Yemi Alade releases fifth studio album, ‘Empress’

Posted on by The Native

In 2013, Yemi Alade scored her breakout, smash single, “Johnny”. Since that explosive entrance into mainstream consciousness, the singer has evolved into one of the more prolific, pan-African superstars around. With her album titles like her debut ‘King of Queens’ and sophomore ‘Mama Africa’, she’s made sure to remind us of her constant commercial acclaim and overall impact as one of the foremost women on the scene.

 

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Following her stellar run from last year, which saw the release of her fourth LP, ‘Woman of Steel’, and multiple features on the Beyoncé-led compilation project, ‘The Gift’, Yemi Alade has returned with her fifth studio album, ‘Empress’. She announced the project earlier this month, sharing its artwork and tracklist a few days back. The album is preceded by two previously released singles, the thumping, South African house-influenced “True Love”, which also serves as the opening track, and “I Choose You”, which features French pop superstar, Dadju.

‘Empress’ comprises fifteen tracks in its entirety, and according to the liner note on Apple Music, it “represents Yemi Alade stamping her mark on the genre while growing her sound”. The album also continues her pan-African outlook, with features from Patoranking, Mzansi Youth Choir, French singer of Ivorian descent, Vegedream, and she shares the smooth r&b cut, “Weekend”, with British singer Estelle.

You can listen to ‘Empress’ below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/yemialade

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

ICYMI: TEMS’ “DAMAGES” IS TOPPING THE CHARTS

NATIVE Exclusive: WurlD knows that he’s here to stay

Posted on by The Native

In May, WurlD dropped ‘AFROSOUL’, his third EP within the span of thirteen months. Consolidating his prowess for sublime vocal delivery, emotive writing, and expanding on his colourful sonic palette, the 7-song set was WurlD’s latest statement, and a resounding on. “You know, ‘AFROSOUL’ just confirmed that I am here to stay”, the singer recently told me, with an exclamatory tone in his voice.

‘AFROSOUL’ was as much of a celebration of the fans WurlD had accrued with preceding EPs, as it was a final notice to any remaining unbelievers who held doubts about his abilities. Where ‘Love Is Contagious’ ambitiously melded his western pop sensibilities with African grooves, and ‘I Love Girls With Trobul’ paired him with exquisitely layered afro-house meets electro-pop production by prolific afropop savant, Sarz, ‘AFROSOUL’ found WurlD embracing and exhibiting the African facets of his artistry even more. “The project was more afro, more pidgin; the project was me showing more of my African-ness,” he explains.

Although the project is six months old — which seems like a lifetime ago consider the pandemic and civil unrest that has dominated this year — WurlD isn’t moving on from ‘AFROSOUL’ just yet. Today, the singer has released a deluxe edition of the project, which includes two new tracks: “Bossy”, which features a stellar 16 from UK-based rapper Kida Kudz and an unorthodox but memorable appearance from Cuppy, and the Tempoe-produced “Chop & Pray”.

“I released ‘AFROSOUL’ during lockdown, we didn’t really get a chance to celebrate the songs,” WurlD says of the decision to reissue the EP with new songs. “Also, I felt like I wasn’t really ready to release the album and my fans should definitely get new music.” Both new songs reinforce WurlD’s mastery of spinning romantic narratives into catchy bops, with the singer’s velvety voice earnestly gliding over bewitching grooves.

In the lead up to ‘AFROSOUL (Deluxe Edition)’, we caught up with the singer to talk about the new release, immediate future plans and the situation of his debut album. Our Conversation, which follows below, has been lightly condensed and edited for clarity.

NATIVE: The world has been quite turbulent since you dropped ‘AFROSOUL’. How have you been coping and what things did you learn about yourself?

WurlD: I realised that I’m actually an inside person, I spent most of my time inside. During lockdown, it felt normal for the most part, I was always in the studio recording; I’m a studio rat. I realised I spent like 90% of my time inside, because there’s a studio in my house, and most times I travel with my home set-up. Also, the importance of being close to family, spending some of that time with them has been a blessing. It’s kinda helped in preserve who I am as a person and with my career. Before Covid, I had some balance in my life, but during Covid, I realised it wasn’t there and I was just trying to figure things out within myself. Then I was just like, “do what feels right”.

What did you think ‘AFROSOUL’ did for you within the context of your career?

You know, ‘AFROSOUL’ just confirmed that I am here to stay. With the previous projects, some people might have felt I got lucky or whatever, but the thing is, I was actually working on these projects at the same time. Everything is intentional, and ‘AFROSOUL’ for me was a celebration, a celebration of my fans, and musically, I just wanted to celebrate Nigeria and Africa. The project was more afro, more pidgin; the project was me showing more of my African-ness. These songs, from “National Anthem” to “Story” to “Wayo”, have my African side on them. I wanted my fans to see another dimension of myself and appreciate it, and I think I did that. I’m very grateful for all the support, I cherish that. Like now, I consider my fans in whatever I’m creating.

Why are you choosing to drop a deluxe edition of the project six months later?

You know, this isn’t something that’s really popular in Nigeria, but I’m a very detailed artist with a wider perspective. Living in America, seeing how things are done, everything is very intentional and stuff like this is celebrated like a new release. I released ‘AFROSOUL’ during lockdown, we didn’t really get a chance to celebrate the songs. Also, I felt like I wasn’t really ready to release the album and my fans should definitely get new music. With the pandemic and all the other stuff happening, this year feels like a double-year, and the fact that the project came out in May feels like I released it a year ago. Since it’s not time for the album, I felt like the best way to drop new music was to repackage ‘AFROSOUL’, to add two more songs that I’m very passionate about, just to get people to have a good time.

What do you think these two songs add to the arch of the EP?

Here’s the thing, I know what my fans like. I have different types of fans, I have the “Show You Off” fans, and I have the “Ghost Town” fans too, and this EP kind of catered to those guys. I know there are “Trobul” fans as well, and I think they felt left out of the project. So, this is me acknowledging that – being an artist by showing range to my music, and it was like, “this is the middle”. These were the two songs I would have added, because I had them in the can all along as well. It was just about combining these different facets of fans and catering to them all at once.

Do you enjoy actively thinking of satisfying a fan base that understands that diversity?

Yeah, I enjoy it and I think it’s a blessing. It’s important to have range and fans that appreciate it, I come from a background where I learnt to make different types of music. But one thing that fans will understand more is that these are my ideas, and I’ve even recorded most of the songs for the next year. I’m getting close to a full album, and I’m putting my best forward while learning as I go. The album is not going to be one-sided, at most two-sides, but I don’t think it will show all three sides. Some fans may not get what they like the most, but they will come to realise that WurlD is always going to be WurlD, from the concept, the lyrics, the delivery; my execution is always going to be of the highest quality.

How did you come to work with Kida Kudz and Cuppy on “Bossy”?

I actually got in Kida’s DMs. I’ve been a fan of Kida Kudz from the “Jiggy Bop” record, for me I love his tone, I love his voice, it’s unique. When I messaged him, he literally replied in like five minutes, like, “yo, WurlD, I’m a fan, I’ve been listening to your tunes”. I was a bit surprised, and at the time I had “Bossy”, so I just asked him to get on it. I sent him the record, he pushed it back almost immediately and it was great.

If you listen to “Bossy”, it’s a visual song, I wanted to paint a scenario, and Cuppy was the person to bring that out, since she seems like the kind of person that lives what the song is about. I didn’t just want it to be anyone, the feature is very unorthodox. I and Cuppy on a song might not be ideal on paper to many Nigerians, but what they’re missing is that there’s so many ways to collaborate with people without diminishing each artist’s value. There’s so many ways to do it, and this is just one way.

Yeah, and it reminds of the skit (“Nobody Wins (Interlude)”) from ‘ILGWT’.

The skit gets wilder and the conversation gets wilder, right? It’s all part of it. We don’t do enough skits in this region. Like, this is entertainment and this is part of it, keeping people entertained with not just good music. I wanted it to be like this is some real life shit, like this depicts how women can love you and want you to be there, but they have options if you’re not forthcoming. Nowadays, women flex their autonomy and they do have more options. There’s even one line on “Bossy” where I sang, “I’m one of your many types, but tonight I’m the only one on your mind”. The skit just makes the theme and experience of the song much better.

Interesting. It makes me want to ask how you write, like do you go with the flow or are you always intentional about your themes?

Yeah, I like to go with the flow, the beats, the vibes, the energy. Conversations are also really important to me, a song can have a theme but conversations help in making sure they’re detailed, even if it’s a fun record. For example, “Mad” is such a catchy, fun record, but if you listen very well to it, it’s highly conversational. For me, I go with how I feel, I take in my surroundings, I observe people around me, I listen to friends because I want to make sure my music communicates with people.

Has being focused on being an artist affected you writing songs for other artists?

No, I’m always open to collaborating with artists in that capacity. I actually have a song coming with BOJ, we worked on a couple records, one on his EP and he did one for me on a future project. I’ve been working with different artists in Nigeria whose work I love, just doing writing sessions with both established artists and those on the come-up. For me, I’m just very focused on my narrative and goals, I don’t just look for artists to write songs for, but I do reach out to artists that I’m a fan of, like, “I’m working on something, what do you think about it? Maybe we should do this together?” If they sound good, then I’m all for it.

You’ve worked with Sarz and Shizzi, it really doesn’t get bigger than those two in Nigeria, but which other producers would you like to work with, that you haven’t already?

I’m working with a lot of them now. You know what, I like Rexxie. I love what he does, and it will be unorthodox. Rexxie does a lot of the street anthems, but I know that if I work with someone like that, I’m going to bring out a new side to him. He probably already has it, but I could be the artist that helps unlock it on a bigger level, because he clearly has amazing vibrations already. Off the top of my head, he’s the only one right now, and we probably will be working very soon.

You’ve been talking about setting up the album, how far away are you from putting it out?

I think the album is close, but the timing of the release is one thing I’m not sure of yet. The release is part of the process, and we’re still adding and editing stuff every day. But the bulk of the album is ready, I’d say probably 80% of the album. Before then, I have a lot of collaborations coming, like the stuff I’ve done with Asa. We haven’t decided how much of the stuff we recorded is coming out, but I’m excited for people to hear what we did. Basically, it’s a lot of collaborations, from Diamond Platinumz to a lot of people I worked with when I lived in Atlanta, who’ve gone on to become some of the biggest names in that scene. You guys are going to be hearing a lot of WurlD, from Afrobeat to Trap, just fusing the vibes and I’m always going to be experimenting.

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

ICYMI: Read Our Best New Music Special On WurlD’s ‘AFROSOUL’

Djaji Prime’s shares new 6-track tape, ‘An Interim Uprising’

Posted on by The Native

2020 has been the most political-conscious year for most of us young adults, and it’s not just because of the recently concluded American election (I mean, who’s really that interested two white men going at each other for more power). Keeping up with the news and memorising some parts of the constitution has simply become a basic necessity for our survival as we navigate this crisis-of-a-year—with a pandemic-induced lockdown and protests against police brutality and complacent governments. Nigerian rappers such as Falz, M.I and others have always channelled the innate political consciousness of hip-hop to speak on the political issues concerning us in Nigeria. However, the trauma we collectively felt from the #EndSARS protests and the massacre at Lekki has made our political consciousness more vivid, forcing even more radio-friendly pop stars like Wizkid and Davido to speak up against the injustice.

 

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In this respect, Djaji Prime just shared a new EP, ‘An Interim Uprising’, offering 6 new tracks inspired by the present political climate. Although this is the rapper’s 3rd project, we’re are still anticipating his debut album to give us a fuller picture of his ability. ‘An Interim Uprising’ is a concept album about the chaotic climate here in Nigeria and somehow, he found fresh angles to explore the familiar concept. From the photo of a ski-mask on the cover art to the gangster ethos on tracks like “Save My People”, the tape finds Djaji Prime reasserting the message to pushback against the profiling carried out by law enforcement in Nigeria.

Though he tapped the angst of rock music on “Hysteria (Big Fish Theory” to describe how anarchic Nigeria was during the #EndSARS protests, the album appeals more to hip-hop sensibilities with classic 90s hip-hop style beat samples on “Cops & Mobbers” and “This is a Democracy”. For those who can look past his unique sound, they are rewarded with a concise 14-minute tape that delivers stunning, and defiant tracks that are both assertive and devastatingly cathartic as he narrates his personal experiences in our oppressive society.

