Songs Of The Day: New music from Burna Boy, Naira Marley, Sarkodie, Zlatan, Zamir and more

Posted on by The Native

The last few months have been difficult. But with only a couple of days left until the end of the year, we’re trying to find more ways to be thankful and present in the current moment. While we’re still dedicated to amplifying and reporting the issues that have plagued us this year, we’ve now resumed our column, Songs of the Day as a nod to the artists putting out great music that serve as a momentary escape from all the grimness of the current news cycle.

Our last Songs Of The Day curation featured the new releases from Tekno, Reminisce and Adekunle Gold, DMW’s latest signing, Liya, Port Harcourt rapper, Kblacktheblack, dndSection, PsychoYP, Joeboy and more. Though we’ve been celebrating the release of our new print magazine, #WizMag and the release of Tems and Omah Lay from police custody in Uganda, we are still hoping for the recovery of the schoolboys that were abducted in Katsina state. To help dissipate the worrying thoughts about their safety, we’re bringing you the latest songs from around the continent that we believe can brighten your mood. These are the latest releases from Burna Boy, Sarkodie and Zlatan, Naira Marley, Zinoleesky, Zamir, King Kay and more. Dig in and enjoy.

Burna Boy – “Way Too Big”

Burna Boy has shared the video for “Way Too Big” one of the standout tracks from his latest Grammy-nominated album, ‘Twice As Tall’. The song previously served as fuel to his public social media rivalry, and even though we may never know for sure who the lyrics were addressed at, what’s certain is Burna Boy won’t back down from a fight.

The recently released Meji Alabi-directed video finds Burna Boy doubling down, and we watch him get into a boxing ring to fight a boxer. While he performs the taunting lyrics, “Oya do am if e easy”, the video follows his growth from an ambitious child to the big boss at a press conference with reporters and sitting on top of a billboard with his face on it. We expect that the new video will reignite fans’ enthusiasm as we approach the end of the year.

Sarkodie – “Hasta La Vista” Feat. Zlatan, Rexxie

While Nigerians debate over the shelf life of the Zanku wave he started, he was being captured in the studio with Sarkodie, Fuse ODG, and other African music talents as they recorded in a studio. Sarkodie has now released a new single featuring Zlatan, “Hasta La Vista”, and with the catchy street-hop beat produced by Rexxie, the song is sure to keep the Zanku wave going well into 2021.

Both rappers take turns delivering confident bars about their mainstream acclaim and pan African appeal over the dance-driven beats. The song was accompanied by a video to show the dance floor charm of the song as Sarkodie and Zlatan join dancers in the streets to display their different dance moves.

Naira Marley – “Koleyewon”

Naira Marley is closing the year with a string of new releases including a new tape from one of his label talents, Zinoleesky, and two new singles, “Chi Chi” and “Koleyewon”. While “Chi Chi” showed a rare romantic side of the controversial artist as he confirmed that “Marlians have feelings too” and delivered wedding-themed lyrics, for “Koleyewon” he resumed his vulgar ethos as he threatens his foes and mocks them; “O lon fuck pelu street/ O ri street lo ma fuck e up”.

The video directed by WG films is dedicated to the people who were killed during the EndSARS protests. It opens with a re-enactment of officers of the law opening fire on peaceful protesters while the rest of the video shows Naira Marley playing his anti-hero persona as the president of the Marlians. We see him tracking down and torturing the officers responsible for killing the innocent civilians. Though the song’s message is vengeful, the eerie Zanku beat Niphkeys produced for “Koleyewon” is still suitable for dance floors and we expect Marlians will be grooving to this while protests against bad governance and police brutality continue.

Zinoleesky – “Angeli”

Zinoleesky confirmed he’s not playing games with his career with his debut tape, ‘Chrome’ which offered 2 previously released tracks and 4 new ones. The opening track, “Angeli” stands out as he narrated his journey from his humble beginnings to his present celebrity status; “I felt like I’m haunted/ maybe one day I will be wanted.” Singing over the lightweight Afropop instrumentals produced by Sparkzy Beats in a mix of English and Yoruba, “Angeli” showcases Zinoleesky’s uncanny ear for writing catchy melodies.

‘Chrome’ is the young singer’s debut project under Marlian Music management and he already shared videos for the tape’s lead singles, “Ma Pariwo” and “Kilofese”. We’re also likely to get an accompanying video for “Angeli” with the song’s increasing popularity.

Zamir – “Funk Spice”

Earlier this year, Zamir reunited with the rest of the LOS trio to share their 3-track tape, ‘Tribe’. However, he has since continued his solo run by sharing new singles like “Ordre Du Jour”, “4000” and his latest single, “Funk Spice” which is the first song from his coming project.

“Funk Spice” is produced by Kufré who sets Zamir in a familiar synth-led hip-hop soundscape where he performs mosh-pit inciting bars; “This shit drive them wild/ Mosh pit like we looting.” The energetic performance he delivers on the song is what we’ve come to expect from him, as he barrels through different rap references from Kid Cudi’s “Don’t Fuck Up The Feng Shui”  and Jay Z’s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”.  As a result, “Funk Spice” listens like a medley and builds anticipation for what’s to come from Zamir’s promised project.

Rayge Smith – “Ebor”

Awareness about the violence in Nigeria and the government’s inability to protect innocent citizens was at an all-time high for the most part of 2020. Even the usually apolitical entertainment scenes spoke up against police brutality during the EndSARS protests in October. Rayge Smith’s latest single, “Ebor” is similarly charged as the upcoming Afro-reggae singer took on the responsibility of educating listeners on the less-discussed violence and unrest in Benue State, Nigeria.

The song was released earlier in the year and is expected to feature as one of the soundtracks for a movie, “The American King”, starring Akon and Nigerian actress, Nse Ikpe-Etim. Though the movie is scheduled for international release in 2021, the singer has now shared the official music video for “Ebor” and it captures the song’s emotive appeal for peace and promoting cultural values. The video was shot at a rural location in Benue as Avalon Okpe directed scenes showing people wielding cutlasses and ready to fight. The video also celebrated the culture and essence of the Idoma people of Benue State as his indigenous lyrics are translated into English in the video’s subtext.

King Kay – “Salida”

North-London based Nigerian rapper, King Kay has shared the music video for his 2019 single, “Salida” which means “Exit” in Spanish. It’s his 3rd release for the year, following the release of the video for “Barry” and his latest single, “Perfect Peace”. “Salida” is expected to be the lead single for his coming project, ‘Winner’s Winter II’ and the song finds King Kay narrating his experience in a toxic relationship; “she was moving crazy/ are you sure she’s even your girl”. The video directed by FORA & TWLVE sets him in a garage where he performs his lyrics with a red cup in his hand.

Though we see some shorts of his muse in the video, it’s not clear if he eventually leaves the relationship like he says he would. He explained to us in an email that “Salida is about being in a situation with a beautiful woman that you can’t with and can’t live without. While you are tired of all the BS, you can’t get over how beautiful she is and her positive attributes.”

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You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu

ICYMI: Check out our pick of the best songs released last week

A ranked list of the 12 Hennessy Cypher 2020 verses

Posted on by The Native

While it’s a joy to see that cypher culture is alive and well, thanks to consistent efforts such as Hennessy’s long-standing, annual cypher, these efforts in Nigeria don’t always hit the mark. In the past two years, fans have been graced with the good, the mid, and the awful, which makes it abundantly clear that there’s room for some growth.

Launched early last decade, the Hennessy cyphers took this pre-existing mode of informal rap collaboration to a higher level of popularity, becoming one of the marquee events many rap fans in Nigeria look forward to each year. In the last few years, however, the organisation and production quality of the cyphers deteriorated, and with that came a slump in interest from formerly excited viewers. Last year, however, things got a bit interesting for the scene, as a lot of people expected things to step up, on the heels of warning shots from another cognac brand, which eventually snowballed into the biggest rap beef in recent times.

Following an uninspired turn of events, however, the stakes were clearly higher for this year’s edition, and anything other than a fine showing would question Hennessy’s commitment to the growth of rap music in Nigeria. Fortunately and thankfully, they put in a commendable showing this time around. Last week, Hennessy shared three cyphers over three days (Wednesday to Friday), and it’s easily the best Hennessy cypher series in at least five years.

 

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Featuring Falz, M.I Abaga, Vector, Jesse Jagz, Phlow and more, the 2020 edition of the Hennessy cyphers brought together 12 Nigerian rappers grouped into apparent tiers. Aided by knocking beats courtesy of veteran producer, Chopstix, each rapper performed their verses in the company of tier colleagues, with sound mixing that kept their vocals loose enough to fit into the freewheeling, showboating nature of a cypher.

From the continued cordoning off indigenous rap artists (CDQ being the only one), to almost non-existent inclusion of female rappers, the Hennessy cyphers still have a long way to go in reflecting the diverse nature of rap music in Nigeria. These are issues that need to be addressed really soon, and while it does affect the enjoyability of the cyphers to anyone who wants more than the same old line-up characteristics, this year’s edition did provide some good verses and memorable moments.

Here’s a ranking of all 12 verses that graced the 2020 Hennessy cyphers.

12. Barrylane

Here’s the thing, I like Kendrick Lamar, A LOT. The Compton-born rap superstar has grown into one of the most innovative auteurs and lyricists in recent times, so it’s only appropriate that he’s influenced a slew of rappers. But influencing doesn’t mean sounding like a direct copy. Barrylane is a direct Kendrick copy, and it’s distracting enough to put several bumps into his locomotive flow. Maybe it’s little of his fault, after all, we don’t get to choose our natural vocal tone, but at the same time Barry’s schtick seems like he memorised every inflection and vocal tick on ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D City’ and decided to regurgitate them. There’s some interesting schemes in his verse, but… that voice.

(Memorable bars: “I’m assasinator, I don’t knock on doors/I pass the chimney but fully gifted like Santa Claus”)

11. CDQ

In a line-up alongside Falz and Show Dem Camp, CDQ seemed like a fish on dry land. Entering the limelight as a make of hit singles, CDQ has never fronted himself as a fang-bearing lyricist looking to shred beats apart with raw technique, so his posturing here seemed a bit comical. As a street-bred rapper, there’s a very high chance he participated in his fair share of rap battles, but it’s clearly been a while since he played in this sort of arena. Don’t get me wrong, his raps are adequate and the growl he employs is occasionally intriguing, but it doesn’t take too much to see that the seams are a bit off.

(Memorable bars: “I move as like, don’t want nobody bringing hell on me/ti’n ba lo ku l’eni, o d’ola won ma p’elomi” [“If I get killed today, someone else will get killed tomorrow])

10. Jesse Jagz

It’s 2020 and Jesse Jagz is still going, “characteristics of ballistics when I spit it/it’s parasitic, acidic, pacific, carries eou with it”. Depending on who you ask, this sequence is either the entry to an unknown portal, or it’s pointless and verbose. Maybe the actual answer is in between, because Jesse Jagz has worked himself into something of a mystical dark knight who only appears to work musical miracles, but if you peek in a bit closer, his lyricism can be winded and vacuous. Jesse’s best weapon is still his ability to traffic in riveting flows, which he does a monster job of on his verse, but his raps don’t have the same compelling effect.

(Memorable bars: “Can’t shake it, the flow is jaded/apparel for those who naked, hope for those who didn’t make it/the flow is initiated, body and spirit, take it”)

9. Ghost (Show Dem Camp)

As far as pure technical brilliance when it comes to lyricism, Ghost is near peerless in all of Africa (Stogie T is the only one I put on the same pedestal, IYKYK). In less than 60 seconds, the Titanic wordsmith packs expected brilliance into his verse, leaning into the commanding baritone of his voice as he drops a phenomenal Frank Lucas reference, and takes aim at mumble rap, calling it “shenanigans” like the chastising uncle that he is. (Disclaimer: I like “mumble” rap.) Usually, Ghost is adept at bending a beat to his will, but on this occasion, there are a few moments his flow is choppy, almost like he can’t control his aggression to stay perfectly on beat. 

