Last year alone, Little Simz dropped her indelible project, ‘GREYAREA’ and delivered a stunning must-watch performance in the latest season of Top Boy. The British-Nigerian rapper has been heavy on our radar since, and to start the year, she’s just dropped her 6th project ‘Drop 6’
The 5-track project is the perfect example of this time allowing artists express themselves through their music, as it’s made up of diverse tracks written and recorded by Little Simz herself last month whilst she was in isolation. Each track continues to showcase her signature poetic storytelling flow, as she weaves through themes of self-worth, family, independence, defeat, love, and the pursuit of happiness in life.
The EP starts off with “Might Bang, Might Not” a fun upbeat track where she spits bars, packing an onslaught of clever wordplay into two minutes. ‘If I give you my time, and give you my space/Know that that shit’s not to waste’ she begins, rapping about how she’s back on her bullshit and ready to bring the heat this year. She admonishes everyone who never saw her strength and power, calling herself a one-woman army who is ready to take on her opps.
This idea of standing alone in the face of adversity carries on to the next track, “One Life, Might Live”, where speaks about past relationships. ‘Everyone single of them I’ve dated all the same/Everyone’s that wronged me put their bodies to the side’ she raps in a deadpan poetic drawl, over the vivid percussion pattern. Little Simz has always spoken openly about her love life in her music, so this comes as no surprise from the British MC. It’s clear she’s having fun on the beat, as she later switches into a sing-song flow, teasing the ill-intentioned people to try her one more time. You already know about how much I love to see women talking their shit!
Before the new EP dropped, Little Simz shared a heartfelt post her social media about the self-doubt she felt whilst working on her project:
“After serious procrastination, I decided to stop being a ‘lil b*tch and cry baby and knuckle down on the EP. I gassed myself up, there’s no one else here, I’m alone, I had to”.
Self-doubt is a topic she often confronts throughout the 5-track EP, especially on the closing track “Where’s My Lighter” where she recruits the talented songstress, Alewya. The two women confront the gut-wrenching feeling of being lost, and not knowing who to trust. ‘Who do I trust? Who do I love?/Tryna seek sense, be the real me’ she muses, as the floor opens for Alewya’s delectably infectious vocals. The pair bring a magnetic energy to the closing track and prove once again that Little Simz is one of the rappers we want to keep paying attention to.
It’s very important to have women like her, especially in the rap scene, where women don’t really hear themselves represented outside of what men have to say about them. She continuously sets herself apart as one who is fiercely independent and always ready to speak her truth. Little Simz touching on topics we can all relate to as women is very important, and we definitely want to hear more from her.
Listen to ‘Drop 6’ below.
Featured image credits/Instagram:littlesimz
Tami is living in a black mirror episode and can’t seem to wake up. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
Many people have said that the pandemic is God’s way of telling us to slow down, and it doesn’t seem like a coincidence that all of this happened during holy periods for both Christians and Muslims. Lockdown started in the middle of lent, and in just the space of a few weeks, we’ve gone from reflecting about the seriousness of the imposed lockdowns on social media to watching in horror as the eased lockdown in Lagos has lead to a clamour of people at public spaces like the bank.
Amidst all the confusion and discomfort, Muslims around the world are also adjusting to the holy month of Ramadan, whilst also practising social distancing. The Holy month is primarily about self-reflection, prayer, and gratitude. Here in Nigeria, we have the highest Muslim population than any other country in West Africa, with roughly 50% of the total population currently undergoing the annual Ramadan prayers and fasting.
Ramadan started on April 23rd is nearing its two-week mark, and to show support for our Muslim family and friends, we reached out to young Muslims who are quarantining all over the world to find out how they are coping with Ramadan during lockdown.
From those who are currently excited because fasting is easier for them with no movement, to those who have found the time to slow down and actually connect to their faith and to God, it’s clear that this is a special Ramadan for everyone. Here’s what the young Muslims we spoke to had to say:
Quarantine has made this Ramadan so much easier for me. Usually I’m always on the go and hella active which makes the days go quicker but it gets really tiring. Now I’m just relaxing all the time but that has messed up my sleeping pattern. I also really love how I’m praying on time all the time, it’s really beautiful and makes me happy, connecting with Allah
O, 25, F.
This is probably the easiest fasting I have ever had! Maybe it’s because I’m surrounded exclusively by people who are also not eating or because it ends pretty early in the day (7pm). It might also be because I’m not burning as many calories since I’m in bed 2-4. Sha whatever the reason, it’s a breezeeee.
A, 26, F.
Honestly, Ramadan during this time has been interesting as lockdown disrupts what Ramadan is all about – connection and being together. However, it’s allowed me to really reflect about those less fortunate and be grateful for what I have. Especially in Nigeria where so many people are suffering even more because of COVID19. There are things I’m really missing though, one of the best parts about Ramadan is Iftar, breaking your fast with your family at the end of the day.
L, 25, F.
It’s actually much easier with the lockdown as there’s less temptations and distractions. However, all these late nights have me waking up really late and I end up sleeping during Fajr. I’m sorry loool.
B, 27, M.
It’s actually pretty chill this time around. The only annoying thing is not being able to take my hay fever pills so early in the morning. But honestly besides that, it’s been easier and it’s not like I’m active and going out so I’m good.
S, 24, M.
Even though the lockdown isn’t a good thing in terms of how it’s affecting all of us, and sepearting the sense of community we usually share during this period, it’s really been easier in terms of fasting for me this year.
T, 22, F.
It’s been pretty chill for me. I’ve always had a hard time with my faith, but being home with my family during this period is really good for me. I’m pretty much having a hot girl Ramadan, I’ll leave that to your imagination.
In 2015, Burna Boy released his sophomore album ‘On A Spaceship’ which marked the emergence of his own label, Spaceship Records. The 20-track project which housed party starters like “Soke” and “Rizzla” has been greatly underrated and flew under the radar at the time owing to its experimental nature, and was full of pop sounds which didn’t exactly deliver the usual Burna charm listeners were used to at the time.
There’s no denying that the album was a bit harshly judged at the time, owing to the bad rap the now-African Giantgot at the time. When you think about their current dominant run on the global stage, it’s easy to forget that artists like Burna Boy, Davido and Wizkid have been making us dance for nearly 10 years. Given this, we decided to go way back into the catalogues, and came across Burna’s Wizkid-assisted track “Single”, which we think would still slap if released today.
