Lagos-based journalist, Pelumi Onifade was killed while in police custody

Posted on by The Native

The month of October may finally be over, but the battle for better governance from our leaders and accountability from our armed forces is still ongoing. This week, we’ve learnt about the atrocious attacks taking place in Oyigbo, Rivers State, and the chilling news of yet-to-be concluded judicial panels taking place in several states and it seems that victory is far from being declared. Young Nigerians are still dying en mass for demanding better from their country and we are all collectively tired of the disturbing daily news cycle.

Today, another young Nigerian has been attacked and killed while detained in police custody. It was reported today by his family that 20-year-old journalist Pelumi Onifade was killed while working with Gboa TV as a journalist covering the unrest that took place in the Oko Oba area of Agege on October 24. He was whisked away when members of a task force led by Yinka Egbeyemi descended on the scene and attacked and detained several people at the site.

According to a Twitter thread containing details of what led up to Pelumi’s death, here is an account of what happened:

“On October 24th, there was a crowd in a compound at Oko-oba, Agege. Onifade Pelumi and his colleague were sent as media personnel to know what exactly was going on in that area. Pelumi conducted interviews with residents of the area. During the interview Taskforce Officers came with cutlasses, throwing bottles and shooting live bullets as they attack the crowd. Out of fear, the crowd including Onifade Pelumi ran for their lives. In a short while, his colleague saw that Pelumi Onifade had already been injured and was being carried by 4 Taskforce Officers into their Van(Black Maria). His colleague tried to defend him by showing his ID Card and making them understand that he was putting on a GBOAH TV jacket, they threatened him with a cutlass and cocked their Gun at him.

A thorough search was conducted from Police Stations to Prisons all over Lagos state for 4days (Saturday 24th to Tuesday 27th) after which a ‘Missing Person’ Graphics was shared across all social media platforms to aid the search of Onifade Pelumi which went viral. That same evening of Tuesday 27th of October, the head of Taskforce Lagos State called, saying he saw the post, and they agreed to meet on Wednesday the 28th of October at the State Headquarters, Ikeja. After the meeting with the task force, the officer that led the squad said that they arrested 5 people at the Ministry of Agriculture Abattoir, Oko-Oba, Agege, but 1 person died and they have dumped his corpse at Ikorodu Mortuary. They scheduled a meeting for Thursday to confirm if his name was on the list of those arrested. If not they will go to the mortuary at Ikorodu to confirm. Due to the public holiday on Thursday the appointment was rescheduled for Friday. On Friday Morning they got to Ikorodu and behold it was Pelumi Onifade’s Corpse”.

The family of Pelumi Onifade are now calling for justice for their late son and requesting that his corpse be released to them after they had been denied the request, according to reports by the family on Sahara Reporters. We must remember to speak up and account for all Nigerian lives. His death is a reminder that the battle isn’t over till the lives of the average Nigerian citizen matters to our leaders and those charged to protect us. May he Rest in Peace. Follow #JusticeForPelumi here.

Featured image credits/PelumiOnifade

Tami is available here @tamimak_

ICYMI: Here’s how to help the family of late tech designer, Oke Obi-Enadhuze

The Grammys rename ‘Best World Music Album’ category

Posted on by The Native

In June, the Recording Academy announced several notable changes to the rules and guidelines for the Grammy Awards. The changes included the renaming of several categories, with Best Urban Contemporary Album being renamed to Best Progressive r&b Album, and Best Rap/Sung Performance will now be regarded as Best Melodic Rap performance. These changes were made in order to reflect a commitment to constantly reform the awards and following criticism over the years that the academy has remained stuck in its ways.

The academy has now recently announced that the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album has been renamed to Best Global Music Album. The change was announced yesterday in a statement, with the academy stating that the change was pushed to better show cultural sensitivity. “As we continue to embrace a truly global mindset, we update our language to reflect a more appropriate categorization that seeks to engage and celebrate the current scope of music around the world”, the statement read.

According to the academy, discussions with artists, ethnomusicologists and linguists around the world helped to spur the decision for the update, with the change symbolising “a departure from the connotations of colonialism, folk and ‘non-American’ that the former term embodied”. Since the ‘90s, “World Music” has been heavily criticised for being a gentrified, catch-all term for every style of music from around the world that isn’t familiar to western audiences. As laudable as a name change is, it doesn’t seem like there are any changes to the guidelines for nominations to the category, meaning that nominees will still remain wildly disparate –music-wise – unlike other categories which have more specific sonic requirements.

Best World Music Album was created in 1991 and first awarded in 1992, with a brief split into Best Traditional World Music Album and Best Contemporary World Music Album between 2004 and 2011. Earlier this year, legendary Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo made history as the most awarded artist in the category. Ms. Kidjo picked up a gramophone for last year’s ‘Celia’, edging out Burna Boy’s ‘African Giant’, amongst others, to increase her tally to four wins.

Nominations for the next Grammys are expected to be announced later this month, including those for Best Global Music Album, and we’re eagerly awaiting the list.

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

ICYMI: THE GRAMMYS HASN’T BEEN THE ‘BIGGEST NIGHT IN MUSIC’ FOR A WHILE

#EndSARS: Why we need to be vigilant while judicial panels carry out their duties

Posted on by The Native

Nearly a week ago, the Lagos state judicial panel of enquiry had its first public sitting. Only a week before, the panel had been set up and inaugurated by the Lagos State Governor, Jide Sanwo-Olu, in accordance with one of the demands made young Nigerians seeking to end police brutality. In the middle of the protests, Nigeria’s vice president, Yemi Osibanjo, announced that all 36 states in the country were to form panels to look into allegations of police brutality, especially those perpetrated by officers of the infamous, “disbanded” unit, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

So far, multiple states, including Anambra, Edo, Kaduna, Ondo and more, have already set their panels up and initiated enquiries. These panels are aimed at ensuring survivors and families of fatal victims of police brutality are compensated, and police officers who abused their powers are held accountable and duly prosecuted. To make sure that this means of justice is effective, young Nigerians are keeping a keen eye on the proceedings of panels across the country. With Lagos, however, the scrutiny is much more amplified, largely due to the murder of peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollgate by soldiers of the Nigerian military, on October 20, 2020.

As the most publicised act of state-sanction brutality against unarmed civilians—a trend that had been pervasive in protests all over the country—the Lekki massacre has spurred the Nigerian youth populace into asking essential questions, to ensure the truths of that night are fully revealed and all the culprits behind this heinous act are held accountable. Between the Lagos state government, the Nigerian army and the federal government, there has been a commitment to muddying up the details of their role in the massacre, initially employing a simultaneous approach of silence and denial. In the last week, though, subsequent events have shown that their cover-up efforts aren’t as concerted, and the seams are unravelling.

During an interview with CNN, the governor finally admitted that soldiers were indeed at the protest grounds, as has been evidenced by some eyewitness’ footage. The next day, the Nigerian army admitted its presence, following initial outright denial, saying that there were there on orders from the Lagos state government but also claiming that their presence did not bring about any carnage. The Lagos state judicial panel was initially formed to deal with claims of police brutality, however, its duty has been expanded to include the events of October 20, 2020.

At its second sitting on Friday, the panel took first steps into its enquiry of the Lekki massacre. In a real time Twitter thread of happenings on the day, entrepreneur and filmmaker Editi Effiong gave virtual onlookers an insight into proceedings. A representative of the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) was sworn-in to testify in front of the panel, and the unidentified man confirmed that the company has footage of the massacre. Shortly after, the LCC asked for an adjournment, citing the absence of their preferred counsel, which eventually led to the decision of the panel to visit the tollgate.

At the tollgate, the LCC MD took members of the panel and those present through the premises, showing damages sustained from alleged hoodlum attacks, which led to the destruction of electrical and electronic equipment. Mr. Effiong pointed out the suspiciousness of these damages, citing that the billboards mounted atop the tollbooths were somehow intact. Later that day, Arise TV reported that the judicial panel and members of the press were denied entry into the Military hospital in Ikoyi. They had shown up to look into allegations that dead bodies were carried away by soldiers on the night of the massacre, and even after identifying themselves as a state-backed panel, the soldiers still refused to allow entry.

To further the extent to which the Nigerian army is willing to undermine the judicial panel, deputy director of Army public relations, Major Osoba Olaniyi recently told Punch that it is not the duty of the panel to invite the Army to answer any questions, stating that it would only appear based on the same directive from the state government. Shortly before its inauguration, the Lagos state governor detailed the terms of reference for the judicial panel, stating that they have “the powers to compel and summon witnesses to appear before it”. Judging by how its reaction to the panel’s ongoing investigation, it appears that the army is content with flouting the mandate given to the panel, even though the President has announced his backing of the Lagos panel and the powers bestowed on it.

The panel has adjourned its investigation into the Lekki massacre till Tuesday (November 3), however, it has continued to receive and look into complaints from victims of police brutality. In the two days of proceedings that predominantly featured complaints, heart-breaking stories were shared by survivors, including a woman who spent 22 days in SARS custody and lost a 2-month pregnancy in the process, and middle-aged man who was held and severely tortured for 47 days by SARS operatives.

According to the terms of reference, the judicial panel reserves the right to listen and take evidence from survivors and families of victims, determine compensation and immediately issue a check, determine officers responsible for abuse and recommend for prosecution, and make recommendations to the government on police reforms. Considering the scope of their obligation, the Lagos judicial panel, as well as panels of enquiries and restitution across the 36 states shoulder a great responsibility, even though panels have, historically speaking, never led to any real, lasting change in Nigeria.

During the period when physical protests were sustained, many government officials and prominent political figures called for the Nigerian youth to get off the street in order to engage in dialogue with the government and give some time to allow for an implementation of demands. With reports of soldiers brutalising unarmed civilians from Lagos to Jos and Oyigbo to Ibadan, as well as rumours of SARS operatives resurfacing, it seems like we were right in our scepticism that the government is taking the fight against police brutality serious.

Regardless, we shouldn’t let our somewhat justified lack of faith rob us of being vigilant, especially with regards to the judicial panels of inquiries and restitution. Not only is it an avenue for compensation and to further drive for justice, it’s also a way to make sure we’re doing our due diligence through the channel allegedly, fully accepted by the government. For now, our best move is to stay woke, because if there’s anything the government has shown, it’s that they won’t hesitate to pull wool over our eyes if we collectively blink, even if it’s for one second.

Dennis is a staff writer at the NATIVE. Send me resources in the fight against police brutality @dennisadepeter

ICYMI: BURNA BOY’S “20 10 20” IS A STUNNING TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS OF THE LEKKI MASSACRE

We spoke to residents about the unrest in Oyigbo, Rivers State

Posted on by The Native

Two minutes before our scheduled phone conversation, Princess, 21 was firmly reminded of the horrors of her present reality, when gunshots rang deafeningly through the afternoon air. The loud bangs sent her and her family panicking and frantically seeking out shelter even inside their own home. Her hometown, Oyigbo was bleeding, but it seemed to her as though no one was paying any attention to the atrocities committed by Nigerian armed forces in the name of carrying out the government’s mandate.

This past month, coming across footage or images of dead bodies on social media has become increasingly common. Given that local media houses are banned from covering the #EndSARS protests in a way that would embarrass the government, social media has become the prime hub for disseminating information about the fight for a better Nigeria across a range of states. For many of us, social media is our only way of discovering the evils that the government consistently dish out to its citizens, however, for Princess, coming face-to-face with death has become a common occurrence in her hometown.

For the past week, Oyigbo, a satellite town in Rivers State has been under a 24-hour curfew by the incumbent state governor Wike who promptly put it in place following the death of three police officers in the state and the destruction of state property including a number of police stations. The curfew was announced indefinitely on the 21st of October, a day after the brutal killing of young Nigerians who waved their flags and staged a sit-in at the Lekki toll gate, Mushin, Alausa, and other parts of Lagos. Princess tells me, “Ever since the Lekki massacre, the governor imposed a curfew in parts of Rivers state and no one is allowed to go outside even for essential travel and services”. While she’s aware that the two occurrences happened independently from each other, she believes that they certainly do inform each other as in each time, military forces were discharged to step in and ensure peace and stability, however, they responded with more state-sanctioned violence on those who they have been charged to protect.

According to reports, the growing unrest in the area is said to have been caused by the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) who allegedly hijacked the ongoing #EndSARS protests in order to carry out destruction and damage. But Princess was not too convinced that things happened as national media is currently reporting it. To her, the alleged attacks from the IPOB was said to have been carried out in the night with no official investigation conducted to find out the real culprits. The IPOB seemed to have been unfairly proscribed involvement in these crimes by the governor and judging by the deteriorating social contract between the government and the people, it’s not hard to see why she has trust issues. 

“They just claimed the IPOB did it but it’s like how did you know?  The same thing happened in Lagos and a couple of other states but we saw this evidence of these ‘hoodlums’ being sponsored by the state so what is to say that this is not the case currently?”

The government’s response to the unrest caused was to deploy armed forces to ensure compliance with the 24-hour curfew however rather than carry out this task in good faith to the residents of the town, there have been reports that the army has been going door to door and harassing and killing people. Those who dare to venture outside their homes are either killed, flogged, harassed, or attacked by armed officers in the area despite residents complaints about the lack of food, water, and other amenities. Princess tells me that she and her family are just managing the resources that they have stored at home, each of them too afraid to take the risk and step out of their front door, in case they run into an army officer on a bad day.

“My family and I are just here and things are very expensive at the moment,” Princess shares. Given that many residents of Oyigbo are forced to spend the past few weeks indoors, those who venture out for food soon find that the prices have been staked considerably high since the 24-hour curfew was put in place. And that’s not all, Princess says there has not been a glimpse of electricity in the area since the curfew began and many are forced to stay indoors disconnected and cut off from the news cycle.  Princess shares her disapproval for the government’s methods saying, “It does not make sense to impose a 24-hour curfew on people without prior notice”. Many residents of Oyigbo are visibly angry and many are fighting for their lives, choosing either to risk being caught on the streets when in search of urgent amenities by soldiers or opting to sustain starvation to preserve their lives.

The violence from armed forces in the area is also meted to residents based on their gender. Princess tells me that women are not shot or attacked on the spot by the military officers but face a different kind of harassment from them. “When they see women, they don’t shoot at them but they make them sit on the bare floor and they are harassed and humiliated by the soldiers,” she tells me in horror. This is a common occurrence that seems to be getting more attention in recent times, as over the weekend viral footage of a woman being flogged by military officers for dressing indecently made the rounds through social media. We cannot turn a blind eye to the ways in which violence and oppression is used as a tool to humble women who dare to live unconventionally from the country’s puritanical views.

For now, Princess’ only wish is that more coverage on the atrocious killings taking place in Oyigbo will be televised for Nigerians to see both home and abroad. The government backlash from the #EndSARS protests have been felt all across the country, from banning the youth from engaging in peaceful demonstrations to threatening to enforce the social media bill, we are feeling the wrath of demanding better from our elected officials who unfortunately being told to do their job as a sign of disrespect. But Princess’s experience and that of many residents in Oyigbo show that the ongoing fight to end bad governance and state-sanctioned violence in the armed forces is one that must include every Nigerian and not just those who live in affluent parts of the country alone. None of us are free until all of us are free, and that won’t happen until members of the armed forces are not weaponised and controlled by those in power to enact their heinous deeds.

More attention needs to be paid to communities on the margins which are endlessly torn apart by the presence of heavy security forces in the area starting with Oyigbo where Nigerians are currently being killed and attacked in cold blood. And with the growing tensions caused by those who wish to spur tribalistic propaganda, we must ensure that no one is killed for the tribe they originate from.

