The Nigerian music scene has always been hip to the sounds and trends of popular music around the world; from the psychedelic rock era of the ’70s to the unmistakable hip-hop influences in our music from the noughties. Before Olu Maintain’s “Yahooze” set the pace for flaunting wealth and glamorising ‘the hustle’ in Nigerian pop music, his former group, Maintain contributed to the mainstream allure of hip-hop with their remake of Ludacris’ “Area Codes”, on their 2002 hit single, “Catch Cold”.
Tolu Maintain and Olu Maintain showed their wholesome embrace of sampling culture through their playful reworking of Ludacris’ flow and repurposing his tale of partying with women to fit their reality as Nigerians. Singing “I catch cold (Pele)/ Ase party won fo” over a stripped-down remake of the same beat Luda rapped on, they infused Yoruba and pidgin English to make the track even more relatable to their Nigerian audience. Following the release of the song, Tolu Maintain explained in an interview that his lyrics were inspired by his real-life experience at a party and the convincing lyrics, “Make I gist you/ E happen true true” make it hard to argue.
“Catch Cold” also managed to capture the influence of urban American culture on Nigerians in the noughties, beyond the actual music. The Big Bamo-directed video featured the duo sporting American fashion trends from the time, wearing large jerseys and oversized jeans, accessorised with flashy chains and durags. The group married their hip-hop influences with their Nigerian reality to create something unique, while still serving as good marketing to make the song instantly familiar to listeners.
Though we doubt that Ludacris himself was aware of this cultural exchange, the song highlighted the potential for cultural merges. While they set this trend, subsequent hit songs like Banky W’s “Ebute Metta” which sampled Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Sauce Kid’s “Yebariba Samboribobo” which borrowed from Remy Ma’s “Conceited” followed suit without receiving any backlash.
Today, the African music scene is more recognised on the global stage, which has allowed for more mutually beneficial cultural merges. The Wizkid-assisted “One Dance”, Drake his first #1 as the lead artist on Billboard Hot 100 and Beyoncé tapping into our local talents from Tiwa Savage to Burna Boy for her compilation album ‘The Gift’ are a good show of this cultural merge, and also how far we’ve come.
We’re not sure that if “Catch Cold” or any of the aforementioned were released today, their approach would fly, especially given the current attitudes towards sampling and interpolation today. Luckily, it wasn’t, so we can enjoy the jam in peace. Watch Tolu Maintain break down the inspiration behind “Catch Cold” as well as the video for the song below.
Featured Image Credits: Web
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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
The day before our FaceTime interview, Odunsi The Engine is tweeting. Multiple tweets. For most people, especially during the pandemic-induced lockdown, this wouldn’t be out of sorts – we’re all posting more, going out less. But Odunsi is infamously cryptic on social media, rarely posting more than a few discernible words, if any. This particular afternoon though, he’s opening up, by his standards. Reminiscing over his 2016 debut and some key lessons he’s learnt since then, his trademark style of short, sharp sentences doesn’t immediately add up to anything more than an artist connecting with his fans.
Said fans, in a rare moment of instant (digital) proximity, quickly tap into this as an opportunity to demand new music, namely “wicked, sexy!”, the mosh-starting single that premiered at close friend and collaborator, Santi’s December headline show, No Tears In The Jungle. After a little playful back and forth, he closes the series of tweeting with a cloudy promise of new music. It is not until the following day, about 6 hours before release, that they realised not only was he dropping their long sought after single, but he was giving them seven new songs, in the form of an EP aptly-titled Everything You Heard Is True.
The EP – the result of many months of soul-searching following a cancelled European tour – is an action-packed, genre-mashing 14-minute project that has already garnered considerable fanfare, with standout records like the empowering rap cut “body count” and the aforementioned “wicked, sexy!” inspiring a plethora of Nolly-memes, Instagram captions and Tiktoks – not to mention they both peaked at #7 and #9 respectively, on Apple Music’s Top 100 Chart. The project has also attracted its fair share of criticism from the media, and skepticism from his fans – something he tells me he was expecting, and is well-prepared for.
Tami: So tell me, how did you go from “Can’t you see I’m falling in love, no one else can make me feel this way” on ‘rare’ standout “falling” to “Fell in love in a mosh pit, shawty gonna ride till I’m bussing” on the EVERYTHING YOU HEARD IS TRUE opener, “luv in a mosh”?
Odunsi: With [‘rare’] I was definitely trying to achieve a particular sound. I was [consciously] trying to make 80s Pop music, where the music is like really simple, very catchy and very colourful. That was the music I was consuming heavily at that time, I wanted to make music from that era. But like, it’s all me. I’m just a more rounded person now; I have more things to say directly. If anyone actually remembers, “Alté Cruise” dropped in March 2018, and that Odunsi is the same Odunsi on ‘EVERYTHING YOU HEARD IS TRUE’. It’s the same Odunsi from “Gangsta Fear”, that’s all me. It’s the same Odunsi that made “falling” that made “shuga rush”.
He comes across as someone who no longer wishes to be understood, reinforcing that the new project may alienate older listeners but may also bring his music to an entirely new crop of followers. He wants his fans to know he hasn’t changed, they’re just getting to know him better. He’s always been this guy. It is an interesting conundrum in the fan-artist relationship in 2020: you think you know everything, but as with anyone, you only really know what they share. Odunsi doesn’t blame some of his fans who are instinctively rebelling against what they perceive as a new sound, he just wants them to know this was in some way inevitable. Whilst he enjoyed making the 80s pop songs inspired by Steve Monite and Oby Oniyioha on debut album rare, as a producer first and an artist second, his soundscape has always been wider than that.
O: I have always said that ‘rare’ would be an album that stamps a period in time. A certain set of people will live and die by that album, and there’s nothing else I am going to make after it that they will like because they love that album for a particular reason. But people that know me, and follow my social media, every project I have dropped, they already know how different I am, how polarising I am, and how my mind works. I do stuff based on my instincts and I have lots of sides to show. Some of the Gemini musicians we love to hate the most, like Prince, Kanye West we all think the same. You have so many personalities, that it’s just like you don’t have time to compete with anyone but yourself. I need to be better than me, I need to do a newer thing than yesterday me. I hate yesterday me and love today me. I want to be last year me, next week.
T: What was the process like creating this EP?
O: It became a social experiment, I would tease music and see how fans reacted. It’s almost like I wrote it with the fans. The songs were like living, breathing objects. Like “wicked, sexy!” already had [inspired] Instagram captions, fan art, and memes, and the song wasn’t even out. The song was alive and having its moment, with everyone talking about it like it’s out. This whole EP is like our party – me and the fans.
This social experiment is not a new feat by any means for the twenty-three year old-artist as he admits to me it’s been a mainstay from early on in his career. His debut album ‘rare.’ was home to the fan-favourite astrological single “star signs” which came about after he received positive feedback from fans on a tweet he sent out. His Soundcloud page ‘fridaycruise’ is also another avenue for him to test out the waters with fans as he’s been using the unlisted page to freely create with his friends. Creating within a community, and forging strong bonds has been a key pillar in Odunsi’s 4-year career. With close affiliations with The Monster Boys, he himself talks up the “great chemistry” he shares with Santi. But on his latest release, it is the relatively new bromance with Maison2500 that produces two of the biggest records, and he says it was the most organic collaboration he’s had.
T: What’s the story behind “wicked, sexy!”?
O: Maison is one of my closest friends. So when I made the hook, I sent it to him and I was like “maybe this is the one, listen to this.” It was just me guessing, we didn’t want to rush what we were making together, because we knew we had two different type of styles. He sent his verse back and I was like yeah this it. I was not even supposed to perform it at Santi’s show it got played by mistake and that was the first moment, where the song came to life. Where it created its own life.
T: Maison2500 features twice on ‘EYHIT’ and you have a verse on his new single “Dirty Fanta.” What does it feel like finding someone you creatively bond with so well?
O: He’s not the first person I’ve creatively bonded with, because I have that [bond] with Santi too. It’s interesting to have chemistry with someone whose music is totally different from mine. I met him in 2018, we didn’t make any music but we were friends. He would send me his music, and I would send mine too, but it wasn’t like us trying to hop on each other’s songs. A few months later, when he sent music, I could tell he’d picked some things from me, and I also noticed I was picking up lot from him and infusing it into the way I wanted to make music. We both tried new melodies, new bounces, new techniques with our voices.. It made us get better and better, so it’s like that was when we had that moment. With us, its more than music. We were friends first.
T: On ‘rare.’ you presented the girls’ anthem, “hectic” giving women like SOLIS and 234jaydaa a seat at your table. Now you seem to be following suit with “Body Count.”Why is it important for you to feature women in your music?
O: It’s something I am passionate about. I love women that make music. My favourite rappers at the moment are all women. If I am not listening to BKtherula, it’s Baby Sosa, or Flo Milli, or Amaarae, or Deto Black, or Princessa. The flows are very different, it’s very interesting. I would have thought that the new gen of female rappers would sound like Nicki but most of them don’t sound like her. I have a way of just showing people what I like, if you are listening to Odunsi then I want people to hear them on my music.
“Body Count” is the undoubted standout off the new project. Peaking pretty at #7 on Apple Music’s Top 100 Songs in Nigeria, it is the highest charting off the set, and it is swiftly garnering organic buzz on TikTok, Triller and Instagram, with young women rapping along to the catchy bop. Explaining its creation, Odunsi seems to acknowledge he knew it would be a potential hit song, and that gave him more reason to refrain from adding a verse. Whilst some artists may have looked to shoehorn a vocal contribution to a song regardless of chemistry, as a producer first, he realised it had all it needed.
“I already had the hook for “Body Count” last March, but it was in my voice. I called Gigi and asked her if she could do it, which she did. Then I changed the beat a bit, added more of the bounce [that you hear now]. I sent it to Amaarae, and when she sent it back, I was like ‘wow, she has ended this song’. It was one of the hardest verses I’d ever heard. I played it for Deto in London, just as friends, and she said she wanted to add a verse. At this time, I’d never heard her rap but I just said yeah. And she sent me the verse a while later, and it was really good!”
The result is witnessed by all today–the union of three strong and powerful voices from the music scene talking their shit and dismantling years of ingrained purity politics. Odunsi taking the backseat on such a culture-resetting record for women is particularly poignant. He’s particularly excited that he got to give DETO Black her debut, as he states she has been “sonically important in Lagos for years now.” In what immediately feels like a “Star Is Born” moment reminiscent to Nicki Minaj’s scene-stealing verse on Kanye’s “Monster”, it’s safe to say DETO Black is a name you’ll be hearing a lot more of.
As an MTV baby, growing up as part of the social media generation, Odunsi is all too aware of the spoils and perils of living by the “likes”. Whilst musically, he states his seemingly new sounds have always been there, on a personal level, he’s a far cry from the Odunsi that started out in the music scene at 19. He’s no longer the shy boy from Magodo who would steal his mother’s laptop to produce beats–and he knows this, as he tells me he was more sensitive earlier in his career to people’s comments about him. Nowadays, he’s not focused on the noise surrounding him, “All the comments online made me see the world differently because I started to realise that everyone is completely different and if you decide to do things because of how people see things, you are going to be very lost. From that moment, I just decided I am going to do what my instinct tells me.”
Easier said than done, but Odunsi truly is doing just that. Each new hairstyle is greeted with virtual cries and shrieks, every snippet is greeted with calls for more music, each glimpse into his life is analysed to the finest detail. Whilst he has become accustomed to it, he does admit that before he started creating this EP, it is something that triggered him to retreat into his shell to some degree.
“There are just loads of things that people say about me. Earlier in my career, I was very sensitive because I came in the game at 19 and I was just making music with my friends. I remember going on my first [U.K.] tour in January 2019 and when I got off stage, everyone was talking about how I was dressed on Twitter. Because my first reaction is kind of to recoil into myself and go away from everything, which is something I still do now….because I know [posting] could start something that triggers a conversation, and I may not be in that mind-state to feel that pressure.”
Tami: How did you come up with the name ‘EVERYTHING YOU HEARD IS TRUE’?
Odunsi: When I came to London last Fall, I had just released “Wetin Dey/Better Days”, I had a fresh mind and was looking forward to new things and new experiences. I get to London, and I am there preparing for my first ever European tour and then that gets postponed. I am completely devastated and I could feel the devastation from my fans, too. Even though I didn’t even have a new record out, some people were coming to see me perform for the time, to see me play rare. I could feel the energy shift.
After the tour being cancelled, I felt the weight of everything so I took time out for myself. I stopped posting on social media. I wanted to isolate myself to get new energy and create music, but I feel people just thought I was being reclusive [for no reason]. I lost touch with a lot of people in Lagos, time was just going by super fast, I met so many people and I was going out more than ever and experiencing things I hadn’t experienced before, I was consuming things and learning so much about music history. I was reconnecting with things I saw as a kid but never went into depth. The more I was going through this experience, the more I felt like I had not been thinking about a lot of things for myself. It kept feeling like this is the first time I am every properly thinking for myself.
I’m looking a bit different, I’m talking a bit different, and because I wasn’t dropping music it became like “is everything ok?”. I guess when you don’t tell people why something happened, then they make up their own reasons. The whole thing created a domino effect on my personal life, my career, my professional [relationships]. So it’s just a combination of everything anyone’s ever felt about me, everything anyone wants to believe, because at the end of the day, it’s their perspective and I can’t battle someone’s views. Literally, because everything you hear is true, because if you believe this or that, then that’s what it is. It’s not a war thing, I’m not going to war with anyone about my personality or my vision, it’s more like if you’re with it, you’re with it. If you’re not then…
Odunsi sees himself as rockstar; a sort of Prince-like character, a delinquent, “the leader of the sluts” as he confidently proclaims on the project’s closing track. With clear influences from artists like Kanye West, Toro Y Moi and Young Thug, Odunsi refuses to be boxed in, aesthetically or musically.
