Music has continued to sustain our sense of community as we all navigate the chaos of the world around us. Artists have kept the party going with new relatable songs that helps us remember the good old days (before the pandemic), dream of a better tomorrow, or just enjoy the present moment. Because we know the volume can be overwhelming sometimes, we’ve decided to highlight the best songs released from around the world, thrice a week, in a bid to put that extra pep in your steps as you go through the rest of the year.
We started this week’s Songs of the day curation with new music releases from Niniola, Shatta Wale, Moshfire, SirBastien, Ayüü, July Drama and Tosin, and Flavour and Phyno. Today, we’ve compiled a list of all the latest music releases from around the continent that you don’t want to miss out on. Yemi Alade, Jess ETA and SGaWD, Ruhdee and Bella Shmurda, Justin UG, and more have put out new releases and you can enjoy them below. You’re welcome.
Yemi Alade – “True Love”
Yemi Alade’s consistent work ethic has made her one of the most popular musicians from Africa. Her unwavering dedication to curating her image with cultural references also earned the title of ‘Mama Africa’ and she continues to showcase her love for African style and aesthetics in her video for “True Love”.
“True Love” was released last month as Yemi Alade’s second single since her last project, ‘Woman of Steel’. The Vtek produced song was primed for mass consumption with the mix of catchy dance-driven harmonies and Yemi Alade’s uplifting message about the positive effect of happy music. Singing “DJ play that happy music (forgetting my sorrows)/ Make the people sing-along”, “True Love” encourages listeners to turn to feel-good melodies when life gets stressful as it often does. Paul Gambit directed the video with different shots of Yemi Alade and the casts wearing African print fabrics and other traditional attires that brighten up each frame with colorful designs. The world is in desperate need of positive-vibes and Yemi Alade has provided that with her celebration of African tradition in her video for “True Love”.
Jess ETA – “Resistance” Feat. SGaWD
Following their steamy collaboration from earlier this year, “Like Me”, Jess ETA and SGaWD have doubled down on their raunchy chemistry with a new collaboration titled “Resistance”. The sexually-charged song is one of the lead singles from Jess ETA’s upcoming EP, ‘Balance’ and it confirms the romantic direction already hinted on the previously released single, “More”, featuring Zarion Uti.
Jess ETA and SGaWD already demonstrated their fluency in rap, r&b and Afropop sounds through their singles and features. However, “Resistance” is the first time all of those music sides—and more—were presented in a singular statement. Though they’re flaunting their wide stylistic range, the focus is on worshiping their muse as they sing, then rap about their attraction to their muse saying, “You’re my beautiful addiction/ I have no more resistance to you”.
Ruhdee – “Shaye” Feat. Bella Shmurda
For fans who’ve been paying attention to Bella Shmurda’s social media, it seems the singer is gearing to roll out a new project. The first hint came after he started referring to himself as Dangbana and earlier this week, he shared the snippet for a new single, “Sho Ni Cc” on his IG. Though the caption encouraged fans to click the YouTube link in his bio, there was only snippet available on the streaming platform. Despite being upset at the trickery, we’ve remained on the lookout for when it eventually drops. This is how we found his latest collaboration, “Shaye” by Ruhdee.
Nakademus produced the lightweight beat to set a laidback groove for Ruhdee and Bella Shmurda’s captivating melodies on “Shaye”. Ruhdee and Bella Shmurda take turns laying verses about their celebrity lifestyle as accomplished musicians and the video directed by Praise Niphy reinforces their claims by showing them in their flashy clothes and jewelry. We also see the pair performing their vocals, accompanied by two models and a convertible car that serves as proof that they get love and money.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-Tyg3S3JGM
Rexxie – “Opor Remix” Feat Zlatan, LadiPoe
Rexxie’s debut tape, ‘Afro-Street’ showcased the wide stylistic range of the street-hop sound that once dominated the Nigerian mainstream music scene. After highlighting the genre’s groovy appeal, the producer recently updated one of the standout tracks, Zlatan-assisted “Opor” with a remix that featured a new verse from LadiPoe. The updated version has now gotten a befitting video that captures the exciting sound and the energetic Zanku dance that accompanied the sound.
Praise Niphy directed the dimly lit video for “Opor Remix”, and it captures Rexxie and Zlatan performing together in different studio sets while LadiPoe performs in a retro-themed room. The red-lights and color-grading edits allow both sets to fit together as a whole. Just as we observed when the single was released last month,“Opor Remix” shows LadiPoe’s willingness to expand the scope of his music and also shows the depth of Rexxie’s phonebook. LadiPoe’s adaptable flow and his impressive bars have given the street-hop wave a much-needed revival.
Justin UG – “Monalisa” Feat. Nano Shayray
Multi-talented internet celebrity, Justin UG has continued to push the boundaries of his creativity. The comedian/ dancer/ MC/ actor is always exploring new mediums to express himself, and has recently tapped into music with the release of his 2-track tape, ‘Vibes with UG’. Both tracks, “Monalisa” and “Bridget” have romantic themes with laidback Afropop instrumentals designed to serve dancefloors. Though they are both worth giving a listen, “Monalisa” is the first track and it stands out as our first time hearing Justin UG’s surprisingly sweet singing voice.
“You say you love me/ Why you come dey change your mind?”, he asks a paramour over catchy drum riffs and soft synth harmonies produced by badthesoundboy. He’s later joined by Nano Shayray who also feels that he’s being played by his muse. Though their airy vocals are performed with the charming allure of a love song, they are both too keyed into their fear of being played to pass their love message across. Regardless, “Monalisa” has a compelling groove built around catchy melodies that are further proof of Justin UG’s chameleonic talents.
Tems is a girl on fire and with each new release, we’re more certain that she’s priming herself for a global takeover. After giving us a sneak peek into her creative process a few months back, the leader of the Rebel gang has more in store for her army of loyal followers. A few months back, when the world was uncertainly adjusting the changes this new year had brought, the elusive artist connected with her fans on Instagram live to share new music and catch up with them, in a moment of close proximity. And now, while we wait for more from her, the leading vibe is giving fans a further look into her mind and her methods.
Today, Melanin Unscripted in collaboration with Tems brings you a mini-documentary following Tems’ time in New York City earlier this year. For her first time in the Big Apple, we get to see Tems as she connects with creatives and explores the city. We see her donning vibrant colourful Orange Culture pieces at museums and later performing for a lively crowd at an intimate gig. As she sings the words to “Try Me”, the crowd chants back with her, and therein lies the beauty of the Rebel Gang and their leading vibe, the ability to hear us at our base emotions and turn that into memorable songs.
It’s clear that Tems wants to connect with her fans more, as they are what keep her going. She sends an important message to her loyal following, the Rebel Gang, which she reveals is synonymous with freedom. ‘I’m overcoming so that they can overcome aswell’ she shares in the voiceover that accompanies visuals. Tems continues to show that she’s a force to be reckoned with and with her deep conviction in herself and faith in God, she promises that her debut album will represent a fresh start and a new page.
While we wait for her debut album, you can watch ‘MU Narratives x Tems’ below.
Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in today’s world and everyone from your fave celebrities right down to influencers and regular folk like you and I, are tapping into the growing industry as a different medium to talk freely about the topics that affect all of us. Whether that’s Mandii B and WeezyWTF of the Whorible Decisions podcast talking unabashedly about sex toys and tricks or Scottie Beam and Sylvia Obell bringing you the latest news blowing up their timeline on Okay, Now Listen, there’s a podcast out there for every and any listener.
As of this year, Apple Podcasts is home to more than 500,000 active podcasts and many of them are racking up stellar numbers as listeners regularly tune in weekly or bi-weekly for new episodes. Though the growth of podcasts has been more of a slow burn here in Nigeria, there have been a few shows over the years which have been able to garner loyal followings. In 2018, Stears Business posed the question ‘will podcasts become the new FM?’ challenging whether the most used media form in the country could be usurped for this new way of disseminating information, particularly as it was very popular amongst millennials. Unfortunately, podcasts still haven’t taken over mainstream radio quite yet, but there has been a boom in the number of podcasts popping up in these parts, from former regulars Loose Talk to Nigerian-American, Submarine and Roach, I Said What I Said, and even newcomers like F & S Uncensored, the fourth space, Confident and Killing It and many more.
I, for one, was late to the party and started listening to podcasts just two years ago when I stumbled upon Adowa Aboah’s The Gurls Talk podcast, a conversation between the British-Ghanaian model and activist and some of the phenomenal women she’s privy to know in varied fields of work. It didn’t take long for me to seek out similar podcasts from women who created a space to talk and share about issues that affect us the most and the latest happenings in today’s world. Through this, I found podcasts owned by West African women living here and in the diaspora including Hectic Podcast, The Receipts Podcast, and a personal favorite of mine and many young Nigerians, I Said What I Said.
One thing particularly endearing about these podcasts were the women behind them and the unadulterated way they were able to get real about issues pertaining to young people, especially women and their experiences. Though Feyikemi Akin-Bankole and Simi Badiru of F & S Uncensored never set out to inspire anyone but themselves, the two long-time friends, who created their podcast over a year ago, have already become a favourite amongst young Nigerians for being so relatable. Having formed the podcast over their shared love for music and pop culture, the two friends set themselves apart with their determination to stay true to themselves. When they speak about their experiences registering for NYSC in Nigeria or interview people that are culturally sound in the music and entertainment scene like Tinya Alonge and Fresh L, they unknowingly influence a host of young people listening to their show and going through similar experiences.
In Nigeria where creative careers are not always embraced and encouraged, Feyikemi and Simi are taking up space by shining a light on their experiences while working in the music industry as well as producing nuanced commentary on the pop culture of today. ‘We didn’t specifically set out to host a women-centred podcast, but then we are both two young girls that enjoy life and enjoy the things that we do so we figured why not talk about it and see if anyone else can relate’ Feyikemi shares with me, and it so turns out that many listeners definitely did relate as the duo share their heartwarming fan mail from listeners who are impacted by the two close friends.
For Feyikemi Abudu and Jola Ayeye of I Said What I Said (ISWIS) podcast, who have just celebrated their third anniversary over the weekend, they are unashamedly honest about everything pertaining to life as a millennial woman in Nigeria, discussing everything from dating to pop culture and even taboo topics that are typically shunned when it’s not behind closed doors.
The idea for I Said What I Said first came up in 2015 when Jola nursed the idea of hosting one for women like her. Jola wanted a partner who she could effortlessly bounce ideas and jokes off, which came in the form of her friend, Feyikemi Abudu two years later, the pair were friendly but apart from the fact that Jola had a crush on Feyikemi’s brother in secondary school and the duo moved with the same circle, it wasn’t until Jola extended the suggestion to be co-hosts that a deeper sisterhood was formed.
‘I remember thinking this is going to work and it’s going to be smooth, and it has been from the first day’ Jola shares with me about the synergy between her and Feyikemi was effortless. With the help from friends at Midas Radio, the duo set out to create what is now widely listened and enjoyed by many today as I Said What I Said.
“I am an unashamed feminist and a lot of my interest is in women’s issues. If I am going to be doing anything that I am in creative control of, women’s issues will always be the top of the pile and that’s the same thing with Feyikemi. It’s our thing and we care about women and we want them to express themselves and feel safe and gist.”
Jola is aware that ISWIS has many male listeners as well, her focus is on showing up for the women she and Feyikemi have been able to connect to through their podcast. Fostering this safe community for women has been of utmost importance to the pair as they regularly communicate with the women that listen to their show and it’s this element of care and empathy in their podcast that endeared them to their loyal followers who wholly supported them at their first live show during Social Media Week.
In a world where women–especially black women–are unfavourably treated and berated by society, ISWIS creates an unfiltered space to share a bit of banter, gossip, and talk about some genuine life experiences. Both women genuinely love making others laugh while still taking time out to speak on what matters the most to women who like and sound like them. Openly speaking about these topics gives other women the confidence to share their own experiences as Nigerian women are often taught to shame themselves for speaking out about their dating mishaps and exploring their sexuality.
Though they are regularly topping Apple podcasts charts for having the most listened to podcast in the country, Jola shares that ‘I think just, in general, having spaces that focus on women without performance is really great and because there are so many types of women out there and so many different things we are interested in, you literally can’t exhaust audiences’. What has set them apart from their peers is their ability to use their similar senses of humour and their close friendship as a means to break barriers that exist between them and their audience. Thick as thieves, they represent both sides of the same coin, but their distinct personalities help to spruce the show up with their cheerful and fun antics.
I can’t stress the importance of having a safe space for millennial and Gen Z women to find joy, laughter, and advice all in the same spot and the continued existence of these podcasts that cater to a myriad of women goes a long way in helping a community of women openly embrace their mistakes and their achievements. We’ve listened, laughed, and cried along with these women and now it’s time that you do, you might learn a thing or two.
The Internet is a glorious, yet terrifying beast. An ever-growing expanse, the world of social media has become one of the forefront uses of the Internet, especially during these times where physical social interactions are largely prohibited. From mainstream socials, such as Twitter and Instagram to niche gaming forums, there exists a tonne of content on the web for us to search, stumble upon, share, analyse, and in times like these, most importantly, there’s a tonne of entertainment at which we can all together laugh.
During this global pandemic, we’ve had our freedom of movement curtailed, our rights refused to us and most heartbreakingly our heroes and fellow black people taken from us too soon. Throughout the year, most of us have felt its horrors on a personal level, in our respective societies and as a global community. There has been no respite in news cycles, so it has been important to cherish moments of joy, whenever they appear, no matter how silly these moments seem to be. At least, that’s how I’ve been getting through it all – laughter and the Twilight Saga.
For this week’s Hot Take – 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, Adewojumi Aderemi have focussed on all the things that made me laugh over the weekend and this week so far, and one or two topics that have helped me grow (if only a little). Here goes:
What I’m watching on YouTube: BabyGirlTos
Someone save me from @babygyaltos’ YouTube channel I can stop watching 😭😭😭😭😭
You’ve most likely seen BabyGirlTos’ content shared as three-second long meme bites on Twitter, but the brief videos don’t do any justice to how hilarious her channel is. Tosin, as she permits us to call her in her fun and memorable introduction (“what is up YouTube? It’s your girl, BabyGirlTos aka Tosin and we back with another BANGER video“), is a really funny and very open YouTuber, who imparts valuable lessons to her viewers; how to achieve her ’90s inspired lob looks, how to get thick, what the kids are saying by way of slang and whether or not you’re a toxic lover. Her funniest videos however, are the ones where she is joined by her friends as the energy they all bounce around is infectious – you won’t be able to stop laughing and you certainly won’t want to tune out.
Watch her brand new video here:
What I’m watching on Disney+: High School Musical
I have been given the gift of Disney+ access for a limited time only and I am using it right, catching up on all the oldies from Parent Trap to Cheaper By The Dozen and, of course, the Gen Z Holy Grail, High School Musical. My favourite is HSM3 because of Troy Bolton’s phenomenal performance in “Scream”. With a significantly larger budget than the first two, Troy’s solo this time is a legitimately flawless production; basketballs come raining down, Troy walks on the walls (Inception referenced this cut), and he tops it all off with the most dramatic belt ever. Arms stretched wide, veins popping, Troy Bolton’s “Scream” could give MJ and Janet a run for their money. “Can I Have This Dance” and “I Just Wanna Be With You” are also powerful romantic duets that have a place in my fictional wedding, so hearing those again tugged at my frail heartstrings.
What I’m listening to: Growing Up With gal-dem
After listening to new music on Friday and and writing about all my faves (which involves repeated listenings) I like to use my weekend to unplug as much as I can, either going back to older projects, namely ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’, and ‘rare.’ , or – which is the case most times – I opt out of music listening altogether and enjoy my imaginative thoughts in silence. This weekend, was a no music weekend, but instead of (over)thinking about my own melodramas, I decided to contemplate growth, with gal-dem. Starting with Tiwa Savage’s episode on Motherhood, I then went on to listen to Michal Coel’s episode where she talked about “taking the note“.
Lifting the phrase from a public diary entry she wrote during her studies about ten years ago, Coel’s idea of taking the note suggests that when we get criticisms from people, we simply accept what they say – take the note – and reflect upon their words later. Later, you can analyse their criticism in the context of your life and your work, asking why they say that? Where it has value, are they projecting? – questions which enable you to apply the criticism to just the right degree. Both episodes put me in a deeply reflective mood so I also went on to watch the Homecoming x Browns Fashion panel on street style, which got me thinking critically on how to grow myself and our industry. Listen to Growing Up With gal-dem below here.
Nicole Richie is an environmental rapper!!!
During the lockdown period, my sister and I revisited Paris and Nicole’s iconic The Simple Life (you can tell from my excessive use of the phrases “That’s hot!” and “Loves it!“), so I’ve grown a newfound interest in all things Paris and Nicole. A couple of weeks ago, Paris Hilton released the trailer for her upcoming autobiographical documentary, This is Paris, a YouTube Original film which details her childhood traumas as Paris, for the first time, reveals to viewers and even her family, who is really behind the wild child heiress persona we’ve always thought she was. Nicole Richie, on the other hand is conflating her gardening enthusiasm with her family background in music, releasing her debut album ‘Unearthed‘, under her new persona, Nikki Fre$h.
