difficult, let alone for those who already struggle with managing their mental health and wellbeing.

According to WHO, one in four Nigerians struggles with mental illness, and only 10% of these people have access to the care they need to manage their mental health. When you consider the country’s population of nearly 150 million people, these numbers are alarming. Living in a megacity such as Lagos, where the hustle and bustle never stops, there’s rarely ever any time to pause and reflect. Given this, it’s easy for things to pile up and then get ugly, leading to one’s mental health deteriorating at a rapid rate. As a society, we are generally more conscious of physical wellbeing, and take immediate action to get to the bottom of physical illness, when it’s just as important to be as conscious of your mental health.

Paying attention to one’s mental health is crucial to living a balanced life, as it impacts our ability to carry out even the simplest everyday tasks, and can cause us to function poorly in work, education and socially. At worst, ailing mentally can lead to suicide, which is now the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year olds all over the world. As such, it’s important to raise as much awareness about the reality, as everybody in the world has to manage their mental health and wellbeing. This is why having open conversations about the way we treat this as a society and interrogate the unhelpful codes that have developed a stigma in the way one’s mental health is treated.

To this end, this week for Mental Health Awareness Week, we at the NATIVE are working to keep members of our community informed about any mental health resources and information one needs whether you’re struggling, or just fine. For the rest of the week, we’ll be stirring up the different conversations surrounding mental health, from exploring the therapeutic benefits of music to engaging in detailed conversations with Africans who live with different mental disorders and digging deep into the connections between one’s mental health and substance use.

Whether you’re neurodivergent and already undergoing treatment, or you noticing patterns in your behaviour that are worrisome or even if you just want to learn more about how to show up for the people around you who struggle with their mental health, we’ve put together a few resources which might come in handy.

Therapy in Nigeria

Making the decision to begin therapy is never an easy one. However, once the decision is made to begin therapy, it is a beneficial experience that helps and enriches the lives of both you and those around you. The first step is to reframe what therapy means to you and leave the stigma attached talking about your problems behind. A therapist is there to guide you to healthily combing through your trauma and discovering patterns and the sources of scars that need to be addressed. To get you started, we found a thread highlight the few therapists available in Nigeria and their price ranges.

Mental wellness pages

While not all of us may need therapy, it’s still important to stay in tune with one’s mental and psychological well-being. Health and wellness pages are a quick way of staying afloat with important information for navigation anxiety, panic attacks, living with a loved one dealing with mental disabilities, and even breathing exercises for refreshing one’s mind. There are many of these pages across social media but we particularly recommend Eudaimonia Wellness, Mind County, The Depression Chronicles,

 

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Foster community and connection

It’s easy to believe that you’re alone when you’re struggling, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Thankfully, the Internnet has made it such that space and time are not barriers for communication anymore, and your tribe is always somewhere online. If you struggle to open up to the people around you, it might be helpful to find a community who you know understands what you’re going through. There are innumerable ways that being helped and looked after, can help.

State-funded resources

There’s no denying that Nigerian society hasn’t been the most empathetic and caring when dealing with people with mental health disabilities. In fact, there is a dearth of state-funded resources for people living with disabilities because these conditions are barely even recognised or taken seriously. However, it seems like things are improving in this area. Recently, the Lagos State government announced the new mental health helpline called ‘The Lagos Lifeline’. The platform will be available for residents of the city to gain quick access to psychosocial support, counselling, and psychotherapy services. The services will be free of charge through a dedicated line – 0909000MIND or 0909000646. While this is a step in the right direction, it is left to be seen how other states in the country will adopt similar practices for their residents.

Mental health websites

To adequately equip you with the tools to healthily address your triggers and anxieties, there are a number of mental health resources online which can adequately inform you about the different mental illnesses there are and how to seek out treatment for each of them. Most of these websites are not tailored specifically to Nigeria but they are full of useful information that might help you or someone close to you during difficult times.

NHS

Healthline

SELF

Psychology Today

Psych Central

Featured image credits/VeryWellMind

ICYMI: Suicide prevention: our collective responsibility

Songs Of The Day: New music from Ladipoe, Juls, Tay Iwar and more

Posted on by The Native

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. 

In line with our goal of curating content for our community, we select some of the most essential daily releases for your reading and listening pleasure; our last Songs of the day column featured drops from polymath Tekno, Ghanaian youngster Yaw Tog, and indie artist Dwin, The Stoic. Today’s column highlights songs from Ladipoe, DJ Spinall, Myles, D Truce, Midas The Jagaban, and Seyi Shay. 