‘I feel like I was built for change. I have never really held on to anything too much. I love nostalgia but in terms of my own music, I hate nostalgia because it will stop you from growing and that’s why every year it feels like I’m a new artist starting from the ground’ he tells me, with a strong conviction laughing about how he’s equal parts calculating, and equal parts self-destructive. The aim for Odunsi is to never get comfortable, when you think you have him all figured out he’s ripped that all apart and started again, just because he can.
So ‘Everything You Heard is True’ may alienate people that loved ‘rare.’ but it’ll bring new listeners in as well, who are on the same energy I am on. And then who knows what the album is, that might bring everyone together. I don’t really think of what everyone is doing, I just create what I feel and I know there will be people who feel the same.
On ‘Everything You Heard is True’ Odunsi strips down the artist you thought you knew, in what he calls slightly “self-destructive” fashion. He tells me he’s been spending lockdown watching rock music documentaries and definitely more rap music. “I’ve always been listening to rap but I never really kind of used it, only in like “alté cruise”, and DRB’s “Necessary”.
“I was watching a lot of documentaries about rock stars; I definitely felt like one and still do.
Prince, Grace Jones and David Bowie, Lil Reed are some of the artists I really connected with. I started relating more and more to the rock genre, not so much sonically but the energy the ’80s and that individuality. I felt exactly like them and how they saw the world as their playground.”
The last time we sat down with the NATIVE 003 cover star, he told us he was witnessing a full circle moment with ‘rare.’ but that stance seems to have changed now and I can hear it in his voice as we continue our conversation, it’s minutes till the EP drops and he sounds tired but pleased. He talks with the conviction of someone who knows that everything will soon be clear to the non-believers.
“For me, music is more than just something I do, it was my escape and my only hope for a better reality at a point in time. I put everything I have into it, because when I started making it, I had nothing. Even if the project isn’t received well, I will still drop my music because that is how I started out anyways, just dropping music on Soundcloud. Same thing, nothing’s changed. I’m just dropping my music and expressing myself”.
‘Everything You Heard is True’ is Odunsi in his purest form, he’s experimenting more because there’s nothing to lose and the ever-changing state of the world today has shown him the rules simply do not exist. Many of his newer fans may not know that Odunsi actually started out as a producer, and he credits his producer side for giving him the freedom to experiment more with his sound. Through the project, Odunsi builds on his sonic harmonies, and relies on sounds to pass his message across, “It’s like psychedelia but it has bounce. It’s just like a lot of emotion, no heavy bass, just snares and of course the bounce,” he explains, speaking on the project’s production which on the surface may sound like Playboi Carti and Toro Y Moi inspired mood music, but on further reflection, is a deep dive into the mind of a bedroom popstar whose life has changed dramatically in four short years. To go from a feature verse on a friend’s mixtape, to millions of stream and back-to-back #1 projects, is something that would surely have an effect on someone’s psyche.
On “airplane mode”, a song whose creation he credits as the “go-ahead to experiment more”, Odunsi unpacks his sentiments towards love in his new world: “I’m too wise to be all yours.” On “luv in a mosh”, which he admits is his favourite song on the new EP, he paints the picture of a psychedelic, rollercoaster love experience while dealing with the whispers from the peanut gallery. ‘It’s basically like all the things that make my character or my personality. And that’s why “luv in the mosh” is my favourite song, it’s like my entire personality in a song. it’s one of my most concise, perfect expressions so far.”
“Not everyone is going to be the artist that everyone loves, I am always going to do what I want to do. I need to be better than me, I need to do a newer thing than yesterday me, I hate yesterday me and love today me. I want to be last year me next week, it’s kind of like bouncing between all of these ideas and influences”.
For now, Odunsi is content. He’s just doing the shit he said he would, and with the help of close friends and family. He knows there are many eyes watching now, and the stakes are higher. It’s what he’s betting on. It’s what he’s waited this whole time for. He speaks glowingly of his peers in the industry, saying that the music he’s heard from Santi and Maison2500 is “some of the best in the world right now”. He feels they, along with the likes of Lady Donli, Amaarae, DND Section, Wani hold a global duty. “Since I was younger, I have always thought about where I am from as a Nigerian kid and me being on the world stage. We’re all at a stage where the music is less about just the music and more about digging deep into your own source, and creating something that makes people feel. Somebody, somewhere is going through the same thing.”
As conversations around a new age of Afropop emerge, this new vanguard of talented, fearless creatives from West Africa see no limit to their dreams. In what is perhaps their most defining element, this class isn’t looking to replace the predecessors; it’s all about staying true to themselves and evolving their own craft. There’s something in the air, I feel it, Odunsi feels it and you probably feel it too, it’s the time to dismantle all the rules and create sounds and experiences that live far beyond you and I, here and now.
“I feel like Nigerian kids are going to speak it best. We work very well with pain, and a lot of pessimism mixed with optimism and I think this is what makes us interesting. We hope for the best even though we know things are really bad. An awareness that is poisonous but will definitely bring out some of the best work ever. We have something special, all eyes are on us now. Everyone is watching. It’s time to do the things you always wanted to do.”
Stream ‘Everything You Heard is True’ below.
Featured image credits/PauseOnline/SeyeIsikalu
Tami is living in a black mirror episode and can’t seem to wake up. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
Given the palpable excitement surrounding her, it’s startling to think that up until now, Tems only has three officially released singles. The regard in which she is held by both fans and her peers is testament to the frightening global potential she has already showcased on tracks like “Mr Rebel”, “Looku Looku”, and her breakout hit, “Try Me”.
Despite no solo releases since “Try Me”, one of the biggest anthems of 2019, she has kept her foot down on the pedal, shuttling between giving us enchanting collaborations with the likes of Khalid, DRB Las Gidi and Odunsi (the Engine), and gracing stages for electric cameos at Palmwine Fest and Starboy Fest, respectively. Despite this, Tems has been acutely aware that her Rebel Gang have been yearning for a song from their leader. Today, she returns with the RVdical The Kid-produced “These Days”, a deep, reflective but uplifting number she describes as “A Gift to the Gang”. Fitting for the uncertain times we are in, Tems sings on the hook with her unmistakeable inflection, about the darkness before the dawn: “These days are made for the pain, these nights are not for the stars.”
As we all navigate through unprecedented times, music has been a a form of escapist relief for many. Records like this from Tems perfectly encapsulate this. Thank you to her, and and all the artists currently doing their bit to see us through.
Watch the Danielle Mbonu-direct lyric video for “These Days” here.
In “How Music Got Free”, Stephen Witt’s brilliant book from 2015, he asks a slightly tongue-in-cheek, but nonetheless poignant question: “What happens when an entire generation commits the same crime?” Said crime being the seemingly worldwide millennial decision to stop paying for music in the traditional way – paying for individual songs and albums. Digital music in the first decade of the 21st century was characterised by illegal downloads on file-sharing sites such as Limewire, Bearshare, and Kazaa, and thus, the industry was forced into the solution which feels second nature today: digital streaming.
Over the last few weeks, Apple Music have rather loudly made a concerted effort to further entrench their presence and investment in the Sub-Saharan African market. Already in music epicentres like Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, the streaming behemoth announced its expansion to other regions such as Tanzania, Benin and Mozambique, taking their subsaharan African presence to a total of 33 countries. In addition to this, they have rolled out various content features specifically catered to each region: the reputable Top 100 Chart – a real-time rundown of the most-streamed songs in each country; a timed karaoke-ready lyric experience – drawing attention to an aspect of Afro-Pop that is historically overlooked; and a featured section on the platform encouraging listeners to “stream local”.
In a further effort to draw in even more of an audience from the relatively untapped listening population on the continent, Apple Music have leaned into targeted editorial work, centred around the launch of “Africa Month” – their month long celebration of African music. This has included custom commissioned artwork from African creatives such as Laolu NYC on their playlists, exclusive guest curation by artists ranging from Fireboy DML to Angelique Kidjo, and a special Beats1 show helmed by veteran New York radio presenter, Ebro Darden. Speaking over the phone to Ebro, he tells me Apple Music is committed to giving all Africans a genuine platform to present their authentic selves.
“It’s amazing that no matter where you’re from on the planet, you are to be able to put out music that feels and sounds like where you’re from without trying to conform to other standards. That’s what this is all about – people being able to create their own narratives, and have the world consume it. I don’t think Africa makes one style of music – I love Santi and Odunsi. It can go from Nasty C to Manifest. From Teni to Cassper Nyovest. There isn’t one sonic representation of Africa. Crossing over is not the barometer for success. Similar to Hip-Hop, the barometer is not The Grammys or the charts. The barometer is the culture and the people. If other cultural groups and people pick it up and consume it, that’s cool. But if that’s the barometer, we’re doing something wrong.” – Ebro, Global Head of Apple Music Editorial for R&B and Hip Hop, Beats1 Host.
With the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging the live music industry, streaming revenue has never been more important for artists, and although the debates rage on regarding splits between companies, artists and labels, this is one of the only ways fans can support their favourite artists right now. Seemingly recognising this, Apple Music have gone through lengths to cater their product to the African market, with a free 6-month trial for new subscribers, pushing its availability to Android users through the Google Play store, a web browser option, and competitive subscription fees. Whilst this has helped to endear them to more customers, it must be said that the streaming service has yet to take a hold of the region in the way they were able to do in Europe and North America. High data costs, a less economically privileged population, coupled with initial payment processing issues with local banks (which have admittedly improved since the initial launch), have hindered the progress they would have hoped to had made at this point in their entry into the region.
That being said, although Apple are notoriously tight-lipped about their subscription numbers, they recently announced that the service has surpassed 60 million listeners globally, and a source confirmed to me that they are indeed the leading paid music service in Africa. In Nigeria, if the charts are anything to go by, they seem to have achieved at least one goal: varied demographics in subscription – something that competitors like Boomplay and uduX have struggled with. Whilst pop superstar Simi has dominated the Top 100 singles chart with “Know You”, her catchy collaboration with Poe, and then “Duduke”, a made-for-radio mum-anthem, the albums chart has been ruled by three different artists in the last three weeks: Drake, Odunsi The Engine, and Future. Whilst I’m sure there is some crossover between the streaming fanbases of Simi and Future, it is safe to use this as a signifier of the diverse subscribers Apple Music has managed to pull in Nigeria.
Right now, in Africa it appears that Apple Music are putting in the hard yards of the first mover – something that they were not able to do in North America and Europe, joining the party comparatively late to their competitors – and that in itself, is a minor victory for them, and for African artists and listeners. However, it won’t be enough to stop there. To truly gain the loyalty of both the artists and the listeners, they must continue to make a real investment into the betterment of the African music ecosystem with intentional, carefully curated localised content and products. The future is looking increasingly digital, and now more than ever, we need a future that finds a way to include everyone.
Quiet as kept, there’s a new revolution of Nigerian rappers bringing energy to the most-discussed genre in the country. Led by the likes of Vader, Maison2500, DND Section and New World Ray, they are here to be seen and heard. On “Minaj”, one of the two songs from New World Ray’s double single, ‘Minaj//Mollywood’, the emerging rap star showed off his hedonistic lifestyle over a fitting psychedelic trap beat. It continued right where he left off on ‘Fucking Hell’, his 8-track EP from last year which highlighted the highs and lows of the fast life.
808onthetrack produced the mix of droning synths and punchy percussion that set the moody tone for New World Ray’s lyrics about prescription pills and loveless sex with multiple women. Saying “I’m finna pop this pill/ I’m finna tell you how it feel”, as he experiments with his pitch a la Carti, you can almost imagine New World Ray’s vision getting blurred as he describes his intoxicated and lustful feelings. However, the newly released accompanying video takes the depiction a step further by showing New World Ray and two women in a room lit up by red lights.
The accompanying video backs up the song’s most repeated lines, “ménage á trois”, through shots of New World Ray in the company of two female companions. Trippy camera effects from the video’s director, Neron Power, further depicts the hazy world Ray built, losing himself in sex, drugs and rap. NATIVE spoke to New World Ray about the significance of his vivid narration in the constant search for euphoria and he had this to say;
“This song and video is more so significant to the lifestyle I was lost in rather than just me. It’s important for me to put it out now for a couple reasons. One being because it’s a fun song and I feel people need that kinda energy right now, the second being the fact that I’ve been deep into album mode. I’ve produced a project with a fresh new sound that is completely different from this vibe. Releasing this now will make what you hear later completely unexpected.”
Watch the video for New World Ray’s “Minaj” below.
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You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him@debola_abimbolu
All month, WurlD has been clearing space for the reception of his third project in the span of one year, with the release of singles to whet appetites for some AFROSOUL. First came the TMXO-produced “Love Nobody”, an impassioned confessional where he sets out the parameters he needs from a relationship, which was followed up with the Spax-produced “Ghost Town”, a slower-paced vibe where he shares game with whoever’s listening to focus on the right things.
While “LOVE NOBODY” isn’t as heavy on the lyrics, the intricacy of the mid-tempo EDM beat makes you feel the weight of WurlD’s sparse lyrics explaining what he needs out of his mutually selfish romantic affair. Contrarily on “GHOST TOWN”, which is characterised mostly by the life lessons the lyrics teach, the sombre beat Spax lays down leaves room for WurlD’s lyrical ability to take centre stage, warning anyone who’s listening about the dangers of complacency. He starts off singing “Losing, never lost sight, learning never lost time”, setting the pace for the game he’s about to teach on the rest of the song, showing off his self-awareness by demanding exactly what he wants out of life and stating how he’s going to get it.
