The evolution of gospel music in Nigeria

Posted on by The Native

As the Afropop movement takes on the world, topping charts and gaining international accolades, Nigerian gospel is doing the same. Culture Journalist, Ify Obi guides us through the evolution of Nigerian gospel music, from its birth, to its global appeal, and beyond. 

A little while ago, a video of DaBaby and his daughter having a father-daughter moment sent Nigerian twitter into a frenzy. As sweet as the video was, what caught everyone’s attention was the song by popular Nigerian gospel music singer, Agatha Moses, playing in the background. Upon hearing that song, as I’m sure it did most Nigerian-bred Twitter folk who watched the clip, a rush of previously locked memories came streaming through my consciousness. I recalled waking up on Saturday mornings to the voices of Tope Alabi or Chioma Jesus knowing that I had a long day of chores ahead, or the funny choreographies we did to Darrell Evans’ “I’m Trading My Sorrow” and Infinity Music Group’s “Olori Oko” while wearing the infamous white lace gloves with socks to match. Gospel music has always been informative in our collective Nigerian socio-cultural experience and will continue to be so, after all, the Nigerian Christian community accounts for the largest Christian population in the continent. 

As much as gospel music is a diverse Christian music genre, it is also an intricate part of popular culture. Today, gospel isn’t bound to the walls of the church, though having its roots there – you are every bit as likely to listen to a choral rendition of a song like Midnight Crew’s “Igwe” at church as you are to dance to it at a wedding party. Chances are, you’ve probably already done so. In the face of life’s uncertainties, the feelings of helplessness associated with living in Nigeria, and the ever-present socio-economic hardships, gospel music provides a sense of relief for the average Nigerian; the genre vocalises our longing that one day, these circumstances of life will change. It has never mattered what language the songs are performed in or whether or not we understand them, the message – of love, hope, and faith – is (and always will be) felt deeply. 

The Formative Years

Gospel music in Nigeria dates back to the 16th century. At this time, the Portuguese catholic missionaries arrived in the ancient Benin kingdom for their evangelical mission, and with their arrival came the introduction of liturgical music. This music was often unaccompanied and contained very limited tunes, so it did not fare well with the people. What would, however, form the basis of what we now know today as Nigerian gospel music began to take form until the 19th century. The coming of the UK based Church Missionary Society (CMS) created wide-spread evangelism across Nigeria and choral music was introduced. Not long after, a Nigerian version was born out of a style and rhythm that was unique to the rich culture of its indigenous listeners, pioneered by Reverend Josiah J. Ransome-Kuti (grand-father of Fela Ransome-Kuti), who, as church organist of the St. Peter Church, Ake, Abeokuta, fused choral music with Yoruba and new rhythmic structures. 

A total of 43 tracks were recorded when Reverend Ransome-Kuti was invited to the United Kingdom in 1922 to record an album for his compositions. Some of these recordings became standards, such as “Egbe Awon Angeli”, “Oyigi Yigi Olorun Wa”, “Jesu Oba Alaanu”. Today, Ransome-Kuti is regarded as the father of Nigerian gospel music and is credited as the first Nigerian to record an album. In the same vein, chorister and composer, Ikoli Harcourt-Whyte was the first person to create choral music in Igbo language in the 1930s. 

By the ‘50s and ‘60s, the trend of incorporating traditional music forms with choral music quickly grew in popularity and spread wide across Nigeria. Soon enough, traditional instruments began being implemented, and it didn’t stop there. Gospel music artists continued to evolve the genre through the decades – from the folk and country-inspired Karis Band of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (the ‘70s) to Kris Okotie’s pop-to-gospel conversion (the ‘80s). Then, with the rise of the new generation of American ‘90s gospel stars (Kirk Franklin; The Winans), Nigerian gospel music set itself on a new course. Modelling their music after the American legends, the emergence of Nigerian gospel artists such as Sam Okposo, Tope Alabi, and Broda Martyns, spread the gospel beyond the congregation. From there, Nigerian gospel music gained listenership outside the church and began establishing itself as a crucial part of the Nigerian music industry at large.

Taking on the World

There is clearly a growing space for Nigerian music in the global music market right now. As the Afrobeats movement takes on the world, topping charts and gaining international accolades, Nigerian gospel is doing the same, albeit in its own way.

The global growth of the Afropop movement was mainly reliant on the rise of internet culture, evolution of digital technology, and the age of DSPs such as YouTube, SoundCloud, and Apple Music. Gospel, on the other hand, always had an invaluable edge: the international expansions of Nigerian Pentecostal churches and communities. From The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) to Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministry (MFM) many Pentecostal denominations have, over time, established communities in key countries around the world particularly the U.K and the United States. The international leap for Nigerian gospel music was a natural given.

In 2014, former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams sampled popular Nigerian praise song “When Jesus Say Yes” on her single “Say Yes” which featured other former Destiny’s Child members, Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland. Williams’ single was eventually ranked amongst the biggest gospel singles of the past decade by Billboard. Sinach’s 2015 single, “Waymaker”, recently spent 6 weeks at number 1 on Billboard’s Christian Songwriters Chart with over 120 million streams across different streaming platforms in the month of May 2019-2020. This came along after the song was covered by international gospel stars such as Bethel Music, Michael W. Smith, Mandisa, Leeland, Christafari, Mandisa, and Passion Worship Band. 

Similarly, fellow Loveworld Records (owned by Christ Embassy Church) artist and contemporary singer-songwriter, Frank Edwards released a joint EP in 2016 with one of gospel music’s most respected figures, Don Moen. “My crossover into the international market started when I collaborated with Grammy-nominated artist Micah Stampley” Frank Edwards explained to me over a text message. 

“The church I attend, Christ Embassy, already had a clear global presence, as sermons were broadcast around the world. So when you step on that stage, you minister to a worldwide audience.

But you see, The Experience Concert gave me a chance to meet some of the people who already knew me. People like Don Moen and Travis Greene. The Experience Concert kind of brought us together.”

When American gospel music heavyweight, Travis Greene, described The Experience concert as the “largest Christian music concert in the world,” he wasn’t too far from the truth. It might not be marketed as one of the major ‘Detty December’ activities in Lagos but The Experience concert does pack a punch. In 2017, the annual Lagos-held free concert reportedly drew a staggering 700,000 attendees to the historic Tafawa Balewa Square, with millions viewing online across the globe.  

Established in 2006 by House On The Rock Cathedral Senior Pastor, Paul Adefarasin, The Experience has, since its inception, given a home to a number of emerging and established artists alike. Coming at a time when there weren’t many platforms dedicated to the growth of gospel artists, The Experience Concert has played a prominent role in the crossover of many local talents into the international gospel market.  

“As a result of the vast improvement in quality, several gospel songs now compete favourably with secular music, oftentimes debuting at the number one spot on music charts.

Before now, American gospel songs were the norm in our services. Today, our indigenous songs are favourites in many American Churches.” 

Pastor Adefarasin explained during a press conference in the wake of the 2018 edition. He, however, stated “While we do not take all the credit for the growth of the gospel industry, we are proud to say that The Experience has played a very prominent role in this regard. The socio-economic impact of this mammoth occasion is evident and lends credence to scriptures in the Psalms which attest that God blesses and causes the earth to yield its increase to His people whenever He inhabits their praises.”

Now, many local talents compete favourably alongside their international counterparts as they carve their own spaces in the global market.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufh5tfdKw6I

The Contemporary Face of Nigerian Gospel Music

The year may be 2020, but the Nigerian music industry still remains heavily male-dominated. You can comfortably count on one hand the number of women who are slightly in the reigns and even at that these women rarely receive as much recognition or visibility as male musicians do. However, the same can hardly be said of its gospel sub-genre. Speaking on the cultural impact of the gospel music industry, it is difficult to overlook the influence of its women. I mean if there is any doubt, you can take a look back at the beginning of this story. 

In the gospel music industry, women are seen to be the leading figures, and this goes beyond the music, as women often assume positions of authority, for example, Bola Are and Funmi Aragbaye who have both served as National Presidents of the Gospel Musicians’ Association of Nigeria. Not only are these women highly influential, they also enjoy longevity in their careers. We have all been listening to songs by Tope Alabi and Chioma Jesus for most of our lives, yet, they are still very much present in the industry and show no signs of slowing down. They presently co-exist and reign supreme alongside the likes of newer names like Mercy Chinwo, Sinach, Nikki Laoye, Ada Ehi, and an even newer crop of gospel artists diversifying the landscape. 

“For too long, Nigerians have put gospel music in a box creatively. They believe if it doesn’t sound like Nathaniel Bassey, Tim Godfrey, or Mercy Chinwo then it isn’t spiritual” 

So believes Timi Kei, a young artist whose music blends soul and rap with spiritual lyrics. 

Like a newly-formed butterfly finding its way out of the cocoon, gospel music in Nigeria is steadily breaking free of traditional stylistic limitations and is soaring to new heights. Today, its leading artists incorporate the forms of other popular music genres like pop, jazz, rock, r&b, rap, and even afropop in their music; though not without a few criticisms. Purists are of the opinion that the gospel community is conforming to the ideals of secularism in order to appeal to larger audiences for financial gain. 

“This is one of the reasons I decided to refer to myself as a Christian who makes music as opposed to a gospel artist. I strongly believe there is nothing wrong with a gospel artist adopting any secular music style as long as the message is being passed to a broader audience,”

Timi Kei continues.

Regardless of such criticisms, the contemporary gospel community continues to hold its place, and to the Glory of God, it shan’t be backing down. 

Featured Image Credits: House On The Rock Church/Instagram

Ify talks and writes about culture all day. Tweet her your hot takes @IfyObi_

ICYMI: THE ART OF USING MUSIC AS A FORM OF PRAYER

Watch the uplifting video of Nissi’s “Ignite”

Posted on by The Native

Back in July, Spaceship Entertainment singer, Nissi, released her debut project, a seven-track EP that brought refreshingly positive high notes to the year. 2020 has been dire, to say the least, but Nissi’s ‘Ignite‘ offered us a soundtrack to let our hair down to, basking in the pop glory the rising star offered up for our ears to devour. Telling NATIVE that this project, and her music on the whole, is intended to reveal bit by bit who Nissi really is, ‘Ignite‘ set off with a proud proclamation of her happy demeanour, the title track explaining how music, her music eases the stress and pressures of the harsh world.

Directed by Mollana Burke for JM Films, the freshly released music video for “Ignite”, illustrates the joy that the track, and its gleeful crooner exude. Showing off her footwork through a picturesque catwalk of hedgerows as she sings, “As soon as I step in the building you know it’s about that time, ’bout the time to ignite your life“, the “Ignite” video brings to life Nissi’s assertion that dance is the right medicine for pain. Emphasising the healing bond of friendship, “Ignite” depicts three women leaving stressful situations, finding themselves happy and at peace as they dance with their friends, one of whom of course, is Nissi.

Though “Ignite” is definitely a feel-good pop bop, the record bears more meaning than just ‘have a blast’. Speaking with us last month, Nissi revealed that she always aims to add value to the world with her music, saying:

“For me, music is not about the popular phrase of ‘I just caught a vibe’, the real skill is being able to say something that people can understand and enjoy easily. It helps when you constantly utilise music as a means to say something, whether it’s to yourself or to someone else.”

From this it is clear that “Ignite” is more than just a song to get hip to. Appreciating that there is “only so much that one can digest“, “Ignite” it’s is a means to defy the constant expectation to be war-ready in the battleground that has become our daily lives; it’s a timely suggestion of how to deal with stress, both internally and externally, in order to take care of our mental and physical wellbeing; “Ignite” is a big middle finger to the recurring pain that has been exacted on the world throughout the year.

Featured Image Credits: 

Wojumi Is A Bad Bitch And She’s Going To Brag About It. Tweet Her Your Latest Cultural Exploits @Dewoju

ICYMI: NATIVE EXCLUSIVE: NISSI HAS A LOT TO SAY, AND YOU’RE GOING TO LISTEN

NATIVE EXCLUSIVE: A friendly introduction to Cracker Mallo as a producer/artist

Posted on by The Native

“There’s always a recording session, so I have little time to myself to relax and do other stuff”, Cracker Mallo tells me over a Whatsapp voice note recording. He pauses for a second as if to underscore how much he’d like to do other stuff. This year alone, the Lagos-based producer has produced on projects from Fireboy DML, Olamide, Tiwa Savage, and more, all while still working on his own debut project as an artist/producer. The project, ‘A Friendly Introduction to Saund’ was only a few hours from its scheduled release date when we had our conversation, but he was still in the studio, working on new music. “I just can’t stop”, is the only explanation he offered.