Stream Djaji Prime’s ‘An Interim Uprising’ EP below.


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

ICYMI: Check out the essentials from Djaji Prime’s debut album, ‘ExPression’

CNN International extensively details the Lekki tollgate massacre

Posted on by Damilola Animashaun

On October 20, 2020, at point blank range, soldiers of the Nigerian Army fired live ammunition at #EndSARS peaceful protesters at the Lekki-Victoria Island tollgate, killing over a dozen and injuring hundreds more. That’s a fact. As evidence of the shooting made travelled through social media, following Nigerian DJ/artist, DJ Switch’s Instagram Live stream of a critical portion of the events that night, the Nigerian military responded quite insensitively, stating that no soldier was at the protest grounds and marking every single report of the tragic incident as fake news.

In collusion with the Lagos state government and the Federal government, this vehement denial from the military was the order, until the seams began to unravel days after. It took an entire week for Governor Sanwo-Olu to acknowledge that civilians were indeed killed Less than a month after this appearance on CNN, the international arm of the news-based broadcasting channel and publication has published its investigative report that sheds new light to the shootings. Examining hours of already seen and previously unseen footage, and also speaking to over a hundred of the people present at the tollgate on that Tuesday evening, as well as family members of deceased victims, the report, presented in written format and a mini-documentary, confirms what we all knew.

Dispelling every untruth the army has been spreading about its involvement in the massacre, the report uses metadata from received images and footages, along with eyewitness account to trace the army’s activities on that evening. They show footage of the soldiers arriving at the tollgate from the Victoria Island side and subsequently opening fire on peaceful, unarmed protesters, at shoulder level. The CNN International investigative team even goes as far as tracking down the manufacturers of the live bullets used by the soldiers, noting their Serbian origins and disclosing Nigeria’s arms deal with the Eastern European country from 2005 to 2016. They also interview families of those killed at the protest grounds, some of whose bodies have yet to be found or delivered to these grieving families.

It’s a bit insane that there has to be confirmation for a tragic event that so many of us witnessed virtually, simply because the army and the government are dedicated to muddling their involvement in one of the most gruesome, and the most publicised, acts of violence on Nigerian soil. This CNN International report dispels the Nigerian army’s attempts at bending the truth, especially as army spokesperson, Brigadier Ahmed Taiwo, has been testifying intermittently in front of the Lagos state Judicial Panel. Last week, Brig. Taiwo stated that the soldiers only fired blank rounds into the air, denying that anyone died or was injured from gunshots. By virtue of its extensiveness, thoroughness, and CNN’s reputation as a credible source for global news, this report tells the unequivocal truth, potentially quelling the doubts of any remaining sceptic about the realness of the Lekki massacre.

You can (and should) read the written report and watch the mini-documentary here.

ICYMI: AN UPDATE ON THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE TO #ENDSARS PROTESTS

Tems’ “Damages” is topping the charts

Posted on by The Native

Tems’ stellar rise over the last couple of years has been expeditious. In just about two years since breaking out with “Mr Rebel”, the singer/songwriter and producer has garnered considerable fanfare that constantly ranks her on a level comparable to longer-established acts in the scene. This year already, she’s teamed up with Khalid and Davido on “Know Your Worth”, released her highly-anticipated debut EP ‘For Broken Ears’, featured on Wizkid’s ‘Made in Lagos’ and been named Apple Music’s Africa Rising artist of the month.

Tems is far from taking her foot off the pedal. Just two months since the release of ‘For Broken Ears’, it’s almost impossible to not have heard the project’s afro-dancehall promotional single “Damages” around these parts. The earworm track has featured on Instagram stories and captions around the world and has enjoyed near-constant play, having already garnered over 1.3 million views on Youtube in the last month. The single’s unavoidable ubiquity was the first indication that the girl on fire was soaring to newer heights, but now it seems that the singer is making more than just ice tea these days, she’s also topping charts – locally and internationally.

Currently, “Damages” is making the rounds both at home and in the diaspora. This week, we learned that “Damages” sits respectively at the #8 spot on the Nigerian Turntable charts and #12 on the official UK afrobeats charts. Released over two months ago, it’s noteworthy that Tems is still topping charts with this single, as it has now enjoyed a kind of longevity that most songs do not in today’s fast-paced music scene. Tems emerges triumphant confirming that the magic we saw in her over years, with “Mr Rebel” and then “Try Me”, did not just happen by chance, but because of her incomparable talent and superstar status which is continually growing.

The uptempo number, “Damages” is also charting on Apple Music, currently sitting at #2 in the Apple Music R&B songs chart, with ‘For Broken Ears’ also peaking at the #2 spot on the R&B charts for projects. Across all the charts mentioned, Tems is also the only woman in the top 10 spot, securing a space amongst top-charting singles like Wizkid’s “Ginger”, Davido’s “FEM” and Olakira’s “In My Maserati”. At this point in her career, this is a notable feat to attain, especially when existing and manoeuvring an industry that’s bent on pigeonholing women or shifting them to the background or worse, pitting them against one another.

This is not the first time that Tems will rise up and dictate her own rules, however. In fact, she’s been doing it for quite some time: her 2019 ubiquitous single “Try Me” enjoyed similar chart-topping success. At the time of its release, the fiery anthem of triumph garnered sizeable fanfare, peaking at #1 on the Apple Music charts in Nigeria and even charting in Sweden.

Tems’ confidence is perhaps her most magnetic trait and she constantly exudes an undeniable self-assuredness in her releases, leaning into everything that quickly endeared initial listeners to her music. With “Damages” still topping the charts, it is clear that Tems’ position in the industry is cemented more than ever and she’s truly the leading vibe. ‘For Broken Ears’ is a stunning debut from an artist who has honed the craft of making music designed to slice through complicated emotions with the precision of a scorching blade. Of course, we are ever thankful for the aural therapy.

You can listen to “Damages” below.

Featured image credits/Tems

.@tamimak_ Is a Staff Writer at The NATIVE

ICYMI: Review of Tems’ ‘For Broken Ears’

Songs of the day: New music from Runtown, Timaya, Cheque and more

Posted on by The Native

It’s been a while, but we’re back at it with the new music updates. In a month full of loss, from COVID casualties to peaceful protesters being shot, at it didn’t feel right to carry on like normal, so we stopped everything to give all our time to the pressing issues at hand. These day, it’s still #EndSARS until they #EndSARS, but there have been welcome breaks from the bleak reality of the world.  Even though 2020 has been quite an overwhelming to take in, music has provided a necessary escape, and throughout the year; musicians have continued to release music that motivates us as a return to normalcy no longer seems certain.

We know it can be difficult to keep up with all the diverse streams of music, so we created this column to keep you, our readers, up to date with all the finest tunes coming out of Africa and the rest of the world. We’re resuming Songs Of The Day again to support artists who are providing momentary escape through these strange times, here are our favourite picks to start your new week.

Cheque – “Loco”

Cheque’s debut project, ‘Razor’ has continued to enjoy massive rotation on the radio since he dropped it back in July. With the tracks written to highlight and celebrate his newfound celebrity and confidence, backing up the songs with glossy videos have effectively pushed him to further acclaim. His last video, “Zoom” saw him soaring as high as anyone can dream to fly in a convertible Benz; now we see him playing the sweet lover boy role in his new video for “Loco”, the romantic cut off the EP.

TG Omori directed the video for “Loco” and sets up Cheque with a muse who he serenades as they’re washed by neon lights. There are also cuts of the couple at an outdoor lounge at night where dancers flaunt their different choreographed dance routines to the melodies the lightweight Afropop beat produced by Tempoe.

Gafacci – “Like Chili” Feat. Odartei

Ghanaian producer and DJ, Gafacci is gearing to release his new project where he features artists from all around Africa. He has shared the tape’s lead single, “Like Chili”, hinting at what’s to come as he combines the lightweight groove of Ghanaian highlife with the soft guitar riffs of Latin pop. The song continues to build Gafacci’s reputation for channeling ingenious Ghanaian music styles to make electronic world music that bridges the gap between different regional sounds. On “Like Chilli”, he teams up with a young Ghanaian singer, Odartei who contributes his sweetly romantic lyrics that make the airy instrumentals fit for dance floors.

Gafacci has collaborated with local and international artists such as Sarkodie, Branko, Fever Ray and Ice Prince and owns his own label Clam Clam. With Odartei’s catchy melodies and the pleasantly euphoric ambiance of the beat, “Like Chili” builds our anticipation for the forthcoming tape from one of the ambassadors for Ghanaian electronic music .

https://soundcloud.com/gafacci/like-chili-feat-odarteiwwww

Runtown – “Kini Isu”

Since scoring his megahit record, “Mad Over You”, Runtown has retained his position as one of the poignant voices of the music scene in Africa. As EndSARS protests held across the country, Runtown showed that his voice also serves to inspire progressive change, as he actively involved in motivating young people to speak up against oppression during the EndSARS movement. Now that the protests have been put on hold, he is sharing the new video for his previously released single, “Kini Issue”.

Meji Alabi directed the video for Runtown’s “Kini Issue” and it shows his celebrity partner, Adut Akech joining him to share intimate scenes as they stretch out on a sofa. While his previous single, “Body Riddim” featuring Darkovibes and Bella Shmurda described the physical attraction Runtown feels for his love interest, “Kini Issue” focuses on their emotional bond; “She be messing with my head/ Got me singing love songs on the radio”.  The video also features dancers wearing masks made out of local fabric, aso ofi, and it continues Runtown’s tradition of tributing indigenous fashion styles in his music video.

Timaya – “Gra Gra”

Timaya has come a long way from his humble beginnings to become one of the defining voices of Nigerian pop music. Since his 2005 solo debut, “Dem Mama”, the Papichulo has consistently delivered hits, either through soundscape-defining hits like “Ukwu” or evolving his Raggae-tinged sound to match the contemporary afropop bounce. His new album, ‘Gratitude’, where he sings about his journey through his many years as a celebrated afropop star, offers 13-track, including lead singles, “Born To Win” and “Gra Gra”.

He recently shared the music video for the album’s standout track, “Gra Gra”, where he sings about staying humble despite his many achievements. The video for “Gra Gra” was directed by Unlimited L.A who shoots Timaya at an art shop with different paintings and sculptures surrounding the singer while he performs his lyrics for the camera. We also see Timaya at a backyard cookout where he’s seen carrying a chicken lap as sings, “Me I no dey do gra gra/ I no dey gberaga”. Given the simplistic sets and his singlet outfit, his lyrics are even more convincing.

Classykinging – “Solo Makinde”

Classykinging has built his discography with songs like the DJ Kaywise-assisted “Red Cup”, that show how he excels at locking into a party-starting groove. Though he has made a career from channeling the irresistible charm of dance floors, on his latest single, “Solo Makinde”, Classykinging is more focused on his own acclaim and it makes for his most fun song yet. Singing “Solo Makinde o/ So wipe o/ Mi olese o/Who dey bang for the radio?” over the catchy beat produced by Whalez, the song has the sort of catchy melodies that stick in your brain long after you’ve stopped playing.

While Classykinging confidently brags about his career growth, he infuses some drama by speaking about those who doubted him. The catchy beat and melodies were designed to get feet moving at the club and with the hater-referencing lyrics, you can be sure that dance floors will get aggressively hyped for this one.

DJ Neptune x Joeboy x Laycon – “Nobody”

Laycon’s rap career was already on the upwards trajectory when shared the Chinko Ekun and Reminisce-assisted single, “Fierce” in 2019. However, since he won the N85 million prize for BBNaija 2020, he has become a certified pop star with enough clout and wealth to be unfazed by other mainstream acts. The rapper just got enlisted for the remix of DJ Neptune, Joeboy and Mr Eazi’s “Nobody”, and it’s no surprise that he makes the song his own show. Newly titled “Nobody (Icon Remix)”, the tracks sees Laycon showing off his celebrity status while delivering lyrics to win the affection of a love interest; “You know the boy keeps the lights on/ What an icon”.