Burna Boy has always been a self-assured artist, who hasn’t needed any outside validation, and it’s this determination to do what he wants, whenever he wants what endeared us to him in the first place. He and Wizkid have been known to deliver hits throughout their solo careers, and as a pairing, they show great synergy by feeding off each other’s strengths. This was seen in their first collaboration, “Jahs Love is True” where they speak about the age-old tale of the struggling artist from a modest background who defies all odds and comes out on top, which looking back, seems like a positive confession of sorts.
The pair then joined forces again for “Single”, a genre-bending track which definitely took it’s time to warm into our hearts and ears. The song starts off with scanting percussions that are almost too faint to hear before Burna Boy’s patois-filled verse comes into focus. The dancehall-inspired track is a frenzy of bass, hi-hat-heavy beats, over a pop-tinged production impossible to label as one genre. This wasn’t a feat any artist really tried out in that time of its release, and Burna Boy’s experimental delivery to accompany the beat is also particularly admirable.
‘Girl come ova me yard/single yeah make I knack you jingle bell’ both artists sing over the song’s hook, addressing a subject matter which they’ve both become well versed in over the course of their careers – the admiration of women. Wizkid joins Burna Boy on the third verse, and it is clear Starboy was just having fun and catching a vibe on the song, which is Wizkid in his top form. He jokes about wearing more than three ‘rubbers’ at a time while in the act, which is particularly humourous knowing what we know now.
“Single” was released before both artists had their global breakouts, and now conversations around the dominance of the afropop genre cannot be held without either of their names coming up, and they have undoubtedly inspired a new generation of hitmakers. If anything, “Single” reinforces that Burna Boy and Wizkid are a delectable pairing which we need more of today. Until that ever happens, we’ll hold tight with what we have.
Joey B fancies himself something of a rap savant. Across a sprawling discography made up of several singles, overflowing guest features and his debut project, ‘DARRYL’, the Ghanaian rapper has built up a grand artistic persona, hinged by his range and adaptability. The rapper is as adept at making chest-knocking rap cuts, as he is comfortable spinning light summery hops, and no matter the sound or collaborators, Joey B always finds a way to fit in.
On his latest release, ‘Lava Feels’, Joey continues his act of shuffling through whatever sound he feels like. In nine tracks, he completely forgoes any attempt at cohesion, using his curiosity as the project’s sole anchor while the music continuously shifts gears. When he announced the project, Joey described ‘Lava Feels’ as “just a collection of songs”, effectively adjusting the expectations for what would’ve been deemed as an official sophomore project.
In a time where one of the biggest artists in the world has successfully floated albums as mixtapes, a playlist project, an official compilation of loose singles, and very recently, a tape of leaks and demos, ‘Lava Feels’ is right at home in a liberal era where artists can describe their music as whatever they want and pretty much get away with it. To its credit, the collection maximises its low stakes billing. For the most part, it sounds like the work of an artist who knows he’s pulling a fast one, but it’s difficult to call him out on it since the songs here are high-functioning and well-executed.
‘Lava Feels’ is Joey’s assertion of his right to creative freedom. He’s never been one to be pigeonholed, but in presenting himself as an artist with several interests and his own unique agenda, the collection is radical and refreshing. “Read in between the lines, I’m a different type of guy”, he sings on the titular track, contorting his melodies into infectious passages that melt into the psychedelic strings and reverse piano samples. “Lava Feels” charts a new sonic terrain for Joey, but it’s a great showcase of his powers as a songwriter, an ability that serves as a potent through-line even when the tape threatens to unhinge.
Joey has always been a big picture guy when it comes to making music, taking cognizance of the ideal that every facet of a song, from its verses to the hook, plays an important role in keeping the listener’s attention. On the cutthroat banger, “Silicon Valley”, Joey exudes a casual irritation with a past lover on his verses, delegating the spitefulness to Bossom P-Yung, who switches between rattled couplets and helium chants on the song’s instantly memorable hook.
In all its carefreeness, the collection does a great job of lending Joey B a personable layer. On “Far Away”, Joey reminisces about the days of lean purses and constant prayers to make it big, radiating a joy in his present situation that’s unspoken but palpable nonetheless. He’s joined by M3nsa, who emphatically states his priorities as a man and a father on the song’s dazzling second verse. In addition to its affecting content, the soulful west coast bounce of “Far Away” is a sonic delight, evoking the feeling of riding top down on a road bracketed by tall palm trees, and with the sun beaming down.
While Joey’s music selection is a vehicle for emphasising his range, ‘Lava Feels’ also ropes in its multiple guests with the soundscape that best fits their voices. The ode to hustlers, “Hard Knocks” is carried along by a ‘90s rap and r&b-hybrid instrumental, acting as the perfect backdrop for Ko-Jo Cue, the Ghanaian rapper who does a lot of his best work with music that emboldens self-reflection. Odunsi (the Engine) and Santi bring their vibrant cool to the synthy ambience of “Over You”, while Joey plays the mellow foil to Stonebwoy’s animated verve on the dancehall meets Spanish guitar revelry on “Affection”.
If ‘Lava Feels’ was billed as a full-length project, it would probably represent an apotheosis of sorts—an elevation to a higher creative level, if you will. Semantics aside, the collection is a fully realised body of work, which definitely exceeds expectations. Even after recalibrating, the project’s blistering quality doesn’t wane, making the perfect case for Joey B’s delightfully arrogant and nonchalant way of showing that he’s been this level for a while.
Listen to ‘Lava Feels’ here.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/1realjoeyb
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
If you come from where I came from – a place with unpaved streets, houses tightly packed against one another, murky drainages containing things you don’t want to know about, all navigated with wide-eyed enthusiasm and barely developed smarts — you dream a lot. You dream about taking your family out of there, being great one way or the other, and having the luxurious life you see on televisions. You also played football – on the first days of the holidays; immediately you got home from school at 3 or 4 p.m. depending on if you went to a public or private school; you played especially when your mum warned you not to, and you played on even when you hurt your toes playing on the most uncomfortably stony fields.
Later on in life during the holidays, we never missed the early music shows; during school time, we watched what we could and hoped for repeats. There were football breaks at well-defined times which allowed us to watch the shows we loved the most. Galaxy TV at 11 A.M; We almost always missed Lunch Splash on T.V.C. because there was usually no light at that time. Superscreen at 5 P.M; And M.I.T.V at 8 P.M. With dirty feet and sweaty bodies, we sat on couches and settees anyway, because we just couldn’t miss the music at the turn of the decade. All our truths and realities held our gaze as it played directly through the coloured pictures on our screens. If we stretched our hands out, we could grasp these delights on TV – live the life. Boys like me heard ourselves – Gbagada, Bariga, Oworo, Mushin – in Dagrin, Olamide, 9ice, and DJ Zeez. So, we fine-tuned our strategies for getting out. If football didn’t work, music could, and one of the two had to. At-all-at-all-na-im-bad-pass.