(Memorable bars: “All these artificial intelligence rappers/claiming they making moves, mistaking motion for action/this is rap vigilantism from the African garrison, far from your mumble rap shenanigans”)

8. Phlow

In a male-dominated English rap space, Str8buttah affiliate, Phlow used to feel a need to justify her place as the only woman amongst the guys. Having eased herself out of that pressure, she’s a lot more confident and comfortable playing by her own rules, and she sounds very much like the rejuvenated artist in the cypher. Right from the moment she opens her mouth, her verse unfolds like a Michelle Obama speech: articulate, poised, and dripping with so much swagger, Soulja Boy would grin with pride. She flips between casual livewire schemes and insouciant pidgin-infused raps, taking Chopstix’s groovy beat on the ride of its life.

(Memorable bars: “I mean, it’s obvious I shoot for the kill/I couldn’t care for the way the rest of them feel/two hands to the wheel, driving them crazy/been unfair with the skill”)

7. Payper Corleone

Payper Corleone’s “Don” shtick can come across a bit over-flogged, but when he’s at full tilt, he can sound quite engaging and entertaining, as he does in this year’s cypher. A regular name at cyphers and freestyles, Payper is a highly respected lyricist amongst peers and rap fans in the country, partly because he hearkens back to the “real hip-hop” ideals of the ‘90s. As last year’s ‘Fly Gangsta from the ‘90s’ showed, he’s evolving into a mix of those sensibilities and something more recognisable to the average Nigerian. For his verse, he shows how far he’s gone into that evolution, spinning a verse marked by loose, infectious flow, without slacking on the bars.

(Memorable bars: “Real life, we don’t go off hype/no pressure, dropped jewels and the flow caught nice/all my collabs dem dey go alright, because the flow so smooth like breeze wey dey blow from bike”)

6. Teeto Ceemos

Teeto Ceemos’ cypher verse is a fever dream for rap fans who understand pop culture and hip-hop-related references and can appreciate when they’re used impressively. He opens with a sinister summon of the Michael Jordan-centred documentary, “The Last Dance”, later going religious, then switching to a “Game of Thrones” callback, which eventually transforms into a sequence involving mentions for some of the greatest rap diss tracks of all time. With all of these inspiration sources, there’s an indelible directness leaking out of his bars, with Teeto’s commanding voice ensuring that every line rings out as loud as the preceding ones. Hope Hennessy paid that 2k.

(Memorable Bars: “My comments and my mentions filled with unworthy opponents/an idol to my rivals, this is your moment of atonement/Ice Cube with the flow, stay focused it’s higher learning/take your sandals off, you can smell the bush burning”)

5. M.I Abaga

M.I Abaga is a man who loves making moments. Following his viral beef with Vector, and his very public denouncement of the shoddiness of the Hennessy cyphers, his return was another moment for a rapper who’s maintained well over a decade of dominance on Nigeria’s rap scene. In the last two years, M.I has taken to cyphers and freestyles his means of airing grievances, but with no rivals to swing at, he takes the opportunity to address several pertinent issues, namely: the end of his beef with Vector, why we should all be feminists, Black Lives Matter, and the need for the #EndSARS protests to snowball into change via election polls. It’s a lot of ground to cover, but there are very few rap artists adept at being topical than M.I. While he sacrifices the clever edge he usually brings (e.g. that Ruga line on ‘Martell Cypher 2’), it doesn’t prove detrimental to his performance.

(Memorable bars: “And by the way, we all should be feminist/no man should be offended by women empowered and outspoken/who try to fix the country that rapes them and leaves them broken/we should fight for all our women instead of trying to provoke them”)

4. Vader the Wildcard

At full tilt, Vader the Wildcard raps like he’s annoyed by the notion that there’s any other rapper better skilled at weaving words and entendres together. Since winning the Hennessy VS Class competition in 2017, he’s been playing around with varying facets of his creative skill-set, but his head rattling cypher verse reinforces the notion that he’s at his most viscerally dazzling when he’s ripping through beats unencumbered. Vader’s verse is like watching Thor casually pulling down thunder with Mjolnir in order to smack the shit out of an opposition army. For about a minute, Vader sounds casually invincible, and in that duration it does sound like there’s no better rap lyricist around these parts.

(Memorable bars: “It’s the wildcard making sure you niggas have a bad day/band aid ripping gorrila, I’m on a rampage/champagne sipping with chicks that look like Tinnashe/sashay through opposition like the apache”)

3. Tec (Show Dem Camp)

Tec raps like he’s in a constant moment of clarity.  Fewer rappers have the ability to say what they mean in exact words while sounding downright imperial. Partnering with a rapper who’s lyrical technique is near insurmountable, Tec has mastered the art of being artfully plain and constantly intriguing to listen to. Coming in after Ghost’s slightly fumbled rampage, Tec enters with the assured poise and nimbleness of 2012 Lionel Messi bearing down on goal. He employs a staccato flow that hugs Chopstix’s drums at the beginning, and peels away for an eye-widening salvo in the second half, culminating in a masterclass on being self-reverential without the need for unnecessary embellishments.

(Memorable bars: “With the pen I’m Joe Pesci/imagine me tryna spar with the best rapper in Lekki/that’s like, young Iwobi trying to measure with to Messi/it won’t gel”)

2. Vector

The best line of the entire cypher belongs to Vector tha Viper. “My neo-Black movement will slow bullets” is the sort of phenomenal entendre that will crack your jaw open, but maybe the best part is that Vector raps the line so casually, almost as though he’s jogging past so you can catch him. A lot of the time, Vector has a thing for overcomplicating his simplest lines, and overdramatising the complex ones. What’s stunning about his verse is that he does neither, unspooling each line with the same unceremonious vigour that makes the entire thing feel instantly special. Darting from pro-Black sentiments, to jibes at the colonial effects still plaguing Nigeria, and plain old self-exhortation, Vector’s verse is loaded without being tedious to listen to, covering a lot of ground while remaining enjoyable.

(Memorable bars: “Don’t get lost in my English story, shebi Naija na English glory/I may decide to rap in English only, the slave master pushed English on me/your weak shots can only miss me/Twitter hate won’t ignore or free me…dem carry V for head lime Don Jazzy DP”)

1. Falz

Very often, rappers get so carried away with extolling their greatness in cyphers, that they forget there’s listeners on the receiving end not only looking to be wowed, but also looking to be entertained. This the reason Falz’s verse is the best of the bunch in this year’s Hennessy cyphers. On more than a few occasions, Falz has shown he’s comfortable on the “traditional” rap tip (see: “Chardonnay Music” and much of Moral Instruction), but it’s his comic persona, complete with the Brother Taju inflections, that pops up on this cypher. Without mincing words, it’s instantly refreshing and thrilling. 

Falz has always carried himself as the people’s rapper, and on a platform where other colleague is trying to prove they’re a rapper’s (or hip-hop head’s) rapper, this distinction differentiates him. In his verse, he’s as playful as he self-assured, coming across like he was genuinely having fun while rapping, instead of trying to prove any unnecessary points. He doesn’t fall into the trap of feigning aggression, choosing to assert himself through a familiar, entertaining route. For a moment, Falz considers his legacy, a weighty topic to broach in a cypher; but if there’s any encapsulation of his best self as a rap artist, this phenomenal verse is the moment.

(Memorable bars: “I’m classy to my taste buds, my choice of brown is Hennessy/I’m the type of man to buy a house before I buy some necklaces/I no dey brag, I dey show wetin I back”)

Dennis is a staff writer at the NATIVE. Let me know your favourite mumble rap songs @dennisadepeter

ICYMI: IT’S FINALLY TIME FOR NIGERIAN RAP TO EMBRACE ITS WOMEN

Over 300 school boys are missing after gunmen raid school in Katsina

Posted on by The Native

In 2014, 276 girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram from their hostels in Chibok Secondary School, Borno State, Nigeria. This incident sparked global outrage, with the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls emerging as a social justice campaign for the safe return of the young girls to their families. Till today, many of these girls are still unaccounted for, despite the government’s insistence that the deadly terror group Boko Haram has been defeated.

Insecurity in Nigeria has only worsened over time. Four years after the Chibok girls went missing, it was reported that 110 schoolgirls from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe State were also kidnapped, again by Boko Haram, from their schools. Two years later, history is unfortunately, repeating itself, as over 300 boys have been reported missing from an all-boys Government Science School in Kankara, a town in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state.

The tragic event occurred on the evening of Friday December 11, when gunmen on motorcycles stormed the school, engaging security personnel at the grounds in a fierce gun battle that forced hundreds of school students to flee and hide in the neighbouring forest. On Saturday morning, it was reported that over 600 of the school’s pupils were unaccounted for in the aftermath of the attack. Days later, thankfully many students have been found, but according to the Katsina Governor Aminu Masari, out of the school’s total number of 839 students, 333 of those young boys are still missing, feared kidnapped.

 

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Parents of the missing children on Sunday took to the streets of Nigeria’s northwestern state to protest for the immediate recovery of their children. The protesting parents held placards conveying various messages, among which were ‘Government must speak out,’ ‘We want our children back’ and ‘We want security in Kankara.’ All state schools in Katsina were ordered to close shortly after the incident, and rescue missions are said to be underway to ensure the safe return of the students.

President Muhammudu Buhari, whose home state is in fact Katsina, expressed his shock at the tragic incident over the weekend, however, is yet to grant grieving and worried parents an audience despite his presence in Katsina State at the time of the kidnappings. In his place, President Buhari sent a delegation from Abuja to Katsina over the weekend to console with the state government and the people of the state over the attack. However, many Nigerians, both at home and in the diaspora, are responding with uproar at the continued insecurity in Northern Nigeria, especially children’s insecurity; the hashtag #BringBackOurBoys has begun to trend on social media, as Nigerians seek to bring global attention to the abductions.

Earlier today, terrorist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the abduction of the 333 schoolboys, a report by Arise News states. The Katsina government have also announced that negotiations have begun to ensure the return of the school children from the alleged abductors, whom they have yet to recognise at Boko Haram.

This is a developing story.

Featured image credits/Punch

.@tamimak_ is just trying to make it to the end of the year

ICYMI: Omah Lay and Tems have been released from police custody in Uganda

Daily Paper and Off-White partner with Surf Ghana to bring Accra’s first skatepark

Posted on by The Native

Accra, Ghana will soon have their very first skatepark, thanks to the recently announced collaboration between Daily Paper, Off-White, Surf Ghana, Limbo Accra, and more. Freedom Skate Park, will be one of the ten skateparks available across the whole continent, with plans for construction slated to begin in the first quarter of 2021.

Alongside plans for the skatepark, Daily Paper is releasing a capsule collection with Surf Ghana as part of their Beyond The Return pop-up in Ghana next week. The collection will be an exclusive collaborative t-shirt with Off-White™, with 100% of the proceeds going towards the construction of the skatepark. Both collections will make their debut at Daily Paper’s pop-up store in Accra, Ghana on December 21, 2020, with a global release to follow on dailypaperclothing.com on January 15, 2021.

During the pop-up, Daily Paper will host a full house of local talent, students, creatives and tourists, through panel talks and events as well as a return of the football tournament held last year on the pitch built with Puma back in 2017.

 

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Speaking about the collaboration, the co-founder of Daily Paper, Jefferson Osei shared that:

“With this initiative, we hope to evolve the skate culture in Ghana to the next level and give locals a platform to grow their talents within a space that will hopefully become their biggest training ground to date.

More than board sports, the park will be a creative hub for young Ghanaians to come together, exchange ideas, inspire each other and build their futures through recreational activities.

They now have a place where they can be themselves, freely develop their skills together with like-minded people and reach their true potential. Hence the name Freedom Skate Park.”

You can support Surf Ghana’s mission by making donations here.