LADIPOE – “FEELING” (FT. BUJU)

Last year saw a definitive turn in the career of Ladipoe as his Simi-assisted “Know You” encapsulated the lonesome energy of Nigeria’s COVID-19 lockdown. He followed the success of “Know You” with breezy flows on “Yoruba Samurai,” closing out the year with a series of features that put him on a pedestal going into 2021. Featuring BUJU on “Feeling,” his first single of the year, Ladipoe works around the singer’s dulcet vocals for another classic rap-sung collaboration that has the right mix of swag and tight lyricism. Atop Andre Vibez’s beat, Ladipoe encapsulated the peppy lifestyle that the song is all about. 

SEYI SHAY – “PEMPE” (FT. YEMI ALADE)

There has historically always been a dearth of pop collaborations between pop leviathans in Nigeria, and for much of the 2010s, Seyi Shay and Yemi Alade were totemic presences in the music industry that strove in different directions. “Pempe,” a belated collaboration between the duo sees them lean into the characteristics that powered their rise. Seyi Shay calmly sashays around the drowning percussion of Kel P’s instrumentals, delivering a gem of a hook before Yemi Alade further spices things up with her pleasant verse. 

JULS – “CHANCE” (FT. TAY IWAR & PROJEXX)

British-Ghanaian DJ and artist, Juls is preparing for the release of his forthcoming album set to drop this summer. Ahead of this, he’s now shared the project’s lead single, a groovy anthem single titled “Chance” featuring Projexx and Tay Iwar. Over slinky keys, percussive patterns and groovy Afropop drums, both artists sing smoothly about being given another chance by a romantic interest. “I need your love, shaped in a glass of rum/Maybe it’s the way you move on the dance floor, got my mind fucked up” sings Tay Iwar as he teases and urges a lover to entangle with him. The song’s propulsive rhythm will surely have you on your feet and whining along to it.

D-TRUCE – “RUN THE CHEQUE”

2019’s ‘2 Birds, 1 Stone’ featured canvas-style music from D-Truce, the rapper fleshed out his contradictions, bothers, and celebrations over mid-tempo beats that bolstered the conceptual feel of the project as a snapshot of his life in motion. Bar a few features here and there, he has not really dropped a lot of music. His latest song, “Run The Cheque” is a thematic divergence from ‘2 Birds, 1 Stone.’  On the song, he is more or less concerned about staying paid up, but his flow on the song is almost sneering, hinting at more life reflections to be dissected on his forthcoming project, ‘Smoke Break.’

THA BOY MYLES – “BOP LOVE”

When Tha Boy Myles dropped “Boma” in December 2020, all the signs of his natural aptitude were on display as he mixed vibrant storytelling with an almost nonchalant delivery that his featherlight voice buffered. His debut project, ‘Mylestone’, a six-song EP released today, features more of the high-quality writing and melodious crooning that makes him a star-in-the-waiting. “Bop Love,” a low-flickering R&B-tinged number is Myles at his most assured, seeing him move between grandiose promises and playful flirting with the ease of a veteran. 

MIDAS THE JAGABAN – “CLOUD 9”

London-based Midas the Jagaban draws influence from the work of celebrated Nigerian masked singer, Lagbaja, in more ways than one. Sonically, she intersperses her music with tidbits from the social activist’s back catalogue while rooting her work in the mind frame of the Gen Z generation. The video of her single, “Cloud 9,” pulls her artistry in different places with an incandescent affair that pays homage to the misunderstanding of comic anti-hero, Joker. Directed by Nathan James Tettey, the video gives its due to all the places, people, and characters that have shaped Midas without being messy. 

DJ SPINALL – “SERE REMIX” (FT. FIREBOY DML AND 6LACK)

As a standalone, “Sere” was an absolute summer smash, a throwback to all the ubiquitous bops that made Summer the time for the shedding of clothes and downing copious amounts of cocktails. Updated with a tweeny verse from 6lack, the remix of “Sere” gets a Western sheen without losing any of the unrestrained joy that Fireboy DML’s vocals gave to the original. 