The introduction is from her daddy, Lionel Richie, who, despite being a musician himself, is very apprehensive about Nicole venturing into rap, pleading with her husband to talk Nicole out of Nikki Fre$h. Thankfully Nicole doesn’t listen, simply replying, on the album, with “Parent Trap”, where she opens: “hop out the porsche/straight the the store/but only organic cos I’m bout the planet and don’t do the pork“. Going on to talk about her mothering tactics, “Parent Trap” is literally what it says on the tin, trap music by mommy.
After rapping about her chickens, her sage, rosemary and other herbs in her garden, Nikki Fre$h plays for us another voice message, this time one sent to her sister Sofia, where Nicole is accused of “singlehandedly killing rap music” and not in a good way. The album is populated with a series of hatery voice messages from her circle; Kyle is mad that she’s gentrified rap music with her ‘conscious trap’; Mila is not with the fact that she has to sit behind chickens on Fre$h’s Farmer’s Market Tour; Molly’s boyfriend is concerned that ‘the principle of it’ might have some negative implications on him, “because somehow [he’s] now associated with the record; whilst an unnamed woman accuses Richie of using crack again, since apparently “she doesn’t even grow her own vegetables“. The final voicenote from Nikki’s sister-in-law reveals that she didn’t take on any counsel from her “Life Partners”, going full speed ahead with her album, despite all their reservations.
‘Unearthed‘ is simply not as offensive as these voicemails would have you think. Sure, it is gentrified hip-hop at its best, but does Nikki Fre$h not deserve some credit for staying true to her interests in the music she makes? Not to mention the fact that she’s shedding light on environmental issues in a wholly entertaining way. From “U.G.L.Y”, Nicole Richie’s cult following will learn not to chuck away their peaches simply because they don’t bounce (an incredible metaphor by the way), on the techno-rap “Lil Gems”, she runs through all the remedies you need to get rid of your negative energy that might manifest itself as physical pain, whilst she advocates for water sanitation on the aptly-titled, “Drip Dip”. It’s a huge shock that even at her age, with children, financial security and such a notoriously creative family, that Nicole Richie would be met with such backlash from her support system. But it’s inspiring to see that no matter the discouragement she faces, Nikki Fre$sh will always put on for the environment.
KiddErica is triggering so you all should stop talking about it
Currently in the UK, I have not had the pleasure of watching the season of Big Brother Naija, however Twitter has been keeping me somewhat in the loop of all the talking points arising from the show’s affairs. This week’s drama centred around the relationship woes of Kiddwaya and Erica, nicknamed KiddErica. During the Saturday night party, a lover’s tiff between Kiddwaya and Erica emerged from his affectionate dealings with other girls. In response to Eria kicking off at Kidd, our resident BBN expert tells me Kiddwaya demanded to know what he had actually done wrong this time, to which Erica didn’t have much to say, instead resorted to insulting him, as opposed to communicating or addressing her issues properly.
As we’ve already said before, KiddErica’s is a modern love story; typical of heterosexual shituationships, and triggering for anyone attempting to move on from the hurt. It’s worryingly common for a girl to fall in love with a guy who has clearly stated he cannot be in a relationship. As someone who has been in this position, KiddErica’s relationship is incredibly triggering, but a good point of reflection for me. Erica certainly should free herself of a guy who cannot be the guy she wants him to be (which Kidd repeated, to her and others, during Saturday night’s party). In fact, it is unfair for her to expect him to be someone who he doesn’t want to be or for her to expect him to change his ways, which he clearly stated at the beginning of the relationship, because she is upset about his in-exclusivity – some would argue that she’s being manipulative even.
On the other hand, Kiddwaya’s behaviour can also be seen as manipulative. Insisting that he does care about Erica, Kiddwaya continues to draw her in and hold her near, nurturing her feelings at the same time as rejecting them. He looks like he wants to have his cake and eat it, and whilst it’s clear that this whole thing will hurt Erica in the long run, it’s likely to take its toll on him too, especially if he does indeed care for her. In conclusion, they should both quit it before things take a turn for the worse, because in toxic friendships such as these, things only get worse. Taking a break from each other, talking extensively about their feelings and then being intentional about considering each other’s feelings as well as their own, might got a long way in stabilising their relationship – if Kidd really cares like that, he’s likely LYING like ALL MEN. I wouldn’t know much about that though, it’s #toxicgirl for life.
For some time now, I have silently watched as the internet drags “the new Burberry“. Apparently, there are people, and lots of them, who believe, or rather “can’t believe” what Riccardo Tisci has “done” to Burberry. I just don’t get it. Apart from Kendall Jenner’s poorly lit home shoot, I am living for everything the Italian designer is doing with Britain’s iconic brand – I mean, what’s not to love?
Now I am no fashion enthusiast, talk less of an expert, so there might actually be legitimate cause for all the hate my dearest RT is receiving for his revamp (I’d call it revival) of the Burberry brand, but to these humble eyes, Tisci has brought with him a contemporary free-spiritedness that he’s been lauded for for years. I first fell in love with Riccardo Tisci during my tumblr days, following the release of his colourful larger than life collaboration with Nike, worn by Joan Smalls on the tumblr pages. Bestowing upon the classic Air Force One design his creative eccentricity, Riccardo Tisci has gone on to do the same with Burberry, taking advantage of his full reign as Chief Creative Officer, to make the brand his own, whilst still retaining staple garments and points of identity, such as the infamous trench coat or instantly recognisably Burberry tartan plaid.
Though streets are big mad at Kris Jenner’s logo-manic Burberry bodysuit, and all the other pieces along the new logo’s line, I think it’s fabulous that Tisci has put a bit of him in the TB logo, and even more grand that these are the pieces boasting pop culture relevance. You may think the print is garish, or stick your nose up at his celebrity clientele but Beyoncé’s outfit in “Already” ought to tell you everything you need to know: Riccardo Tisci is a design god and he’s doing the lord’s work at Burberry.
Over the weekend, Mohini Beauty launched their brand new make-up line (you can shop here, although it’s mostly sold out), beginning the day with a ‘Get Ready With Me’ Instagram Live, where Omoehi Ighodalo, the beauty entrepreneur behind the brand, sampled the products going up for sale, as well as other products Mohini has in the works. Teasing the release of a super convenient lash glue, a beauty blender, setting powder and a couple of luscious blushes, Mohini Beauty has my appetite whet and my pennies ready to drop for their next release. In fact, I am literally on the edge of my seat, eagerly waiting for drop day. In true journalist fashion, my obsessive “when!!”s hurtled at the brand’s DMs got me thinking, what does this about buying practices in the digital world and what are the benefit to brands of teasing products well before they’re launched?
Product teasing isn’t really a new phenomenon; we have fashion shows months before the collections are available (though that’s mostly for buyers), we have expos for cars and tech products that flaunt what’s to come in advance of their official launch dates, even buying catalogues, that are super popular in the West (RIP Argos Catalogue), detail the products to come in the store’s next season. Letting customers know what they’re going to be able to get before they’re able to get it, has always been a useful marketing strategy, but in today’s post-digital world the art seems ubiquitous – every brand or company is learning the hack to ensure that their products are sold out even before they go on sale. This strategy, of course, involves excessive social media drive.
Thanks to Instagram’s borderlessness, and general accessibility across the globe, this picture-based platform has become a primary site of digital marketing, especially useful for smaller brands who do not have the budget for adverts or the press connections that established retailers might have. As more and more brands co-opt the Instagram space, our buying practices have shifted even further away from the high-street, as visiting the [dot]coms which replaced the physical stores becomes an archaic practice in light of “DM to order” demands or direct shopping links on socials. In order to make the most of this more democratic space, smaller business (like emerging artists), must ensure that they always keep their audience attentive – this is one benefit of product teasing.
By teasing products, brands and companies can stay relevant even in times where they don’t actually have products out. Putting out feelers also helps brands know which products to prioritise in the production stages, and which items to produce more of, which Omoehi Ighodalo, founder of Mohini Beaty, confirms to me, saying that “the more [my customers] like something, the more of it I order“. Later on, Ighodalo narrates how her timetable of product releases has changed based on which “I had planned to release the matte lipsticks I’m working on next month, but people really wanted the eye shadow” so that’s what’s up next, as well as the much-coveted lash glue, which she had originally planned to launch in December. Clearly there are palpable benefits for brands to share products whilst they’re in the works, so although it’s a real test of patience, it all works to everyone’s advantage in the end.
I won’t talk too much. I can’t. Wishing London a “happy what would [have been] Notting Hill Carnival” on Sunday evening, Adele caused quite the stir on social media, as her well wishes were accompanied by this post of her donning bantu knots and a Jamaican flag bikini. Despite the clear cultural appropriation implications, an the political conversation that could easily have been extracted from this picture, Adele was given a free pass, escaping cancellation because she’s just too dear to black communities worldwide. It might be hypocritical that Adele garners happy-spirited laughter, whilst other celebrities would come under serious fire – have come under serious fire even – for doing the same or similar. Well, most Jamaicans on Twitter (at least in my space) decided the only energy the picture deserved was meme energy, and Black Twitter, as usual, delivered the creative and hilarious content we all signed up for. Enjoy below.
Music has continued to sustain our sense of community as we all navigate the chaos of the world around us. Artists have kept the party going with new relatable songs that helps us remember the good old days (before the pandemic), dream of a better tomorrow, or just enjoy the present moment. Because we know the volume can be overwhelming sometimes, we’ve decided to highlight the best songs released from around the world, thrice a week, in a bid to put that extra pep in your steps as you go through the rest of the year.
We covered the new releases from Namibian rapper, Lioness, Olayinka Ehi, Tiwa Savage, King Perry and PsychoYP, TaavTheHuman and Isaac Lörd, and Aux Zenith to set the perfect mood for the weekend. Now we are starting the week with the latest releases from Niniola, Shatta Wale, Moshfire, SirBastien, Ayüü, July Drama, Tosin, Flavour and Phyno. Enjoy.
Chu-Chu – “Electra” Feat. WANI
American-based Afropop singer, Chu-Chu has followed up his 2019 debut, “Killing Me” with a double single release titled ‘Electra and You’. Both songs are worth a listen but the track that caught our ear the most is the collab with one of our all-time favorites, WANI on “Electra”.
Dazzling synths, soulful percussion, and laidback drums set the excited tone for Chu-Chu and WANI’s sweet vocals addressed at their respective love interests. WANI already proved himself a formidable and efficient dancefloor filler with a gooey soft spot with his romantic-Afropop catalog and he lives up to his reputation with this catchy set, admitting to his obsession with his lover; “If you see me in the club with my dark shades on/ You should know I got her on my mind/ It’s like all the time”. Though the dancefloor isn’t employed as a plot device on Chu-Chu’s verse, his r&b-inspired flow and hearty lyrics about his romantic feelings deliver “Electra”‘s love message succinctly. The same romantic message carries on to the second song, “You” as Chu-Chu returns with aplomb.
SirBastien – “Addis Ababa” Feat. Ayüü, July Drama, Tosin
Being a producer/artist combo allows SirBastein to build his own sound with an extra dedication to specific details. He introduced listeners to his beach-music soundscape on ‘Mango’, his debut tape from last year. And though his breezy synths and lightweight harmonies have reflected on other artists like Ilaye, YMK, and Judo who he has produced for, we can finally get immersed in his soothing Caribbean harmonies as he just released his sophomore tape, ‘Mango Island’.
The project features Maya Amolo, Eri Ife, Remy Baggins, and others who join him at the sandy beach. The standout track, “Addis Ababa” brings Ayüü, July Drama, Tosin into SirBastien’s beach-inspired universe as they sing over the lightweight mix of soft percussions, rattling samples, twinkling guitars, and laidback drum riffs produced by SirBastien. Each artist takes turns performing their verses describing how they fell in love at the beach. If you close your eyes and listen to the meticulously detailed instrumentals, you can almost feel the wind in your face.
Shatta Wale – “Kumerica”
Shatta Wale’s standout performance on “Already” made it to the soundtrack that featured on Barack Obama’s 2020 Summer playlist, and now his latest single, “Kumerica” seems to be a warm welcoming embrace for his American audience.
Produced by Pac, the drill beat for Shatta Wale’s “Kumerica” and the synth-heavy beat sets a menacing backdrop for Shatta Wale to detail his criminal lifestyle to reach his goal of being powerful, wealthy enough money to stunt. Maybe this isn’t a warm embrace after all. It’s such a convincing drill song, it’s hard not to hear it as a threat to American drill artists who have to compete with an accomplished dancehall king whose unafraid to experiment with the new sound.
Flavour – “Chop Life” Feat. Phyno
Phyno and Flavour teamed up for a celebratory new single, “Chop Life” earlier this month, and now they’ve supported the collaboration with an accompanying video to match.
Over the mid-tempo highlife beat produced by MasterKraft, Flavour and Phyno remind us to be grateful for our lives. With Flavour’s catchy melodies and Phyno’s relaxed flow, the mood is jovial and the TG Omori translates that into a party-themed video. The opening scene is set at a road-side buka where Flavour, Phyno and some actors are seen enjoying their meal. We later watch them selling beers then later, celebrating their successful business. You get the sense that “Chop Life” is an ad for the beer brand featured in the video, but at least the song is honest and the video doesn’t hide the fact that business is booming.
Moshfire – “Thinking of You”
Countless songs have been written to capture the feeling of falling in love. The way Moshfire tells it on her latest single, “Thinking of You”, it’s a dangerous and reckless adventure that everyone should avoid at all cost. Her lyrics, “I’ve been losing my mind all day/ Risking my life just by falling for you/ I will do anything/ What do you say?“, are addressed at a lover she’s chasing.
If the obsessive lyrics weren’t already scandalous, her soft cadence and the drums like a pounding headache make the song feel like the soundtrack to a horror film about the extremes people are willing to go for love. The synths, xylophone harmonies, guitar riff, and twitchy funk rhythm lend the song a captivating allure while she confesses how completely she has fallen in love with her muse. Saying “That is why I can’t stop chasing you” triggers this writer’s stalker alert, but then, the whole song screams extreme risk. Moshfire’s blunt treatment of obsessive love is compelling in its ludic depiction of passionate attraction.
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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
When artists who rap predominantly shift to singing as their primary mode of vocal expression, accusations of being a sell-out often trail that 180-degree turn. Considering Nigeria’s still emerging rap scene, it’s not entirely unfounded that ex-rappers switch things up to improve commercial viability, however, at the same time, this sort of adjustment has proven to be an integral part of several artists’ evolution into something truly special, with examples ranging from Santi and Rema to Cheso and Morell.
As recent as this past January, Victony was trading raps with Ladipoe during the Mavin rapper’s Revival Sunday series, letting loose an avalanche of unsparing punchlines about his invincibility as a rapper on “Revival Mode”. On his excellent new EP, ‘Saturn’, Victony is now a full-on singer, a transition that is seemingly recent but not altogether unexpected. In March, he put out “S.M.S”, a song that still leaned in on his proclivities as a rapper even as he fronted his developing ability as a melody slinger. There’s little room for any doubt on ‘Saturn’; Victony’s transformation is complete, and even if it might be temporary, he’s shed his rapper skin for something more colourful and captivating.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEbNIHXDjAG/
“More”, the intro track to the EP, lays out the exciting edge to Victony’s newly earthed powers and direction, combining the spirited charisma of his boyish tenor with a bright, rainbow-like sonic palette. The touchstones for “More” shouldn’t be unfamiliar: musically it has the technicolour lushness of a Toro y Moi song, albeit with a very Afropop bounce; while his singing echoes the r&b charm of, say, Daniel Caesar and the ecstatic hollering of breakout star, Oxlade. Regardless, Victony never sounds derivative — in fact, whatever his actual influences are, they appear as sly winks rather than knowing nods.
“More of your love”, he repeatedly sings on the chant-ready hook, emphasising the song’s love-struck and dreamy premise, a theme that’s pretty much run-of-the-mill in the current landscape of Nigerian pop music. The elevating factor, though, is that Victony doesn’t sell the passion behind his sentiments as much as he embodies it in his winding melodies and plainly aching lyrics. “I dey for you my lady, it’s time to dive now and we’ll survive now”, he enthusiastically intones on the first verse, urging his love interest to take a plunge in the deep end and reassuring her of his unsinkable commitment.
Matching the mix of playfulness and intensity in Victony’s performance, groovy percussion, cloudy piano chords and vocal chants form the vibrant sonic backbone of “More”, giving it an orthodox, club-ready bounce and an alt-pop elegance at the same time. As instantly striking as ‘Saturn’ is, Victony is still on his path to refinement, but for what it’s worth, “More” is a phenomenal glare into the sort of world-beating artist he’s primed to become at the peak of his powers.
Staying true to our mission reshape the face of African popular culture, The NATIVE team curates a monthly list to spotlight the best and most exciting new artists on the continent. Some of these artists have dropped songs to some regional acclaim, while others are brand new on the block, working towards their first big break. Tune in to what’s next. Click here for July’s Fresh Meat.
2020 has been a harrowing year. Currently, in the midst of a global pandemic, the fear of disease has been overshadowed by the loss of our many heroes, the worldwide persecution of black people, most especially black women, and the gloomy sense that it just doesn’t get better, because, all year, it hasn’t. Here at the NATIVE, we’ve found collective solace in music, particularly in our search for new talent from all over the continent for this column, especially seeing our alum, such as Omah Lay or WhoIsAkin rising into prominence.
In today’s world, life lives online. Everything we consume is instantaneous and on-demand, thanks to the worldwide availability of streaming services. For younger artists, this paradigm shift has been crucial to their rise, as gatekeepers have less and less control over who we discover, and artists are able to find their audience anywhere around the world from their own little corner.