Featured image credits/TodayFM

ICYMI: Here’s how some young Nigerians are making it through these tough times

The dangers of Western interference in Nigeria

Posted on by The Native

Last week Thursday, a Member of Parliament for the UK’s Labour Party, Kate Osamor revealed truth to the rumour that the UK government had been funding Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad, the infamous SARS unit guilty of perpetrating heinous violent crimes, including serial murders, extortion, physical abuse and more. Tweeting a letter signed by Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, Osamor revealed that, though Duddridge originally denied the rumours on October 19, British officials were indeed providing training and equipment to SARS between the years of 2016 and 2020. During this period, the Nigerian government had announced the reformation of SARS five times, owing to the plethora of violent crimes the Nigerian people have long since been reporting against the corrupt unit.

The Independent, a British newspaper, also reported that the England and Wales’ College of Policing trained Nigerian security officers in financial and economic crime, last year. They sought to improve standards “however this did not involve public order training,” a spokesperson of the College told The Independent. Perhaps this is an excuse for them, as to why they shouldn’t be held accountable for the crimes perpetrated by SARS, but the reality is, police ought to be trained in public order, regardless of their unit, because their underlying duty, which trumps everything, is their duty to the public.

 

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Whether SARS was funded with nefarious intent is yet to be known, regardless, it shows a clear disregard for Nigerian lives that for over four years, the British Government can fund and train such a corrupt policing agency with no sense of responsibility for how their support is being used. The College of Policing have a track record for giving abusive police forces in foreign countries training, coming under fire for their support of the Hong Kong Police Force during their ongoing protests.

We know from the Black Lives Matter movement that stirred up over the summer that police units in the West are corrupt, that they abuse their power and they target individuals about whom thy have a prejudice, just like we have in Nigeria. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that their training does not alleviate these issues – in fact, the hatefulness that swims in their blue waters is likely to be translated into their training, inadvertently condoning the violent acts so many of our brothers and sisters have died as a result of.

Similar can be said for their governments. Though the West purport to be the epitome of democracy, their systems of governance remain prejudice and oppressive, driven mostly by capitalistic intent. In this vein, there are many dangers that arise from Western interference in Nigeria – as exemplified by the suspicious funding of SARS by the UK government – warning us of the potential cost our cries for the international community to act, over the last few weeks, may bear, most especially calls for sanctions against Nigerian officials.

On October 20, 2020 the world watched as the Nigerian Army opened fire on Lagos citizens who were exercising their right to protest at the Lekki Toll Gate. With cameras being taken down, streetlights and the billboard (an alternative source of light) being switched off, covering the area in a blanket of darkness, this attack on the innocent protestors presents as a calculated act of state-sanctioned violence. As we watched live reports shared through social media, many of us who felt powerless rushed to find ways to hold our government accountable for their crimes against our human rights, looking for penalties that would encourage the government to treat its citizens better. These are the aims of international sanctions, and why the Nigerian people began sharing and signing petitions to for the UK to implement targeted sanctions at Nigerian government officials.

Unfortunately, sanctions are not the kind-hearted corrective tool Western powers would have us believe. In fact, sanctions have historically had rather terrible effects on countries, leading to more civil unrest, rises in poverty, strains on medical resources and ultimately, as a result of these factors and more, exacerbated loss of life. Sanctions are a complicated weapon, and now that the petition calling for sanctions to be implemented against Nigeria’s government personnel is to be debated in UK Parliament, we must look closely at the implications this could have and tease out the potential ways in which these sanctions could have a positive impact and direct our government toward change.

Sanctions are a foreign policy tool to exact punishment on a state or individuals/entities within a state, with the hope that the individual(s) or state(s) upon which the sanction has been placed will alter their behaviour in order to be relieved of the sanction.

There are many different types of sanctions that can be levelled. Economic sanctions, which we commonly refer to as simply ‘sanctions’, include trade restrictions (embargoes, tariffs, quotas) asset freezing or seizure, travel bans and also removal of embassies, as well as other diplomatic sanctions. Sanctions can be exacted on whole countries, or particular businesses or individuals (targeted sanctions), by individual countries (unilateral) or by a group or bloc of countries, such as the UN or the EU (multilateral). In the case of the petition that was most popularly spread across social media, garnering over 200,000 signatures, the proposed was a unilateral sanction from the UK onto Nigerian government officials.

The United Kingdom’s sanctions list is maintained by HM Treasury, and it is a list comprised of the UN sanctions list, the EU sanctions list (although post-Brexit this becomes unclear), and Britain’s own sanctions list. In accordance with the sanctions policy in the UK, banks and financial institutions, are barred from transaction with states and non-state entities on the UK sanctions list and British citizens can also be subject to HM Treasury Sanctions. What this means is that, if targeted sanctions are implemented against Nigerian leaders from the UK, they will be barred from doing business in the UK, disrupting their trade and travel – even if these restrictions are not also part of the sanctions – regardless of whether or not they are citizens of the UK.

However, it must be noted that unilateral sanctions may be bypassed through the use of a third party country with allegiances to the targeted country. If the UK does enact sanctions against Nigeria, trade with other countries may be a way for the government to get out of serious damage, depending on the nature of the sanctions. In this case though, extraterritorial sanctions may be placed on these third party countries or entities for helping the originally sanctioned state bypass their sanctions. For example, because international transactions are routed through US banks, the US have the means to confiscate or block or freeze transactions made by or to the sanctioned state from other third party countries. More often than not, America also threatens to sanction these other countries’ banks, and because US banks are so powerful in terms of their global financial dominance, they can get away with it.

As well as the petition to the UK, there were also calls for the United Nations to intervene and place sanctions on Nigeria. The Security Council – the crisis-management body of the UN – are responsible for sanction resolutions, which “must pass the fifteen-member council by a majority vote and without a veto from any of the five permanent members: the United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom,” according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).  The most commonly used sanctions by the UN are embargoes (specifically arms embargoes), asset freezes and travel bans. However, according to the CFR, enforcement of UN sanctions are weak, as the UN does not have their own means of enforcing sanctions, which leaves the job to the member states, who might not be incentivised to lend their resources to enforcing the sanctions. This means that if the UN Security Council does agree to place sanctions on Nigeria, or members of the Nigerian government, for their human rights abuses, unless individual states are interested in punishing Nigeria, sanctions might not be an effective way of getting our leaders to listen to their people.

Across the world, success rate of sanctions are typically low. Many countries have recorded that despite the increased economic hardship the sanctions have brought about, policies and governance hardly changes, leaving a worse of state of affairs for the people, without any positive change. One of the most recent examples that was cited in great frequency in the early hours of that Wednesday morning, following the massacre, is Iran. During this COVID-19 period, sanctions on financial transactions from the United States were held directly responsible for the distressingly high death toll of Iranians from COVID-19. In February, Iran was reported to have the largest number of deaths relating to COVID-19, outside of China, particularly worrying considering their comparatively small population of just over 80 million. According to Iranian health ministry spokesperson, Kianush Jahanpur, “for sure, our death tolls would have been lower if the US sanctions were not enforced and had not caused a delay in treatments.”

With the US sanctioning the import of goods, receiving medical goods has been a challenge for Iran, long before the coronavirus, however the situation worsened this year, as borders with neighbouring countries – Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Turkey – were closed, isolating Iran even more from importation. Similarly, in Haiti – where sanctions were imposed by the US following the 1991 coup that booted the less than year old, President Aristide – medical supplies, as well as food and other essential welfare goods, grew into scarcity, and this had a most pointed impact on children. “According to one report released by international public health experts at Harvard University, up to 1000 Haitian children were dying every month,” write Robin Davis, Onyesonwu Chatoyer, and Nancy Wright, in their detailed explanation of The Devastating Human Cost of Sanctions. Writing for Hood communist, the article goes on to proclaim:

“Sanctions are designed to exact the maximum human cost from a particular nation in order to force that nation to do the bidding of US and Western imperialism.”

From cases such as Iran, Haiti, Cuba (the longest lasting trade embargo, which is widely condemned), Zimbabwe (where President Mugabe and his inner circle were given a travel ban by the US in 2013), we can glean that sanctions are an ineffective tool when looking to encourage policy reform. In fact, the very people for whom the sanctioning states claim to be imposing the sanctions for, wind up as collateral damage in a political cockfight, based primarily upon greed and control and not for the betterment of human life. It is unlikely that we see sanctions placed upon Nigeria, because it geopolitically doesn’t make sense, at the moment – whilst this might be for the best, it shows the self-sustaining attitude our world leaders have to governance. Ultimately, sanctions are yet another method by which the West reproduce their global dominance. Western States bear the most geopolitical power; their use of sanctions as a default response to international affairs shows their perceived superiority and the effects of these sanctions evidences their disproportionate, undeserved hegemony – in particular the US, who use sanctions rather liberally.

Bad governance is rife globally. We are suffering from it at an alarming rate in Nigeria already, inviting Western leaders into the picture will continue to have adverse effect. From the UK funding SARS to global testimonies of the human cost of sanctions, the evidence is there: the white man is NOT our saviour, nor our friend.

Featured Image Credits: Hood Communist

ICYMI: WE WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT THE LEKKI TOLL GATE

We spoke to some Wizkid Fans about ‘Made in Lagos’

Posted on by The Native

After years of promises and extended-release dates, Wizkid’s long-awaited 4th studio album, ‘Made in Lagos’ is finally here, and all faith seems to have been restored in the Starboy. Though it’s been a long time coming, Wizkid FC have received the album with open arms, ready to forgive him for the unhealthy back-and-forth over the years, and even on the night of release when we had to wait an extra hour which was filled with doubt about whether we were getting the project or not. It goes without saying that the FC have been through a lot in the past few years, from postponed album dates to controversies in his dating life, Wizkid has undoubtedly kept many of us on our toes.

Through the thick and the thin, however, fans have remained loyal to their Starboy, and without the FC, it’s hard to imagine Wizkid’s position at the top. Their very existence has been invaluable to Wizkid’s career over the last few years, and they have shown up in numbers in the past,  offering a kind of adulation that many afropop stars have never enjoyed. A few years ago, a stan group like the FC would have been hard to come by but the musical landscape in afropop has evolved so much since 2010 when the ‘Superstar’ singer first caught our attention. Since then, we’ve seen the rise of P Square’s ‘Omoges’ Korede Bello’s ‘Bellovers’, Burna Boy’s ‘Outsiders’, Naira Marley’s ‘Marlians’, but none of them have come close to the fervour with which members of Wizkid FC operate. 

In 2016, the Weeknd released his third studio album ‘Starboy’, and social media was awash with angry FC fans who flew to the aid of their beloved star. Wizkid had donned the nickname long before The Weeknd and the FC believed a line had been crossed. That was the first time we really saw the force of the FC in action, and another instance that springs to mind is when No Signal hosted an epic clash battle between Wizkid and Vybz Kartel. Many people back at home and in the diaspora had tuned in for the clash assuming that it would be a fair battle for the winner but Wizkid FC proved yet again that they would fight for their Starboy. Wizkid came out successful in every round of the clash, even at times where the opposition should have been the clear winner. With their numbers far too numerous to overpower, they are quickly turning into the most notorious stan group on this side of the world. Similar to Nicki Minaj’s ‘Barbz’ or Beyoncé’s ‘Bey Hive’, Wizkid FC have taken on a life of their own and have now written themselves into the history of Starboy. 

And the praise is entirely warranted. Back in 2016, when afropop was still in the nascent stages of its global takeover, Wizkid featured on Drake’s groovy release “One Dance”, a key moment that saw the beginning of more intercontinental collaborations. A year later, he became the first African artist to headline a show at the Royal Albert-Hall, a market of afropop’s continued growth. Wizkid had come to represent more than his music, he had come to represent his hometown Ojuelegba and in extension the Nigerian people and a beacon of hope that dreams can come true. It wouldn’t be too far off to call him one of the country’s best musical exports and he’s come to be seen as such by those at home and abroad given that he’s the youngest African artist to bag a Grammy nod. 

In so many ways, Wizkid has attained great feats throughout his career and this has in turn afforded Wizkid FC the voice to be large and loud on the internet because the work speaks for itself. Many of the FC cannot even believe that ‘Made in Lagos’ is even here today, taking to social media to express their feelings about the new album as they listen to it. The result has been deeply satisfying, a meeting of hearts and minds deeply connected to experiencing an album collectively for the first time. To this end, The NATIVE spoke with 8 die-hard Wizkid FC members about how they feel about what feels like the most defining moment of Starboy’s career. Here’s how they feel. 

@TayoAFC

Top 3: “Blessed”, “Reckless” & “Sweet One”

What was your first impression of MIL on first listen? Did it live up to your expectations?

It was beautiful! The intro immediately caught my attention, as he counted his blessings and looked back on all he has achieved so far. The album exceeded my expectations mainly because I had been worried about the sound of Wizkid’s music transitioning over the years. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but there were few instances where he had been criticised of becoming too relaxed, which led to a more chilled and calm sound. So personally, I needed an album with the right balance to convince me this was simply part of his growth. You have to understand I became a “Wizkid FC” member in the “Pakurumo” era, where his songs had faster beats and the energy you could feel was that of an artist who still had a lot to prove. Although he is calm on MIL, you get a “this is why I’ve been top dog for a decade” energy from him which I loved about the album.

Do you think pre-released singles gave a good feel of the entire project?

Not completely to be honest. I wasn’t a big fan of “Smile” when it was released as a single, as the album is called Made In Lagos and a single which had a reggae fusion sound wasn’t something I initially understood. The next single “No Stress” followed, and this made me more positive for what to expect on the album. On this song, he gave the streets lyrics in Yoruba and local pidgin and balanced it with the perfect melody for the guys and ladies. And now I see how both songs fit into the album as a whole – you appreciate the fact his talent was made in Lagos with some influence from other regions.

Comparing this body of work to the first 3, what do you think makes this one stand out?

His growth. The fact that each of his 4 albums don’t sound the same shows he has always developed as an artist, and I feel Sounds From The Other Side, his third album was a risk he took which has now paid off. His first album, Superstar where he touched on his early beginnings with a lot of energy, showed he had no problems being the centre of attention. The period of his second album, Ayo, was when he could not release a bad song if he tried. The general theme of that album was around celebrating his life, and “Jaiye Jaiye” and “Ojuelegba” are perfect examples. His international audience was already growing, and maybe that was a factor in why he took the risk and tried a new sound. As some Wizkid FC members like to say, “he was ahead of his time” and this created a scenario where he had different sets of fans who had a preference for what type of Wizkid they were getting. And this is what makes MIL stand out for me, as his growth as an artist over the years created the perfect balance for both old and new Wizkid fans to enjoy the album as one.

@kvng_saad

Top 3: “Blessed”, “Sweet One”, “Piece Of Me”

What was your first impression of MIL on first listen? Did it live up to your expectations?

First of all, MIL is a great body of work that shows how Wizkid has evolved as a person and as an Artist. This is a different kind of vibe from his previous albums, it gives you a feel good sound and relaxed vibes and I definitely love it.

Yes. In fact, it exceeded my expectations and I’m glad it did.

Do you think pre-released singles gave a good feel of the entire project?

Yeah, the pre-released singles gave the direction of the album and what to expect from it, not the normal party jams and dancehall vibes but a very relaxed and calm one, and I must say it’s really nice and commendable.

Comparing this body of work to the first 3, what do you think makes this one stand out?

Comparing MIL to other body of his work, this one stands out because it shows how Wizkid has grown as an artist and it reflects in his lyrics.

@TheGreyHunter

Top 3: “Long Time”, “Blessed”, “Sweet One”

What was your first impression of MIL on first listen? Did it live up to your expectations?

My first impression after listening to MIL was “growfffff, what a man, what an icon, what a versatile king”. This was 12:17am just after Apple notified me that my pre-ordered album has been added. It exceeded my expectations. I knew “Pakuromo wiz” had hung his boots after he released Soundman (which is the best ep from Naij btw). I thought “okay babe,5-6 sweet slow tunes max go get replay value and I go use bias cushion my wizgenda”,  but my GOAT said “don’t worry my g, no stress” jams choke bustaidddd!