He quickly laughs off the comment, but his shyness contradicts the sense of wonder he expressed repeatedly over the course of our conversation. Ayodeji Olowu, who many know as the producer, Cracker Mallo emerged as one of afropop’s most promising producers when Fireboy DML’s breakout single, “Jealous” became a hit in 2019. The song’s success led him to other Afropop tastemakers such as Tiwa Savage, Mayorkun, Slimcase, Mr Real, Dice Ailes, and more. And though producers are often seen as shadowy intermediaries in Nigeria’s music scene, Cracker Mallo has stood out with his distinctly festive instrumentals.  

Combining the upbeat bounce of street-hop with stunning percussions and synths, there’s a lingering sense that the beats he makes are the showpieces—no matter whose vocals are on them. After his production helped Olamide secure this year’s street anthem, “Wonma!” the young producer solidified his reputation as a hitmaker. But despite the growing support for his production, he remains convinced that he has the range to also be a celebrated artist. “It’s more rewarding to drop my own music”, he explained. “I’m still going to drop some more”.


The release of ‘A Friendly Introduction to Saund’ might be the start of Cracker’s career as a producer/artist, but straddling different talents has been a constant in his life from a young age. He spent his early years participating in different activities from dancing, singing to playing the drums, and conga and drawing. He was also the social prefect while in school, so he got to organise parties and even DJ in some of the parties held in his school. It was while DJing that he first realised his passion for music. “I get inspired to create all the time. It was when I started to DJ that I started to really enjoy music. Then I got the software and once I figured it out, there was no going back”, he recounts to me with utmost confidence. 

If a childhood spent exploring so many different talents seem usual, its peculiarity didn’t occur to Cracker Mallo. “The normal mentality in Nigeria is that you have to go to school and get a job before you can make money”, he explained. “They tell you that if you’re doing something else that is not in that line, then you’re taking a risk and not securing your future. So I had to do both school and production. It wasn’t easy because school had to suffer a bit, but I did it anyway.” His determination to always find creative ways to express himself shines through on all his buoyant productions that can either sound disarmingly off balance like on Olamide’s “Wonma” or harmonious like on Tiwa Savage’s “Dangerous Love”. Meanwhile, his exuberant sonic signature, “Saund!”, immediately makes all his tracks sound as inviting as a party.

One of the exciting things about afropop is that it innovates so rapidly that by the time you’ve got a handle on one style, everyone’s moved on to something else. However, Cracker Mallo has remained on top of all the different trends. He admits to me that his project had no unique direction besides highlighting the different angles his music can take. True to those words, the 5 tracks show Cracker’s production range with enchanting EDM harmonies, street-hop bangers and r&b bops. With each track embracing afropop’s dancehall elements that trigger involuntary head bopping, ‘A Friendly Introduction to Saund’ provides some welcome escapism in an era of lockdown. 

“When I make a beat, I’m trying to paint my emotions and the different sounds depict different intensities at different points. It all has to go together and it has to be full and interesting and cohesive and weird.” 

All the years of singing in the church also pay off on ‘A Friendly Introduction to Saund’ as he incorporates his vocals into his production. Backed by lush EDM harmonies, Cracker sings “Waiting/ Don’t keep me wait” on the opener, “Paradise”, filtering his vocals through auto-tune machines till it melts into the groove of the beat. He told me it was also his vocals that formed the Arabic-sounding drop on the Olamide-assisted track, “Palanshe” while he performed all the vocals on the closing track, “Do Better”. 

It’s a vulnerable introduction of Cracker Mallo as an artist, but one that reveals his dedication to pursuing a career as an artist, even while it seemed out of reach in Nigeria’s white collar focused society. Though Lagos has proven to be the most talent and entertainment friendly scene in the country with the music industry holding several music festivals and concerts to celebrate the culture, there are still challenges that even celebrated producers like Crack Mallo can’t avoid. 

“Everybody in Lagos seems like they’re on fast forward. It’s fun but at the same time it’s stressful because everyone is hustling and trying to chance everybody,” he told me. “It takes a lot to be able to grow. There were times when we didn’t have money for fuel, so we’d be in the studio, waiting for light. We’d have to wait for like 3 hours before we have light to start a session and then they’d take light after 30 minutes. Sometimes we’d get deals and it’d look promising and then it just doesn’t work out in the end. There has been a lot of challenges, but in the end, I’m happy.” 

Having won the City People Music Award for “Music Producer of the Year” and earning a nomination for Soundcity’s MVP Awards for “African Producer of the Year”, Cracker Mallo is finally seeing the results for his dedication to making music. With several hit songs to his name, he can explore more experimental sounds for his debut project and introduce us to his accomplished singing voice. The project shows that he isn’t just a producer, but a full blown artist in his own right. 

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/crackermallo
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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: Black is King’s Papi Ojo wants to do more than dance

Best New Music: With “No Stress”, Wizkid shows his maturity

Posted on by The Native

Wizkid has been teasing his forthcoming album ‘Made In Lagos’ for over three years now. During summer’s peak, ‘Made In Lagos‘ anticipation left fans in a gulf of uncertainty, as debate as to whether we’ll ever hear the album ever grew more and more valid. Matters weren’t made any better when the previously announced “July 16” release date, turned out to be the H.E.R-assisted “Smile”, instead of the full-length album touted to feature Burna Boy, Tems, Tay Iwar, Skepta, Ella Mai, Damien Marley and more.

With the release of his latest single, however, the original Starboy has assured us that the false starts are through. Along with “No Stress” came the album’s bright and hyperactive cover art and a pre-release appearance on streamers, indicating that, on October 15, we will finally hear the sounds that Wizkid ‘Made In Lagos‘ and beyond.

Track number eight on the forthcoming project – two songs down from the #MIL lead single, “Smile” – “No Stress” begins with four counts of the same breezy arpeggio, a surprisingly simple, soothing introduction to Wizkid’s equally as calming familiar vocals that confess his casual relationship status involving no stress.

The familiarity in Wizkid’s opening line doesn’t come from his delectable signature-sounding singing chops alone. The melody of his introduction, which turns out to be the heart of the track – it’s chorus – is reminiscent of Wizkid’s 2018 hit-collab with fellow Eagle, Skepta (who ironically released a song of the same title on Friday too, though his interpretation of “No Stress” sounds a little more gritty than Wiz’s sensual one). Reigniting the intonations he delivered on his “Energy (Stay Far Away)” chorus, “she tell me bad man, say I need your love,” Wizkid hones in on the parallel these two songs shares in their sentiments, affording the conclusion that he wants “bad energy [to] stay far away” because both this bad man and his “pretty pretty lady” don’t like stress. This is the bond that both Wizkid and his girl for the three-plus minutes of the record share, the fact they “no like no stress“.

Generous with his verses, Wizkid delivers an atypical (for these times) three verses over the track. Interpolating Amerie’s “1 Thing” on his third and final verse – where he shouts out black women from the Motherland, the Caribbean, and even South London – Wizkid’s second verse gets into a sung flow, as he repeats that he is the only one for his muse, a tone he set right from the top of the song where he sings favourably as about his independent woman whose “got her own but she needs some love.“

Crude in his lyrics, delivering his own version of the “suck and fuck” rhyme, Wizkid is the perfect man for his muse; he’s the only one that can make her feel love or feel warm, the only one that can relieve her stress, and likely because he is the only one that can make her cum. Though Wizkid brags a lot about his stamina and his dexterous oral muscle, he is just as much into having a good night as he is into treating his lady right. It is refreshing and tantalising to hear a male artist advocating for sexual equality in the bedroom as well as emotional maturity in relationship affairs.

Wizkid has been winning women over with his lyrical seduction since his “Tease Me” days. But over the years, as Wiz has matured, so has his growingly alluring vocals, boasting a seductively calm voice that narrates his grown-up intimate desires, adding more authenticity to his irresistible music. When it comes to “No Stress”, UK-based producer P2J (who boasts sprawling credits on Beyoncé’s ‘The Lion King: The Gift‘ album) uses his talents to forge the safe, sexy space that affords the type of encounter Wizkid narrates over the gyrating beat. P2J’s prowess is evident from the subtle details he weaves into “No Stress”, for example, in the background of his production, listeners can sense a muffled vocalising trooping through each bar, mocking the orgasmic sensation Wizkid repeatedly describes – and, for all music lovers, metaphorically imparts – on this song.

“No Stress” leaves listeners pulsing to the beat of Wizkid’s perfect modern love affair. It’s another W in the bag for Nigeria’s brightest star.

Featured Image Credits: Wizkid/Instagram

Wojumi Is A Bad Bitch And She’s Going To Brag About It. Tweet Her Your Latest Cultural Exploits @Dewoju

ICYMI: GEMS: A LIST OF THE BEST SONGS RELEASED THIS WEEK

Songs of the day: New music from The Cavemen, Eugy, Sir Dauda and Simi and more

Posted on by The Native

We’ve had music to fall back on through all the heartbreaking moments of 2020. Despite the ongoing pandemic, civil unrest, and the seemingly endless barrage of bad news, musicians have continued to capture our collective pop consciousness with new songs that either reflects our present reality or provide an escape from it. 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 ended last week’s curation for Songs of the Day with new music from; Kwesi Arthur, Simi and new collaborations from Alicia Keys and Diamond Platnumz, Darey and Patoranking, Bankuli and Congolese singer, Hiro, Leehis Jr, Shaun Mbah, Big Daddy Kave, Ictooicy and R¥DA, NSG, and more. To start the new week, Today’s curation for Songs of the Day features the latest releases The Cavemen, Skepta, L3 and Michael Phantom, Eugy, Toyé, Sir Dauda and Simi. You can enjoy them below.

The Cavemen – “Bena”

Though traces of highlife guitar riffs remain ingrained in the DNA of afropop, the genre is not quite the rave it used to be in the ’60s. Lagos-based brother duo, The Cavemen, however, are on a mission to reignite the spark of the historic guitar-led sound. Their impressive debut project, ‘ROOTS’ channelled the nostalgia of highlife as they narrated different romantic scenarios.

The band has now released the music video for one of the tape’s standout tracks, “Bena”, a captivating ode to a certain type of love. The Granville Wilson-directed video pays tribute to the band’s retro aesthetic with greenroom edits that are immediately reminiscent of music videos from the 70s. We also see cultural dancers reintroduced, while we see some of the lyrics being dramatised, as one of the band members tries to woo a love interest who’s only interested in money.

Skepta x L3 x Michael Phantom – “No Stress”

Skepta seems to have developed a fond relationship with the Essie Gang since he featured on the remix of Octavian’s “Bet”. His latest release, “No Stress” sees him teaming up with two other Essie Gang members, L3 and Michael Phantom as he flexes his production chops and delivers threats to his opps; “Kill your bloodclat tell that pussy don’t stress”.

L3’s lyrics also echoed Skepta’s threatening intentions despite his auto-tuned and melodic vocals. Phantom’s cocky bars come in at closing verse as they all rap over the menacing instrumentals. The video produced by BrathaBratha mirrors the edginess of the song with blurry frames and spooky lights. Though “No Stress” has the same title as Wizkid’s latest single, the two songs antithetical as Wizkid appeal to love and romance while Skepta wants the head of his haters.

Eugy – “Forever”

Eugy released his latest project, ‘4 Play’ with the accompanying video for the opening title-track, “4 Play”. The cryptic ending of the video hinted that there will be more videos to give a more wholesome picture for the romantic-themed project. True enough, he just released the video for the tape’s second track, “Forever”, where he sings praises of his love interest over whine-friendly afropop beats produced by Janeson records Hamadoo.