This month Fresh Meat, it’s the sung-rappers who have particularly caught our attention, so we are dedicating this edition of Fresh Meat to their infectious, sing-along flow. Though the origins of this style of rapping are hazy, critics have made peace with crediting the habit to Drake – though Soulja Boy would have your head. Over in these parts, sung-raps are popping off too. As Phlow dabbles in varying styles on her new project ‘Marmalade‘, OG Caesar is delivering his growth through his unrefined autotuned vocal raps on ‘NeoVicious‘, whilst Victony is leaning further into his R&B proclivities on ‘Saturn‘.
Here’s a list of the best new artists from August.
burningforestboy
Though emo music has fallen off the culturally relevant peak of the late 2000s – when fans’ lifestyle and fashion reflected their dark souls – it has remained a vibrant niche, never too far behind whatever is mainstream. Hip-hop’s colorful-haired acts like Uzi Vert and Trippie Redd have kept the emo flag flying high and with burningforestboy’s gothy debut tape, ‘Cicada’, the South African singer joins the vanguard steering pop from butterflies and rainbows towards darker, weirder places.
We first discovered burningforestboy last year, when he featured on Si Xiaz’s “Darklight”, wailing over the eerie trap beat as he elevated the song to forward-thinking, genre-smearing heights. His aching falsetto and the spacey synth instrumentals were instantly reminiscent of The Weeknd’s debut, ‘Trilogy’. But while we’ve watched Abel embrace pop for mainstream appeal, burningforestboy is still very much in his avant-garde phase as he explores the pain and angst of living a life of debauchery on ‘Cicada’.
Singing “Bad bitch in my whip/ Blunt inside this whip/ Driving way too quick/ Way too much on my mind” on the lead single, “Talisman”, you can almost picture the party, after-party, hangover trajectory of his life as he shares his intimate anxieties with a presumed lover. He doubles down on blurring the lines between pain and pleasure with the rest of the 5-track offering. On “Insomnia”, it’s unclear if the breathlessness his bar exude is caused by a panic attack or oral sex and on “Dreamstate”, he does drugs till he’s passed out.
His edgy lyrics are mirrored in the slinky production with slow pianos adding a sultry elegance while menacing sub-bass distortions reflect his pessimistic lyrics. The sound of distress on burningforestboy’s ‘Cicada’ makes it listen like a snow-globe of tainted love that makes the apocalyptic outside world seem near-manageable by comparison. It’s thrilling and emotionally gutting stuff that makes him appealing to fans though we haven’t even seen a clear image of his face till date. He always finds different artsy ways to keep his face hidden in the shadows for his pictures and videos, but when we spoke with him to understand what motivates, he explained that;
“I haven’t done anything with intent or goal-oriented. I’ve just existed and I guess the way I exist appeals to a lot of people and people just generally gravitate to what I do; whether it’s me burning shit or the music I make.”
burningforestboy is clearly swinging for the avant-pop fences and we’re here for it.
Victony
Afropop has become more fascinating over the last couple of years thanks to a new generation of artists who have emerged and made the soundscape more diverse than it has ever been with different exciting sonic styles. These expressive new sets of talents have shown they aren’t afraid to explore themes outside mainstream party-driven sensibilities, and Victony’s 2019 debut, “Menace” introduced him as a confident rapper with a fast flow and lyric book of punchlines.
Saying, “I am the realest/ This is the voice of the realest” he’s arriving with a big energy on “Menace”. His rap performance was convincing, but when he debuted “Space and Time” this year, he had switched to a more melodic cadence that allowed him to bare his heart over lush and atmospheric production. The R&B-leaning track showed Victony’s versatility, as he captured the heady freedom from a fresh breakup, while still depicting his deep feelings. Though the lyrics, “I don’t need love/ I need my space and time” seem to celebrate the breakup, his emotive vocals don’t sound too excited, hinting at a vulnerable emotional state that sets the tone for Victony’s newly released debut project, ‘Saturn’.
The 6-track tape finds Victony embracing R&B melodies as his new sound. However, he also bridges different influences as trap beats are introduced on “87 Club”, while he showcases his ability to make radio-friendly Afropop songs to fill dancefloors on “Jo Riddim” and “Fasta”. He also shows his range with Spanish lyrics on the Falz-assisted “Maria”, boasting of his international potential. Victony’s flair for melodies makes his romantic songwriting striking over the lush production, and his topics are sprawling, as goes through different themes; from committed lover to playboy to being celibate – each track told its own story as though created to serve the single driven Nigerian audience.
By incorporating different elements from R&B and mainstream Afropop to create ‘Saturn’, the ambitious debut shows that Victony has something to prove. It has positioned him as one of the young talents hoping to shape the sound of the mainstream into their own image and shows off his raw talent as he continues on the path to refinement.
LunaLovesYou
Debuting her first single on Soundcloud just last year, with only four tracks to her name so far, LunaLovesYou is right at the start of her career, but her trajectory already looks inescapably promising.
Signposted by a DIY image of glossy lips near kissing an already smeared camera, “Glitters” is the first song we see published on LunaLovesYou’s sparsely populated Soundcloud page, “The first part of myself I shared with the world” she’s said. Opening with low-key, paced acoustic guitar chords – a staple in LunaLovesYou’s discography – and droplets of water to build up the teary atmosphere, Luna’s debut illustrates her humble beginnings, as he vocals are stalked by the jarring noise of an unprofessional recording set up and an engineering absence. Still, it “Glitters”. Singing about a lover who has changed his ways, indicating love lost on his account, LunaLovesYou soars into her head voice on the powerful chorus, singing that “not all that glitters is gold”. “Glitters” is a modest track, but for a first attempt it shows undeniable promise that LunaLovesYou is one to watch out for, and her singles, thrown out here and there over the past two years, have only painted a clearer picture of her success.
Just 19 years old, LunaLovesYou’s music career kicked off around the same time as she began her Business Management degree at England’s University of Reading, which could explain the sparse nature of her musical output. In today’s instantaneous world, pressure is mounted upon rising stars to push out as much content as they can in order to hold onto the audience’s attention until they become established enough to take a breather, knowing they won’t be forgotten. Well, LunaLovesYou has been strutting at her own pace, knowing that her unequivocal talent will do the job of gripping ears when she’s ready. After all, her first official DSP appearance, “Dear V, I’m Sorry” was enough to keep us peeled and eagerly waiting for the moment her soft-spoken musings of a love she wishes to impart in full over a dreamy instrumental backing – led, of course, by an acoustic guitar – would be followed up. It took almost a while but the experimental “What If” and now the 234jaydaa collaboration have both lived up to the “First Time” we heard that Luna loves us.
Through all four records that are public to the world – Luna has teased a deep enough catalogue of unreleased songs – LunaLovesYou’s vocal prowess is eminent. Her soprano voice in incredibly strong, enabling her to forcefully hit the upper register, a skill she tends to flaunt, though her love-stoned lyrics also encourage a fainter delivery that paint the wistful picture her reflective words suggest. From holding onto her “First Time”, to apologising for getting tangled up in love (“Dear V, I’m Sorry”), to cutting ties with someone who’s done her dirty on “Glitters”, LunaLovesYou knows her way around melancholy, even revealing pieces of her depressed state on “What If”.As she emerges with more music, we hope to hear Luna’s mended soul, but considering the poetry that seeps out from her desolate state is so appetising, like the Weeknd, we wouldn’t mind if she remained addicted to the woes. Regardless of our wants, LunaLovesYou is doing things her way, and hers is a journey we’re enthusiastically following.
Princess Mami
Earlier in the year, we took a deep dive into the rising female emcees that are showing up and talking their shit in these parts, and though the girls are still fighting to get their voices heard in a male-dominated industry, many of them are making music on their own terms, inverting the norms and delivering their honey-toned kiss-offs with ease. While names like Fresh Meat alum, SGaWD, and newcomer, Deto Black come up in these conversations, there are a number of rappers quietly growing and perfecting their flows that we should also get familiar with.
Enter Princess Mami, the energetic 19-year old with mean jabs and unforgettable bars who is slowly growing her fanbase of men and women ready to stunt on the competition. “I make music for people that just want to have fun and talk their shit” she says over the phone, and though her bars are marked with lines telling women to get their money up, she’s open to anyone enjoying her music as long as they like her bubbly personality and slick-talking bars. Growing up between Abuja and London, Princess Mami has been singing and rapping for most of her life. Her all-embracing musical diet consisted of Tupac, 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim, and even the greatest Disney Channel hits that were popular at the time. As a tween, she got her first mic and would go on to create a YouTube channel dedicated to rapping her heart out to Nicki Minaj’s hit songs, including, of course, “Super Bass”.
Since then, Mami has been delivering bossy raps, as a woman of actions over words. After traveling down to Abuja in the summer of 2018 and being welcomed as she performed her first music gig in her city, Princess Mami felt a renewed sense of confidence to continue pursuing music. Her first single “Opps”, delivered over two years ago, put her on the map for her catchy punchlines but it’s her latest single “Band$” that endears the budding artist to her listeners. “Band$” is a declaration of everything she loves: shitting on niggas, chasing the bag, and looking cute while doing it. Though she doesn’t have many releases yet, she’s determined to show that she’s worth all your attention. “I’m actually working on my first EP at the moment” she tells NATIVE, and though she’s keeping details on the down-low until it’s ready, the freshmean promises to show a bit more of who Princess Mami is while keeping listeners entertained with her flashy, cocky trash-talking self. It’s the year of women coming for everything they want, and we’re so excited to see Princess Mami rise to new heights. Watch this space.
Phlow
When Phlow confidently raps “Get out your papers, class is in session” over the energetic number “Buzzin” featuring Psycho YPoff her latest EP ‘Marmalade’, you can’t help but cling to her every punchline, as it feels more like a universal truth than a boast. Loud, proud, and in charge, Phlow is an artist who shows up and demands that you listen – her presence in the industry is a bold affirmation that women can be every bit as hard as the guys (and then some).
Since beginning her career with several head-turning cyphers, projects, and features, Phlow has operated in her own lane. She gained attention at the time for being the female rapper who could hang out with her male colleagues, but as we’re coming into times where genres are becoming less constricted, the talented wordsmith has found herself trying on new styles and flows while outgrowing her perceptions of what rap should sound like. Her latest EP ‘Marmalade’ is symbolic of this growth, where she delivers her most vibrant offering till date. The 6-track project is a self-confident affair with features from Tomi Owo, Alpha Ojini, and Blaqbonez amalgamating into a thrilling whole.
On ‘Marmalade‘, Pholw takes shots at her opps (“Grub Up”) with Alpha Ojini, delivering an unruly kiss-off to start her latest project as she reveals she’s hungry to decimate the competition. “Been a rapper but I might pop” she spits, a confident boast which reveals she’s got the heavy rhymes but also a knack for experimenting with new alt-pop flows. On “Offline”, Phlow delivers an open-wound, confessional where she pulls down her walls to reveal her insecurities. When the song opens up, she’s is clearly not rapping. Phlow’s singing voice is distinct, almost as if she’s talking at a normal pace, and it’s refreshing to hear her try new ways to pass across her message.
One of the standouts on her ‘Marmalade’ is “Energy” (featuring Tomi Owo), with its syrupy production and charming lyrics. Tomi Owo and Phlow share an organic chemistry that translates in each lyric they enunciate. As the song builds up, the angelic production provides the perfect background for Tomi’s alluring vocals to take center stage as Phlow fills the gaps in with catchy rhymes. Nigerian artists are continuing to experiment with the current soundscapes drawing inspiration from a range of different genres, so, thankfully, we will continue to see more and more rappers experiment with their perceptions on what rap music should sound like. We wholly welcome more women emcees breaking apart from the norms and rewriting their own rules.
Alewya
The first time we heard Alewya’s voice on a song, it was back in May and British-Nigerian rapper Lil Simz had just released her sixth musical offering ‘Drop 6’. As Lil Simz rapped ‘Who Do I Trust? Who Do I Love?/Tryna Seek Sense, Be The Real Me’ on “where’s my lighter”, Alewya’s mellifluous vocals instantly collided with the rapper’s poignant musings leaving this writer wondering who exactly owned this irresistibly powerful voice. A month later, she had delivered her debut single and the rest is (about to be) history.
Though the 26-year old model and artist may have had a late introduction to music (she only picked up a guitar at 21), she’s quickly mastered the art of delivering amped-up party anthems that can get the whole club quaking. The Egyptian-Ethiopian artist just released her debut single “Sweating” at the end of June, and the sultry energetic number soundtracks the intoxicating feeling of dancing with a stranger in an appropriately humid club. Drawing influence from her African roots as heard from the catchy and familiar afropop drums, Alewya encourages listeners to “keep sweating” as the pulsating beat thumps on and her breathy vocals add to the allure of the sweat-induced dancing that will surely follow. The accompanying video which takes place in a steamy underground club filled with black intoxicated dancers begins with the words “This video is for US,” and though her subject matter never strays from enjoying oneself, it’s propelled by the idea that black people deserve to let loose, dance and be happy in a year marked with so much loss and pain.
Although the current state of the world doesn’t allow for much reckless abandon and dancing, Alewya shared in a recent interview with The Face, that she doesn’t want to constantly be consuming trauma right now and that’s why we have to manifest and visualise the party by using our imagination to bring the party to us. This is what she sets out to do in her music to make listeners feel and to move them to channel that feeling into dance. While she’s only got one single officially out at the moment, Alewya is working to make sure that her debut project is more than worth your time. We can’t wait to see what other parts of the artist lay under all that hard exterior, and we certainly are impatient to hear more club-ready hits from the multifaceted artist.
OG Caesar
Rap in Nigeria is a heavily contested topic, thanks largely to the old-time hip-hop influenced crew at Chocolate City whose dedication to crowning the best rapper in the country has often led to the conclusion that good rap doesn’t really exist in Nigeria’s mainstream. Irreverent to the state of the artform in the country, a good number of the kids racing out of the doors the Alté forefathers flung open are rapping; and they’re rapping good. Spitting bars professionally since 2017, 19-year-old OG Caesar, though still in his infant stages, has a deep-pocketed discography lined with innumerable collaborations with fellow up-and-comers, as well as commendable solo records exhibiting a solid musical range. However, it’s his latest offering that OG Caesar wishes to be known for.
Releasing ‘NeoVicious’ on August 22, OG Caesar has hit the reset button on his budding career, asking fans to “discard everything [we] thought [we] knew”, instructing us to “learn once more”. Coming to ‘NeoVicious’ open to taking in the new perception Caesar wishes to narrate to us, a few qualities in his music remain prevalent; firstly, his affinity for incorporating singing into his bars. Opening with the audibly autotuned chant, “you can’t stop me” on track number one, “Reasonable Doubt”’s sung chorus is reminiscent of 2019 Christmas Eve loners anthem “Outside” (featuring a shout out to our EIC) or the slow running “Partyanimal” off his debut EP, released on Soundcloud. OG Caesar’s confidence, and its presence within his ever changing rap style also remains notable; for example, his aggressive flow on the psychedelic “Important” matches his bolshy delivery on 2018’s hard-hitting, cut-throat number “Problem”.
Admitting the ‘NeoVicious’ is driven by the weight of his emotions, openness is something that Caesar has nurtured for some time. On one of his earlier Soundcloud offerings, “Evil”, OG Caesar begins with the typical ‘I’ve got a bad bitch’ drivel rappers tend to spew, before correcting himself, telling us those bars were just for clout. These days, OG Caesar doesn’t even bother with the pretence. Hurt in parts, confident in parts, reflective and wise in other parts, OG Caesar 2.0 brings forth the full complexity of his character on ‘NeoVicious’. If this is how he’s moving from now on, we have lots to look forward to from the rap freshman.
Whether you like it or not, the legitimacy of street-bred rap artists who mainly rap in their indigenous tongue is no longer up for debate. In the years since the “takeover”, this sect of Nigerian music has become commercially viable by catering to a wide audience, while also finding ways to be creatively engaging. Emergent star, Jaido P is emblematic of this in-built dynamism, possessing an evolving skillset that removes any limits to what he’s capable of.
On the back of “Gor Die”, the DJ Mustard-influenced, anthemic single that started amplifying his buzz in several hoods across South Western Nigeria, Jaido put out his debut EP, ‘SEH!’, late last year. Across the 7-track project, the rapper showcases his versatility, hopping between straightforward bar-fests (“Seh”) and songs driven by catchy melodies (“Faya”). Amidst the variety of sounds he tries out on ‘SEH!’, the defining element of the EP is Jaido’s topical range, as he sings and raps about his drive for success (“Kadara” with Chino Ekun), Nigeria’s unwillingness to see its hustlers shine (“Run”), and the difficulties of maintaining friendships as we grow up (“E Get Reason” featuring Zlatan and Davolee).
As quietly impressive as ‘SEH!’ was when it came out, it was apparent that Jaido still had a lot of fine-tuning to do to his abilities, and his more recent releases have seen him grow into a more compelling artist. In May, he combined with Davolee and Masterkraft for “G.O”, arguably the hardest Nigerian rap song of the year so far. Spitting aggressively over a stomping beat, Jaido absolutely blacks out with two impeccable verses, reminding detractors (read Kabex) who have criticised him for going “pop” that he can get head-rattling raps jumping at any given time.