Do you think pre-released singles gave a good feel of the entire project?

Honestly, I think the first two songs that were lead singles didn’t prepare me for this level of brilliance, they were good, even better on the album but not even the best from MiL. Only Wiz can do that!

Comparing this body of work to the first 3, what do you think makes this one stand out?

In comparison with first 3 albums, I’ve got bias for “Superstar”. It’s the first album I used my own monies to buy, I also bought it for people and shared on Twitter that year. It’s surreal seeing someone like you from ‘lere morph into a global art and force. This is standing out because he’s once again proven that the throne he ascended since 2010 is still his even after hiatus, and the tunes to get on these thrones aren’t one style for all but different Wiz for everyone.

@omobankole1

Top 3: “Piece Of Me”, “Essence”, “Blessed” 

What was your first impression of MIL on first listen? Did it live up to your expectations?

My first impression was the divergence of a new sound from Wiz, so smooth and thrilling. It definitely exceeded my expectations.

Do you think pre-released singles gave a good feel of the entire project?

I saw this great sound coming, not from pre-released singles from MIL but from Soundman EP. It absolutely showed a new Wiz and I’m delighted to welcome the sound.

Comparing this body of work to the first 3, what do you think makes this one stand out?

Well to me I love all 4 albums equally. It really shows the versatility of Wizkid changing sound with ease. If you listen to all 4 albums and the Soundman, you will notice the change of sounds across his music, it really shows how far Wiz gonna go in delivering better music.

@K0yinsola

Top 3: “True Love”, “Blessed”, “Sweet One”

What was your first impression of MIL on first listen? Did it live up to your expectations?

It sounds silly but my first listen was so sporadic. 30 seconds of each track here and there to prepare myself for what was coming. I think I even started in the middle of the album. I was so anxious because Wizkid is not the most forthcoming in interviews about his music and his direction so I wasn’t sure what to expect. On my first proper listen, it surpassed my expectations. I couldn’t get passed ‘Blessed’ for a while because it sounded so good but once I did, the whole album really blew my mind,

Do you think pre-released singles gave a good feel of the entire project while we were waiting?

When Wizkid dropped Smile in July, it was so different to anything he had ever previously done. It didn’t sound like any of his singles before or any singles from his other albums so I knew we were getting a completely new era of Wizkid. What this era was, I wasn’t so sure of at the time. Fast forward a couple of months, we got No Stress. I think this was an instant hit everywhere. You still can’t open an Instagram story without hearing ‘I got a pretty pretty lady wey no like no stress’. But again, this was so different to Smile so I was still unsure as to what direction MIL was going in. One thing was definitely clear though, Wizkid was going to be in his grown man melodic bag on this album.

Comparing this body of work to the first 3, what do you think makes this one stand out?

I think each album perfectly sums up not just the times that they were released in, but also the different stages of Wizkid’s career. Listening to Superstar retrospectively, you can hear the rawness of a young boy from Surulere who is driven and hungry for success. Every song was a HIT back to back *Olamide voice*. He had a lot to prove being a newbie in the game.’Ayo’ takes on a slightly more mature approach and this shows on songs like Ojuelegba and J’aiye J’aiye. This was Wizkid’s final release under EME and at some points in the album you can still hear the young man finding his sound and his feet in the industry.SFTOS, my favourite album pre MIL came before it’s time. I truly believe that SFTOS walked so MIL could fly. SFTOS had so many amazing and experimental songs(Nobody and Sexy being two of my favs) but I think it came before it’s time. Afrobeats has slowed down a lot recently and is more so about the craft, lyricism, instrumentals, etc which is why I think MIL shines and has been so well received. Wizkid sounds so confident on every single song. He’s bringing that 30+ energy that we all love to see. This is the music we all know Wizkid loves and wants to be making.

Words by Tami Makinde, Interview by Damilola Animashaun

ICYMI: A 1-listen review of Wizkid’s ‘Made In Lagos’

Review: Tems’ ‘For Broken Ears’

On “The Key”, the final song on her debut EP, ‘For Broken Ears’, Tems delivers her most powerful message which easily surmises the space she now occupies in the new vanguard of Afropop stars. Singing loudly atop a groovy mix of airy synths and vivid percussion patterns, she musters the words “their chains they cannot hold me” just as the song is about to fade out. But her lyrics, simple as they may seem, are a triumphant declaration of the fervour with which she operates having been delivering at the top of her game for the past two years. It’s hard to imagine that she’s only just offering up her debut but the 7-track offering makes for a potent and unforgettable entrance.

 

With ‘For Broken Ears’, Tems adds another string to her bag of therapeutic sounds. Infact, it’s possible that you couldn’t build a person more suited to offer emotional comfort through music. The NATIVE 004 cover star has had to constantly redfine herself her whole life. After struggling with depression while growing up, Tems found it hard betting on herself and her musical abilities. After school, she joined a digital marketing firm in Lekki putting music on hold for one more time. But in 2018, while reading her devotional, Tems got a divine message that would catapult her into superstardom. Two years later, she’s one of the brightest stars in the country with a voice that commands listeners to evaluate personal truths. Tems is the “girl on fire”.

 

‘For Broken Ears’ as the title suggests is a remedy for those among us who may feel broken right now. Hearts and minds are in need of healing, but Tems’ voice is the remedy our ears didn’t know they needed up till now. Her moody blend of afropop and r&b lends itself delectably to the listeners ear. The 7-track piece delves through a range of themes–loss, love, success, regret, longing, power with ease, but with each song, Tems peels back another layer, revealing an unshakeable confidence that is firmly rooted in who she is as a person. She’s singing about her own experiences but the relatability is striking. She could easily be the voice of an old friend with her assertive, lucid storytelling. In an industry as notoriously impossible as music this gives her a serious edge. When Tems released ‘For Broken Ears’ over a month ago, she could not have imagined that the next few weeks would be shrouded in so much pain and violence. But her music speaks firmly to our current reality as a people. When she sings “this is the peace that you cannot buy/finding the way, when you cannot see” on “Damages”, I can easily see the lyric sitting firmly amongst the minds of young people in Nigeria who are currently fighting for a better future. For over two weeks, young Nigerians have been protesting against the rogue police unit SARS but also against the corrupt excesses of the government that have plagued the country for decades. In just a few days, we’ve watched young Nigerians find a new strength in themselves that not many people thought existed. For many years, our contributions in the political world were undermined and reduced as a result of our ages, but this time around, young Nigerians have audaciously carved out a space to speak about the issues that affect them directly and that is due in a large part to social media. “Damages” for me, represents our collective message. Tems sings passionately about an unrequited lover, armed with new eyes she sings about her experiences when she was a “baby girl”. While she demands to be treated better so also do we demand better from our government. She sings “no more damages now” telling a past lover that she’s done with them, moving on to better things. For Nigerians, we’re contesting a systemic evil that needs to be rooted out from its damaged core. We want real change, and Tems through her music offesr a world where change is possible when you know what you’re worth.

 

In this moment, music that speaks to the core of our experiences as Nigerian people has given many of us a sense of hope and peace for the future. Protest grounds were ringing triumphantly with afopop sounds like Davido’s boiseterous new single “Fem” or Eedris Abdulkareem’s “Jaga Jaga” because of their relatable lyrics which radically condem the actions of many of our common oppressors. Both songs were prime afrop cuts, buoyant, lively and replete with instant quotables. But now, two weeks gone, since we gathered on major highways with our End SARS placards to shout, demand, and sing with unified voices, our fates are once again resigned. With the state-wide curfews and the ensuing unrest lingering on our roads from last week’s attack, our ears are hungry for a different type of sound. A sound that artists like Tems and her contemporaries like Omah Lay and Tay Iwar champion in their music. Cloaked in afropop’s rhythmic pulse, these artists are making music which lends itself easily to the melancholic hours we’re spending indoors consuming a tumultuous news cycle. But while Omah Lay and Tay Iwar are more concerned with matters of the heart, Tems continuously melds a myriad of genres into music that is thematically bound to deep introspection. The greatest example of this is on the album opener “Interference” where Tems finds her voice. She sings “If you thought I was distrubed before/baby boy I’m going to disturb you now” over soft keys, before delving into a spit-along confession that finds her shedding the shame and reproach of the past. She seems to be singing about a lover but her unbridled confidence draws parallels with the defiance of strong women who will stop at nothing to effect change. It brings to mind the invaluable contribution of organisations like the Feminist Coalition who have left their foot on our leaders necks, knowing Nigeria’s patriachial society, but working to speak up about women’s rights at a time where we need them the most.

 

Right from her debut single “Mr Rebel”, Tems has shown her determination to flout society’s perception of the Nigerian woman. With a magnetic voice, she quickly cemented her place as the self-professed “leading vibe” and the prized leader of the reber gang, a title which she wields with ease. “Try Me”, her third solo single, and arguably one of the most decisive numbers from a female African artist is a fiery anthem of triumph but as she grows and widens her arsenal, Tems isn’t shedding the experimental hallmarks of her earlier singles. With ‘For Broken Ears’, she’s navigating her current reality anchored with the lessons from her past. On the groovy standout “Free Mind”, she mulls over thoughts of escapism trying to navigate life with a clouded mind. But on “Higher”, we see her coming to terms with reality. “Help me understand/why you made the war that we’re fighting now” she sings, as though armed with the prescient knowledge of the questions that currently linger on many lips. Elsewhere on “Ice T”, she sings with jaded detachment about her capabilities, delivering a poignatic message for all who are paying close attention. While on the surface she may be singing about about making flavoured “ice-t” out of lemons, on a deeper level, what she’s really saying is to own your confidence and starpower in face of criticism, reproach, fear, you name it. Judging by her steady incline over the past the past year, it’s clear that Tems is one you can trust for nuanced advice–and lyrics–to navigate our new normal.

 

Listen to ‘For Broken Ears’ below.

 

NATIVE Premiere: JELEEL! and Prettyboy D-O are speaking up against their oppressors in their video for “Sinner”

Posted on by The Native

Revolution has seemed like a constant feature for this year as we’ve seen more people speaking up against issues of injustice and oppression. Despite the social distancing laws of the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans responded to the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer by going out to protest against police brutality and racial discrimination. The Black Lives Matter protests hit a nerve with young Nigerians who could also relate to being profiled, harassed, and killed by the police and very soon after, protests have also broken out in Nigeria, calling for an end to SARS, #EndSARS.

America-based Fresh Meat alum, JELEEL! took inspiration from the racial discrimination he experienced in America for his latest project, ‘Generation Z’. He released the tape while the BLM protests were still ongoing and offered the 6 tracks as a balm for healing the trauma of the time. Though young Nigerians had not gotten into full protest mode when the tape was released in July, JELEEL! had the foresight to team up with his Nigerian brother in arms, Prettyboy D-O for the rebellious anthem, “Sinner”. The two are now sharing the energetic video for the track that encourages young people to get active and use their voice and strength to fight for equality and a complete overhaul of the systems that were built to oppress us.

Given the present politically charged climate where the Nigerian government is refusing to take responsibility for the killing of peaceful protesters while also seeking ways to censor the voice of the youth, the timing could not be better. The leadership of Nigeria has failed young people and as they continue to antagonise us, music can serve as fuel for our activism and also amplify the issue of injustice we’re experiencing. Prettyboy D-O’s fans are already familiar with his penchant for calling out the system from songs like “Chop Elbow”, a protest song with a hostile dance to match. Pairing him with JELEEL!—who loves to rage and rip his shirt—for a protest song seems like a match made in heaven with very violent prospects that are fitting for the current times.

The video opens with JELEEL break dancing with other dancers, all dressed in black leather outfits. JELEEL! is known for his unorthodox vocals and on “Sinner”, it gives the song an edgy quality as he seems to scream the lyrics; “In the fight ima ride with a sinner. One more time for the time they killed us”. We watch him as he dances then sing into a ball of fire that he carries in his hands. Prettyboy D-O makes his appearance standing next to a burning trash can that conveys the riotous them of the song. He performs his verse with the aggressive energy we’ve come to expect from him. However, instead of violence for violence sake, he outlines the oppression that has shaped his aggressive wold view; “Tell me why they want to come and block my progress/ that’s the reason why pretty no dey look face.” In this context, his rage isn’t only menacing, it’s also heartbreaking.

 

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it’s getting spooky….👹👻

A post shared by JELEEL! 🧬🛸 (@jeleeeel) on


Although the video aims to trigger rage against oppression, it also looks beyond the grim as we see several shots of JELEEL! smiling at an attractive muse and hugging Prettyboy D-O as if to push onwards against ignorance and hatred. Together, they celebrate black love and creating art in the face of the powers oppressing us. The NATIVE spoke with JELEEL for the premiere and he told us;

“I know this is a difficult time right now and I’m praying we all get through this and Nigeria changes for the better.”

See the video for JELEEL! and Prettyboy D-O’s “Sinner” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagran/jeleeel
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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: JELEEL! has a lot to say on his latest EP, ‘Generation Z’

Rap Song of the Week: Shakez seethes with righteous anger on “Blood on the Flag”

Posted on by The Native

In 1965, Nina Simone recorded a cover of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”, one of the greatest protests songs against racism. Accompanied by sombre piano chords, Nina Simone’s rendition is painfully bare, imbuing the poetic and powerful lyrics on racially motivated lynching with a layer of mournful passion. Nearly five decades later, Kanye West sampled the classic song on “Blood on the Leaves”, a standout off his 2013 album, ‘Yeezus’, where he ranted about the complications that can be effected by the colliding effect of fame and shaky relationships.

Kanye’s song was rightly lauded upon release, but it glaringly deviated from the subject matter of its sample material—which isn’t wrong in itself. Nigerian rapper Shakez Baba has just released a cover of “Blood on the Leaves”, and he takes the context of Nina Simone’s “Strange Fruit” into account, retooling it into an excellent, impassioned rap song that recollects perhaps the most gruesome case of state-sanctioned cruelty, during the nationwide demonstrations against police brutality in Nigeria.

“Blood on the Flag”, as it is titled, directly references one of the agonising images that flooded social media timelines, when soldiers of the Nigerian military viciously attacked peaceful protesters at the Lekki-Victoria Island tollgate on October 20, 2020. On the evening when soldiers shot at these unarmed civilians at point blank range, the picture of a man carrying a gunshot victim in a Nigerian flag heavily sullied by blood quickly became symbolic. Shakez’s song is a reminder of that moment and the unfortunate aftermath of events that unfollowed.

Although there aren’t any noticeable changes to the beat from Kanye’s song, it’s clear that Shakez taps into the aggrieved spirit of Nina Simone’s “Strange Fruit”, as he seethes with a righteous anger that’s evident in his incensed cadence and candid raps. In the opening bars, he rips at perennial and grossly inept Nigerian government system, held in place by cruel, corrupt and incapable leaders, and has fostered an unconducive society for the larger portion of the Nigerian youth populace. He accuses these “leaders” of being so vested in personal profits and self-preservation, that they’re so insensitive, and even disgusted, by young people simply demanding their right to live without fear of being harassed, physically abused and possibly killed by those actually meant to “serve and protect” them.

“Turn police to criminals and hired guns/and then they take they guns and go and point at us/ vicious cycle until we come undone”, he raps with a fair share of annoyance in his voice. But it’s the very next sequence of lines that cuts the deepest: “We protest because police harass us/they send soldiers to use us for target practice/four hours heads up for evasive tactics”. Shakez recounts the events of the Lekki massacre, immortalising the gruesome event we all witnessed and letting it be known that the truth will not be buried by the powers that be.