I don’t remember the first time I heard the phrase, ‘conscious music’, but for the longest time, there was something about it that made me think of it as purely an idyllic concept. Idyllic was grand when all we wanted, was representation. Where I was raised, the most important thing was also seemingly the simplest thing: to be seen, understood and identified – we didn’t ask for too much. There was also the tiny matter of the music we heard lifting us out of the seemingly mundane life we lived, the lack we breathed. Yet, for every chorus – or every bar – I remember being dished out about girls, butts, and the street culture, there was more to it. Our identity was fused into the words we spoke in an inescapable manner about the economic odds stacked against us. In the most colourful language, we registered our grievances against the government that fostered this divide, cursing and singing, fuck the government.
As we grew older, and understanding broadened, I began to get the point of conscious music. I started to dig that to be conscious is to just speak your truth as closely as it aligns with your identity and with the regularity that it occurs to you.
When I listen to Tekno, I can’t shake the feeling that he played football when his mother told him not to and that he concocted an escape to a better life through his music because it seemed like the dream that was more within grasp. By listening to Tekno, I don’t mean the disyllabic-titled songs like “Pana,”“Diana,” or “Agege” where he sings about love and romance with reckless abandon over syncopated beats. I drown in those when I imagine what it means to be in a spicy love that does not require lots of words – just some cassava.
By listening to Tekno, I mean songs like last year’s “Better (Hope for Africa)” and last Friday’s “Sudden” where he sees and understands of the plight of the people who are several classes below him. By listening to Tekno, I mean plugging into the artist who leans over the divide and inserts himself, fleetingly, in the reality of the average Nigerian, yet still crucially, accepts the liminality of his position however powerful his voice is.
To be a conscious Nigerian musician in 2020, is to open your Pandora box of opinions about pretty much anything that occurs in the public sphere. But commentary is specially reserved for the core politicking and top-level mismanagement and corruption that is so endemic to the country. To keep that position, all you have to do is maintain an audible public persona and, hopefully, curate a connection to the mythical Fela Anikulapo-Kuti – that always helps. There’s also a place for the conscious musician to brusquely insult the average Nigerian for not standing up to their ‘oppressors’ – we’re tired and jaded, read the room – and when that doesn’t work, it seems that it’s okay to maintain a chilly distance and let Nigerians to their doom… or whatever.
When I listen to Tekno get conscious, there is none of the superiority of ideals or stance that characterises traditional Nigerian conscious music. When I say that he’s the greatest conscious musician of our generation I don’t come to that conclusion lightly. I understand that he doesn’t have the all-knowing grasp of politics which protest musicians before him had, or even the repressed miffiness of African China – perhaps not even the refined grasp of the polity that his peers possess, however, Tekno is a human champion unlike any other currently operating at this time.
His music so poignantly captures the human angle of the Nigerian condition, while putting the blame where the people would put it as well: the government. Not once listening to Tekno, have I seen him take an anti-people stance to being woke. Conscious music in Nigeria has loads of that already, so it’s no good blaming us for leaders who choose to shit on their people. There are two types of Nigerian conscious songs: the ones that try to teach but can’t afford to not still put a groove or two into it, leading to the message being drowned out when nubile bodies press against each other at invite-only house parties on the Island; then there is the other sort, made for intense internal monologues about the direction of the motherland and the grave dangers closing in around us.
Tekno’s “Sudden” is the latter, anguishing in execution, made for the people, by the someone who gets people. The fact that it probably won’t chart high is proof that it has done what it is supposed to do. It’s not a song for club revelry (who wants to party in these dreary times?), nor was it made for blaring while hurtling down empty highways. It will play when you want to cry and hear a fellow Nigerian soundtrack your anger. “Dey go do like dem no see say food e no dey oo / Dey go do like dem no see say road e no good oo (just tell me why)/ Dey go do like dem no see say people dey suffer,” Tekno sings on “Better (Hope for Africa).” I’ve barely heard more truthfully uncomplicated lyrics in the last few years. Rich and poor, we ply the same roads; rich and poor, like the Coronavirus has shown us, we are all vulnerable, however, the poor are always the most unprotected, dealt with the short end of the stick and Tekno telling us this has always reminded me someway of the lyrics we concocted while plotting our getaway from calamity in my childhood. Calming truthfulness.
A few months ago, I read a comment on Twitter about current Nigerian musicians not being able to contribute to the intellectual debates of their times like Fela could have during his days. There is a biting truthfulness to this, as much as there is an elephant unavoidably present in the room which has to be acknowledged for any conversation about scholarliness to progress, for many reasons. Because in his days, Fela was exposed to the best education that could possibly be got. Even then, fresh from independence, the thoughts of young Nigerian men and women were not so overwhelmingly focused on where the next meal was coming from. Because when I walk on the streets, hurrying to beat the curfew, I hope that no policeman shoots me down and swears in a court of law that it was an accidental discharge or that I attacked a man of the law meriting the bullet. Because the boys I grew up with probably write ‘Am’ when they mean ‘I’m.’ Existent realities demand corresponding efforts and nobody has time to be an intellectual when their family is at risk or in the line of fire. In this mess, I am grateful for my little blessings and in whatever manner they attempt to confront the problems we face.
We live in a post-post everything society and it’s a constant struggle to remember all the ills we’re confronting, often at the same damn time. These are perilous times, and music is a weapon. Music is the weapon for our collective remembrance; for our communal mourning of the potential that comes to die in Nigeria if you don’t make it out of the ghetto in time; the light in your eyes that dims if you don’t keep your head held high and believe that the sun will shine on the next day – the nights are that dark.
If you work harder, you’ll make it out. Lies. Just ask Tekno, he knows. “If na by hard work poor man go get money,” he casually points out on “Sudden.” Money is an especial matter and when Tekno drearily adds that “40 billion is a nothing for them” we know whom he is referring to even if he won’t name names or cast aspersions. We are seething, and I’m nodding vigorously, in agreement because I recognise the little details of our collective pain, and resignation in this griot’s voice.