Sealing his destined rise, Jaido recently scored the much coveted Olamide feature on his new single, “Tesina Pot”. In the month since its release, “Tesina Pot” has become a hit on the streets of Lagos – both as a song and a slang – a positive indicator that the Olamide effect is working its magic. Even with the big name star attached to it, Jaido P is clearly the star of what already seems like his breakout song to the Nigerian mainstream, putting in a vibrant performance that indicates his readiness for the spotlight as more ears open up to him.
OFITOKWA
OFITOKWA makes music that is thematically bound to introspection and constantly evaluating personal truths. Within his short but impressive catalogue, the Botswana-based artist excavates his inner thoughts in a bid to gain a better understanding of himself, untangling universal emotions partly for himself and partly to get listeners to do the same, avoiding any overt urges to try and sound like an everyman.
Although you can listen at any time, OFITOKWA’s music hits hardest during owl hours, when the silence and stillness from the outside world adds gravitas to his contemplations. In April, he released his debut EP, ‘Hotel Kalahari’, a project inspired by his move from the quiet town of Maun to Botswana’s capital city, Gabarone. “Hotel Kalahari exists in a place where time is a construct. A place where the real measure of progress is the quality of The JRNY”, he wrote in the press statement of the EP. Digging into his psyche, OFITOKWA explores what self-improvement truly means and embraces resolutions to become a better, with his rap-sung cadence helping to lessen the weight of his meditative couplets.
In addition to making substance-packed music that you can live with, OFITOKWA also boasts an encompassing arsenal as a producer and audio engineer, abilities that ensure he matches his thoughts with pristine musical choices. On his latest single, “Live & Direct”, constantly spinning piano strings, vocal chants and intermittent bass kicks serve as the perfect foil to his candid demeanour and conversational flow. Clearly dedicated to distilling his life into his music at every possible chance, OFITOKWA is not only charting his personal growth and doing the same, he’s also crafting crafting immersive soundscapes and increasingly proving to be a master of all trades.
Twitch 4Eva
Founded by Kwesi Arthur, Ground Up Chale is a Ghanaian creative collective dedicated to empowering the youth of Ghana, inspiring and supporting them on their own artistic journeys. As well as Kwesi Arthur, Ground Up Chale also includes Ghanaian youngsters Kofi Mole, Quamina MP and Apple Music’s Africa Rising alum, Twitch 4Eva.
Beginning his career in 2016 – though his earliest released singles, housed on his bubbling Soundcloud page, are from two years later in 2018 – Twitch 4Eva has earned a name for himself as an eclectic genre bender, incorporating an R&B palette with hints of highlife into his strong afropop offerings, producing a sound he dubs coastal music. Clearly present in his original songs, Twitch’s coastal music also rears its head for his several refixes of popular Afropop hits, where he their original beats and most of their lyrics are reworked for an inspired exhibition of his own tastes, a fun display of how Twitch would do “Risky”, “Anybody”, or “Baby” if they were given to him.
With a populated Soundcloud spanning two years, full of bouncy bops like the KaySo-produced “Hwana” or the mid-tempo numbers, such as the Kwesi Arthur-featured record that put him on the map, “Take Your Something”, Twitch 4Eva only just released his debut body of work, ‘LOST’ earlier this month, amassing a world of praise with the dynamic ten minutes.Led by a soothing guitar, the lead single, “Baby” is an addictive love song, upon which Twitch switches between his vernacular tongue and English as he professes love for his baby. Simple in its beat, Twitch’s passionate vocalisation and adoring lyrics are what give this tracks its real punch, and in the context of the entire project, “Baby” is just one piece to the very complex puzzle of love that Twitch wishes to illustrate.
Twitch writes only based on the emotions he feels, for ‘LOST’ these emotions are credited to the testy waters of love, its title alluding to how easy it is to get caught up in it all, as love and the relationships they anchor dictates itself, leading us instead of us ruling it. On the wishful “Chaskele” where “[he] wonder[s] if [he’ll] ever be enough/ cos it’s fucked up if this is what is ‘love’” Twitch pleads to be done right, whilst on the uptempo project closer “DaaDa”, a happy contrast to the slower-paced two songs that preceded it, Twitch is more concerned with living life to its fullest. This song reminds us that Twitch feels other things too, taking us back to last year’s “RUDEBWOY” and “Happy Everyday” which both show a confident (somewhat aggressive) positivity about life and the future. Rightly so, because his is a bright one.
“I didn’t want you to see what’s coming – that’s the essence of this album”
This is what Adekunle Gold had to tell Apple Music of the final record on the album, titled “My Ex”. Upon reaching that point, one thing is clear to everyone who listened in full; in this sense, Adekunle Gold has prospered. With ten worldly tracks stacked cohesively atop one another, each side of the decagon that is his third studio album, ‘Afro Pop, Vol 1.’ brings an unexpected display of musical dexterity, that portrays a professional growth as much as it portends global success.
Adekunle Gold has been inching towards this, subtly. More discreet than Tiwa Savage or Burna Boy or Rema, whose international PR drives have seen them cover billboards, star on late night TV and feature extensively across global-reaching publications. This year it was revealed that Gold had secured a deal with Universal Music Group subsidiary, Virgin EMI Records, but even last year, signs that AG was pushing for a global audience came through his first joint venture with Nailah Blackman on Walshy Fire’s “Outside” off ‘ABENG’, just weeks apart from his contribution to Michael Brun and BélO’s ‘Lokal, “Eda”. His singles, “Before You Wake Up”, “Promise”, “Young Love”, and even “Kelegbe Megbe” (note: not “Jore” as its sparse lyrics are predominantly in Pidgin English) stripped themselves – though not completely – of the Yoruba tongue that seduced listeners during Adekunle Gold’s breakout years, still under Olamide’s feeder label, YBNL. “Sade”, “My Life”, “Orente”, “Pick Up” all featured extensive conversation in his vernacular tongue, but as his ambitions ventured overseas, so did his primary mode of lyrical delivery. Understandably; the world is ready for an Adekunle Gold – an alternative Nigerian artist who feeds the fancy of both mainstream pop channels and traditional folk and highlife predilections – Adekunle Gold had to do all he could to make sure that he was ready for the world.
Nigeria has been taking baby steps towards global domination for some years now. Africa has always had its art at the centre of cultural production, but in recent years, the continent has become the subject of much global intrigue. Despotically prodding at the human race’s region of origin as if it were an infant child to be coddled and smooched, Western popular culture, which eclipses global conversation, has adopted an “Africa Now” stance that purports a sort of reintroduction to the richly populated continent. Africa is the baby giants from West to East want to hold; our country, Nigeria is its cheeks – the first port of call for curious powerhouses in global industries stretching from music to technology; the seemingly malleable region that commands the most attention from outsiders on a touristic adventure. The current neo-colonial dynamic of this cultural exchange deserves our critique, but it would be dishonest to imply that the Africa to the world narrative has been solely to the detriment of Nigerians (though our dominance in African affairs is likely to the detriment of other African nations).
In the world of music, some will argue that ‘to the world’ began with Mo’Hits’ brief stint with G.O.O.D Music, that this was the start of contemporary Nigerian pop’s crossover into the international market. I like to take that glorious year, 2016 as the real turning point for Nigerian music. International collaborations had been popping off for years; in 2013, the ever-relevant 2Baba teamed up with T-Pain for the clubbuster, “Rainbow”, the same year that Rick Ross made his appearance alongside Nigerian pop’s more prolific brother’s on “Onyinye” which was preceded a year earlier by Akon’s feature on P-Square’s 2012 hit single, “Chop My Money”. In 2015, leader of contemporary Afropop’s latest charge, Davido linked up Meek Mill for the slept on single, “Fans Mi”, but it was the year after that, when his long-time rival, Wizkid bagged a surprise remix from Drake and Skepta – both kings of their respective turfs at the time – that the frequency and consistency of Nigeria-International collaborations stuck.
The year was 2016; and since then Nigerian music has been a mainstay in global music conversations, growing in relevance with each emerging artist with a flair for Western appeal. The idea of ‘crossing over’ no longer seems so daunting, so impossible or so exclusive; with less than two years on our radars Fireboy DML and Rema have both made a name for themselves internationally, a feat that took Tiwa Savage, Davido and Wizkid over half a decade in Nigeria’s limelight to achieve. With international recognition comes international acclaim, exemplified by Burna Boy’s year-long Grammy campaign, and it is in this is the climate that Adekunle Gold’s ‘Afro Pop Vol 1.’ has already been touted an Academy Award contender (with some corners of the internet giving Gold’s Album of the Year above Burna Boy’s ‘Twice As Tall’).
The contemporary influences and Western appeal are one of the first points of note on Adekunle Gold’s ‘Afro Pop Vol 1.’. His first body of work with EMI, Gold’s ‘Afro Pop’ title suggests a comprehensive summary of the sounds that rule African pop music; incorporating Gqom styles (“Sabina”), staying true to his highlife origins (“Water Carry Me”) and delivering a quintessentially Afrobeats song (“Firewood”), Adekunle Gold does his title justice. However, his flexibility doesn’t end at simply adopting varying musical tastes from his local sphere of influence, what listeners and this writer seem to have picked up on first is Gold’s ability to craft these recognisably afropop genres into Western-defined pop songs without sounding like a sell-out.
What Gold himself describes as a drivetime summer bop (once again in his Apple Music album notes), “Here for Ya” could easily play on London’s Capital 1xtra,or fitted into a road trip sequence from the Hollywood hills. The song begins with echoed chants, “I’m here for ya” and ominous chords that kick into an electronic beat (courtesy of Diplo) which is augmented by Pheelz homegrown production, featuring vibrant horns and a mixed riff that plays like every other pop song blaring through Western radio channels. Lyrically too, Adekunle Gold transcends borders, singing of his devotion to a single girl, in an attempt to prove his worth to her. In any other setting “Here fo Ya”, would be a generic cliché worth of few commendations, but in the context of ‘Afro Pop’, this quintessential “World Music” number is another notch in Adekunle Gold’s heavyweight belt.
Coming up as an alternative artist, forgoing conformity for a highlife stroke with his debut album, ‘Gold’, Adekunle Gold is easily left out of conversations to do with afropop leading artists. Though his music isn’t mainstream, as an artist he is, so it is fair to say that these omissions have been unwarranted, nevertheless the jaded lover who grew up into a more confident singer on ‘About 30’ now sets himself up in the big leagues as a world renowned artiste, and through this entire campaign, he’s simply let his music do the talking.
Adekunle Gold’s growth is glaring; in several aspects of his artistry he has evolved. Where ‘Gold’ felt like compilation of rejections, ‘Afro Pop’ – a little too heavy on the love songs considering the diversity of content we heard throughout ‘About 30’ – puts Adekunle in control, most of the time. Whilst “Sabina”, with is gqom flexes, live tenets and jazz subtleties, sees Gold pining for a second chance, Blaise Beatz’s “Something Different” it reminiscent of the Adekunle Gold from the 2010s in its sound also. But the way this track cries around the topic of unrequited love, is contrasted by the song that follows, a highlife number, “Water Carry Me” which sees Gold win in love in the end. The W that is “Water Carry Me” – its folk rhyme chorus in line with its Pidgin English title to make for a modern reworking of a tradition canticle – translates to the album in its entirety, as the penultimate track illustrates a win (not just in terms of love) that has been building up throughout the project.
“Water Carry Me” and the one that follows it, the tenth and final track of ‘Afro Pop’, “My Ex” are more reflective the rest of the album than “Something Different”. The latter song’s sonic mood is matched solely by “Firewood” (which boasts an effortless Tekno feature), its jaded subject matter finding peers in only “Sabina” and the R&B collaboration with rising singer and long-lasting friend of Gold’s, Olayinka Ehi on “Exclusive”. “My Ex” narrates a well-known feeling of regret, when our lust trumps our wisdom and we make that embarrassing journey back. Familiar as Adekunle Gold’s lyrics may be, “My Ex” delves into unfamiliar territory for the artist, as his relatable chorus, where he repeats “don’t judge me”, is twisted into an electronic riff, his vocals sent to the background of Spax excited production. Returning to the quote that opened the review, “I wanted to do this [beat switch] with all the songs on this album. I didn’t want you to see what’s coming – that’s the essence of this album,” “My Ex” achieves, more than any song on this album, the juxtaposition of calmness and club-bounce that Adekunle Gold seems to be going for.
Going from zero to hero, between debut and sophomore, AG has carried on his biannual progression, growing even more sure of himself on ‘Afro Pop Vol 1.’, with songs such as “Pretty Girl”, “AG Baby” and “Okay” depicting the confidence and control that Gold has been building up since his coming of age project, ‘About 30’. A harsh opening, particularly with his enunciation of the word “shit”, as he sings “stacking up my money no time for your shit”, “Okay” dismisses the love and lust that populates the album, focussing squarely on Adekunle’s Gold come up – this is what makes the record so strong amongst the rest. Bragging about his wealth (“I dey my penthouse you can’t even reach me”) as he verbally drags everyone who stands in the way of him peacefully living his life until they’re literally dragged out of the picture, “Okay” is a subtle song, its laid-back subdued energy offering a sinisterly threatening atmosphere, given Gold’s no-nonsense lyrics (“I’m not the one, calm down”).
Adekunle Gold’s plea to be left to his own devices, hints at another walk of life in which he has evolved; his style. Nigeria’s is an incredibly traditional society, where deviation from the norm is not only discouraged but most often chastised as disrespectful or attention seeking. However, as our borders open up to international stakeholders and their liberal mindsets, in tandem with the rise of the non-conformist Alté scene that encourages self-expressive style experimentations to compliment its sprawling musical output, the music space – not surprisingly considering that music and fashion are creative bubbles that pride themselves on confronting the status quo – has seen a visible shift away from the traditional. Fireboy paints his nails black, Rema carries around a teddy bear, Runtown wears cowboy boots, Adekunle Gold models primary school beads on his album cover. But this is not to say that society as a whole is progressive or accepting of the do you philosophy that seems to be spreading to far corners of our music industry. One artist that bears the brunt of Nigeria’s wider audience’s bigoted curiosity is Odunsi (The Engine), whose every tweeted media is subject to interrogations about his sexuality or faux concern over his mental wellbeing. It says something, then, that Adekunle Gold a 30+ (we all know the significance of that) mainstream artist (in all but his music) so freely dons his fashion-forward, loose-fitting co-ords and glimmering suits, crowned with his now signature braids and beads – but his style choices haven’t evolved without criticism.
In the midst of his album promotion, Adekunle Gold came under fire for co-opting queer aesthetics, in light of his wife’s numerous homophobic remarks went unchecked across the internet. When Simi opened her notes app on the third of this month to deliver an apology to the LGBTQ community, the scrutiny only intensified, as the public questioned the convenience of it all. Gold had just released his album tracklist and was celebrating a feature in Quazar Magazine, a queer publication – by any measure, this was not a time for mumblings of queer exploitation on the part of the style-experimenting artist. Adekunle Gold maintains he knew nothing about it, whilst others still suspect those few days were orchestrated by the infamous PR machine; whatever you choose to believe (I’m on the latter side of the fence), though “Okay” is not a tirade against the critics, it still stands as a firm reminder that Adekunle Gold wants no interruptions in how he chooses to live his life.
He’s a long way from his photoshop origins, a time at which doctored images of Adekunle Gold with Tiwa Savage, Toolz or Tonto Dikeh were all the public had to see of Adekunle Kosoko, the promising, yet undiscovered singer who was poised to take on the world. Thanks to a role as the graphics designer for YBNL (AG majored in Graphics during his study of Industrial Art Design at Lagos State Polytechnic), Adekunle Gold was given the chance to be a Nigerian singing sensation, but what he saw was the world within his clutches. In an oversaturated industry ‘Afro Pop Vol 1.’ looks more like an airplay charter than a playlist number – overtly pop albums don’t inspire much playback – to this writer at least. Still, ‘Afro Pop Vol 1’ is the vessel with which Adekunle Gold will reach the global heights we imagine for our brightest stars. We cannot predict any Academy decision, but whether he brings it home or not, that the people can put their faith in Adekunle Gold to deliver Nigerian pop her first Gramophone portends a global success that we hope AG Baby, our baby, rides out to its fullest.
Wale Oloworekende believes Nigerian pop music left the slums in order to sustain itself, at the risk of never getting the flowers they deserve. In the following chapter by chapter breakdown, he makes a good case why.
I
Many times I cast my mind back to that brief conflagration between Olamide and Don Jazzy on the first day of 2016. I ponder about the hotness of Olamide’s rage at the establishment and the thinly-veiled venom of Don Jazzy’s retort; of how Nigeria’s then-evolving online community responded to it all, the jokes, memes, and overwhelming predictions being made in real-time; the fleeting feeling of there being an observable discord between two of the most bustling labels of that time. But mostly, what I think about are the specific words Olamide used on stage that day – “Lil Kesh is our own Next Rated artist. F**k that sh*t! Streets ti take over” – and how, by voicing a salient point of the streets’ resurgence, he inversely capitulated that the streets had not been in true control for a hot minute – and sadly, perhaps never again.
From mid-2014 to December 2015, there was barely any rapper hotter than Lil Kesh anywhere in the span of this country, and many felt that with each of his hit songs delivered in a defiant mass of Yoruba-inflected lingo, the streets were inching closer to the epicentre of popular culture – within touching distance of being feted as the origin of all the sauce, once again.