With Mr Eazi’s absence from the remix, Laycon gets two verse in while Joeboy performs the chorus and his verse from the original song. The song is accompanied by a Dindu-directed video that shows DJ Neptune, Joeboy and Laycon in different colourful sets as they perform their romantic lyrics and dance to the groovy instrumentals along with the  featured video vixens.

Richaardbrown – “Jazz Up”

Richaardbrown has released a new single, “Jazz Up”, the follow up to his debut single, released earlier this year, “No Lie”. As one of the new voices emerging from Nigeria, Richaardbrown has shown he can consistently deliver music to fill dance floors without sacrificing personality. For “Jazz UP”, he lays a catchy afropop flow over a smooth, melodic Amapiano beat produced by Magic Sticks. Richaardbrown’s lyrics unpacks his determination to acquire wealth and success – as a loner trying to survive in the city of Lagos, making it is a necessity. His lyrics reference the Ikeja neighbourhood and the jazz-up meme as he explains that “I ain’t got no one I gotta make it on my own/ I be in my feelings but I keep it on the low/ Omo make we jazz up!”. Richaardbrown might be a newcomer but he has no doubt about his purpose and his legacy in Nigeria’s booming music scene.

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

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

 

Amaarae, Kojey Radical and Cruel Santino link up in the video for “Jumping Ship”

Posted on by The Native

Since the first time we heard Amaarae’s velvety voice on the song that became her breakout, “Whoa!”, the Ghanaian singer has remained consistently flirtatious. Though sex being the subject matter of songs commonplace in Africa’s dancefloor-driven music scene, very few artists manage to pull it off quite as convincingly Amaarae does. Her debut album, ‘The Angel You Know‘, which arrived last Thursday, is packed with lyrics that can make listeners blush as she narrates her sexcapedes with freewheeling confidence.

 

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A post shared by at0mic angel (@amaarae)

Now out with the music video for “Jumping Ship”, featuring Kojey Radical and Cruel Santino, Amaarae’s latest 3-minute-long clip offers another opportunity for her to flaunt her more sensual side, as she and her guest artists sing about the pleasures of new romance.

The blurb shared under the YouTube link for the video explains that “Jumping Ship” “is about leaving a current lover in pursuit of a new love interest.” The Rami Laudat-directed music video offers the perfect landscape for this with a dimly lit nightclub, where the three artists enjoy drinks, dancers, and other entertainment. While the blurry frames help capture the drowsy feeling of being drunk, Amaarae’s lustful voice paying explicit homage to female pleasure is what makes the exciting collaboration a sweaty toast to pop mastery.

Watch the music video for “Jumping Ship” below:

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/Amaarae
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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: Amaarae’s “trust Fund baby”, “Hellz Angel” and “Celine” are this week’s Best New Music

TurnTable Top 50: The usual suspects top the chart’s second week

Posted on by The Native

Launching on November 9 Turntable, yesterday, recorded their second Top 50 chart which saw Davido’s “FEM” seize the number one spot from Wizkid and Burna Boy’s “Ginger”, which has now moved down to number four. Releasing his latest album, ‘A Better Time‘ on Friday (a day after this week’s counting closed, so ‘ABT‘ numbers will appear on chart), the lead single from the album, “FEM” rose from position number 17 to number 6 on Turntable’s Top Streaming Chart, and has remained at number one on the Top Airplay Chart for a record-extending nine weeks, also holding onto its top five position on Turntable’s Top TV Songs chart.

Whilst streams for both “FEM” and “Ginger” have decreased since last week, where “FEM”‘s streaming number have seen a decline of 10.48%, “Ginger” is down a whopping 50% on streaming platforms, though is up nearly 25% in number of airplays, boosting the record from 11 to 4 in the Top Airplay Charts. Wizkid’s second single in the top 10, “No Stress”, rests at position 9, down five places since last weak’s peak at 4.

Arriving the same Friday as End SARS protests grew in traction over the country, Olamide’s ‘Carpe Diem‘ received relatively little attention in its first weeks, but since Buhari’s sinister threat to Nigerians not to protest, the rapper’s eleventh studio album is deservedly picking up. Debuting at position 7 and 17 respectively, this week, Olamide’s “Infinity” featuring Omah Lay, and the Bella Shmurda-assisted “Triumphant” clench the two spots between “FEM” and “Ginger”.

Patoranking joins the usual suspects in the top five with his ‘Three‘ single, “Abule”. An ode to the streets, it is no surprise that “Abule” has reigned in the Top Airplay Charts, spending 12 weeks in the top ten, the second longest tenure behind Rema’s 14 weeks with “Woman”.

Debuting at position five last week, Cheque’s “Zoom”, drops only one place to six, whilst Tems’ “Damages” (previously at seven) drops two places to number eight. Bella Shmurda, Zlatan and Lincon’s “Cash App” take the number seven spot for this week. With DJ Neptune’s “Nobody” featuring Joeboy and Laycon rounding off the top ten, unfortunately, for a second week in a row, Tems remains the only woman in the top ten.

Beside that blatant androcentrism however, there is a rather diverse mix of Nigerian musicians in the top ten, and in the top 50 overall. High ranking appearances from Omah Lay, Olakira, Tems, speak to Nigerians’ increased variance in taste, as we enjoy the diverging sounds of our mainstay musicians in the top five alongside rising stars who are equally doing their own thing. With only five Western songs making it to the top 50, the highest ranking being Drake and Lil Durk’s “Laugh Now, Cry Later”, we are also seeing clear evidence of Nigeria’s preference for home-grown talent when it comes to musicians. Ours is one of the few music markets in which our local content is consumed at rates far exceeding the consumption of globally dominant American music. In a time our faith in Nigeria is tested time and time again, it is warming to see that we never fail to support our own.

Check out the full list of Turntable Top 50 here.

Featured Image Credits: BBC

ICYMI: A 1-LISTEN REVIEW OF DAVIDO’S ‘A BETTER TIME’

An update on the Nigerian Government’s response to #EndSARS protests

Posted on by The Native

It’s been a month since President Muhammudu Buhari’s address to the nation where swift action against all SARS-related abuses was promised to the Nigerian people but yet, not much has been done to arraign defaulting officers and compensate survivors and their families. At every single turn, the government’s response has been to emphasise the importance of the work being done by the judicial panels set up across various Nigerian states, however, nothing immediate has been put in place.

In addition, they have continued to give us reason to distrust them, as the lives of Nigerian citizens, particularly those who were vocal and involved in the End SARS protests continue to be threatened. Two weeks ago, news filtered through that the State Security Service prevented a young female lawyer who had organised pro bono legal aid during the protests, Modupe Odele from flying out of the country.  According to the People’s Gazette, Moe was said to be under investigation and her passport was held by the SSS for over five days with no mention of the charges being levelled against her. But her plight which she has been very vocal about on Twitter and has gained her even further backlash, is just one of the strings of occurrences that have happened this month in the aftermath of the End SARS protests typifying just how skewed the vision of democracy is within our country.

The Central Bank of Nigeria freezes accounts of End SARS protesters

For most of the past few weeks, the government has employed a number of strategies to punish or restrict those who played key roles in the nationwide protests against police brutality and bad governance. During the protests, a number of young protesters and journalists complained about their bank accounts being restricted because they received funding from the Feminist Coalition or the End SARS Response unit. Although at the time, the CBN denied involvement in these banking issues, documents detailing the freezing order have now been released to the public.

Over the weekend, news of further restrictions on the bank accounts of private individuals involved in the protests has now being circulated across our various timelines. The Central Bank of Nigeria was reportedly ordered to freeze the accounts of 20 protesters including Gatefield Impact Nigeria and Rinu Oduala, one of the youth representatives on the Lagos state judicial panel, People’s Gazette reports. The banks that were ordered to freeze bank accounts of the #EndSARS champions included Access Bank, Fidelity, First Bank, GTB, Zenith and UBA. The freezing order is also said to be made in the interim for a period of 90 days, with a suit date adjourned for the 4th of February 2021.

End SARS protesters continue to be detained

Alongside this, a number of young Nigerians who participated in the protests continue to be detained across the country. Here in Lagos where protests have been quelled for over three weeks, following the horrific and brutal killings at the Lekki toll gate, there have been reports that protesters continue to be harassed and intimidated by law enforcement. On November 7, a musician and youth empowerment activist, Eromosele Adene began sending distressing tweets about his immediate fear of intimidation by the Nigerian police. According to sources, Eromosele’s home was broken into by armed officers and he was subsequently taken to the Commissioner of Police’s office where he was detained without access to legal representation. He was reportedly moved to Panti and then to Area F in Ikeja because of space constraints and has been accused of subversion and inciting the public to undermine constituted authority.

In the last week, Eromosele’s case had its fair share of ups and downs. Earlier in the week, the police went under oath claiming that he was not transferred to Abuja where his lawyers actually confirmed he was last week. Then, there were claims that Eromosele was arrested on the protest grounds despite video evidence of his sister confirming his arrest at their family home. Since then, Eromosele has remained in police custody for ten days with his bail set at one million naira and had his case adjourned in the Yaba Magistrate court where he was to be arraigned, with the judge citing the heavy media presence as the reason for the adjournment. Journalists were also barred from entry despite the case being a public hearing. However, with continued efforts from his team of lawyers, Eromosele has now been granted bail although the conditions of his bail are particularly strict despite any formal charge against him yet.

And in Abuja, where protests resumed last week due to the government’s lack of commitment to address the End SARS demands, four young men and a citizen journalist, Tosin Adeniji who took part in the protests in front of the National Assembly have been arrested and remain in police custody. They were subsequently arraigned at the Wuse Zone 2 magistrate court on charges of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, inciting public disturbance, and public nuisance. The #AbujaSix, as they are now known, were at first denied bail and remanded in Suleja custodial centre until January 2021. However, last week, the six people being detained in prison, including Tosin Adeniji, were released on bail with a further court hearing scheduled for January 25.

Panic at the Afrikan Shrine

Yesterday, Seun Kuti posted a signed letter from the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State asking him to desist from holding a movement of the people meeting on the lessons learnt from the #EndSARS protests. The meeting was scheduled to hold today at the New Afrikan Shrine but the letter from the police force claims that the singer and activist is “hereby warned to suspend such gathering as any infraction that may emerge from this gathering will be tagged a deliberate action to sabotage the transition and restoration of the peace in Lagos State by the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force,” the letter read.

Refusing to be intimidated for exercising his legal right to assembly, Seun Kuti carried on with his plans to host a meeting stating that it was time to start our political resistance to the tyranny of this oppressive regime. However, today, news has reached us that police are now restricting movement in and out of the Shrine with their vans stationed around the venue to ensure compliance with the Commissioner’s order. It is yet to be ascertained if the situation has escalated further but we are currently monitoring the situation and this post will be updated with developments.

 

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Strange new laws and regulations

On top of all this, there has been no prominent arrest and persecution of any of the SARS officers who have been widely accused of police brutality. Alleged murdered such as James Nwafor and Abiodun Bolarinwa still walk free, yet a number of young Nigerians who fought and demanded for a better future for themselves and the generation after them, have been harassed, arrested, or have had their lives infringed upon in some way or the other. In fact, we learnt recently that Attorney-General Abubakar Malami has exonerated 33 ex-members of the SARS unit as there was no substantive proof against them, People’s Gazette reports.

Alongside this, it seems that the demands for nationwide police reform have also fallen on deaf ears as the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu has reportedly ordered for the police to respond with force when they feel their lives are being threatened. According to Sahara Reporters, the IGP warned that the Nigeria Police Force would not allow any form of protests in the country and has ordered the deployment of legitimate force to prevent attacks on private/public assets from any violent person(s) or group(s) operating under any guise. This announcement came after it was reported that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) would begin to bear firearms to curtail the excesses of road users in Nigeria. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on FRSC, Akinfolarin Mayowa said that the implementation had become necessary to ensure laws were obeyed and to allow the FRSC function effectively.