The video  Gabriella Kingsley and Luke Biggins directed for “Forever” continues from 3 months from when the video for “4 Play” was set in. The relationship with his muse from the older video seemed as though he had been cheating on his main girl, however with this one, we now we see them together at parties with his friends. The video for “Forever” also ends on a cliff hanger, when both women meet at the party and we expect to see more drama in the coming videos from Eugy.

Toyé – “Attitude Remix” Feat. Jada Kingdom

Atlanta-based Nigerian singer, Toyé offered an impressive dancefloor-ready tune for his 2019 debut, “Attitude”. Now, to keep the momentum going from the attention garnered for the song, Toyé has just released a Jada Kingdom-assisted remix that adds a welcome touch of a woman to the love song.

Jada Kingdom is a Jamaican singer and her contribution to “Attitude Remix” introduces the steamy sensibilities of reggaeton to the romantic song. Saying “Go0d punani make me get the bling/ You dey man it so well/ I will give you loving plenty”, her sexually provocative lyrics make the song fitting to sex playlists, while also blurring the lines between the Caribbean and African dancehall culture. It’s a late entry, but “Attitude Remix” deserves to feature on summer playlists.

Sir Dauda – “Woman” Feat. Simi

Thanks to his guest feature contribution to songs from artists like Show Dem Camp, LadiPoe, Falz and more, Sir Dauda already had a recognisable voice before he released “Landlord”, his debut single under Bahd Guys Records. Though the single’s egotistic lyrics betrayed his soft voice, the singer has now shared his debut project, ‘Love Ex Machina’, taking a more sensitive approach with the 4 new songs contained in the 5-track EP.

Sir Dauda has now released the music video for one of the tape’s standout tracks, “Woman”, where he confesses his affectionate feelings for women; “This is love/ This is love that I’m feeling”. Directed by Dammy Twitch the video shows Sir Dauda seated on a throne with his muse, while Simi performs alone in a studio set. The video captures the song’s dreamy harmonies through ethereal glitch effects and fanciful costumes.

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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 unforgettable music releases from last week

Looks like we’re getting a Nigerian version of ‘Love Island’

Posted on by The Native

If Big Brother Naija has shown us anything for the past two months, it’s that Nigerians love reality shows and the drama that comes with them. For the past two months, a significant portion of the populace have been, as expected, glued to the ongoing fifth season of the show, and while this is now the norm for the well-established BBNaija brand, it’s also an indicator that the country is a potential hotspot for many entertaining reality show formats.

Over the weekend, word got out that the UK-originated reality show, “Love Island”, will be coming to Nigeria very soon, as the format of the show has now been acquired by Nigerian-based media and entertainment network, Digital Play, from its original producers, UK-based ITV studios. The executive chairman of Digital Play, Toyin Subair, publicised the news via his Instagram account, stating that the deal was announced during the ITV Studios Fall Festival that took place last week.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFUtvViFlpP/?igshid=3izrqc8o6mgw

After its successful reboot in 2015, “Love Island” quickly became a hit initially amongst viewers in the UK, before going to gather audiences across the world. With this level of success, the dating reality series has gone on to become an international franchise, spawning offshoots in over a dozen countries including the U.S, Australia, Sweden and more. Nigeria and Spain are the latest countries to co-opt the “Love Island” title and format.

Last summer, the timeline collectively watched the series’ 5th season every night, and together we fawned over the drama in the villa which housed two British-Nigerian contestants: Yewande Biala and Ovie Soko. Earlier on in the year, before the ‘rona turned the world upside down, we also enjoyed the likes of British-Ghanaian Leanne Manning and Michael Boateng who brought an extra layer of entertainment to the house. There is no doubt that with an exclusively Nigerian or African cast, the show is bound to be even more exciting than we know it to be.

There’s no certain date as to when the first season of “Love Island: Nigeria” will go into production and begin to air, however, it is definite that it will air on Lagos-based television station TVC, for terrestrial, and on 9 Vision Media for digital. Since the news got on Twitter, the potential—or inevitable—drama of a Nigerian version of “Love Island” has got many excited, resulting in a lot of jokes and excited reactions filling up the timeline. Check out some of the reactions below.

https://twitter.com/1ansong_/status/1307690095336656896?s=09

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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter

HOT TAKES: DAVIDO’S FEM, KIDDERICA, THE YEAR OF GAIA & CUPPY SZN

Nike unveils new jersey kit for Nigeria’s Super Eagles & Super Falcons

Posted on by The Native

The success of Nigeria’s 1995-themed Nike jersey at the 2018 World Cup has allowed Nike to continue incorporating national history and cultures into their jersey designs. To commemorate the New York Fashion Week back in February, the sportswear giant unveiled a new set of jerseys for Nigeria, USA and Korea. The jerseys celebrate the federations’ distinctive attributes with highly differentiated collections that also highlight Nike’s 65 chassis options across varying necklines, sleeves, cuffs, badge placement, etc.

For its new design, Nike gave Nigeria’s nostalgia-influenced 2018 jersey a more culturally immersive makeover, with hand-drawn prints and a colour scheme that resonates with the national flag. The new Nigerian national team jersey didn’t only take on a new look, as science is the core of Nike’s design process. The design team leveraged 4D visualization tools to bring the product to life, after capturing data on more than 300 footballers and football-specific movements. The result of the precision knitting is a kit that is 55% faster wicking, 13% more breathable and with 10% more stretch than Nike’s previous kits.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8Mt–tHmhE/

In putting it together, the Nike crew collaborated with a creative team of fashion and culture tastemakers from Nigeria. NATIVE spoke to Teezee, one of the creative minds behind the design research and he told us his contribution to the creative process. “I worked with Grace Ladoja, Rukky Ladoja and Bubu Isigo on this project, from the inception of the ideas to the end. We essentially did all the research on the textiles traditionally used in Nigeria, trying to get them incorporated into the new kit.” He also explained that the jersey isn’t about getting a better version of the successful 2018 kits. “It’s about introducing new innovation with local-inspired techniques for these new ones.”

This is the 3rd time Nike is unveiling new national team jerseys for Nigeria since they became official kit sponsors of the National Football Federation (NFF) in April 2015. Ahead of international friendlies in October, the NFF has now officially unveiled the new kit as the country’s national jersey for both the Super Eagles (male team) and Super Falcons (female team), from 2020 till 2022. In addition to the NFF announcement, several Nigerian footballers have come on social media to flaunt the new jersey and other additional threads.

Take a look at some of them below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/ng_supereagles
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ICYMI: The NATIVE partners with Nike to launch limited edition Ile jersey

Gems: A list of the best songs released this week

Posted on by The Native

Every Weekend, The NATIVE Will Put Out A List Detailing The Best And Most Enjoyable Songs Released During The Week.

With The Scope Widening And Music Dropping At An Immeasurable Pace, It’s Easy To Miss Out On A Lot Of New Drops, So We’ve Decided To Help Out, By Collating A List Of The Best Hip-Hop, Pop, R&B Songs From All Over The Continent. Our Main Goal With This List Is To Make Finding Great Music Of The Moment Easier For You.

Tyler ICU & Nicole Elocin – “Bella Ciao” (feat. Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa)

It might be a little too on the nose, but describing Money Heist as a global phenomenon is very fitting. Since its third season, the Spanish, Netflix original TV series has become a worldwide event. Noticeably, the show has served as the Trojan horse for the renewed popularity of the Italian folk protest song, “Bella Ciao”, originally composed by frustrated women who had to do back-breaking work in rice fields in the late 19th century, then modified and adopted as the anthem of the Italian anti-fascist resistance in the 1940s.

“Bella Ciao” has been covered a lot of times, but it’s seen a huge resurgence in pop culture, with recent reimagining of the classic coming from artists as disparate as EDM savant Steve Aoki and Algerian singer Chibane. Tyler ICU and Nicole Elocin are the latest to reimagine “Bella Ciao”, using Amapiano as the framing sound to pay dutiful and playful homage to the classic composition. The South African producer-singer duo recently released a joint project titled ‘Money Heist’, a collection of mostly original songs (they cover Elaine’s “Risky” as well) that is carried by the impressive dynamic between the two artists and their slew of featured guests. The best song on the 13-song set depends on who you ask, however, the cover of “Bella Ciao” is undeniably a defining and instantly memorable moment on the project.

Left to their own devices, Tyler and Nicole tilt their efforts towards the jazzy side, with Nicole’s sweetly scented voice and preference for romantic themes smoothening things even further for r&b overtones. For “Bella Ciao”, though, they get grittier and groovier with assists from the Scorpion Kings, Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa, resulting in a high octane banger that will trigger the Vosho or any number of animated dance moves. Sailing over a pulsating synth line and lush piano strings, Nicole repeatedly sings the first stanza of modified version, while chopped chants fills a significant amount of the negative space, adding a trance-like effect that makes the song also perfect for raves. Considering how literal it is, Tyler and Nicole manage to pull off a remarkable and enjoyable cover, readjusting the urgency of the original words into a chant of optimism.

Veen – “The Skies”

Veen’s music sits at the intersection of familiar and gonzo. Across his delightful catalogue, the Port Harcourt-based rapper, producer and engineer has established a flair for grounding left-field choices with trap’s recognisable low end knock. Last week, he dropped his second solo EP, ‘On Impact’, comprising six excellently crafted songs that folded indelible hooks and succinct, quote-worthy lyricism into a colourful and impressionistic sonic canvas. On the final song, “The Skies”, Veen veers into drill a rollicking banger, imbuing the sound’s innate liveliness with his own flamboyant cool.

True to form, the self-production on “The Skies” is wonderfully twisted and meticulously layered, as he merges piano synths that beep and buzz with a lively and thumping percussion bassline. On the catchy hook, Veen raps about he and his team’s laser focus on getting to the bag, while also throwing in some raunchy, hedonistic lines. Similar to some of his best work, though, like last year’s “Race”, he hits patches of profundity that elevate the song’s thematic concept and add depth to his exuberant persona.

“You know the vibes, walking in silence like spies/open your eyes, they wanna be telling you lies/don’t be a sheep, elevate to the peak”, he raps at the end of his sole verse, showing his cleverness with the pen and throwing some meaningful advice. On one hand, “The Skies” will get your head nodding and shoulders rolling, on the other, it contains some food for thought that will stick you. Like they (sort of) say on social media, get you an artist that can do both.

Lola Rae – “Shower Me”

Lola Rae may have been flying under the radar for the past few years, but she’s now ready to make her return to the music scene. Her return on the scene comes with a sexy bang and from the looks of things, the singer is ready to prove that her comeback will be monumental. Her latest single, “Shower Me” is a catchy and delectable afropop offering, which finds her singing about being lavished excessively with dollar bills. Over the groovy percussive beat produced by Juls, she sings “Cause we rocking all night o/doesn’t mean you’re all mine” as she expresses her disdain for lovers who seek to waste her time while maintaining that the only thing that will keep her committed is an amorous lover willing to spray her with money.

In the accompanying Ray-Fiasco directed music video, her penchant for the finer things in life is on full display. Armed with an all-female cast, she shows off her luxurious lifestyle donned in fur coats and glamorous designer items to further push the song’s opulent message. After such a long time away from our hearts and ears, Lola Rae’s comeback is coupled with such a fun message and a bouncy beat that pretty much demands for one to start shaking their ass, and we couldn’t be more happier.

Sampa the Great – “Time’s Up Remix” featuring Junglepussy

Zambian-born, Melbourne-based MC Sampa the Great has shared a new remix of “Time’s Up” from her 2019 album ‘The Return’ and this time around, she’s enlisting help from American rapper, Junglepussy. The new version is a stripped back look at the single with more of a focus on the song’s lyrics where  they both chuck up a bold middle finger to the music industry about its racist ways.

In addition to the new remix, Sampa has launched a remix competition, encouraging “Black women and nonbinary people across the world to submit their best verse for “Time’s Up” The top two contestants will have the chance to appear on a new official remix, along with various other prizes. All proceeds from the “Time’s Up” remix go to Pola Psychology, a practice that “provides culturally responsive mental health care for African youth and musicians in their own community, by their own community.” It’s heartwarming seeing two black women carve out space for other women who look like them while speaking on a very important topic which matters in today’s world of global reckoning about the erasure, appropriation, and othering of black experiences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leQYni0ECK8

Tems – “Damages”

Tems’ flow is captivating. When she sings, she employs the effortless precision and skill of a seasoned artist and that is a testament to the strides she has been making since the release of “Mr Rebel” over two years ago. Today, she is celebrated as one of the most promising young voices from these parts, and with each new release, she constantly hits the nail on the head, putting the words to our romantic feelings in a way no one else can. Her latest single “Damages” continues her penchant for making music that hears us at our most base emotions as she soundtracks a kiss-off to a past lover.