So, for Olamide to have been outraged by Kesh’s snub in the Next Rated Category hinted perhaps more than anything, at a deeper frustration – chagrin at a more systemic hiccup that seemed to say, ‘we thank you for what you have done but you are not vetted enough for our awards because you are the street and we have passed your epoch.’ This is what I think was the biggest frustration: to be denied a hero’s welcome to that other Nigeria, despite soundtracking all their darkest perversions and hidden desires for months and months on end. To be seen but not acknowledged.
II
When Dagrin, rapped, “Omo Naija ni mi, Naija no bi mi si,” on his seminal track “Pon Pon Pon”, he was talking about a specific kind of Nigeria that is not readily discernible by everybody, despite months of the song ruling everywhere from street bacchanals to posh raves. With his verse, Dagrin was giving a conspiratorial wink to the Nigeria of his childhood, the Nigeria that would rather not be seen. The Nigeria of a bus conductor whose bed is a chair in a park, or the struggling petty trader who is also a widow with four children. There is enough proximity to that specific kind of Nigeria in the video for “Pon Pon Pon”, which almost makes it a fitting dirge for Nigerian pop’s abandonment of the slums, even if it was imagined as a coronation of sorts for the streets.
No one people can claim to own pop music, but there can be no doubt that the places known to us as the streets – a colloquialism used to refer to areas like Orile, Mile 2, Maza Maza, Surulere, Bariga and, more recently, Agege – have had a foundational influence on the ebb of our music; on what can be said, how they can be stylistically altered and what cadence they can be said in. For decades, the streets ran contemporary Nigerian pop music.
These days, Ajegunle is almost a fountain of mythological exegeses, however, from the mid-90s to the early noughties, the community pummpled by violence, lack and abandonment was the hotbed of musical talent in the country, overrun with talents such as the effervescent Daddy Showkey; noted troubadour, African China; counterculture icons, Danfo Drivers; and a host of other eminent singers of their day, whose songs were a reflective mirror of lived experiences and injustices. In essence, the music from that period was a communal product, heavily indented by self-ownership and identity. Growing up in the places that inspire these sort of music, you understand that music is a tool used to make lives that have been pushed to the far edges of public consciousness visible. And that’s how contemporary Nigerian pop starts to filter out of concrete layered over the lives of ordinary people. From songs like “Danfo Driver”, “Dyna”, and “Denge Pose”, music becomes the identity of an idea of different places, an idea that evolves into popular perception to become known as the streets. Dusty feet kicking footballs grew up into wary mouths that saw the studio as a means to escape economic deprivation.
For an all-too-tantalising moment, the status quo held. The biggest stars of the Ajegunle moment stayed in their hoods, venerated as kings holding sway with their galala and reggae-infusions. But one day, predictably, the sound started to transmute to neighbouring estates and one after another, musicians and influential figures like Daddy Showkey and Nelson Brown started to leave in search for something resembling a calmer life. In the same way rappers make the move from Crenshaw to 90210, the disheartening conditions that fueled their art also made them leave what was once home, however, they didn’t go too far. They moved to Festac, Orile, Amuwo Odofin, Okokomaiko, and Satellite Town, stretching the elasticity of their music by a bit but not entirely shutting off the tap that watered their influences.
III
When 2Face released “African Queen” all those years ago, establishing it as the new plus ultra of Nigerian pop, Ajegunle was being edged away from the centre of conversations by Festac, another offshoot of its influence. And all the popular names from just a few years ago were being quietly displaced by the likes of Tony Tetuila, Eedris Adbulkareem, Faze, and 2Face himself.
On his critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Face2Face’, with the bulk of its production handled by OJB Jezreel, 2Face is a multitude of things: charmer, superstar, and pop general. The biggest takeaway, however, is his ability to slip into the sort of personality that can cross over into the other Nigeria without misgivings about his credibility and aura, no doubt helped by his easy smile, warm personality, and sprightly gait. Yet for all its aspirational hue, ‘Face2Face’ confronts the pervading fears that are per se for the streets and its constituents. “Police (Skit)”, following directly after the tropical warmth of “African Queen”, is a taut imagination of running into a police team while still being, at least for a few more months, from the slums where bodies can mortally yield to a policeman’s bullet and life continues like nothing ever happened.
Back then in 2004, when the Trybesmen were dishing amazing fusions of hip-hop and pidgin, when D’Banj and Don Jazzy were navigating a path to the top echelons of superstardom, when OJB’s fantastical alchemical sound was rewriting the DNA of Nigerian pop from gruffly groaning to computer-generated softer-sounding melange of hip-hop and r&b, the music still (at least in soul) belonged to the streets. Even as the money came in and behemoths like Kennis Music and Storm Records became emblematic of Nigerian pop’s promised proliferation, the stars of that era still maintained a proximity to the unheralded places where music was stitched into the tapestry of regular life. Yet, as the years passed, the music started to be weaned off those overt influences and the streets’ influence on the music that would play from mischievous end of the year parties to wedding parties became fragile.
According to Osagie Alonge, Nigerian pop basically blew up into different places after being reverse-engineered at OJB’s musical mecca – most notably on Face2Face. “From Surulere everybody just took the sound and did their own thing with it,” he tells me one night in October 2019. By doing their “own thing,” I wonder if he’s talking about Nigerian pop’s state of euphoric placelessness for much of the 2010s, as popular music evolved into a stripped, frictionless mix of file transfers, nouveau riche anthems, and perpetual horniness. But, really, what you and I know happened is that pop stars realised that love sells and being a civil watchdog can be a thankless task – if you doubt me listen to Sound Sultan’s “2010” – and by becoming wizards of love, they moved out of the spaces where risks could come to their person and had insulation from all of that turmoil.
In 2020, the problems that sparked the deluge of conscious-adjunct songs from Ajegunle in the mid-90s still persist, perhaps even more luminous now. Slum schools are still perennially underfunded, health infrastructure is on the verge of collapse in those areas, crime is soaring, and parents who were kids in the ’90s are watching their own kids search for a way out that appears non-existent. But the music now – still an incredulously politicised insistence on prosperity and romantic bliss in a country that wants anything but that for its citizenry – plays different; the edginess of those previous years a foregone reality.
Many times in the last decade the streets spoke back without giving away any part of itself. Dagrin’s sun-soaked lyricism and playful wits went mainstream, Olamide’s hedonism became the tale of a generation, and Reminisce morphed into a cultural icon but, on occasion, their successes still felt half-way, a kind of success that had to wear gatekeeping down with its inevitability, that said ‘this is who I am and you can’t do anything about it, so accept me as I am.’ Maybe Olamide was right when he said, “Street ti take over,” atop the Headies stage all those years ago because “Local Rapper” his acerbic collaboration with Phyno and Reminisce led to turned up noses and belly-aching and muted acquiesce. But to take over and to hold fort are two different things. To not disappear from eyes that never wanted to see you in the first place, but even then, the streets taking over was at best, a rote rehashing of what had come before – singers singing out to the void for opportunities to leave the places where life was crumbling around them.
IV
Everywhere Burna Boy went in 2019 he took the Zanku with him. From Oslo to London to Toronto, the move was an important part of his sets, delighting eyes all over the world with his spirited improvisation of this dance whose place of origin is Agege, another of those hoods that now mostly serve as tributaries for Nigerian pop’s omnivorous appetite. When I see the audience squeal in delight as Burna sweatily does the dance, I wonder if they know the birthplace of this move they revel in. I wonder whether they know that it’s not strictly “Nigerian”, that it germinated from a community that may, or may not, be lost in the harvest of it all; that an entire squadron of streets artists have built a movement around it in the perhaps misguided belief that it will, again, fleetingly, make them pop culture’s toast despite all evidence to the contrary.
In one scene in her latest visual album, Black is King, Beyoncé, too, zankus. She does it with the sublime grace of a water dancer. Head spinning, hands swirling, and legs in perfect synchronization for that almighty air kick. I close my eyes, half-scared she’ll fall, but, of course, she doesn’t, she’s Beyoncé. In that moment I don’t know what to feel. Seeing a dance from a place where life is pressed against the edges of a city that would rather they are not there is a whole new trip. But, really, what I think is: Nigerian pop may have left the slums, but when we rise with our hands crossed, legs poised to prance, and voices undeterred, they will always have to see us because we have the sauce.
Featured Image Credits: NATIVE
Wale Oloworekende Is A Lagos-Based Freelance Writer Interested In The Intersection Of Popular Culture, Music, And Youth Lifestyle.
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.
“Black and White” – Nasty C ft. Ari Lennox
Since releasing the tracklist for his latest album ‘Zulu Man with some Power’ a few weeks back, many, like myself, were hooked on the slew of international features on the project, which spanned artists like T.I, LilGotit, Lil Keed, Rowlene and in particular Dreamville Records signee, Ari Lennox.
Arriving on Friday, Nasty C’s project delivered more than was expected, as the SA rapper cast a larger than life shadow with an offering of 20 songs which find him at his impenetrable best. “Black and White” featuring Ari Lennox stood out as an unmissable track due to the duo’s noteworthy chemistry which reverberated with each memorable lyric. “I got a lot of this love to give/I got some land inside of ribs” Nasty C sings-raps, as he addresses a lover and runs through a list of things that he would unrequitedly offer to them as a token of his love. He tries to convince his love interest of his devotion as he feels their love is as simple as black and white.
Nasty C is joined by Ari Lennox on the second verse, as the neo-soul singer infuses her effortless and soothing vocals to aid the storytelling on the song. Singing “So call me baby, cause you be putting it down on me/when we loving you know we don’t care”, we hear Lennox revel in the sexual attraction that she shares with her lover. It’s simplicity at its best – the union of their very different voices makes for a pleasurable listening experience.
“Wicked Kitty” – Beezyx ft. Yinka Oshodi, SGaWD, Rinds and Mimz
At the beginning of the year, many of us at the NATIVE were calling for the ultimate girl’s anthem and though the year is far from over, we must say it’s been a good year for the girls. From witnessing stellar collaborations from women like Tiwa Savage and Hamzaa, 234jaydaa and LunaLovesYou, Cuppy and Darkoo, and more, producer, Beezyx’s “Wicked Kitty” featuring Yinka Oshodi, SGaWD, Rindss and Mimz seems to be exactly what the doctor ordered.
For his second single of the year, the budding beatsmith taps into the sensual inclinations of a host of female artists whose individual distinct and rich voices create layered, otherworldly melodies that swell and shimmer with each listen. As the infectious mid-tempo beat begins Yinka Oshodi starts off by stating her claim, “only want bands and Chanel no.5”; she has a wide selection of admirers who will start wars in her name but she’s more concerned with what they can give her. Oshidi’s bars then bleed seamlessly into Fresh Meat alum SGaWD’s verse, the hypersexual siren, in her usual fashion, sensually singing about how her kitty has her admirers feigning for it.
Similarly, Rinds’ and Mimz’s songwriting is littered with scenes that are positively cinematic, bringing up memories of your own sexual relationships (only if you got that WAP). These women all claim and own their sexual desires, and sound amazing while doing so. Despite the existing social norms that women should silence their intimate desires, each artist raises a scathing middle finger to society and, here, sexuality is welcome as they sing about the prowess of their pussies. Think WAP but more honey-toned and sensual.
“Glory” – Tiwa Savage
On Friday, Tiwa Savage released her third studio album to instant fanfare. Thirteen compelling records that together come to the rescue of Afropop, which has, lately, been falling into the background as Nigerian music thankfully diversifies. ‘Celia’ is full of astounding records with bolshy lyrics, impeccable vocals and captivating beats. All these characteristics are present on “Glory”, but the record is even more poignant as it talks about her living to smell her flowers, which many have brought to the altar of ‘Celia’.
Getting into her afro-house bag for this club-buster, Tiwa Savage leaves most of the first half of this song up to Shama Joseph, the Haitian beatsmith, professionally known as Sak Pase, who produced this to perfection. After two takes of her first verse, broken up by the bouncy dance rift where she repeats that she wants to live her glory, Tiwa Savage moves on deliver an inspirational talk. “Everything we go through has its purpose, might not be so bad after all”, she sings, encouraging us not to take the wrong path just because it looks easier in the moment. Ending the verse reassuring us that “There’s nothing left between you and your [beat drop]” “Glory” emerges as a motivational speech as well as an infectious dance tune that will carry raves to their sweaty neon heights across the world (thanks to Universal distribution) and leave you drunkenly preaching to whoever is next to you to live their glory!
“More” – Victony
On “Space & Time”, the lead single for Victony’s newly released project, we heard him depict the heady freedom from getting over a relationship as he sent a breakup message to his past lovers, “Folake and Sade”. With his somber and heartfelt vocals and Young Taylor’s atmospheric production, “Space and Time” retained angsty R&B’s overarching dedication to love. However, Victony’s lyrics, “I don’t need love/ I need my space and time now”, swore he was done with romance.
“Space and Time” helped build our anticipation for Victony’s project, ‘Saturn’, offering only a piece of the whole story to spark our curiosity about why he’s at odds with love. Now the tape is out and from the opening song, “More”, we can get some context for his emo attitude. “More” finds Victony singing over an airy mix of synths, percussion, laidback drum riffs, and backing vocals produced by WRDZ. The mellow instruments create a serene backdrop as Victony makes the bold move of asking his lover for more commitment in their relationship.
He sounds confident and comfortably in his pocket as the atmospheric beat shifts to match his flow. Singing “Baby look into my eyes and see that all I need is more of your love”, he sounds really convincing. We’d never have imagined anyone turning down such a smoothly delivered request if we hadn’t heard him dismissing relationships on “Space & Time”, which appears later on on the project.
“YKTFV” – King Perryy ft. PsychoYP
With hip-hop’s dominance as the most popular genre in the world, the trap sub-genre has also become more appealing. Several Nigerian artists have made the synth-heavy sound their bread and butter and King Perryy has also decided to experiment with the sound for his latest single, “YKTFV”.
It’s a fitting trajectory for King Perryy who always seemed to pay more attention to songwriting than his fellow Afropop contemporaries. On “YKTFV”, he explores the Afro-trap sound by singing over trap production while blending his storytelling pen with his dance-driven melodies for dance floors. The eerie trap instrumentals set a gritty backdrop for King Perryy and his featured artist, PsychoYP as they narrate their rise to celebrity status.
PsychoYP’s career, as one of the few trap artists pushing the genre to more mainstream audiences, makes him the perfect partner for King Perryy and they both show off their range on their “YKTFV”. While PsychoYP is able to appeal to the genre’s more violent sensibilities with gun referencing lyrics, King Perryy took the club route he’s familiar with his verse’s focus on dance floor romance.
“Birkin” – OG Caesar
Co-produced by himself and Honorr, OG Caesar’s 6th and final track off his recent release, ‘NeoVicious’, begins with wistful chimes and contemplative chords that signal at the DMC (deep meaningful conversation) upon which “Birkin” embarks. Once the high hat and snares break in for the song’s hip-hop infusion, OG Caesar leads the class telling his peers, “my nigga please get up we gotta get the bags”, the song’s title coming from the fact that “Mama wants a Birkin”, one of OG Caesar’s motivations for putting his head down and getting to work (he’s also got bills to pay).
OG Caesar’s aim with the project was to come clean with his emotions, narrating the pain that has brought him down, and paradoxically built him up; he sings on “Birkin”, “In my story there are no villains, heroes or distractions/ there’s only struggles survival and making magic happen”. Adopting a sung flow, Caes also uses his one and only verse on the two-minute track to correct those considering a life of crime as the easy way out, sympathetically spitting“I know you gotta eat, but there are better way/I know that crime pays but know you gotta pay it back”.
Featured Image Credits: NATIVE
Words by Debola Abimbolu, Tami Makinde, Adewojumi Aderemi
Music has continued to sustain our sense of community as we all navigate the chaos of the world around us. Artists have kept the party going with new relatable songs that helps us remember the good old days (before the pandemic), dream of a better tomorrow, or just enjoy the present moment. Because we know the volume can be overwhelming sometimes, we’ve decided to highlight the best songs released from around the world, thrice a week, in a bid to put that extra pep in your steps as you go through the rest of the year.
Our mid-week curation for Songs of the day featured new music releases from L.A.X, Larry Gaga, and Joeboy, NYC-based Afropop singer, Shirazee, Rexxie, Zlatan and LadiPoe, DJ Kaywise, Mayorkun, Naira Marley and Zlatan. Today, we’ve compiled a list of all the latest music releases from around the continent that you don’t want to miss out on. We’re covering the new releases from Namibian rapper, Lioness, Olayinka Ehi, Tiwa Savage, King Perry and PsychoYP, TaavTheHuman and Isaac Lelord, and Aux Zenith to set the perfect mood for the weekend. Consider this our weekend gift to you. You’re welcome.
Olayinka Ehi – “Shake”
Olayinka Ehi’s feature on Adekunle Gold’s album, ‘Afro Pop, Vol. 1’ introduced her unique brand of r&b to mainstream Nigerian audiences. Just days after we saw her get the special treatment for her contribution to the project, she’s back with a new single, “Shake”. For fans who discovered her through her 2020 debut, “Terms and Conditions”,“Shake” standouts for its dancehall leaning vibe. Jesse Alordiah produced the mix of Caribbean carnival-inspired harmonies which guide Olayinka Ehi’s smooth melodies as she reminds us of all the things we miss about clubbing.
While the catchy mix of synths, upbeat drum riffs, DJ beat drops and what sounds like a sample of Lagbaja’s “Konko Below” sets the song firmly within the four walls of the dance club, the self-loving message of Olayinka’s lyrics makes perfectly suited for anywhere with a mirror. Everyone deserves to hear the word, “Shake that if you know you pretty and you fine” sang to them while they work out at the gym.