Listening to the project will make you go from inadvertently bopping your head to deeping your life in one fell swoop. Sometimes, songs like the opener, “NATIONAL ANTHEM (GROWING WINGS)” gets you to do both. Where ‘Arise O Compatriots, Nigeria’s call, obey’ fits the status quo perfectly, WurlD singing ‘Dem go try, but they can’t divide us/Dem throw stones, but it never go touch us’ against a bass-heavy beat with pulsating drums seems more fitting to a generation of young Nigerians who have clocked the puzzle and refuse to be trapped by their environment. Followed by the aforementioned “GHOST TOWN”, which tells you how to, if you haven’t yet, this message is driven home even more.
Having grown up in Atlanta, WurlD started off making music in the States, with affiliation to artists such as B.O.B, Trinidad James and others, however, back home in Nigeria was where his heart was. It shows in the music, with his intonation and use of Nigerian colloquy, and on the project, songs like “STORY” & “WAYO (KPE LE WU)” segue nicely into WurlD speaking about matters of the heart. In these tracks, he carefully combs through his emotions using familiar situations and presents the tension in a manner which show’s he’s seeking clarity more than resolve. His love songs deal more about the intricacies of his relationships with detailed explanations about what he’s feeling, and whether it’s a declaration of love or description of an agonising heartbreak, the project benefits from his intricate songwriting.
On “STORY”, the romantic air from “LOVE NOBODY” appears short-lived, and WurlD seems to be sent into a brooding melancholy, wondering why he’s been left in the dark. “Why you no dey call me anymore? Why you no dey text me? I feel lonely oh. Why you no dey find? I dey lonely O”, he sings narrating the effects of his lover’s negligence, despite his availability to receive love from her. He continues to seek more understanding of what he’s feeling on the next track, “WAYO” where he’s still hopeful for a lasting relationship but is receiving dispassionate companionship in return. “Anything you want, I want. Any time you call, I show. You know what I need and more”, he sings against the rich slow-tempo Kel-P composition, showing that although WurlD is still in pain he’s reaffirming his blind commitment and warns his lover not to “use me do Wayo o”.
On each track on AFROSOUL, WurlD remains self-assured – even when in pain – and throughout the project, he’s stating clear parameters for what he wants out of his interactions with the world. “CAN’T COME OUTSIDE” brings everything full circle, where he seems to have given up on the relationship, bringing in themes of isolation and distance, which bring about a strange and eerie relatability (considering that we really can’t go outside). It seems as though his inability to be physically present with his lover has driven an irreparable wedge between them, yet he still maintains that she’s always in his heart and that he will always be hers. While he’s come to terms with the reality of his situation, he stays grounded in what he knows, communicating with melodic chants against the intricate beat laid down by Del-B.
The 7-track project houses a diverse range of sounds, however, still manages to be cohesive in presenting themes of self-awareness, romance, heartbreak, survival and perseverance. Much like the pre-released singles, the songs on the EP can be categorised to present the two main things WurlD’s music represents; innate musicality and vocal dexterity. This is on par with the course of him music as we know it, from when we initially took note of him with singles such as “Show You Off” and “Contagious”, which introduced us to his inimitable sound that he’s only familiarised us more with it since. With three projects in the span of one year, it feels like his first; ‘Love Is Contagious’ introduced us to his sound, his collaborative project with Sarz; ‘I Love Girls With Trobul’ familiarised us a bit more with what he had to offer, and now with ‘AFROSOUL’, he’s making his mark.
What marks the difference between the previously released projects and this one, is the pace, which is fitting to the time he’s released it in. His music is usually introspective, however, AFROSOUL shines with WurlDs ability to convey his conscious knowledge of himself, which is much needed in these perilous times. While the listening experience is delicate and smooth in his typical manner, the content is heavy and deep-seated, presenting an interesting journey into the heart of a young Nigerian man who is ditching the pretence and machismo and laying his shit bare.
Today, one could very easily argue that the Nigerian musical landscape is more liberated from the audience’s expectations than it’s ever been, and artists now have the room to re-imagine genres to fit their own personal expressions. This allows for an expansive range of new music from many different artists, which can become overwhelming, so we’ve decided to help out by sorting through new songs from across all the sub-genres around the continent to highlight all the new releases you absolutely need to hear.
To start the weekend, we brought you Davido, Shizzi, and Wale’s new collaboration “Won Le Ba”. There was also new music from Teni, Wurld, Lady Donli, Dami Oniru, Teffy, GJtheCaesar, Ayüü, and more. To start off the new week, there’s plenty of new sounds to get immersed in from DJ Big N’s new single with Teni and Don Jazzy. There’s also a new collaboration from Töme and King Promise, new Jean Frier, Tim Lyre x Mojo, BankyOnDBeatz, and Muyiwa, Jinmi Abduls x TMXO as well as new tunes from Ghana’s FOKN Bois.
Thank you to all the artists making music right now, it’s doing more than you know.
Dj Big N – “Ife” (featuring Don Jazzy and Teni)
Legendary Mavin selector DJ Big N has just released his first single of the year “Ife”, a swift follow up to his last single “Ogologoma” which featured Rema. For “Ife”, Dj Big N taps in NATIVE 003 cover star, Teni, and Don Jazzy for the groovy new single which samples Grammy-award winning group, All-4-One’s classic single “I Swear”. The romantic number has Teni and Don Jazzy professing their unwavering affection for a love interest with afropop drums and smooth sounding percussions primed for wedding parties and dancefloors, sometime soon.
Fokn Bois – “Gallon (Hey Bad No)”
Ghana’s Fokn Bois have made a name for themselves, as one of the few groups using their music to deliver socially conscious messages, with their last single “True Friends” featuring Mr. Eazi targeted at opening up honest dialogue about the LGBTQI+ members of the Ghanaian society. For their first single of the year, “Gallon (Hey Bad No)” the boys are back with another socially conscious tune, this time aimed at making listeners feel good about feeling bad.
“Say bye-bye to commonsense, we are artificial intelligence/Everybody are you happy?” they sing-rap, as the cut-throat rap verses poke at the injustices citizens face in their country which is juxtaposed with the feel-good upbeat hook that is sure to get anyone off their feet and chanting along. The Kubolor Cini directed music video was created entirely using Instagram filters and sees the boys alongside some of their fans and supporters joining in on the mission to spread some joy.
Jinmi Abduls x TMXO -“Aya”
Jinmi Abduls has built the bulk of his growing catalogue on being charming, with his affectionate lyrics and melodious baritone voice. His new single “Aya” is no different, as he continues this charming streak with help from Grammy-nominated producer, TMXO, and highly skilled guitarist, Bendrixz. Over the shaky drums and highlife-inspired chords by TMXO, Jinmi Abduls does what he does best, making beautiful love songs in Yoruba, which are emotionally layered and incredibly produced.
Töme – “All To You” (featuring King Promise)
emPawa star, Töme is back with a new single “All To You” and this time she’s tapping into the sweet smooth melodies of Ghana’s King Promise. The romantic number has Töme addressing a love interest directly as she longs to go deeper with their love. ‘I’m ready for you, so ready’ she sings over the hook showing her readiness to let go of her defences and give her all to this new lover. Her new project ‘Bigger than 4 Walls’ is set to drop this week and we can’t wait to hear more of her sweet-sounding vocals.
BankyOnDBeatz x Muyiwa Akhigbe – “Don’t Stop”
There are many artist-producer duos that will be immortalised in history as being one of the greatest pairings ever, from Burna Boy and Leriq to Naira Marley and Rexxie to Santi and the Monster Boyz. There is no shortage of these pairings and singer/songwriter Muyiwa Akhigbe and BankyONDaBeatz have proved time and again that they have an undeniable chemistry in their music.
“Don’t Stop” is a swift follow up to their recent ‘Hard Guy’ EP, and the pair are as formidable as ever on this romantic number. ‘I can’t wait to see you/Every minute of the day I’ve got you on my mind’ sings Muyiwa, over melodic acoustic strings, vivid percussion patterns and eclectic drums making for an almost trance-like infectious love song.
Jean Feier – “Here with Me”
We can’t seem to get enough of Jean Feier’s syrupy hazy vocals, which she flaunts so well in every one of her songs. She has been releasing new music weekly since the beginning of the year, in a personal project she has named #NewFeier. On “Here With Me” she delivers a thoughtful acapella number for a lover who she wishes to take everywhere with her, on new adventures. Over the moody production by JXXB, she sings ‘I’m haunted by your memories/There are vultures in the sky And I’m barely getting by’ as she morosely longs for a lover who is far from her reach as she desperately tries to reconnect with them.
Featured image credits/instagram
Tami is living in a black mirror episode and can’t seem to wake up. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
Over the years, the way in which we consume music has changed a lot, and growing up as a millennial or GenZ kid, you’ve probably had to adapt to these new changes for most of your life. In Nigeria especially, we’ve gone from music consumption being dependent on Alaba market distributions to the digital age of Audiomack and the likes. Depending on how old are, you’ve gone burning CDs and rewinding cassettes to listening to the same album on your walkman until it starts to scratch. When technology became stronger, we moved from composing ringtones to mimic our favourite songs on Nokia phones to the age of infrared and Bluetooth sharing on our phones and then to mp3 players and iPods.
Gone are the days of gathering all your pocket money and money received from frequent visits from uncles and aunties and taking it to the nearest seller in traffic to purchase your favourite artist’s CD. I can actually remember the first song I was ever drawn to when I was younger, was from my pre-teen cousin who spent most of her time cutting out huge posters from her favourite teen magazines and changing her celebrity crush every other week. I spent my days soaking in some feel-good sounds of JLo and the waist-breaking anthems from Shakira.
A few weeks ago, we spoke to some members of our community to find out how they are alleviating stress during these strange and confusing times, and we found out that majority are seeking out old habits and returning to old movies and music as a means to gain some sort of grounding.
So to take us back a bit, we carried out a poll to find out how many members of our community remember the first album they ever bought. We found out that 62.4% remember the first physical copy of an album they purchased, and we also found that many of these album choices were influenced by close family and friends who were much older. From Wizkid’s stunning debut ‘Superstar’ to Beyoncé’s ‘Dangerously in Love’, here are some of the responses we received:
‘Dangerously in Love’ by Beyoncé was the first album I ever purchased with my money. It was mostly influenced by my parents, especially my dad he always had really current music taste when I was growing up. Also, I was just mesmerised by Beyoncé because she was a black girl pop star and I literally wanted to be her back then.
Ore, 23, F.
The very first CD I owned back then was 50 Cent’s ‘The Massacre’. To be honest, “Candy Shop” was what made me buy it! That song was my shittt in year 5. I wasn’t really infleuenced by anyone around me, I grew up literally glued to MTV Base and Chanel O so I was a very musically curious child. I became a 50 Cent fan through that and used my pocket money to cop the album when it came out.
GJTheCaesar, 25, M.
For me it was Wizkid’s ‘Superstar’ album. Wasn’t that the same for most of us at the time? A lot of my music taste came from my siblings and they were really into ’90s R&B and neo-soul type of reggae artists like Lauryn Hill.
And then I heard Wizkid’s album and it was afrobeats but then there were some elements of all these other musical genres that I loved, and it was just so much fusion going on. All the songs on the album sounded so different from each other but they all worked together so perfectly.
Emma, 23, F.
For me, it was Wande Coal’s album ‘Mushin to MoHits’. I bought it in that traffic light close to Golden Gate in Ikoyi. The first time I travelled out of the country was to the UK so I got exposed to British pop and a little of their rap so I liked that too. Also discovered Fela and Asa one holiday I spent to the US, his songs were long af but I began to appreciate instrumentals from them. I guess anything I heard and liked was what stuck to me and these are the most memorable.
Ugochi, 24, F.
I think the first CD I bought was Ke$ha’s ‘Animal’ and this was still back in highscool, around 2010. I loved Kesha lol, how can we even forget her songs like “Tik Tok” or “Your Love is my Drug”, that was a great time for music and I was living. I didn’t really know music back then, so I saw Kesha’s album and I bought because I watched the music videos so much on MTV. I still have the CDs and play them in my car sometimes.
Stephanie, 21, F.
The first album I bought was actually Ariana Grande’s “Yours Truly”. I know you’re wondering about that haha, I never had to buy albums before that , because my mom had this CD case with hella albums and dj mixes soo I was always sorted! Arianas album is the first one I bought by myself.
Dami Oniru, 24, F.
The first album I bought was the ‘Blink 182’ album by Blink 182. This was really because my music taste was heavily influenced by my brother who was a huge rock fan at the time. I’m still a big fan of rock music till today.
Martha, 21, F.
The first album I ever bought with my money was Tiwa Savage’s ‘Once Upon A Time’. I actually saved about #250 for that. It wasn’t influenced by anyone in my family, I’m just a huge fan of Tiwa, ever since she broke into the industry. I’d say I was a passive listener, and I only started paying more attention to music when I started making music proper. So yeah I knew of music/artistes but I didn’t KNOW it.
Tsunii, 20, F.
First I ever bought was Eminem’s ‘Relapse’. It wasn’t inspired by anyone in the family. 8 miles made me love shady back then.
Chello, 26, M.
The first album I remember going to HMV to buy was Jay Z & R Kelly’s ‘Best Of Both Worlds’ (ew), so I guess that doesn’t count anymore. The next album I remember having but didn’t buy it myself was B2k’s ‘Pandemonium!’ I got it for Christmas after I begged and begged for months.
Fara, 25, F.
Tami is living in a black mirror episode and can’t seem to wake up. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
A year ago today, Santi released his career-defining debut album, Mandy & The Jungle – a steady stream of hard-hitting records, which deservedly bagged Santi a secure spot within the global music conversation. Known to us and many early fans as the forerunner of one of the most interesting cultural movements in Nigeria, Santi has successfully explored life outside this community in the year since the release of Mandy & The Jungle.