When Tekno releases his next song, probably a disyllabic-titled club banger, I understand him. To be the voice of society can be choking, sometimes it is better to dance.
ICYMI: Music is the perfect medicine for cabin fever
In 1971, Fela Kuti & The Africa ’70 toured and made a live album with the late Ginger Baker. At the time, Africa ’70 already had a resident drummer in Tony Allen, however, the brief entrance of another drummer—albeit a celebrated and widely acclaimed one – gave them validation as well as a proposition of the sound and ideal of the then newly patented genre, Afrobeat. The LP is a time capsule of combination and collision, between a band finding its feet and a musician who was already regarded as a force of nature.
‘Live with Ginger Baker’ came about at a time when Fela’s madcap experiment – with influences from Jazz, Highlife, Funk and Afro-Cuban rhythms – was still being developed, and although the compositions were bold and sometimes colourful, the band’s sound had yet to fully shed its big band jazz leanings for its full-on Afrobeat flavour. The interlocking groove of rhythm guitar, tenor guitar and bass guitar which played a pivotal role in defining the Afrobeat sound had not yet been invented, the horns didn’t have the level of brassiness in future recordings, and vocal call-and-response chants weren’t here yet.
At this point, though, Tony Allen’s drumming was the band’s most refined element, which wasn’t even remotely Allen at his best—compared to his subsequent work. His metronomic sense of timing and dazzling fluidity was already made apparent, and while many like to cite the final track—his drum duet with Ginger Baker—as a major display, “Yeye de Smell,” off that same album, shows this quite definitively. While both drummers are present on the song, Allen stood out with his interplay which juxtaposed Baker’s energy with tact. Simply put, Baker was the thunder while Allen was the lightening.
By the following year, Fela & Africa ’70 had become full-bodied and much more distinct. The band released ‘Shakara’, the album which was widely regarded by musicologists as the first true Afrobeat record, and Tony Allen quickly solidified his inimitable role. In a band with multiple moving parts, Allen controlled songs from the outside, by being a master of tempo and made sure there were no clogs or unhinged cogs in the constantly spinning wheel. At various points, any instrument(s)—including Fela’s voice—could be the focal point, however, Allen, especially in his partnership with percussionist Henry “Perdido” Koffi, was the driver.
Bonafide Afrobeat classic, “Gentleman”, is a prime example of this dynamic. The song is mainly revered for the phenomenal horn solo in the beginning and Fela’s sharp denunciation of European gentlemanly standards, however, there’s an evocative quality to Allen’s work. The slow-moving and sublime drumming provides the perfect amount of space for Fela’s aggression to properly boil, cackling just behind the lead singer’s oscillation between mockery and sneering, which perfectly exemplified Tony Allen’s superpower: making everyone around him sound better.
For him, showing out was never the point; it was about playing in service of making music that entrances listeners. “I know I can make my drums bring the house down if I have to, but I know how to make it subtle. You listen to it flow like a river”, he once explained in an interview with The Guardian. Although he played in steady cycles, Allen was a full-bodied drummer who worked his flexible limbs with masterful control. He was effortlessly vivid, creating the illusion that listeners, through their earphones, were behind his drum kit and could do what he was doing.
That level of skill was due, in part, to absorbing influences and years of practice. Allen was a self-confessed acolyte of Jazz legends such as Art Blakey, Max Roach and Philly Joe Jones, and he credited them for nurturing his understanding of the extensive use of hi-hats since the drummers at home mostly kept them “close.” He also noted that practising on pillows, on inspiration from Jazz drummer Frank Butler, helped his flexibility. Relying on his innovative, keen-eyed approach to drumming, all of that came together to make a unique and seminal style, which subsequently became the Afrobeat trademark.
After about fifteen years of working with Fela—he was also a member of the mid to late ‘60s Highlife-Jazz band, Koola Lobitos—Tony Allen exited his role as drummer and musical director of Africa ‘70 in 1979, and he briefly returned in 1980 for ‘Music of Many Colours’, Fela’s joint album with the American soul artist Roy Ayers. In the years after his departure, Allen worked with several other African artists, including King Sunny Ade, and he also released his own albums; ‘No Accommodation in Lagos, No Discrimination’, on which he was backed by Africa ’70, and ‘Nepa (Never Expect Power Always)’, the first of several projects with the collective he formed, The Afro Messengers.
Continuing in the lineage of his previous works, Tony Allen’s music was socially inclined, sans the militant edge of Fela. Addressing the state’s infamous traffic jams and the exorbitant cost of housing, “No Accommodation” speaks to a Lagos reality that remains prevalent, while “Nepa” mocks Nigeria’s shoddy power supply, an issue that has remained unchanged even with several name changes to the country’s power generation body.
While he never stopped speaking truth to power, a significant part of the narrative of his latter days was his constant experimentation. By the ‘90s, Allen was incorporating elements from a wide palette of genres, infusing their texture in daring but well-measured ways. “The Same Blood”, a standout from ‘Black Voices’in 1999 shrewdly reworks the anti-racism song, “No Discrimination”, adding electronica elements while deconstructing the original composition.
Regardless of the sonic terrain he veered into, Tony Allen always made sure to emphasise that he was an Afrobeat drummer, and it constantly showed in the music. He played drums on the title track of French singer, Charlie Gainsbourg’s 2007 album, ‘5:55’, imbuing the sophsti-pop song with a languid torque and his trademark flexibility, in a way that sounded fresh and distinctly familiar. That appearance was also emblematic of his resurgence to prominence in the 2000s.
On “Music is my Radar”, their 1999 hit single by English rock band, Blur, frontman Damon Albarn repeated sang Tony Allen’s praises, leading to an international profile boost for the drummer, and it also laid the foundation for extensive collaboration between the two. After appearing on “Every Season”, off Allen’s 2002 album, ‘Homecooking’, Albarn invited the drummer onto two band projects.
The first was alternative rock super-group, the Good, the Bad & the Queen, which released two albums—a 2007 self-titled debut, and ‘Merrie Land’ in 2018—and included Paul Simonon (Clash) and Simon Tong (the Verve). The second was Rocket Juice & the Moon, an experimental funk band that included Flea of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and released a 2012 self-titled album with multiple guest appearances that ranged from Erykah Badu and M.anifest.