Singing “I’m not what you need to be now, cuz I’m done with it now/No more damages now” over the song’s infectious hook, she sings passionately about finding the emotional strength to walk away from a love which no longer serves her, though she’s been hurt in the past, she’s no longer afraid to lose lovers as she was in her naïve ‘baby girl’ years. Beyond captivating us with the emotional depth of her songwriting, Tems delivers a cautionary message to anyone shrinking themselves to bend to a lover’s will, and with her strong, unshakeable voice, she reassures them that they, like her, will make it out of the turbulent relationship.

Tems has always spoken openly about her devotion to her fanbase, the Rebel Gang and this new release feels like a special message for those among them who may be hurting. In any case, she’s definitely endeared herself further to us and lured us (myself included) further into the Rebel Gang fandom. The delectable new number “Damages” leaves us pining for more as we await her debut project ‘For Broken Ears’ which is slated for release next Friday. Watch this space.

Simi – “No Longer Beneficial”

Simi is having a great year, following the success of her singles, “Duduke” and her contribution to Ladipoe’s “Know You”. Both songs showed her strength at making relatable songs with wide-spreading appeal; connecting with married folks and TikTok savvy teenagers. The singer has now released her new single, “No Longer Beneficial”, kicking off the rollout for her coming project, ‘Restless II’ with a theme song for women who aren’t looking for serious relationships.

Because conservative Nigerian society makes it seem like every woman’s goal is to find a man to start a family with, “No Longer Beneficial” speaks for the under-represented demography of women who are only trying to have fun with no strings attached. And though Simi’s marriage to Adekunle Gold means the song isn’t self-referential, she boldly embodies the carefree sentiment like she has lived it before. 

Singing “Why do you want a square to be a pentagon/ Maybe I’d be ready 2021” over the lightweight guitar-led beat produced by Sess, “No Longer Beneficial” is a compelling kissoff to men trying to lock her down into serious relationships. We won’t be surprised if this turns out to be another trendy song to soundtrack social media posts. 

DJ K3yz, Oxlade and Blaqbonez – “Mama”

Oxlade and Blaqbonez have reunited for a new collaboration, “Mama”, a tribute to maternal affection. The two first showed off the potency of their link-up on “Mamiwota”, a romantic bop that established both artists as part of the new generation of afropop hitmakers. Now, they’ve switched gears and the trap beat Focus Ramon produced for “Mama” has allowed them flex their versatility as they ditch the lightweight romance theme for expressing their sincere appreciation for their mothers.

Channelling hip-hop’s candid lyricism, the opening lyrics, “You think shit is funny?” introduces the sombre mood of the song. Each of the artists takes turns singing or rapping over the laidback beat as they describe their harsh reality, growing up in Nigeria and working to get paid. Oxlade’s trap soul contribution emphasizes how his mother motivates him to work harder to reach his goals and Blaqbonez’s closing rap verse echoed a similar sentiment as he brags about his fast cars while reminding listeners of his humble beginnings. With their melancholic melodies and lyrics, you can tell that they mean every word.

Featured Image Credits: NATIVE

Words by Dennis Ade-Peter, Tami Makinde & Debola Abimbolu

ICYMI: 8 albums you might have missed this year

Watch BOJ, Davido & Mr Eazi in the video for “Abracadabra”

Posted on by The Native

Because romance has proven to be the most effective theme for scoring radio hits in Nigeria’s club-driven music scene, there’s never a shortage of songs expressing desire, and BOJ’s reputation as one of Lagos’ prime playboys sets him up to deliver some of the best love songs we have. “Abracadabra” was released in August, featuring vocals from Davido and Mr Eazi and now, all three artists have come together to perform their verses in a new playful video.

Singing “O fe pami pelu gbogbo ibadi(She want to kill me with all that ass)/Ti ba fowo kan o fumi ni igbati(If I touch she’d give me a slap)“, BOJ’s description of his impulsive desires at the club is as vivid as it is catchy, with his melodies riding the mid-tempo afro-Caribbean beat produced by Genio. Davido and Mr Eazi also build on the vulnerable confessions with their raunchy lyrics admitting their carnal desires. The Ademola Falomo directed video shows the artists in different greenscreen sets as they perform their lyrics in the company of their muse.

Rather than set the video at a club to convey the song’s depiction of men’s thirsty, the video places BOJ in a desert scene while Mr. Eazi is captured in a green field with huge mushrooms. According to this video, BOJ might need to get a stable girlfriend if he wants his thirst quenched.

Watch the video for “Abracadabra” by BOJ, Davido and Mr Eazi below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/BOJVEVO
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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: The DRB crew explain why their debut album, ‘Pioneers’ took 10 years

Songs of the day: New music from Kwesi Arthur, Simi, NSG, Alicia Keys and Diamond Platnumz and more

Posted on by The Native

We’ve had music to fall back on through all the heartbreaking moments of 2020. Despite the ongoing pandemic, civil unrest, and the seemingly endless barrage of bad news, musicians have continued to capture our collective pop consciousness with new songs that either reflects our present reality or provide an escape from it. 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.

Our midweek curation for Songs of the day featured the new releases from Kenyan singer, Maya Amolo, Bella Shmurda, JELEEL!, Alpha P, T-Classic, and South African duo, Reece Madlisa and Zuma. To get you into the good-feels for the weekend, we’re featuring all the latest music releases. We have new releases from Kwesi Arthur, Simi and new collaborations from Alicia Keys and Diamond Platnumz, Darey and Patoranking, Bankuli and Congolese singer, Hiro, Leehis Jr, Shaun Mbah, Big Daddy Kave, Ictooicy and R¥DA, NSG, $pacely and Dani Draco and more. You can enjoy them below.

Kwesi Arthur – “Turn on the Lights”

Kwesi Arthur has shown his wide-ranging talent as an impressive rapper who can deliver melodic earworms when necessary. On “Turn on the Lights”, the lead single from his newly released project, ‘This Is Not The Tape Sorry For the Wait II’, the Ghanaian artist interpolated Future’s breakout single of the same title as he boldly confessed his search for a romantic partner over a bouncy r&b beat produced by Yung D3mz.

Despite the song’s catchy, dance-driven melody, the newly released video for “Turn on the Lights” has a moody ambiance conveyed through slowly panning shots and Kwesi’s somber expressions. Through the nearly 4-minute duration of the video, we see different women in different scenes while Kwesi Arthur is shown performing his lovelorn lyrics, “Looking For A Girl Wey Go Stand By Me/ So Turn On The Lights/ I’m Looking For A Boo”.

Simi – “No Longer Beneficial”

Simi fans are never starved of a reason to stan their fave. Though she shared her sophomore tape, ‘Omo Charlie Champagne Vol. 1′ last year, she still maintained an impressive run in 2020 with single releases. After delivering hit songs like “Duduke” and “Know You”, featuring LadiPoe, the r&b singer keeps up the momentum with her latest release, “No Longer Beneficial”, a compelling kissoff to men trying to lock her down into serious relationships.

“No I’m not trying to settle down/ You’re looking for love/ I’m looking for a good time”, she sings over the lightweight guitar-led beat produced by Sess. Though the song is hardly self-referential given her marriage to Adekunle Gold, her lyrics embody sentiments a lot of women can relate with. And though “No Longer Beneficial” doesn’t have the same call and response flow that made “Know You” so trendy on TikTok, we still expect the song to serve as the soundtrack for TikTok posts. The single whets fans’ appetite for her promised EP, ‘Restless II’.

Alicia Keys – “Wasted Energy” Feat. Diamond Platnumz

Alicia Keys’ newly released self-titled album, ‘Alicia’ offers an autobiographical account of her rough upbringing in New York. However, her vulnerable confessionals also required her to trust her guest features, so she tapped r&b’s finest; Miguel, Khalid, Snoh Aalegra, Sampha and Tanzanian singer, Diamond Platnumz.

For the Diamond Platnumz-assisted “Wasted Energy”, Keys’ classic soul melody is expressed through a reggae-dancehall rhythm, as she sings over a lightweight P2J-produced beat with samples from Red Rat’s dancehall classic, “Tight Up”. Singing “Why would you want to fuck up the chemistry”, the song narrates Alicia Keys’ relationship woes and Diamond Platnumz’s closing verse in his indigenous language adds an enchanting ambiance that elevates the romance-themed song to a global bop.

Darey – “Jojo” Feat. Patoranking

Earlier this year, Darey returned from his hiatus from releasing music with a religiously inclined single, “Jah Guide Me”. Though the song had an up-tempo instrumental, his new single, “Jojo” is a more convincing attempt to return to serving dancefloors. Produced by Pheelz, the groovy afropop instrumentals for “Jojo”, takes elements from the trendy Amapiano rave as he sets a backdrop of ambient synth harmonies and upbeat drum riffs. The dance-driven instrumentals urge Darey to tap into his more contemporary sentiments and he showed off his narcissistic nature with cocky lyrics, bragging about his celebrity and accomplish on dance floors.

“When I step in a place/ I know seh you notice”, he sings over the groovy instrumentals, before encouraging listeners to dance. Patoranking also contributes a verse, singing in patois as he joins Darey to brag about their music’s efficiency on dancefloors.


Bankuli – “Gbemiro Remix” Feat. Hiro

Bankulli has grown from being an artist manager and A&R to being a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, following his feature on Beyonce’s album, ‘The Lion King: The Gift’. His debut single, “Gbemiro” got a lot of positive reviews for inspiring hope and celebrating blessings during the pandemic. And now, he has updated the song with a remix that features France-based Congolese singer, Hiro.

Hiro’s contribution to the “Gbemiro Remix” adds a multi-cultural flavour to the pseudo-spiritual song as he performs his verse in French while Bankuli’s Yoruba melodies are maintained. The newly released remix is sure to lengthen the song’s self-life with Hiro’s verse expected to introduce the song to new audiences around the globe.

NSG – “MCM”

NSG’s infectious blend of Reggae influences and Afroswing gave their latest tape, ‘Roots’ all the makings to be the soundtrack to this year’s summer. Though the pandemic hasn’t allowed the summer festivities to go as smoothly as we’d like, the Londoners have shared the uplifting music video for one of the project’s standout cuts, “MCM”, directed by Kevin Hudson.

The video for “MCM” captures the NSG crew in their elements as they show off their dance moves while singing about their reckless lifestyle; “Living off the impulse, don’t you follow me/ I’m here for the cookie then I gotta leave”. With the Zanku dancing, strippers twerking, and the shots at the studio and in a store, the video for “MCM” captures all the things we love about London’s most exciting crew.

Leehis Jr – “Lacoste” Feat. Shaun Mbah, Big Daddy Kave, Ictooicy, R¥DA

Nigeria has a thriving underground music scene that explores influences beyond the mainstream dance-driven sounds of the moment. Leehis Jr’s new single, “Lacoste” celebrates the scene as it showcases the varying talents within it. Shaun Mbah, Bid Daddy Kave, Ictooicy and R¥DA join the rapper for a posse cut.

With their cocky brags and confidence to go toe-to-toe over the same beat, “Lacoste” plays like an all-star cast of underground emcees showing off their rap prowess with dynamic flows over the trap beat. Each rapper delivered memorable bars in their b0astful verses, but what stands out is the technical brilliance from each of them that allowed each rapper to stand out for being unique despite the uniform beat.

$pacely – “Paradise” Feat. Dani Draco

Ghanaian artist, $pacely has been on our radar for a while and his ability to fuse his indigenous melodies with his hip-hop influences makes him one of the artists to watch out for from the Ghanaian music scene. He just shared the music video for his Dani Draco-assisted single, “Paradise”, and the video captures the gang love sentiments expressed in the song; “I’m with all the goons that never told”.