Writing songs for Rihanna whilst in LA, partying with The NATIVE family in London, and finally making it back home to a crowd of effervescent fans in Lagos, culminated in Santi pressing pause for the early part of this year. In this quiet time, he underwent an introspective assessment of who he is, where he is, and even who is with him. Now, with his promise of new music (which has so far only come into fruition with his feature on Octavian’s “Poison”) Santi’s albeit enigmatic public presence has returned and he’s just in time for Mandy’s first birthday.
To celebrate the momentous day, Santi has spent the day teasing the forthcoming album, giving us glimpses into the new universe via his Instagram story. As a publication dedicated to documenting the music, culture and style emerging from Africa’s various nodes, we at The NATIVE are commemorating Mandy‘s first year by looking back on the life-altering journey Santi has embarked upon through the past year catalysed by the success of the album. From the polarising “Raw Dinner” music video to his US tour with the Monster Boys, followed by his characteristically rowdy debut headline shows, we present to you Santi’s most memorable moments since Mandy & The Jungle.
If you grew up in a Catholic home where your Saturdays were spent in catechism lessons, and had to go to mass at 6:30 am every Sunday, you’ll understand why I grew up to hate anything to do with church, God and organised religion. The older I got, the more freedom I had to stray away from the church, and subsequently also from God since that was the only avenue I was taught to reach Him through.
In these confusing ‘Rona times however, everybody is looking for a bit of grounding, a safety blanket in the wake of our current reality, and I seem to have found God again. Without particularly looking or even meaning to, I found God in between the lines of Roddy Ricch lyrics – hear me out.
A few months ago, we discussed with a few young Nigerians about what drives the strengths or weaknesses in their faith and belief, exploring the different avenues to their decisions. As a generation, we don’t have the same religious foundation our parents and grandparents had, and we’re more open to finding different means outside of religious institutions to being grounded in a higher being. This is largely thanks to having grown up adapting to different cultural advances, with access to more information than older generations did, which makes us more open-minded and willing to challenge ‘the way it has always been’.
The ‘Rona has brought about a time of heightened feelings, everybody is living in fear and anxiety about the world as we know it changing. Everything is slowing down and as a result, I’m not just playing music in the background to drown out the blaring horns as I drive in traffic, or when I need to focus on work and silence the thoughts in my overactive mind. I’m actually listening, and the presence of prayer is something that has stood out to me in most things I hear. From reflective hip-hop to danceable afropop, artists are turning to God in times of temptation and turmoil, using their songs to either request for provision and forgiveness or as a means to give praise and thanks.
DMX is one artist who has never shied away from his proximity to God, even through his most troubling times. Outside of his music, he’s been actively evangelising in churches, on the streets, and most recently through Instagram Live. A few weeks ago, he spent a few minutes preaching messages from a bible passage, asking viewers to join him in a prayer to accept Jesus as your Lord and saviour. Every X project has had a gospel message in at least one song, and if we go all the way back to his debut album, ‘Its Dark & Hell Is Hot’, we see him presenting himself humbly to the Lord on “Prayer”. In this spoken-word piece, DMX is questioning his pain and asking God whether he was born to lose or is being taught a lesson, and this is something most people in pain –whether physical or emotional – can relate to.
In the same breath, when you listen to an artist like Bella Shmurda’s debut album ‘High Tension’, on the intro track “Ginger Me”, he’s presenting a similar sentiment, calling upon a higher being to comfort him through his confusion and tell him everything is going to be fine. The album’s lead single “Omnipotent” is also a loud cry for God’s protection, where chants “sheybi iwo lo’n sho mi?” (I know you’re looking over me) on the hook. From two completely different worlds, what ties these two artists together is the music and their pain, which they illustrate for listeners to interpret in their own way.
Outside of songs that are quite clearly aimed at praising God, sometimes one can recognise little details that feel like it’s God talking directly to you. Earlier on, I mentioned that I found God in between the lines of Roddy Ricch lyrics and I wasn’t joking. Somewhere between his “Prayers To The Trap God”, him speaking about his penthouse with a bird’s view through “God’s Eyes” and the absolutely perfect incorporation of a church choir on “War Baby”, I became envious of the faith he had in God through the perilous times he raps about in his debut album, ‘Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial’.
I had been listening since the album dropped in December, however, all this quiet time made the music stand out even more, and it was almost as though I was hearing the songs for the first time. Perhaps it was the fact that I was able to relate to how unsettled he seemed to be – even though his reality very different to mine, or that I was just not paying attention to the lyrics before. Regardless, in the same way Roddy needed God, I found that I did as well.
When Skepta, Chip & Young Adz dropped ‘Insomnia’ last month, one song that stuck out the most was “Traumatized” where they detail all the pain they harbour from the trauma of their past lives. Chip ends the hard-hitting song about drug dealing, loss and gang activity with a little prayer he says at night for God to help him beat his addictions, and alleviate his post-traumatic stress.
Future’s “Trap Niggas” starts off saying “show us the way, and if you can’t show us the way, then forgive us for being lost”. On the chorus which became a chant that year, he personifies his gun as God’s protection and also takes the abundance present in the bleak situations they live in to mean God’s blessings. Similarly, on “Oluwa Lo Ni”, Wizkid is convinced that him amassing all the wealth and success he has, given that he’s coming from “one jeans, one shirt, and that same shoe” is only by God’s grace.
When I’m feeling a bit unsure of myself, I play “Keys To The Kingdom” which feels to me like God reminding me who I am. Tiwa Savage’s soft vocals telling me that I have to face my past to grow from it, and Mr Eazi telling me I’m ‘the king inna the kingdom’ pump me with the fuel I need to keep going even when I don’t feel like it. This is exactly what I imagine the power of prayer is, and it’s interesting to have found it through music.
Afropop has always managed to incorporate messages to God without being preachy and in-your-face about it, and you’d be hardpressed to find an artist who hasn’t dedicated at least a few songs to thank God for how far they’ve come. When you listen to a song like 2Baba’s “Thank You Lord” or Tiwa Savage’s “If I Start To Talk”, you feel the presence of God.
The fact that I seemed to feel God in these secular songs, gave me more faith in the fact that there is a God, despite the things that made me sceptical in the past. Through music, I found a different approach to seeking God out, in a way the church and organised religion never managed to my whole life.
There has always been a strong connection between music and the belief in a divine power, and God’s presence shouldn’t be limited to where he ‘ought to be’. The fact that artists like Kanye West have built up even more success after turning to God, in the same breath that Sinach, a bonafide gospel singer, broke barriers by being the first black person to break a record on Billboard USA should mean something.
Prayer is a humbling opportunity to set our struggles at the foot of a higher being, and the entire world would agree that we need to now more than ever. It shouldn’t have a particular shape or form, because, the pain you’re looking to alleviate doesn’t take any particular shape or form either. As far as I know, God is everywhere, and He’ll come and find you wherever you are, even if it’s through your speakers.
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Damilola is the HBIC around here. Don’t tweet at her @damdamxx
Presenting our first ever Gems, a nod to the most exciting releases from the week. Every Saturday, 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 song from all over the continent. Our main goal with this list is to make finding great music of the moment easier for you.
Odunsi (The Engine) & Maison 2500 – “wicked, sexy”
For our chosen Rap Song Of The Week, Odunsi & Maison make the perfect pairing on the long-awaited “wicked, sexy”. While the mosh-inducing track benefits from Odunsi’s groovy and charismatic beat demands aggressive head bops coupled with Maison’s smooth delivery, the most exciting element of the song Odunsi’s phenomenal verse.
Odunsi’s catalogue is filled with deeply introspective songs, which give anyone listening a good idea of who he is as a person. Every so often, he’ll strip back the vulnerability to chuck his middle finger up to anyone who gives him grief for being himself, much like he did on “alte cruise”. Sporting a sassy and self-assured cadence, Odunsi’s verse manages to include both these elements, by telling us exactly where he’s at in life and what he wants for himself moving forward. ‘I ain’t playing games, I’ve been playing too long/Niggas Worried ‘Bout Me, Worried ‘Bout The Wrong Things”, he raps to drive this message home very clearly and make a great case for one of the hardest lines we’ve heard all year.
dndsection – “Darling”
The last time we heard from dndsection with “Bestie”, we saw him in full savage mode where he declares that if a girl doesn’t want him, he’ll move to her best friend. He seems to have flipped the script and with his new song “Darling”, where he’s teamed up with Chrystel for a romantic confessional and promises a lover heaven and earth.
Against a syncopated beat, which switches smoothly between mid to up-tempo to suit both artists’ flows, dnd and Chrystel set their intentions for each other very clearly. Where Simi & Ladipoe’s “Know You” presents a tale of coy lovers, dnd & Chrystel go right in for the kill, with amorous lyrics and bold declarations. While their synergy definitely makes the song what it is, dnd switching up his usual cutting edge rap for a more melodic tune shows off his range and is the star of the show.
KiDi x Adina Thembi – “One Man”
From the gently powerful combination of Odunsi (the Engine) and Tems to Ladipoe self-described isolation soundtrack with Simi, afropop has seen a few memorable male-female collaborations this year, and we can now add KiDi and Adina’s “One Man” to that list. Off KiDi’s excellent new EP, ‘Blue’, the song is a phenomenal showcase of synergy between the two Ghanaian singers, as they use interplay and occasional harmony collision to great effect.
“You are the woman that I need, I be the one man that you see, you set my heart on fire”, they sing on the delightful chorus, capturing the burning affection between two lovers committed to each other. Backed by a robust, mid-tempo folk groove, “One Man” is a stunning duet suited for wedding playlists and people in relationships looking for a song to personify what their partners mean to them.
Phlow x Tomi Owo – “Energy”
Phlow is redefining her perception of what it means to be a female rapper in Nigeria, and her new EP, ‘Marmalade’, is symbolic of this evolution. While the entire EP is a reset button of sorts, the final track, “Energy” is a clear statement track from the rapper. With all the personal turmoil and career bumps she’s had, Phlow is letting everyone know that she’s only interested in good vibes—nothing more, nothing less.
In a recent chat, Phlow admitted to the integral role Tomi Owo plays on “Energy”, saying that she made the song what it is. Tomi’s mellifluent vocals brings colour and a zen energy to the song, laying out the song’s premise with clarity and charm. Don’t sleep on Phlow’s raps, though. “Blessings in the rain coming down, so we set sail/give me room let me breath, I don’t like mess with that bad energy”, she raps with a confident aura, coasting over Alpha’s jazzy and bubbly production.
Davido ft Shizzi & Wale – “Won Le Ba”
Our Issue 002 cover star, Davido is currently on the victory lap he started in 2017, and he’s bringing all the trophies home. While we had to wait nearly 7 years after his debut for his sophomore album, his next album coming this July won’t be taking that long. Earlier this week, he gave us another taste of what to expect with a new Wale-assisted, Shizzi produced cut, primed for the dancefloor we can’t access right now.
Davido & Shizzi have shown great synergy since the beginning of Davido’s career, and with a mid-tempo mix of afropop and afrohouse, he lays the perfect bedding for Davido’s vocal delivery. In his usual fashion, he’s flexing about being cut from a different cloth, singing in Yoruba that he can’t be touched and that the small-minded won’t understand his success. Wale joins him also maintaining his usual form, wearing his love for Nigeria on his sleeve, as usual, throwing in the odd Yoruba word without sounding like he’s trying hard.
Odunsi ft Amaarae, DETO BLACK & Gigi Atlantis – “body count”
Immediately the song is played, “body count” arrests listeners with Gigi’s incredible hook against the bouncy beat – Odunsi’s only contribution to the song. A few months ago, we discussed how much we need the ultimate girl’s anthem to make a mark for the paradigm shift women in music are experiencing, and the indelible “body count” does this in more than one way.
Lyrically, each featured artist is operating outside of the space carved out for women in music, who are typically more encouraged to perform sexuality to be viewed rather than for themselves. From the hook to Amaarae and Deto’s incredibly well-written verses, the message is driven home with no confusion, with DETO stealing the show with her cadence, body and sex positive lyrics and general BDE. Uniting all the bad bitches all over social media from Tik Tok to Instagram, body count is more than a bouncy track, it’s also a moment for young African women.
Yinoluu – “Birthday” featuring Amaarae
Producers are an invaluable part of the music community, providing some of the best sounds from the continent at the moment. Since his stellar production on party-starting anthem “alte cruise” which a marker for the alte sub-culture at the time of its release, Yinoluu has proven his talent time and time again.
To start off the year, he has just released a new EP ‘Lost Files’ which he’s enlisted some of the most talented names in the game. Featuring Ghanaian neo-soul princess, Amaarae to Psycho YP, AYLO, Mafeni, Remy Baggins and Barelyanyhook, the project housed many great songs, with one of the standouts being the Amaarae-assisted “Birthday”.
Amaarae has always embraced and presented sexuality in her music, opening up more honest conversations for young African women experiencing the same feelings. Over heavy chords and hazy production, her bedroom-pop drawl draws listeners in, with which she delivers sensual lyrics saying: ‘You make me feel like it’s my birthday/You know I want you like in the worst way’.
As emphasised by Jeremih back in ’09 and Rihanna soon after, the song is another addition to the notion of ‘birthday’s’ being a definite day for some action.
Lady Donli ft. Darko Vibes “Wonda Wonda”
Romance has always been a mainstay in contemporary afropop, with artists everywhere using the universal language of love to connect with fans and followers, who have probably also experienced the highs and lows of dating and relationships. The minister of ‘Enjoy Your Life’ has never shied away from expressing her romantic inclinations in her music, and she has continued with a twist on her latest drop.