Featured image credits/Arinzechukwu Patrick

.@tamimak_ is just trying to make it to the end of the year

ICYMI: Introducing Native Sound Radio on No Signal

WizMag ROOTS: Wizkid’s close collaborators discuss contributions to ‘Made In Lagos’

Posted on by The Native

For his long-anticipated, highly reverential fourth studio album, ‘Made In Lagos’, it clearly took a village to appropriately bring Wizkid’s scintillating vision to life. On his way to becoming and remaining one of the greatest superstars African music has produced, Wizkid has always aligned himself with the right set of producers and managers, who help in amplifying his innate artistic powers, constantly evolve his sound, and ensure his undeniable star power shines bright every single time.

In veneration of this collaborative spirit, the NATIVE has dedicated an entire section of the newly unveiled WizMag—a limited edition zine made in collaboration with Wiz—to discussing with several key collaborators who have worked with the singer over the years, and relatively newer ones who contributed to ‘Made In Lagos’. Titled “ROOTS”, the section comprises brief and insightful interviews with everyone who worked behind the scenes, contextualising the making of the iconic project, and the personal significance of the ‘MIL’ to them.

 

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Acclaimed music video director, Meji Alabi of JM films details his first encounter with Wizkid (dating back to the ‘Superstar’ era), and his role as the principal visual architect behind the beloved and yet-to-be released videos off the new album. Wizkid’s managers, veteran Sunday Are and Jada Pollock, give a peek into what’s like to work with such a titan, while also sharing some of their personal philosophies. We also spoke with long-time Wizkid producers, Sarz and duom Legendury Beatz, who have evolved with the singer over the years, tracing back to the very beginning of the last decade.

More specifically, for ‘Made In Lagos’, we interviewed Blaqjerzee, Juls, Kel P, London, and P2J—who also served as the album’s executive producer—on their contributions to the new album, which has been acclaimed since its drop in late October.

You can catch all of these interviews, and more of the exclusive content off WizMag, right here.

NATIVE TIME ISSUE: TEMS, THE GIRL ON FIRE

Wizkid, the epitome of what it means to be made in Lagos

Posted on by The Native

Wizkid’s impact spans over a decade. Fans, colleagues, and friends around the world are bursting to testify of the Starboy effect and how it has affected them in their lives; for WizMag, members of our community do just that. Just as a city like New York boasts of greats such as Jay Z, Notorious B.I.G, Pop Smoke and more, so also it follows that without Lagos, there would be no Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun.

Lagos, the city that raised, molded, and made the boy from Ojuelegba the man we know today, is a unique cultural melting pot at the heart of arts and cultural exchange in Nigeria. Wizkid began laying down the foundations for what would become an award-winning global career at the forefront of the burgeoning afropop scene straight out of Ojuelegba

But there’s something to be said about Lagos–a city with more than enough pace and noise to facilitate people departing from traditional careers, toying with new ideas, and forming new subcultures. Laying beneath the layers of the deeply entrenched hustle spirit that the city has fashioned are those who make it out, those who create a new life for themselves and soar beyond expectation. Wizkid is one of those fortunate to have crossed the ether.

For Wizmag, different members of our community embark on a journey to capture what the city means to them, being born and raised in the same vivacious metropolis that birthed our global superstar, Wizkid. Tayo Idowu captures what Wizkid means to the city and how the singer has become the city’s cultural custodian in his decade-long run. Dennis Ade-Peter looks to the singer’s loyal fanbase, Wizkid FC, both at home and the diaspora and Toye Sokunbi helms the epic story of the Starboy from Surulere’s path to global glory.

This is what it means to be Made in Lagos.

Read more here.

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.@tamimak_ is just trying to make it to the end of the year

ICYMI: NATIVE commissions Sejiro Avoseh, Koby Martin, Edozie Anedu and Ekene Maduka for art work inspired by Wizkid and Lagos

Omah Lay and Tems have been detained in police custody in Uganda

Posted on by The Native

In the past two months, citizens of both Nigeria and Uganda have challenged their governments to end unnecessary and cruel police brutality rife in both countries. Over the weekend, reports reached social media that Tems and Omah Lay were being held in custody along with Tems’ manager, Mayowa Awoniyi in relation to a concert hosted in the country by Kasana Events. The event titled The Big Brunch: Afrobeats Edition was advertised to feature both Tems and Omah Lay as the headliners of the musical night.

Ahead of the show, local artists including singer Bebe Cool had complained about the concert, citing that Ugandan artists had faced serious blows to their performance income when COVID-19 hit the country back in March. However, the concert was held on Saturday as scheduled, and shortly after, both artists were taken into police custody. The news of the arrest was shared by Kampala Metropolitan deputy spokesperson, Luk Owoyesigyire, who shared details of the artists’ arrest alongside the manager of the venue, Dungu Ivan and the events manager, Prim Kasana.

The trio were initially set for release earlier today on police bond, however, according to the official Twitter account of the Ugandan police, their case file was sanctioned by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. They were jointly charged along with four other Ugandans, all remanded until Wednesday, December 16. They are now facing charges of negligently engaging in acts likely to spread infectious diseases contrary to C/S 171 of the country’s Penal Code Act.

According to Omah Lay’s Twitter account, the trio have been denied access to a fair trial and are being remanded for organising a show they were merely invited to perform. The singer also shares that the Ugandan authorities have refused the counsel of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs who have been working to secure bail to no avail for the three Nigerians involved. Many Nigerian artists including Burna Boy, Olamide, Rema, Fireboy DML and more, have now shared the hashtags #FreeOmahLay #FreeTems on social media to garner enough online attention to demand better treatment of Nigerian citizens by the Ugandan authorities.

Moe Odele, an attorney heavily involved in procuring the release of #EndSARS protesters back in October, has now shared that she is reaching out to a pool of lawyers in the country to find out what can be done to help both Omah and Tems and her manager, Muyiwa.

Update: According to a Ugandan artist, Bebe Cool, Tems and Omah Lay have now been released. The singer posted a release order from the Chief Magistrate Court of Makindye, following the withdrawal of their case from court. We are glad they have been freed and are wishing them all the best.

.@tamimak_ is just trying to make it to the end of the year

ICYMI: Violence erupts in Uganda following the arrest of Bobi Wine

Introducing: NATIVE Sound Radio on No Signal

Posted on by The Native

Somewhere in the early seasons of this never-ending corona-restricted period, No Signal Radio became a mouth and earpiece for the black British community, thanks to their NS10vs10 shows which brought the much-missed party feeling to our living rooms, and drew us together as a community. This year, in addition to the pandemic, the world has been fighting another great enemy, systematic oppression of black bodies worldwide. As a result, alongside the protests against police brutality, in the West during the summer and all across Africa throughout the fall into winter, Black people at home and in the diaspora are now increasingly more mindful of where they are putting their resources, as we begin to understand just how complicit in the world’s transnational behemoths are in perpetuating the subjugation of black people all over the world.

With the Grammys releasing yet another year of questionable nominations, pigeon-holing talented African musicians who have been at the top of their game and the charts this year, the need for us to take our own narratives into our own hands, reporting and documenting and analysing our own stories, became even clearer. For so long, we have looked for approval or inclusion in spaces where we are not respected let alone represented, however, this year has taught us the importance of us doing the work, for us, by us. Proudly black-owned brands, companies, publications, radio stations, such as The NATIVE and No Signal are necessary for our culture, so that our rich history may be accurately documented and our future generations will never be denied the place they deserve.

Always doing our part to empower black people all across the world, The NATIVE and No Signal have joined forces to deliver NATIVE Sound Radio, hosted on No Signal’s radio station.

Bringing you the sounds of tomorrow: today, our inaugural show will be hosted by Abigail Adeoti, aka AB DOLLAR$, and premieres today at 8pm. In our first episode, AB$ is joined by Tobi Oke, as the two chop it up about all things music. With a guest mix from NATIVE Sound System’s Addy Edgal, who brings us tunes from Omah Lay, Fireboy, Amaarae and more, music from the show will be anchored by a historic NSR Countdown, powered by Turntable Chart. Also premiering an exclusive interview from two global stars, this first episode of NATIVE Sound Radio’s The NATIVE Pulse is one you definitely do not want to miss.

Catch the show on No Signal Radio, tonight.

Featured Image Credits: NATIVE

ICYMI: HOT TAKES: ENISA, DAVIDO, DECEMBER IN LAGOS, BIG MOUTH & MORE

DJ Spinall releases new, star-studded album, ‘Grace’

Posted on by The Native

In addition to being one of the most popular disc jockeys out of Africa, DJ Spinall’s consistency has made him one of the more lauded album curators around. In October 2015, he released his debut album, ‘My Story: The Album’, he followed with an annual album drop until 2018. After taking a break last year, he’s back with his long-teased, fifth studio album, ‘Grace’. He announced the album last month, promising that it’d be a star-studded affair.

 

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A post shared by DJ SPINALL (@djspinall)

True to his promise, and as he’s known to do, ‘Grace’ pulls in a consortium of stars from across Nigeria, Ghana and the UK. Fireboy DML, Crayon, Oxlade, King Promise, Reminisce, Minz, Bella Shmurda, WurlD, Niniola, BOJ, Shaybo, BenjiFlow are amongst the vocal artists included on this project. The album features several pre-released singles, including “Dis Love” featuring Wizkid and Tiwa Savage, the Omah Lay-assisted “Tonight”, and “Everytime” with Jamaican dancehall superstar Kranium.

While previous releases saw Spinall facilitating and curating matchups between artists and music producers, this time around he’s more involved behind the boards, producing a bulk of this album. With the exhibition of this relatively new skill-set, ‘Grace’ ups the ante for a DJ Spinall album, showcasing him a creative constantly looking to evolve and elevate his musical craft.

Listen to ‘Grace’ here.

Dennis is a staff writer at the NATIVE. Let me know your favourite the Cavemen songs @dennisadepeter

REVIEW: WIZKID’S ‘MADE IN LAGOS’

Disney Plus is set to launch sci-fi series set in Lagos, Iwaju

Posted on by Tami Makinde

Following 2019’s successful animation remake ‘The Lion King’, Disney Plus is making plans to invest in more authentic African storytelling. The media giant has just announced its plans to launch an animated all-new African original series coming to the streaming platform in 2022. The series is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Walt Disney Animation Studios and a Pan-African comic book entertainment company named Kugali which is run by Nigerian founders Tolu Olowofoyeku, Ziki Nelson, and Hamid Ibrahim.

The series titled ‘Iwájú’, which roughly translates as “The Future” in Yoruba, is a sci-fi story to be set in Lagos, Nigeria. One of the first of its kind, the series will highlight poignant West African stories told through animation and comic-book format, and will partner with an African start-up to bring the story to life. ‘Iwájú’ is set to explore deep themes of class, innocence, and challenging the status quo, which is very important at a time of reckoning where continued police brutality and corruption of the government birthed a movement that forced most young Nigerians to find their voice.

Although the series is set for release in 2022, Disney’s successful past forays into African storytelling including award-winning film ‘Black Panther’, Beyoncé’s ‘Black is King’ suggest that ‘Iwájú’ promises to be unmissable moment. In addition to more representation, the series will also further cement the talent of African creatives on a global scale. With the series set to delve into such rich themes and it’s setting in Lagos, a city renowned for the fervour and hard work of its people, we can’t wait to see what a reimagined animated future without class divide could look like through African lenses.

Speaking about the forthcoming series, one of the-founders of Kigali, Ziki Nelson shared that

“This show will combine Disney’s magic and animation expertise with Kugali’s fire and storytelling authenticity. Iwájú represents a personal childhood dream of mine to tell my story and that of my people.”

Featured image credits/DisneyPlus

.@tamimak_ is just trying to make it to the end of the year

ICYMI: Presenting the official trailer for ‘The Satchel’

Listen to Naira Marley’s new singles “Koleyewon” and “Chichi”

Posted on by The Native

Naira Marley’s ascent to stardom has been one of the best-told stories to come out in the last two years. The game changed when he embarked on a stellar two-year run that saw the rise of hit singles such as “Japa”, “Am I A Yahoo Boy”, “Soapy” and more, leading to a string of sold-out shows both home and in the UK. He quickly established himself on the streets and online, anchored by the love of his Marlian fanbase who are now revolutionising stan culture in the country.