Shakez is not the only artist speaking this particular truth to indelible power. Late last night, Burna Boy dropped “20 10 20”, phenomenally conjuring and conveying the emotions being felt by millions of concerned individuals. Shakez’s voice isn’t as singularly powerful as Burna’s, but it doesn’t need to be, due to the emotional gravitas already loaded into the sample choice behind his cover’s beat. “Blood on the Flag” is a great example of how sampling helps in putting the past in conversation with the present, Shakez is able to transpose the pain Nina Simone put on wax 55years ago, and put within the context of a current struggle.

In his essay, “Cosmic Anger: #EndSARS & the Making of a Movement”, writer Joshua Segun-Lean explains that the scope of our ongoing fight against police brutality means that “we are inheritors of Haiti’s revolution, whether we choose to be or not, and we are dependent on the movement for Black Lives in America as we are on the movement against Gender-Based Violence in Namibia.” Tackling a situation that’s this endemic situates us within the larger fight to permanently end Black suffering all over the world, and it’s the reason a song that was recorded during the civil rights fight in America can serve as the perfect backbone for raps about police brutality in Nigeria.

With the high-handed reactions from the government, there’s clearly still a lot of work to be done before a rogue unit of the police force is disbanded, and by extension, sweeping positive change in Nigeria’s government system. As Shakez bellows at the end of “Blood on the Flag”, we need to “Stay mad, stay woke, 2023 come out and vote”.

Listen to “Blood on the Flag” here.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Shakez Baba

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

ICYMI: WE WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT THE LEKKI TOLL GATE

NATIVE Exclusive: In conversation with DJ Switch

Posted on by The Native

Tuesday 20th October 2020 is a date that will never be forgotten in Nigeria. 20.10.2020 will always be remembered as the day the Nigerian military opened fire against peaceful protesters, in a calculated attack against the Nigerian youth fighting for their right to life, peacefully exercising their right to demonstrate. Initially denied by the Nigerian Armed Forces (who took nearly one week to accept responsibility), we are experiencing in real time, the efforts of an authoritarian government to rewrite history, omitting the devastating state-sanctioned killings that occurred at the Lekki Toll Gate Plaza, as well as other areas in Lagos State.

When Governor Sanwo-Olu announced, with finality, that no fatalities had been recorded after the ‘incident’; when Major General John Eneche capitalised off the few fake images being circulated to unequivocally state that his analysts have deemed the videos of the massacre photoshopped; when President Buhari failed to commiserate the lives lost that Tuesday, in his delayed Presidential address on Thursday, our leadership was making a violent, obvious play at gaslighting the nation. But the world was watching. With over 150,000 viewers tuned into DJ Switch’s Instagram Live Feed that night, the room for doubt is slim; the #LekkiMassacre happened, it cannot be denied and will not be erased.

After a few days of rest, letting the people know that she is safe, DJ Switch took to Instagram once again, to clear up several of the rumours that had been spread in the aftermath of the traumatising military shootings.  DJ Switch has become a beacon of truth in this period that has been deliberately shrouded in confusion and uncertainty. She has used her platform to share the reality of those protesters who were victim to the military’s attack and will forever be remembered as one of the key figures in Nigeria’s 60th anniversary revolution.

 

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A post shared by Switch (@djswitch_) on

Just months earlier, DJ Switch was making headlines for completely opposing reason, gaining attention her unforgettable set at the Big Brother House Party. Still fresh off the “humongous” platform that helped multiply opportunities for the DJ cum musical artist, DJ Switch was excitedly “waiting for a plan, because a plan needs to be put in place,” she told me back then, explaining that the next stages in her career are to be carefully structured by her new, more professional management, before “we’ll kick start all over again.” Suffice it to say, this was not part of the plan. At such a crucial turn in her career, DJ Switch set aside professional ambitions in order to fight for justice; fight for a better country for her fellow Nigerians and our generations to come. Literally putting her body on the line, DJ Switch, like all the other protestors across the country, risked her life to fight for a better Nigeria and has rightfully become one of the most highly respected public figures of our time – a rare feat given how quickly celebrities are proving their false alliances (cough cough, Desmond Elliot).

Praising DJ Switch for her bravery and courage, young Nigerians throughout the internet have promised to stan forever – to unequivocally support all the work that she puts out in the future. A soldier that put her life on the line for us, we owe Switch that much, and the first step in becoming a stan is cluing yourself in to everything there is to possibly know about the artist – which is where we come in. In the wake of her Big Brother set, NATIVE caught up with DJ Switch, to hear all about the woman behind one of the most talked about performances in Nigeria this year. Spanning over a decade, DJ Switch’s career is full of ups and downs, has been entrusted to local and foreign labels, and a true testament to her resolute character.

Obianuju Catherine Udeh was “born with it” – as cliché as that might sound. After graduating from the University of Port Harcourt with a Geology degree, Udeh found herself working in the lucrative oil and gas industry, but with music flowing through her veins, DJ Switch was always destined to hang up her corporate pumps in pursuit of her passion. Her first taste of success followed soon after. In 2009, along with the five other member of the sextet Da Pulse, DJ Switch bagged her first of two talent competition wins – Da Pulse emerged victors at the 2009 Star Quest competition. A year later, the group was touring the country as international superstars, boasting a Busta Rhymes remix to their hit single, “Sote”. But considering the financial burden of having to feed six mouths with offers that could hardly even take care of one solo act, Da Pulse disbanded after an unfortunately fleeting success. For most of her band mates, that was the end of the road, but for Switch, that was the beginning of her most lucrative chapter yet, she tells me, “I started really focusing on the DJ part of my talent.”

Still, her chops as a performing artist weren’t forgotten. In 2013, DJ Switch scored her second talent competition win, this time on Glo X-Factor. Following this win, and the promise of a Sony Music deal, DJ Switch entered into her most active year as a recording artist, releasing quintessential afro-pop dance tracks that are definitive of the time in which she was working. A 2014 record such as “Baby O”, played into the wedding music aesthetic that was beginning to rise – at a time where Don Jazzy’s Mavin were at their peak, mixing in traditional praise music with contemporary love songs – whilst the more dance-inclined number “Koma”, produced by E Kelly, encourages listeners to let loose, and women to tap into their sexiness. Similarly carnal, came “My Body” – still in 2014 – where DJ Switch narrated the pleasures of being wanted, and wanting something in return. However, with Sony or X-Factor (or whoever is to blame for her X-Factor prize not being delivered in full) her 2014 reign was contrasted with infrequent (yet consistent) releases, as Switch juggled a very active DJ career alongside her role as a recording artist.

Her 2016 appearance alongside Patoranking on “Bad Man” was accompanied by a Best Female DJ win at the City People Awards that same year. Her role as a DJ on ‘Dance with Peter’ – a dancing competition pioneered by P-Square’s Peter Okoye – culminated in a recording contract to Okoye’s P-Classic Records in 2017. Releasing a couple of singles last year, DJ Switch’s 2020 record, “Oluwa” perfectly illustrates where her career went to in the aftermath her memorable Big Brother DJ set: despite people taking advantage of her and thinking they can control her, DJ Switch’s hustle is paying off. Currently working through the pain and trauma of the Lagos Massacre, which she experienced first-hand, if there is one thing our conversation, two months ago, made clear, it is that DJ Switch is never backing down, not in her career and certainly not in the fight for what is right.

Read a summary of our chat below:

On her childhood music inspirations

I listened to music at a very early age. Y’know Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Brenda Fassie, Fela, Bob Marley, Lucky Dube and the rest, Michael Jackson. These were guys that I watched a lot, and I fell in love with. 

On choosing to focus on DJing

Deciding to make DJing like a primary thing was not intentional – It’s just a natural thing that happened. I love music so much and I’ve been working my hardest to get my content out there; so, whatever I can get my hands on that will produce music, I’m usually very excited about it. I wouldn’t say I intentionally chose DJing but it’s just like the natural thing that happened along the way. 

On her approach to music

The way I like to think about music, I like to think about music like I’m having a conversation with someone. I don’t just play music. I like to listen to it and find elements of the music that would really heighten your feelings, and you know, have a conversation with you. Even when I have conversations, the most irrelevant conversation, I’m turning it into some sort of sound.

On the growth of Nigerian music

I feel very proud to still be alive [within the Nigerian music scene] at this point, you know. Looking at the music space in Nigeria or in Africa, music has definitely improved. The quality of the music, the production quality, as well, has improved. Our music has already gone global, so it’s not like we’re trying to go global – the spotlight is on Africa right now – on afrobeats, and our style, our slangs and all that stuff. So, I’m very very proud to still be able to say “hey, I exist in a time frame where our music has exploded this much.” 

And it has impacted me; it’s made me more expressive, it’s made me free… The music has really improved and I can find different things in our songs to work with. Back then, our songs used to be really like mumbo jumbo of various stuff and sounds, just packed with a lot going on. [There were] very few songs you could find that you could really tear down.

On gender relations within the music industry

It was the way of the world unfortunately, that women were not allowed to do a lot of things. But just as everything is changing, you know, women are CEOs now, women can vote, in certain countries, women can drive, just as things are changing it’s also changed in the music industry as well. So, I wouldn’t say it’s exactly where it should be, which it like on an equal stance, but, there’s progress, and who doesn’t like progress? As long as women continue to be at the top of their game, they continue to put out great content, not mediocre content, there is no excuse, you know what I mean?

Of course, I believe – not speaking for all women – but I believe most women have experienced some sort of treatment or some sort of disregard or lack of support, but it’s not the same today – [the dynamics are] really improving – we’ve got a lot of men that are more aware and exposed. You know, we also have a cultural issue here, in this part of the world, where some people still don’t understand why women are out ‘til 5,6,7 in the morning and they say they’re at some club DJing. There’s still some sort of cultural block that people have, there’s [still] this perception that some people, in this part of the world, have that women shouldn’t be out that late, women shouldn’t be in that field. So hopefully, time will change things and Africa will be more exposed. Time will tell. 

On this tweet

Yeah, you know, sometimes I work with people who just appreciate who I am and then sometimes I meet people who don’t get it. But um, I don’t blame anyone. Everyone speaks from a place of experience, and so I don’t judge anyone based off of what they said.

So I had met a promoter who was very interested in my work and said ‘you know if you do this then I would do that for you’. I didn’t turn him down immediately because [he didn’t] understand it, I wanted to get his perspective and where he was coming from. I also wanted to ask my fans and then show it to him, [so we can] all come to a middle ground and see how to make this work. Because at the end of the day, everybody really just wants to grow. 

If someone is an expert in their field, he’s a promoter, I should listen to what he’s saying and what he’s driving at, ok? And at the same time, because I am a creative, I also need to be comfortable enough to be able to create. So how do we find a middle ground, where I’m still comfortable and you can still do your job. So I always try to find a middle ground because people have different expertise.

On Da Pulse break-up

Let’s say you want to charge a fee for performance and you’re a band, you need to consider how many people are in that band, you need consider everything you need to do, you also need to consider your standing or your appeasement to be able to have that negotiating power. And, even though we had a hit song, and we had featured Busta Rhymes on it, we were still a new group. So, all of the offers we got were really poor and it couldn’t have taken care of any of us, even if we were [solo acts], like separated, talk less of being together. So, the break up was as a result of finances. We did not have money, we were broke, ok? Everyone had to go home and look for something to do. I didn’t leave, I stayed here in Lagos, I kept on pushing. Of course, being a solo act, has to be definitely more money than being in a group. So, money usually is the motive for most groups breaking up. Or love, usually one of the two. 

On her 2014 run, post X-Factor

In this business, the more you churn out stuff the more people get engaged. If people forget about you for a moment, they jump onto the next person, that’s just how it is. I put out the best content that I could put out at the time, did the type of promotion that I could do. [But] I didn’t quite get to where I wanted to be at, because then again, there’s also the bias, there’s also the ‘who did you come with?’ Certain people can speak for you and then automatically things will start working out, but if you don’t have certain people speaking for you, either because you don’t have a relationship with them or maybe they just don’t know you or they don’t… I don’t know, but basically that can affect your growth. But the thing with me is, I’ve never given up. I just come out, I pop out and I do what I can do at the time. 

On the Sony disappointment

It broke my heart, by I don’t really want to go into what happened. I would say it was a case of two elephants fighting and the grass suffered. That’s the best I can do on the subject.I don’t want to go into it, I don’t wanna talk about it. It’s in the past and that’s that. 

On her personality

I’ve always been comfortable in my skin, I’ve been comfortable with the way I am. If I do something else that I’m not comfortable with I will not be productive. I know that about myself.

[Also] I’m actually very shy. I think people don’t know that. I’m a very shy person, I’m a loner, I don’t have many friends; more than half the time when I’m hanging out with them, I’m barely talking, I’m just watching people. If left alone, I’d be in my studio and just playing music, you know? I’m always avoiding confrontation as much as possible. But the thing is, once I get into a creative space, I think I try to put out everything that’s in my mind. I guess that’s probably where the name Switch came from.

 

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On her legacy

Greatness. That’s just it.

I want to be able to put something together where I can impact people’s lives, in similar fields as mine, and really teach them how to be the best versions of themselves, how not to be regular, how not to be mediocre, how not to follow the trends. You may have a bunch of people do something the same way and it works, but how about you just do what you want to do? But make sure that you’re the best at what you want to do. People may not understand it, because it’s what you want to do, but you might be pleasantly surprised. I was pleasantly surprised. I will tell you something real quick, when I was playing the [Big Brother Naija] show, twice I wanted to do some funky stuff. In my mind I was like “I dunno, are they gonna get it?” Cos I don’t want to lose the attention of people, my job is to make sure I keep you engaged and I keep you happy, right? And I said to myself, “you know what, you do you.” And the one thing – and I only did one thing, really – I did was the thing that was talked about the most. I think people talked about it so much that they missed some other cool stuff in there but when people started getting the mix that I put out online, people saw other stuff in there. So, I did me and it made me different.

I want to leave that level of greatness, I really wanna achieve the height of my abilities and then take it a notch up. And then when I do die I want people to say that was one of a kind. 

Featured Image Credits: Everyevery

ICYMI: DJ SWITCH SHARES HER ACCOUNT OF THE LEKKI TOLLGATE MASSACRE

Tiwa Savage’s video for Naira Marley-assisted “Ole” combines Goth and guerrilla

Posted on by The Native

It might seem like a lifetime ago, considering the tumultuous events of the past few weeks, but Tiwa Savage’s latest studio album, ‘Celia’, only came out about two months back. Undoubtedly her best full-length release, the project showed us a much more confident artist who’s broadened her topical horizons, taking into account the social causes she’s become increasingly vocal about recently.

 

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Following “Koroba”, a delightful screed at the hypocrisy that runs rampant in Nigerian society, the singer has handpicked the Naira Marley-assisted “Ole” as the latest single off ‘Celia’. On the Rexxie-produced standout, Tiwa Savage expresses her intolerance for being owed money, even threatening violence against debtors. “Because say I quiet no mean say I be fool”, she warns. Naira Marley chips in with a stellar verse, taking a swipe at perennial debtors and their penchant for always looking for ways to escape paying off their debt. With the title translating to thief, and the addition of a soundbite from an infamous incident from earlier this year, “Ole” is also cleverly linked with Nigeria’s corrupt ruling class, who have always shied away from accountability and continue to loot the country’s coffers with reckless abandon.

The newly released music video for “Ole” embellishes the rebellious nature of Tiwa and Naira’s lyrical performance, combining Goth elements, style-wise, and guerrilla visual aesthetics. Dressed in all black at a dingy location, the singers and their animated entourage cut a delightfully menacing competitions, taunting men and women who represent the typical, corrupt Nigerian politician. In its opening seconds, Tiwa dedicates the video to “Every single life lost to injustice in Nigeria”, a noble intentions that is matched by its execution, considering the shoddy handling and gas-lighting reaction by the government to our calls for an end to police brutality.