On “Wonda Wonda”, Lady Donli is subverting these themes of romance, and delivering a groovy anti-love anthem featuring La Meme Gang’s Darkovibes. Over a groovy highlife-inspired beat laced with afropop drums and smooth sounding percussions, Lady Donli sings about needing distance from love interests, which will definitely feel familiar to anyone who has taken some time in isolation to get rid of a stale relationship.
‘For this your matter, causing too much wahala’ she sings over the song’s infectious hook admonishing all the potential suitors and turning down their advances as subtly as she can. Darkovibes joins her on the song with catchy adlibs that always seem to land at exactly the right spot. Rather than flex his familiar rapping skills, the Ghana-based artist opts for more smooth sounding melodies, putting on his best lover boy persona.
Every time an artist dares to evolve, it’s a way of rebelling against being boxed in by their previous work. Think Kanye when he dropped the auto-tune-heavy ‘808 & Heartbreaks’ after going on one of the greatest three-album runs in hip-hop history, or Santi, who transformed from a potential rap messiah into an artist who personifies the rebelliousness of the post-genre era. Today we have Phlow, who is in the midst of her own evolution, purposefully pushing past the initial perception of her artistry.
Introduced to Nigerian hip-hop circles through her affiliation with Str8buttah, a production company predominantly known for affiliations with hard-nosed, battle-tested lyricists, Phlow immediately garnered attention as ‘the female rapper who could hang with her male colleagues.’
Even though this is engendered by rap’s masculine and sexist tropes, this sort of treatment is deemed as high praise amongst many rap fans, since it means they have an artist to project their ideal image of what a woman rapping should sound like. In truth, Phlow is a remarkable wordsmith—her best work conjures the image of hot knife cutting through butter—but that ability created a rigid boundary around the music she was expected to make. Well, until now.
‘Marmalade’, Phlow’s latest EP, is more vibrant than anything she’s ever released, and much like its cover, it’s quite the colourful and impressionistic affair. The 6-track project is the work of an artist who is reclaiming her autonomy without abandoning her roots. At the core, ‘Marmalade’ is a rap project, however, what brings it together the most, are Phlow’s confident persona, improved songwriting helmed by big, bold and memorable hooks, as well as modish and infectious beats to match.
The EP was entirely produced and engineered by fellow rapper and all-round polymath, Alpha Ojini, and this collaboration allowed Phlow to be more spontaneous and radical in her approach to making the songs. She lets me in on their creative process saying: “Those were very interactive sessions, where we’d both contribute and bounce ideas back-and-forth, but 90% of the project was written and recorded on the same day, with no retakes”.
In addition to Alpha, the EP also features Psycho YP, Blaqbonez and Tomi Owo, with each artist acting as great co-conspirators without obscuring the fact that Phlow is the main attraction here. As a reset button, ‘Marmalade’ isn’t necessarily a grand arrival for Phlow, but it’s good indication that she’s on her way, constantly working on herself and barrelling forward through preconceived notions and personal losses.
Our conversation with Phlow has been lightly edited for clarity.
NATIVE: How’ve you been holding up through the lockdown?
I’ve been on self-lockdown before the lockdown even happened, so I haven’t really left my house in like over a month.
How comfortable did you feel about rolling out a new project during this period?
I actually started working on the project last year, and the plan was to release it earlier, but a couple of things happened that laid me down for a couple of months. The funny thing about this lockdown is that I sort of feel like everyone came to meet me where I was emotionally. I’d been shut-down since like last November after I lost my dad, and it pretty much took the entire world shutting down as well to sort of revive me.-////////////I know that sounds conceited, but that’s what gave me the zeal to drop the project.
Let’s go back a bit. Did you feel any sense of expectation after your debut EP in 2016 with Str8buttah?
2016 was actually really nice for me. Right in the middle of dropping that project (‘Mind, Body & Phlow), Hennessy was doing the VS Class competition, I was in the same year as Blaqbonez and we both won that season. I didn’t really feel the expectation then, I was sort of in a bubble and just working on music I liked, hoping that more and more people would vibe to it. After that EP, I still dropped three more projects that are super-personal, which was pretty much just ripping pages from my journal and recording in the studio. The pressure didn’t really get to me until the end of 2018, that’s when I was like, ‘there has to be a shift of some sort’. I was still making music—I never stopped—but I was trying to level up, be more relatable in a sense.
What role did being looked at as the ‘pure lyricist’ play in your attempts to level up?
I feel like that perception can be very limiting. For the first couple of years, it was kinda nice, like, ‘okay, I’m the rappity rap lady’ and people expect me to just do that. Then it started to feel like a box for me. I love rap, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t listen to rap as often as you might think—I love other genres. Being boxed into ‘real hip-hop’ and boom-bap isn’t the full picture — that sound just kinda happened. I tend to cling onto whatever appeals to me at every moment and working with Teckzilla (Str8buttah head), who’s amazing with that boom-bap sound helped with that. I’ve been shaking it up, anyway, just finding new things to do so I don’t get boxed in.
‘Marmalade’ sounds notably different from your previous releases. Was that an intentional shift?
Yeah, that was a conscious decision I made. I had already started to talk to Alpha [Ojini] before we got into the studio, we’d already had a couple conversations and I told him I was trying to work on something unexpected. I loved Alpha’s last project, ‘Chvmeleon’ it was sick, and Blaqbonez’s ‘Bad Boy Blaq’ was really sick too, so it just kinda made sense that he was the right person to work with since he was the mastermind behind those projects, and he was game immediately.
During that period too, I was also working on a project with Teckzilla—which I’m still hoping to drop soon—that still sounds a bit like me, but it’s different from what me and Teck usually put out. So, I was already conscious of still having the space to release the music people who know of me are familiar with, while also trying to shock people as well with this specific project.
I noticed you released this project independently. Are still with Str8buttah?
Definitely, Str8buttah is still a very big part of Phlow—they’re the reason Phlow is here in the first place. The last four projects released have been released with Str8buttah, but ‘Marmalade’ was strictly indie. The thing about Str8buttah is, it’s a production company and not a label, so all my previous projects were in collaboration with Str8buttah.
Making this project was one of the most challenging and interesting things ever. What would happen is, I would drive over to Alpha’s studio with a manual car that I’d just learnt how to drive—I literally had to always remember how to shift gears along the expressway. There was some drama involved with putting the project together, but the way we came up with songs was, I’d get to Alpha’s spot, he’d ask what vibe I wanted to go with, come up with the beat right there, and I would write on the spot. If you listen closely, you can hear him on the background of some of the songs as well.
Those were very interactive sessions, where we’d both contribute and bounce ideas back-and-forth, but 90% of the project was written and recorded on the same day, with no retakes. Then he’d work on them and send me the mixes to the songs. For example, a song like “Cheque” which a lot of listeners really like, we didn’t spend that long, I wrote on the spot and recorded. Everything was very on-the-spot.
From the outside looking in, this project feels like you hit the reset button. Do you feel that way at all?
Yeah, in a sense. I’m hitting the reset button, but my roots are still my roots in the end. Now, I’m more willing and confident to get on different types of beat, because even before the project dropped, I’d already started Freestyle Friday messing around with different beats. This project has sort of given me a big nudge, so definitely, it’s kind of a reset but I’m still going to stay true to my roots.
My favourite song on the EP is “Energy”, and it features Tomi Owo’s beautiful voice. How did you connect for that song?
I knew her through Alpha’s debut album [‘Half Price’], I knew she was a really really talented singer and artist. “Energy” was the last song we recorded, that was the only beat I found that Alpha didn’t make from scratch that I really liked. I recorded both verses and no hook, and we were looking for what to do and who to add. I know I sent it to a couple of other singers, but then Alpha was like, ‘yo, I know Tomi Owo’, and he felt like she was going to come up with something insane. To be honest, she made that song what it is. She was only supposed to do a hook but she added a verse as well, which was very sick. I think that’s my favourite song as well on the project.
There aren’t too many female rap artists in Nigeria. Do you sometimes feel any pressure to represent women in a male-dominated space.
I mean, whether I like it or not, I’m representing my gender in this music industry. I think about that a lot, and I also think about how women need to work together even more. When we band together, people will have to take us more seriously than they are now, instead of pitting us against each other. They always do that, though—look at Wizkid vs Davido—but working together and pushing each other up is the best way to get over all that.
Listen to ‘Marmalade’ here.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/phlowetry
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Expectations have the power to ruin experiencing music, and when a song comes with pre-existing hype, there’s pressure not just for it to be a good song—it also has to slap appropriately. Odunsi’s “wicked, sexy!” faced the same level of expectations after being premiered at Santi’s first-ever headlining show in Lagos last December, and without mincing words, it absolutely slaps.
Much like the other songs on Odunsi’s new EP, ‘Everything You Heard is True’, “wicked, sexy!” commands you put it on repeat, by simply being gloriously catchy and charismatic. The self-produced beat which demands some movement from the listener finds the middle ground between haunting and baroque, with droning strings and a snare pattern which come together nicely for a zero-gravity groove. Arguably one of the most inventive rappers around, Maison2500 skates in customary fashion, creating a vivid portrayal of his rockstar lifestyle where past flings aren’t guaranteed a text back even if they miss him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAL1HfVB2-5/
The most surprising and awe-inspiring element of “wicked, sexy!”, however, is Odunsi’s phenomenal verse. Sporting a sassy and self-assured cadence, Odunsi approaches his raps with an impenetrable edge, and we’re not sure there will be too many lines as instantly striking as, “niggas worried ‘bout me, worried ‘bout the wrong things”, in all of rap music this year. Even when he veers towards hedonism, he manages to stay politically correct without sounding like a purity parody, which is basically the stuff of unicorns where rap songs are concerned.
Putting Odunsi’s verse in the context of what “wicked, sexy!” represented before its arrival, it feels even more sublime when you realise that he lives up to the song’s myth by flouting it with a pointed approach. Every line and melody-tinged trick is essential, culminating into the strongest lifestyle statement he’s made since “Alte Cruise”. His performance is a new apex which he’s been working his way up to since putting up an impressive showcase on Psycho YP’s “To the Max”.
Since the smash success of Mayorkun’s Grime-influenced “Geng”, there’s been a conversation about singers making rap (or rap adjacent) bangers and what it means in a space where artists who primarily identify as rappers struggle for hits. In its own way, “wicked, sexy!” as a good contender for club anthem of the year —’rona permitting—reinforces the non-exclusivity of rapping, because all that truly matters is excellence.
Sure, “wicked, sexy!” is what you’d describe as a jam-and-then-some, but no matter which way you put it, the song also features one of the best rap verses we’ve heard this year.
Listen to “wicked, sexy!” here.
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Today, one could very easily argue that the Nigerian musical landscape is more liberated from the audience’s expectations than it’s ever been, and artists now have the room to re-imagine genres to fit their own personal expressions. This allows for an expansive range of new music from many different artists, which can become overwhelming, so we’ve decided to help out by sorting through new songs from across all the sub-genres around the continent to highlight all the new releases you absolutely Need to hear.
Earlier in the week, we brought you the mythical banger from Odunsi (the Engine) and Maison2500, a new song from one-half of R2bess, Mugeez, a Davido-assisted club-ready cut, Skales’ link up with Akon, and more. To start off the weekend, we have a new collaboration from Davido, Shizzi, and Wale. There’s also new music from Teni, Wurld, Lady Donli, Dami Oniru, Teffy, GJtheCaesar, Ayüü, and more. Dig in, and you’re welcome.
Shizzi, Davido & Wale – “Won Le Ba”
Shizzi has just released his debut single of the year, “Won Le Ba”, a self-produced bop which he enlists Davido and Wale for. The upbeat afropop number is a fusion of groovy percussions and pounding drums creating the perfect backdrop for this self-assured romantic cut. “Won Le Ba” roughly translates as you can’t keep up and Davido and Wale hone in this message with their boastful verses. ‘Y’all make noise but you don’t make ‘nough’ Wale raps on the song’s second verse, as both artists make fun of their competition and boast about the attention they receive from beautiful women.
Orezi – “Your Body” featuring Teni
Orezi is setting the pace for his upcoming album due in July with his latest single, “Your Body” featuring Teni. The sensual song celebrates women in all their greatness and the accompanying music video which is set at an outdoor party, shows how the new track is primed for the summertime–if we ever get one (yes I’m talking to you Miss ‘rona). Teni joins Orezzi to address a potential lover, ‘Hello my baby, how are you doing/I don dey wait you’ both artists sing on the hook against the groovy beat clearly geared towards the dancefloor.
WurlD – “National Anthem (Growing Wings)”
WurlD has just released his new EP ‘AFROSOUL’ a 7-track cut filled with soulful fusions where he unabashedly bares his soul to anyone who’s listening. On the EP’s opener “National Anthem (Growing Wings)”, WurlD delivers a deeply introspective track, where he sends a message of encouragement to fellow Nigerians, telling them we’ll get through the storms. ‘Dem go try but they can’t divide us/Dem throw stones but it never go touch us’ he sings, determined to inspire others who listen to the song to strengthen their resolve while also delivering a catchy number that we can still groove to.
Maison2500 – “Dirty Fanta” featuring Odunsi the Engine
Last month Maison2500 released a new project ‘Turnpike’ which housed the catchy psychedelic number, “Dirty Fanta” featuring Odunsi The Engine. He’s just released the video for the standout track and it’s a family affair, filled with cameos from everyone in the rapper’s inner circle from DRB’s Teezee to DETO Black as Maison’s muse. He’s joined by Odunsi for a psychedelic trip, where they both spits bars about the fun party-filled lifestyle they live illustrated in the video.