Featured image credits/Instagram

A 1-Listen Review of Shekhinah’s sophomore LP ‘Trouble in Paradise’

Posted on by Tami Makinde

Back in 2017, Pop/R&B vocalist, Shekhinah released her debut LP ‘Rose Gold’, a 12-track album that found the singer showcasing her effortlessly gorgeous voice and earmarked her as one of the leading lights of modern R&B on the continent. Since then, she’s put her home city, Durban, on the map while bagging awards for Album of the Year, Best Newcomer, and Best Female Artist at the South African Music Awards with an effortless candour.

For most of the past few years, the singer has been on the down-low. After taking a 4-year hiatus from releasing any solo music, last year she released the Bey-T assisted standout “Fixate”, a memorable number about love and commitment over delectable keys. Months later, she followed this up with the sweet-sounding single “Tides”, all released in anticipation of her sophomore LP ‘Trouble in Paradise’ which was initially slated for release at the end of last year.

Today, the SA singer’s long-anticipated album ‘Love in Paradise’ is finally here. Four years after her debut run, Shekhinah continues to show her silky timeless vocals which are meticulously paired with wistful, familiar soft-sounding production that will have you humming after just one listen. Speaking about the album, Shekhinah shares that “Every song was like therapy to me” and truly the music takes listeners on an experience, traversing different moods, emotions, and feelings. This is an artist who has fully stepped into her star power.

In the usual 1-listen review fashion, all reactions are in real-time while the music plays. No pauses, rewinds, fast-forwards or skips.

Tides

This is one of the album’s pre-released singles so I already know what to expect but it is a very potent introduction for a project titled ‘Trouble in Paradise’. She’s singing about wading in the dangerous tides of an uncertain relationship that’s got her drowning. Sounds a bit like me when I’m swearing off my latest beau of the week. Her vocals are absolutely insane and this R&B/Hip-Hop type beat is giving me life. Shekhinah is sorely underestimated, I need y’all to run her her flowers.

Not Safe (Intro)

Ah, the famous cassette tape opening. You just know this is about to be really good. I find it interesting that the intro comes right after the pre-released single. I wonder what the motivation behind that is. Glittering keys, a glassy guitar, and that signature sweet-sounding vocals, this is Shekhinah’s beat. I don’t want to love anyone the way Shekhinah loves her muse because her voice is heartbroken and tinged with regret.

Miserable

Only fair that this aptly titled single comes right after that intro. Very rhythmic bouncy introduction but the song itself is very mellow and introspective. If you’re nursing a broken heart, I would hit skip on this one. The lyrics are too poignant and relatable that it’s sure to bring up fraught memories of your own romantic shituations. Shekhinah be deep in her bag when it comes to these anti-love anthems. Queen of heartbreak.

Fixate ft. Bey-T

This is one of my favourite songs on the whole album. I’ve probably played it about a million times since it was released last year because it’s an insane record and it deserves all the love it’s getting. This is probably because my views of love are so skewed because why am I relating to every single lyric on this song? I particularly love that Fresh Meat alum Bey-T is on this number because it just makes it all the more special. I think we are all made for love and softness and this song exemplifies that.

Questions

“What happens if you drop my heart and we just can’t put it back?” This is the question that Shekhinah ponders on this warm, charming acoustic track as she tries to make sense of her feelings for a crush. The thought of opening up your heart to someone new is extremely daunting and it’s no wonder that there’s a whole number dedicated to asking the tough and necessary questions we have to ask in romantic situations.

Fall Apart ft. Luke Goliath

The answer to Shekhinah’s earlier questions about love are all answered on the next single “Fall Apart”. Here, she’s accepting that she’s come undone by this love and embracing all the complexities of this all-encompassing love and its ensuing heartbreak. This is a classic pop record and Shekhinah murders it so effortlessly. Who else can make heartbreak sound like a catchy track that makes you want to dance and do the electric slide? Shekhinah is your girl.

Pick Up ft. Una Rams

Okay, at this point I think the songs are getting a bit too predictable. Not that this isn’t a great song in its own right but at this point in the project, I already know she’s heartbroken and questioning everything around her. But did we need another number pining for an undeserving lover’s attention? Maybe it’s just me being over love and its unstable promises but, please girl, let’s have another “Fixate”-type number at this point. Killer vocals though.