The Foz x JTC directed video shows $pacely and featured artist, Dani Draco rolling deep with their crew as they perform their boastful lyrics over the trap production. The video also captures the psychedelic ambiance of trap music with purple and green film filters.

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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 latest music releases from earlier in the week

Dunnie teams up with Oxlade for new single, “Overdose”

Posted on by The Native

Earlier this year, Dunnie stormed her way into our hearts with her stellar EP, ‘Four’ and since then, she’s only proved her growing appeal with each new release. Her vibrant EP spawned the titillating romantic number, “Overdose”, where she endlessly narrated her devotion to a lover.

So, it follows that for her latest offering, “Overdose Remix”, Dunnie taps into the ethereal romantic touch from afropop’s favorite loverboy Oxlade, and in keeping with his usual energy, it’s a certified bop.

 

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Over the lively self-produced beat that, Dunnie sings about the intoxicating rush of a new lover sticking to most of the original song’s hypnotic pulse. The tender melodies make the perfect backdrop for her to fire off her romantic intentions and she leaves no room for second-guessing her feelings. Singing “You have captured my heart/The way that you give me love, overdose”, the imagery is both vivid and relatable to anyone that has ever felt the thrill of a new lover.

Oxlade joins her on the song’s second verse, where he makes bold proclamations of his love, singing: ‘Everything I have done for you is true love/Give me loving overdose’. He sings with sentimental longing, and his alluring vocals intermingles with hers for intimate storytelling at its finest. Soothing and sumptuous, this is a mid-tempo bop to really get you in a relaxed mood this weekend.

Stream “Overdose Remix” below.

Featured image credits/Instagram

Hell hath no fury like Tami. Tweet her your fave female rappers
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ICYMI: Listen to “Damages”, the lead single off Tems’EP ‘For Broken Hearts’

Watch Fireboy DML in the vibrant new video for “Friday Feeling”

Posted on by The Native

Fireboy DML has been one of the most consistent artists this year, as he constantly keeps his fans satiated with enough new music and video treatments. Since releasing his sophomore album ‘APOLLO’ last month, he’s been expanding the universe around the project by delivering several engaging music videos, starting off with “New York City Girl”, “Eli” and “Tattoo”.

 

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Bringing our attention back to the stellar project, Fireboy DML has got a treat for his loyal fans this weekend. He’s just released a new video, “Friday Feeling” and in line with his usual buoyant spirits, it’s a vibrant and youthful visual affair. Directed by Director K, the video for “Friday Feeling” captures the beauty of millennial friendships. As he sings, “so we’ll get high, high on life” with rabid enthusiasm, we see Fireboy DML and a group of friends take a road trip around familiar Lagos roads.

They get up to mischief together, driving off without paying for their car fuel, throwing food at strangers on the road, and running without any care in a field of grass. It’s everything you would expect from a song that praises the weekend for the boatload of adventures it brings with it, and Fireboy DML and his friends sure know how to make the most of their time together. They end the night dancing and drinking in a brightly-lit field, showing off more of their youthful carefree charm, and by the end of it, you’ll feel every urge to call up your friends for similar shenanigans.

Watch the video for “Friday Feeling” below.

Featured image credits/Youtube

Hell hath no fury like Tami. Tweet her your fave female rappers @tamimak_

ICYMI: Dunnie teams up with Oxlade for new single “Overdose”

Listen to “Damages”, the lead single off Tems’ EP, ‘For Broken Ears’

Posted on by The Native

From the moment Tems made her sterling introduction with “Mr Rebel”, it was instantly evident that we were witnessing the bloom of a truly special talent. It’s been over two years since her debut single, and she’s been captivating more and more ears with each far-flung single and sporadic guest appearance.

Rather than rush into a debut project with all the goodwill she’s amassed from those captivating showcases, the big-voiced singer has taken the scenic route, building her rep as an artist that values being meticulous with whatever she puts out.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFRZe3VDxnM/

Finally ready to go, Tems is set to release her debut EP, ‘For Broken Ears’ later this month. The highly anticipated project is scheduled to drop next Friday, and it will comprise seven songs completely written and performed by the singer, four of which she single-handedly produced. Ahead of its release, she’s shared the penultimate track, “Damages”, as the lead single, and the song sets a riveting tone for what to expect when the EP drops in its entirety.

“Damages” leans into everything that quickly endeared initial listeners to Tems; it’s emotionally expressive, instantly relatable and magnificently crafted. Getting in her self-assured bag atop a dancehall-adjacent beat produced by Spax, Tems sends a no-holds-barred kiss-off to a former lover, flaunting her emotional growth to let him know she’s far from interested in rolling the years back even though she doesn’t rue the naivety of her “baby girl” years. In her typically manner, “Damages” is loaded with artfully plain lyrics, clearly written from a personal perspective, and her chamber-filling voice effortlessly wrings out every ounce of feeling so that listeners can connect with the song’s emotive core.

With “Damages”, Tems continues to establish herself as one of the few singer-songwriters around that connects clarity and catharsis, an ability that elevates her on both the technical and thematic sides of her artistry. There’s little to no doubt that ‘For Broken Ears’ will expand on what makes Tems special, and we will all be paying rapt attention for the big event next Friday.

Listen to “Damages” and pre-add ‘For Broken Ears’ here.

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NATIVE TIME ISSUE: TEMS, THE GIRL ON FIRE

Why the energy behind Davido’s “FEM” seems so familiar

Posted on by The Native

The most obvious thing about Davido’s new single, “FEM”, is that it reinforces the fact that he won’t bite his tongue for nobody. To an extent, we all saw it coming. In May, the singer posted a photoshopped image of himself and Wizkid with the tag, “The 2 greatest of all time! No Cap [emoji]”. Soon after, Burna Boy took to his Instagram stories with a slew of not-so-cryptic subliminal, which the public quickly deemed as shade-packed reactions to Davido’s instantly viral post.

Allegedly taking jabs at Davido being born into wealth and the role it played in his rise to fame, Burna’s incendiary comments became indicative of a tiff brewing. Throughout his high flying career, Davido has been outspoken about how he’s had to claw his way through dismissals and lack of overwhelming support from the “industry”, due to being perceived as the rich guy who bought his way into popularity. Last summer, after releasing the Chris Brown-assisted “Blow My Mind”, the singer went on a tirade on the difficulties he’s encountered because many insiders think he’s undeserving of his achievements due to his financial status.

It’s not dissimilar to the rant he went on after his headlining concert at London’s Indigo O2 arena in January 2019, constantly referring to the “they” who didn’t believe he could pull off such a grand show. According to many artists and stakeholders, the Nigerian music industry is a toxic maze of gatekeepers who often create unnecessary obstacles on their path towards achieving their version of success. For an artist like Davido who’s been operating at the pinnacle of Nigerian pop music for nearly a decade, his recent claims that there are hurdles in his path have been treated at face value, considering all the success he’s continued to amass.

No matter how cynical you are, it is impossible to deny that Davido has been extremely hardworking and prolific on his way to becoming a perennial Afropop superstar and global brand. Even with only two albums separated by a 7-year gap under his belt, he’s held the African audience spellbound with an unrelenting run of hits, while making in-roads as one of the most important players in exporting African music to the world. With all of these items on his credentials, Davido shouldn’t have anything to prove or censor calling himself one of the greatest, however, there are still naysayers who feel he’s undeserving of that pedestal—or at least dictating who’s on the pedestal with him.

Burna’s alleged missives towards him for tagging himself and Wizkid as the two greatest could’ve sparked another rant, but if there’s anything Davido loves more than ranting, it’s addressing his issues with other people on wax. A week after the alleged subs, Davido planted the seeds for a good old-fashioned diss track, sharing a video that contained the introductory seconds of “FEM”, with the tag, “just call me”. When the full song and accompanying video came out last Thursday, it confirmed the initial suspicions of many people.

On the Napjil-produced song, Davido doesn’t attempt to veil his target, getting right to it within the first minute as he sings, “you wey dey find pity, tell Odogwu say we like to party”, referencing two of Burna Boy’s hit songs, “Odogwu” and “Like to Party”. Entirely written by Davido, this particular line and the whole song itself plays into his established knack for being as direct as possible, such that his intentions have no wiggle room for misinterpretation. It’s a tactic he’s employed whenever he feels a major slight has been directed towards him.

Between 2015 and 2016, legendary Nigerian media mogul and former presidential candidate, Dele Momodu, was between the singer’s crosshairs, after a family-related controversy went public. On two occasions, featuring on Falz’s “Bahd, Baddo, Baddest” and the remix of Humblesmith’s “Osinachi”, Davido threw out caustic, unmistakeable taunts, even going as far as performing his verse on the former song at a live event that had Mr. Momodu in attendance. In 2017, he used the same approach on his smash hit, “FIA”, a song where he explicitly railed against the Nigerian police force and actress Caroline Danjuma, for insinuating he was involved in muddying details of the passing of close friend and associate, Tagbo Umeike.

While he’s steered clear of such level of controversy since, Davido uses “FEM” to reiterate that he can get it jumping whenever the need arises. As familiar as this energy is, though, the way Davido addresses this circumstance is a bit more peculiar. “FEM” has its fair share of taunts, with lines like, “you see say my own jeep pass G-wagon”, but the defining attitude isn’t just confrontational, it’s downright instigative. “Before the whole matter gets dangerous, you need to make sure you don’t say too much/‘cos if you say too much, I fit to run up on you”, he sings at the top of the second verse. Touting the support of his fans and the backing of his crew, the 30 Billion Gang (30BG), “FEM” is Davido drawing a line in the sand, much like Kendrick Lamar threatening his peers to say “candyman” at the potential of grave risk.

Predictably, “FEM” has quickly become a phenomenon, sitting at the top of Apple Music’s daily top 100 songs since it dropped and the video has racked up over five million views on YouTube in less than a week. It’s also been a prominent topic on social media, with Davido fanning the flame with insinuating remarks since returning back to Twitter. It clearly points to the fact that controversy sells, but the looming effect many people are overlooking is that the direction of this beef could have real life effects that go beyond trading words on wax.

Davido is familiar with being in a cold war with a rival superstar, with his prolonged tiff with Wizkid reportedly devolving into a physical brawl at the One Africa Music festival that took place in Dubai in November 2017. While that allegedly happened somewhat coincidentally, “FEM” is the first time Davido is openly threatening physical violence rather than simply hurling incendiary jabs. What makes the situation a little more volatile is, the artist on the other side, Burna Boy, is no alien to finding himself in and dealing with controversies.

In 2017, reports surfaced alleging that Burna was involved in a robbery and physical attack of Nigerian singer Mr 2Kay, a situation that apparently escalated after 2Kay took exception to a comment Burna made about Nigerian pastors. Burna has since denied any involvement in the attack, but many hold his denial at face value, because he’s never cut the figure of someone who’s averse to violence. In the thick of the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa last year, the singer went at SA rap artist AKA, threatening bodily harm after several of the rapper’s tweets were translated as being prejudiced towards Nigerians.

For anyone who’s been watching him, Burna Boy has never come across as one who’s comfortable with letting things go—“FEM” is the allegedly product of him being aggrieved about a Davido post. So far, he hasn’t reacted to the Davido call out, which is a bit abnormal because Burna addresses things instantaneously instead of letting them simmer. A reaction from him is the next logical step to determine whether this beef becomes more intense or eventually dies down. Whichever way the pendulum swings, fans of Nigerian music will be watching with peeled eyes, because we’ve proven that there’s nothing we love more than beef—even if it has no significance beyond the ensuing drama.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Davido

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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter

REVIEW: BURNA BOY’S TWICE AS TALL

Wizkid releases new P2J-produced single, “No Stress”

Posted on by The Native

Wizkid seems to be listening to the cries of his untrusting fans and is unravelling this distrust with one new single at a time. A few weeks ago, Starboy released the H.E.R assisted “Smile” to hold fans who expected ‘Made In Lagos’ over until the album was ready. Now following some heavy promotion and raised eyebrows from Wizkid FC over the past few days, he’s now given us a new P2J-produced single, “No Stress” and the project’s official album art which makes Made In Lagos feel more real than ever.