Lady Donli – “Wonda Wonda” featuring Darkovibes
Since releasing her stunning debut, ‘Enjoy Your Life’ last year, Lady Donli has been proactively delivering some fire collaborations from her “Cash Remix” with Davido to her appearance on DRB’s “Ma Pariwo”. She’s been teasing a new single with Darkovibes for a while, and now she’s finally released it. Produced by Kuvie, the groovy afropop number sees our favourite Cash Mummy returning to familiar retro-inspired African sounds, and she pleads with potential love interests to leave her alone, because she’s not in the headspace for love.
Dami Oniru – “Nowhere to Run”
Earlier in the week, we spoke to Dami Oniru about her life while she’s isolation with her family, and she let us in on her new release “Nowhere to Run”. The song was actually an original submission for Beyoncé’s Lion King: The Gift, and has now released it to send her fans an encouraging message whilst we’re all stuck indoors. ‘Nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide/I’ve got no time for tears, only space for greatness here’ she sings, reflecting what many of us may be facing at the moment with having to stay indoors as the world battles with the ongoing ‘rona pandemic.
Speaking to the NATIVE, Dami Oniru shared:
The song is about forgetting who you are at some point, and eventually working through things and rediscovering your power and your strength in your weakness and just remembering that whatever the situation you are going to get through it. It’s inspired by Lion King, and I think the message in the song is really powerful so I thought no better time than now to spread the positivity.
Teffy – “Gidi Bumper”
Teffy is back with a new catchy single “Bumper”, his first release since ‘Melody King 2’ earlier this year. “Gidi Bumper” is a catchy afropop number with catchy drums and smooth melodies produced by MakBlaze. Teffy starts off the song saying ‘many people gonna use this for healing’ as he spends the rest of the song trying to soothe listeners, recognising the unprecedented times we’re all living in. The song clearly aims to give listeners something to keep them happy and take their minds of these times.
GJtheCaesar – “Gyrate” featuring Ayüü
Abuja-based artist, GJtheCaesar has just released the first single of the year “Gyrate” featuring Ayüü, a truly enjoyable number to wind down with this weekend. Both artists trade verses about the elated feeling they get from dealing with their love interests, and how the reciprocated love makes them want to sing and dance. ‘When I get that feeling/Girl I know you feel it’ sings GJtheCaesar over the song’s hook before being joined by Ayüü on the second verse who raps about getting that sensual feeling to make love.
Featured image credits/instagram/TheGuardian
Tami is living in a black mirror episode and can’t seem to wake up. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
In today’s era of instant gratification and a collective low attention span, it might be tempting to question an album’s relevance and place within music and more generally, popular culture. While singles give artists a bigger chance at increasing their popularity, an entire project is what gives an audience access to what they’re really about. It’s also a great way to establish an emotional connection, and in these times, we’ve seen that music is the medicine, and it’s just as important to listeners as it is to the artists themselves.
This week in music releases has made us realise how much we need to get out to enjoy all the music we’re getting in the correct setting. From KiDi experimenting with 80’s disco sounds on “Next Time I See You” which will induce a toe tap to two, to Odunsi, Amaarae, Gigi Atlantis and Deto Black’s twerk-ready “Body Count”, it’s important to consume music in the right setting. So, in order to ensure that people are enjoying these projects the way they need to, we’ve put together a list of all our favourite albums which have been released in the past week, with the aim to give listeners an extra layer to the music we’re getting and all enjoying.
Here are our 8 essential albums this week:
WurlD – AFROSOUL
With the release of AFROSOUL, WurlD refines his penchant for airy romantic meditations. The 7-track EP opens with the jazzy, and groovy “National Anthem/ Growing Wings”, where WurlD calmly reaffirms his immunity to sabotage and encourages listeners to persevere in tough times. WurlD’s love for cross-continental blends is made evident by the different elements of Shizzi’s composition, and the driving bass gives a Zouglou texture, combined with dancehall inflexions makes the song a petri-dish of African textures.
Throughout the album, his vividly emotive vocals give listeners the impression that he has been done a grave wrong, and coloured by his exciting vocal finesse and innate musicality, the project gives him the room to express emotion against catchy and inviting beats.With his usual air of confidence, WurlD is determined to succeed on his own at any cost on “Ghost Town”, where he says ‘you only gonna get one chance/so you better hit the bullseye, or you gon’ end up in the ghost town’. The pre-released “Love Nobody”, is a sparse mid-tempo EDM banger, where WurlD gleams as a man enthralled in a mutually selfish romantic affair. TMXO reimagines the afropop/ EDM hybrid that once captured clubgoers early in the 2010s with the kind of minimalist, intoxicating patterns that binds one to the dancefloor.
AFROSOUL shines it’s ability to convey emphatic passion. Whilst the listening experience is delicate, sparse and smooth, the content is deep-seated but graciously delivered through WurlDs airy ruminations. With a rich palette of sounds, the project is an eclectic journey into the heart of young man going through the various stages of love.
KiDi – ‘Blue’ (EP)
The rollout for KiDi’s debut album, ‘Sugar’, was quite an elaborate affair. To accompany the album, the Ghanaian singer shot and released a full-length film of the same title, the type of unsubtle flex not too many artists around these parts really ever attempt. By comparison, KiDi’s new EP, ‘Blue’, is a low-key drop, and that doesn’t quite undermine the quality of the actual music it houses. Coming in at five lean and infectiously mean songs, the EP puts a magnifying glass on KiDi’s best traits as a singer and songwriter.
Unlike his debut LP which was studded with A-list guest appearances, KiDi mostly goes the EP’s short distance alone, giving him ample room to strut his ability as a conjurer of instantly striking melodies and a writer with a flair for the vivid. Perfectly matching KiDi’s charm and charisma, a revolving door of sounds culminates into the bright and groovy sonic backdrop on ‘Blue’. The project’s opener, “Say Cheese”, is carried by a shoulder rolling swing, emphasised by the presence of a talking drum. Another noteworthy track, the Adina-assisted “One Man” chugs along to a folky rhythm, while “Next Time I See You”, our pick for this week’s Best New Music is propelled by a viciously catchy disco swing.
Kiienka – ‘Spaceman 2.0’
Kiienka understands the appeal of mainstream dancehall music in Nigeria. Earlier this year, he teamed up with Veen for ‘Star’, a highlife fueled afropop project celebrating love and romance. His sonic shift to trap on his new EP, ‘Spaceman 2.0’ shows that he’s capable of greater emotional range, with psychedelic trap beats which amplify his observations of youth culture and gang life on the streets of Port Harcourt.
The 8-track tape of infectious bops shows us what’s going on in Kiienka’s head, while highlighting the diversity of Nigerian music in today’s self-publishing era. Hip-hop’s evolution from conventional boom-bap raps to a multi-genre sound has opened new paths for new voices. While Kiienka’s auto-tuned raps about drugs and turn up moments can still be seen as a branch out into more obscure markets in Nigeria, Veen’s production and collaboration with PsychoYP makes ‘Spaceman 2.0’ primed to encourage even the most sceptical listeners to accept the new and unconventional sound of hip-hop.
The image of Kiienka holding up a lighter, while wearing a face-mask like a thief on the cover art perfectly captures the project’s mood. “Pull up the glock and you rest up in roses” he threatens over the thick guitar basslines, synths and heavy drums on “Gvnz and Roses”. He shows off his druggy-lifestyle on the braggadocious track, “Fast Lane”, and compliments a woman he’s courting on “L.A Girls”. On the r&b track, “Bonnie & Clyde” featuring Libianca, he lets us know that he’s smitten, singing “Fuck with my Bonnie then it’s over/ Pull up on you in a rover”. Whatever mood he chooses to show off on the tracks, it’s compelling and it gets the people going.
Odunsi The Engine – Everything You Heard Is True
Earlier this week, Odunsi the Engine released a surprise EP ‘Everything You Heard is True’ where we see him taking off his training wheels and diving deeper into a more experimental mode than we’ve ever seen from him before. The 7-track collection finally made his sought-after collaboration with Maison2500, “wicked, sexy” available to the public, and it’s everything we’ve been wishing for.
While each song sees him in his deeply reflective bag, as usual, he explores many different sonic styles as both producer and artist, preparing listeners for what to expect on his next album. Whilst more exciting tracks like “body count” clearly aim to make a statement beyond the sonic quality, songs like “nu finesse” and “airplane mode” take us into his deep, dark mind, giving us more insight to him as a person which in turn explains the music we’re hearing better. Odunsi knows the winning formula, and he’s not about to let go of it anytime soon.
Mōnki Bznzz – Banana Peel Vol. 1
Mōnki Bznzz is an EDM collective, led by Mōzzy the monkey producer. Having released a string of unique mixes, including a remix of Efe Oraka’s “Wondaland”, Monki Bznzz highlight their technical ability in making contemporary afro-EDM blends, with energetic & expansive reimaginations. On their debut project, ‘Banana Peel Vol. 1’, Mozzy and the rest of his crew, stretch the horizons of original cultural blends even further, and introduce us to their vibrant and eclectic world of afro-house, designed to make you dance your sorrows away.
The project opens with the oxymoronic “Lights Out”, with sombre piano chords which lead the record, yielding to uptempo electro notes. In the midst of scattered acapella beatbox inflexions from Mon Lee, the track crescendos into a complex array of driving drums, groovy synths, and pacey hi-hats. Elsewhere, tracks like“Broken Glass” meld EDM with elements of r&b and hip-hop in a transparent, fluid mix, in a similar fashion to the EPs closing track, “Shrine Love”. ‘Banana Peel’ ditches the anxiety and pacing thoughts you get at the start of the party for epic chants and celebration, as you get loose to the groove, bringing the project full circle.
The entire project shines as a vibrant, polished and colourful playground, with striking compositions, and subtle messaging that grounds the project to reality. Despite the situations the artists find themselves in, they rise to their duty, with an optimistic outlook that energises their efforts. The positive projections and melancholic recounts coupled with the diverse sonic range of ‘Banana Peel Vol 1’ make the entire project a vivid, and immersive rollercoaster of emotions.
Lioness – Wish You Were Here
A week ago, Namibian rapper, Lioness unveiled her third studio LP ‘Wish You Were Here’, a 12-track project cementing her growing catalogue as a young female artist who is navigating the African hip-hop scene. Speaking to the NATIVE, the doctor and rapper credited Mr. Eazi as being an influential part of the LP, as his invaluable advice to expand her artistry to singing as well as rapping gave her the confidence to expand her sonic influences.
The result is a stunning body of work on which she fuses r&b and hip-hop tropes with dancehall and amapiano-inspired sounds, where she reflects upon her life in the bid to achieve some catharsis through her art. With honest lyrics and a cadence which you don’t typically see women embody in music, the project is important especially now when music is the medicine for the cabin fever we’re all feeling. Lioness is joined on the album by Ghana’s J. Derobie, Ogranya, Dizzo, South African DJ/producer Young DLC and more.
popsnotthefather – ‘NNNN’
South Africa boasts of a stacked r&b scene, which is stylistically diverse – from the auto-tuned Trapsoul of Tshego to the earthy, neo-soul influences of rising star Elaine. Adding a striking new dimension, popsnotthefather dips his music into an experimental sea which pulls elements from psychedelia, hip-hop, prog-rock and more. The result of this, as shown on his debut project ‘NNNN’, is a trippy, immersive and sometimes mind-bending universe, which vacillates between floating and drowning.
The most impressive thing about ‘NNNN’ is that pops uses this plethora of sounds to emphasise himself as the main attraction, keeping the balance by technologically contorting his voice in ways that amplify the emotions on display. Across twelve songs and in less than half an hour, the singer explores romantic vulnerability and bodily pleasure with the same level of devotion. Over the hypnotic sirens of “BREAKYOUOFF”, he conveys the intensity of his sexual desire by seeking consent, while acoustic guitars surround his heartfelt confessions on “DOWNONMYKNEES”.
Dr Sid – ‘The Interesting EP’
Dr Sid has something to prove. It’s been 10 years since he released his debut album, ‘Turning Point’ which saw him make the transition from a rapper to a pop star. Though hit songs like “Pop Champagne” and “Surulere” from his 2 previous projects confirm that he’s a beast when it comes to making club bangers, he has been relatively quiet since then. His newly released EP, ‘The Interesting EP’ shows that he spent his time honing in on his craft in the sidelines, and is now determined not to get lost in the shuffle again.
‘The Interesting EP’ was released on Mavin’s 8th anniversary and each of the 5 tracks celebrate his teammates, love and party lifestyle. The opening track, “That’s Interesting”, features label boss, Don Jazzy who already teased the song on his Instagram two years ago. The love song highlights the timeless groove of highlife music as they both take turns singing their appreciation for their love interest over the lightweight beat produced by Don Jazzy with a banku bounce. The effortless chemistry between Dr Sid and Don Jazzy is a testament to years of working together since as far back as the Mo’hits era.
He gets boastful on the M.I-assisted “Lifestyle”, where they both reminisce about their humble beginnings in the industry and how far they’ve come since. Elsewhere, he teams up with labelmate, Ladipoe for 4-20 anthem, “Lit”, while Ozedikuz provides the breezy afropop beat for “Carry Go”, featuring Cameroonian singer, Eyango. The pandemic we’re currently experiencing has kept us from experiencing these club-driven songs on the dance floors they were designed for, but Dr Sid is prepared to ignore all that and enjoy the good life his music career has given him.
Featured image credits/CapitalXtra
Words by: Dennis Ade-Peters, Tami Makinde, Debola Abimbolu, Djaji Prime
One could very easily say today that the landscape of Nigerian music is more liberated from the audience’s expectations than it’s ever been, and artists now have the room to re-imagine genres to fit their own personal expressions. WurlD is one artist who definitely enjoys this and coloured by his exciting vocal finesse and innate musicality his recently released EP, AFROSOUL is proof of this.