This year, the rapper has not weaned in delivering hit singles like the Rexxie-produced “Aye” and “As E Dey Go”, two of his earlier offerings that brought out a different, calmer side to the rapper, from his dominance of delivering club bangers and street-hop singles the previous year. To close out 2020, Naira Marley has now released two new singles to usher in the season, which more than prove that he can still be versatile and deliver the bops regardless of the subject matter.

 

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A post shared by Naira Marley (@nairamarley)

On “Koleyewon” (roughly translated as they can’t understand), the rapper makes his boldest proclamation of his commitment to the streets who raised him and made him who he is. The upbeat single produced by Niphekys track lightly highlights the current state of Nigeria and the challenges the country has faced this year; most especially the #ENDSars movement. With an emotive video, he pays homage to the fallen victims from the peaceful protests, whilst at the same time presenting an ode to the streets we’re sure to hear in clubs.

Singing “How many boys don die for the streets/How many boys don blow from the streets”, the rapper highlights how important every life is, particularly those on the streets who have managed to survive the country despite the hardships they face. With lyrics that show no mercy to those who count out the underdog, Naira Marley promises that those who remain ignorant will eventually understand:(“Streets o ma fuck ye up”).

Naira Marley’s second offering is a more romantic cut which finds the rapper linking up with close collaborator Rexxie for the upbeat number titled “Chi Chi”. Over the medley of afropop drums and vibrant percussion, Naira Marley admits that “Marlians have feelings too” as he professes his love for a muse who he believes is hotter than pepper soup.

The rapper also seems to believe he’s quite the catch too, telling his love interest that “if you marry a boy like me you go enjoy yourself/if you curse my father it’s bye bye” he sings bringing his demands of the relationship to the table. Speaking about the single, Naira Marley shared that:

“My fans are waiting for me to drop a December jam, so I’m giving them two jams. They want to hear from their president. These songs are how I’m feeling now and I want to share it with my Marlians, lets get lit”.

Featured image credits/MannyJefferson

.@tamimak_ is just trying to make it to the end of the year

ICYMI: Tekno (finally) released his long-awaited debut album ‘Old Romance’

Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa announce joint project, ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, with singer Tresor

Posted on by The Native

In the summer of 2019, Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa delivered their first joint project, ‘Scorpion Kings’, a widely acclaimed body of work which helped further the amapiano agenda into the mainstream. Subsequently, Kabza and Maphorisa have adopted the title of that first project as the moniker for their producer duo, going on to release four more projects, with the latest being April’s ‘Once Upon A Time in Lockdown’.

Taking a short break from their prolific run, partly due to the release of Kabza’s phenomenal debut album, ‘I Am the King of Amapiano: Sweet & Dust’, the Scorpion Kings are gearing up to release ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, a joint project with South African singer Tresor. Since his 2015 debut album, ‘VII’, Tresor has grown into one of the most acclaimed voices from the southern parts of Africa, winning several awards, including album of the year at the South African Music Awards for his 2017 album, ‘Beautiful Madness’.

In anticipation of ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, which will drop in February 2021 via Platoon, the trio have shared the lead single, “Funu”, to give listeners a taste of what to expect. Intersecting between lush and booming, Kabza and Maphorisa lay down a chugging groove driven by a buoyant percussion pattern, and shimmering piano keys to give “Funu” a disco sheen. Having already repurposed disco-funk on his last, retro-inspired album, ‘Nostalgia’, Tresor traces the contours of the entrancing soundscape with his viscous falsetto, singing with a palpable sincerity as he seeks reconciliation from a wronged partner.

As the first peek into ‘RITJ’, “Funu” hints at a combination that aggregates the heartfelt writing and soulful vocal stylings of Tresor’s sensibilities with the dance leaning of amapiano. From “Nana Thula” to “eMcibini” and several collaborations with Sha Sha, the Scorpion Kings have proven adept at meshing finely with soul-leaning singers, an ability they will no doubt lean into for the upcoming joint project.

Listen to “Funu” and pre-add ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ below.

Dennis is a staff writer at the NATIVE. Let me know your favourite Vigro Deep songs @dennisadepeter

ICYMI: FOCALISTIC’S “ONOROKO” WAS OUR BEST NEW MUSIC PICK EARLIER THIS WEEK

Tekno (finally) releases long-awaited debut album, ‘Old Romance’

Posted on by The Native

For the better part of the last decade, Tekno has simultaneously defied and played into the conventions of the Nigerian music ecosystem. After gaining nationwide attention in early 2013 with the Davido-assisted hit single, “Holiday”, the singer continued to operate a singles-based run, leveraging on the norm of dishing out hit songs to stay relevant as one of the bigger artists and social truth-tellers of the times.

 

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A post shared by Teknomiles (@teknoofficial)

During this period, fans clamoured for a debut project from the singer, and now it’s finally time. Announced about a week ago, Tekno has finally released his long-awaited debut album, ‘Old Romance’. In a press statement accompanying the release, the album is described as an ode to traditional, simple love, a strong forté for Tekno as proven with megahits such as “Duro” and “Pana”. The album is pegged to tell the classic tale boy meets girl, tracking the early moments when their paths cross, the inevitable challenges, and the happily ever after.

With this context, it seems as though the singer intends for his debut LP to be concept-driven, as opposed to solely being a grab-bag of hit songs, as projected by many. The recently released, celebratory single, “Enjoy”, is included on the album, alongside 13 new tracks with no guest features.

Listen to ‘Old Romance’ here.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/teknoofficial

Dennis is a staff writer at the NATIVE. Let me know your favourite the Cavemen songs @dennisadepeter

ICYMI: Takeaways from Naira Marley’s conversation with Frank Mba of the Nigerian Police Force

Songs of the day: New music from Tekno, Joeboy, Reminisce, Liya, Kblacktheblack, and more

Posted on by The Native

The last few months have been difficult. But with three weeks left until the end of the year, we’re trying to find more ways to be thankful and present in the current moment. While we’re still dedicated to amplifying and reporting the issues that have plagued us this year, we’ve now resumed our column, Songs of the Day as a nod to the artists putting out great music that serve as a momentary escape from all the grimness of the current news cycle.

This week, our Songs of the day curation started with new releases from Stonebwoy and Davido, Falz and Niniola, Tomi Agape, Amaarae and BOJ, Waje and Cracker Mallo, Lo Village, and many more. For the mid-week curation, we have compiled the latest releases from Tekno, Reminisce and Adekunle Gold, DMW’s latest signing, Liya, Port Harcourt rapper, Kblacktheblack, more. These are the songs we believe can help you get through the rest of the week. Dig in and enjoy.

Tekno – “Designer”

Tekno’s upcoming album, ‘Old Romance’ remains one of the most anticipated albums from any African artist this year. Since he broke into the mainstream with “Pana” in 2016, fans have waited on his first full-length project, and it’s finally set to drop tomorrow, on the 10th of December. While we wait for the 14-track tape, Tekno has followed up the lead single, “Enjoy” with a new single, “Designer” which further amplifies the romantic and dancehall direction hinted in the album’s title.

Backed by the waist whine-ready production “Designer” finds Tekno expressing how much he loves his muse; “This kind woman sent from heaven”. He’s able to fuse different influences as he sings in English and patois while laying Afropop melodies over the Caribbean dancehall beat. Though we’re still raising our eyebrows about some of the lyrics,   (“No matter the money, my baby no fit give her pussy to nobody”), “Designer” tells the story of a man in a committed relationship with the woman of his dreams.

Joeboy – “Celebration”

Since he broke out in 2019 with his debut single under Mr Eazi’s emPawa platform, “Baby”, Joeboy has remained one of the most promising music talents in Nigeria. This year, he continued his run by delivering impressive guest features like Major Lazer’s “Sun Comes Up” and DJ Neptune’s “Nobody”. He’s now rounding up the year with a festive new single, “Celebration”, produced by Type A.

“Celebration” has a groovy Afropop baseline that guides Joeboy’s melodic performance as he encourages listeners to have a good time and anticipate their blessings. Singing “No worry my brother/ you know money go dey”, “Celebration” is primed to set the festive mood for the coming holiday season. Joeboy explained to us at NATIVE that he was inspired to record the feel-good song while at a recording camp in Ghana. He shares:

“In a year that has been more torrid than fulfilling for many of us, we still need to give thanks and appreciate the littlest of things and that’s what ‘Celebration’ is about. “Celebration” is a song of happiness, recorded at my recording camp in Ghana. It’s not a love song but a feel-good song that signifies that we shall be alright regardless of the challenges.”

Liya – “Melo”

Liya was unveiled as the first female DMW signing earlier this year, and now she has shared her first official single under DMW management, “Melo”. The romantic single was produced by Zaki Magic who lays a catchy highlife-influenced beat for her to show off her vocal range. She delivered a high pitched performance as he sang about her music’s dance floor appeal in a mix of English and Yoruba lyric; “I got the vibe, I’d make you losing your mind/ dancing make your body come alive/ ta lenu bi rodo”.

Davido also made a cameo in the accompanying video for Liya’s “Melo” as Dammy Twitch directed the ballroom set where we see Liya performing the song in different gorgeous and culturally recognizable costumes. Several dancers and models are also seen in the ballroom set as they dance along to the catchy music and confirm her bold claim as the latest vibe machine in the country.

Reminisce and Adekunle Gold – “Toxic”

Men are commonly seen as the most toxic gender even though the abusive traits that make one toxic aren’t specific to any gender. One of the major reasons for this is cause men rarely admit their vulnerable feelings when they get hurt. Reminisce and Adekunle Gold have teamed up for a new single, “Toxic” where they show us that it’s possible to celebrate rapper-like hedonism while acknowledging your weakness.

Over the hip-hop-leaning beat produced by Sess, Reminisce addresses a love interest who’s only using him; “You choking me to death, can’t you see ni? Fulfilled your every wish, afi bi genie”. Adekunle Gold delivered the song’s catchy hook where he describes his muse’s love as poison. Both artists are aware of their love interest’s toxic traits and channel the pain they’ve endured to create an empowering song that’s instantly relatable. “Toxic” is Reminisce’s first single since he put out his EP, ‘Vibes & Insha Allah’ in July.

Kblacktheblack x Dokashot – “Winner” Feat. Eké Miller, Veen

Jos was once the undoubted home of Hip-hop in Nigeria, back when M.I was at his peak in the early 2010s. These days, Port Harcourt rappers have taken the spotlight as the rap scene in the city continues to flourish with new rappers emerging from there with different vibrant and unique styles. Kblacktheblack joins the ranks of PsychoYP, Erriga, Kiienka, Veen and other Port Harcourt breed rap talents as he delivered as impressive 7-track EP, ‘Soul Ecstasy’, where he flexes his rap prowess and afflictions with guest verses from Eké Miller and Veen on the opening track, “Winner”.

Doka Shot produced most of the tracks on ‘Soul Ecstasy’ and for “Winner” he teamed up with Kresh Maejor for an Afro-inspired trap beat which sets the backdrop for Kblacktheblack, Eké Miller and Veen to brag about being winners.

dndSection – “It’s Been a While”

Fans have been anticipating Atlanta-based Nigerian rapper, dndSection’s project since he first hinted at it in August with the lead single, “Zaza” featuring SMV. We can finally hear the whole project as he has now shared the 5-track EP, ‘Patience is Best’. where he shows off his vibrant hip-hop flows and explores themes like romance, drugs, wealth, and gang rivalry over different riveting trap beats.

On the second track, “It’s Been A While”, he performs a tribute to a friend who has passed on, saying “I miss my dawg but I know he in heaven/ But I still feel his presence”. The trap beat Rai produced for the song has an ethereal ambiance that highlights the emotive context for dndsection’s lyrics as he channels the loss to deliver confident bars about his focus on acquiring wealth and surviving in the streets.

PsychoYP – “Attention” Feat Oxlade, Merry-Lynn

PsychoYP has just shared a 2-track package, ‘National Anthem’ which boasts of features from Lyta, Azanti, Oxlade, and Merry-Lynn. Both tracks, “Flex and Ball” and “Attention” offer further proof of the Port Harcourt-bred artist’s range as he continues to adapt his hip-hop flow to suit the commercial sound of Afropop.