While what we would like is the project he’s been teasing for over two years, no new Wizkid music is ever unwelcome and “No Stress” will definitely do for now.  Against the quick-tempo beat laid down by P2J, Wizkid is the most lyrically sound we’ve heard in ages, switching up his flows from the cool verses to the catchy hook in smooth and dexterous fashion.

“No Stress” takes us back to 2013 Wizkid, who got every party started right from the first few seconds of the song. Backed by a primarily percussive beat, with sharp accompanying keys, Wizkid is singing about his relationship with a lover, saying that he’s ‘got a pretty baby she don’t need no stress’. From their sexual synergy to the affection (he claims) they share for each other, Wizkid sounds relaxed and at peace, and is giving us good indication of what to expect from the album.

It must be no coincidence that today is the anniversary for Wizkid’s sophomore album, ‘Ayo’, and to claim the day, he’s reminding us of the Wizkid we know and love with this new song. Only two songs in, we can tell that Made In Lagos is set to be the classic we’ve been waiting for, and whenever he decides to give it to us, we’re more than ready for it.

Listen to “No Stress” here

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Damilola is the HBIC around here, don’t tweet at her @damdamxx 

ICYMI: Listen to Davido’s latest single, “FEM”

Songs of the day: New music from Maya Amolo, Bella Shmurda, Alpha P, and more

Posted on by The Native

We’ve had music to fall back on through all the heartbreaking moments of 2020. Despite the ongoing pandemic, civil unrest, and the seemingly endless barrage of bad news, musicians have continued to capture our collective pop consciousness with new songs that either reflects our present reality or provide an escape from it. 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 started this week’s curation for Songs of the Day with the new music releases from; Cheque, July Drama, Straffitti, OBT, Jean Feier, and more. Today’s Songs of the day curation features new music from Kenyan singer, Maya Amolo, Bella Shmurda, JELEEL!, Alpha P, T-Classic, and South African duo, Reece Madlisa and Zuma to keep you motivated as we edge closer to the weekend. You can enjoy them below.

Maya Amolo – “I Know” 

After impressing with her debut project, ‘Leave Me At The Pregame’, Maya Amolo has returned with a music video f0r one of the tape’s standout tracks, “I Know”. She offered an intimate narration of her process, growing out of her bad habits on the r&b tape, and on “I Know”, she detailed the struggle she went through whilst dealing with a bad relationship.

Mumbi Muturi directed the 3-minute long video showing Maya in different artsy set designs. With her classy clothes and rose petal props contrasting the timeworn building the video is set in, the video seems to reiterate the song’s message that she’s too good to keep tolerating an inept boyfriend. The video for “I Know” is the second visual from the tape, after she shared the video for “Lush Green” back in July.

Bella Shmurda – “Dangbana Orisa”

Indigenous Yoruba rappers love to glamorise the tough reality on the street with songs celebrating their triumph over hardship. Though Bella Shmurda introduced us to the soulful, pseudo-spiritual representation of the street lifestyle on his debut project, ‘High Tension’, for his latest single, “Dangbana Orisa”, he embodied street-hop’s pride in overcoming adversity as he sang of his esteem over the laidback beat produced by Rexxie; “Bi Ina Ban Jo, Ogiri O Sa (The Walls Don’t Run When There’s Fire)”.

Directed by Naya Effectz Visuals, the newly released video for “Dangbana Orisa”, shows Bella Shmurda in a desert looking scene where he is surrounded by gun-wielding goons in bullet-proof vests. The scene is reminiscent of Mad Max’s dystopian reality, but we also see cuts of Bella Shmurda performing with adoring fans on the street. The street is rough but with Bella Shmurda’s charm he is still able to find love.

JELEEL! – “Love BKO!”

Our Fresh Meat alum, JELEEL! got inspired by racial discrimination for his latest project, ‘Generation Z’. The 6-track EP was released during the protest sparked by George Floyd’s murder at the hands of an American police officer and it offered music as a balm to heal the trauma of the time. He celebrated black power on the 3rd track, “Love BKO”, expressing his rage at the injustice singing “Ima throw a fit just because”. JELEEL! has now released the music video for “Love BKO” and the sci-fi direction reflects his reality as an alien in the racist American society.

The video produced by Ricky Remedy and Aryalion shows JELEEL! beside his alien ship while we also see him making rocks levitate with his mind. While he performs his threatening lyrics, the video represents how institutionalised racism in America vilifies black people as outsiders. Though JELEEL didn’t feature on our series where we, imaginied Nigerian musicians as superheroes, the video for “Love BKO” grants him alien superpowers to make racists pay for discriminating against blacks; “I don’t like that/ You know ima fight that”.

Alpha P – “Quarantine”

Alpha P’s debut tape, ‘King of the Wolves’ introduced him as one of the teen prodigies giving afropop a refreshing new spin. The 5-track EP highlighted his knack for crafting pop sounds with wistful and relatable lyrics and he continues in the same vein for his latest single, “Quarantine” a sleek r&b number produced by BlaiseBeatz. “Quarantine” channels the ongoing pandemic situation in the most romantic way possible as Alpha P expresses his undying love for his muse; “If you get quarantined today, I’d be there/ Staring at your face”.

Backed by the smooth mix of percussion harmonies, guitar riffs, piano harmonies and harmonized backing vocals, Alpha P’s performance is captivating as he sings his charming lyrics addressed at his muse. He explained to us that, “It’s a very special song to me and I hope it connects with everyone who has experienced this kind of love, a love where you can’t be with your partner because of the lockdown, or the coronavirus.” Love is a compelling emotion that can always be counted on to make romantic songs relatable, but Alpha P takes it even further on “Quarantine” by infusing the topical subject of the pandemic. 

Reece Madlisa and Zuma – “JazziDisciples (Zlele)” Feat. Mr JazziQ & Busta 929

Back in July, South African music duo, Reece Madlisa and Zuma shared their 5-track EP, ‘Ama Roto’, exploring the trendy Amapiano sound dominating South African radio. They just released the music video for one of the tape’s lead single, “JazziDisciples (Zlele)”, featuring Mr JazziQ and Busta 929, and the 7-minute long clip shot by RB Media, captures a day in the life of the artists.

The video was shot at their township in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, showing Mr JazziQ and Busta 929 as they record in a room then head to the street to show off the dance that accompanies the Amapiano sound. They make several stops at clubs and bars where others join them to dance the EDM-fueled music and we also see a cameo from Busiswa, one of the key figures in the South African music scene.

T-Classic – “La Cream”

T-Classic’s new EP, ‘Alirat’ is a testament to the singer’s cordial relationship with his label boss, Darasimi Famoyin whose late mother the tape is named after. However, rather than reflect the pain from the loss, T-Classic channeled the grief into celebrating the music that brought them all together. On the opening track, “La Cream”, he delivered a cheerful number to emphasize his confidence in his team; “For life, me and my guys we dey shut it down/ Me and my guys we go paint the town”.  

Reward Beatz is credited for producing the upbeat instrumentals that make “La Cream” a sure feature on club DJ sets as he mixes groovy afropop drum riffs with synths and percussion harmonies. The catchy instrumentals serve as the perfect backdrop for T-Classic to bask in his accomplishment as a celebrated Nigerian artist.

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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 new music releases from earlier in the week

In conversation with SirBastien, who is looking to add more depth to Nigerian music’s DIY culture

Posted on by The Native

“I hope my answers are adequate?” SirBastien wonders aloud deep into our conversation, perhaps unsure that he’s saying enough. A few times during the interview, I had to expatiate on questions in order to ensure his responses carried as much information as possible, but this didn’t make our exchange was stilted— it was far from it, in fact. Over the phone SirBastien is as affable as he is reserved, he cuts to the chase when he’s explaining something or telling a story, giving as much details as possible without too many embellishments.

It’s representative of the music he makes. SirBastien’s songs are simultaneously defined by movement and ease, he’s currently honing a flair for musical variety which means his instrumentation choices are composite and richly layered, but it always merges into a chill and immersive whole. Last summer saw the release of ‘Mango’, an impressive debut outing that basked in a tranquil warmth which combined SirBastien’s accomplished chops as a producer with his developing ability as a singer-songwriter. ‘Mango Island’, his newly released follow-up is a positive leap in his evolution to becoming one of the very best polymaths we have around.

When we spoke to SirBastien as part of our Fresh Meat picks for the month of May, he explained that it took a while to embrace the idea of using his voice, saying that it was “super cringe” to hear himself sing. One of the defining qualities of ‘Mango Island’ is that SirBastien sounds like he relishes singing, as he explores the range of his voice and strengthens its identity. Compared to the fragile melodies that were prominent on ‘Mango’, this project opens up to snappier and catchier melodies, resulting in songs that are confidently delivered and earmarked by bolder hooks.

In the same vein as its predecessor, ‘Mango Island’ is thematically planted in romance-driven territory, and according to SirBastien, it’s not because he might be a hopeless romantic. “Love songs are very easy to come by, because if you can describe something about a person—like how their eyes look—you’re some ways there”, he explains. On this project, though, he goes beyond the blue-eyed trappings of the subject, spotting a macho stance on “Pillowhead” and getting raunchy on the Eri Ife-assisted “Late Night”. He’s also joined by a diversely talented cast that add several dimensions to the 9-song set, from Maya Amolo’s girl next door candour on “Cosmic Girl” to the gruff machismo of AYÜÜ and July Drama on afro-Caribbean bop, “Addis Ababa”.

“I never think that it has to be a particular person”, SirBastien says when I ask how he chooses the artists he reaches out to feature on a song. “It’s usually about who fits and whoever is interested.” While this approach, much like his feature-heavy debut, takes the sensibilities of potential artists into cognizance, ‘Mango Island’ is better crafted to reflect SirBastien more as an initiator and less as a pandering artist. In sharpening several aspects of his abilities, SirBastien asserts his commitment to continued growth as he works towards his main goal: to be seen as “one of the driving forces” of Nigerian music’s burgeoning DIY/indie culture.

Our Conversation with SirBastien has been condensed for clarity.

NATIVE: What is it about romance that draws you to sing about love so much?

SirBastien: I’m a hopeless romantic, I think. Okay, maybe I’m not a hopeless romantic. Love songs are very easy to come by, because if you can describe something about a person—like how their eyes look—you’re some ways there. I think it’s easier to describe a person than describing complex topic, like saying “I Love You” is very boring, compared to “I love the way you use your computer in the morning”. It sounds cheesy and weird but I think it’s a lot better, it shows there’s a lot more to it.

I agree with that, ‘cause a line like “Your words are secret to my heart” makes love sound very precious. By the way, how did you get to work with Maya Amolo on that particular song?

I actually texted her out of the blue, ‘cause I always wanted to do a song with someone from East Africa. Maya popped up on my TL randomly and I decided to just try. I hit her up like, “Hey Maya, that’s the song”, she said I should send it to her and she got back to me a few weeks later.

Like your previous project, you’ve stuck with the dynamic of featuring several artists. What’s your creative process when you’re making a song for yourself and how does that come in?

It usually starts with finding a guitar tune I like, then I build up the instrumental. At this point, I don’t have any intentions to keep the instrumental for myself, so I start figuring if I want to send it out and who to. For ‘Mango Island’, the interlude was the only song I actually thought about making for myself from scratch, because my brother thought I needed a song to break the sections, ‘cause it’s meant to be split the project into Side A and Side B. It’s always the beat first, then I usually record only one verse for a song. Choosing who I collaborate with is based on the people I listen to and the songs I’ve heard from them, so I’ll send it   to all of them, it could be about ten artists and only one would respond. I never think that it has to be a particular person, it’s usually about who fits and whoever is interested.

What was it like linking up with Remy Baggins for the song you chose as the single, “Home with you”?

I was actually trying to make a cover of Doja Cat’s “Say So” initially, then I liked the way it was going and I started to change stuff and create something different. I sang the chorus and I thought it was just for fun, not necessarily something to be released, but my friends thought it was very good. Then I sent it to Remy Baggins and it all came together. The interesting thing about the video is, we didn’t even know exactly what we were shooting for when we got to the location. Like everything was set, but we didn’t know what song we’d be doing. Korty, who directed it, went with “Home with you”, it happened just by chance and it turned out to be a favourite for those who’ve listened to the project. Lucky us.