Watch “Ole” here.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Tiwa Savage

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

ICYMI: TIWA SAVAGE’S “DANGEROUS LOVE” AND “KOROBA” MAKE CHART HISTORY

Best New Music: Burna Boy’s “20 10 20” is a stunning tribute

Posted on by The Native

It’s been over a week since one of the gravest crimes against humanity we have witnessed as a generation occurred and yet no one has come forward to take responsibility for the crime. Over the past week, we have listened to live witness accounts of what happened at the toll gate when armed forces descended upon the location where many brave young Nigerians were sitting with their flags and placards raised and none of the recounts have been easy to sit through. Collectively, as young people in Nigeria, we are traumatised and to make it worse, continue to be endlessly gaslit by leaders who have shown that they have no qualms erasing or revising the events of October 20 as we know it.

But young Nigerians are making sure that last Tuesday is etched into the memories of the entire world, who have now amped up the pressure they are placing on the Nigerian government by staging protests in cities all over the world from Indonesia to Mississauga. The pressure seems to be working in some way and we couldn’t be more happier. During the week, the Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu admitted for the first time in an interview with CNN that judging from the footage gathered from the scene, it appeared that armed forces were responsible for the shooting. The Army later confirmed they were indeed deployed by the state governor to make sure the curfew was being enforced, but till now no one has been charged or prosecuted for the 38 lives reportedly lost that night, Amnesty International says.

 

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In Loving memory, and with the utmost respect 20 10 20 NEVER FORGET 🙏🏾👼🏾🇳🇬

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To this end, Burna Boy has also been using his platform to call out the injustices taking place in our country. A few days ago, he was on the BET stage with Chris Martins delivering a moving performance of “Monsters You Made” which was dedicated to the victims of police brutality. And now, he has now released a tribute to the victims and survivors of last Tuesday’s tragic killings in an aptly titled number called “20 10 20”. Opening up with soft guitar strings, Burna Boy uses his platform to inform listeners about the brutal attacks that night but also as an avenue to call out the government for their involvement in the crimes and their wanton disregard for the lives of those they govern and lead.

Singing “Let’s talk about my government/You carry army go kill many youth for Lekki” he audaciously confronts the facts as confirmed from eye witness accounts like that of Dj Switch’s. He lists out everyone who is complicit in the cover-up of last week’s attacks, from the Chief Commander, to the army, and even the President and the Governor. It’s clear that Burna Boy is just as angry as we are, and he doesn’t hesitate to show it as he reigns a myriad of curses on them. “Make all the dead body disturb you for your dream” he sings with a resigned tone, vowing that our leaders must face punishment somehow for the blood now on their hands.

Burna Boy also confronts the system. He sings, “You don turn our graduates to common beggars, all the book them go no matter” delving into the failure of the system which has been rendered useless by our leaders after years of increasing decay. The #EndSARS protests were more than just disbanding a rogue police unit, they were also about confronting more structural and systemic issues that have gotten our country to this point. He also confronts the nepotism in our employment sector, “cause you no go get job if you no know godfather” he sings, highlighting just how difficult it is for the average Nigerian with no connections or opportunity for nepotism to secure a decent job after graduating from university.

For Burna Boy, there is no excuse that can vindicate any of our leaders from the brutal killings on the 20th of October. As the song is about to fade out, he sings “When we cry for justice, them kill my people/Walahi for all of you, their lives are on you” driving his message home further as the song segues into familiar soundbites from the videos circulating of last week’s attacks. We hear audible gunshots ringing as protesters flee from the scene of the attack and try to cower for safety. We also hear Dj Switch’s voice as she addresses her Instagram Live from the toll gate showing the bodies of those who had been injured and those who had unfortunately passed away. So the song ends with a firm reminder that October 20th actually happened, and there are many amongst us who may never heal from what they saw.

With “20 10 20”, the lives of those we lost at the toll gate are seen and honoured despite the government’s lack of dedication to round up and apprehend those responsible for unjustly killing Nigerian citizens. It’s the perfect tribute for a very disheartening event that rocked the nation and Burna Boy has ensured that their lives are never forgotten.

RIP to the brave Nigerians who lost their lives on 20-10-20.

Listen to “20 10 20” below.

Featured image credits/201020

Tami is available here @tamimak_

ICYMI: Here’s how some young Nigerians are making it through these trying times

A 1-listen review of Wizkid’s ‘Made In Lagos’

Posted on by The Native

For the past three years, Wizkid’s ‘Made In Lagos’ has been mythical moment in the making. Less than a year after his 2017 major label debut, ‘Sounds from the Other Side’, the afropop juggernaut announced the title of his following LP, setting the stage for a scenic rollout marked with its fair share of false starts. Somehow, the FC (as the singer’s Stan base is often referred to) and scores of afropop faithful have kept hope alive, even as Wizkid flouted rumoured release dates on several occasions.

Between the unwitting anxiety effected by the trickle of loose singles and our collective will to manifest ‘Made In Lagos’ into being, it sometimes felt like the album was a figment of our imaginations. When Wiz surprisingly pulled out ‘Soundman, Vol. 1’ last December, he was clearly pulling a fast one, temporarily tempering the anxiousness of the main event. With each following hint that ‘MIL’ was indeed coming soon, there was a justified amount of scepticism, until the release of two brilliant singles—the H.E.R-assisted “Smile” and “No Stress”—and the announcement of an initially confirmed album release date, October 15, 2020.

In solidarity with the demonstrations against police brutality in Nigeria, a cause Wizkid has been vocal about, the singer pushed the album back to November 22nd. Due to an impending leak, ‘MIL’ has been brought forward to tonight, which isn’t necessarily ideal, but very much welcome all the same. So, here we are, finally: it’s actually real. We at The NATIVE were privileged to get an early listen of the highly anticipated project a couple of weeks ago and we confirmed that it was indeed real and actually finally on the way. The expectations are as high as they’ve ever been for the singer born Ayodeji Balogun, however, if there’s one thing I love about 1-listen reviews, it’s that it forces you to contend with what’s in front of you, not what you think it should be.

The time for guessing is over, it’s time to get into what Wiz has been stitching together for years. Cometh the hour, cometh the man (and if you stick with us, there might be even more on the way). In usual 1-listen review fashion, we penned our thoughts with no skips, no rewinds and no fast-forwards. Every song has received real-time reaction.

“Reckless”

This opening has upped my anxiety. That drop has me excited, Wizkid sounds so casually invincible. My headphones might be a little too loud but I’m too hyped to take my hands off this keyboard. Wizkid is talking that prosperity talk, deservedly so. “I go do anything for my family yeah”, Baba Bolu with the family man lyrics. Wizkid is a melody god, fuck. It might scan as a stale detail, but we need to appreciate it every time we can. This is me officially throwing out a Wizkid reggaeton album into the universe. I wish I had producer credits close to me, but whoever made this beat laced it appropriate. These horns are amazing, those piano riffs are immaculate and the bounce is just perfect. Great intro, let’s go!

“Ginger” (feat. Burna Boy)

Burna! Man, I’m hype. If they’re going to do this back-and-forth thing the whole time, I’m all for it. Reduced the volume a bit, this bounce has so much sauce. Wiz has settled into his salacious bag, his voice has gotten huskier and it’s selling that lothario appeal perfectly. “I’ve been making money, living reckless”. God, when? Afropop is the greatest genre of music, please listen to this bounce, you guys. It’s that perfect intersection between club-ready and isolated chilling with a romantic partner. My guy relegated Burna to the hook, I’m not even remotely mad. Sounds like a keeper.

“Longtime” (feat. Skepta)

Wiz and Skep, part two, streets been waiting. Skep has finessed the trademark Afropop bounce, he sounds so comfortable. I couldn’t find a quotable off rip, but that was a solid opening. Wizkid knows how to jump into a song, his presence is conspicuous without being disruptive. “Love wey I get for you pass any money” is the sort of line I’d imagine a KPMG employee texting Cuppy. This bounce tracks back to ‘SFTOS’, very afro-Caribbean and in tune with what’s fashionable in Nigerian pop music, which makes me wonder what made many people revile that album. I’ll have to revisit this.

“Mighty Whine”

A Wizkid song titled “Mighty Whine” is probably a little too on the nose, but I like the way this is going so far. The reverb on those drums are sticking out positively, I need to know who mixes Wizkid’s vocals, the person has helped create a perfect and recognisable aesthetic. Somehow, “Girl, I no come here to dim your light” stuck out to me, I like the line. Wizkid has been singing from a place of ease for the past few years, it’s obvious he’s been living the sort of enjoyment-filled, stress-free life one can only afford on a very deep bank balance. I really like this song, I see it as a fan favourite and even a potential big single.

“Blessed” (feat. Damian Marley)

Wizkid loves his horns, a lot. P2J definitely produced this, his drums have this recognisable character—e.g. “Anybody”. Damian Marley sounds so comfortable on this. “I do what make me happy and nobody can deny me that I’m blessed” is such a wonderful, wholesome flex. I’m not the most avid Damian Marley fan, but this is one of the rare times I’ve heard him this laidback, I really love it. For the umpteenth time, Wizkid knows how to inhabit a song with a casual authority. “The life wey I live so crazy, I pray say Jah go protect me” is an honest prayer. Wizkid should be the ambassador for living a life without any unnecessary problems. Is that Efya with the background vocals? Maybe, maybe not. This is a keeper.

“Smile” (feat. H.E.R)

The lead single. I liked this song when I first heard it, I didn’t feel like it was anything too special until I saw that heart-warming video that featured Wiz’s kids, beautiful Yoruba women and Suya. H.E.R is a feature killer, she knows how to match and elevate a pre-existing mood, just listen to “Slow Down” and “The Lay Down” as prime examples. She did a really great job on this, and shout-out to her for amplifying our fight against police brutality on Saturday Night Live. That bass guitar riff is redunkulous—it’s not a real word, but it’s an apt description. Yeah, this is a great hook, I see why so many people were gushing positively when this came out. Jam, definitely a keeper.

“Piece of Me” (feat. Ella Mai)

Guitars evoke beauty, man. This drum pattern is slightly unorthodox, one of the many details that has kept this album musically dynamic. I’ll take more r&b Wizkid, every day and twice on Friday nights. Ella Mai’s voice is so rich in warmth, it sounds like snuggling in the arms of a faithful, loving partner. I love how Wizkid has used these features, they’re working in favour of the song structures and keeping the album from feeling cluttered. “Piece of Me” is more of a deep cut, but I won’t be surprised if it picks up in the diaspora. Another good record.

“No Stress”

This was the better of the two singles if you ask me. This guitar riff shimmers perfectly, and the drums are boisterous enough to make sure things are firmly sensual. Wizkid is great at plainly singing what he does to his women and the effect he has on them, generally. Remember when he sang about the audacity of fellatio in a tricycle, which was as funny as it was very catchy. The sort of confidence Wizkid sings with on this song only comes from knowing you’ve snatched a person’s soul—I’m assuming, kinda. This is a great sex playlist song, it’s blatant but it’s just so good. Keeper, forever.

“True Love” (feat. Tay Iwar & Projexx)

This is much folksy than what I’ve been hearing, it sounds like a nice change of pace. Featuring Tay Iwar on a song about true love is interesting, the guy mostly sings about the jagged edges and complicatedness of romance. His voice is an absolute delight, though, it’s soft enough to convey the Utopia of true love. “Na me and you go dey till sunrise” is a very Wizkid line, he’s very plain with his intentions. Tay is very much anchoring this song, but somehow you can feel that it’s a Wizkid song. You can’t fuck up a good bass guitar riff, this beat is really good. That’s Projexx, Wiz is putting guys on. Man, dancehall guys are capital-E explicit, damn. I remember those jokes after the FC made sure Wiz cleaned out Vybz Kartel at that infamous No Signal battle, those were really good times.

“Sweet One”

This organ is giving me church vibes, wedding vibes to be specific. Yeah, this is a primary example of “afro-r&b”, I really like how simultaneously mellow and bouncy it is. Wizkid sings the way Messi plays at his best, fluid and easily mesmerising. “The money dey my mind, but my loving pass this life” made me roll my eyes a bit, not in disgust though. “I wanna hear you say my name” is trademark Wiz, he’s always down to make sure there’s enough carnal to match or even outweigh the heartfelt. These horns are gorgeous. Will revisit this, sounds like a solid deep cut.

“Essence” (feat. Tems)

‘MIL’ has barely lagged, I’ve been consistently entertained. Tems! Jesus! This woman has a great voice, it takes me by surprise nearly every time. Her singing makes it so easy to fall into whatever she’s saying, damn. Wizkid makes love songs sound refreshing, he has a million of them but somehow he never sounds like he’s threading in place—more like it’s a function of what he really enjoys singing about. That vibrating guitar riff is giving me life, this beat is wonderful. At the start of today, I didn’t know I was going to hear Tems and Wizkid trading melodies, this is the highlight of my day so far. Keeper!

“Roma” (feat. Terri)

This is giving me “Joro” vibes, very Igbo folk indebted. Blaqjerzee has mastered this corner of afropop. Terri has one of the best debuts of this year, quote me anywhere. I’m guessing this is their first song together since “Soco”, and it’s on Wizkid’s album, which must be nice validation for Terri’s growth as an artist and Wiz’s ear as a mentor. I remember when Terri was looked at as a redux of his boss, he’s turning that perception around really nicely. I’m not that crazy about this song, but I really like that he’s putting in a strong showing on this song.

“Gyrate”

Penultimate song. London tag, one of my favourites from the past year-plus. “I dey my corner, I dey my lane” is one of the statements you could aptly use in describing Wizkid. This beat is colourful, London is one of the more intriguing maximalist producers around so I’d expect nothing less. Wizkid is hailing the hustlers, a man of the people. “Gyrate” is not exactly spectacular but it’s a good song, not sure how much I’ll be spinning it.

“Grace”

There’s some sheen to these keys, pretty much emblematic of how expensive this album has sounded throughout. Rags to riches Wizkid is always so affecting, remember “Ojuelegba”? Well, this isn’t that but I like how reflective and celebratory it is. “Dem no fit to run my race” is a strong declaration. This second verse is really good, it’s as honest as Wizkid gets, even if it’s not exactly specific. “Say we want no stress, we thank God for life” is a reiteration of this album’s central idea. These keys are gorgeous, the drums are solemnly joyful, and “Grace” is a befitting closer for one of the most anticipated albums of our lives.

Final Thoughts

If there’s anything ‘Made In Lagos’ reinforces, it’s that Wizkid is living THE life. This is an album loaded with plush moments from top to bottom, an overt representation of a man who’s living the life of a king—he has multiple women on call, he’s got big bank, and he’s comfortably taking care of those around him. He’s far removed from the days he was pre-empting himself as a superstar, and he’s no longer at the point where he’s aiming to stretch his ubiquity all over the continent and across the world. This is an artist who’s undoubtedly an international brand, one who’s enjoying the spoils of being one of African music’s greatest exports.

As much as ‘MIL’ roots Wizkid back to his humble beginnings, it’s mostly a nod in service of conveying the stress-free life he now lives. Between instant standouts like “Blessed” and “Grace”, the singer expresses his focus on relishing his blessings and taking life at his own pace. Considering how carefree, yet somewhat measured, he’s shown himself to be on social media, this central message isn’t entirely novel, but it clearly translates into a self-assured and highly enjoyable album.

This is fourteen tracks of sumptuous melodies, light-hearted themes, great features that work wonderfully well within the scope of the album, and consistently phenomenal production. Due to its standing as one of the most awaited afropop albums in recent memory, deliberations as to the quality of ‘Made In Lagos’ will fill pop culture discuss and clog the timeline in coming days, but the one thing I can say with some level of certainty is that, this album doesn’t break form with who we know Wizkid is: One of the most effortlessly skilled artists contemporary afropop has ever seen.

Listen to ‘Made In Lagos’ here.