But for many young Nigerians, these decisions taken by those in law enforcement are remiss. Nigerians have been crying out against police brutality where their lives are threatened or harassed simply for daring to exist, and the difference between life and death is simply whether you’re able to give into exorbitant bribes. Incentivising the police force further by approving commands for the use of force and firearms does nothing to address the demands of the End SARS protesters but does everything to continue to subjugate and harass them further. The government and the armed forces continue to respond with more brutality, and there is a sense that none of our demands have been honoured or will be in the near future. When you then think about the fact that conversations surrounding the censoring of social media have re-entered the chat, it’s not looking good and #EndSARS is far from over.

SWAT has begun training

On October 14th, the Nigerian Police Force announced the formation of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), a newly formed intelligence-driven team that would carry out the gaps in the system left by the now-defunct SARS unit. For many young Nigerians, the announcement of a “new” unit while there was still uncertainty as to the complete disbandment and prosecution of the SARS unit was incredibly worrying. Shortly after this, footage surfaced online on the training of the new unit and it did little to assuage the worry and fear of many Nigerians who found the training less than satisfactory. It is yet to be concluded when members of the new unit will be discharged into public spaces, but there’s a general sense that the menace is not yet defeated and that’s many are calling for #EndSWAT before it even begins.

DJ Switch has been granted asylum in Canada

As the lives of many End SARS protesters continue to be threatened across the county, many people have been worried about the safety of DJ Switch who had been instrumental in disseminating the events of October 20th exactly as it had happened. The national tragedy that has been vehemently denied by our state government until it was recently affirmed by the Nigerian Army who is said to have been deployed to the Lekki toll gate. Recently, the Army has conflated their earlier statement, claiming during the Lagos judicial panel that there was no shooting at the toll gate.

According to Salisu Bello, the commanding officer of the 65 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, no civilians were killed at the Lekki toll gate as the Army only tried to quell the crowd which had grown dangerous. When persuasion did not work, members of the 65 Battalion only shot blank ammunition upwards to scare off the protestors rather than fire at them. Bello claimed the armed officers even attempted to share water to the crowd, according to the Cable. The insistence on rewriting the story of that night has now caused many Nigerians to fear for the safety of DJ Switch who has adamantly stuck to the correct story, despite the many denials from those we witnessed on Instagram Live.

It has now been reported that the DJ has been granted asylum in Canada where she is currently residing to escape threats on her life. According to Sahara Reporters, she has been persistently being threatened for her account of the night of the 20th of October and had to move across various homes in Lagos to ensure her safety before making her way out of the country. She is also said to have told the Canadian Parliament the events of that night and how the army was acting on orders from above. If the news of her asylum status is true, we are happy at the very least that she has escaped death. Many young Nigerians like Pelumi Onifade, a young journalist in Lagos, who was vocal about the protests have wound up either detained or brutally killed.

Currently, as the judicial panels continue to hold across various Nigerian states, the trust in the government to do right by the Nigerian people continues to wean by the second. For many Nigerians, life over the past month has felt like sitting at the extremes of optimism and despair, however, with each new response from the government, our faith continues to diminish. The changes that must be taken in the aftermath of the protests are crucial to our development as a nation, but the tactics employed so far have done little to advance our cause and ensure a safer and better Nigeria for future generations. The goal cannot be for less police violence, we must continue demanding for no more police violence at all, and for a government that works in the interest of her people.

Featured image credits

Tami is available here @tamimak_

ICYMI: The Nigerian government seems more focused on every other thing than End SARS

Gigi Atlantis is asking the question that counts: “Can I Live?”

Posted on by The Native

Back in May, Odunsi (The Engine) went full on man-of-the-people, releasing the second EP of his four-year career, ‘EVERYTHING YOU HEARD IS TRUE‘ at the behest of his fans. Teasing “body count” a couple of days before its arrival amongst the highly-anticipated, “wicked, sexy!” and the secret Instagram finds, “luv in a mosh”  and “airplane mode”, the Gigi Atlantis-led record, which features Amaarae and a historical debut from DETO BLACK, was an instant hit.

On “body count”, Gigi Atlantis makes it known that numbers don’t matter when it comes to sexual promiscuity; “let your body bounce,” she chants, spreading a pertinent message, through the playful (rhyming) innuendo: DO WHAT YOU WANT. In her new single, “Can I Live”, Gigi Atlantis is fighting the general populous for that right. “I just want to let go (can I live?)“, she asserts on the conclusion of her first bar, before going on to make a compelling case for why “you’ll regret if you don’t talk to [her] nice.”

 

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Another Gigi Atlantis record produced by Ikon,  the beat for “Can I Live” is arresting from the very start, and to mirror Ikon’s punchy opening, Gigi Atlantis too gets right down to business, beginning the song by chastising the people responsible for blowing up her phone. It has been a while since I’ve heard a spoken intro, but to match the noughties basketball court groove of Ikon’s hip-hop beat, Gigi Atlantis brings back this nostalgic trope, albeit without the emotional sensitivity of the Usher intros that spring to mind. Where Usher went for pensive “damn”s Gigi Atlantis opens her latest with a “rah”; the pain in his voice as he admits, “see, it’s burning me to hold on to this,” would be mocked by Gigi’s irritated pun, “just cos I have a phone doesn’t mean I’m on call.” The catchy hook on “Can I Live” is significantly more inviting than Gigi’s initial scolding, but the topic remains the same – Gigi Atlantis would like to do her own thing, uninterrupted.

As well as being stacked with witty metaphors (the most memorable analogy being how she’d rather be salty than fake love or sweetness, because even if the pettiness lands an L, at least she’ll be cavity free) “Can I Live” is also full of sonic excellence. Changing pace for a melodic first verse, Gigi Atlantis does well to emphasise her forceful vocals – embroidered by her unique, theatrical delivery – by repeating the slowly sung riff again, towards the song’s end.

As did Amaarae on her “body count” follow up, “LEAVE ME ALONE”, on “Can I Live”, the Nigerian singer is putting herself and her peace of mind above the bustling and demanding music industry. Throwing out the explanation “self-care the making of a don,” for those demanding to know why she’d rather spend her time alone, “Can I Live” emerges as a quintessentially Gigi Atlantis record. Telling us everything we need to know about her in our TIME Issue Trybe interview (available for purchase here), “Can I Live” reaffirms what the singer asserted to me back in February: Gigi Atlantis is a boss.

Listen to the no-nonsense “Can I Live” below:

Featured Image: Abiola Renee/NATIVE

ICYMI: THE IMPORTANCE OF A SONG LIKE ‘BODY COUNT’ FOR AFRICAN WOMEN

NATIVE Exclusive: Meet Olakira, the “In My Maserati” singer ascending to Afropop ubiquity

Posted on by The Native

To say that Nigeria’s music scene is bubbling would be an epic understatement. From the Fela-dominated 60s to our present big three, Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy, Nigerian musicians have a reputation for being internationally acclaimed; even though they’re constantly getting robbed at the Grammys, their global fan base affords Nigerian artists the luxury of touring around the world. The present ubiquity of Olakira’s latest single, “In My Maserati” has made him one of the new artists emerging from the country with a massive international following – his single now features at #6 on this week’s Top 20 Afrobeat chart UK, only Wizkid’s “Ginger” and “No Stress” and Burna Boy’s “Real Life” managed to secure spots above Olakira from an Africa point of view.

“In My Maserati” was released in June as the follow up to Olakira’s debut tape, ‘Wakanda Jollof’. Though he already scored his first hit song, “Hey Lover”, before he even dropped the EP last year, his new single has taken him from having regional acclaim to being an international success in a year that has been rough for most.

Last year, the NATIVE were privileged to spend time with Olakira, following the release and relative success of his debut album, ‘Wakanda Jollof‘. A lot has changed since our chat in 2019.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the music industry took a hit due to the uncertain future of live shows and concerts. The social distancing measures put in place for preventing the spread of the COVID-19, kept fans from enjoying music at concerts, club venues or dance floors and artists had to pivot to virtual shows without any clear indication of when touring would pick up again.

“My priority right now is to get my music out there,” Olakira told us when we spoke last year about what determines the direction he goes with his music. “It’s easier when people are already feeling the vibe and I’m very good with live shows cause of my experience performing at church, so really I can’t wait to have my own shows.”

We’re now approaching the last month of the year, December, the month dedicated to partying and music festivities that invites an influx of tourists who annually join in the euphoria. Though there’s still a gloomy cloud of uncertainty hovering over whether concerts will still happen in Nigeria this year, there’s no denying that Olakira’s music is now ‘out there’ and that he’s well-known and liked enough to pull a crowd of his own. If you turn on the radio right now, it won’t take long before you catch his infamous Yoruba tinged accent, singing “Hop (or up) in my Maserati” over the dancehall riddim of the beat he self-produced. His catchy melodies and impressive songwriting that manages to be equal part boastful and romantic make the song an instant earworm. And for that, it has caught on quickly on the radio. “In My Maserati” also ushered in a new dance move that involves wiggling of hips and pretending to shift gears. This makes for viral content that has, naturally, promoted Olakira’s hit single even further, as fans continue to post dance videos to the song. You can even find favourable comments such as “Who else came here from tiktok ?? P.s this song is fire from Romania” on the song’s video on YouTube – a clear example of how social media has helped the song spread to audiences around the world.

 

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“In My Maserati” is proof of an artist hitting his mark. Olakira is reaping the reward of patience and determination. His path to this moment – recording the breakout mega-hit (which now has a Davido-assisted remix) – has been a winding one; a story of bouncing back and correcting course after several detours and false starts. As a child, he started out earning N2000 for programming live music to cassette at his church then started recording music as Eben Jazz Beats before he quit in 2010 to focus on music production. It wasn’t until 2018 that Olakira finally signed to his label, U&I, as a recording artist under his new name (which means shining star in Swahili, explaining why so many fans post Kenyan flags on his posts).

Though he started from humble beginnings before signing with his label, Olakira was already performing on lineups with Mayorkun in Ibadan and making appearances at the New Afirkan Shrine before he scored his new hit single. With “In My Maserati”, Olakira has now cemented his status as one of contemporary afropop’s defining voices. For his eager and endlessly supportive fans, the song signifies him reaching a once unattainable, perhaps even inconceivable, milestone as an internationally recognised singer.

You can read a summary of our conversation, narrating his growth from budding talent to a megastar below.

NATIVE: Was there anyone who really pushed you to start making music?

Olakira: I grew up in the church. Started playing musical instruments in the church. I was earning 2,000 for programming music from the keyboard to record on cassette. At a point, I decided to make it professional and go record at the studio because people who heard me from church would always encourage me. My first time recording at a studio, the producers were impressed because I already knew my way around their equipment.

Where’d you grow up?

Ogun state and Lagos state. I’m a street guy oh. I’ve lived in every area in Lagos. I have a lot of guys. I’ve even had to change my line for privacy sake. They appreciate what I do cause they know me as a producer who has turned into an artist and I’ve been grinding for a while. I was moving around cause I was a music person. I was in Mushin for a while and that’s where I met Dotman. Don’t even know how it happened. I was at FESTAC for a year then I moved to Ikeja.

What inspires your music?

Majorly beats. I’m inspired by beats. Once I like a beat… I think it’s spiritual. There are some dope beats that you won’t catch any vibe with [though], I learned that from Wizkid. When I was with DJ Spinall, he was around and I played him my beats and the one I was thinking he’d vibe on, he didn’t do anything. Just said ‘play another’. But the one I just randomly played, he kept bringing up different melodies to it. Whenever I hear a beat I really love, I could use one beat to write like 5 songs.

I write for melody. I like to work in sweet and catchy melodies then I’d write my lyrics. But the lyrics have to be in harmony with the melody.

Do you go to the club to get a feel of what people are listening to?

It’s important to know what people are listening to in the club. But it’s not just clubs. What motivated me years ago was really what’s playing on radio stations. They play different kinds of songs. Not just afropop. It could be jazz and you’d be wondering what kind of music is this? Four years ago, I heard Runtown’s “Mad Over You” in a club. The loudspeakers inspired me. As an artist, you need to go to the club so you can get into the vibe of the club because it gives you that energy. And as a producer, you want people to dance and vibe to your songs. Playing the songs in your own sound system doesn’t really give you the same feel. In fact, sometimes I’d even start recording something at the club just off of some interesting melody that occurred to me there.

What have you performances been like so far?