You were able to premiere the video on emPawa Africa, what was that like?

It was super exciting because most of the people that watched the video are subscribers to the emPawa YouTube channel, so I was happy that I was reaching a new audience. That was even more important to me than just the number of views the video got.

Let’s talk about “Late Night”, because it’s different from what you and Eri Ife normally do. How did you guys come up with the song?

I’d say “Late Night” was the most fun song to make on the project, generally speaking. I was actually in the studio with Eri Ife, Efe Oraka and Ramoni, a producer friend of mine, we were just having a good time. Then we played some drums, Ramoni played the piano, Eri Ife and Efe Oraka had some input, it was like a four-man production team. We made the beat, recorded the vocals, and we initially wanted to release it as collab single from the four of us, just for fun. Then everyone else started saying they’re not sure, so I just took for the project. We actually thought about it that it doesn’t necessarily work with everything else on the project, but it’s really good, so why not?

Which collaborations did you want to happen on ‘Mango Island’ that didn’t?

I wanted Amaarae on a song that I produced just for her, but she didn’t respond. I really want to work with Santi, I think he’s the biggest artist in the world. I’m a very very big fan of Santi, so if I have a song with him I think I’ll be very okay, like yeah I’ve had a good run.

Your catalogue of credits, from Eri Ife to Ilaye, is very DIY and indie. Where do you see yourself within the growing DIY culture in Nigeria?

I feel that I’m sort of following in Odunsi’s shoes, ‘cause I think he’s one of the main drivers of this DIY movement. I see everything that he does and it’s very inspirational. Like there are people who will listen to him no matter what. In a few years, I’d like to be in the same light, as one of the driving forces of this culture, because I’m more of a producer than a singer myself and I try to make sure anything I work on portrays the freedom that’s central to the alternative movement. I want my music to give it more depth and more branches so we’re not just limiting ourselves to ‘afrobeats’. So we can have stuff like alternative disco, just make sure there’s even more diversity within Nigerian music.

Featured Image provided by SirBastien

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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter

FOR THE GIRLS: MAYA AMOLO WANTS YOU TO FEEL SAFE

Hot Takes: Davido’s Fem, Kidderica, The Year of Gaia & Cuppy SZN

Posted on by The Native

This week, the mood of the world seems relatively slow. We’re coming up to the last quarter of probably the craziest and strangest year of all our lives, and the world and its barrage of bad news seem to have finally slowed down (nature is healing). As we endlessly cascade towards the end of the year, I’ve found myself taking more time to pause, reflect, and re-align my purpose each moment, day, and week, and it’s reflected in my entire outlook on life these days.

Though every day brings with it a new tragedy, outrage, or controversy and the suffering of Black people and women, I have been trying to find ways to improve my value to myself. This year, I found power in living my life for myself. Yes, I mean exactly just that, as I’ve learnt that there’s so much power in moving with the knowledge that your life belongs to you, not to your parents or your friends or lovers, but to you. You are the main character in the life that is yours, and as obvious as this may be, I can assure you that discovering this has been even more rewarding and freeing than you can imagine. Social media can become so consuming that you find yourself unsure which thoughts are uniquely yours, and well you’re not alone because Netflix’s new documentary The Social Dilemma shows exactly how the algorithm intentionally plays with our minds. It’s made me re-access how I use social media, and maybe it could help you too.

For this week’s Hot Takes – our new column where a different member of the NATIVE editorial team will dissect different trending topics across the globe, giving give their hot takes on each topic – I will be sharing all the topics from the different corners of the internet that I have been privy to, and also one or two topics that have helped me grow or reaccess my current practices. Here goes:

What I’m watching on Youtube: Podcasts

A few weeks ago, I spoke to two women in Nigeria running their own lifestyle and culture podcasts. It was a super enlightening conversation that showed how women are carving out safe spaces for themselves and women that look like them just exist and share their experiences. Since then, I’ve been listening to more and more women-only podcasts and Whoreible Decisions is one of those podcasts that has been riveting, thrilling, and absolutely funny. I also love finding out more of the artists I am listening to so I definitely recommend this episode in particular with the City Girls. It’s interesting to see how the presenter’s perception of the City Girls based on their music, which is filled with braggadocios lyrics and raw sexual vibrancy, plays into the questions they are asked. The girls were not having it at all, especially Ms Caresha (LOOOL!).

Watch it here:

What I’m watching generally: Love Island USA

As you all know BBNaija has ended – at least for me. With Erica and now, Kiddwaya gone from the house, it’s been less tempting to steal moments to watch the show. Reality TV has always been super entertaining for me if it’s not rigged like BBN (don’t come for me) and so, with help from my best friend, I’ve found myself falling in love with the new season of Love Island USA. Without giving too much away, this season has all the drama and I do mean, ALL of it. From the couple who get together on day one and think they’re the Island’s favoured ones, to black men showing their colourist asses yet again and even to all the juicy tidbits of Casa Amor, Love Island USA is giving me all the drama and more, and that’s probably why I binged it in about a week. I fully stan Jaleb so if this is your sort of thing then check out the trailer below (and let me know which couples you stan @tamimak_).

What I’m listening to: Future’s Purple Reign

Where were you the first time you listened to Future’s 2016 mixtape, Purple Reign? Can you remember? I sure as hell can. I was rounding up my final year of A-levels, nursing a broken heart, in need of a ‘fuck you I’m over it’ anthem, and Future’s Purple Reign was the gift that kept on giving #thatyear. Your story might be different to mine, no doubt about that, but the feeling Future’s brand of toxic masculinity mixed with a dash of undercover loverboy music gives you is euphoric and dare I say, sensational.

For years, we could only enjoy this glorious mixtape on Soundcloud but over the quarantine, Future fed the kids by making this tape and Monster, Beast Mode, and 56 Nights, all of which are now streaming on your favorite streaming platforms. At the time of its release on Apple Music, I revisited the tape because I was feeling nostalgic and the state of the world left me feeling unsafe but since then, I hadn’t gone back to it. However, with the new week, I was missing that dark and compelling brand of music that only Future provides, causing me to revisit the mixtape yet again. Nostalgia is one hell of a drug, but definitely listen if you haven’t, ‘cause this man is a genius. Put aside his toxic misogyny (trust me you can) and you’ll be able to see it too.

Davido wants the haters to FEM!

Davido is back! Back on social media, back to making music, back to teasing his third studio album A BETTER TIME and all is right with the world again. Its been three months without hearing from the pop star and his return has been anything but a quiet one. Having teased “FEM” on social media before, fans were joyed to find that their favorite 30BG member was now ready to share the song on streaming platforms which finds him taking direct shots at the Odogwu. Without getting into men and their egos, one thing that stood out from Davido’s return for me was the wisdom he shared on press runs with radio stations where he shares the reason for the social media break.

“I needed to just go away, re-group and it helped. I won’t say I am a different person but [it has changed me]” he shared with the Beat 99.9 FM a few days ago, in a conversation about his upcoming album and working with international artists such as Lil Baby and Nicki Minaj. For me, Davido admitting that he needed to take time and regroup in order to come back to fulfill the vision for his album, reflected the mood that I have also been in over the past few weeks. Whenever I feel stressed, I get an urge to walk away (read as run), and find ways to reconnect to my personhood and my beliefs. It helps me refocus and conquer any challenges in front of me, and Davido seems to know that all too well. He speaks about needing to take this break because he had a lot of people depending on him, and it wasn’t until he took a step back that he found the fortitude to come back even stronger. Woju and Damilola co-wrote a brilliant piece on mental health that you definitely should read if you’re feeling exactly how Davido felt before his comeback. We all need to take care of ourselves more, and that includes taking responsibility for our mental health.

We’re tired of the people comparing the rap girls.

Despite the fact that rap niggas ain’t shit and they fail to take care of black women that exist within their community, we also have to deal with niggas consistently trying to pit women against each other and I am honestly tired of it! A few days ago, the 2020 XXL Freshman class cypher was released and boy did it send the internet into a frenzy, as people began debating who brought the heat and who got overshadowed. This year, only two women were in the 2020 edition (which is two more than the first ever edition 10 years ago), and in true misogynistic fashion, the niggas came with guns blazing, ready to discount two women who are both at the top of their game this year.

Not only were they comparing these women to each other, but they also brought in Megan Thee Stallion into the conversation, endlessly debating whether Mulatto could overthrow thee Stallion as rap’s leading lady of the year. But what is rap’s obsession with only allowing one woman to dominate at a time? Why do they have to be in any competition? I would really like to know why women always have to be pit against each other, especially a time where it’s clear to see that the current rap girls are all about supporting each other and working together. This is actually a monumental time in history and we should be documenting every last step of it rather than trying to discredit the hard work that each of these women have been putting into their music, their video treatments, their looks, their brands. I’m going to need the rap dudes to take a leave out of these women’s books and stay out of our business if they have nothing beneficial to contribute.

And please don’t get me started on this ‘Felmale list’.

To Cuppy this tune

In case you didn’t know it’s Cuppy SZN and I am a super proud cupcake. Cuppy is really defying the odds, betting on herself and her brand and coming out on top every single time and we absolutely love to see it. After wowing us (and her opps) with her impressive debut album Original Copy, Cuppy is unrelentingly keeping her feet on our necks showing no plans of slowing down any time soon. Earlier last week, it was unveiled that our very own Cuppy was in the latest jersey campaign for Manchester United football club. And not only was she in the campaign, but her own song, the brash smooth-talking “Original Copy (Interlude)” also made an appearance in the campaign video.

It goes without saying that this is a huge opportunity for Cuppy and her music. For a young Black woman like myself, this feels momentous, and it seems the Internet agrees, because Cuppy is finally getting her flowers. Having grown up in a home where my dad was a huge fan of Manchester United and I spent my formative years, knowing, breathing, and living everything Man U, it feels insanely monumental that a Nigerian artist is featured on their 2020 jersey campaign and it goes to show that anything is possible. I am a big believer in all good things come together for those who wait (and work hard) and this feels like a win not just for Cuppy but for African women everywhere. We’re making strides in a myriad of industries and I have never been more proud to be a Nigerian woman. Cuppy has also promised to break the internet this week, and that she definitely did. Shortly after this promise, she took to Twitter to announce the arrival of her brand new pink Ferrari in usual Cuppy fashion, alongside tan and blue models for her sisters. She certainly achieved her goal of breaking the internet because Nigerians have been reacting all morning to the announcement, with replies ranging anywhere from ‘poverty die’ to ‘let’s eat the rich’. Considering the fact that capitalism and its ensuing effects have been at the height of conversations on social media during the quarantine, it is interesting to see how the conversation has changed and how so many Nigerians think they’ll actually be billionaires someday.

Gbogbo Wa Ma Gaia!

Nigerian women are winning on all fronts, and you need only look at Fisayo Longe’s brand Kai Collective and its recent success during the quarantine to see exactly how we are dominating the world. Almost overnight, Fisayo Longe’s 4-year old label saw a meteoric rise during the coronavirus-induced lockdown and that is thanks in large part to the killer mesh print dress tagged the Gaia. Made in 3 different versions, the Gaia is the most coveted item of the summer (after the Telfar bag) that transforms its wearer into That Bitch. Scouring the internet, no two Gaia’s look alike, and what’s more, every woman who has donned it has looked absolutely killer in it, and it is most pleasing to see. To be tasked with creating a community of women who uplift and support each other can be tiresome, but Fisayo Longe does it all with ease as fostering this community of fierce women is of utmost importance to her brand’s ethos.

Yesterday, the Gaia was restocked for the third time since its birth back in April and it once broke the internet (or at least it did the servers on Kai Collective’s site). It is so heartwarming to see so many women rush to support a black African woman’s brand and is a huge testament to how much hard work and consistency pays off. Kai Collective didn’t start today, and it’s been doing fairly well long before the Gaia but with this piece, Fisayo Longe has found her bestseller and well, Gbogbo wa ma Gaia (We must all wear Gaia).

And I mean, if you’re not convinced, then look at these photos of Saweetie in Gaia, and see the material!

 

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goodmorning. @kaicollective

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Kidd is back home people!