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

ICYMI: THE UNDERRATED TRIUMPH OF WIZKID’S ‘SOUNDS FROM THE OTHER SIDE’

A look back at Wizkid’s album cover arts from his debut, ‘Superstar’ to ‘Made In Lagos’

Posted on by The Native

Alas, the moment we’ve all been waiting for is almost here. Today, the 29th of October is the day that (it seems) Wizkid finally finally FINALLY drops his long-awaited 4th studio album, ‘Made in Lagos’. It has been a long road with numerous date changes that left fans questioning if the album would ever see the light of day. It’s been 3 years since he shared his last studio album, ‘Sound From the Other Side’ and though he shared a 7-track EP, ‘Soundman Vol. 1’ last December, the Wizkid FC have relentlessly pressured the Starboy to share the highly anticipated album.

 

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MadeinLagos!! Tonight!! 11:11pm naija time!! 🇳🇬🖤❤️🦅 #dropthenaijaflag if you ready!!

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In September, he finally matched fans’ enthusiasm by sharing a new lead single from the project, “No Stress” along with an album cover art, preorder link, and a release date set for the 15th of October. Although the deliberate approach of the rollout was more convincing than previous such announcements, he was forced to push back the release date yet again because young Nigerians were still in the process of protesting against police brutality and demanding for their voices to be heard. Wizkid joined the protest while in London and put his release on hold so as to keep the focus fully on what’s at hand.

Nevertheless, the protests have quieted in the meantime and Wizkid is now gearing to share the 14-track album with fans. Although we saw a different album cover when “No Stress” dropped, he has revealed a new album cover, replacing the previously expected abstract artwork that featured symbols representing different locations in Lagos with a monochrome self-portrait. We wouldn’t be too surprised if he has also made a few adjustments to the sound as well given the politically charged climate we’re in.

 

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October 15th 😇🦅

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All of Wizkid’s previous album covers have reflected the context of the times when he recorded them. While we count down the minutes to the release of ‘Made In Lagos’, we’ve decided to look back at cover arts for Wizkid’s projects and how they captured its essence.

‘Superstar’ – 2011

Wizkid’s debut album, ‘Superstar’ was covered by a striking image of the young singer in his urban fit—rocking Ray-Ban shades and a green baseball hat. Despite the basic design of the photoshopped background of 3D star shapes, the lasting significance of the image is seen in how aptly it captures the fashion trends of the early 2010s and Wizkid’s immediate impact on youth culture. There are still millions of images on Facebook of people who tried to mimic that look down to the camera angle.

I was in secondary school when Wizkid dropped his debut album, ‘Superstar’ and it was already obvious from the video for his debut single, “Holla At Your Boy” that Wizkid was going to be big. He managed to match his impressive command of melodies with charming looks, trendy clothes, and of course the support of an industry mogul, Banky W who had signed him to his EME (Empire Mates Entertainment) label. It was no surprise that he went for an ambitious title, ‘Superstar’ despite the fact that it was his debut album as he delivered great pop songs that borrowed from the indigenous sound of Fuji on tracks like “Pakuromo” and contemporary r&b and hip-hop for tracks like “Gidi Girl” and “EME Boyz”, featuring label mates, Skales and Banky W.

After listening to the album, it was impossible to deny the Starboy’s impressive talent as he deftly mixed indigenous melodies with modern drums and rhythms. However, as evident from the pretty boy look he’s giving in the cover art, ‘Superstar’ was written for the ladies as Wizkid sang his way into the hearts of young female fans by delivering romantic bops like “Tease Me” and “Wiz Party”.

‘Ayo’ – 2014

Wizkid’s sophomore and last project under the EME label management, ‘Ayo’ portrays the singer clad in a traditional Aso Ofi attire. He also wears the traditional accessories like beads and carries the Ìrùkèrè (horsetail) as he’s surrounded by traditionally dressed models who join him in front of a mud hut. The cover art showcases how he rebranded his image by doubling down on his local sensibilities and ditched the fun and trendy image of his debut tape.

The switch is also reflected in the sound of ‘Ayo’ as his songwriting is a lot more conservative and mature, dedicating tracks like “Mummy Mi” to his mother and the ubiquitous “Ojuelegba” (which introduced him to the rest of the world) to his neighbourhood. This saw him expanding his audience to be more inclusive, as he also featured an artist who evoked memories of the past, Femi Kuti on the lead single, “Jaiye Jaiye”. The concept of the striking imagery for the cover art enabled Wizkid to appeal to everyday Lagosian who could better relate with the autobiographical content of the album that narrates his grass to grace story.

‘Sound From The Other Side’ – 2017

Wizkid’s third studio album, ‘Sounds From the Other Side’ was an ambitious project that marked his debut under international label management, RCA. Fans didn’t seem too thrilled by the change of direction to accommodate the international audience and as a result, two videos were made for the lead single, “Come Closer”. Similarly, fans didn’t approve of the minimalist art direction for ‘Sounds From The Other Side’ done by Kobmart.

The bright illustration of Wizkid with the sun and hills reflecting in his signature shades channels a similar motif to the graffiti often drawn for barbers’ shops in Africa. Its bright colours translated to the music through beach-party themed bops like “Sweet Love” and “African Bad Gyal”.  The art seemed to invite listeners to see the beauty of Africa through his eyes, and the music also accomplished that with traditional drums, highlife guitar riffs, and Wizkid’s vivid lyrics celebrating the beauty of African women.

‘Made in Lagos’ – 2020

The initial cover art that Wizkid shared for ‘Made in Lagos’ had an abstract design that captured the iconic landmark locations of Lagos. It was even more abstract that ‘SFTOS’ as his face wasn’t featured at all in the art. The singer who has been the shining light of the city’s entertainment scene seemed prepared to historify the city, joining the ranks of legendary city-inspired music projects like NWA’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’. He already shared a video, offering the intricate details about each of the landmarks represented in the art, but perhaps upset by the state’s handling of the #EndSARS protests, he has moved in a new direction.

 

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He announced that ‘Made In Lagos’ will be out by 11.11 pm tonight and shared a new cover art made by Ghanaian creative director, Fawaz Concept. He also designed the cover for the tape’s lead single, “Ghetto Love” and has designed cover arts for other artists like Stonebwoy and Killerbeatz. The new cover art for ‘Made In Lagos’ is a portrait of Wizkid with his right-hand covering the right side of his face and his left hand behind him. He’s wearing a pair of brown trousers that match the colour of his brown shirt and the brown background. With his posture, silver watch, chains, green, white and green studded ring and a cross pendant, this will be the edgiest cover art in Wizkid’s catalogue which has sparked many conversations about his clean and fashionable outfit. It seems we’ve come full circle to the boyish swagger of the ‘Superstar’ era, except now, the boy from Ojuelegba is grown and has the swagger fitting for a true superstar.


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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: Watch Wizkid in the cheerful video for H.E.R-assisted single, “Smile”

Here’s how some young Nigerians are making it through these trying times

Posted on by The Native

The whole month of October has felt like one long bad trip and it’s still not over yet. For many young Nigerians, this was the first time in a long time that it felt like our voice mattered in our own country. A while ago, we looked into how the fight to #EndSARS was more than just about disbanding a rogue police unit but rather about coming to terms with the decades of rot at the heart of the Nigerian system. A system that exonerates killers and assaulters, one that diminishes the value of its young people and exalts and upholds a gerontocratic state.

But in these trying times, there have been moments where we have been able to come together and feel a sense of collective healing. Earlier this week, while young Nigerians were still demanding answers to questions from the night of last week’s massacre, footage emerged on our timelines showing an ex-Lagos State Governor mysteriously discovering a camcorder at the scene of last week’s brutal attacks. The camcorder was posited to continue key footage that would help further the ongoing investigations about what took place at the toll gate but young Nigerians were not easily fooled. Noise erupted on the timeline as everyone shared their disdain for how gullible our leaders assumed we were, a parallel which can be drawn with how they consistently infantilise young Nigerians.

After the initial shock died down, Nigerians did what they do best. We made jokes out of a bad situation and began memeing our way through the pain as a way of coping with the distressing revelation. On the timeline, things seem to be getting lighter and conversations and debates we once had have started making their way back to our minds and hearts. While we’re still monitoring the judicial panels and increasing the pressure on elected government officials through social media, we’re also trying to find some healing amidst the long journey ahead to good governance and total police reform in Nigeria.

For me, I’ve been listening to Tems’ EP ‘For Broken Ears’ and drawing parallels with the current reality that we have to navigate. It’s helped me find new strength to take on each day, even when results haven’t been forthcoming. To this end, I spoke to some members of our community on what they are doing to lighten the load in these deeply unsettling times. From immersing themselves in rap music to engaging in new passion projects, here is what members of our community had to say.

W, 23, F.

I’m watching Gotham. I started watching it with my sister when she was near the end, but I returned to season one a couple of weeks ago. Seeing the crime and corruption of the city has been quite triggering, especially as the story is told from the position of good police officers – at a point, I genuinely found myself jealous of Gotham City. Still, I keep watching because I am very attached to the characters.

L, 24, F.

I’ve actually started therapy for the first time. I was just feeling so down at the height of the protests just a week ago and then Tuesday happened, that really shook me. I had to get some help and reached out to a therapist so I’m glad to be working through all my survivor’s guilt. I can’t say I’m better now but I’ve learnt it’s a process.

D, 25, M.

I started watching a cartoon called Bravest Warriors. It’s super chilled and has helped me get my mind off the weight of our present reality. The new albums from TY Dolla $ign, Tems and Preme and Popcaan have also been great for escape. I’ve also been playing online games with friends. Being out in Lagos doesn’t feel safe these days but at least we still have things like the iPhone games to keep in touch in a fun way.

B, 27, M.

I’ve actually not done that much to help myself and I realise that’s bad to say. But I guess I’m now aware that I haven’t so I am trying to take some active steps to change that. I actually met someone at the protests and that’s been a good way to lose myself in another world when things get rough.

S, 25, M.

I’ve been watching Community, Perfect Blue and Lovecraft Country. And I’m listening to bktherula’s album, Ty Dolla $ign’s new album, Linkin Park’s ‘Living Things’ and Pvris’ new album, ‘Use Me’. I’ve also been playing Nneka’s ‘Soul Is Heavy’ like every day recently.

M, 23, M.

I don’t know exactly how I’ve been feeling. The only thing I know is that I want to spend time with my friends, great art and good merch. I think this is the time to work on ideas we have mentioned before and look for ways to implement. Also just drugs. I’ve been trying to express some feelings that I haven’t confronted. The massacre has taken a big toll because the toll gate was the safest spot during the whole protests. So to see how it has become, no one is safe at all.

N, 20, M.

I’d say first off, taking a break from regulated work (my day job) has been super helpful. Also listening to Solange’s ‘A Seat at the Table’ each morning and Ari Lennox’s ‘Chocolate Pomegranate’ every afternoon. Immersing myelf in old television series like Moesha and spending loads of time doing nothing or engaging with banter on Twitter has also been helpful.

T, 26, F.

I think the #EndSARS protests have really given me a sense of awakening. It’s so crazy how our leaders don’t know what they’re doing and are leading this country into vibes. So honestly I have just tried to recenter myself and remember that life is so short and we need to seize each moment. So I’ve started taking my rapping seriously. I always said I’d record one day so why not now?

F, 26, F.

I’ve been listening to a lot of rap cause no matter what the cause of my uncertainty is, the way rappers juxtapose their past and present lives on wax gives me grounding. Trying to decipher what their clever wordplay means occupies my mind and distracts me from reality, but at the same time, I’m applying what they’re saying to my own reality. In this instance for example when Roddy Ricch says ‘rich but I’m still ducking one time’ on “Perfect Time”, it makes me think about how no amount of money or privilege protects you from Nigeria doing its thing, and essentially, you can be rich and still ducking the police because they’re out of anybody’s control.

M, 23, F.

I’ve honestly just been drowning myself in work. Also listening to a lot of music that I like and focusing on passion projects that I haven’t started yet. I’ve been watching horror movies, eating junk food, and usually doing things I would do when I need to deal with distressing shit. I’m also doing work that makes me happy so I am trying to focus on that. Obviously, I couldn’t stay away from social media but at least this helped relax my mind a bit.

S, 24, F.

I have found myself wanting to educate myself more and know about Nigerian history cause I wasn’t really taught. So that Netflix special Journey To An African Colony and a couple of videos about Biafra my cousin sent me on Instagram.

Featured image credits/VictorAdewale

Tami is available here @tamimak_

ICYMI: How the Festival of Lights captured the heart of the End SARS protests

5 Halloween costume ideas for black couples

Posted on by The Native

In partnership with Bumble UK*

I learned everything I know about Halloween in a 2004 lecture theatre directed by Cady Heron. Watching her awkward car crash into the reality of adolescent Halloween celebrations equipped me with significant enough second-hand embarrassment to never falter when October 31st came around. What Mean Girls didn’t equip me with, however, was a character that looked like me, for me to dress up as. Every Halloween event, where the fancy dress is not limited by theme, the rotating go-tos for my girls and I were Aaliyah, Cat Woman or Storm, or settle we’d settle for a costume that invited the parenthesis “black” – one of my proudest costumes my “black girl” Batman outfit.

In my older years, however, the pool of potential costumes grows fuller and fuller, thanks to increased representation in film and TV and growing visibility of black love. From Orange Is The New Black Jumpsuits, to inspired recreations of Beyoncé and Jay Z iconography, Halloween doesn’t have to be a reminder that mainstream media viciously omits people that look like you, have experiences like you, or even love like you.

So, for the couples who want to show off their bond (as well as their style), we’ve got a few ideas of couples, from contemporary culture, that make excellent inspiration for a Halloween night with bae.

Eric & Rahim

If you’re looking for a Halloween costume that celebrates contemporary cultural artefacts and the increased representation of queer black love in mainstream media, then Eric and his doting boo, Rahim are the perfect couple for you. Though in the end he went with his heart and settled on an abusive Adam, Rahim’s love for Eric was proud, pure and frankly, aspirational. If you’re not too superstitious, you should be willing to look past the bitter ending of their relationship in appreciation of what would have been the best TV couple of the year, if the writers weren’t so set on breaking our hearts. Dressing as these two for Halloween would be particularly perfect for couples who share diverging styles and characters. Eric’s fashionable exuberance versus Rahim’s signature leather jacket will highlight your differences in a playfully dramatic way.

The Wilsons

The Tethered family, as created by Jordan Peele in his 2019 horror moie, Us, make an excellent Halloween costume for those who seek out actual spook on the scariest holiday in our calendar. With this simple red jumpsuit, you and your partner are likely to silence the room upon entry, similar to Cady’s ‘Ex Wife’ costume – only yours would be met with nods of approval (from us first) and not head shakes in contempt. An added bonus to this costume is that there’s room for more! Whether you have children of your own or you’re adopting friends as kids for the night, the unrelenting familial bonds of the tethered Wilson family gives you the opportunity to show off your own close ties to your nearest and dearest, including your partner, in the most frightful way.

Priscilla & Mike

 

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Robbed of the Love Island win at the start of this year, Mike and Priscilla were synonymous with Black British Love and unlike a few of their fellow Islanders, their own South African romance has stood the test of time. Black don’t crack, and it seems neither does Black Love. Their Instagrams are populated with visual media that boasts about their lasting love – from date nights, and campaign shoots to protests and loved-up tik toks – but no image screams Priscilla & Mike more than their official Love Island coupling up picture. If you’re concerned about the impracticality of topless chests and swimming costumes in the winter, let the immortal words of Cardi B remind you, “A hoe never gets cold”.

Mike and Priscilla are not quite Bey & Jay, but once couple memorialise their Love Island couple shot in the Halloween spirit, the iconic image might just emerge the next ‘Carters @ Le Louvre’ for UK lovebirds.