I performed in Ibadan with Mayorkun last year. I had just started making music professionally so I was really amazed by the big crowd. The multitude of people vibing to my songs made me feel special and I wanted to keep making music that more people would want to listen to and vibe to. Shrine is also a stage everyone aspires to, it’s like a bragging right because of Fela’s legacy. We didn’t think the crowd there would vibe to “Hey Lover” because my listeners are [mostly] international. I was scared because of the street vibe at Shrine and I didn’t know how people would respond. I surprised to see all these hardcore guys holding their chest and singing along to the romantic song. I had goosebumps on my skin. Other memorable performances were Trace In The City, LASPOtech and Unilag. The reception was also massive. Even for my newly released songs.

In 2009 I performed at Unilag and I shut down the stage. I had that energy that I could make it after, but I didn’t have any management or the capital to fund my career. You need that bar to advertise yourself and get your music across to your audience. So I had to leave singing for production so I could earn money.

How did your management situation come about, then?

I stopped releasing music in 2010 and became a producer for the label [U&I]. When Dotman’s deal finished, they were looking for a new artist to sign. I was also looking for someone I could plug but then I was encouraged by my boss that I could just do it. What I learned from that is your time will always come because it’s a privilege to be signed to a label that’s established. Some people even think I’m based in the UK. They encourage me to move like an international artist.

So, what are your impressions of concert culture in Nigeria?

In my experience, people always come for shows. Even when they don’t know the songs, they’d still turn up for you if the music is good. I also think personality matters. Because in Lagos, you’re likely to run into a celebrity either in school, stores and all. But outside Lagos, others go to shows to catch a glimpse of these celebrities. Shoprite at Ibadan was packed and it’s a big venue. And I think it’s the personality, knowing that Davido and Mayorkun would be there.

What’s a day in Olakira’s life like?

I haven’t really had time to chill. I spend most of my time at the studio. There’s still be time for that [chilling], but right now I just want to be in that studio. With my experience as a producer, I’m just sort of used to being in the studio.

Besides your name, how much has changed?

My name is Ebenezer so that was my name. Then I started making gospel songs and jazz came from playing jazz music at Eko hotel. So I was called Eben Jazz Beats. Olakira means shining star in Swahili, it was given to me by my label.

I’m not free like I was before. I spend more, my standard of living is a lot higher. And the ladies, well the turn up is interesting now. My DM is choked. We never blow but my dm don dey blow. I don’t have too many friends. Just work friends. All my friends are artists. It has always been that way. You can’t be my friend if I’m not benefiting from you.

Why should people listen to ‘Wakanda Jollof’?

It’s from this continent. [It will] spice up the market for international audiences. Wakanda is a universal word that represents Africa. And Jollof is our favorite spicy rice dish in Africa. I’m basically serving the world my continent’s dish. The 7 tracks all have something behind it. It’s not just Afropop, it is infused with R&B and Jazz. It’s a unique sound. I’m bringing African sounds from the future to the present. It’s different from the normal songs you hear out there.

What inspires your songwriting?

It’s just me expressing my feelings. I love women, beautiful ladies out there. It’s more of love songs and how I feel about women. They are the beauty of the world. We can’t exist without them. Love is beautiful. I didn’t feature anyone ’cause I don’t want diluted sounds. Certain people thought it was fluke when I dropped “Hey Lover” and I need to prove to them that I have that talent. I just kept recording songs because e dey head (it’s natural to me). Like I told you, I like to spend time in the studio. In fact, it was too much. We should have just turned it into an album but I don’t want to rush things. Everything was just easy to record. Once you have the talent.

Would people’s taste determine what you make going forward?

Being an artist isn’t easy. I learned from making this EP that there’s a process. You have to keep giving the best you can. But it’s the things around you that make you. [You] can’t compare me to people that have been signed for four years. There are things they’ve experienced that I haven’t experienced. But I think I’m a fast learner. I’m proud of the music I have out there and I’m sure there are lots of awards waiting for us.

My priority right now is to get my music out there. It’s easier when people are already feeling the vibe. I’m very good with live shows cause of my experience performing at church so really I can’t wait to have my own shows.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/iamolakira
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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: In conversation with DJ Switch

Bruk It Down: How BurssBrain and Ozedikus tag-teamed on Rema’s “Woman”

Posted on by The Native

Bruk It Down, a video series shining a light on the producers and beat-makers behind the scenes, as they break down the intricacies of the songs we listen to every day. In the second edition of our new NATIVE Original, BurssBrain and Ozedikus take us through how they made the vibrant beat to Rema’s strong contender for Song Of The Year, “Woman”

No thanks to the coronavirus which kept most of the world indoors for the second quarter of the year, at least, the summer we had, was hardly a summer at all. Although restrictions did begin to ease as the Northern hemisphere sun spent more time awake, clubbing and fully packed parties remained a myth. In a lot of respects, this had an impact on the type of music we consumed. Back in March, Spotify recorded that their users were listening to more ‘chill’ music, and whilst the streaming service itself is not available in Nigeria, the keen uptake of Omah Lay’s soulful ‘Get Layd‘ illustrated this point here at home.

This general mellow mood didn’t stop Rema from releasing exactly the type of music he wanted, though. Back in July, he gifted listeners a trifecta of wonderful tunes, each with their own unique flavour. “Ginger Me” was the ‘chill’ type of music we’d been bopping to all year; “Alien” a hip-hop fix, whilst “Woman” the climax of this threesome was an Amapiano- infused dance-bop that ruled the late summer, as we began to slowly emerge from our various indoor locations.

Produced by Mavin in-housers, BurssBrain and Ozedikus, “Woman” is an uptempo record that flaunts the producers’ proficiency in replicating foreign tastes and marrying beats to vocals in the most intricate of ways. Both having worked with Rema a good many times in the past, BurssBrain and Ozedikus’ “Woman” is full of dynamic production elements that reflects Rema’s versatility and flexibility when he’s making music.

In our latest ‘Bruk It Down’ video, producers Ozedikus and BurssBrain talk us through how Ozedikus’ lockdown beat went from shakers, kick drums and its plural percussive elements, into a purely Amapiano beat, before BurssBrain, basing his ideas on Rema’s lyrics, brought in the Nigerian flair that makes “Woman” the African fusion record it is lauded for being.

We can all agree that this duo worked wonders on “Woman”, find out how it all went down above.

Featured Image Credits: NATIVE

Words: Adewojumi Aderemi, Videography: Omowunmi Ogundipe, Producer: Damilola Animashaun

BRUK IT DOWN: TELZ TALKS US THROUGH THE MAKING OF “WONDERFUL”

Best New Music: Amaarae’s “Trust Fund Baby”, “Hellz Angel” & “Céline” is a phenomenal 3-song sequence

Posted on by The Native

Three years ago, thousands of previously uninitiated listeners were introduced to Amaarae’s ability to elevate songs into instantly captivating experiences. On AYLØ’s “Whoa”, the Ghanaian singer swiped the rug, both thematically and performance-wise, from underneath her host (to his credit, though, he’d set the stage perfectly for the scene-stealing showcase). Shortly after, Amaarae she released her breakout EP, ‘Passionfruit Summers’, a formative, immersive project where she heavily indulged in the weightless vibe of neo-R&B, bedroom pop and the occasional dash of cloud rap.

Between her flair for writing striking lyrics – often times daringly direct and cheeky – and a unique voice that can channel the ambience of a séance and personify summer’s warmth, it was evident Amaarae was developing into a singular, inimitable voice. From Santi to Odunsi, Kojey Radical to Show Dem Camp, a long line of artists tapped the singer for her sauce, and while her features always play a defining role in those collaborations, you could tell she was only lending out her aesthetic while figuring out the next stage of her evolution.

‘The Angel You Don’t Know’, Amaarae’s new debut album, is the manifestation of an artist with a far superior grip of her powers, as singer, songwriter and creative auteur. In 35-minutes of phenomenal music, Amaarae effectively reupholsters any prior perceptions of her abilities, remaining as distinct as ever but with new dimensions for good measure. It’s the culmination of a campaign that ostensibly began with last September’s “LIKE IT”, where she purposefully moved her music into groovy, viscerally affecting territory without sacrificing her unique vibe. ‘TAYDK’ builds on those sensibilities to deliver one of the more enchanting pop records this year, from anywhere in the world.

With maximalist production that is mirrored by the lurid and bizarrely alluring cover art, and Amaarae’s unflinching confidence as a performer, ‘TAYDK’ is situated on the cutting edge of afropop, exemplifying the genre’s adaptability to a wide range of sonic influences. “I strived to colour outside the afro-pop parameters and re-define for myself what it means to create African music”, she wrote in the album’s press release. Although each song plays a major role in ensuring this vision is wonderfully represented, the mid-album sequence of “TRUST FUND BABY”, “HELLZ ANGEL” and “CÉLINE” is symbolic of what makes ‘TAYDK’ unimpeachably great.

“Drown in sunrise, angels sounding off against the tides/I’ll take my time, soak in all the feels and all the vibes”, Amaarae chants alongside twinkling keys on the zen-inducing opening sequence of “TRUST FUND BABY”, using poetic imagery to set the scene for a song that exalts opulent sex. In certain terms, Amaarae declares that sex with her is a privilege, largely due to being financially secure. Singing about fucking on silk sheets, Amaarae’s effortlessly sensual vocals and gently snappy melody runs lend a casual authority to her boastful lyrics (“Trust I’m not trappin’ out the bando/had it all handed to me”).

If “TRUST FUND BABY” motions at confidence with sex and money as framing devices, Amaarae uses “HELLZ ANGEL” as an exercise in showcasing just how secure she is in herself, as a person and an artist. The sexy bounce of the preceding song segues into something much giddier, with a beat that intersects between bubblegum trap and psychedelic pop. Amaarae slips into a supple rap flow, reeling out bars extolling her impenetrable and vivacious candour. Stuffed to the ear with quotables—“I don’t make songs, bitch, I make memories/I don’t like thongs, ‘cause they ride up my jeans” is one that will instantly lodge in your head—“HELL ANGEL” is an extremely fun song, so much so that even when she briefly contemplates on the chances of buying her mum a Bentley, it comes across as a target she’s set on accomplishing soon.

“No, babe, I ain’t got a milli yet/but I’m blowing up on the internet”, she goes on to rap over the humming keys, knotty guitar riffs and sliding bass synths of “CÉLINE”. On the Kyu Steed-assisted cut, Amaarae woos a teasing love interest, leading with an unabashed honesty that finds her admitting horniness in charming manner: “I don’t really do feelings yet/but you’re getting kinda thick, yeah”, she sings. In addition to being incredibly catchy, “CÉLINE” continues Amaarae’s commitment to crafting sexually fluid songs, a trait that makes her even more unique within the relatively new vanguard of afropop.

In its own compelling way, ‘TAYDK’ brings to life a vision of the progressive African youthful creative, where there’s zero tension between honesty and cockiness or sexuality and romance. “TRUST FUND BABY”, “HELLZ ANGEL” and “CÉLINE” are at the centre of this experience, and in the process, Amaarae has undeniably strung together one of the best 3-song sequences in recent afropop memory.

Listen to ‘TAYDK’ here.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/Amaarae

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

ICYMI: A 1-LISTEN REVIEW OF AMAARAE’S ‘THE ANGEL YOU DON’T KNOW’

Songs of the Day: New music from Yemi Alade, Pa Salieu, Ictooicy and more

Posted on by The Native

It’s been a while, but we’re now back at it. In a month full of loss from COVID casualties to peaceful protesters being shot at it didn’t feel right to carry on like normal, so we stopped everything to give all our time to the pressing issues at hand, it’s still #EndSARS, but let’s also find a welcome escape from the bleak reality of the world.  Even though it’s all quite overwhelming to take in, music has provided a necessary escape, and throughout the year, musicians have continued to release music that motivates us as a return to normalcy no longer seems certain.

We know it can be difficult to keep up with all the diverse streams of music so we’ve created this column to keep you, our readers, up to date with all the finest tunes coming out of Africa and the rest of the world. These are the songs you absolutely need to hear. We’re resuming Songs Of The Day again to support artists who are providing momentary escape through these strange times, here are our favourite picks to start your new week.