WurlD’s love for cross-continental blends is made evident by the different elements of the beat’s compositions in conjunction with the singer’s penchant for dancehall and saxophone sections to make the featured songs a sonic treat. With no featured artists, the singer invites listeners to enjoy his sonic ability on all 7 tracks, with confident delivery telling us a different story with each song.
The 7-track EP opens with the jazzy, and groovy “National Anthem/ Growing Wings”, where WurlD calmly encourages listeners to persevere in the face of the adversity we’re currently facing. With his usual air of confidence, he is determined to succeed on his own at any cost, on “Ghost Town” where he sings ‘you only gonna get one chance// so you better hit the bullseye, or you gon’ end up in the ghost town’. “Love Nobody”, is a sparse mid-tempo EDM banger, where TMXO reimagines the afropop/ EDM hybrid that once captured clubgoers early in the 2010s with the kind of minimalist, intoxicating patterns that binds one to the dancefloor.
The entire project benefits the most from his delicate vocal delivery, which gives listeners a peek into his emphatic passion. Whilst bedded by energetic and lively beats which make the listening experience is delicate and smooth, what he’s actually singing to us is deep-seated and very emotional. With a rich palette of sounds, AFROSOUL is an eclectic journey into the heart of a young man going through the various stages of love.
Ahead of the release of his surprise EP, Everything You Heard Is True, Odunsi (The Engine) teased the only record off the striking new tape that we were given any advance warning to expect. The “body count” teaser video depicted Odunsi, DETO BLACK, Amaarae and Gigi Atlantis – the song’s fiery quartet – getting down to their infectious groove… as SIMS!
Watching them strike character-defining poses and break out sensuous moves in the “body count” teaser animated the 20-second clip beyond the affordances of the lively song itself. Much like visuals of inebriated moshpits that surrounded the cries for the long-awaited “wicked, sexy!”, “body count”‘s badass Sims figures added to the allure of the song. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait too long before the song’s official release, which was accompanied by more performances from DETO BLACK’s and Amaarae’s Sims.
“body count” is a sexually liberating track upon which Gigi Atlantis, Amaarae and DETO BLACK encourage women to defy cultural mores and appease their sexual appetite. Empowering women in more than one way, “body count” sees The Girls run the show, not only the vocalisers on the track (or Mowalola who styles them) but also the 18-year-old Sims enthusiast responsible for the digital depictions. Eno, whose role it was to illustrate the sexy body bouncing which Gigi chants over the hook, is a young Nigerian girl who lives within a society that permits everybody but the woman herself to sexualise the female form, so of course “body count” was deeper than her professional debut:
“The song starts with the chorus and when I heard it I was like “ah cool.” But once I heard Amaarae say “big d*ck for me” I REWINDED ’cause knew the song was gonna be super sexy, and the chorus hits different when you realise that. I smiled throughout, I felt empowered. Aunties need reminding, I’m actually a bad bitch.”
With her first-ever commission as a digital artist entering the top ten on Nigeria’s Apple Music charts within hours, Eno’s bad bitchery is now indisputable (just like D BLACK’s, another artist who made her debut on the record and the wordsmith of the bar Eno references: “Tell those aunties I’m a bad bitch”). This instantly prosperous collaboration with Nigerian music and fashion powerhouses is a start many creatives would strategise for months for, but for Eno this moment was simply a happy by-product of her creative hobby and perfect timing.
“I made the Odunsi Sim for fun, sent it to a friend, they loved it & said Odunsi was actually looking for something similar to tease new music with. [Odunsi] then put me in contact with [Mowalola] and we worked together on the styling.”
The Odunsi Sim wasn’t Eno’s first time recreating a celebrity figure in her Sims utopia, where every beautiful face she spots in real life has the potential to be replicated. Rihanna and Beyoncé are two other Simed singers which Eno shares with me.
“I’m sort of obsessed with making the game as realistic as possible. I actually made an Instagram for [my Beyoncé Sim] but it got deleted [for] impersonation”
Not only do the likenesses resemble their muses, but everything from DETO BLACK’s assertive dance moves to Odunsi’s photogenic poses bear similarities to the IRL characters – including their fashion choices. Eno’s desire to achieve the most detailed rendering of her subjects led to some quality time with the creative junkie behind the eponymous brand, MOWALOLA, perfecting the familiar ‘fits we see her Sims model in the “body count” teaser shots. Eno tells me of the long-winded process required to self-style your Sims beyond the game’s stock: saying
“To put it simply, to make your own looks this is, you have to create your own “mesh” (which is like a skeleton for the item of clothing) and put colour on it. There’s an abundance of creators online so I think you can really get whatever look you want. I think the game could be limitless, with the right modding”
Though she’s also got pursuing her degree on her plate, Eno is still determined to test the Sims game’s limits, as she looks to flip this hobby into a career. For many of us youngins, Sims was a recreational part of our childhood, to some degree or another, and for Eno, it was to a great degree.
“I used to play a lot of the Sims when I was younger, but the game fell off heavily so I’m just into dress-up. That morphed into pretty successful attempts at making celebrities on the game, then objects, clothes etc.”
Although she’s still learning how to use the software, by finally putting her name to her work with these “body count” clips, Eno is now ready to take on the difficulty that comes with managing university deadlines alongside a freelance career. A struggle all too familiar for young creatives these days, Eno assures me that she is prepared for the workload to come, and wouldn’t have it any other way.
“When I “perfect my craft” and change details and make animations I really feel like what I put out will be 200x better than the current teasers”
Eno is so confident her ability to replicate reality – or at least real people – that she’s considering an entirely virtual Instagram presence, creating a Sim for herself who, in her world, can interact with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Gigi Atlantis, and all the other digital avatars to come. And it won’t just be Eno who’s got a virtual presence roaming around the digital world – she thinks Sims and avatars are going to become mainstays on social media. Given the current state of affairs, where physical contact is all but prohibited, it doesn’t seem at all like a far fetched reality that avatars similar to the characters Eno creates will become our proxy for social interaction. In fact, Odunsi commissioning Eno’s Sims for the “body count” teasers – a direct reflection of how the times are pushing artists towards more imaginative visuals – is an early indication of what the (distant) future may hold.
“Though I don’t feel it’ll start with the virtual presence as a person like Lil Miquela, I honestly think brands will gravitate towards using 3D models. I know I would! And if the models are unique – or just conventionally attractive – enough they may have their own individual online presences.
I’m thinking really far [ahead]; I do think I’m gonna see more of this in the future [though]. Virtual artists, it’s our time! Even though I’m a full beginner, if you’re reading this come & teach me, let’s make bank!”
Lil Miquela is a Brazilian-American virtual influencer created by Trevor McFreddies (you may but probably don’t know him as Yung Skeeter) and Sara DeCou for their ‘transmedia’ digital studio, BRUD. Boasting endorsements from Prada and Calvin Klein, and an active music career, she recently released two singles featuring Teyana Taylor, Miquela’s popularity and access has been the subject of much controversy since she grew into stardom.
Last year she, and her co-creators, received backlash for her first-person narrative account of being touched inappropriately in the back of a car. A completely fictional event (because she’s only real in the digital sphere) Miquela’s video seemed insensitive, tone-deaf and inconsiderate of the many real victims for whom sexual harassment and assault is not just a story to register outrage, but an actual traumatic event. In 2018, Dominic Cadogan and Kemi Alemoru addressed the topic of Lil Miquela’s modelling/influencing career sidelining actual models of colour. Kemi Alemoru argued that along with other virtual characters, Shudu and Nfon, Miquela’s presence was enabling companies to capitalise on ‘POC aesthetics’ whilst at the same time marginalising people of colour. It’s this incendiary practice of profiteering, which is inherent in capitalism that leaves Eno disillusioned.
“I want to see more virtual presences. Although, because of capitalism I question whether I actually want that, because even now there are white artists who profit off of their black/POC 3D models and that honestly makes me uncomfortable. Not because of who they’ve chosen to create, as art is subjective, but it’s the profit part.
I feel only black people should be able to do that [profit] off black culture, and our features are a part of the culture. [Virtual characters] will probably become exploitative, as everything eventually does.”
Independently of human (ab)use, technologies don’t actually pose a threat to us (think: ‘guns don’t kill people’), however, it is possible to propagate societal shortcomings through technologies by weaving inequalities into the fabric of what we create online. Eno is distancing herself from that world, and her interest in virtual reality hardly extends beyond Sims and IVMU – another online gaming metaverse. Her characters are based on real-life people, so whatever profit she attains from her passion always comes with the consent and approval of her subjects. Eno has no desire for capitalistic exploitation, she simply wants to reimagine the beauty she witnesses in her everyday life through her own digital lens.
“No matter how “real” I want my Sims to look, I’m still creating my own fantasy. It’s a form of expression that I feel everyone should enjoy.“
Since she broke out in 2014 with “Tiff”, Simi has had a hit in circulation almost every year from “Jamb Question” & “Joromi” to “Owanbe” & “Mind Your Business”. Regardless, conversations about her in popular culture have always been based around what she’s wearing, who she’s dating or whether or not she’s pregnant, and her place in the actual music industry is never really given much thought or presence.
Her latest single, “Duduke” is probably the most glaring example of this, where the announcement of her pregnancy took over the course of the conversation, rather than the fact that the song is actually one of the most played songs in the country right now, topping the charts on every DSP and radio station at the moment.
Currently, we’re all celebrating Nicki Minaj & Doja Cat’s first number 1 on the Billboard Charts, given how impressive it is that a black female artist has garnered enough listens to make their songs the most played in the country. The fact that an artist like Nicki Minaj after delivering hits for so many years has only reached the top of the charts in 2020, is telling, especially when artists like Lil Nas X or Roddy Ricch reached these heights after a short time in the game, and also stayed at the top of the charts for many weeks after they got there.
In the Nigerian charts, which we can only measure through curated playlists on DSPs giving us indication of how many people are listening, Simi is currently occupying the top 2 spots across the board, with “Duduke” and her contribution to Ladipoe’s latest song, “Know You”. Before yesterday when “Body Count” dropped, she was the only woman featured in the top 10 on Apple Music, Spotify & Audiomack, yet, the conversation about her remained either non-existent or only about her personal life and choices. Simi is one of the most talented women we have in the music industry today – not many people are aware of the fact that she writes, produces and mixes her own songs, which is a very impressive feat given how scarce it is to find women who work behind the scenes in music.
With this in mind, she clearly puts in the necessary work towards making the kind of music her audience enjoys, and her position at the top of the charts shows that there are people (somewhere) who are listening to her music. On one hand, this could be telling of the fact that women always have to do and be more to gain the attention of a wider audience, even when they’re doing as much (in this case, more) than their male counterparts.
Artists such as M.I or Odunsi The Engine are constantly given praise for having both song making and writing talents, an extraordinary feat which doesn’t require them to work any harder than they need to in order to gain the praise. These artists also get attention for things outside of music, from Odunsi’s outlandish hair to M.I’s ‘double entendre’, which never seems to affect how their music is received by any audience. This is not quite the case for Simi, whose number 1 song was mostly celebrated by the fact that she announced that she and her husband are with child.
Contrarily, however, it’s also not that hard to see why Simi is typically counted out, especially considering the fact that the socially conscious and liberal young demographic who would care about these achievements, don’t seem to like her. While the injustice is clear, it’s also quite difficult to root for Simi, because she often perpetuates harmful ideologies, which this demographic are definitely holding her to.
The echo chamber of (younger) millennial and Gen Z audience, who have dominant currency in popular culture will always hold you accountable for your wrongdoings. This year alone, on her talk show, ‘Stoopid Conversations’, she has said a few flagrant things which polarise her, and cause a disconnect between her and this audience. In the first (now deleted) episode, she very boldly said that she believes homosexuality is a choice which she doesn’t think it’s natural.
Our generation, unlike the older Nigerian generation, are a lot more tolerant of things society forces us to believe is other. We have enough access to information for anyone in our age bracket to have moved past this bottom line, and it was disappointing to see that Simi is part of a group of people who haven’t. As a woman who belongs to a marginalised group in society and has a platform, it’s very irresponsible to add to the vitriol the LGBT community are fighting every day. To her, it might seem as though she’s innocently stating her opinion, however, she inadvertently lost the support of some people who would be loyal fans, whilst also managing to piss off the rest who are apathetic towards her.
This isn’t something we can pin to a gender divide because anyone who harbours the same or similar beliefs to her and voiced them on a platform everyone has access to, would get the same treatment. Kizz Daniel is a good example of this, another artist who always has at least one hit in circulation, however, after showing his misogynistic tendencies several times, has been relegated to the background and no one really cares when he achieves anything these days.
We carried out a survey amongst some members of our community, to find that 59% of the people we approached didn’t like or dislike Simi, but were apathetic towards her. When we asked why, people cited several different reasons for this from not liking her voice and intonation, to others who said it’s because they think she dresses badly. To put in perspective, someone like Tiwa Savage, who in the past has said derogatory things about feminism, still appeals to a wide group of women, because she defies set norms by living loudly and seems to be doing exactly what she wants to be doing rather than what she’s supposed to be doing.
Beyond her statements, Tiwa is more relatable to the group of young women who would celebrate Simi’s achievement, because she appears to be more relatable and align more with our ideologies through her music as well. Simi, on the other hand, appears to pander a bit more to these norms – from her views on the LGBT community to the way she presents herself – which as an enlightened generation who are trying to break free from these norms don’t really fuck with. This could contribute more to people’s apathy towards her and explain why she’s left out of conversations about music and not about gossip and vitriol.
Regardless, the numbers show that people are listening to her anyway, and there’s clearly a set of people who have a similar mind frame to her, and care about her music – it’s just not the people who determine and dictate what’s popular culture. We’re never going to hear Simi pop off in the club, and are more likely to hear her music at a wedding (before 8pm) or when our parents are trying to be ‘current’.