King Perryy – “YKTFV” Feat. PsychoYP
The vivid storytelling of King Perryy’s songwriting was always the biggest allure for his Afropop releases. Though his knack for crafting catchy melodies drove his song’s mainstream appeal as he fit in with A-list guest features like Patoranking, Timaya, Teni, Terri and others, his latest single, “YKTFV(You Know The Fvcking Vibe)” expands his sonic range for an Afro-trap experiment.
Fans of trap music will tell you that you can’t go wrong when you have PsychoYP as a guest feature, but it’s hard to imagine a better fit for King Perryy’s ambitious Afro-trap sound on “YKTFV”. The airy trap instrumentals create an eerie backdrop for King Perryy and PyschoYP’s verses where they describe their gritty background and ascent to celebrity status. Both artists share similar career positioning as mainstream artists with a niche audience. On “YKTFV”, they deliver impressive performances with catchy trap flows and lyrics that dig up old music releases while highlighting their commitment to documenting their real-life experience in their music.
Tiwa Savage – “Glory”
Tiwa Savage’s anticipated ‘Celia’ album is here. The 13-track tape takes us through the r&b singer’s joyful attitude as one of Afropop’s torchbearers. The Davido linkup on “Park Well” was a definite highlight for the tape and it was great to see her flex her international label’s influence with the Sam Smith guest feature on “Temptation”. However, her self-assured performance on “Glory” remained this writer’s brightest moment from the tape.
Tiwa Savage is a proven pop star with the vocal range and songwriting chops to evoke an array of emotions. On “Glory” she experiments with the weightless ambiance of trance music as she sings over the electronic dance music-inspired production from Juice Billionaire, Kheil Harrison, Sham “Sak Pase” and Joseph. Singing “Everything we go through has its purpose/ Might not be so bad after all”, she delivers the type of optimistic message that we need to get through the rest of this rollercoaster year.
Lioness – “Feeling” Feat. Waters
Love is often depicted as transitional within hip-hop’s misogynistic soundscape. Only a handful of rappers can be vulnerable and this leaves us with boastful songs that teach how love is earned through shiny things. Namibian rapper, Lioness appeals to the hearty emotions on her Waters-assisted track, “Feelings”. Saying “I’d be your heaven in human disguise”, she confidently confesses all the ways she loves her muse without any fear of being sappy.
“Feeling” was released along with her project, ‘Wish You Were Here’ earlier this year, but she just shared the accompanying video directed by Namafu Amutse. The video was filmed at Windhoek, Namibia and it shows Lioness in different vibrant and colorful sets that highlight the confident lover narrative she explored on the song.
Aux Zenith – “Under The Sun”
Aux Zenith is a production duo based in Toronto and Lille. The members, Kiga and Jean draw from their varied taste in music to create an aura that inspired by their cultured experience, growing up in Addis Ababa, and their ambition to make music that entices people to move or feel something. Aux Zenith just released its debut single, “Under the Sun” and the summery tune aims to coax a feel-good feeling from listeners.
The atmospheric synth-based production and languid singing imitate the care-free feeling of bliss one might feel while relaxing at the beach or at the park. Hearing Kafaye’s lyrics, “The land is green and the sky is blue/ We’re under the sun till the day is gone”, performed with echoing effects that make the words enchanting, “Under the Sun” encourages listeners to kick back and enjoy nature. It’s the type of song you play to remind yourself everything will be okay.
TaavTheHuman – “Bundles + Nines” Feat. Lörd Isaac
When trap artists talk about their criminal lifestyle, they depict it as a brightly colored comic strip. With “Pew”, “Pow” adlibs, and other gunshot onomatopoeias letting listeners know the type of action they’re in for. Trap artists entice listeners into their violent world with colorful melodies and confidence-inspiring brags. For “Bundles + Nines”, TaavTheHuman and Lörd Isaac team up to glamourize their violent and druggy lifestyles over the sinister trap beat produced by Filipmakebeats.
The first words you hear on “Bundles + Nines” are from Lörd Isaac whispering “Let’s go” like the pair are sneaking up on someone. Correspondingly, TaavTheHuman hits the ground firing as he starts the hook saying, “I pull up and slide/ with bundles and nines/ I’m drowning my ops”. The aggression continues on Lörd Isaac’s opening verse as he brags about all the highlights of trapping—“I’m sipping on red/ I’m up in the club with a premium thin/Watch how she grabbing on my thing”—before TaavTheHuman closes with a similarly boastful verse. While their lyrics cast them as threatening figures, their catchy melodies are evocative and make it hard to resist nodding along to the beat.
Aluna & KAYTRANADA – “Recipe” Feat. Rema
When Aluna debuted “Body Pump” back in May, she was ushering in a new artistic era. The song confirmed that she had broken away from her renowned career as one half of the renowned EDM duo, AlunaGeorge, and was starting her solo career. The London-based just released her debut project, ‘Renaissance’ where she takes a more firm stance on her artistic direction, turning her melting pot of influences into throbbing, futuristic heaters like the 7th track, “Recipe” featuring KAYTRANADA and Rema.
“Recipe” finds the sweet spot where EDM and Afro bashment intertwine. To achieve this, she enlists the help of Canadian producer, KAYTRANADA and Nigeria’s youngest dancehall export, Rema. KAYTRANDA’s smooth mix of lush EDM instrumentals and dancehall drum riffs set the twerk and wine groove which Aluna and Rema ride with energetic and melodic performances. They make the perfect partnership as they sing about their commitment to dancefloor romance—“I’d do something for you/ You got the recipe”—with catchy melodies that can take a promising tune over the top into a summer anthem.
Chu-Chu – “Electra” Feat. WANI
American-based Afropop singer, Chu-Chu has followed up his 2019 debut, “Killing Me” with a double single release titled ‘Electra and You’. Both songs are worth a listen but the track that caught our ear the most is the collab with one of our all-time favorites, WANI on “Electra”.
Dazzling synths, soulful percussion, and laidback drums set the excited tone for Chu-Chu and WANI’s sweet vocals addressed at their respective love interests. WANI already proved himself a formidable and efficient dancefloor filler with a gooey soft spot with his romantic-Afropop catalog and he lives up to his reputation as he performs his catchy set, admitting to his obsession with his lover; “If you see me in the club with my dark shades on/ You should know I got her on my mind/ It’s like all the time”. Though the dancefloor isn’t employed as a plot device on Chu-Chu’s verse, his R&B-inspired flow and hearty lyrics about his romantic feelings deliver “Electra”‘s love message succinctly. The same romantic message carries on to the second song, “You” as Chu-Chu returns with aplomb.
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MannyWellz set the romantic tone for his upcoming project, ‘Mirage’ with the lead single, “Floating” last month. The song featuring VanJess managed to perfectly capture the euphoric high of being in love with sweet, affectionate lyrics. For the latest single from the upcoming tape, “A Million”, MannyWellz appears to be over his romantic feelings. Here, he offers a blistering condemnation of falling helplessly in love and gets a guest verse from his DC-partner, Wale to support his anti-valentines day song.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAlN8TmAkCa/
With the lush Afropop production and MannyWellz’s crooning falsetto, “A Million” has all the necessary qualities to be a love song. But rather than exalt the transcendent powers of romance, his lyrics question why romance should be worth pursuing if the greatest love is to love ourselves. “A million times I put you first/All the lies kept me down/ I’m trying to love myself and I don’t need your help”, he sings, casting the illusion of romance in a stark light that shows him finally full of love, but forced to contend with the truth that he’s not loved equally in return. Wale’s rap verse also adds an extra layer of vulnerability, where he admits to being hurt and confused before breaking things off with his muse. Though the earlier single, “Floating” hinted at a sweet and tender outing for ‘Mirage’, we now have a more succinct impression of the project thanks to the breakup-themed new single, “A Million”.
You can stream MannyWellz and Wale’s “A Million” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/mannywellz
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Reaching number one on Apple Music’s most-streamed r&b/Soul (it’s neither of those things btw) charts before it was even released in full, Tiwa Savage’s third studio album ‘Celia‘, has been a much-anticipated body of work. From the well-charting singles, “Dangerous Love”, “Koroba” and the Sam Smith-assisted “Temptation”, it was clear ‘Celia‘ would live up to all the hype the album had garnered in the past two years. Ultimately, Tiwa Savage exceeded all our expectations.
‘Celia‘ is a formidable pop album, already being lauded as a ‘classic’. Naming the album after he mother, who she takes every opportunity to thank and celebrate, ‘Celia‘ reads as a memoir of an African woman. Free in her sexual impulses, driven in her pursuit of the life, and resilient to the many misogynistic barriers standing in her way, Tiwa Savage’s ‘Celia‘, is unapologetic about her womanhood, asserting her female perspective into this hugely male-dominated space in unquestionable sonic style.
‘Celia‘ is packed with potential hits, crafty collaborations, bolshy lyrics and impeccable vocal abilities – the high points are innumerable. With time and more plays, I’m sure different aspects of the album will stand out, however on its first day, these are the 5 take homes from Tiwa Savage that I am most compelled to share.
1. ‘Celia’ is meticulously produced
Though its opening is a little too jarring for these ears, it must be stated the Tiwa Savage wastes absolutely no time building up a vibe or setting the scene for what’s to come. Plunging listeners straight into the depths of the dancery right from the top, “Save My Life”, brings us an upbeat introduction to Tiwa Savage’s loved-up opening track. “Ole” (produced by Rexxie) too boasts a captivating preamble, with a near forty seconds of vibrant horns, feel-good drums and an ensorceling bass guitar building up to Tiwa Savage’s “Give me my money” starter. “Park Well” is a mid-tempo track that plays with a plethora of instrumentation, just like “Ole”, this time including fun harmonies between Davido and Tiwa Savage. Then the infectious Afrohouse beat on “Glory” coupled with the excellent engineering of Tiwa’s vocals, primes the record for chart takeover, whilst Pheelz’s ominous kick drum, choir-like harmonies and mixing of fellowship into the song’s end brings the gospel feel to the prayerful album closer, “Celia’s Song”.
2. If it ain’t about the money…
Preceding the familiar “Koroba” where Savage distastefully kids about living lavish on the national budget, is the Rexxie-produced “Ole” which opens with “Give me my money, wetin you owe me” – the first sign that Tiwa Savage is all about the money. Following up that entry with “Oga share the money,” it’s clear that Tiwa Savage is not about to entertain any no budget conversations. The irony that Naira Marley features on this song is not lost on us. Naira’s Yoruba verse encourages us to get our money up, mocking people who are in debt or spending without having a means of making.
3. Not one, but two women!
Publicly denouncing feminism on numerous occasions, it may or may not come as a surprise to you that Tiwa Savage was yet to put another female artist on, with her entire discography void of women, save the few collaborations put together by Mavin, or other female artists seeking her out. Well recently, Tiwa Savage has been outspoken when it comes to women’s issues in Nigeria, and it looks like she’s backing that up in her music, featuring not one, but two women on this album.
It’s nothing to be commended that Tiwa Savage has taken almost a decade to feature a woman, having been at the top of the totem pole for quite some time, but it is nice to see that she’s finally stepping up. Teaming up with Stefflon Don, who delivers a phenomenal verse on “Bombay” before passing the baton to Dice Ailes, Tiwa Savage goes on to introduce her far-reaching fanbase to the vocally endowed Hamzaa. “Pakalamisi” is not a track we’d ever expect to hear the soulful voice of Hamzaa, but she emerges as an effortless addition to the record, boasting great synergy with Tiwa Savage, at the same time flaunting her musical versatility.
4. Tiwa Savage stays sexually liberated
Tiwa Savage has always played into her sex appeal. In this sense, she is defiant of her conservative Nigerian audience and seeks to rework imaginations of what a female artist should look like, leading the industry whilst owning her sex appeal in a way that is rare to these parts. On ‘Celia‘, Tiwa Savage comes out with an onslaught of carnal numbers, reminding us why she labels herself a bad gyal.”When I bere you go want mercy” she sexily narrates on the bedroom number, “Bombay”, which seems to be about a male member “bigger than Bombay“, we find out on the chorus after she asks, “boy make you give me your long ting ting“. Later on, as Tiwa Savage explains why she’s grown tired of her lover on “Attention”, she asks him “when las you tell me to bend over make you jam the ting enter?“, another rather vulgar line that might stun anyone with prudish ears. As for me, I love it – catch me quoting these bars with or without a steady.
5. Say NO to mind games!
We got a hint that Tiwa Savage was taking no nonsense from her second promotional single, “Koroba”, which begins with her calling out the blogs (notorious opps) for slut-shaming her because she’s friends with political elites. Tiwa’s middle fingers reach full length on ‘Celia‘ – standing out in particular at the laid-back London-produced record “FWMM (F*CK WITH MY MIND)”. Though here she’s talking about a former flame, “FWMM” sees Tiwa Savage confirms that she is big fry and refuses to settle for anyone who is only with her halfway. Warning her ting, “I’m loving this freedom, so don’t give me reason to free ya, cos lowkey I don’t need ya” Tiwa Savage instructs her partner not to fuck with her mind, but it’s a sentiment that can be extrapolated into all relationships. Confident, fierce, self-assured, all throughout this project, Tiwa Savage has fully blossomed into her butterfly state and not a single thing on this earth can take that away from her. LOVE to see it.
Friday is a good day for many reasons, but a big one around here is all of the new music that regularly awaits us. In a weekend packed with new full-length releases from Tiwa Savage, Nasty C, and more, one release I was particularly looking forward to was that of Patoranking’s–a chameleonic master at party-ready hits from “Girlie O” to “Suh Different”. The hitmaker makes his return with his third studio album ‘Three’ arriving just a year after the release of his sophomore album ‘Wilmer’.
Aptly titled ‘Three’ to represent the three-fold experience of life, love, and happiness that underscore his latest offering, the new project is anchored by the up-tempo promotional single “Abule”which reminded listeners of their connection to their hometowns. ‘Three’ contains melodies for before, during, and after the club bolstered by groovy features from Tiwa Savage, King Promise, Sauti Sol, and Flavour, who all throw in their own distinct regional flair to the reggae-inflected tunes of Patoranking.
From the incredible sonic quality which sees him trying on a range of different sounds to back his intricate songwriting that details private encounters in an appropriately humid club, ‘Three’ definitely houses some unmissable gems that deserve their flowers. While we get more and more familiar with Patoranking’s cocktail of reggae, afrobeats, pop, dance music, and more, we’ve decided to put together a list of 5 instant standouts while listening to the new project (tweet at me whether your standouts differ from mine @tamimak_)
“Yo Body“
A quick peruse through Patoranking’s Twitter will soon reveal that the Ebutte Metta-native regards himself as ‘the next big thing after Bob Marley’. A gargantuan statement to make from any artist, seeing as the reggae legend is revered worldwide by a host of different artists, but on “Yo Body”, Patoranking puts his money where his mouth is and delivers an up-tempo steamy number to whine and dance to.
“Whine It” featuring Sauti Sol
Sauti Sol has easily become my favorite group from East Africa and boy are they putting in the work right now. From releasing their own project ‘Midnight Train’ earlier this year to featuring on Burna Boy’s most successful project yet ‘Twice as Tall’, everything they have touched so far has been straight fire so it follows that “Whine It” is no exception. Like Patoranking says, ‘this is a whining song, the perfect whining song’ and I guarantee that you can’t listen to this number without wanting to get on the dance floor and throw that ass in a circle (LOL!).
“Black Girl Magic“
After the video for Beyoncé and Wizkid’s “Brown Skin Girl” left many black women like myself and the women at the NATIVE feeling loved, accepted and seen, Patoranking single “Black Girl Magic” joins the ranks of songs preaching about the beauty and allure of black women around the world. Over an array of trumpets, keys, and groovy house percussion, he delivers a love letter to black women accented by his rich melodious voice. It’s super sweet and catchy.
”Abule”
Although “Abule”was a pre-released single from ‘Three’, it’s probably still the most enjoyable number on the project for me. What once sounded basic on the first listen soon becomes lyrics that linger on the lips thanks to the catchy afropop production from Telz. As the tumultuous year beats on, songs like this remind me of where we are coming from and how much further we have to go, but with my faith undeterred from the events of this year, I’m pleased to have a song like this to cushion the emotions.
“Matter” featuring Tiwa Savage
Since their fun, light-hearted collaboration “Girlie O” back in 2014, Tiwa Savage and Patoranking have not linked up for another song together. But on “Matter”, they come together yet again for a catchy afropop love song infused with all the sentimental tenderness that we would expect in its lyrics. The charming love song allows them both to excel in their area of expertise, delivering honey-toned memorable numbers and I could definitely imagine this number being played at wedding after-parties (after the 40-plus guests have gone home, of course!)
When Nasty C released his sophomore album, ‘Strings & Blings’, he wasn’t aiming for kingly status as much as he was laying claim to it. After making the passage from hot prospect to proper rap star with his debut album, ‘Bad Hair’, his follow-up saw him elevate into an undeniable superstar, a transition that happened with little to no prior doubts. On the album, Nasty C was in his most rounded form yet, and it showed in how he relayed ample doses of personal introspection (“Another One Down”), examined the intricacies of intimacy (“SMA”), and sounded off imperial boasts (“Jungle”).