Yemi Alade – “I Choose You” featuring Dadju

Yemi Alade is always working. After releasing her fourth LP, ‘Woman of Steel’ last summer, the singer/songwriter is back with her fifth studio project ‘Empress’ out later this year. Ahead of its release, she has now shared a new single “I Choose You” featuring French singer Dadju. The afropop number addresses the two women’s desire to remain in love with their respective partners forever. Singing “If you take one step, I go take two step/Na you be my lover for life”, Yemi Alade captures the intoxicating feeling of being in a new relationship.

Pa Salieu – “Energy” featuring Mahalia

Last week, UK-based rapper Pa Salieu released his debut mixtape ‘Send Them to Coventry’ to incredible fanfare. The EP was brimming with stories of his Gambian upbringing and Coventry, his home in the heart of the West Midlands. The Mahalia-assisted “Energy” is one of the EP’s sweet spots, offering an introspective and reflective bop which speaks about societal issues, struggles with a broken system, self-care, and more. The accompanying video directed by Femi Ladi sees Pa Salieu delivering his rap verse in a black-and-white scene, as people carry out their various activities around him. He’s then joined by Mahalia, who brings some much-needed colour to the track.

April Maey – “Starry Nights”

R&b singer, April Maey has just released the video for her single “Starry Nights”, a standout on her debut EP ‘Ticket to Anywhere’ released back in March. In the animated video, a young couple takes a drive out to a campsite where they sit under the moonlight, playing and enjoying each other’s company. Speaking about the video, April Maey shared that “the video is about two young kids who try to save the moon by freezing time and putting the moon back where it belongs, in the sky”.

Alpha P – “Vibe with Me” featuring Psycho YP

Alpha P is back with a new EP, ‘Wolves & Mustang’ nearly a year after the release of his debut EP ‘King of Wolves’. The new release is a 4-track piece deftly weaving a range of genres from afropop, trap, r&b, and more, however, the Psycho YP-assisted “Vibe With Me” features as the project’s standout. “Baby let me give you all my love/oh baby vibe with me” sings Alpha P on the song’s first verse, as he expresses his romantic feelings for a muse.

Chimzy – “Tornado”

US-based afropop artist, Chimzy is back with a new single titled “Tornado” and it’s fire. His new single is an up-tempo number that shows off his clever wordplay and enviable flow as he effortlessly glides over the drubbing beat. Singing “If anybody, dey go put e hand for the fire/giving the like tornado”, Chimzy makes music for people to party to and feel themselves despite the clear warnings in his lyrics. He sends a message to the opps, warning them that trying him is synonymous with unleashing a blistering tornado storm.

Ictooicy – “Feel Da Same”

Back in October, singer/rapper Ictooicy teased the release of a new song titled “Feel Da Same”, her official first official trap release of the year. Fans immediately cried for a taste of trap Icy, teeming with excitement about what she would sound like on a trap beat, and now, the moment is finally here. Released over the weekend, “Feel Da Same” is a bouncy number that finds Ictooicy on her best form. Over the fast-paced uptempo beat, Icy rap-sings “Why do these niggas keep hating on Ictooicy/See me on IG, don’t smile for tha cam” running through a list of way’s she feels the same. She finds herself stuck in the same routine but rather than give in to this rut, she’s energetically counting the bands, hanging with her friends, and pouting for the gram: c’est la vie.

Davolee – “Happiness”

After the release of his extended mixtape ‘Festival Bar EP’ earlier this year, rapper Davolee is back with a new single titled “Happiness” just before the year runs out. The rapper who just welcomed his newly-born daughter is now expressing the joys of fatherhood with the latest single as he celebrates his wins and marvels at the joy he now experiences. Over the uptempo beat produced by Crespin, he sings “celebrate your wins cause problem no dey finish” encouraging his listeners to tune into whatever makes them happy and hold unto it because all they need in this life of sin is happiness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9NQgfc39wo

Featured image credits/Instagram

.@tamimak_ Is a Staff Writer at The NATIVE

ICYMI: Listen to ‘YP & Azanti, Vol.1’ by Psycho YP and Azanti

SOBER SEVEN makes his 2020 debut with new single, “Rent Free”

Posted on by The Native

First cropping up on our radar last December, with a stunning accompaniment on 234jaydaa’s typically mesmeric “Pink”, the 24-year-old Nigerian singer, SOBER SEVEN has spent this year in silence, as he prepares his debut project for release next year; that is until, today.

With “Rent Free” – his first song of 2020, which happens also to be his first official solo single – SOBER SEVEN embraces the melancholy strokes of R&B, delivering an ebony tinted affair, announcing to his mostly first-time listeners that he’s the latest soulful loverboy on the block.

 

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A post shared by SOBER SEVEN (@lovesoberseven)

Opening with lulling synths before SEVEN’s raspy vocals enter in advance of an arresting (yet oddly peace-brining) electric guitar, “Rent Free”‘s production is simultaneously soothing and captivating, credited to The Rucker Collective producer, Jean Bleu.

Remaining in his head voice throughout, SOBER SEVEN’s vocals are not smooth, or devoid of character. The breathiness that emerges from his raspy voice, in fact, adds to the wistful vulnerability which SEVEN conveys through his lyrics. At first, his lyrics are modestly wanting (“I don’t trust you but I want to/I don’t trust you but I want you”), but as SOBER SEVEN get comfortable within his groove, he outright croons to the furthest corners that he absolutely needs his partner, doing his best to convince her to stay, between his repeated confessions, “baby I need you, baby I need.”

What others might describe as clingy, is, on “Rent Free”, painted as unashamed devotion – we don’t know the intricacies of SOBER SEVEN’s love affair, but his sensitivity on the track wins us over to his side. Expressing significant emotion through the song, even delivered in the form of moaning adlibs on the song’s outing chorus, “Rent Free“ ends with an equally as lustful outro, the electric guitar guiding us through nearly thirty seconds of stilling audio that bring the eventual peace the song’s introduction had first tempted.

A neat circle is drawn from the listening experience of SOBER SEVEN’s 2020 debut; enjoy “Rent Free” below:

Featured Image Credits: Sober Seven/Twitter

 

A 1-listen review of Davido’s ‘A Better Time’

Posted on by The Native

When Davido dropped ‘A Good Time’ last year, it had been 7 years since we got an album from him, however, he had maintained relevance and even risen to the top with at least one hit in circulation every year. This was enough indication that he had something special, and it became even more evident when his songs began to gain attention outside the shores of Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Last year, ‘A Good Time’ seemed like a reset from back to back hits, where he was clearly just having fun creating music rather than chasing the hits. Songs like “Sweet In The Middle” and “D&G” hit the sweet spot by taking off anyway, confirming that Davido really has it, . Less than a year later, he has followed up with ‘A Better Time’, which feels like a sequel to the music we got last year.

Davido’s decade long stint at the top of the afropop totem pole has made it such that even though naysayers will say otherwise, he doesn’t have anything to prove. He’s been vocal throughout the year about how the pause 2020 brought with it was necessary, and we’re all hoping that it reflects in this new album. While the ‘A Better Time’s lead single, “Fem” was met with welcome reception, his Lil Baby-assisted follow up, “So Crazy” wasn’t quite, however, I’m quite excited to see how the entire project has come together.

Read my one-listen review to see whether our expectations reflected in the music. This is my first listen of the whole project with no skips, no playbacks, this review is just my unfiltered thoughts as I was listening to ‘A Better Time’

 

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“Fem”

I don’t think I’ve actually listened to this entire song properly, but I’ve heard it so much that I know all the words. I get it, It’s a quintessentially Davido song, and the beat is actually really good, that flute and thumping drums are working really well together, I think the beat is actually my favourite part of this song. I’m adding it to my playlist now

“Jowo”

Ooh.. this is different. Oh okay it’s familiar again, I can hear that like ‘pom pom’ that’s giving me “Fall” and “If” vibes. I really like this hook, I’ve never heard Davido on this form before and he’s really making it work. Davido’s mouth is very sweet, I would definitely dig a nigga singing these lyrics to me lmao. That drum roll has a really big presence, it definitely adds something special to the song. I think because the rest of the beat is quite mellow so each time it comes on, it really stands out. I feel like I’ve listened to 3 different songs in one, range.

“Something Fishy”

This is a jam, 10 seconds in I can feel it. I’m doing that thing I think is dancing, but isn’t really. ‘Something fishy in my kitchen is going down’ is hilarious, especially because I’ve just pictured Chioma making fish in Davido’s kitchen. I think this is going to be the latest song those live bands at weddings do, it’s giving me serious Lagos wedding reception vibes. I’m also really enjoying how this song is more about the instrumental than the lyrics, I’ve got to the end, and all I can remember him saying is “Something Fishy”.

“Holy Ground” ft Nicki Minaj

Davido has such a distinct sound, I wonder how all these different producers are able to capture it so well. I’m excited to see how Nicki comes in on this, is she going to sing? Is she going to rap? Are these bitches going to be her sons? Oh she’s singing, I love this. OH she spittin’ now, and now she’s singing again. Oh she’s lost me, I can’t keep up. Bruh, when modulates and starts spitting spitting. Wow I wasn’t expecting to like this song, it’s working for me, this hook is also really catchy. Yeah, this is hard, I don’t know what you people were talking about, oh. Ai Davido what’s this acapella at the end? I’m feeling it.

“Heaven”

This tambourine shaker, the sax, this sounds like it could be a bit Amapiano/Housey? Davido is killing it, I’m really enjoying this new side to him, it doesn’t sound forced or anything, That was a really easy listen, felt like a break from his usual sound and it wasn’t bad at all.

“Very Special”

Yeah I’m doing that thing I think is dancing again. It sounds like #thatniggawhoiwontmention wrote this song, the flow sounds like him. Our parents are going to love this song. Is that Mayorkun saying ‘ge ge ge? Lmao I love him so much. Okay this is going on for a bit longer than I want it to, I know making a 2 minute long songs is quite Gen Z, but this could be one of those songs.

“The Best” ft Mayorkun

This bread no be Agege – hard. Mayorkun is a fantastic writer, I don’t know what he’s saying but I grab sha – I ‘get oh’ lmao. I’ve been seeing people saying ‘shey you sing pass Wande Coal’ on the TL, this is where it’s from. This beat is really catchy, it’s exactly what I expect from Davido and Mayorkun collaborating and they’re riding it really well, Davido’s flow is insane, he tried oh. Mayorkun is actually such a good artist, I want to hear more of him on this album

“Shopping Spree” ft Young Thug & Chris Brown

Can’t lie, I want to like this song but it’s bad vibes. I don’t fuck with Chris Brown and I’m ready to skip as soon as I hear the opp’s voice, sorry to Thugger if CB comes before him. I love it when Davido does his American thing ‘that’s on everything’, he’s really sanging. I’m not sure why people were hating on this album oh, it’s slapping so far, and there’s clear artistic growth. Young Thug is a musical genius, how has he come in so smoothly on this song? Wow, his part was so hard, I wanted it to last a bit longer. This is a definitely worthy follow up to “Pere” – oh ok it’s the opp. Next

“Sunlight”

One thing about Davido, he has a very good ear. The sound engineering on these songs are fantastic. I’m not that hot on this song or the subject matter, but the beat is really speaking to me, all the different parts of it are coming together really nicely – to the point where I can barely hear what he’s saying tbh. There’s also quite a bit of space for the beat to just play as well, I like that.

“Tanana” ft Tiwa Savage

From this title and Kiddominant’s producer tag, I know exactly what to expect from this song. Yup, I was right, this sounds like a filler song, but it sounds quite unique at the same time. It’s growing on me actually, I think I can hear backing vocals from Mayorkun. ‘Whine that thing for daddy’, ‘take all my money girl it’s your money’ this is true romance, not any of that Ray J dancing under the rain shit. Oh hi Tiwa, I wasn’t expecting her, why doesn’t it say she’s on the song? Love their little duet of the chorus, this is cute. Yeah, I think I judged this song too harshly when it started, I actually quite like it.

“Mebe” ft Mugeez

Um, what’s going on? Ooooh, okay this is interesting. ‘Ge ge ge again’, can Mayorkun do this on every song released moving forward? I believe every single song needs that adlib. That syncopation fits in really well every time it happens, this is solid background music. Who is this? Mugeez? I’m going to find the other music he makes, his voice is really raspy and I’m enjoying it. Ok, this song is a bit long, why is there a whole minute and a half left? It could end in the next 30 seconds, I believe. Yeah this next verse isn’t needed, it could have faded out after the last chorus.