While some of his experimental work also involved collaborations with Techno pioneers, Jeff Mills and Moritz Von Oswald trio, Tony Allen’s solo work in the past decade became a full circle act of sorts. Between 2014 and 2017 when he released ‘Film of Life’ and ‘The Source’, Allen’s music was a thoughtful and largely well-executed attempt at uniting Afrobeat and Jazz, using his mastery of the former to reinterpret the latter. In what was undoubtedly a personal achievement, Allen was able to record and release ‘A Tribute to Art Blakey & the Messengers’, a short project which subtly reimagined several compositions written and performed by one of his idols, including the hard-bop classic, “A Night in Tunisia”.
Earlier this year, in ‘Rejoice’, we finally got Tony Allen’s joint project with South African Jazz luminary, Hugh Masekela, which was recorded in the UK back in 2010. The album is a product of respect between two consummate musicians, and it also celebrates the innovative spirit of African music. Listening to ‘Rejoice’ after the news of Tony Allen’s passing last Thursday, it feels like a ray of heavenly light in these days when anxiety and paranoia are constantly hovering around. Between Masekela’s beaming horn solos and his weathered voice, and Allen’s pattering polyrhythms, ‘Rejoice’ is a calming and invigorating dose of optimism from two African music legends who always sought to bring light through their music.
In comparison to Masekela and other revered legends like Fela and Manu Dibango, Tony Allen didn’t have a singular supernova moment like his colleagues, however, his influence was just as clear. Across his sprawling catalogue, he personified the type of greatness that spoke for itself in the music, greatly and positively altering African music in a way that reverberated all over the music world. Tony Allen is a bonafide African music hero who also managed to become one of the greatest to ever sit behind a drum kit. May his myth never be diminished or forgotten.
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
The world is facing the deadly scourge of the coronavirus, and while we wait for world governments to make a vaccine available, and do our part by staying indoors, music is proving to be an indisputable connecting factor bringing hope and joy to millions around the globe. In the efforts to continue this feat, Angélique Kidjo, in collaboration with the United Nations body, has reworked Miriam Makeba’s “Pata Pata”, in order to raise awareness around the coronavirus outbreak.
Without any alteration to chords or syllables of the original song, the newly reworked “Pata Pata” now has several changes to the lyrics to suit the theme of awareness, and to spread information and hope in a time of Coronavirus. ‘This is the time to sit it out/stay at home and wait it out/keep your distance please’ sings Angelique Kidjo, in what appears to be a homemade video directed right from the artist’s home.
UNICEF is also encouraging the public to submit videos of themselves dancing to “Pata-Pata” by tagging @1unicefafrica on TikTok or @unicefafrica on Instagram with #nopatapata and #healthyathome. The best dance clips will be included in a music video to be released in mid-May.
Speaking on the reworked song, Kidjo told UNICEF that:
“Miriam inspired me. And Pata Pata gave me hope. We all know what needs to be done, but we also know how much communities are suffering. “Pata Pata” has always been there for people at a time of struggle. I hope it helps once more. And I hope from our confined spaces we can dance once more.”
If the No Signal #NS10vs10 catalogue clash over the weekend showed us anything, it was that Wizkid’s star power is undeniable. Not that we ever doubted, but Wizkid has had the game in a chokehold for the past decade since he broke out in 2010 with “Holla At Your Boy”. Since then, his growth is almost palpable from the quality of his music to the heights he has reached since.
He has scored features with several A list musicians from Beyoncé to Drake and Future, whilst also championing and ushering in the next wave of hitmakers from Terri to his rumoured verse on the remix for Santi’s “Freaky” which we’ve heard will never see the light of day. Since he gained more popularity outside of the country in the latter part of last decade, with newer releases like ‘Sounds From The Other Sides’, “Come Closer” and “Soco”, it’s easy for newer fans to have missed his older work which endeared us to him in the first place.
Wizkid actually has one of the most impressive catalogues from any Nigerian artist with three studio albums, one compilation album, and over fifty singles currently in the bag. Since there’s so much material, some of them have slipped under the radar of the more popular hits, and so we’ve decided to bring to you 10 Wizkid tracks you may have forgotten about. So while we wait (not so) patiently for Wizkid’s next project, here are some songs to hold you:
“Sisi Nene”
Wizkid’s earliest releases under EME Records were full of party starters and crowd-pleasers, including this loose 2012 release “Sisi Nene”. Produced by Jay Sleek, who he frequently collaborated with back then, a young Wizkid celebrates his love interest who he only has eyes for. He sings praises to her and asks for her to whine pon him, something many of us who are revisiting this song can recall from our adolescent parties where we used to grind against the walls.
“For Me” featuring Wande Coal
Any DJ worth his salt would play this song in the club if he wants to get a rousing reaction from the party-goers. Off Wizkid’s debut album, “For Me” was one of the best collaborations we had in the last decade and we’re surprised the song was never made a single. Regardless, it made its way into everyone’s hearts and was one of the tracks which cemented Wizkid as the G.O.A.T, alongside Wande Coal who had already made his stamp.
Wizkid and Wande Coal showed incredible synergy, against a catchy and energetic beat singing mostly in Yoruba about the effect a lover has on them. Whether you understand what they’re saying or not, you can appreciate the fantastic sonic quality.
“Shout Out”
Everyone has seen the viral video of a young Wizkid performing “Shout Out” as a raw, emotional freestyle on the streets of ‘Lere back in the days when he was fast becoming a local champion. When his debut album ‘Superstar’ came in 2011, Wizkid included the famous freestyle into his project, only more refined and more suited match the other hits on the album such as “Don’t Dull” and “Scatter the Floor”.
On “Shout Out”, Wizkid speaks about his rise as an artist, giving a shout out to all his friends and chosen family who have bolstered him up to star status. The chantable hook where he sang “God go make you bigger” to each person he gave a shout out became a staple #thatyear, and will still slap when we hear it today.
“Murder” ft Wale
In 2014, Wizkid released his second studio album ‘Ayo’ and while “Ojuelegba” won the hearts of fans and listeners everywhere, there were several deep cuts which slipped under the radar, such as the Maleek Berry-produced, Wale-assisted “Murder”. The upbeat track sees Wizkid singing entrancingly about a lover, whose looks “are killing [him] murder”.
In his usual slick and sensual manner, Wizkid is on top form navigating between the catchy hook and the two verses before Wale joins him to drop some Yoruba bars, which was super exciting at the time the song dropped. Following this, Wizkid and Wale went on to collaborating again on the fantastic “My Love” alongside Major Lazer and Dua Lipa.