Nasty C’s his third studio album, ‘Zulu Man with Some Power’, finds him on the cusp of another upward transition. Earlier this year, it was announced that Nasty C had signed a global recording deal with prestigious hip-hop label, Def Jam, a marquee partnership aimed at furthering the rapper’s burgeoning international reach. Already tapping into the benefits of this arrangement, Nasty C has performed on American late night TV, and in June, he linked with DJ Whoo Kid for ‘Zulu’, a mixtape of freewheeling raps that loosely fronted his blistering abilities, and was clearly meant to drum up hype for the main event.
With this scenic roll-out, ‘Zulu Man with Some Power’ has definitely shaped up into one of the blockbuster releases of an already packed summer, however, it’s down to the music to fully acquit these high stakes and probably set Nasty C on the next, and possibly a loftier, arc of his high-flying career so far.
“King Shit”
A-capella to open up, interesting choice. “They can never play, I know my worth” is very fitting bar for a song titled “King Shit” in 2020. I like how Nasty C’s singing voice is somewhere between mellow and boisterous. That’s a nice horn bridge, I’m still waiting for the bass to drop. Ah, there we go! He’s rapping like a dragon casually breathing fire, brags were made for Nasty C’s rap voice and unblemished flow.
“Steve Biko”
Underwater keys will forever remind me of 40, that man is a genius. Did Nasty C just say he feels like he’s the new Steve Biko? That’s a weird brag, if you ask me. It just doesn’t align for a rapper to link his flossing lifestyle with that of a freedom fighter, well, unless his angle is Steve Biko fought for him to live lavish as a Black man in a white world. Look at me doing mental calisthenics, will have to revisit to get it. The production absolutely knocks, though.
“That’s Hard”
You can’t not go hard on a song titled “That’s Hard”. Ooohh! This flow is saucy, and these drums have an elastic knock to them, like a squid playing whack-a-mole with every available limb. Haha, references to Jordin Sparks and “No Air” will live forever. “Y’all careers is flimsy and blurry, y’all not focused” is an extremely disrespectful bar, I fucking love it. This man is handing down caustic subs live from mount Olympus. Yeah, this is a hard song.
“Overpriced Steak”
If there’s anything that’ll get me, it’s a flickering soul sample. That was a glorious bass drop, I felt it kick me in the chest. “Talking stakes over overpriced steaks” is an interesting way to sum up how good life has been. Lil Wayne and T.I getting referenced as inspirations, the latter features on this same album twice — that’s mad. “Won’t ever use my skin as an excuse ‘cos I’ve seen Hova face”, can’t wait for motivational, Black capitalist Twitter to start quoting this bar. Nasty C is no longer hungry, but he clearly still has a lot of drive in him.
“Feeling”
The songs have been short, which is great for a 20-song album. Nasty C has an impeccable ear for picking beats, those gospel organs have a radiance to them. “Validation is a drug”, talk to them, king. This verse is the closest he’s sounded to being on earth with the rest of us mere mortals, and he still manages to sound unvarnished. This beat is gorgeous! “I don’t walk on water but some people praise me” is an interesting way to capture being famous. He’s trying to sound disaffected by the special treatment he gets for being popular, and he’s also mouthing off at naysayers, interesting. “Promise you if I don’t die a legend, I’mma die trying” is a resounding bar. This whole song is resounding. “Feeling” won’t be the choice for a single, nor will it raise the roof at shows, but I can see myself and a few people running this back a million times.
“La Vida Loca”
Alien beeps and vocal harmonies. Getting money is obviously Nasty C’s favourite topic. This shit knocks harder than the police breaking into a house with no warning, and that Spanish guitar definitely conjures imagery of living your best life. With all of the things this song has going for it, it’s not overly remarkable. “Told my city I’ll be back, I got money pulling me on both sides” is a great hook, though. When rappers say they feel like Sosa, I roll my eyes a bit. This outro is an example of how to use an electric guitar as embellishment, not overkill. I’ll revisit to see if I like or dislike this more.
“Zone” (feat. Tellaman)
That bass guitar riff is making my ears vibrate. That bass dropped in with the force of a wrecking ball. I don’t really like when Nasty C gets into his vindictive bag when it comes to women, he seems to enjoy the disrespect a little too much. Tellaman’s is too immaculate for this level of savagery, but somehow he’s making it work. Whoever did these guys dirty definitely left an impression, and it was far from positive. I like this song a bit, not sure if I’ll like it more with multiple returns but I;m down to give it a try.
“How Many Times”
Starting off with a Piano and electric guitar combo. WOW! These drums are plush and gorgeous, I actually want to sink into them. I love it when rappers go at those who discount their potential at the beginning—Nasty C never spares them. This flow has some Young Thug to it, especially with those double time inflections, but Nasty C is owning. This is triumphant music that’s just as wistful. This breakdown is very Mike Dean-esque, brash and majestic at the same time. This man has vindicated himself, and his performance carries the aura of been undefeated.
“Eazy”
Man, I love this song! The best pre-released single, if you ask me. The grandiose energy of this beat taps reminds me of Kanye in his ‘MBDTF’ era. The carefree opulence Nasty C throws into his bars reminds me of when Kendrick said he does cartwheels in his estate. I can keep going with the references, but you get the point by now. This second verse should be preserved as one of the wonders of the world—any verse that effortlessly references Riley from the Boondocks deserves to be placed on a high pedestal. “Eazy” is aspirational rap music made by a rapper who makes invincibility sound spontaneous. Keeper, all day.
“All In” (feat. T.I)
Eish, these maudlin strings are a jarring transition but the bass just dropped and all is right with the world. On second thought, I have mixed feelings towards this beat, it has this stock, stadium-ready rap appeal I don’t fuck with. Not exactly in love with this nursery flow Nasty C is employing, but I’m not mad at it. T.I taps in, he sounds much more comfortable. Bankhead! Nothing too crazy is happening with these raps, but his conviction is selling me. I don’t like this hook, which is weird because Nasty C barely ever fails to deliver top tier hooks.
“Lose Some Win Some”
This album has flowed pretty seamlessly. Another cavernous bass drop, I love it. There’s some real honesty to these raps, fame really brings exploitive people around. He doesn’t sound paranoid, more like annoyed. “I cannot stop until we all getting paid” is noble, but it’s also a burden.
“Sad Boys”
Rolling pianos and r&b-type drums is very fitting for a song titled “Sad Boys”. We’re in the remorseful bag, the vocal performance has a lot of genuineness to it. This has a romantic tone to it, but it can be multipurpose. There’s no pride when it comes to regret, it’s a constant reminder that we don’t always make the best choices.
“Black and White” (feat. Ari Lennox)
This is the song I’ve been looking forward to the most since the tracklist dropped. Growling, funk bass guitars are an eternal cheat code, they will force you to pay attention. These raps are the type you go “Awww” to. When it comes to his romantic songs, I prefer Nasty C’s softer side when he goes full-on smitten, it adds a nice dimension to his confident persona. Ari Lennox! Her voice beamed in all the way from Venus, so beautiful and radiant. This is definitely her bounce, I can see this being on ‘Shear Butter Baby’. “Fall in love deeply when I look into your eyes”, yes please. They’re complementing each other really well here, this is a great collab.
“Deep Pockets” (feat. Rowlene)
I like this build-up. “I’ve got people asking me to move mountains” jumped out at me. Nasty C raps with a Teflon flow, even when he’s running through his bars. I don’t really like the auto-tune on Rowlene’s voice, but their harmonies lock in together quite well. Will come back to this.
“Bookoo Bucks” (feat. Lil Gotit & Lil Keed)
ATL Jacob tag, let’s go! I like this muffled entrance, Hndrxx would be proud. A Kobe reference, R.I.P Mamba. “I can’t be caught out by no low stakes/when my name is in their mouth like Colgate”. Fellow rappers, don’t talk about Nasty C if you’re not on his level. Gotit sounds good on this, maybe I should listen to him more. This hook will go off at live shows, especially with that Kobe reference. God, I miss live shows. Keed! His energy is always off the wall. That was a short verse but I loved the energy, very infectious. This is a banger.
“Palm Trees”
“I’ve got jewels on me, expensive ass shoes on me” is a pointed brag. This beat is a bulky monster; it’s like Bankroll sampled juggernaut running through walls and chopped it up as the bassline. That nuts line is crass but it’s also quite funny. The city of Los Angeles should be paying Nasty C, this is a glamorous ad for the city of angels. This is another live show fixture, it’s going to absolutely go off. “Death by a motherfucking diamond, I bet my chain look like a noose on me” is actually a bar.
“Zulu Man”
This song had me when it dropped, the conviction jumps out with every the double time flow. I can’t understand a word when he switches to isiZulu, but I can tell he’s snapping and saying some weighty stuff. I’ve just kicked living in South Africa up my bucket list, the cadence to the words are riveting.
“Ababulali”
Tribal chants and knocking bass, an oddly great pairing. This could be the whole song, and I’d take it with both hands. Who’s he promising the world to? This is very endearing. This has to be addressed to his father. After watching that “Origins” mini-doc earlier today, I can fully appreciate the sentiments behind this song. They didn’t have the perfect relationship and these straightforward raps represent that; at the same time, he’s committed to making sure they spend the remaining time working towards the best relationship possible. Usually, I’d have something to say about the chants but they’re perfect for the occasion. This is a great song.
“There They Go”
The lead single. This song is smug enough for me to feel sorry for whoever Nasty C is taunting. This flow is like watching someone cripwalk on water, that’s the incredulous imagery I can conjure at this moment. “I be listening to Weezy and he the reason I smoke trees and beat every mic”. Is Lil Wayne the GOAT? That’s a rhetorical question. I usually tend to dislike beats with robotic riffs, but this glockenspiel riff is doing it for me, and the bass is causing my headphone to vibrate. “I sign deals but I own my soul” is a bar. “There They Go” was a great choice for a first single, it slapped when it dropped and it still slaps on the album.
“They Don’t” (feat. T.I)
Confession time: I don’t really like this song. Here’s the thing, it’s a very “climate” record. Not that there’s something altogether wrong with a climate record, but I like socially aware songs to have some bite even when they’re aiming to convey optimism. I like the line, “They don’t want to see a young black man succeed”, but it doesn’t have the urgency or vitriol that I think racism should be met with. It does hold some weight when you look at it as a cry of exasperation. Ever since T.I said that Atlanta is Wakanda, I’ve had mixed feelings towards this verse. There’s a pointed edge and some lived-in resilience to his voice, these names will always jar me deeply. Black Lives Matter. Period.
Final Thoughts
‘Zulu Man with Some Power’ doesn’t just refer to amount; it mainly refers to the magnitude of Nasty C’s powers as a rap artist and continuously growing star. On his third studio album, he casts a larger than life shadow with a set of songs that sees him working at his impenetrable best. It’s the work of an artist who’s confident enough to believe he possesses a Midas touch, and he backs it up with a body of work that’s worth its weight in gold.
On “Blisters”, the intro track on ‘Strings & Blings’, he rapped, “Too much power for one Zulu man”, foreshadowing his rise to becoming one of the first names that pop up when rap music out of Africa is the topic. On “Feeling”, the fifth track on this new album, he proclaims, “Promise you if I don’t die a legend, I’mma die trying”, letting us know that he’s far from content with his current standing and is intent on breaking as many glass ceilings as possible, going forward. This attitude permeates the entirety of the album, as he cuts an invincible figure over a phenomenal batch of beats.
‘Zulu Man with Some Power’ doesn’t reinvent the wheel for Nasty C. Instead, it doubles down on his exuberant ethos, further fine-tuning his flair for impressionable bars, great hooks and attention-grabbing flows and melodies. The main addition is that he clings tighter to his heritage than he ever has on wax, rapping majority of a song in isiZulu for the first time in his career, dedicating an entire song to his father and making it clear that Durban will forever be home early on the intro track, “King Shit”. In reaffirming his roots, Nasty C has set his own terms of engagement for new listeners, while reassuring older fans that he’ll always carry them along even as the world gravitates towards him.
Featured Image Credits: Billboard
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
On the night of August 26, a young boy of 16 years old, Nathaniel Julius was shot and dumped at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, where he later died, following a robbery in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg. A beloved member of the community believed to be killed by the police, residents of Eldorado Park took to the streets in protest the following day, demanding that the corrupt local police (they are now being investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate) answer for their crimes. What the community of Eldorado Park would like is for the police to be stripped of their unwarranted power, with one resident even calling for the removal of Police Chief.
In a protest that lasted throughout the morning in Eldorado Park, Police faced off with the community, the latter burning tires and throwing stones at their antagonists, whilst the law enforcement responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades. In a news report broadcasted by Newzroom Afrika, one resident even says that police shot at his wife and his children whilst they were working in their own home, not participating in the demonstration.
Police brutality is not a new phenomenon in the area, speaking to Newzroom, one woman says a drunk officer armed himself and directed his gun at her without any cause, whilst another man recalls that this is not the first time a child has been killed at the hands of the Scorpions, he calls them. This violence perpetrated by the police is symptomatic of the rampant corruption and abuse of power that goes on within the policing community in Eldorado, a systematic oppression that is worryingly replicated throughout the world.
Residents describe an apathetic police force, who do not carry out their mandate to serve and protect. A community plagued with many social ills, according to local reports, when issues are taken to the police, such as drug abuse problems, nothing is ever done. Eldorado Park residents have been boiling up for some time, against a system that is mandated to work for them, but so brazenly disregards their life. Nathaniel Julius’ death was the straw that broke the camels back.
The same evening of the Eldorado Park protests came Burna Boy’s rousing video for his socio-politically driven album standout, “Monsters You Made”. Featuring Chris Martin, who appears on screen in the Lagos-set video (but literally on a screen), “Monsters You Made” is an anarchist track which sees Burna Boy rage against the establishment in a fashion that is typical of the African Giant. In his YouTube live this evening, Burna Boy dedicates the song to Zimbabweans, Americans, Nigerians and every country, including South Africa, in which their people are revolting against a failing system, and branded as the enemy for demanding basic human rights.
A fictional uprising, Burna Boy’s riotous music video bears eery similarities to the scenes captured on Newzroom Africa. Depicting angry, sad, tormented soldiers gearing up for war – with Burna Boy as their general, of course – the “Monsters You Made” music video shows the Monsters wreak havoc in order to do good. Brandishing themselves with the Anarchy sign as they prepare for war, this armed militia are painted as the violent antagonists, just like the powers that be paint activists when we stand up and fight for justice and equality. However, with a touch of dramatic irony, we know even before the Meji Alabi film ends, that these are the real heroes of the story.
We know that these are the real heroes, because we have seen this revolution play out a million times; civilians pleading for their safety, demanding justice for innocent lives lost to the same people sworn to protect us. The systems of power all over the world have continually abused their hierarchical positions, and as more instantaneous media spotlight these occurrences in real-time, we, the people are growing more and more restless, less and less willing to be ruled and dominated by the few elites who would trade our lives for a dollar. So the “Monsters You Made” video ends, screaming at greed and capitalism as the root of all the world’s evil.
The return of the fourth season of Big Brother Naija to our screens could not have come at a better time for all of us, within a year of unprecedented change to almost every aspect of our lives, having a show like BBNaija to unite viewers nationwide every day has helped make restore a sense of community and togetherness that seemed lost in the efforts to socially distance this year. What was once a reality tv show regularly consumed in Nigerian households has now seemed to gain more momentum or at least that’s what I’ve gathered from every corner of my Twitter timeline.
For five weeks, we’ve collectively raved about Kidd being the season’s heartthrob, Laycon being the typical representation of a Nigerian guy to the ridiculous strictly Indomie diet the housemates seem to be on. However, much of the show’s entertainment rests on the daily sponsored challenges played by the housemates. This year so far we’ve seen the housemates compete in uniquely curated games revolving around the brand sponsorship from brands like Betway, Indomie, Hawaii, Airtel, Dulux, Guinness, and more.
Although I’m a passive watcher of Big Brother, watching mainly from my timeline or logging onto a few hours at a time when I can spare, one of the most exciting challenges I am glad to have been able to watch is the ‘Pepsi Know Lyrics Challenge’ held yesterday. The duet singing competition involved the housemates singing and performing a song from the lyrics of Pepsi brand ambassadors Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Tekno, Davido, Burna Boy, DJ Spinall and Cuppy.
Performance competitions are only as good as those performing them, so I wasn’t expecting much as the housemates only had a couple of hours to learn, practice, and memorise lyrics and a catchy dance routine. During the practice, I had my bets on Erica and Neo winning as they were performing Burna Boy’s “On The Low” and their gusto and salacious dancing looked like first place material. However, their killer moves during practice didn’t really translate during the main event, the singing was off-key for them and many of the housemates who seemed to have a hard time delivering at the same tempo as the song’s instrumentals.
Wathoni and Laycon’s performance of Wizkid’s “Fever” was also a bit cringey, I know getting into character is important but Laycon was a little too into character for me but the worst had to be Kiddwaya and Lucy taking over the stage for Cuppy and Tekno’s “Green Light”, not only did Lucy forget the lyrics but she had a whole angry match just before her performance and that really hurt their chances (not that Kidd’s adorable dancing did them any favours).
Despite all this, it looked like a close tie between Ozo and Trikeytee’s performance of “Duro” and TolaniBaj and Vee’s performance of Dj Spinall’s “Baba”, but after a brief pause for the premiere of Burna Boy’s fourth studio album ‘Twice as Tall’ (we love to see it), Ozo and Trikeytee emerged as the winners of the competition.