The Ex-Wives

 

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If you’ve got a dark sense of humour and a healthy obsession with Mean Girls like anyone who grew up in the 00’s should, this Halloween costume will undoubtedly be your favourite on the list. Married for only two months, Lena Waithe and Alana Mayo, were quite the headlining act across the new year. Whilst their relationship might have ended badly, their sadly severed bond and Cady Heron’s frightful “Ex Wife” pun, make for a thrilling Halloween costume for any tongue-in-cheek couples out there. With fake blood and wounds, fangs, contacts and distressed patterns on your clothing, this all simple all black ensemble morphs into a your worst nightmare – just what Halloween should be.

FKA Twigs & 645AR

Given the current restrictions in the UK, celebrating Halloween at an actual party is something of a luxury. Most of us will have to flaunt our fancy dress on Instagram, as the function is no longer an operational catwalk, whilst others of us, the more dedicated Halloween goers, might have a virtual party planned. If you’re in the latter group, it seems like a no-brainer to take advantage of of the lockdown commemorative video from 645AR and FKA Twigs, “Sum Bout U”. As always, Twigs’ styling in the music video is eye-catching and unmistakable to replicate, so even if the 645AR get-up might not be immediately recognisable (although it should be because who really dresses like that), you and your partner’s tag team will become clear, clever and witty upon seeing the FKA Twigs costume – a match made in Internet.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/Ciara

ICYMI: Exploring the contours of Black Love in the UK 

#VidasAngolanasImportam: Angolans Protests the country’s poor governance

Posted on by The Native

2020 has been a truly historical year. At first, we opened our history books to compare the coronavirus outbreak to other pandemics that have shaken the world in centuries past. As the year has progressed, however, our fight against COVID-19 took a back seat, as the world finally demanded an end to the wanton corruption, injustice and inexplicable inequity perpetuated by our world leaders – an oppressive characteristic that trickle down into, is even upheld by, the failing police systems that abuse their power worldwide.

Over the summer, the Black Lives Matter movement dominated the media, as, following the murder of George Floyd, Americans flooded the streets once again to protest police brutality and America’s racist, classist and sexist governance. This month all across Africa, protests have flared up as the people of Cameroon, Namibia, Congo, Nigeria, Liberia, and other countries rise up to take their stand against the bad governance that persist across the nation, that results in crimes against human beings, from police killings, to sexual and gender-based violence, child trafficking and underage labour under unsafe working conditions. Over the past five days, this is the battle Angolans have been fighting, a movement tagged #VidasAngolanasImportam on social media.

Demonstrations began last week Saturday, in Angola’s capital city of Luanda last week Saturday, with the people demanding that local elections – which have ben postponed as a result of COVID-19 restrictions – finally hold. Five days later, and Angolan’s have been given a plethora of reasons to protest against police brutality, bad governance and corruption. On October 24 a Presidential Decree was imposed, restricting street gatherings to a maximum of five people, and in accordance with this decree, the Angolan Police Force have been targeting and harassing protestors who are defying the mandate in favour of fighting for a truly democratic regime. According to the interior ministry secretary Salvador Rodrigues, as reported by the BBC, over one hundred people were detained at Saturday’s ‘Citizen March‘, with protesters due in court next week Monday.

Much like during the #EndSARS protests in Nigeria, the Angolan police are systematically silencing the voices of the protests, through these indiscriminate arrests and also by thwarting press coverage of the events ongoing in Angola. It has been reported that at least eight journalists have been arrested during the demonstrations, harassed physically and verbally whilst in custody – for days in some cases – for simply doing their job, with the requisite press credentials. With journalists being silenced, the need for social media becomes even more pertinent as first hand reportage from users on ground becomes the primary source of information dissemination. During civil uprisings worldwide, social media has been the foreground of activist organisation and continues to prove an invaluable resource in the revolution. Governments’ threats to limit social media usage are only further evidence of their malicious intentions in power.

The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), is Angola’s primary opposition party, and has made every effort to align with the #VidasAngolanasImportam social media campaign, in a bid to prove their dedication to good, fair and democratic governance. Endorsing the protest, the UNITA spokesperson, Marcial Dachala spoke out against the excessive use of force by the police, saying protests “should never be met with tear gas, live bullets,” and demanding, the “unconditional release” of the protesters and journalists that had been arrested. Dachala, additionally, condemned the ruling parting, saying: “The behaviour exhibited by the regime clearly shows that Angola is in a state that is neither democratic nor based on the rule of law.”

Unlawful policing is rife within Angola, with Manuel Ekuikui, UNITA’s provincial secretary in Luanda, himself, having been attacked by the police. Last month, Angola’s Doctors’ Union also protested police brutality, in the wake of the death of their fellow medical professional, Silvio Dala, who was apprehended for breaching COVID regulations – driving without a face mask – and died in police custody. Though the police claimed Dala suffered a heart attack, fell (incurring minor head injuries) and then died, blood and scares were found on the 35-year-old victim’s body upon its release to the morgue.

It is clear from public grievances all over the world that the police systems need reform. Officers are keen to abuse their power, only bestowed upon them to protect the citizens, and are brainwashed with the same oppressive ideologies that plague our corrupt leaders too. Thankfully, this year, we are putting our feet down and demanding better, for ourselves and the world. The fight is far from over, but victory is ours.

Featured Image Credits: Twitter/Judicaelle Irakoze

ICYMI: HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE ATTACKS IN KUMBA, CAMEROON

Reports from the Nigerian army consolidate what we already know about the Lekki Massacre

Posted on by The Native

Until now, the reports from the horrific attacks that took place across Lagos state last week were met with speculation from the Nigerian Armed Forces and State and Federal Governments alike. For us tuned into social media, we watched in real-time how the events that occurred leading to the death of Nigerian citizens happened. On the evening of October 20, 2020, a curfew was announced, instructing Lagosians to return to their respective homes by 4pm, and young Nigerians, in bravery, organised demonstrations at the Lekki toll, Mushin, and other areas around Lagos. That evening, as the military mobilised across Lagos Stat, the lowest and most harrowing form of targeted violence on Nigerian citizens took place that day, and, until now, no one has taken responsibility.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had previously announced that “forces beyond [his] direct control” were responsible for last Tuesday’s brutal attack even going as far as to claim no lives were lost on national tv, implying that the video evidence we all saw via live-stream were doctored. Nigerians have been angry and reasonably so, both the Nigerian Army and the Lagos State government have asserted that the videos we saw were “fake news”, a distressing denial considering social media is rife with Nigerians sending out missing posters for their loved ones last seen at the toll gate.

Days ago, footage of a conversation between Governor Sanwo-Olu and CNN news reporter, Becky Anderson surfaced on social media where the governor was confronted once again with questions about the lives lost last Tuesday, and the army’s involvement in the attacks. In the interview, the governor said, from the footage that we could see, it is military officers who descended upon the toll gate for the attack, and that CCTV from the site would be part of the evidence put forward in the investigation held by the judicial panel. This was the first time that the governor recognised the footage that we had all witnessed, and it seemed like continued international coverage and protests had played a huge part in the mounting of pressure on the Nigerian government.

The Nigerian army has now announced that they were acting in compliance with an order to ensure compliance with the curfew set in place by the Lagos State Government. In a statement by the Acting Deputy Director, 81 Division Army Public Relations, Major Osoba Olaniyi, the Division explained that the intervention of the soldiers was on the request of Governor Sanwo-Olu. He said:

“The attention of Headquarters 81 Division of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a viral video on social media in which it was alleged that civilians protesters were massacred by soldiers at the Lekki Toll plaza. This allegation is untrue, unfounded and aimed at causing anarchy in the country. At no time did soldiers of the Nigerian Army open fire on any civilian.

From the onset of the EndSARS protest, there was no time personnel of 81 Division Nigerian Army, Lagos was involved. However, the decision to call in the Military was taken by the Lagos State Government after a 24-hour curfew was imposed. This was as a result of the violence which led to several police stations being burnt, policemen killed, suspects in police custody released and weapons carted away”.

The Lagos State governor is yet to address the new allegations before him.

Currently, judicial panels are ongoing to investigate accusation from survivors of SARS-related abuses and those with valid complaints from the Lekki toll gate. You can register your complaints here.

Featured image credits: NATIVE

ICYMI: Here’s what we know about the judicial panels

Burna Boy dedicates BET hip-hop awards performance to the victims of police brutality

Posted on by The Native

One of the truly remarkable aspects of the #EndSARS protests, and the ongoing movement for a safer and saner Nigeria, is the emphasis on decentralisation. The common rhetoric of the past few weeks it that every concerned Nigerian youth is a leader of the demonstrations, and that includes celebrity figures who would have somehow become arrowheads in these sort of moments, due to their fame.

During these recent, tumultuous days, many celebrities have opted to use their platforms in amplifying the agitations against police brutality, rightly joining in the fight for change, rather than leading. Although conspicuously radio silent for the first few days of protests, Burna Boy has been one of several prominent Nigerian artists playing their part in the fight for change which the Nigerian youth populace have been so passionately pushing for.

Towards the end of the first week of agitations, the first couple of #EndSARS billboards were spotted in Lagos and other parts of the country, which were apparently sponsored by the Nigerian singer. During that period, Burna Boy also put out a statement showing his solidarity with the protests and announcing that he had set up Project Protect, an initiative to help in providing financial, medical and legal resources during and after the demonstrations. He’s also remained vocal on Twitter, sharing reactions to real time happenings, even briefly sharing an extended snippet of a tribute song to peaceful protesters killed by Nigerian soldiers on October 20, 2020.

Continuing to use his voice of activism, yesterday, at the 15th edition of the BET hip-hop awards, Burna Boy dedicated his performance to all victims of police brutality. Aired during the ceremony last night, Burna performed the raging socio-political cut, “Monsters You Made”, a standout track off his last studio album, ‘Twice As Tall’. The Chris Martin-assisted song received a symbolic music video soon after the album release, and Burna heavily interpolates the rebel universe of the video into the set of his performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt8XvIl_f7I

Backed by his band, the Outsiders, with Chris Martin singing his parts remotely, Burna delivers his impassioned set while a montage of real life clippings showing police brutality on peaceful protesters – from Selma in 1965 to Lagos in 2020 – is projected unto a large screen. The set also includes extras dressed in the same vein as the music video of “Monsters You Made”. As is customary during his live shows, Burna’s vocals are crisp and clear, painfully so this time around, due to the poignant nature of his lyrics and how much they relate to current happenings.

As the #EndSARS protests have been sustained, the Nigerian government are resorting to gas-lighting the Nigerian youth, from demanding an end to protests, even though we’ve not seen concrete steps towards implementation; to deploying thugs against peaceful protesters; to pinning the destruction of properties on demonstrators who have always ensured to clean up after themselves. Instead of actually paying attention to the demands of protesters, the list of counter-responses has been long, painting us out to be unreasonable – or, in other words, monsters.

On the first verse of “Monsters You Made”, Burna mirrors the attitude of government towards citizens who dare ask for change, after long years of enduring unideal conditions. You could say the song is prescient, considering what is going on, but it fits quite easily, mainly because Nigeria’s governmental challenges haven’t really evolved in our 60 year, and a lot of activism-driven songs remain relevant till date. By honouring victims of police brutality in Nigeria – Tiamiyu Kazeem, Kolade Johnson, amongst others – Burna’s BET hip-hop awards performance is a resounding reminder of the urgency with which change needs to happen.

Watch the performance here:

Dennis is a staff writer at the NATIVE. Please share any useful resources for the #EndSARS movement with me @dennisadepeter

ICYMI: THE FIGHT TO #ENDSARS IS REALLY A FIGHT TO FIX THE NIGERIAN SYSTEM

How the Festival of Lights captured the heart of EndSARS protests

Posted on by The Native

Since the #EndSARS movement developed into a nationwide protest three weeks ago, the Nigerian authorities have vilified protesters, accusing them of “disrupting the peace” in Nigeria. Bank accounts used to raise funds for medical and finical support for the movement were blocked, while prisoners and hoodlums were released on to the streets to delegitimise the peaceful demonstrations. The armed forces also took advantage of this narrative and used brute force to suppress protesters at the Lekki toll gate where the likes of godson45 and DJ Switch live recorded the massacre that took the lives of several innocent Nigerians.

Two days after the Lekki massacre, president Buhari gave a speech saying “The spreading of deliberate falsehood and misinformation through the social media, in particular, that this government is oblivious to the pains and plight of its citizens, is a ploy to mislead the unwary within and outside Nigeria into unfair judgement and disruptive behaviour.”  The speech lasted for nearly 10 minutes and was broadcasted nationwide before being seeded into social media via a twitter thread. By painting protesters as national adversaries and refusing to acknowledge the military’s attack on Lekki protesters, the genocide attack was thrown into doubt. The Governor of Lagos state, Jide Sanwoolu declared that no life was lost at the Lekki toll gate and the Nigerian Defence Headquarters’ Director of Information, Maj, Gen. John Eneche claimed it was fake news and the videos we saw on Instagram live were “photoshopped”.

I studied political science in the University of Ibadan, but none of my lectures compared with the real time experience of witnessing the government employing denialism to alter history. Facebook and Instagram flagged posts about #EndSARS as “Fake News” and since the speech on Sunday evening, we’ve seen the Nigerian cyberspace become more dysfunctional as conspiracy theories (for example, Buhari being replaced by a clone called Jubril) have started to fester. Like most young Nigerians, I had hoped that at this point in our history, the available technological resources would prevent people from using disinformation for political gain. I assumed, arrogantly, that our nation’s democratic institution and free press would expose anyone attempting to cover up the murder of our citizens. Instead, we’re being censored by Facebook and insulted by politicians who go as far as staging investigatory performances to validate their involvement in the movement against police brutality.

With the current climate where our leaders are refusing to even acknowledge that its citizens were killed by the very people appointed to protect them, it’s important to highlight how the Festival of Lights were able to honour the fallen, shining the spotlight on the core reason behind the movement. Festival of Lights was set up in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Ibadan, Port harcourt, London and some states in America to tribute the lost heroes with candle light vigils where victims of police brutality shared their stories. With its organisers being from different creeds, religions, sexual orientations, genders and such, the Festival of lights was an inclusive vigil that did not discriminate against anyone.

One of the particularly moving narratives was the story of Chijoke and his family’s tragic encounter with SARS officers, as it covered the emotional and physical abuse dealt out by the police unit. The video recording of the narration of Chijoke’s story from the Festival of Lights vigil held in Abuja has been watched over 500,000 times on twitter and it helped raise awareness on the genocidal atrocities of the SARS unit and why it is important for the world to join the movement to #EndSARS.

Like most young Nigerians, the organisers, Theo Awobokun Allanso, Damilola Waterton, Zara, Dara and Iyiola Ajala have also suffered at the hands of the rouge police unit. Dara whom I spoke with over WhatsApp had a very traumatic encounter, physically abused by SARS in February. Dara relocated to Lagos, Nigeria in 2017 and, because of her privilege, she was regularly harassed and extorted by SARS officers and had started to normalise it. However, she recalls that things went left at her last encounter with them, “they said they were going to rape me, they’d fuck me in the dirt and they’d kill me; that there’s nothing anyone could do”. Before she knew what was happening, they pushed her and tore her blouse open while she begged them to stop. She explained that they only let her go because she began to chant the Bismillah after hearing one of them’s Muslim name. Dara was forced to set aside her agnostic religious status and also part with some of her money just so that her life could be spared.

For her, the Festival of Lights was a therapeutic experience; “[my encounter with SARS] damaged quite a lot of my confidence and some personal relationships. It required a lot of healing and [organising the Festival of Lights] was just [another step in] healing for me.” Another organiser whom I spoke with, Zara, was lucky that her experience with SARS didn’t get violent. A medical practitioner, though Zara had her medical coat in her car, she was stopped out of nowhere on a busy street in Abuja at 8pm and was subjected to an annoying search. Fortunately, nothing was planted in her car to implicate her, but other victims aren’t always so lucky.