On the Oxlade and Merry-Lynn-assisted track, “Attention”, he performs a melodic rap set over the AfroHouse instrumentals produced by Lames. His lyrics, “I feel like I’m way too drunk to be holding a convo” doubles down on the house party mood the beat already hints as he goes on to describe his relationship with his attention-seek muse. Oxlade and Merry-Lynn contribute a verse each, offering their own take on how they deal with their obsessive lovers. Though there’s no interplay between the artists as they barely stick around to harmonize, the common denominator is their ability to find their comfortable pocket on the instrumentals for their unique vocals.

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You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu

ICYMI: Catch up on all the songs released from earlier in the week

Hot Takes: Enisa, Davido, December in Lagos, Big Mouth & more

Posted on by The Native

It’s December, the final month of what has been one of the most chaotic years in the past decade and I couldn’t be happier. 2020 has been a rollercoaster and we’re all edging towards that point where the ride’s doing a bit too much with the twists and turns and we just want to get off. But even though it’s starting to feel like the worst may have passed and we’re almost in the clear, it seems as though everyone is stumbling through a tough week to get by. With a looming sense of general exhaustion, it wouldn’t shock me to hear that we’re all just burnt out from the happenings of this crazy year and the effects are beginning to manifest.

This column was initially created to offer a bit of catharsis from the tumultuous new cycle and the happenings of this year but when the protests hit states around the country back in October, we took a much-needed pause to focus on championing and highlighting the plight of young Nigerians during the End SARS protests. There hasn’t been much to offer our hot takes about in the past few weeks seeing as we’re all trying to make it to the end of the year unscathed and in one piece. Come the existence of the COVID-19 vaccine or not, life is still happening all around us and even more so now that the popular ‘Detty December’ season is upon us. But this December seems to leave little to be desired unlike the others, and now, it just might be one of the cleanest we’ve had in a while. Around this time, we’re usually gearing up for festivities, but with limited IRL communication and large crowds still a hotbed for the virus to spread, we’ve got more time to kill on our hands. That’s why this week, we’re back to bringing you our hottest takes of the week.

This week, I’ve hit pause on many things but I still found time to binge-watch Netflix’s Big Mouth, listen to some Lo Village on repeat and tune into some trending topics on Twitter such as the imminent collaboration from Enisa and Davido which sparked off a conversation about tap dancing for the white man, YBNL Princess’ rant online and JT’s old tweets. Here are my hot takes for the week along with a bit of Mean Girls humour for you.

What I’m watching on Youtube: How Far? with Mr Eazi and Temi Otedola

I haven’t been going down YouTube rabbit holes like I used to, and that’s not because there isn’t an overflow of content but that my attention span is way too thin at the moment to handle any more information. However, over the weekend, I decided to have a look at Mr Eazi and Temi Otedola’s latest podcast called ‘How Far? with Mr Eazi and Temi Otedola’ where they talk about everything and anything pertaining to life, their careers and relationships. I really enjoyed the couple’s debut episode where they both spoke about paying for dates, flying people out and who gets to pay for what. It was cute seeing how close they were in their relationship and the comfort levels in their friendship. I love Love.

What I’m watching on Netflix: Big Mouth

Big Mouth season 4 is out! And I spent my entire weekend binge-watching the entire season because I have no self-control (just kidding) but it did make for a very convincing reason as to why I had to stay in bed all Saturday. Now, I know Big Mouth is a weird-ass show but I like mindless tv that doesn’t make me think too much and I can just watch it to forget what’s happening IRL. This season, the kids of Big Mouth are still going through changes and learning what it is to be hitting puberty, it’s cute seeing things we went through back then but from a more exaggerated and comical angle.

This season, however, I was most grateful for Missy’s character, the only black girl in the lead roles on Netflix’s Big Mouth who in recent seasons had no plot that extended beyond the men in her life. This time around, we get to learn more about Missy and how she interacts with her blackness for the first time. This also comes at a time where behind-the-scenes, the actor Jenny Slate who formerly voiced Missy’s character stepped down from the role so that a Black actor could provide the voice of a young woman finally owning her Blackness. In the penultimate episode, the comedian, writer, and actress Ayo Edebiri takes over, coinciding with a time of real awareness and growth in Missy’s character arc. It was done so well and was probably my best bit of the show. Also, this season also health with topics of anxiety and depression, and as someone that also struggles with similar experiences, I felt seen (to an extent).

What I’m listening to: “Out the Window” – Lo Village

Earlier this year, I came across a cool DMV-based band called Lo Village on a Spotify playlist. Their cool raps punctuated by the r&b vocals of the lead vocalist Ama drew me to dig deeper into their music and I learnt two of the band members were actually Ghanaian. Safe to say since then, I’ve been keeping up to date with the group’s releases and was pleased to find that they have their third studio album on the way later this month.

Last week, they released the project’s second promotional single, an upbeat socio-political number called “Out the Window” where they explore Blackness in America from their personal lenses. They address the racial uprisings that took over this summer, following the brutal death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many other Black people at the hands of the police. Here, both personal and political converge as they sing “I’m a soldier, I remain ten toes” reminding listeners everywhere that the battle isn’t over until we get justice. If you’re a fan of deeply introspective rap and killer hooks, then I’d definitely recommend this one. Can’t wait to see how their album comes along.

She doesn’t even go here

Over the weekend, I noticed that the name Enisa was trending and upon further investigation, I found that this was because the Albanian-American singer had sent out a call on social media for the remix of her latest single “Love Cycle”. Although many of her fans threw different responses her way, the response that generated the most buzz actually came from American rapper ABoogiewitDaHoodie who suggested that Davido appear on the remix. Trust Nigerians to flood her comments and stir up quite the buzz on social media, causing Davido to agree to this remix because the singer had used her platform to promote the End SARS protests that swept through the country back in October.

Not long after this, Nigerians continued to engage the singer by photoshopping her face until the bodies of women clad in vibrant coloured native attire and run up her streaming numbers that it her single entered the Top 100 on Apple Music. And it seems like since then, new achievements have been flying in for the singer who has now gained a ton of new social media followers as she thanked Nigerians on Twitter for all their love and support. Though it was alright at first, I did think she was overdoing it a bit with the tweets about Nigeria (I’ve just gone on there today and there’s a tweet from 7 hours ago about Nigerian jollof). And it’s not only her that’s done the most in this case, as Nigerians seem to have fully embraced her and invited her to the cookout when they’ve known her all of two seconds. I might just be hating, but think about it LOL.

Leave women alone

We all know that being a woman in Nigeria is hard but everyday I’m reminded further why this place is set up against us from the jump. In the past week, I have seen women insulted and debased online simply for living their lives and going through human experiences just as we are. Two days ago, the artist Temmie Ovwasa also known as YBNL Princess went on social media to talk about her ex-label YBNL and the label boss, Olamide, who she claimed allegedly stifled her chances of growth as an artist by withholding all the music and content she created for nearly five years.

Nigerians were not forthcoming with her sharing her experience and came after the artist for trying to drag Olamide, one of the most influential players in the Nigerian music scene today. It also didn’t strengthen her case that other new signees to the label such as Fireboy DML who’s music has endlessly come up in conversations surrounding afropop’s new vanguard. The comparison wasn’t fire judging that we don’t know the contracts between these artists and the label or what happened beyond the experiences that were shared by Temmi Ovwusa herself. It was made worse when I noticed Nigerians insulting Temmie as the cause of her failures pointing to her mental health struggles, her tattoos and coloured hair as the reason for her shortcomings. Profiling of this kind is exactly what we have been speaking so fiercely against this year, particularly during the End SARS movement. We’re no different from the older generation if we continually fail to approach situations and people with nuance and empathy.

Besides this, just today a viral video of three women dancing and smoking to Rexxie and MohBad’s latest single “KPK” was circulating on social media. These women, clearly close girlfriends were in their room, in lingerie dancing and smoking to the hit song but Nigerians online didn’t seem to agree with their actions. They were slutshammed and insulted, called all kinds of names because they were donned in tattoos and coloured hair and they dared to be women dancing and enjoying each other’s company, and worse of all, dressed the way they did without maintaining ‘decency’. I think its high time that we allowed women to make choices about their bodies without scrutinising them endlessly all in the name of decency. Men are never held to these higher standards of decency and they are never at the receiving end of being stripped by soldiers on the road, as has become increasingly popular these days. If this offends you then you need to stay out of women’s business. Period.

JT is just as mean as her raps

The City Girls have always been the mean girls of rap and I don’t think people realised the gravity of such a title until recently when JT came under heat for her problematic old tweets from past years. At this point, it’s customary for celebrities to get their old problematic tweets plastered on the timeline as a means to reconcile whether the artist has done any growing or if they still hold the same harmful views. Public apologies have become increasingly popular and the notes app has been put to work this year but nothing prepared us for JT’s old tweets which saw the rapper coming for every and anybody on the planet if she didn’t like your face.

After being trolled online for her old tweets, the rapper eventually deleted her verified account and made a new account where she’s been freely tweeting up quite the storm. JT is the definition of the Unfriendly Black Hottie and her new account bio is all the proof you need, it reads ‘if you here to hate, leave now dirty bitch!’ It seems that the rapper is not apologetic about her past and she’s ready for all the smoke from trolls, critics, and fans online.

The other half of the fierce Miami crew, Yung Miami made sure that JT was not the only City Girl catching the heat and posted a disturbing tweet about pregnancy and motherhood that many fans online did not think was funny or factual, and actually irresponsible for an artist with such a big platform. Neither of the City Girls seemed to care as they went on to promote their new song and capitalise on the viral moment. That’s true friendship to me and I love it when women don’t take shit from anyone, this may not be the perfect example of this by a long shot but I, for one, will still be listening to “City on Lock” and shouting all the quotables from the meanest rap girls in the game.

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.@tamimak_ is just trying to make it to the end of the year

ICYMI: Protecting women means more than a hashtag

Six takeaways from The Headies 2020 nominations

Posted on by The Native

Formerly known as the Hip-Hop World Awards, the Headies has become the premier award event in Nigerian music, with its longevity preserving its prestige despite public reservations with its awarding system, and the production quality of the event. Since debuting in 2006, the award event had been constant in its annual outing, until its last two instalment, which both had to condense over a-year-and-a-half into its period in review, due to wavering consistency.

Last Friday, nominations for the 14th edition of the Headies were announced, and it takes into account a 15-month period—July 2019 to September 2020. Fireboy DML leads the pack of nominees with seven nominations, picking up nods for Best Recording (“Dreamer”), Best R&B Album (‘Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps’), while his sophomore album ‘Apollo’ is nominated for Best Pop Album and Album of the Year. WurlD follows closely with six nods, including Best Recording (“Ghost Town”), Best R&B Single (“Mad”), Best R&B album (‘I Love Girls With Trobul’) and Songwriter of the Year.

 

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Burna Boy—who, similar to Fireboy, also released two albums in the period in review—and Wizkid both follow with five nominations each, both picking up nods for Artist of the Year and Headies viewer’s choice, while Burna’s ‘African Giant’ is nominated for Album of the Year and Wiz’s “Joro” is up for Song of the Year. For the much coveted Next Rated award, nominees are Tems, Omah Lay, Bella Shmurda and Oxlade, a competitive, fan-voted category comprising the shining breakout stars of the year. Nominees for the Headies Revelation category are Rema, Fireboy DML, Teni, Victor AD, Joeboy and Chike.

Last year saw the most inclusive and diverse Headies nominee list up to that point, and looking to further that agenda, the award body has broken up the Best Pop/r&b category into two new categories, while two new ones have been added: Best Alternative Album and Songwriter of the Year. It’s an admirable step to ensure every facet of Nigerian pop music is properly represented. After taking a look at the full list of nominees, below are our takeaways, including the good, the not-so-good and the befuddling snubs.