“One Question” featuring Yemi Sax
Over the course of his career, people have accused Wizkid of switching up, however one thing which has remained consistent is his dedication to releasing love songs. Released as a single on Valentine’s Day before his sophomore album dropped, “One Question” was clearly angled for the lovers and he did a great job mixing his party-starting ability with an amorous number on this track. Enlisting Yemi Sax to give the song a more romantic feel with the blaring saxophone, this is one of the best Wizkid songs in the catalogue.
“Wine to the Top” – Vybz Kartel featuring Wizkid
We definitely had to add this number to the list, as not only is it a hugely underrated jam that we don’t get to hear enough in the clubs, it’s actually a single from Wizkid and Vybz Kartel himself. The clash from the weekend had people digging up Starboy’s old tweets including one where he admitted to Vybz Kartel’s music heavily influencing his, and this influence is made abundantly clear on “Wine to the Top”, as Wizkid puts on his best patois-filled verse for this waist-breaking number.
“Everytime” ft Future
By the time Wizkid had featured on Drake’s chart-scaling number “One Dance” it seemed like the international features were literally rolling in by the thousands. ‘Sounds from the Other Side’ saw him linking with Drake again, Major Lazer and even Trey Songz and Ty Dolla $ign.
That same year, he tapped into everyone’s problematic fave, Future for a romantic single “Everytime”. The song was only released on Soundcloud for a long time, and was then made available on streaming platforms a little while after, so it managed to slip under the radar as well. Produced by Shizzi, both artists traded bars about beautiful, enchanting women who they can’t seem to shake off their minds.
“Blow” ft Blaq Jerzee
Last December, Wizkid surprised fans with a new 7-track project ‘SoundMan Vol.1’ on which he paired his intoxicating melodies with colourful beats from producers Kel P, Blaq Jerzee and newcomer, London. On the EP’s second track “Blow”, Wizkid leans further into his Caribbean influences with the raunchy intentions behind his laid back vocals as he tries to woo a love interest. The T.G. Omori-directed visuals match the song’s colourful and seductive lyrics.
Thank You
At the time it was released, “Thank You” strayed away not the usual infectious danceable afropop melody we were used to expecting from Wizkid. To show off his range, he dropped a thanful and appreciative track to his fans for their undeniable support over the course of his short stint at the time, over the catchy Spellz-produced beat produced. These days, Wizkid stans, known as Wizkid FC are almost on the same ranks as the Beyhive or Barbs, and the #NS10V10 clash definitely showed this, when they showed up and out to support Wizkid in online polls to win the #NS10vs10.
Featured image credits/Wizkid/Instagram
Tami is living in a black mirror episode and can’t seem to wake up. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
Ever since he released his debut project, ‘Lagos City Vice’ in 2018, WANI has made his mark on the scene as one to watch and has only grown more into his potential since. For his latest effort on DRB’s “I Swear”, he steals the entire show with his reflective lyrics and impressive vocals, where he gives us a lesson on the importance of vulnerability and resilience.
WANI announced on Twitter that he wrote this verse right after his performance at NATIVELAND 2018, where he wasn’t met with the reaction he was expecting after all the love LCV was met with online.
I wrote “I swear” after my nativeland 2018 performance, Imagine dropping the hottest project in the country and people still don’t know who you are. everywhere quite on stage 😂 🏃🏿
“I swear” was a promise to myself to keep on pushing , I can’t let these nigga see me break !
Against a mellow beat produced by Beatdemons, BOJ starts the song off with the catchy hook, before WANI joins with the chorus where he sings very poignant lyrics saying: “Can’t fall asleep not even on my off days, I swear I’m gunning like I’ve never before” and “I ride for me when no one’s there”. Showing that you need to show up for yourself even when it’s hard to.
Speaking to the NATIVE about his contribution to the song, Wani says:
“I was in a lot of pain when I wrote that chorus. I had never really performed any of the songs from my project, so I thought I was going to kill the performance and I didn’t get the reaction I was hoping I would get.
You might listen to the song and think I’m trying to flex, but I was just hoping the things I was saying would happen in the future, and it’s starting to manifest. People are fucking with me more now so there’s been some progress there. I don’t have that much anxiety in performances anymore because now at least people know me”
DRB’s aim with this project was to show what it’s like to be a young man hustling in Lagos, and “I Swear” is a more vulnerable take on this than the rest of the songs. Resilience is an ineffable quality to have in life, and rather than letting failure overcome us and drain our resolve, we must always find a way to rise from the ashes, and DRB’s “I Swear” serves as a great reminder.
The mellow beat matches the song’s vulnerability and leaves enough room for each artists’ vocals to take centre stage. To buttress WANI’s sentiments, Teezee’s verse speaks about how his time off gave him the drive he needs and how much he grew in the time he took to recuperate. Fresh L also continues in this mode, rapping that he’s often labelled as underrated and that he’ll be rated someday, letting us know about his strong resolve and work ethic.
It’s typical for people to feel pain, bottle it up, and carry on like normal. With this song, WANI released his emotions and wrote himself the perfect reminder that he needs to be resilient in order to get ahead. “I Swear” is a great pick me up, and the perfect soundtrack for those times when you’re feeling a bit unmotivated and need a dose of self-love.
Every time an artist drops new music, they’re unwittingly competing with their previous work, and in some cases, older version(s) of themselves. Unlike new artists who have the luxury of a clean slate, artists we’re more familiar with are always placed in conversations about what they’ve done before, especially in the eyes of the public who have come to define these artists based on their own reception to previous releases.
Since the public’s reaction is what determines the success of the song, it’s widely regarded that once music is officially released, it now belongs to the public. During this period, opinions on the quality of the music begin to fly about, and due to the subjective nature of those, we tend to project our set expectations of the artist.
While opinions are very important when it comes to music, basing them solely on a perception of who the artist should be due to their previous work only serves to box them in and obfuscate evolution. Once there’s a dissatisfaction, sometimes brought upon by what the switch-up represents and not the actual quality of the music, opinions turn into suggestions, which in turn becomes outright demand. This is why perhaps for example, calls for the ‘old’, soul-sampling Kanye have become a thing, ever since he dropped the bolshy and deliberately aggressive ‘Yeezus’ back in 2013.
One of the most noticeable examples of this in afropop is Wizkid, who is currently the go-to artist for debates about old and new versions of an artist, and which version is better. Wizkid’s major breakout on to the global stage, ‘Sounds from the Other Side’, became the catalyst behind this debate, since there’s a perception that it alienated the majority of his local supporters for not being ‘Nigerian enough’.