If you were counting on Kiddwaya making it to the finals, you’ll be disappointed to find that he did not make it into the top 5 this week. At the Sunday eviction show, Kiddwaya was among the two housemates (Prince as well) who were evicted from the Big Brother Naija Lockdown house and I’m sad to see him go. Kiddwaya was an all-rounder and brought so much entertainment and life to the house that his presence will surely be missed. But now that he’s out of the house, the question on everyone’s lips is will there be a reunion with Erica seeing as the two were intimately involved with each other on the show.

Watching Kidd in the house, and now seeing him make press runs outside the house, it is clear that he’s a very smart and sensible guy and I mean this because his recent interviews have been the rave of social media this entire week. Every other day, I open my Twitter app to discover that Kiddwaya is trending and more recently, it’s because of his aptly appropriate responses to interview questions during his media rounds. In a conversation with BEAT 99.9FM, when asked whether there will be a relationship between him and Erica now that he is out of the house, Kiddwaya shared that people would always try to group them together because of their relationship, but his only wish is for Erica to be a woman in her own right, conquering her own world while he conquers his with their newfound fame and status. Rather than allow rumours to build about what may become of the two, Kidd centers the conversation on the future business opportunities and deals that they both will be dealing with, sharing that their success does not need to be eclipsed by the public’s need for a romantic relationship. Whether the two ever do formally date or not, they will always be a part of each other’s journey and frankly, it’s nobody’s damn business as these two adults are perfectly capable of doing whatever they want to.

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Hell hath no fury like Tami. Tweet her your fave female rappers @tamimak_

ICYMI: The importance of women sharing their experiences through music

AV Club: How Abba Makama’s ‘The Lost Okoroshi’ portrays ancestral tradition through modern lenses

Posted on by The Native

[The Lost Okoroshi was initially released in 2019, and is now streaming on Netflix.]

Have you ever woken up from a dream that felt hauntingly real? The kind where you’re suddenly thrown into consciousness trying to make sense of everything only to realise moments later that you’re present and safe, and it was just another dream. Well, that’s usually the case for most of us, unless of course, you’re Raymond Obinwa (played by Seun Ajayi) in The Lost Okorosohi, a disillusioned security guard whose lucid dreams pierce the thin veil between fantasy and reality so much, that it begins to manifest in his real life. 

The brainchild of Surreal 16 director and filmmaker, Abba T. Makama, The Lost Okoroshi is his second feature-length film and the latest on the rooster of Nigerian films catching the attention of media behemoth Netflix where the 2019 release is now available to watch in over 100 countries where its service is currently available. Set in present-day Lagos, Nigeria, Makama tells a tale of spiritual possession and the sustained connection between the physical and spiritual realm that transcends class and background. Our ancestors are always with us, or maybe they never left but whatever the case may be, The Lost Okoroshi does that on a remarkable level.

 

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The tradition of masquerades is one as old as time, and one that exists within almost every tradition and culture. According to Makama, his fascination was born after stumbling across the works of photographer, Charles Fréger’s Wilder Mann: The Image Of Savage which showcased ancestral pagan gods across Europe. The masquerades portrayed, looked a lot like the ones he grew up seeing during his childhood, which spurred the idea to capture how a masquerade in a modern-day context would manifest. All too often, what has since become the case in Nigerian cinema is the eschewing of our tradition in favour of modernity and we’ve seen this to be the case with recent releases like ‘Wedding Party’ ‘Our Excellency’ and more, which mostly present the glitz and glamour of the present day.

The Lost Okoroshi, however, aims to level the playing field, despite not enjoying the same mainstream appeal and cinema circuit that many of its contemporaries enjoyed. Its distinct feature lays in its storyline – there hasn’t been a semi-comic tragi-comedy quite like this before and with a convincing cast including Chiwetalu Agu, Judith Audu, Ozy Agu, and more, Makama presents a world where our ancestral tradition is revered, understood and placed on a pedestal for everyone to see regardless of being set in modern-day Lagos.

Raymond Obinwa is not a perfect protagonist, in fact, there’s little to be desired of his character except the fact that he is the story’s lead. He’s stuck in a security job that he hates, wearing half-dry clothes to work and showing up late despite several warnings from his boss. While at work, he doesn’t get anything done but sit around eyeing guests who visit the building or badgering them for some spare change. His life is fairly mundane though he lives in a megacity, and he seems to be fed up with the fast-paced life and constantly speaks fondly of returning to the East to live as a “real African” man on a farm. The only fascinating thing about his mundane routine life are the vivid nightmares he revisits every night, where an all-purple clad masquerade pursues him.

His trusted friend, a cranky old man by the name of Chief becomes his spiritual advisor when he informs Raymond that his dreams are not a strange occurrence but a deliberate message from the gods themselves. But when Raymond confronts his fears, he winds up being possessed by the Okoroshi masquerade who seems to be sired to him by fate. What follows next is pure comedy as life as the Okoroshi takes a toll on Richard’s human life – he loses his job, his friends, his wife and people run away from him when he attempts to use public transport or visit a hospital. He is an anomaly in this giant city and when we see him parading familiar streets and expressways, we are all the while being reminded that our tradition can sometimes appear out of place in today’s world. 

But at its core, the real message is questioning how we make space for our tradition in the world today because our tradition will always be a part of who we are. Being a follower of Jung’s theory of duality and the collective unconsciousness, it isn’t surprising that Makama plays with these elements in The Lost Okoroshi which aid the storytelling. For instance, the film’s synth-heavy soundtrack is a nod to duality, introducing both new and old sounds, from electronic to afrobeats and funk, in its 94-minute run time. When Raymond embraces life as a masquerade and begins entertaining crowds at market places, the funk sounds of late William Oneyabor’s “When The Going is Smooth & Good” is played in the background, foreshadowing a darker, more sinister fate laying ahead despite the song’s cheerful message. 

At another point, Makama adopts a comic-style art to recount the legend of the Okoroshi masquerade, a stylistic choice that reads very much superhero comic book. Its novelty is more than just a way to introduce a young artist to a new audience, the stylistic choice is a deliberate act to remind us that old and new can co-exist side by side just as tradition can exist in a modern context. When I  spoke to Makama a year ago, he shared that his vision with this film was to debunk some myths about ancestors and masquerades, by showing them in a comical light and here, there is a humanity that shines through despite being a spiritual, otherworldly being that once instilled fear in many of us. 

Even the characters within this world constantly remind us about the duality of things. When word of the reincarnation of the great Okoroshi reached the rest of the country, it attracted members of the IPSSHRR (you’ll have to watch to find out), a society that wishes to have the Okoroshi masquerade for their own gain. The members of this secret society debate about whether a masquerade of such reverence should remain in a city like Lagos where it does not belong or return to the East where it came from, even suggesting that people watch the festivities to celebrate the Okoroshi over the social media pages that will be set up in its name (hilarious, I know).

In each scene, Makama is constantly questioning how we can adapt our ancestral traditions and culture through modern lenses without diminishing their reverence. Voiceless but armed with supernatural powers, the Okoroshi takes on a modern-day Lagos, fighting crime when he can, living it up in dimly-lit clubs, falling in love with a girl who breaks his heart, and making some adversaries on the way. Witty, interesting, and worthy of all the attention its getting, The Lost Okoroshi is truly an enjoyable watch and an unconventional offering from the current crop of films now streaming on Netflix Naija.

Featured image credits/TheLostOkoroshi

Hell hath no fury like Tami. Tweet her your fave female rappers @tamimak_

ICYMI: Daniel Oriahi’s ‘Sylvia’ won’t break any glass ceilings, and that’s okay

Straffitti transitions to Afropop on new EP, ‘STRAFF FROM NIGERIA’

Posted on by The Native

It has been 3 years since Straffitti’s breakout project, ‘Vanilla Sky’ marked him as one of the most impressive rising stars in Nigerian hip-hop. The tape’s psychedelic trap sound and trippy visuals earned him a fanbase of party-ragers who have watched him develop a more mainstream appeal from his underground rap talent origins.

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Last year, he gave fans the first taste of his radio-friendly ambitions with “KURONBE”, where he fused his trap cadence with mainstream rap and indigenous rap. The song also showed off his music industry connections with the enviable guest list of features, Prettyboy D-O, Ice Prince and Zlatan Ibile. The progression continued on the dance-driven single, “EVERYWHERE”, featuring Buju and now, he has republished the two singles as the lead singles for his newly released EP, ‘STRAFF FROM NIGERIA’.

“I really love to explore genres and finesse it my own way.” 

True to the words he told us when we spoke with him in May, the opening track on the 6-track EP, “NECESSARY” finds Straff imbuing his hip-hop swagger onto the mid-tempo afropop instrumentals produced by Retrro5. Singing “We dey change am for the paper/ Issa necessary”, the track is a hustler anthem that blurs the lines between his rap sensibilities and his radio-friendly intentions. He affirmed his Afropop speciality by exploring different variations of the dance-driven genre and delivered contagiously buoyant romantic songs like “SHANAWOLE”, one the standout tracks inspired by the rhythm of South African house music.

With the unique flair that Straffitti brings as he transitions to afropop, everyone making romantic club bangers needs to watch their backs cause Straff from Nigeria is coming for their spot on DJ sets.

Stream STRAFF FROM NIGERIA below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/straffitti

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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 latest music releases here 

Best New Music: Joyce Olong’s “Outta Town” aims to make peace with the past

Posted on by The Native

The mood of the world right now is particularly slow. The past few months have been full of highs and lows and now more than ever, the events of this year have forced us to pause, re-access our steps and re-align them for the future. In the middle of a global health crisis which has turned everything as we know it, change is the only constant we can be certain of.

Generally, music during this period has been reflective of the current state of affairs, and musicians have sought out to capture our collective consciousness through song, either providing solace for the tumultuous times, presenting a way out, or indulging us to the point of escape from our current reality. Joyce Olong’s deeply reflective new single “Outta Town” seems to provide all three with ease, as she sings with tear-inducing sincerity about the all too familiar sentiment of feeling lonely and different from the crowd.

After a three year hiatus from releasing any solo records, Joyce Olong’s first offering of the year is exactly what we need to get through these uncertain times. The self-produced single “Outta Town” is fueled by imaginative storytelling as the introspective songwriter turns inwards and delivers an open-wound confessional tale about rising above your past experiences and re-aligning your present, armed with the knowledge that those who hurt you have a dark past just like you.

The song bleeds with emotion from the very first words, which opens with the gloomy hook. ‘Outta town/Oh you must be dangerous/What’s your agenda, you from outta town?’ she sings over the tender, acoustic-guitar-accented beat. The buoyant production feels like a journey, representing the uncertain feeling of being left out, one we’ve all embarked upon at some point during our lives. But rather than resign to these helpless feelings, Joyce tells listeners to remain afloat, because everyone’s got a checkered past. ‘Don’t fret you will survive/we all come from somewhere/life is always a motion’ she sings, reminding listeners that though the journey may be lonely, but it won’t last forever because life is in constant motion and we’re all going through it together.

On a deeper level, Joyce Olong’s message transcends fraught feelings of loneliness and abandonment and represent much larger truths. Perhaps what is most touching about “Outta Town” is that we all know exactly what she means. We know what it means to advance to a new stage in life; whether it’s a new job or a new school, and to feel like the people in your new environment are judging you based on where you come from. Joyce Olong opines that as long as you remember why you deserve to be in this new stage, and you fade out outside noises, because they are reacting based on their own experiences of the world.

“Outta Town” is one of those songs that could boost your confidence if you need it to, as it feels like listening to a trusted old friend hold your hand through uncertain moments. It’s a testament to how we can all survive the events of this year through self-reflection, compromise, and ruthless honesty. It also says more about the mores of society and the discomfort that comes when you’re on a new path, but like a trusted friend, Joyce Olong reminds you that all the power you need to take on your new phase of life is in you. To the nay sayers and those who want to hold you back, she says “Abeg you free me” and we couldn’t agree more.

Despite her relatively quiet pace these past few years, the vivid and imaginative storytelling that details “Outta Town” definitely whets our appetites for what’s to come, which is the release of her debut album ‘Silhouettes’.

Stream “Outta Town” below.

Featured image credits/Spotify

Hell hath no fury like Tami. Tweet her your fave female rappers @tamimak_

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