Consistency

Music has been really helpful while dealing with the traumas this year brought, and it’s only right that artists get recognised for their work. One major takeaway from the 2020 Headies list of nominees is the award show’s consistency since they started in 2006. Besides the adjourned 2017 edition, Hip-Hop World Magazine have honoured artists who deliver outstanding performances at the Headies Awards show which celebrates the different talents within the Nigerian music scene. The consistency has allowed them to develop a reputation as one of Africa’s most high-profile and anticipated award shows, especially with the Next Rated category that highlights the breakout artists who are likely to stand the test of time. The pandemic put a big dent in artists’ plans for 2020, but we’re pleased to see the Headies Award Show will still hold and honour artists who deserve their trophies.

Best Vocal Performance (Male and Female)

Though it seems the rest of the world is developing past the need for gender-specific award categories, it makes sense that we have a male and female category for Best Vocal Performance at the Headies. We can see from the male-dominated non-gender-specific categories that the music industry is partial to men over women as only Tems, Tiwa Savage and Simi got nominated in the major Categories; Tems for Next Rated, Tiwa Savage for Artist of the Year and Simi’s “Duduke” for Song of the Year.

Men are still dominant over women, in nomination for gender-neutral awards, and contrary to what is said, it’s not because men produced more work or even better work. With the Best Vocal Performance (Female) category, it shows some effort from the Headies to be more inclusive of women in the Nigerian music industry.

The Next Rated

The viability of award shows as a true marker of the culture has been called into question many times in the past few years. Award events like the Grammys, the Oscars, and more have failed to accurately represent the diverse sonic and cultural landscape that the world now operates within and although there have been steps to ensure that award shows become more diverse in their nominations, none of the steps have yielded any practical results. Very recently, artists like The Weekend and Rina Sawayama were snubbed for Grammy nominations and the lacklustre breadth of nominations on the refurbished Best Global Music category. It’s impossible for these awards to accurately represent the culture when those spearheading them are too out of touch to the communities that make up our diverse society.

The Headies isn’t that much different in that regard. The Next Rated award has always been one of the most contentious of all the awards at the Headies being the most coveted achievements of the year and a marker of how influential an artist has been in the music scene in these parts. Past winners of this award have been Asa, Wande Coal, Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Mayorkun, Rema, and more – all artists who have gone on to exceed the need for such title. Through the years, the award has tried to be fairly representative of which artists are controlling the streets and keeping the clubs on lock, but they have also bestowed awards on artists much later than they deserved to be recognised for their achievements such as Wizkid’s boycotting of the show back in 2016.

This year, the Next Rated award boasts of nominated artists such as Tems, Oxlade, Omah Lay and Bella Shmurda, all of whom have made stellar contributions to the music scene this year. But although all these artists have more than held their own this year with hit singles and projects that have sustained the attention around them well into the end of the year, it is worth noting that Tems is the only woman who has been nominated this year, joining the likes of Asa, Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, Seyi Shay, Cynthia Morgan and more, who have received nominations in the past. Out of these women, Asa has been the only one who has actually won the award, and that’s not to say the other women lost out solely because of their gender alone, but it does go to show how performative award shows can be. In a bid to seem in tune with the culture, nominations are given solely to make a category appear representative, when in actual fact, the winner will typically end up being the male choice.

Seeing an alternative artist like Tems beat the odds and gain a nomination is a testament to the Headies being more willing to include a broader selection of artists from the country’s diverse sonic environment. But it’s less exciting once you realise that she’s set up against winning solely by the fact that she’s the only artist in the list yet to have mainstream domination. Tems’ track record is one to be marvelled by, having rounded up a successful 2019 performing at Wizkid’s Starboy Fest in Lagos. Her 2019 single “Try Me” was also #1 on Apple Music charts following its release last year, with the singer making chart history again this year after the release of her standout single “Damages” off her debut EP, ‘For Broken Ears’. It’s clear that the singer is carving out her own lane despite all the odds in the music industry but even at this, it will take a long time before an award show like the Headies pays attention to anything other than the mainstream.

Rema Snubbed?

Rema is among the few artists who had a good run this year, and it seems like a bit of an oversight one of the most refreshing afropop acts of the year only received one nomination. His 2019 bop, “Lady” got a Headies nod for Best Pop Single, a category that’s determined by votes. Having won last year’s Next Rated Award, Rema is now being nominated for Headies Revelation along with new acts, Teni, Chike, Fireboy DML, Joeboy and Victor AD. According to the Turntable charts, Rema’s “Woman” has spent 14 weeks in the top 10 Radio Airplay Chart, which makes it tie with Patoranking’s “Abule” for the song that has spent the longest period on the charts. But besides the song’s popularity with music lovers, even the video deserves some recognition with UAXStudio’s impressive depiction of Rema’s world where he “too like woman”.

After introducing a unique sound with his own spin on it to the scene last year, Rema spent this year doubling down with trap single, “Alien” and afropop bangers that were accepted by mainstream audiences, “Lady”, “Woman”, “Ginger Me” and “Beamer”. Rema’s unique versatility has defined a new generation of talent in music and artistry and he deserves to be recognised for it.

Expansion of categories

Like most award bodies stuck in its ways, the Headies haven’t always been the ideal gauge for the diversity in Nigerian music, mainly due to a focus on what’s “mainstream”. In recent times, however, the award body is clearly looking to balance what’s popular with the more experimental and idiosyncratic sounds that are increasingly eminent within the broad scope of locally made music.

At the last edition, there were nominations for Odunsi (the Engine), Lady Donli, Tay Iwar and Tems, indicating that the Headies were finally acknowledging the “alté” scene and its importance to the omnivorous nature of the new vanguard in Nigerian music. This year’s nominees list continues to front the award body’s seeming dedication to better reflect the diversity in Nigerian, specifically through the expansion of categories. Very notably, the slightly claustrophobic Best Pop/R&B album category has been opened up to draw a finer line between pop, r&b and alternative albums, a welcome innovative move.

With each category containing five nominees each, this expansion allows recognition for more excellent projects, rather than clumping the most popular five into one category. Considering that we’re in an era of music where full-lengths constantly defy easy categorisation, grouping albums by genres is quite the head-scratcher, but the Headies have done a pretty alright job. For example, The Cavemen’s retro-futuristic highlife debut LP, ‘ROOTS’, is up against DRB’s ‘Pioneers’ – a cocktail album that blends afro-fusion, rap & r&b – in the Best Alternative Album category. Stylistically, these are widely disparate projects, but they do fit into that category.

Hopefully, there are wins for these “sub-mainstream” artists, unlike last year where these sort of nominations lead to zero wins. If the same thing happens this year, it will only bolster the idea that the Headies is only interested in paying lip service instead of truly recognising the diversity of Nigerian music.

Hip-hop in Nigeria is not homogeneous

One of the more pleasant surprises of this year’s Headies nominees list was seeing Psycho YP’s ‘YPSZN 2’ picking up a nomination for Best Rap Album. Being one of the younger rappers injecting a more flamboyant and melodic flair into the canon of rap music in Nigeria, YP has encountered his fair share of resistance for his non-conforming approach, but he’s remained defiant and has amassed a loyal following, so his nomination is a reflection of the fact that rap music in Nigeria is not homogeneous.

In fact, the diversity of nominees in the rap album category – which includes Paybac’s poetic portraiture, ‘CULT!’ and Erigga’s pidgin odyssey, ‘The Erigma II‘ – seems quite fitting for the period in review (except, very notably, the snubbing of Odunsi ‘EYHI’). At that, it feels very odd that indigenous styles of rap music isn’t represented in the other rap categories. Granted, it hasn’t been a very eventful period for indigenous rap projects, but some of the biggest and very best rap songs have been delivered by indigenous rap artists, and it’s downright ridiculous that this isn’t represented in the Best Rap Single and Lyricist on the Roll categories.

There’s a rhetoric about the ailing state of rap music Nigeria, an untrue inference that’s ironically reinforced by taking one look at those categories. Almost exclusively dominated by rappers who perform in English, those nominations do very little to showcase the heterogeneity of rap music, and of greater consequence, its sizable impact on Nigerian music. Not say the nominees were undeserving, but there’s no reason why Zlatan’s playful philosophical musings on “Quilox” or Naira Marley’s catchy bars on “Mafo” aren’t contending for Best Rap Single, or Davolee and Jaido P’s ferocious and technically impenetrable Yoruba raps on “G.O” aren’t deserving of Lyricist on the Roll nods.

Rap music in Nigeria comprises multiple dimensions, and it’s undeniable that the street-bred, indigenous aspect is its most impactful. The failure to represent this buys into the “differences” of English rap and indigenous, an agenda that obviously needs to be eradicated very soon. Maybe the Headies will get the memo next time.

ICYMI: REVISITING THE PAST WINNERS OF THE HEADIES NEXT RATED AWARD

Best New Music: Focalistic embraces superstardom with a carefree conviction on “Onoroko”

Posted on by The Native

“Ase Trap Tse Ke Pina Tsa Ko Kasi”. For the uninitiated, this is Focalistic’s trademark tagline; a quip that’s becoming quite iconic (Cassper Nyovest once famously borrowed it) and is symbolic of the central conceit driving the South African rapper’s music. Translating to “it’s not trap, it’s songs from the hood”, the tagline lays down a guiding context for how listeners should engage with Focalistic’s music, a proclamation of who, what and where he represents.

While he’s been around for well over half-a-decade, 2020 has clearly been a banner year for Focalisitic, a run catalysed by his willingness to make music inspired by, and for, the hood. As Amapiano grew into the global sound of South African townships and the toast of the continental mainstream, Focalistic became one of the first rappers to co-opt and properly commit to the sound, channelling the liveliness of his gruff voice over the booming beats of the House subgenre. Last year, he teamed up with production duo Major League DJz for a joint EP titled after his tagline, a thumping collection of club-ready songs that’s symbolic of his collaborative spirit with ‘piano producers.

This year, he’s featured on notable projects by Kabza De Small, Semi Tee and Vigro Deep, while also working with the latter for his biggest song yet, “Ke Star”, which appeared on the 3-song pack, ‘Blecke’. Very recently, Spotify named Focalistic as the fifth most streamed South African hip-hop artist on the platform, an achievement in a year where a global pandemic threatened to derail the upward momentum of Amapiano. Putting an exclamation mark on the year he’s had, the rapper dropped his second full project of the year, ‘Sghubu Ses Excellent’, comprising eleven new songs and all three songs from ‘Blecke’.

Following up his April drop, ‘Quarantined Tarantino’, which significantly dabbled in the sonic stylings of contemporary hip-hop, ‘Sghubu Ses Excellent’ is firmly planted in amapiano territory, and it displays how skilled Focalistic has become at adjusting rap cadences to fit perfectly over several variations of the intoxicating blend of Kwaito, Jazz, deep house and diBacardi. Where his preceding projects revelled in riotous exuberance, this new project is the sound of an artist settling into the plushness of superstardom. Standout song, “Onoroko”, distils these musical and thematic aspects into a rolling banger.

Produced by frequent collaborator Semi Tee, “Onoroko” is cut from the diBacardi-dominant corner of amapiano, where innovative use of percussion drives the composition forward and the other parts, in this case a psychedelic piano riff and sci-fi synth effects, create a constantly turning groove. This beat selection is in line with Focalistic’s affinity for production that’s slightly chunky and in perpetual motion, but rather than fight for space, he tends to inhabit them with a playfully magnetic cadence. On “Onoroko”, he’s even more lax, rapping with a carefree conviction that’s instantly infectious and so technically apt it sounds like his casually bending the beat to his will.

“Onoroko” refers to women’s undergarments, and on the song, Focalistic uses lust as the framing device for his rockstar lifestyle. Wooing a potential one night stand partner, he gets self-referential, using his fame and street credibility as his calling card—at one point, he claims that people in his hood call him Mandela, which doesn’t seem far-fetched since he’s already known as the hood Maradona. He’s joined by Ricky Rick and Reece Madlisa, the former being one of the few older hip-hop artists adapting rap to amapiano, while the latter has become a revelation with the headlining smash song, “Zlele”, and a standout guest feature alongside Ricky on Busta 929 & Mr Jazzi Q’s “VSOP”.