The missing link between her numbers and whether they care however, is that these people who listen to her don’t control or even contribute to popular culture. Yesterday, when “Body Count” dropped, most of the conversation surrounding it was about how much of a moment it was for women, and also it’s place in the charts. This just goes to show that when women achieve these feats, there are people ready to celebrate, and given all this, it’s a bit annoying that a prime candidate who could change the status quo for women in music for our generation is actually unable to.
The way the music industry around the entire world is set up, there’s only room for one woman at a time, and if we didn’t have all these reasons holding Simi back, she would 100% break the chain and bring another seat for herself to the table considering her talent.
Featured image credits/Simi/YouTube
Damilola is the HBIC around here. Don’t tweet at her @damdamxx
These days, it seems as though rivalries between artists bring about an intoxicating high for music lovers and fans of art in general. In 2007, the hip-hop industry pit 50 Cent against Kanye West in the build up to the release of their respective studio albums,’Curtis’ & ‘Graduation’, which was buttressed by their infamous face-off on the Rolling Stone cover that same year. The ensuing media ‘beef’ was a marketing success, and it also marked a change in the direction of mainstream hip-hop music. Kanye represented a new, more melodic alternative, while 50 Cent was the more established hip-hop OG, whose commercial success made him a near-invincible adversary. The victor of that battle was Kanye West’s, ‘Graduation’ which outsold ‘Curtis’, and Kanye then went on to dominate not just hip-hop, but pop music in general.
Last decade, afropop fans were consumed with analysing who was better between Wizkid and Davido, which was egged on by their beef which they often took to social media. Each release sparked debate with arguments and rebuttals about who was the ace pop star in Nigeria. Even after sharing the stage together several times in shows of solidarity, the conversation around Wizkid vs Davido is still very much present, and with more accolades, hits and success, grooming their own stead of artists, there’s no real clear winner.
The Wizkid and Davido comparisons are more akin to Michael vs Prince though, as they are both contemporaries whose careers ran parallel to one another, as distinct and prominent figures within their spheres of pop music. Whilst human beings are fiercely competitive, it still begs the question; why do fans love to compare artists?
According to a Social Comparison Theory, human beings have a basic drive to evaluate their opinions and abilities, and people evaluate themselves through objective, ‘nonsocial’ means. However, when objective ‘nonsocial’ means are unavailable, people evaluate their opinions and abilities by comparison to other people. Furthermore, the theory states that the tendency to compare oneself to another person decreases, as the difference between their opinions and abilities becomes more divergent, which is why Burna Boy is more fairly compared to Davido or Fela, than he would be to Kanye West or Prince.
Music is subjective and experience-based, as most art is. With so many styles, variations and tastes, it’s extremely hard to make an air-tight argument about what is ‘the best’ music – everything is debatable, and this is perhaps what further fuels the need for comparisons. Artists are graded initially by how popular they are and how much acclaim they have built. Warring factions of loyal fanbases can easily spend hours making a case for their faves.
Social media has added a new layer of fan’s access, and thanks to constant updates through Twitter, Instagram and other channels, fans feel closer to artists they love, resulting in devout, cult followings for all the different tiers of artists. The result of this is standom, and Nigerian Twitter users would be all too familiar with ‘Wizkid FC’ the ever ready defence squad for Starboy.
These types of comparisons are not just limited to afropop. Twitter users recently decided to compare rappers YCEE & Dremo, following the release of ‘Codename, Vol. 2’. Whilst they share the same genre, the circumstances around their music, from influence to rollout strategies are wildly different. Some fans went as far as saying that YCEE has not had a record as big as “Juice” in a while, ignoring the fact that YCEE had gone through a prolonged legal battle, which not only prevented him from releasing music but most likely also took a mental toll, which cannot be gotten over so easily.
Context such as YCEE’s label problems are usually neglected in conversations about comparing talent. For the artist, this is damaging, as it waters down the years of hard work and dedication put into creating the music we love, and distils the fact that there’s an endless list of parameters for success. Creating an original body of work is a feat in its own right, and should be appreciated regardless.
Stan culture shares a lot of its origin in hip-hop culture. After many years of this fandom, the term was coined by Eminem, due to the titular song which recounted the tale of an over-obsessed fan. Stan culture defined a lot of outcomes in hip hop, from boosting Kanye’s first week sales to defeat 50 Cent, to Drake fans rallying around the 6God like an episode of Power Rangers during his feud with Meek Mill, creating killer memes, adding a new dimension to traditional rap beef.
Stans can be very useful in creating hype for an artist, supporting fundraising and other campaigns for artists, they also often engage in rivalling contests, listing stats and building opposing arguments in support of their favourite artists. While most times these conversations are fun and can provide visibility for a creative’s work, they sometimes descend into insult matches, with very little productive impact.
No two artists are alike. Each artist is a specific and unique alchemy of experiences, influences, stylistic singularities and the beauty of art is in appreciating its purpose within context. There is no doubt that competition will continue to push artists to produce even better records, however, comparisons should never be the basis with which we define the artist. What defines an artist is the creativity they display, their individuality which makes them personable, and the consistency present in their art.
Featured Image Credits: Web
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Djaji is a creative Vagabond, send him your takes on music and African culture @djajiprime
Today, one could very easily argue that the Nigerian musical landscape is more liberated from the audience’s expectations than it’s ever been, and artists now have the room to re-imagine genres to fit their own personal expressions. This allows for an expansive range of new music from many different artists, which can become overwhelming, so we’ve decided to help out by sorting through new songs from across all the sub-genres around the continent to highlight all the new releases you absolutely Need to hear.
To start off the week, we brought you NSG’s new single, M.anifest’s collaborative single with Kelvyn Boy and Kel P, Bella Alubo’s single donated towards a charitable cause, and more. Today, we bring you the mythical banger from Odunsi (the Engine) and Maison2500, a new song from one-half of R2bess, Mugeez, a Davido-assisted club-ready cut, Skales’ link up with Akon, and more. Dig in, and you’re welcome.
Odunsi (the Engine) x Maison2500 – “wicked, sexy!”
After its initial premiere on live stages last December, “wicked, sexy!” quickly developed a myth as the upcoming banger of our lives. Now that the song is here, as part of Odunsi’s new EP, ‘Everything You Heard is True’, that myth has become a reality that’s beyond satisfying—“wicked, sexy!” is an insanely infectious romp. As is customary, Maison2500 pulls in a phenomenal shift, however, Odunsi doesn’t get outdone on the song, delivering a verse that’s wicked, sexy, catchy, and assertive. “Niggas worry ‘bout me, worry ‘bout the wrong things/worry ‘bout your girl, do you know what she up to?/she let me do anything, everything that you don’t do”, he quips over the psychedelic beat.
dndSection x Chrystel – “Darling”
As part as Traplanta and as a solo act, dndSection is always down to feed the streets with new music. Taking a turn from the hedonist leanings of his last release, “Bestie”, the Atlanta-based rapper shows a vulnerable, lover-boy side on his new single, “Darling”. Joined by Chyrstel, both artists play out a scenario with two love interests letting down their guards as a show of commitment, with Chyrstel’s charm complementing dnd’s gruffy voice. “Can we get it started, you can be my darling”, they harmonize over the bouncy drums and guitar strums.
Skales x Akon – “Kowope”
After opening his account for the year with “Oliver Twist II”, featuring Harmonize and Falz, Skales is getting ready to drop a new EP as his next release. ‘Healing Process’, the 7-track project with features from Walshy Fire and Ice Prince, will be out later this month, however, the singer has now officially shared the Akon-assisted “Kowope” as the lead single. Backed by vibrant, Salsa-tinged production, Skales and Akon clarify their motives: make money and keep it moving. “If the money no be mine, ko s’oun to kan mi (it’s not my concern)”, Skales sings on the first verse.
Headgurl x Davido x Don Coleone – “Set Awon”
The streets will always have the mainstream in a chokehold, it seems. Since Small Doctor popularised the term, “set awon”, it has become a pop culture fixture, appearing in hit songs like Mayorkun’s “Geng”. Headgurl is now the latest artist to use the term, her new single “Set Awon” features Don Coleone and afropop superstar Davido. Together, the trio perform a boastful set about their affluence, throwing out catchy one-liners over Egarboi’s club-ready beat.
Mugeez – “Six in Da Morning”
Both as one-half of R2bees and as a solo act, Mugeez has cemented himself as one of the finest melody slingers in afropop. “Six in Da Morning”, the Ghanaian singer’s second single of the year, is an addition to his lineage of catchy, romance-fuelled bops. Accompanied by Chopstix’s summery, afro-Caribbean beat, Mugeez admires his love interest and seeks her consent for sexual relations, promising to make their time together worth her while.
TÖME – “Vie De Estabelle”
For the past two weeks, Canada-based singer TÖME has been building up to the release of her sophomore album, ‘Bigger than Four Walls’, dropping later this month. She’s already shared two singles, “Free” and “Magical Fruits” with Wavy the Creator, and she recently put out the third single, “Vie De Estabelle” –an upbeat track where she sings in a mix of French and English. Carried by her pristine voice, she tells the story of a woman trying to exit a toxic relationship, using the song as a PSA to women urging them leave men who aren’t treating them right.
Meji x Shakez Baba x David Rhino – “Sidewalk”
In less than a year, Meji has elbowed his way into the conversation of exciting Nigerian rap artists on the rise. While he’s currently prepping his debut EP, ‘Meji is the One’, scheduled to drop sometime in June, he recently shared “Sidewalk”, a proclamation of his tunnel vision focus towards achieving his goals. Pushed along by thumping production, with electric guitar scratches from David Rhino, Meji loads his stellar verse with memorable wordplay, setting the tone for Shakez’s equally impressive verse.
Maka – “Waiting for You”
Last November, Nigerian singer Maka dropped her EP, ‘It’s Not You; It’s Me’, a 10-track that centred around her soulful voice and expressive writing. Maka has now opened her account for this year with “Waiting for You”, a new single that continues to hone in on her strengths as an artist. Backed by Xblaze’s earthy, contemporary R&B production, Maka shoots her shot with someone she’s been trying to get with, letting him know she’s got some patience but won’t be caught waiting around longer than she needs to be.
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
In just the space of a couple of months, we’ve gone from memeing through the pain of the then-novel coronavirus to observing strict social distancing requirements to flatten the curve and curb the chances of community spreading. It’s been a gradual, yet harsh phasing into a new reality, where we are heavily reliant on social media and the Internet to stay connected with friends and loved ones, work and study remotely from home, engage in friendly culture clashes and if you’re a bit like me–attend online yoga classes on Zoom.
Every facet of our reality is changing, and it’s no surprise that with this change comes ripple effects on the way we consume music, entertainment, and art. This is why online art gallery, Polartics are quickly adapting to these new times through the introduction of their new 3-D virtual art exhibition ‘I Hope This Finds You Well’. This endeavour is a joint exhibition of work from artist, Adeoluwa Oluwajoba and photographer, Femi Johnson, with art that revolves around themes of isolation and stillness in a changing world. The exhibition is currently ongoing and will end on the 7th of June.
The immersive virtual experience mimics being in an art exhibition IRL (in real life) as viewers can begin a virtual tour guided by a playlist that takes them through all the artwork on display. Oyinkana Dada, the brains behind Polartics came up with the idea for a virtual exhibition following the cancellation of an IRL exhibition she was supposed to curate in Lagos. After this, she began reading up on how other key art players were coping with the lockdown and stumbled upon the deeply immersive world of virtual tours and art fairs.
“Polartics has never had a physical space, it’s always been mainly online anyway. I guess the difference was not just putting art online, but actually curating something as close to the exhibition experience as possible”.
The new normal is now suggesting that all you need to lose yourself in art, is really just access to the internet, and Oyinkan Dada is tapping into this, alongside museums and galleries around the world phase into this frontier of 3-D digital experience. ‘I think this movement might even stay after all of this cause I mean this is a good way to save money, and as long as you raise awareness and collectors know it is happening, you don’t always need that physical space’ she explains to me, noting how this augmented reality experience is in no fact a new feat, and one that will only continue to catch on, depending on how soon we’re all allowed to be let out again.
Although things are changing, creatives are still met with the same challenges as they would be in real life without the lockdown, such as access to funds to realise her vision. ‘The biggest challenge was not having done this before, but it was relatively straightforward once I knew what I was looking for. I knew that I was looking for some sort of software that could create an experience that was close as possible to the real thing. Funds are always a challenge, it was exciting to be creative with it and explore something new’ she tells me, explaining how the process came to life.
Conversations around how we consume entertainment and how that’s changing is definitely in the forefront right now, and it’s refreshingly exciting to see young African art collectors aligning themselves with the change that is to come. You can check out the exhibition here.
Featured image credits/Polartics
Tami is living in a black mirror episode and can’t seem to wake up. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
‘Everything You Heard is True’ is Odunsi in his purest form, he’s experimenting more because there’s nothing to lose and the ever-changing state of the world today has shown him the rules simply do not exist. Many of his newer fans may not know that Odunsi actually started out as a producer, and he credits his producer side for giving him the freedom to experiment more with his sound. Through the project, Odunsi builds on his sonic harmonies, and relies on sounds to pass his message across, “It’s like psychedelia but it has bounce. It’s just like a lot of emotion, no heavy bass, just snares and of course the bounce,” he explains, speaking on the project’s production which on the surface may sound like Playboi Carti and Toro Y Moi inspired mood music, but on further reflection, is a deep dive into the mind of a bedroom popstar whose life has changed dramatically in four short years. To go from a feature verse on a friend’s mixtape, to millions of stream and back-to-back #1 projects, is something that would surely have an effect on someone’s psyche.