“La La” ft CKay

I’m excited for what CKay does. This song does ‘feel so good’, like Davido starts off with. The bass is thumping. Oh what? This beat is insane? This is a very good song. Whoops, I forgot what I was doing, this song is sweet oh, I think it should have come earlier on in the album. The hook + chorus were clearly made to become a chant, I can see it popping off for sure if outside is open in December, this is the one. I hope they make this the next single.

“So Crazy” ft Lil Baby

Ok, in context of the rest of the album, this song sounds a lot better than it did when I heard it earlier this week. Something sounds different. Perhaps it should have been a single after the album, I think people might have preferred it after hearing it alongside the rest of the album. This is crazy oh, I feel like I’m listening to a different song to the one I heard the other day. I don’t think this snare is working with Baby’s verse, I feel like they could have taken it out or something, I don’t know how making music works lmao. It’s a more Davido sound. Yeah this song is not bad at all, I quite enjoyed it actually.

Birthday Cake ft Nas & Hitboi

This is interesting, I’m hearing that hip hop bass drop, but also Afropop percussions at the same time? I like it. Hitboi did a good job with this beat, it sounds like a proper melding of afropop and hip hop. Why is he saying Czyba to Mufasa, isn’t it Sarabi? That’s distracting. Oh. No. Ion like dat, Nas. Yeah the beat mixed the two worlds nicely, but this verse isn’t doing what the beat did. The synergy is way off, Davido could have taken this one on his own, I think. Maybe it will grow on me on the next listen, this is a no from me.

“I Got A Friend” ft Mayorkun & Sho Madjozi

Ok this is not my kind of music at all, but I can tell that it’s objectively good. This house type beat is really rich and striking, I can literally hear everything. Mayorkun again man, he’s special, this ‘he gives me moneeeyy oh’ is amazing. Ok Sho Madjozi! She stole the show, this is her song now – whew, only lady here still the realest nigga in the room vibes. Those gunshots at the end, this beat is fantastic, wow. I love it when people shout their friends out at the end of a song. Aww RIP Olu

“Fade” ft Bella Shmurda

To be completely honest, I’ve only been listening to this album to hear this Bella Shmurda feature. Yes! It’s a song about God, I knew it. I love how Afropop finds a way to sing praise without sounding preachy or in your face about it. This nigga is talking about breaking your waist on the same song he’s saying he can’t run away from God, beautiful. I can hear an interpolation that sounds familiar, I think this that oruka ti d’owo na song? Yeah it definitely is. Bella Shmurda is floating, he and Davido have good synergy, love to see it. This beat is also amazing. I spent the whole song trying to figure out what that sample was, I have to go back and listen again.

“On My Way” ft Sauti Sol

I don’t get it… something feels off about this song. The beat is really like mellow, really soft strings and drums. I can barely hear it underneath these very loud vocals, sounds like it needed a more like mellow vibe. This chorus also sounds really weird. No. Oh no. This song is all over the place, the synergy is very very off – between the beat and the vocals, and also the feature. Yeah the album could have ended on “Fade”.

 Final Thoughts

As consumers, we tend to put an unnecessary and unfair pressure on artists to deliver to our ridiculous expectations, and it seems like following this album, it’s a good time to have that discussion. Pop stars everywhere in the world are never expected to deliver deep, thought-provoking music from their respective audiences, however, in Nigeria, we seem to expect this from anyone who is putting music out. This is why we must be intentional about what we’re calling our music, and why Afropop is the most fitting description for what we get. Davido is a pop star who is making pop music and is here to entertain us – that’s exactly what he does best. Right from the moment he broke out, it was clear that this was the case with back to back hits “Back When” and “Dami Duro” and I believe that what we’re getting today is an evolved version of what endeared us to him over the past decade.

Like he has stated several times, he’s grown from the hyperactive 19-year-old we met all those years ago into a father of three who is building a music empire. He’s in a different place in life and you can hear it on the music, his sound has evolved, but he manages to maintain the essence of what he’s always given us. If ‘A Good Time’ was Davido settling into this evolution, ‘A Better Time’ shows a refinement of his sound, and that he’s more comfortable with his growth.

He does the best when he’s in his comfort zone with songs like “FEM”, “Tanana”, “Very Special” and “Fade”, and sometimes when he veers out of this comfort zone, such as on “Heaven” or “Something Fishy”. While some of the album’s fat could have been trimmed down, every song (save for the last) felt necessary, and Davido made a different statement with each, delivering exactly what any pop star on their third album in a 10-year stint would.

The discussions on the timeline about the sonic quality of the music is dishonest, especially considering how good the production and engineering of each song is. Overall, it was a good album that will serve its purpose. I will definitely be adding revisiting a few of these songs.

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ICYMI: 5 takeaways from Davido’s third studio album, ‘A Better Time’

Listen to ‘YP & Azanti, Vol 1.’, the debut tape by Psycho YP and Azanti

Posted on by The Native

This weekend has been an exciting time for new music. Amaarae’s debut full-length album ‘The Angel You Don’t Know’ kicked things off officially yesterday, Davido rolled out third studio LP ‘A Better Time’, and over in Abuja, Psycho YP and new Apex Village signee, Azanti have now released their collaborative EP ‘YP & Azanti, Vol. 1’.

The youngest member of the Abuja collective makes his debut assisted by the braggadocious trap sounds of label mate and mentor, Psycho YP. The 8-track project sees both artists weaving a range of influences, segueing from afropop-tinged production in one track to alternative-r&b in the next, as thick distinct bass embellishes the arresting the flows of one of Abuja’s top young rappers, YP. With production from 44DB, Remy Baggins, Jaylon, and Azanti himself, the project offers a concise introduction into a talented newcomer with a knack for switching up his flows.

An expressive project, ‘YP & Azanti, Vol.1’ boasts of a cocktail of sounds, with sweet-sounding r&b in “Focused” and “Posted Up” to distinct afropop numbers on “Caro”, there’s no doubt that both artists have got the range. Psycho YP steps out of his comfort zone, holding off most of his unruly bars from this release, but finding the perfect balance between his two-toned personality: the hard guy and the loverboy. On “New Bag”, he seems the most at home, returning to familiar sharp, clear raps as he flexes his untouchable status.

But despite how many times YP seems to easily takes centre stage and showcases his knack for melody, and innate comprehension for cadence, he never overshadows Azanti, always leaving room for the newcomer to show off his lyrical chops and melodious voice. Azanti’s versatility marks the project’s sweet spot. On “Ji Masun”, Azanti sings, “I’ve been saying things/You’ve been playing games” addressing a lover who he doesn’t wish to lose. But though his intentions and lyrics are as straightforward as they come, he steals the show, excelling at bringing out the allure in the most mundane. It’s this magic touch he shows on other standouts like the Remi Baggins-produced single “Focused” and the mellow-r&b number “Posted Up” which is reminiscent of Bryson Tiller’s plaintively smooth voice.

It may seem like there are constantly genre-bending and shifting flows as each new song comes on, but it’s the moment of surprise before each switch up that keeps you engaged right until the very end. The project closer, “Caro” is another afropop number that sees them longing after a girl. Vibrant trumpets fill the song, further stretching the limits to which they have already taken their sounds. Throughout the project, you’re reminded that the rules don’t matter here, and by the end, it becomes clear that both artists intend to flood listeners with enough quotes to glide through the upcoming weekend, and they definitely succeeded. Now, we want more Azanti.

Listen to ‘YP & Azanti, Vol. 1’ below.

Featured image credits/YP 

Warner Music Group signs licensing deal with Audiomack for several African territories

Posted on by The Native

In July, Audiomack opened its first international office in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub and one of the capital cities of African music. Audiomack’s arrival signalled a higher level of commitment to the African market from the streaming platform, as it looks to improve the quality of its services and grow its market share in Sub-Saharan Africa. Considering its increasing popularity amongst the continent’s modestly growing streaming audience, Audiomack’s physical presence was well-received as a potential step in the right direction, not only for the company, but also for the commercial structure of music in Nigeria and Africa.

Widening the catalogue of music accessible to Audiomack users in multiple African countries, Warner Music Group has announced a new licensing agreement with Audiomack. The deal is set to ensure that the record company’s diverse catalogue will be in countries available across the continent, as well as in Canada and Jamaica. Among the African countries included in this deal are Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania. Also included in the partnership, Audiomack will provide support for WMG’s A&R activities in the region, using data-based insight to help the record company identify talented, rising stars.

 

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“We are delighted to bring the Warner Music Group catalogue to Audiomack’s millions of listeners across Africa”, Dave Macli, CEO of Audiomack remarked in a statement. “Audiomack’s goal has always been to provide every artist worldwide with a no-cost platform to launch their careers and connect with new fans. As a result of this deal, African artists on Audiomack who decide to partner with Warner will remain on Audiomack and connected to their earliest supporters.”

Warner Music Group is one of the “big three” recording companies. It owns and operates some of the biggest and most successful record labels in the world, including Warner Records, Atlantic Records and Parlophone Records. Last year, it signed a partnership deal with Chocolate City, one of Nigeria’s most revered record labels. This partnership with Audiomack is the latest strategic deal in the record company’s goal to emerge and strengthen itself as a key player in the African music market.

“We are really excited to be able to tell more African stories with this new deal”, Charlotte Bwana, Head of Business Development & Media Partnerships at Audiomack Africa, remarked. “We look forward to supporting the most brilliant talents from this side of the world on a more global scale.”

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

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5 Takeaways from Davido’s ‘A Better Time’

Posted on by The Native

Barely a year after the release of his highly-anticipated sophomore album ‘A Good Time’, Davido hits back with his third studio LP ‘A Better Time’, a remarkable feat in afropop’s sonic terrain – where singles once ruled and dictated longevity in the music market for decades. For an artist like Davido, who had previously only released two albums in his career, dominating instead with chart-toping singles every year, releasing this ‘AGT‘ follow-up in such quick succession is a remarkable rarity; but in a year as unprecedented as the one we’ve had, Davido doing the unexpected doesn’t come as much of a shock at all.

With cross-Atlantic features from Sho Madjozi to Nicki Minaj, Young Thug to Mayorkun, Nas to Lil Baby, from Chris Brown to CKay, and more, ‘A Better Time’ is evidently a glitzy afropop record slathered with a range of global genres, such as R&B, South African house, hip-hop, reggae, folk music and more. The 17-piece affair, which clocks in at 55 minutes, just shy of the 1 hour mark, is a brisk expression of the singer’s tumultuous year. Through cancelled concerts, a global pandemic, rumours about his public and private life, Davido emerges victorious doing what he does best: serving up joyous party anthems.

In a recent interview with NY Times, the singer shared: “One thing about Africans – rich or poor, happy or sad – is that no matter what the situation going on in your country, you always find a reason to smile and just be happy. We [African people] always like to celebrate and ‘A Better Time’ is that outlet to be free, be happy, and hopeful for a better future.” And it’s evidently his hope to celebrate and express himself, no-holds-barred, that translates on ‘A Better Time’. From the incredible production to the penchant for romantic songs, Davido was definitely in his bag for this one. The project may not be his magnum opus, but it sure does leave some lasting impressions. Below are my five takeaways while listening to the project.

 

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The production is FYE!

For the last few years, Davido has been one of the artists reshaping the sound of afropop. On ‘A Better Time’, he takes things up a notch by seamlessly blending the percussive sonics of afropop with hip-hop, R&B and more, playing with sounds that buoyantly couch the stellar verses from his international collaborations. It suffices to say that nothing sounds amiss on the project, not when Davido is plunging listeners into his familiar amped-up party jams, nor when he’s delving into his romantic R&B bag on numbers like “Jowo”, which mirrors previous hits “Fall” and “Assurance”.

The Young Thug and Chris Brown-assisted “Shopping Spree” (produced by Masterdon) is one of the project’s sweet spots, evoking the euphoric feeling of a knife cutting through warm butter. The enchanting beat is masterfully mixed to accommodate Young Thug’s passive drawl and even includes moments of Davido’s famed throaty shouts. Then the groovy “Tanana” emerges with Tiwa Savage’s melodious vocals, replete with Kiddominant’s familiar bounce, whilst Blaise Beats angelic guitars and bass on “La La” brings a kinetic energy to the up-tempo number.