Insecure

Any song called “Insecure” is going to dig deep into the frustrating parts of our psyches and provide introspective and pensive lyrics about this thing called life and Shekhinah’s iteration is no different in this regard. She admits that making money and becoming successful didn’t make her happy because she’s still craving all the things she wanted before the fame. Shekhinah really gets personal about the effects of being thrust into viral prominence when you’re still working on loving all parts of yourself.

Diamonds Do (Interlude)

At this point, Shekhinah is done with this undeserving lover. She’s back on her shit and telling them that she’s got better things to do than being hung up over this person. Right now, she’s demanding to be paid in diamonds and I just have to stan at this point. I mean if you can’t get love, you might as well be covered in VVS diamonds. Word to Madonna.

Wedding Song

I think I definitely preferred the first half of the album because it’s starting to drag on now, even though there aren’t that many songs on the project. How did we go from asking for diamonds to right back at square one with the pining? However, one thing’s clear and it’s that Shekinah’s propensity for love is overflowing. It’s clear that her Christian faith is the foundation of her love for others around her as she sees her love as possessing healing qualities. It’s hard not to believe that she’s got the magic touch with a voice this smooth sounding. Even I’m convinced that I want to be showered with her love. Yikes. I need some fresh air.

I Love It Here

It’s hard not to feel like Shekhinah is giving us snapshots into her private life with intimate numbers such as this one. She’s literally recounting an experience shared with a lover from childhood where they grew up in the same hometown or drinking their parent’s wine on vacation. I almost feel like I’m prying into her life. There’s something innocent about their love and it’s clear that she’s in too deep to find her way out now.

Beautiful

This is such a beautiful song to round up a nearly perfect compilation of songs. When she sings “I made peace with the way God made me”, you can clearly hear it in her voice that she’s done a lot of growth within the project’s 12 tracks finding solace in the fact that she’s divinely blessed. It’s easy to feel broken by romantic love and the prospect that you are less because someone chooses not to see your greatness but Shekhinah reminds listeners that they are all they truly need with God by their side and as she says “True love lives in you”.

Final thoughts.

Each word on ‘Trouble in Paradise’ carries with it an immense sense of emotional depth that can only be due to the growth that Shekhinah has gone through in the last four years since she released her debut LP ‘Rose Gold’. It’s this new sense of confidence in herself and her abilities that guides her for most of the project as she tracks loves ebbs and flows with razor-sharp precision.

It’s clear that her deep understanding of her own psyche results in music that’s equal parts fiery and equal parts reflective so that listeners are able to visit ‘Trouble in Paradise’ for a good time but also for some much-needed reflection on their past romantic trysts. Shekhinah sounds like a trusted friend, someone who’s played the game so you don’t have to get your hands dirty but rather than be resigned by what’s she had to face, she offers counsel and solace for anyone willing to listen to her voice. At the end of the project, there’s some form of catharsis. She’s realised the power that she possesses and turns inwards to find ways to navigate life, all while imploring listeners to do the same. ‘Trouble in Paradise’ is beautiful, emotionally layered and a welcome return for one of South Africa’s most formidable vocalists.

Hit play on ‘Trouble in Paradise’ below.

Featured image credits/Shekhinah

ICYMI: A 1-Listen Review of Blaqbonez’ ‘Sex . Love’

In anticipation of the return of live music

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Pandemonium is the appropriate word to describe Naira Marley’s cameo at Wizkid’s 2019 Starboy Fest in London’s O2 Arena. In the midst of a phenomenal run of hits, one of the greatest runs in contemporary Afropop, Naira ran unto the hoisted platform with the unbound energy of a bull who had just seen red, pulling off improvised variations of the Zanku with the erratic energy of a toddler hooked on way too much sugar. It was a chaotic sight to behold, a live representation of what Terry G really meant when he sang “Free Madness” all those years ago.

You didn’t have to be in the O2 Arena that night to witness and properly comprehend the wildness of the “Soapy” rapper’s frenzied set. In a world with cameras readily attached to our hands, outtakes from those performances flooded social media timelines within hours, offering several different glimpses of the experience. After a night which featured dozens of artists on stage, many of them being top tier Nigerian pop acts, it was Naira who dominated pop culture discussion in the coming days for this showcase and the palpable riotous reaction it generated from concertgoers.