As the days become numbered and the stans grow more tiresome (we’ll talk about that another time), Big Brother seems like anyone’s prize to win at the moment– even TrikeyTee who always seems to escape eviction every single week. So in the mean time, I’ll be here rooting for my girl Erica (and maybe Kidd).
You can catch up highlights from the Pepsi challenge here.
For the past three years, Homecoming’s annual festival has become a staple for Easter holidays in Lagos. Due to the pandemic, however, the festival have now announced that they will be making its return this year for the third iteration digitally and it all looks exciting, as it will be in partnership with London-based fashion powerhouse, Browns.
The focal point this year, will be on helping Nigerian brands in the Homecoming community to access international retail distribution. Browns Fashion will stock Nigerian brands and international Homecoming-aligned brands on their website, and these brands, Mowalola, Patta, Vivendii, Post-Imperial and more take up residence at their store in Shoreditch, London.
Alongside the retail distribution, Homecoming and Browns Fashion will be presenting an e-zine titled “Ni Agbaye”, meaning “in the world”, which will be aimed at exploring the influence and exchange that afro-culture has on global pop-culture. It will also include a series of digital events, two of which will be live panel discussions. Kicking off today at 6pm BST, the first-panel discussion, ‘Pushing the African Visual Identity Forward’ will hold with useful insights from a multi-talented lineup including our Editor-in-Chief, Seni Saraki.
On Friday, the second-panel discussion will hold at 6pm BST and this time the focus will be on exploring the evolving state of global streetwear and the role which Africa is currently playing in its regeneration through the detailed insight of industry professionals like Virgil Abloh (the creative director of Off-White), Gee Patta (the founder of Patta), and Ireti Zaccheus (the founder of Street Souk) with moderation from Grace Ladoja and Alex Sossah (founders of Metallic Inc).
Both panels will be available to sign up to via Eventbrite and the Homecoming e-zine and product edit will be available exclusively at brownsfashion.com from 26 August. For the full Homecoming lineup, visit here.
¤This will certainly come as a shock to you, so you better take a seat: there was once a world without the crewneck. In fact, there was a lot of world without the crewneck sweatshirt, its invention dating back only one hundred years, thanks to the prophetically streetwear savvy American footballer, Benjamin Russell Jr. of the University of Alabama.
With too much itch on the woollen garments – worn before Russell Sr. formalised his son’s pitch into the heritage athletics brand, Russell Athletic – Russell Jr. proposed a cotton alternative overall for its comfort and durability. This style became known as the sweatshirt, or the crewneck, or the crewneck sweatshirt. Whichever you call it, Benjamin Russell Jr.’s invention is now a staple in the apparel industry, especially in the street style world which dominates youth culture in Nigeria today.
From Russell Athletic’s first crewneck, came the hoodies that Vivendii have branded for their latest campaign with Homecoming, in collaboration with Browns. The matching bottoms for the sweatshirt, sweatpants have since been detached from their upper body predecessor, with brands like Corteiz printing their cursive logo on the bottoms shunning the top half prototype.
Similarly, Russell Athletic, historically renowned for its kit collaborations with sport teams, is leaning into the ever-growing streetwear market, notably through their RAX label, which sells exclusively at Selfridges. Launching last September, the initial 19-piece drop has now been followed up with a second cotton rich collection, featuring towelling cotton tees and tracksuit pants, contrast panel hoodies, lounging shorts and of course a neat range of crewnecks, all fitted with the comic-esque RAX logo as well as the original Russell Athletic patch (on the tops).
Browse the lookbook below, and shop RAX via Selfridges here.
Image Credits/Russell Athletic
Wojumi is a bad bitch & she’s going to brag about it. Tweet her your latest cultural exploits @dewoju
We may not have the summer of our lives that we once imagined, but that doesn’t mean all is lost this year. Even though we can’t go outside, Corona is not stopping the annual Notting Hill Carnival this year, even though this time it’s coming with a twist. The carnival is set to be broadcast online for viewers worldwide to watch from the comfort of their respective homes. What was once known to shut down the streets of London with its vibrant colours and speaker-rattling music will now be live-streamed for those wishing to join in on the yearly tradition, to aid the ongoing efforts to remain socially distanced.
Announced earlier this week, the performances on the main stage will include a vast array of artists from all over the world, with Davido, Tiwa Savage and Yemi Alade repping from Lagos, to Koffee and Proteje from Jamaica as well as a host of artists from Trinidad and Tobago including Olatunji, Iwer George and Adanna.
Taking place over the British bank holiday this weekend, the event will be streamed over four separate channels starting from 6pm to midnight on 29th August, with the celebrations continuing between 9am and 11pm on the 30th and 31st August.
It has been another heavy week for black people. It’s really abnormal to watch the way black people are treated as often as we do, and recently, another video of a black man being brutalised by the police has surfaced on the internet. In addition to that, we’re being bombarded with pictures of Jeffree Star and his black lover, and while I felt guilty scrolling away from the video of Jacob Blake getting shot, I did not feel any type of way about skipping footage of Jefree Star’s racist ass.
I don’t know about everyone else, but I don’t want to see a-single-nother second of him and his 6’7 bae on MY internet any longer, especially because along with this news, has come another avenue for homophobes to homophobe, and the only person I blame here, is Jeffree Star – he is just bad news through and through.
Men have failed us this week, from openly being amorous with a racist to not showing support after Meg publicly announced her abuser. For a bit of catharsis, The NATIVE has birthed a new column, Hot Takes, where every week, a different member of the NATIVE’s editorial team will dissect different trending topics across the globe, and give their hot takes on each topic. Here’s how my week is going so far, and a few of my hot takes for the week.
What I’m watching on YouTube: Tea Time With Tems
Tems is one of the funniest people you’ll ever meet, and what makes her so funny is that it’s completely unintentional. When we spoke for our Issue 004 cover, she told me her ultimate goal would be to set up a tea room, called Tems Tea. In a new series with YouTube music, she’s answering a few questions about herself and her music, and it just really shows how hilarious she is. Definitely looking forward to Part 2
Watch it here:
What I’m watching on Netflix: The Governor
It’s taking me forever to get through this, but it’s one of those series that’s so bad it’s good. The overacting, the ridiculous plot, the poor quality – what better way to waste my time? What I do love about it, is that The Governor is a woman who shows her ability to be the head and the neck at the same time. As you would expect in real life, being the HBIC doesn’t exempt her from disrespect from other men, but she (almost) always clears them and I love to see it.
What I’m listening to: ‘Festival Bar’ by Davolee
After I watched Top Boy last year, I became obsessed with life on the streets, and after reading everything on the internet about gang banging, the best way to get continuous insight is through music. This is why I became particularly enamoured to young rappers closer to my age group like Dave, Headie One, Polo G and Roddy Ricch, because they illustrate life on the streets so well, that I feel like I was there with them and his has recently become the case with rappers my age back in Nigeria.
In May when Davolee dropped Festival Bar, I had a lot on my mind and because he was rapping in Yoruba I couldn’t concentrate enough to get a clear enough picture of what he was saying. The other day, however, “Festival Bar 2” came up on shuffle, and I heard (properly for the first time) when he said “O ti di do or die, because a ti di negative energy fun wan bayi” and I could relate. I then went to listen to the whole thing properly, and I couldn’t believe what a fantastic storyteller he is.
Throughout the EP he takes us through different phases of his life; we first meet Segun the barman at Festival Bar in Ikotun who gets the boot for another person’s wrongdoing, then to Segun the motor boy just so he could make an honest living because he wasn’t interested in a life of crime (emi o le gbe ‘bon laye mi, hustle mi yo mi), and how he only got paid N17,500 at Aquadana in Oshodi. He then tells us about he got counted out of a competition because he rapped in Yoruba (much like indigenous rappers get counted out today), how he met Olamide and his life changed, but the pressure of fame and success became unreal for him to deal with. He paints a clear picture of how his experiences in life caused his depression, dabbling in drugs and alcohol to numb the pain he was feeling, and how everything he went through contributed to the man we know today.
I’m definitely interested in hearing more from I’m and I’ll be looking out for a project.
The rap niggas ain’t shit
I was listening to “Hate The Real Me” by Future earlier today and when I heard him say ‘I ain’t been the same since that nigga shot me’, I thought of Megan immediately. It has been so nice to see her go back to normal on social media, being her normal, bubbly, twerky self, even though she was shot in both feet less than a month ago. Last week, she came out and announced that it was in fact Tory Lanez who shot her in the feet for no reason, and there has been an underwhelming amount of support from the men in the rap community she’s a part of. When you think about the fact that these men know exactly how she’s feeling, (because from the music I listen to, chances are it’s been them or they know someone who has been assaulted in this manner,) it’s unbelievable how quiet it has been.
I remember J Cole recently making an entire song because he didn’t like Noname’s tone when she wasn’t even talking to him, yet it’s crickets when a fellow rapper has assaulted a woman. While we don’t know what kind of support Megan been shown offline by these rappers, I feel like it’s important for them to also speak up and call out Tory Lanez’ bitch ass for assaulting a woman. There have been a few rappers speaking up for Megan such as Bun B, T.I, (who’s the last one), and even though a lot of what they’re saying is laced with benevolent sexism, such as ‘how can you shoot a female in a bikini?’ (snore) and “these niggas is bitches, these niggas is hoes” – this is the same energy I expect from ALL rappers. In this current social climate, I believe that a public denouncement and shaming of a perpetuator is necessary, especially when the entire situation played out so publicly. To me, Tory Lanez is the bozo who shot Meg, but he’s also representative of all the other men who assault women on a daily basis and could be a threat to any of the rest of us. Their silence towards his wrongdoing just reminds me how unprotected we are, but how can I even be shocked when they’re still out here making songs and fraternising with Chris Brown?
Beyond this particular incident, rap’s disdain for women is made increasingly clear with each passing day. From the subject of their music treating women like collateral damage or objects they acquire, to actively fighting when women try and take up space in the scene (see ridiculous reactions to “WAP”). Rappers are a very important voice in demanding social justice, and at the moment, black people all over the world are outrightly challenging unjust practices. The fact that their voice isn’t lent to demanding social justice for women, is surprising and disappointing.
The other day, I saw a video of a woman being touched inappropriately without her consent, and when she fought back, she was teased and mocked by all the men surrounding her. These are two entirely different situations, from two different parts of the world and there seems to be the same underlying sentiment towards the woman. It’s a shame and I hope that the world does become a better place for us in my lifetime. The world needs to protect black women in actual practice and not just in empty platitudes on the internet when it doesn’t actually matter.
“Brown Skin Girl” is the best song in the world at the moment
On a more positive note for women, we know that we always have our own backs whether it’s in action or finding comfort through songs like what Megan provide for us. When I’m feeling really sad, I listen to Megan Thee Stallion to make me feel like a bad bitch, and I really hope making music does for her what listening to her music does for me. Yesterday, Beyoncé released the video for Brown Skin Girl on YouTube, which featured on Black Is King last month and watching the video again made me feel very accepted and loved and seen. The level of collective emotion Beyoncé is able capture is truly a super power, but I feel like Brown Skin Girl takes it to a different level.
Beyond being an actual bop, the song feels a bit to me like a reinsertion of black women into society on our own terms, and the video kind of reinforced that for me by portraying young black women as debutantes – a very rare sight. I learnt recently that black people were only allowed into these balls as servants, and it reminded me a bit of when I was in school, and was never I was never invited to a debutant party of sorts called The Feather’s Ball even though I was typically invited to other types of parties. I never actually wanted to go, but I definitely always felt left out when (all) my friends would come back after a Christmas holiday talking about something that happened at this ball. Brown Skin Girl for me, feels a bit like not being left out of the ball, because I’m hearing all these affirmations about the way I look and who I am. Beyoncé was able to capture a very specific insecurity most young black women have, which society instilled in us from a very young age, and that’s why I believe it’s one of the most powerful songs of our generation. Another song I believe is a strong contender is Jhene Aiko’s “Born Tired”, but that’s a discussion we’ll have when the video drops and I can really talk my talk about it’s positive effects on a woman’s mental health.
Ladipoe is really The Leader Of The Revival.
2020 has been the year of Ladipoe. Since “Know You” got to number one back in April, he’s become a ubiquitous voice for the rap scene, and beyond the actual music, you can tell that he’s here to stay. He’s recently made a move which shows us that he’s thinking ahead not just for his own music, but for the future of the Nigerian rap scene, which might confirm his self-appointed position as the Leader Of The Revival. A few months ago, we discussed the issues we had with indigenous rappers being left out of the rap conversation, yet have managed to gain commercial success and acclaim through their own versions of rap. In that piece, Dennis concluded saying that the rap scene needs to embrace them for organic growth throughout the continent, and it seems like we called it all the way back then as we recently got a collaboration between Ladipoe and Zlatan on a Rexxie production. Back in April when we interviewed Ladipoe, he said to us: “I’ve learnt that people don’t know what they want, so you need to give them you, and don’t worry about whether they will like it or not. It has to be your authentic self, first, so that they set their own standards and expectations accordingly.”
This made me revisit his nearly two-year-old debut album, ‘Talk About Poe’, and a lot of the songs stood out to me more than they did when I first listened. With a more trained ear, I could hear his authenticity in the cadence, lyrics and flow, which is the most important tool (I believe) you need in music. Some of my current favourite rappers such as Roddy Ricch, Meek Mill or Polo G stand out to me because I feel like what they’re saying in song could be a conversation they’re having with anyone, and this is the same way it feels when I listen to Ladipoe. He’s at a unique intersection in the Nigerian music scene, which hasn’t fully embraced rappity rap yet. If we’re looking through his music from this year alone, you can see that there’s something special, as he’s been able to maintain his own signature sound on collaborations with artists who have completely different sounds to his such as Simi, Teni and Zlatan. I always say that when you have something worthwhile to say, people will listen and it’s worth paying attention to Ladipoe. It feels a bit like he’s ploughing the road himself, and then setting the foundation for those coming behind him… and for God’s sake, stream Haba.
Noughts & Crosses… no.
Roc Nation recently acquired the rights to the television adaptation of what I considered a modern classic at 12 years old, Noughts & Crosses, and for those who don’t have context, it made them furious. This is very understandable, considering that we’ve just seen a video of another black man being killed mercilessly by the police, therefore the timing couldn’t be more off.
I read Noughts & Crosses about 12 years ago, and it was easily one of my favourite books at the time. I remember bursting into inconsolable tears when.. well, the end happened, and now I’m wondering whether I would have such a reaction (in context of it being a FICTIONAL story) to seeing a white person being treated the same way we see Black people being treated all the time.
I never set any time aside to watch the series, just because I didn’t want to taint the memory of such a great book, but now I’m definitely intrigued. When I was a young teenager, I wasn’t as socially aware as I am now, and it could be interesting to see what kind of nuance I missed in the story when I read the book.
Fun (or maybe not so) fact: One of the scriptwriters is a Nigerian lady: Lydia Adetunji
People have a weird obsession with Father DMW being a virgin
We all remember when we were deep in lockdown, and Father DMW was a huge source of our entertainment. It seems like a lifetime ago when we would all look forward to his and Eva’s daily conversations (my favourite one was when she told him she had a boyfriend and he had a mini-breakdown), until Michael Blackson made it weird by inserting himself into the conversation and talking about why Father didn’t want to have sex. Unlike a lot of you fickle lot, I tune in every time I see him going live on Instagram, and you can imagine my shock when I heard someone STILL asking him why he’s a virgin and why he doesn’t want to have sex. It’s hard to understand him sometimes, but he’s said very clearly that he’s waiting until he gets married to have sex.
It might seem like a joke, but this is toxic masculinity at play here. History is replete with women preserving their sexuality before marriage, because society teaches that one is more valuable when they’re ‘innocent’ and ‘untouched’, therefore, it beats me that this isn’t extended to men, and Father’s virginity is met with disdain. It wouldn’t be nearly as scandalous and unbelievable if a woman said she wasn’t a virgin, so pray tell, why it’s such a big deal that Father is not interested in having sex? It should go without saying, but another person’s decisions about their sexuality should not be anyone’s concern, and it’s very strange for people to keep poking fun at him for such a personal decision. Male chauvinists will always do their thing I guess – where do we sign up for men to not be allowed to men anymore?
The food on Big Brother is very unhealthy
I’m a very passive Big Brother watcher. I used to watch highlights on an Instagram page called BigBrother Hot Gist 2020, but they got closed down and now I just watch via the timeline. Even with how little attention I’m paying, I can tell that their diet is abysmal and someone needs to step in. Every time I tune in, I see them either eating or cooking Indomie. I’ve heard that they eat other things like Eba and other ‘swallows’ but I’ve never seen it and I’ll believe it when I see it.
Apart from the fact that it’s a bit dead to literally eat the same thing every day, Indomie is the worst thing to be eating so often. Instant noodles are made to bear long shelf lives, therefore they’re packed with all sorts of preservatives that aren’t really good for the human body. On top of that, it’s high in fat and sodium AND there’s such little nutritional value, you might as well just be eating a sponge.
I get that Indomie saves lives in a pinch, when I ran out of pocket money at uni I was on a strict Indomie diet, but surely Multichoice can provide them with better and more healthy food options? It’s upsetting me and my homegirls fr. In unrelated news, I’m really excited about the Pepsi Challenge tonight!
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Damilola is the HBIC around here, don’t tweet at her @damdamxx