Together, the trio (and Semi Tee) build a palpable chemistry on “Onoroko”, playing off each other’s energies, from Reece’s animated yelps to Ricky Rick’s unflappable cool, and Focalistic splitting the difference. This is the second collaboration between Focalistic and Ricky Rick, following Ricky’s “UNGAZINCISHI”, the Tyler ICU-produced cut which converted amapiano elements into a swag rap stunner. Now two for two, their sterling collaboration re-emphasises the efficacy and wide range of possibilities for the convergence of rap and amapiano when done right.

Being the major ambassador of this delightfully oddball union, Focalistic is pushing the boundaries of both these genres, and as “Onoroko” proves, he’s having a lot of fun while doing it.

Listen to “Onoroko” here.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Focalistic

Dennis is a staff writer at the NATIVE. Let me know your favourite the Cavemen songs @dennisadepeter

ICYMI: WHY NIGERIA CAN’T & SHOULDN’T BE AIMING TO ‘OWN’ AMAPIANO

End SARS protests resume across Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan today

Posted on by The Native

End SARS protests have resumed across major Nigerian cities including Lagos, Ibadan, and Abuja today. Since the first wave of the protests dispersed about 6 weeks ago, there have been threats from the powers that be, emphasising that a second wave of peaceful demonstrations will not be allowed. More than just thinly veiled threats of dispersing any further iterations of the protests, they have also been sure to send a message across with their responses from detaining protesters and confiscating passports to shutting down FemCo’s website and more.

But growing agitation from young Nigerians continues to rise, as none of the original 5For5 demands have been met by the Nigerian government. In the past few weeks, there has been continued resistance from the government and armed forces towards gaining justice for End SARS victims and their families. In judicial panels across the country, summoned defaulting officers do not show up to the panels, the government is still waging war on social media, no one has taken responsibility for the massacres that took place on October 20th despite the detailed CNN investigative report that revealed the Lagos State government’s invitation of the Nigerian Army to the Lekki toll gate.

While upcoming protests are gaining steam, there are already attempts made to quell the protests have already begun. Earlier today, news of the protests in Lagos was met with swift action from the Nigerian armed policemen and soldiers who were said to have been deployed to the Lekki toll plaza, Lagos, according to Punch NG, while other armed forces have also been sighted at other areas in Lagos state including Opebi, Alausa, and Ikeja.

In a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, had said the command would not allow any demonstration under, since Lagos residents were still nursing the injuries of the violence that trailed the #ENDSARS protest.

With the news of the End SARS protests reemerging in cities across Nigeria having reached social media over the weekend, the online protests have also kicked off with the #EndSARS hashtag now trending in Nigeria, UK and the US for a second time this month. It seems like we may very well be on the verge of another nationwide protest as young Nigerians are showing up in and organising new demonstrations in many states around the country.

Update – 08/12/2020

It has been brought to our attention that there are fake videos circulating on verified news sites about protesters at the Lekki toll gate. There were no protesters stationed at the toll gate yesterday but there has been armed forces presence at the toll gate reported both yesterday and today, a report on Arise TV reads. In a statement yesterday, the Lagos Police Command said, contrary to viral videos on social media, no #EndSARS protest was staged at the Lekki toll plaza on Monday.

“The video was one of the viral videos released during the recent violent #EndSARS protest before the Lekki Tollgate plaza was set ablaze by the violent protesters on October 21, 2020. The command, therefore, urges the general public to regard the video as baseless and mischievous.

The Command also wishes to appeal to the general public to remain calm and go about their lawful businesses as the police are prepared to deal decisively, within the ambit of the law, with any act of lawlessness that could lead to the breakdown of law and order in the state.”

According to the Guardian, news of the imminent resurgence of the End SARS protests led President Muhammadu Buhari to warn young Nigerians, yesterday, that while citizens were at liberty to freely express themselves in a democracy, such latitude did not include acts of hooliganism. He stated that anyone that would hide behind lawful and peaceful protests to commit a crime would be dealt with decisively to ensure peace and stability in the country.

However, despite the warnings, protesters hit the streets of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, to demand the release of all detained protesters and the unfreezing of their accounts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This is a developing story.

.@tamimak_ is just trying to make it to the end of the year

ICYMI: An update on the Nigerian Police response to #EndSARS

Turntable top 50: Omah Lay climbs to the top of the charts

Posted on by The Native

Omah Lay has climbed to the top of the Turntable charts with “Godly”, one of the standout tracks from his newly released EP, ‘What Have We Done’. Though it debuted last week at #3 behind Davido’s “The Best” and Olamide’s “Infinity”, he has now peaked at the top of the Turntable charts which incorporates data from radio airplay, streaming, and TV airplay in Nigeria. Even though “Godly” doesn’t is not an official single, clearly it’s a favourite, as it has reached the top without television backing, a feat that only Wizkid and Burna Boy’s “Ginger”, Davido and Nicki Minaj’s “Holy Ground” and Davido and Mayorkun’s “The Best” have accomplished in the 5-week history of the chart.

In the past week, “Godly” racked up 2.03 million streams and 42.14 million radio airplay audience impressions to put the Port Harcourt native on top of the Airplay Chart and Top Streaming Chart. He had previously featured on the Top Streaming Chart with his guest feature on DJ Tunez’s “PAMI” and Olamide’s “Infinity”, and now with “Godly” serving as his 4th #1 feature on the TTC, he joins Davido as the artists with the most #1s in the chart’s history.

Omah Lay also matches Davido’s record for featuring on the top 2 spots of the TTC as Olamide’s “Infinity” featuring Omah Lay retains its #2 position from last week. “Infinity” off Olamide’s ‘Carpe Diem’ has now spent 3 weeks in the runner-up position after it debuted at #2 on the chart released on the 16th of November. However, it moved down 3 spots when Davido debuted ‘A Better Time’ and dominated the top 4 positions on the chart. “Infinity” drew 1.19 million streams and tallied 32.15 million radio airplay audience impressions, leaving Davido’s “The Best”, featuring Mayorkun backtracking to #3 after topping last week’s chart. “The Best” only garnered 1.59 million streams though it tallied 44.82 million radio airplay audience impressions to lead the Radio Chart for a second week.

Olamide’s Bella Shmurda-assisted track, “Triumphant” and Davido’s “Holy Ground”, featuring Nicki Minaj both climbed one spot each from their positions on last week’s chart to occupy the 4th and 5th spot respectively this week. Bella Shmurda, Zlatan and Lincoln’s “Cash App” also climbed up to reach a new peak at #6 as it continues to climb following Bella Smurda’s recent string of small shows in Dubai and some places in Africa.

Davido’s former chart-topping single, “Fem”, however for the first time since it debuted has been out of the top 5. The song spent a record 9 consecutive weeks atop the Top Airplay Charts and has now slipped from last week’s #4 position to occupy the #7 position on this week’s chart. Wizkid’s former #1, “Ginger”, featuring Burna Boy also dropped one position from #7 to #8 while Cheque returns to the Top 10 with “Zoom”, climbing from #14 to #9 as Patoranking’s “Abule” goes down from the 9# position it held last week to its current place at #10.

Outside the top 10, Naira Marley’s prodigy, Zinoleesky made his debut on the TTC charts with his new single, “Kilofeshe” debuting at #22 while Timaya’s “Gra Gra” debuted at #35. Zinoleesky just put out the official video for “Kilofeshe” so we expect that it will continue to climb and perhaps even reach the top 10 next week.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Omah Lay
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You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu

ICYMI: Davido and Omah Lay led the charge last week

Songs of the Day: new music from Stonebwoy, Falz, Tomi Agape and more

Posted on by The Native

The last few months have been difficult. But with three weeks left until the end of the year, we’re trying to find more ways to be thankful and present in the current moment. While we’re still dedicated to amplifying and reporting the issues that have plagued us this year, we’ve now resumed our column, Songs of the Day as a nod to the artists putting out great music that serve as a momentary escape from all the grimness of the current news cycle.

We ended last week’s Songs of the day curation with new releases from Davido, Odunsi, Tekno, Flavour, Mr Eazi, Buju, Ghanaian Stars, Femi Kuti, LadiPoe, and more. Today, as news of reemerging End SARS protests in Nigerian cities reaches social media, many young Nigerians may be feeling just as stuck as they were back in October. So, to help dissipate the worrying thoughts, we’re bringing you new music to get you through the day including new releases from Stonebwoy and Davido, Falz and Niniola, Tomi Agape, Amaarae and BOJ, Waje and Cracker Mallo, Lo Village, and many more. Dig in and enjoy.

Stonebwoy – “Activate” featuring Davido

When Ghana and Nigeria collaborate, it’s always to stellar results, and Stonebwoy’s latest single “Activate” is further proof of this. Produced by Mix Master Garzy, the new single sees both artists singing about the effect that their muses have on them and declaring their intentions to deepen their physical connection.

In the accompanying video for the new single, both artists can be seen having a good time by the poolside with beautiful women. Singing “Baby you activate me o/you dey captivate me” over the song’s hook, Stonebwoy states just how consuming the love connection he feels is. And with both artists exchanging and donning the other’s national football jersey, it’s clear that this is a formidable pairing.

Falz – “Squander” featuring Niniola

Just in time for the end of the year, Falz is back with new single, “Squander”, featuring the Queen of Afrohouse, Niniola. The up-tempo number produced by Young Willis, sees both artists aiming to get you and moving and swinging to the spritely beat.  Niniola seems as confident and comfortable as ever, finding herself in familiar territory and floating seamlessly over the propulsive rhythm.

DJ Spinall – “Sere” featuring Fireboy DML

Dj Spinall is days away from the release of his new album titled ‘Grace’ and already he’s served up singles like the Dice Ailes-assisted “Pressure” and “Everytime” featuring Kranium to whet our appetites. Ahead of the forthcoming project, he’s just released a new single titled “Sere” which features YBNL’s Fireboy DML. Over the uptempo beat produced by Kel P and DJ Spinall, Fireboy DML delivers a catchy danceable verse that invites listeners to groove and sway with its infectious rhythm as he invites a love interest to let loose and dance with him.

Tomi Agape – “Lovers Rock” featuring Amaarae and BOJ

Tomi Agape is back and we’re also getting an incoming project titled ‘Never Gunna Be The Same’ on the horizon. Ahead of the project’s release on December 11, Tomi Agape is letting us into her world with the release of the new romantic single “Lovers Rock” which features Amaarae and BOJ. The groovy mid-tempo number sees all three artists audaciously asking their love interest to accept their advances and not hold anything back. “You’ve been on my mind, especially at nighttime” sings Tomi Agape, declaring her love before being joined by BOJ on the ook as he sings “I just want to show you off baby, I just want to give you love baby” showing that modern-day romance is far from dead.

Waje – “Best Thing”

Waje is back with a new single just in time for the end of the year. The new single titled “Best Thing” is a romantic number produced by Cracker Mallo, which sees the singer addressing a love interest who she regards as the best thing in her life. “Shey you be my best thing/need no second-guessing/oh abeg make I hold you” she sings amorously on the song’s hook, professing all her romantic feelings with the conviction that her love interest also holds her this highly in their heart.

Lo Village – “Out The Window”

Maryland musical r&b and rap trio, Lo Village has been generating some buzz in their hometown for quite a while and with the release of their forthcoming EP ‘Lost in America’, it’s clear that the group are poising for a more global-facing domination. Their latest single “Out the Window” is a more politically charged number which sees them exploring the black American experiences in America. Singing over the chorus, Ghanaian-American vocalists Kane and Ama sing, “I’m a solider, I remain ten toes” as they speak to the power of black people who continue to stand up against racially charged injustices in America.

As the world sees a momentous shift regarding racial injustice and inequality, the group knew it was time to convey their truth through new music. Speaking about the new release, they shared “As the world sees a momentous shift regarding racial injustice and inequality, the group knew it was time to convey their truth through new music.”