Davido is still a lover boy

Back in 2019 when Davido sang “When I look into your eyes, all I see is your waist”, we all thought nothing could possibly top this iconic pickup line, but Davido has proved us wrong yet again. On the Mugeez-assisted “Mebe”, he wittily compares his woman to the law of physics (perhaps hinting at her irresistible attraction). Singing “Girl with this your body physique, e go make man study physics”, Davido shows that he’s not done with his hilarious, and sometimes outrageous comparisons. ‘A Better Time’ is at its best an undying declaration of love, and Davido sings about it in all its forms: from deep romantic love to casual flings, quick crushes, as well as the love for friends and family.

The biggest clue that ‘A Better Time’ aims to celebrate the love in his life lays not in the singles with dead giveaways in their titles such as “Heaven”, “Very Special” and “Holy Ground”, but actually in the project’s cover image which sports an affectionate image of the singer and his son with fiancé Chioma Rowland. Unveiled two days before the album’s release, Davido had sent out a tweet reading ‘OBO Jnr makes his debut today’, a proud dad moment that we all collectively cherished. We’ve literally watched acts like Davido and Wizkid (also a proud dad) grow up in the music scene, and seeing this wholesome embrace of familial love publicly has been most pleasing to me.

Davido is a BARB! All hail Ms Minaj

The Barbz (Nicki Minaj’s loyal fanbase) are some of the fiercest stans known to man, competing closely only with Beyoncé’s famed Bey Hive. Ms. Minaj is one of the most talented, beautiful, rich, and successful rappers of all time, so it’s no surprise that her fans are the loudest on social media, flying to her aid whenever the Nicki hate radar goes off. So, to find out that Davido, one of the biggest afropop stars at the moment, is a Barb is a moment most unexpected to me.

Not a drill, it is still hard to believe that Davido and Nicki Minaj have a song together. As if that weren’t gift enough, it is flames! Though the collaboration was trailed by hype when it was first teased, “Holy Ground” actually leaked a few days before the release of ‘A Better Time’, a moment that sent all of social media into a frenzy. Thankfully, the leak didn’t cause any adverse effects to the album’s release. In fact, “Holy Ground” is currently the highest-charting of all the songs on ‘A Better Time’, having already reached #1 on the Worldwide iTunes chart. Someone pinch me. Yeah, they’re going to have to wake me up from the grave cause currently typing from the afterlife. Dem ded. Y’all be easy.

The man has a lot of friends

On “I Got A Friend” featuring Mayorkun and Sho Madjzoi, Davido says “Okay I’m here to introduce to you a couple of my friends, and I want you guys to know who they are right now” before lunging into a groovy amapiano record that endlessly lists out his numerous friends: AB Kush, Tiny, Daddy, Latti, Tycoone, Dangote, Dami, Pop Smoke, E Cool, DJ Olu and many more. But beyond the names he remembers to list out on this standout track, the album’s star-studded guest list, which is more populated than 2019’s ‘A Good Time’, boasts of the many friends Davido has made in the industry.

In interviews, Davido has been very vocal about how many of the features came about, particularly the international ones. Nicki Minaj was secured through an Instagram DM on a drunk night out; he ran into Nas at a bathroom while in LA, which led to a studio session by the end of the night, and a music video not long after; and he’s now received congratulatory tweets from both Lil Baby and Nas who fondly referred to him as ‘bro’. Clearly, Davido has the most enviable friends list at the moment and nothing can stand between him and this moment.

Of Lay Lay

It would be disingenuous if I didn’t mention how Mayorkun killed his features on ‘A Better Time’. The man is already skyrocketing into GOAT status and his appearances on not one, but two songs on this project is proof enough of his sauce. A Davido and Mayorkun hit is not uncommon. Between the two artists, they both share undeniable jams such as “Betty Butter”, “Bobo”, “On God” and more, but on ‘A Better Time’, they completely flip the switch and deliver some of their best collaborations to date. Already being compared as synonymous to the high felt from hearing Lil Wayne’s lighter flick, Mayorkun’s signature introduction might just be a contender for the hardest tag of the year. Many are already calling for his album next but whether he indulges or not, this man deserves his flowers right away!

Featured image credits/Uziii

.@tamimak_ Is a Staff Writer at The NATIVE. Tweet me your takeaways from ‘A Better Time’.

ICYMI: Davido is back to show us why he’s a quintessential popstar

NATIVE Premiere: Psiv links up with Espiquet for angsty drill anthem “Gangland”

Posted on by The Native

Though drill music first originated in the famed southside of Chicago, it has since spread its sonic reach into other parts of the world, rubbing elbows closely with other genres and cultures, and adapting to the homegrown sounds wherever it settles. Now, the genre has been adapted into various musical enclaves in Africa, from Nigeria to South Africa, and most especially in Ghana where ‘Kumerica‘ has taken on a life of its own in the burgeoning drill scene.

So it follows that for his latest single this year, UK-based Nigerian artist Psiv would tap into the gritty sounds of South African rapper and Fresh Meat alum Espiquet for a charged-up drill anthem that sees both artists on their best form. Psiv makes his first official foray into drill, after dabbling in afroswing for much of his earlier releases, however, within the confines of drills rhythmic snares, Psiv’s focus turns towards addressing the grim reality of Nigerian youths.

 

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Opening up with a swelling up-tempo beat produced by A2RBeats, “Gangland” welcomes you immediately to what is termed as the “mad land“,  the dialling code +234 is used to symbolise his home country Nigeria where corruption, bribery, violence, police brutality, and government impunity are at an all-time high. Taking the lead on the new number, Psiv expresses his anger about his country, mirroring a frustration many young Nigerians currently feel in the aftermath of the End SARS protests. In “Gangland”, there are no rules and everyone is on guard and to survive, he’s had to stay ready to pattern the opps as they rise up against him, as he rises up.

Espiquet joins Psiv on the song’s second verse, his flow arresting and menacing. In our last conversation with the rapper, he shared that though the year may have stalled his travel plans, he’s lucky to be able to travel through the internet – his online proximity to the attacks in Nigeria over the past month has also riled him up toward demanding change.

Speaking to NATIVE about the release, Psiv shared that:

“Gangland mirrors the not so glam parts of the Nigerian reality. Living through the madness, and being socialised to ignore insanity. At so many different levels, we see the country being run like a cartel; at government, and even in normal society. We see government officials use state agencies to intimidate people, we see notable people in society use state agencies to intimidate victims. I made the song in August, and seeing the protests in October, it was like a self-fulfilling prophecy so releasing it now is my way of showing what’s happening here and fuelling each and every one of us to keep going.”

You can listen to “Gangland” exclusively on NATIVE below.

Featured image credits/Psiv

.@tamimak_ Is a Staff Writer at The NATIVE

ICYMI: Get familiar with drill music from the African continent

Less than a year later, Davido might be back to show us why he’s the quintessential pop star

Posted on by The Native

Seven years and four months. That’s how long it was between Davido’s debut album, ‘Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis’, and his sophomore album, ‘A Good Time’. Contrast that duration with the eleven months and nineteen days it will take the juggernaut to follow-up with his third studio LP, ‘A Better Time’, out this Friday. Considering how long it took for a second album, not too many people would have predicted a full-length return less than a year, but 2020 has been a year to expect the unexpected, and a Davido album will undoubtedly be one of the more pleasant surprises.

Like the rest of the world, Davido was forced to slow down, following global movement restrictions to combat the rapid spread of the ongoing pandemic. In March, when the U.S. began to impose lockdown rules, the singer was in the middle of a tour supporting ‘AGT’, which was effectively cancelled as soon as it was clear that there would be no live shows for an indefinite period. The cancellation of these shows helped in redirecting all of Davido’s energy towards ‘ABT’, an album that was already in the works and was initially rumoured to be due sometime in the summer of 2020.

To the regular bystander, it might seem as though Davido is intent on moving on quickly from ‘AGT’, which may not have been a good omen in the past. In NATIVE‘s Issue 002 cover story, Davido told us that his 2016 EP, ‘Son of Mercy’, “shit”, which was symbolic of the uneven reception it received and the speed with which the singer’s abandoned the project for his Back to Basics phase. Unlike ‘SOM’, though, Davido’s sophomore was the culmination of his renewed reign as one of African music’s premier, perennial superstars, a run that tracks back to the “IF”, “Fall” and “FIA” string of hits in 2017.

Without a doubt, Davido delivered on his promise, crafting and delivering an album that turned out both critically and commercially acclaimed. Critically, the album was well-received upon release, and it was widely lauded for its consistently great production choices and sonic cohesion. “Davido curates a buoyant, unsinkable record, one of the genre’s (afropop) finest ever”, Sheldon Pearce wrote in his excellent review published by longstanding music publication, Pitchfork. It’s the sort of lofty praise that’s reserved for a classic album, or at least an album with the potential of being called classic in the near future.

Although I haven’t given much thought to whether or not to regard it as a classic, revisiting ‘AGT’ on multiple occasions in the near-year since it was released has only reinforced my opinion that it is Davido’s opus. The 17-song set collects everything great about Davido as a compelling performer and songwriter into a finely aggregated album, one that could only be achieved years of experience and a strong artistic vision. It doesn’t cover much ground, thematically speaking, but with the assistance of an army of enlisted writers, ‘AGT’ focuses on what Davido does best: make catchy bops.

From the controlled chaos of “Sweet in the Middle”, which oddly but successfully paired the velvet-voiced WurlD with Naira Marley and Zlatan, to the slinky groove of “Green Light Riddim”, ‘AGT’ is an outstanding portrait that captures what Davido represents at his core: a pop star. While they worked well within the album format, even the “deep cuts” on ‘AGT’ comfortably had the potential to be big singles if they got adequate promotion. Of course, being one of the biggest artists around, no Davido release would fly under the radar, but he’s fashioned himself into a savant of hit songs, and he had no shortage of them on ‘AGT’. I mean, this is an album with over a billion streams and counting.

With its reception and undeniable success—as well as the impact of Covid-19—it’s difficult to feel like Davido is doing ‘AGT’ a disservice by dropping ‘A Better Time’ less than a year later, especially when you consider that the new album is being marketed as a sequel to the sophomore. Much like its predecessor, there’s very little to project that ‘ABT’ will have any other concept except reflecting the great life Davido is currently living. Earlier this week, the singer unveiled the tracklist for the album, revealing a star-studded line-up of international guests including Nas, Young Thug, Nicki Minaj and more. It’s representative of an artist who has gone beyond living the good life he extolled on his previous body of work.

‘ABT’ also pulls in features from a continental cohort that includes Sauti Sol, Mugeez, Mayorkun and more, providing further proof that Davido has his feet firmly planted at home, even with his global-facing agenda. Above all, though, every indicator points to an album that reflects Davido’s obsession with dishing out hits. Lead single “FEM” became a protest chant during the #EndSARS protests, a song that was clearly crafted to be a silencing screed aimed at haters, generally speaking, and a scarcely veiled rival, to be more specific. Its instant ubiquity and eventual, unwitting use is testament to Davido’s ability to turn anything he sings in that gritty voice, into something memorable.

In his viral interview with Bounce Radio Live, hosted by Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, I lost count of how many times Davido quipped that he had a boatload of hits in the tuck. Usually, having a single-track mind to only make hits—hits that have afropop at their core, to be more specific—can be harmful to artists, but not Davido. While he’s known to work his singles through traditional (radio & TV) and digital channels, it barely ever seems like he’s trying to force his way into a hit. In fact, the more experimental he gets, the more he flounders. He thrives on being supremely proficient at who he is, a pop star who makes music for mass consumption.

‘A Better Time’ is bound to benefit from the innate understanding and use of Davido’s quintessential pop superstar qualities. With ‘AGT’, he figured out how to curate an album which didn’t dampen his rep as a premium singles artists. This upcoming album is set to be the second act of that showcase; he’s done it before, there’s little to prove he can’t do it again on a bigger and better level.

Pre-save ‘A Better Time’ here.

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

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