Dr Zara struggled to make time out in her work schedule to be at the protests in Abuja, but one evening while she was there, she noticed that some protesters were beginning to forget the reason they were gathered. She got talking with other protesters that she knew, Theo Awobokun Allanso, Damilola Waterton and Iyiola Ajala. “We realised it’d be a nice gesture and a way to sort of refocus everybody into realising that the reason we’re fighting is because of the amount of people we’ve lost to police brutality,” Zara explained. Damilola Waterton shared the idea for honouring the dead with a candle light vigil on his twitter and it instantly went viral as it resonated with people like Dara who had been trying to figure out how best to lend her voice during this #EndSARS movement. The rallying cry came at a moment when other protest sites, namely the Lekki toll gate, were beginning to lose sense of their reason for protesting, so the vigil quickly became an essential part of the nationwide movement to help refocus protesters.

“So Festival of Light is like a thing that happens in India, but it’s called ‘Diwali’,” Dara explained. “I saw the tweet and was like it’s just like Diwali but even though Diwali is used to celebrate other things and it’s a different thing entirely, it just made sense that we should focus on honouring people that had passed and were not lucky enough to be here to see this movement.” She was motivated, by Damilola’s tweet, to champion the event in Lagos and when she tweeted about her intentions, people started to DM her about how they too would like to be involved. “It just kinda morphed into this huge thing that just took off everywhere. [I came] to find out that a lot of our friends were the people also championing it in other places. Some complete strangers, some friends. That’s how we put a group together, put a twitter handle together and the whole thing just kinda took off.”

Social media has already proven to be a powerful tool against oppression as it was employed for the Black Lives Matter movements. In Nigeria, the hashtag #EndSARS is currently being used over a thousand times every hour on twitter. International celebrities like Rihanna, Kanye West and Beyonce have also shared it with their large audiences on twitter; with Jack endorsing the movement with a designated emoji, twitter has become synonymous with the youths’ fight against the oppressive government in Nigeria. Though some argue that a large majority of young Nigerians aren’t on Twitter, there’s no denying that it has been a useful tool for introducing social change within our communities – EndSARS started on twitter. Similarly, Festival of Lights used the platform for spearheading its event.

“The word is Twitter,” was Dara’s response when I asked how they were able to mobilise for a nationwide event in such short time. “It really was just social media. By the time people started posting on their Instagram, I started getting some DMs on Instagram. But twitter was the main tool used to mobilise and put this together.” Dr Zara admitted that she wasn’t expecting such quick response from people when she tweeted about the vigil, but she’s grateful that she did. “Once I tweeted it, literally immediately, a friend of mine messaged and said ‘Yes I’m going to help financially with this,’” she recounted.

It was the contributions from people who saw the tweets about the Festival of Lights that made the events possible. FK Abudu and the Feminist Coalition led by showing us the impact of using a recognisable slogan and highly visible social media presence to provide information and funds to support EndSARS protesters. While some people focused on organising strategic locations for protesters to converge, they took it a step further by setting up a network of volunteers who could provide for the needs of protesters while they demonstrated peacefully. Festival of Lights employed a similar community-based operation, which allowed people to contribute towards the success of the event.

“We wouldn’t have been able to put it together if not for the donations of very kind hearted people. At first it started independently of any brands or any movement that’s actively in the protests,” Dara explained as she talked me through the process of mobilising for the vigil. “It started from my personal funding and people putting their money down.” The bigger it got, the more funds they needed. However, generous contributors took care of all the necessary things like security, food, mics, candles and such. Dara mentioned a few brands that helped out but asked that the names be withheld to prevent government from escalating their assistance and accusing them of being “terrorists”.

Dr Zara also explained that in Abuja, there were lots of logistics involved and every single part of the process, preparation and planning was covered by donations. “Nothing came out of pocket for the organisers, except if they wanted to donate,” she said. “What came out from our pockets was basically time and preparation. Obviously going around town to get all the necessary things for [the vigil]. To a certain degree I’d say for the people that donated, it probably didn’t cost them a lot because they kept saying they wished they could have done more. It felt like if they had a chance to do more, they’d lay everything out. It was beautiful thing.”

When I asked if the Festival of Lights was a one-off act of solidarity, both Zara and Dara expressed that it depends on how the protests go. This was before the Lekki massacre happened on Tuesday, 20th of October. They had been optimistic that the peaceful protests would lead to a resolution and young Nigerians would no longer die at the hands of the police. Sadly, their hopes haven’t yet come to fruition as lots more people have since been killed by the police and the Nigerian military.

“By all means, I’m very much down to make this a regular occurring thing,” Dr Zara affirmed. “I don’t want it to be, because the whole point is to not have people that are dying. But if people continue to die then we’re a 100% ready to keep on doing this.”

While Nigerians continue the fight to bring down the pillars of oppression, those involved in organising the Festival of Lights vigil are playing their part to ensure that those whose lives are lost to SARS are given the heroes honour they deserve. The vigils aren’t just for the families of the victims but also for those who haven’t been affected as they bring awareness that help us stay focused on the fight to end police brutality in Nigeria.

Featured Image Credits: Twitter/visualsbyuche

ICYMI: WE WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT THE LEKKI TOLL GATE

Exploring the contours of Black Love in the UK

Posted on by The Native

In partnership with Bumble UK*

This October, as part of their celebration of Black History Month social media networking site, Bumble are sharing stories and experiences of black love, in a way that the British media has hardly ever seen before. Born and raised in the UK, black love to me meant the bond shared between family; meeting other black students and bonding over our shared experiences of discrimination. Of course, there were times that I did develop a fancy for other black students, but having rarely ever seen representations of happy, stress-free black couples, my default was to remove my blackness from romantic pursuits, even if the apple of my eye was another black child.

Representation matters. As children, our minds are very impressionable. The world is new to us, everything must be learned, and we do so through experiences – our own and those depicted to us by the things that surround us. In an interview with gal-dem as part of their ‘Growing Up With gal-dem‘ podcast series, Tiwa Savage expressed that in teaching her son to say his P&Qs she realised that she didn’t practice the same politeness when speaking to others. What Tiwa Savage was explaining is that if Jam Jam only hears “pass that” and “give me this”, he’s likely to mimic these commands, and unlikely to see the reason or appeal of adding an extra word like “please”, or an extra two in the case of “thank you”. Similarly, when we see only specific expressions of love – during my childhood it was the white-dominated genre of romantic comedies which thrived on female folly, or different variations of the ride or die stereotype when it came to black couples – we learn that this is the way to love, regardless of what our parents tell us. Discussing black love with NATIVE, sex and relationship expert, Oloni tells me “Shows such as ‘My Wife And Kids’, ‘Fresh Prince Of Bel Air’ and ‘All Of Us’ really excelled at showing me what black love is all about. It felt special to see. But that is an issue in itself. Black love shouldn’t be so rare that it amazes you when you see it.“

She went on to say, “when the ‘norm’ is a having functional white relationship on your TV screens, in the magazines and films, you start to associate successful marriages with other races and not your own. Subconsciously you feel that maybe you are less likely to be in a happy long term relationship because you don’t get the same amount of black love represented in the media.” If Jamil struggles to understand why he has to say please and thank you when mummy and her friends and colleagues don’t, then it’s not unimaginable that preachings to black children of healthy romance and self-love fell on deaf ears. Throughout the British media, these narratives were omitted from black people’s stories.

What we learn as children follows us through our formative years and have tangible impacts on our lives as adults – what we don’t learn, when we miss out on authentic representations of blackness, is no different. In addition to the heartwarming videos shared each day over Bumble UK’s socials, the Bumble team also carried out an extensive survey, posing questions to 1,000 respondents between ages 16 and 60, about representation of black love. In this survey, Bumble found that “two thirds (66%) of millennials said the lack of relatable images and stories, about what it is like to date as a British Black person, does negatively impact their mental wellbeing.“

In her Black Girl’s Manifesto For Change, co-written alongside fellow Cambridge graduate, Ore Ogunbiyi, Chelsea Kwakye discusses black love in the context of her Cambridge University experiences, discussing the multiple ways in which romantic inclinations in university have been made a contentious pursuit for black women, and men, “because of how little we see strong representations of black love,” Chelsea writes. On of the first subsections of the ‘Desirability and Relationships’ chapter is ‘Self-Love over Everything’, where Chelsea narrates how throughout her life, she has battled with a sense of shame in her black features, particularly her hair. Being told that her “hair was too big,” Chelsea was also insecure in her constantly changing hairstyles, something that black women are all too familiar with but only just beginning to celebrate.

Chelsea’s fear that people would have too much to say about the fact that her hair was a different length now that it was in braids, speaks to the lack of representation of black women. If non-black people were seeing these regular hair changes – afros, braids and wigs – with the same frequency as we do Collin Firth fall in love, there would be no need for these intrusive uncomfortable comments. More importantly though, if black women were more popularly represented, and our representations also included those of love, of care, of desirability towards us, Chelsea would have felt normal, safe, confident and worthy of love – whatever hairstyle she chose to wear in however quick succession.

Ultimately, if you haven’t seen yourself be loved, if you’re always told that you’re too dark, or your chest is too flat amongst other things beyond your control, it’s hard to even begin to love yourself. So representation of black love, black women being loved, black men being loved, is so important, not only because it has an impact on our love lives, but also because it has an impact on our sense of self-worthiness and love. It’s hard to believe you are something that you’ve generally never been assured of.

“Desirability wasn’t necessarily an external thing, I felt desirable once I desired myself”

In the research conducted by Bumble, respondents were asked to answer how seeing themselves represented in broader British media would make them feel when approaching dating; “included in society“, “empowered and/or confident“, “secure“, “celebrated” and “worthy of love” were the top 5 responses. These responses illustrate that self-love and a strong sense of self is the first most important ingredient in being able to love others, a similar point to the one Saredo made in her quotation above, cited in Taking Up Space.

 

As illustrated by Taking Up Space and experienced by many black students, dating in university comes with its many challenges, but dating beyond university, where work life might make socialising and meeting new people more difficult, is yet another steep mountain to climb in the never-ending pilgrimage to happily ever after.

One of the less daunting ways to manoeuvre the dating scene in the UK, as a black women especially, is through dating apps, in particular one like Bumble which empowers women with the choice of making the first move, helping us avoid harassment and giving us the control and confidence that dating spaces have often taken away from us. According to the research carried out by Bumble, “nearly three quarters (74%) of respondents think it is important that dating apps play a role in the way black love is depicted in mainstream online media.” As dating apps have become a mainstay in the world of dating 85% of Bumble respondents asserted that it is the responsibility of dating apps to ensure that they actually present diverse and inclusive stories and are welcoming to varying forms of love, from black love to queer love, to interracial love and the intersection of all of these.

“So often, the stories of black LGBTQ+ students have been written out of the wider ‘black experience’ at university”

Chelsea reminds us in her chapter that whilst black people are victims of discrimination, within black communities, we often uphold systems of oppression towards the queer community, alienating LGBTQ+ black people within a space we purport to be safe. Over the summer, as Black Lives Matter protests sprung up across the world, so did awareness of the disproportionate violence black trans people face, as news of Riah Milton in Ohio and Dominique Fells’ murders broke. These incidents sparked an All Black Lives Matter movement, which emphasised inclusivity and the need for black people to check their queerphobia. In the ongoing protests in Nigeria, calling for the effectual dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and police reform beyond that, chants that “Queer Lives Matter” are being met with bigotry and ignorance, despite the common knowledge that SARS particularly target queer men, or men they believe to be gay. Like women, the queer community are given a lower priority in the fight for justice and equal rights, as heterosexual black men abuse their straight male privilege in these spaces. These dynamics exist within the dating space as well.

Given that masculinity is such a racialised concept, with black men expected to be strong, virile, the epitome of masculinity, for queer men who reject these stereotypes, there are so few representations they see of themselves, talk less of representations of themselves being loved. These strict, traditional gender roles that are violently forced upon black men naturally lead to an incredibly transphobic attitude nurtured within the black community. This bigotry is most often ignored because black people are still victims of discrimination, and as a result, shy away from looking at the oppression they themselves exact. It’s important that in seeking representation for black couples, we don’t fail to include queer black representation, and we are mindful of how our the biases that we were taught as children might still linger within the safe spaces we have created for black people.

“I think within the community we need to ditch our homophobia and have more respect for one another and each other’s choices”

Queer and black and a woman, DJ Femo tells me that she is careful of the spaces in which she finds herself, as otherwise, she risks feeling and being alienated in particular spaces within the black community. Lamenting the default homophobia that is driven into the consciousness of every Nigerian child, Femo has found dating in the UK to be a challenge owing to the intersection of her nationality and her sexuality. This has led to her finding her own tribe of like-minded people, rejecting popular heteronormative black spaces in favour of places where she is loved, celebrated and, most importantly, safe – an extremely rare comfort for the black womxn.

However, whilst within our own communities, black people have found spaces in which they feel secure, proud and celebrated, external to the black community is a world of racism and microaggressions that shape our dating experiences even before we’ve secured the date. Every person of colour has a long list in the back of their heads of restaurants, clubs, even general areas to avoid when going on dates or nights out, because the last time you went the staff treated you like a second-class customer because of the colour of your skin. Oloni, who has, of course, witnessed microaggressions –  “it’s been hard to deal with because sometimes you feel as though it’s all in your head but when you speak to other black people they too have the same experiences” – raises this issue in the context of first dates, expressing how challenging it can be to “make a good first impression” after having just experienced racism.

“[It] can definitely and understandably affect your mood. No one wants to feel off on a date but sometimes this can’t be helped. It also means thinking about which type of establishments you choose when you’re organising dates.”

“Representation matters. It’s said so often because it’s true,” Oloni goes on. The stereotypical representations of black people that pervade modern media have created a set of expectations of black people that precede us in any context. “We are fed countless pieces of information by the media and the world around us both verbally and visually. It’s impossible for us to not have those images contribute to our opinions and beliefs,” Oloni says, and whilst here, she is referring to what black people take from the mal-representations we see, this statement can also be extrapolated to explain why representation is important is battling racial misconceptions. When they see a black person or group of black people walk through their doors, those establishments that you come to blacklist expect loudness, lack of comprehension, or from my own experience, an inability to afford the higher price points on the menu. They sometimes project racist caricatures picked up from entertainment to new media onto the black people they encounter. In this case, genuine authentic representations of black people, told by black people, through our lens, would go a long way in dismantling the biases white-led media have cultivated for so long.

Naturally, these experiences not only affect the places our dates go, or the way our dates go, they also affect our sense of self-worth and self love. Being able to see yourself more in everyday life, being able to see yourself loved, as a child, a parent, a partner, a friend, will certainly combat the psychological damage of racial microaggressions; seeing this love will remind us that we are indeed worthy. Representation matters for a whole host of reasons, but most importantly, it matters because it empowers.

I take no pleasure in quoting a racist Ghandi here but it is important that we “be the change [we] want to see in the world.” At NATIVE we’re telling the all-important stories of the youth on the African continent from our own perspectives, owning our own narratives – not international press or local outlets helmed by an out-of-touch generation. For sexpert, Oloni the change she wants to see and the change she is, places black women in the forefront of conversations about sexual pleasure, helping “the movement progress and given a safe space for black women to express themselves as sexual beings which in turn makes them more able to communicate their wants and needs to their partners.”

This Black History Month, Bumble is giving the British people the representation that has for far too long been repressed in mainstream media. With over half of their survey respondents noting that they didn’t feel like black love was represented online, just 39% saying they felt represented when they started dating, Bumble are showing us the change we all want to see: Black Love.

 

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Illustrations by Temi Daibo

ICYMI:THE SOUNDTRACK OF NIGERIA’S REALITY HAS NOT CHANGED FOR YEARS