The truth is, Naira’s unforgettable cameo definitely needed the reciprocal madness and upward screams from the fans beneath him. There’s no efficacy in his dancing if he doesn’t get on stage to fans yelling at his initial presence, shouting his lyrics back at him, and raging all through —(re)watch any of those videos and tell me I’m lying. It exemplifies the visceral essence of super-sized live shows, the push and pull between performer and audience, where energies are exchanged in favour of a memorable moment that can echo beyond those present on those grounds.

In the last year, the world has been largely robbed of these special live moments where music inspires those spontaneous, raucous reactions. During that time, artists have graced stages to perform their songs but the instances involving pandemonium have been somewhere between non-existent and extremely rare. (In fact, pandemonium has mainly been used as one of the sarcastic colloquial substitutes used in referring to the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.) Much like every other facet of life, Covid-19 greatly devastated live shows as the virus became a rapid worldwide concern, significantly altering the established format that included physical crowds.

Artists were—and still are to some extent—limited to virtual live performances, and while they have definitely been enjoyable, there’s no adequate alternative to having that physical presence and energy exchange. Before the pandemic, digital live performance platforms existed as avenues for artists to entertain audiences and prospective fans. In the context of an open world, live sets made for virtual viewership were supplementary showcases with mainly promotional purposes. As the pandemic set in, virtual shows became a viable, but ultimately inadequate, a placeholder for physical experiences, which we should have seen coming.

In 2019, during the ‘African Giant’ arc of his ongoing otherworldly run, Burna Boy made his much anticipated appearance on Tiny Desk, NPR’s popular, intimate live performance web series. Performing a medley of songs from his fourth studio album, the singer cut a sombre gait and was significantly less energetic than he’s proven to be on stage. Technically, Burna and his band hit the expected notes, his singing was clear and generally remarkable, their playing was tight and appropriately funky; they were in-sync and professional…maybe a little too professional because the set, even though enjoyable, wasn’t nearly as exciting as what a live Burna set is like.

If you’ve seen Burna live and direct, there’s a high chance are you’ve been awestruck by his towering presence and animated verve. He sings, raps, dances, hops, and pulls off everything in between to ensure he’s in command of the stage. With that in mind, he’s still essentially a showman who feeds off his audience’s reaction. In early 2020, Burna came under deserved criticism for singling out a fan during one of his live shows, ejecting him out of the venue and refunding his ticket money for seemingly not having a good time at the show. While some see it as an unnecessarily harsh gesture from Burna, it also symbolises how important that trade in trust between the artist on stage and the concertgoer, where the latter seeks to be wholly entertained and the former wants to feel the gratification of meeting that demand.

Without that real-time tension and interaction between both parties, live performances in the past year took on a slight but significant meaning. Perhaps, what makes the difference sting more, like many other “normal” things that were taken away because of the pandemic, is the casually violent removal of the audience from these physical spaces, with respect to the way many of us treated these concerts as quotidian occurrences rather than special avenues to commune with friends and strangers in service of the music we love. Virtual live shows became the new normal during the pandemic, but there’s a world of a difference between screaming back lyrics in an audience under the night sky and peering at your favourite artist from a screen.

As artists and the music industry began settling into the temporary normal, virtual live shows tried to get more inventive. Travis Scott famously hosted a spectacular live event on the gaming platform Fortnite, Burna Boy performed at a show that allowed viewers watch in virtual reality mode, and Wizkid’s first post-Made in Lagos concert was made momentous by an intimate preamble offering a glimpse into his daily life. These examples pushed the boundaries of the norms with virtual performances, giving digital attendees an experience they can hold on to, as opposed to the straightforward stage exhibition.

“That Wizkid live show will stay with me forever,” Oyinlolu, a self-confessed impulse concertgoer, tells me in a conversation about virtual live performances. “People would obviously have tuned in because it’s Wiz, but seeing him in his element before, during and shortly after he hit the stage made it feel special. That’s why the entire timeline was dedicated to the show that night.” While Wizkid was on stage exuding the magnetic charisma that makes him a beloved and hugely popular superstar, most of us were gabbing in awe of the man, emblematic of the ephemeral but powerful community live performances should ideally engender. The common belief is that live shows present an avenue to engaging with the music on a rawer level, but it takes special methods for it to feel fulfilling under the restrictive measures of a viral pandemic.