DEELA – “ROLLING STONES” featuring KA$H

Since finding the confidence to release her raps this year, newcomer, DEELA has been setting off quite the storm with her string of bold, bossy raps. For her latest offering, the 18-year-old mcee taps into the sounds of Atlanta-based rapper KA$H for a confident, self-assured number titled “ROLLING STONES“. The trap-charged cut sees both artists effortlessly running through their achievements, particularly DEELA who is quick to address the pressures of being an upcoming rapper in the game.

“Rubbing any beat cause I can/For the niggas in the back who ain’t fucking with me, you niggas stay dumb” she raps on the first verse, making a very convincing case for why you should stop what you’re doing and become a DEELA fan today. Whether you like it or not, she’s coming and she’s disrespectful AF

Lucid Lemons x Dara Blaxx – “Can’t Get Enough”

The team over at Lucid Lemons is expanding and adding to their musical repertoire. They’ve recently released their first official single titled “Can’t Get Enough” which features UK-based Nigerian singer/songwriter Dara Blaxx. The romantic cut sees the singer confront feelings of love, infatuation and affection and speaks to the power in believing in one’s sauce despite the fervour of your love for someone else. Going forward, the Lucid Lemons team has promised more of these musical collaborations with various artists in their community. We can’t wait to see what they come up with.

KARE – “Freaky”

Nigerian singer/songwriter Kare is preparing for the release of his debut EP set to be released next summer. Ahead of the forthcoming release, the singer is whetting our appetites with new afropop single titled “Freaky”. The upbeat new single finds Kare addressing a female muse to get down with him in the naughtiest way possible. From the song’s suggestive title, it’s clear that this new single is dedicated to the thrill of dimly lit nightclubs and parties.

Featured Image Credits/Instagram

.@tamimak_ is just trying to make it to the end of the year

ICYMI: Here are all the new releases from last Friday

Songs of the day: New music from Davido, Odunsi, Mr Eazi and J Balvin, Flavour and more

Posted on by The Native

The last few months have been difficult. But with four weeks left until the end of the year, we’re trying to find more ways to be thankful and present in the current moment. While we’re still dedicated to amplifying and reporting the issues that have plagued us this year, we’ve now resumed our column, Songs of the Day as a nod to the artists putting out great music that serve as a momentary escape from all the grimness of the current news cycle.

We started this week’s Songs of the day curation with new releases from Olamide, Bad Boy Timz, Zinoleesky, Ojah B x Oxlade, Di’ja, Reekado Banks, Dremo x Mayorkun, Oma Mahmud, Teffy, and more. Now as we start the first weekend in December, we’re bringing you new music from Davido, Odunsi, Tekno, Flavour, Mr Eazi, Buju, Ghanaian Stars, Femi Kuti, LadiPoe, and More. Dig in and enjoy.

Davido – “Jowo”

Davido has continued his knack for offering cinematic visuals for his music as he just shared a star-studded music video for “Jowo”, one of the standout tracks from his recently released album, ‘A Better Time’. The video features RMD and former Big Brother housemate, Nengi who are cast as gang rivals in a video that adds more drama to the romantic narration from the song.

Directed by Dammy Twitch, the video for “Jowo” shows Davido and Nengi as gang leaders who were ordered to assassinate each other but eventually fall in love with each other. Though the script is cliche script, the acting and cinematography are impressive as we see the characters playing their roles convincingly while the laidback song plays in the background.

Odunsi – “Fuji 5000”

Odunsi’s growth from indie acclaim to becoming one of the cultural tastemakers of the Nigerian music scene allows him the freedom to experiment with different niche sounds. For his latest single, “Fuji 5000”, he attempts to bridge the indigenous Fuji sound with trap eccentricity, as he blends Yoruba and English lyrics while singing and rapping over the self-produced beat that infuses futuristic synth sounds and gunshot samples.

In a statement released with the song, Odunsi explained that the song is “a tribute to traditional Nigerian sound & traditional Fuji sound and just (him) putting (his) own twist to it. It’s basically a narration of where [his] mind has been since last year, up until now and an introduction to (his) new experimental sound and style of delivery”. We can’t wait to hear what he does next.


Flavour – “Looking Nyash”

Flavour is back with his new album, ‘Flavour of Africa’, his 7th studio album. Though he seemed like he was heading towards a religious stint following his public association with the religious prophet, Odemeje AKA Indaboski, the new 16-track offering shows there are many sides to Flavour. He collaborates with people from different cultures all over the world including Fally Ipupa, Beenie Man, Tekno, Phyno, Prophet Odumeje, Waga G and more.  “Looking Nyash” is set to the rustic rhythm of highlife as Spax produced a lightweight guitar-led beat that lulls listeners to nod their heads and move their hips, much like we can see in the video.

Mayorkun – “Your Body”

Mayorkun has dished out a new record for the dancefloor, “Your Body”. Produced by DMW’s favourite beatmaker, Fresh VDM, “Your Body” has a groovy beat which primes the song for dancefloors. Mayorkun’s lyrics and catchy melodies once more provide us with witty one-liners that have made him one of Nigerians more entertaining musicians.

We might not get to enjoy this song at a big music concert this year, but we can’t imagine anything keeping us from keeping this in regular rotation through the rest of the festive month of December.

Mr Eazi x J Balvin – “Lento”

Latin pop and afropop have enjoyed an impressive run of success in the global music scene lately and among the artists responsible for that are Mr Eazi and J Balvin from Nigeria and Colombia respectively. The two have teamed up for a new single, “Lento” where they combine the dancehall allure of afropop and reggaeton. The song is Mr Eazi’s follow-up to “Oh My Gawd”, which also featured international collaborators, Nicki Minaj, Major Lazer, and Nigerian singer, K4mo.

Produced by Killertunez, the mid-tempo beat for “Lento”, sets the groovy rhythm for him and Mr Eazi to go back and forth, performing vocals in their indigenous languages about partying. As the world grows more accessible for international collaborations such as this, genre lines will continue to be blurred for better or for worse.

Niyola – “Olúmorántí”

Niyola just surprised fans with a new single, “Olúmorántí”, where she reflects on the loss she experiences when her father passed away. Though the new single is her first music release in 3 years, you wouldn’t notice from her captivating voice which is still as enchanting as it was when she first broke out as an EME artist. Over the melancholic piano harmonies, she sings “I can’t stop thinking of you” as she goes on to express feelings of hurt, pain and frustration. She eventually turns to her spiritual faith and finds resolve through a worship performance dedicated to God. Though the song is named after her father, she expresses sentiments that are universal for anyone who has experienced the loss of their parent.

The accompanying video for Niyola’s “Olúmorántí” directed by Unlimited LA and it stays true to the ambient mood of the song as we see Niyola performing the song in different scenes where she’s all alone. The only time she’s seen with other people is when we see three women dressed in white stretching their hands out to catch her while she ascends up into the sky.

Tekno – “Enjoy”

Before this horrible year, one of the things that helped us get through the year was the anticipation of December festivities. Now that we’re in a pandemic-induced lockdown, and can’t go out to parties or concerts, the next best alternative is to live vicariously through festive music. Tekno recognises our need for merrymaking, and his latest single, “Enjoy” serves us the upbeat and jovial music we require after surviving to the last month of a year filled with overwhelming negativity.

“Enjoy” was released last month as one of the lead singles from Tekno’s anticipated debut album, and the singer has now updated the song with a fun music video to match. Directed by TG Omori, the video shows Tekno in different settings, where he dances to the groove of the beat produced by Blaise Beatz. We see Tekno moonwalking on a dining table, dancing inside a public toilet, chilling in a mobile swimming pool and dancing at a grocery store after locking out the security. These goofy acts are perfect for a song that serves as the soundtrack for bouncing through life like it’s a daisy field as Tekno sings “Allow me to enjoy myself”. It’s a refreshing contrast to reality to see him so optimistic, even as the song encourages listeners to enjoy life and avoid negative and problematic friends.

Earlier in the year, Tekno’s dropped “Sudden”, a more sombre song that reflected on the current political climate as he sang about the corrupt leadership plaguing the country. However, his mood shifted towards more lightweight themes when he dropped “PuTTin”, a dance-driven single in October. The newly released video for “Enjoy” builds anticipation for Tekno’s debut album, but while we wait, you can enjoy the video for “Enjoy” below.

Buju – “So Lovely”

Though it’s relatively easy to determine what sound dominated the mainstream in Nigeria when looking back at past decades, it’s a little more tricky to come up with a generally agreed sound for the mainstream within the moment. However, if there’s one sound that has a strong case for being inescapable in 2020, it’s the South African house music subgenre, Amapiano. Buju recently put out his latest single, “So Lovely”, embracing the lightweight groove of the ambient Amapiano harmonies produced by regular collaborator, Timi Jay. Buju’s soft vocals narrating his complicated relationship status with his muse rides the catchy beat as he delivers enchanting melodies that confirm his versatility.


Femi Kuti – “Pà Pá Pà”

Fela’s legacy continues to live through the many tributes from music lovers around the world as well as through Afrobeat music releases from members of the Kuti family. Femi Kuti’s son, Made is also towing in-line with the Afrobeat family tradition as he’s set to release a joint project with his father, ‘Legacy +’, which is scheduled to drop in February 2021. Leading up to the release of the father-son collaboration, the pair have each shared one single from the two-sided tape, “Your Enemy” and “Pà Pá Pà” which reveal that they’re continuing in the politically charged tone that was set by Fela.

Femi Kuti’s “Pà Pá Pà” comes along with an accompanying video directed by Adasa Cookey and it shows Femi Kuti performing the upbeat song that encourages listeners to speak up against dishonest and incompetent government; “we must face the government/ government must not waste our time”. The video shows him performing at the New Afrikan Shrine with cheering fans and we also see different shots of Lagos and her citizens.


LadiPoe – “Jaiye Remix” feat. Aluna, Sigag Lauren

LadiPoe started last year with a banger, “Jaiye(Time of Our Lives)”, a triumphant single that laid the runway for the impressive run he’s enjoyed so far in 2020. After delivering smash hits like Simi-assisted “Know You”, and “Yoruba Samurai”, the Mavin singer has reinvented “Jaiye” into an EDM song. He teams up with UK singer, Aluna who adds her airy vocals to the euphoric EDM beat produced by Nigerian EDM producer, Sigag Lauren.

Johnny Drille’s vocals from his contribution as the producer for the original single can still be heard on the remix while Sigag Lauren infuses the lush, jungle driving sound of Afro-house. The song’s message to pursue happiness is timely as we get into the last month of the year. However, aware of the tragic impact of the Coronavirus on those who have lost lives and means of livelihood to the pandemic, he announced that the proceeds from the song will go to a charity that raises money to benefit the fight against the virus in Africa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtVQhf_pKJs

One People – “One Nation” Feat. Stonebwoy, Efya, King Promise, Fancy Gadam, Darkovibes, Maccasio, Famaye, Teephlow, and Bethel Revival Choir

With the pandemic and widespread protests that have happened around the world, 2020 is easily the most politically inclined year for most of us young people in the world. As a result, we’ve learned to pay attention to leadership and demand more accountability from them. Ghanaians will have the opportunity to elect their next president at their general elections scheduled to happen next Monday, the 7th of December. In the build-up to the elections, some of Ghana’s music stars, Stonebwoy, Efya, King Promise, Fancy Gadam, Darkovibes, Maccasio, Famaye, Teephlow, and Bethel Revival Choir have teamed up to encourage Ghanaian’s to come out to vote.

Over the groovy mid-tempo beat, each of the artists takes turns to encourage listeners to be united and conduct themselves peacefully during the elections. The elections pit the former president, John Mahama, and incumbent president, Nana Akufo Addo. A victory from John Mahama will mark a historic moment as his running mate, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman will become the first female Vice President in Ghanaian history. We hope the more competent candidate is elected on Monday as this song from the Ghanaian stars reminds us of the great talent who will benefit from a peaceful and successful election in Ghana.


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You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu

ICYMI: Catch up on all the best music releases you may have missed from earlier in the week