At a time when the mid-tempo, banku-indented variant had become a norm in the Nigerian mainstream, Wizkid brought afro-Caribbean melodies to the table, and even though it wasn’t a radical or inaccessible musical choice, the reception wasn’t quite what you’d expect from a Wizkid project. What made the album frustrating to some, was that we had all been waiting a long time for the album, and it didn’t remotely sound like his classic debut album, ‘Superstar’. As a result, instead of being judged by sonic quality, ‘SFTOS’ was mainly subject to opinions based off expectations and external semantics.
To be clear, ‘SFTOS’ isn’t some misunderstood classic, however, the initial reactions grossly undersell the project’s quality. Shortly after, Wizkid went on a run of smash hits, which ostensibly sounded ‘Nigerian enough’, including “Manya”, “Soco” and “Fake Love”. While the success of those songs was rightfully deemed as a return to form, that switch-up gives fans the idea that they can explicitly dictate how an artist should approach their craft, which begs the question of what will happen if Wizkid decides to switch up his sound on us again, and whether he will have to conform to expectations if many don’t like the change and not even particularly the music.
As listeners and observers who aren’t part of the creative process, we need to respect that artists deserve to make whatever type of music they want to make. Anything less than that, is a way of stifling autonomy and diminishing creative agency, which only impedes artistic growth. We can still hold artists accountable regardless, by giving their music a chance on its own terms rather than what we want it to be or sound like.
The important thing to know is, music comprises a handful of elements—instruments, voices, chords, etc.—and while various genres work with different types of arrangements, each person can deem the music as good or bad according to their tastes, but at least with some level of open-mindedness.
It’s not wrong to set the standard for an artist based on their previous work, however, there should be room to expect the unexpected. For more niche artists and those who have created an identity on being constantly experimental, preconceived notions are never an issue, this is more for artists who are expected to frequently score hit songs.
In one of the highlights of a recent Instagram live session, M.I Abaga was briefly joined by DJ Spinall, who made it plain that all he wanted from the rapper was club anthems in the same vein as “Anoti” and “Bad Belle”, not the lyrically dense efforts he’s put out over the last two months. A few days before, an article with this same sentiment surfaced, where the writer deemed M.I’s recent projects as a step back for Nigerian rap music because none of the songs were obvious club hits and catchy anthems.
While it’s well-intentioned to want an artist to make music which garners mass appeal, it’s disingenuous to ridicule their output because it doesn’t conform to a set agenda. During the same live session, M.I was joined by Sarkodie, and they discussed what it means to juggle what you want to do as an artist and what the people are demanding of you. For both these rappers, who have proven adept at making hit songs and no-frills rap music simultaneously, putting a boundary on their musical direction is an affront to their proven abilities.
Sadly, though, public validation is central to an artist’s relevance, and since commercial success is the gauge for acceptance, some artists will constantly appease the fans to the detriment of their freedom to express themselves through the music. In order to balance things out and foster a wholesome ecosystem, listeners need to approach music with some level of awareness— the least we can do is to not suffocate them with our ideas of what their music should be and judge accordingly.
Opinions are important, dictating isn’t.
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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.
Last Friday, we enjoyed new releases from DRB, WurlD, Adekunle Gold, Maison 2500, Adanna Duru and many more, as artists around the continent continue to roll out much-needed music to get through these strange and unprecedented times. To start off the new week, we have new releases from Skepta and the late Tony Allen who join the Gorillaz on their new single “Song Machine: How Far?”. We also have new releases from M.anifest, Dammy Krane, ShowDemCamp, Idris King x DAP the Contract, Deena Ade, Ictooicy. Dig in, and you’re welcome.
Gorillaz – “Song Machine: How Far?” featuring Skepta & Tony Allen
Grammy-winning group, Gorillaz are paying homage to the late Afrobeat legend, Tony Allen with their new single “Song Machine: How Far?” which they enlisted Skepta for. In his usual fashion, Skepta reflects on his journey whilst navigating the music industry with impeccable flow, rapping: ‘Just know I love the action but I move in silence/Taking what’s mine till Elizabeth returns the diamonds’ self-assuredly before the song closes out with Tony Allen’s vocals.
In a press release, the Gorillaz revealed that “The track was written and recorded with Skepta in London just before lockdown and is being shared immediately as a tribute to the spirit of a great man, Tony Allen”. Rest in Power.
M.anifest – “No Long Talk”
M.anifest is back with his first single since the release of his third studio album last year. “No Long Talk” begins with what appears to be a voice note from his father commending him for his achievements and filled with immense pride for his creative son. On the upbeat track produced by Mike Millionz’onem, M.anifest tackles fame and pain with sharp, clear raps. ‘I come alive on IG Live/The lockdown has put a padlock on any new love’ he raps confidently, speaking about how the current state of affairs has made artists resort to social media channels like IG live to connect directly to their fans. The rapper is definitely taking full advantage of this, and is currently collating videos of fans rapping along to “No Long Talk” for a quarantine video special for the new single.
Show Dem Camp – “That Year” featuring Sir Dauda
Rap duo, Show Dem Camp has just released their first single of the year which features talented singer, Sir Dauda, which reflects upon how far they’ve come in the game over the years. With an Ikon-produced beat laced by acoustic strings and vivid percussion patterns, the duo trade bars about getting shit popping after years of grinding in the come up as independent artists. In the accompanying music video, we get to see their come up in real-time, with clips of their highs and lows, and the fans who have stood by them throughout their journey.
Dammy Krane – “Aje”
Dammy Krane is clearly gearing up for a comeback on the scene this year, with a new EP titled ‘4 D Girls’ which is due for release this year. Ahead of this, he recently shared the first single, “Aje” where he sings praises to God about his privilege to have basic amenities even in the face of economic struggles in Nigeria. The catchy upbeat track which was produced by Gnash makes for a real feel-good appreciative number, fitting for the unprecedented times we’re all currently facing.
Idris King – “Roses” featuring DAP the Contract
Idris King has just released a new 3-pack release titled ‘Pure’ over the past few weeks, which is exclusively available to stream on his website. His latest drop, “Roses” featuring DAP The Contract sees the pair lusting after a love interest who they seem to be disconnected from. Over airy synths, he alternates between rapping in French and English, while he tries to remind her of the love they shared, before opening the floor for DAP’s straightforward raps.