One of my fondest concert memories happened at the 2019 Palmwine Festival, the annual concert headlined by Nigerian Rap duo Show Dem Camp. Sometime that night, NATIVE Trybe alum, MOJO joined Prettyboy D-O on stage for their collaborative hit song “Chop Life Crew”. I was at a vendor’s stand with a friend at the time the performance started, however, I found myself close to the stage a few moments later, yelling the song’s infectious hook in the faces of a few strangers who were yelling back at me in similar ecstasy. Palmwine Fest didn’t return the next December, and even if it did, I can’t imagine having that sort of carefree moment because I’d be a little too busy trying to guard my life.

In comparison to other types of public, camaraderie-based gatherings—birthdays, weddings, club outings etc.—live shows haven’t fully resumed, but they’re happening to varying degrees in Nigeria and across the continent. At almost every turn, though, there’s a visible consequence of what it means to host and/or perform at a concert with physical attendees under the dark cloud of Covid-19. Last year, Nigerian singers Tems and Omah Lay were arrested in Uganda for gracing a two-day festival that featured dozens of artists. Their remands in jail and subsequent arraignment in court was seemingly spurred by political and xenophobic reasons, which were scarcely veiled under the guise of breaking health and safety measures.

Last December, Ghanaian Rap phenomenon Sarkodie hosted the latest edition of his annual Rapperholic concert, and it pulled in a massive turn out in spite of the pandemic. Watching footage of the concert, however, showed that it was a little statelier than it should’ve been for a Rap concert. For a bill that featured rappers performing up-tempo Trap bangers and raucous Drill slappers, the crowd’s reaction was far from rowdy, especially in the front row with V.I.P tables occupied by concertgoers who had nose masks on their faces or affixed to their chins.

In the coming months, live shows are bound to make a full return to their usual format. Effective Covid-19 vaccines are all the rage the moment, and even with a shortage in the amount of doses required to fully immunise African countries, outside is primed to open up fully and so is the frequency of live shows of varying crowd sizes. As exciting as that potential development seems, it begs the question of how audiences will react when they’re able to convene in large numbers in front of their favourite artists. “I’ll probably cry when I get to finally see Nasty C live again,” Lerato, a 24-year old Durban, South Africa resident tells me via text. “I saw him during his last tour, but I just really want to see him perform slaps off that new album and pay attention to him at every second.”

I, too, would love to see Nasty C again. In 2017, he made a cameo at Davido’s headlining concert at Lagos’ Eko Hotels, and for the most part of his set I was texting and doing other stuff on my phone. This was pre-Strings & Blings, the sophomore album that made me (and many other non-South Africans) really lock in and pay rapt attention to the then-budding superstar. From the little I saw that night, and footage of him on stage, Nasty C is the real-life representation of the energizer bunny when he’s performing with a crowd in front of him, a far cry from the composed performer he’s presented himself as during Late Night TV appearances and virtual showcases in the last few months. Seeing the rapper again, at a new height of fame no less, would provide a redemptive avenue to fully embrace the experience of seeing him on stage.

Over the last year, I’ve seen tweets from people promising to maximise the first live concerts they’ll be attending, a sign that many are heavily anticipating the opportunity to scream, dance, rage, and more at post-Covid shows. Even artists are looking forward to performing away from the guiding frame of restrictive measures. It’s an anticipation that might spell a positive uptick in concert culture around these parts, which might mean shows don’t start extremely later than they’re billed, artists don’t threaten the members of audience, and concertgoers live in the moment rather than hold their phones up the entire time.

A few weeks ago, I stumbled into a seemingly impromptu street rap battle in my Lagos neighbourhood, with two rappers trading bars while veins popped out of their necks as they strained their vocal cord to ensure their jabs landed better than the other. In the crowd of about 70 to 100 people that had gathered, I only saw one person with a camera phone out, the rest of us were riveted to the raps as they unfolded, yelling sounds of (dis)approval at each furious or tame lyrical jab. In that moment, I realised how much I’d missed witnessing live music events in the company of an enthusiastic audience, and I’m assuming it was the same for many of these people.

As I walked home, Naira Marley’s O2 Arena cameo popped into my head. I wasn’t there, what I’d witnessed wasn’t anywhere near the magnitude of that frenzied set, but it highlighted to me the memorable thrill of making yourself available to relish the pandemonium, whether big or small, induced by a live event. These new memories will be made right in front our eyes in the near future, we just need to be present because it’s been way too long since many of us truly engaged with music beyond digital channels. It’s about time to go outside and experience the music.

@dennisadepeter is a staff writer at the NATIVE.

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