We love hearing songs from artists who are able to sing what we’re all feeling inside, but aren’t quite able to express, which is what makes Deena Ade’s latest number so special. On “Bitter”, Deena Ade mourns a lost love and is full of rage and anger at this person who has hurt her. ‘Yeah my ego is bruised but I gotta let you go/Yes I’m kinda bitter’ she sings with strong vocals to express her deep pain and resentment for this person who has caused her irreparable damage. We feel you girl!
Watch the homemade music video for “Bitter” below made by Deena Ade herself and Yunastand.
Ictooicy – “Die For You”
Ictooicy is definitely one of the most hardworking young artists in these times, and even in the midst of all the chaos, she’s continuously rolling out content for her social media following from freestyles to new singles and visuals. For her latest release “Die For You”, she’s longing for a past lover and likens her love for this person to a drug which she can’t seem to get enough of. ‘Always knew our love will fade away/And you’re my heroin make me fade away’ she sings, digging into the frustrating knots of life and flipping them into echoing synths-inflected number.
Theophilus King – “Cha Cha Cha”
Theophilus King has just released his first single of the year titled “Cha Cha Cha”, a catchy upbeat number infused with bass, hi-hats, and whistles and slick, scant singing, sure to get anybody on their feet and dancing along. The song is heavily influenced by Salsa, with the title immediately invoking the cha cha slide, whilst managing to flip the popular sound for a boastful rap number.
Featured image credits/Gorillaz
Tami is living in a black mirror episode and can’t seem to wake up. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
The global outbreak of COVID-19 has proven to be a stressful time for those who work on the front lines of health care everywhere in the world. In Nigeria, we can’t imagine how tough it has been for all the doctors, nurses and caregivers all around the nation whilst trying to figure out the virus in an overstretched healthcare system, which lacks almost everything – from staff to equipment, especially given the attitudes of the population who haven’t taken the pandemic as seriously as they should and the rising number of cases everyday.
We must all take extra care, especially now that the government has eased up on the lockdown rules and things are likely to get more hectic around here. Healthcare workers remain at the front line of response and must be given the due props – beyond putting their own lives at risks, they are saving the lives of many, whilst containing the spread of the virus by nursing those who have been infected back to good health.
In order to demonstrate the public’s appreciation for everything Nigerian healthcare workers are doing for us in the wake of the pandemic, The Plug put together a heartwarming show of thanks for them. Featuring artists, actors and radio presenters such as Davido, Kemi Smallz, Jemima Osunde, Basket Mouth and more, the video gives a round of applause all our doctors, nurses, caregivers, research analysts and other key workers in the medical space.
We cannot thank you enough for your bravery, kindness, and valiant sacrifice, and we are wishing you all the best as we all continue to fight the nasty virus. Please do your best to stay at home and anything else you can to avoid the spread of the virus.
Lindsey Abudei has been a silent evangelist for neo-soul and afro-jazz music for nearly two decades. Her debut album ‘..And The Bass Is Queen’ earned critical acclaim for its dramatic compositions, compelling songwriting and Lindsey’s soothing, pitch perfect voice.
Prior to the release of her full length project, she had started her musical journey in Jos, collaborating with artists like Jesse Jagz & Ruby Gyang whilst still completing her law degree. Upon moving to Abuja, she meticulously crafted her debut project, an EP tilted “Brown” with musical composer and songwriter Atta Lenell, which featured a heavy jazzy texture and became a characteristic marker for her music.
Her latest single “One On The Outside” is an enthralling ballad, featuring a lush symphony of chords, tamed by Lindsey’s expansive vocals and gentle adlibs. Ahead of its release last month, we spoke to the songstress to discuss her experiences in the industry so far, her development in the time since her last full-length project, and what it means to be an artist.
NATIVE:It’s been 7 years since the release of ‘Brown EP’, using the knowledge you have now, would you have approached it recently?
Definitely looking back now, there are things that I would have loved to change, but at the same time, I wouldn’t change anything. Brown was me in a space trying to put a stamp on finding myself, so I wouldn’t change it for anything. It was where I was at the time, with the knowledge I had. When the bass is queen came out, it was a different direction, it shows the journey, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. There’s always going to be room for improvement.
NATIVE:How come you decided to take such a long break after ‘..And The Bass Is Queen’?
Lindsey Abudei: It took me 3 years to make ‘..And The Bass Is Queen’. I was taking my time, writing, recording, and figuring out what direction I wanted to go in. My musical absence is not deliberate, everyone has their own process, Lauryn Hill has toured the world with only one album. It takes a while to write, it takes a while to record. I’d rather not burn out just because I want to keep up.
NATIVE:Where does your confidence to not chase a hit single come from?
Lindsey: When it comes to my work, my confidence just comes from me being honest with my art, and how I like to create. People take 2 – 3 years to record an album, some even 5 years, Sade does almost 8 years before an album, so we should really start to embrace the fact that everybody has their own process, and accept it for the way that they are. What matters to me is that I’m not so particular and I’m not really crazy about getting singles out. I’m more interested in creating lasting bodies of work, because those last longer.
NATIVE: In your Ted Talk, you seemed sceptical about Afropop’s emergence on the global scene, would you say being a Nigerian artist holds weight in the international scene?
Lindsey: To be honest, the last couple of years have been really great for Nigerian music. I wouldn’t even call it scepticism, it’s more of a question; why that genre of music is the only genre that is being sold as what comes from Nigeria. For those of us who do genres that aren’t afropop, it doesn’t do justice to us. I’ve really been for opening up the spectrum and letting people see the other genres of music by Nigerians.
Being in residencies, I usually get the reaction; “I didn’t know that Nigerians made this kind of music”. So that tells you the story is not true, the story being sold doesn’t tell the whole thing, it’s only telling a particular part, and somehow the world is swallowing it. I think that there’s just a group of people who the media is selling to, and it doesn’t really go in deep. If you get past the surface, you realise that Nigerian music has not really dug in, as much as you would expect it to, and that for me says a lot.
NATIVE: Would you say that it’s because these genres do not have an extensive history in Nigeria as much as Afropop?
Lindsey: Well because the amount of attention on the particular genre – in this case, afropop– definitely pushes the narrative that this is what’s popular, and radio plays more popular songs. The media focuses more on those musicians, more than other genres, and not many media platforms are catered to other genres. So I think maybe the saturation and the fact that there are more people doing that genre has a part to play.
NATIVE:Do you think it’s easier to make music these days, and does that affect the quality or value of the art form?
Lindsey: I wouldn’t say that ease of entry is the reason why the value of music is less, the way the industry is, sometimes, we’re made to think that everything is so fast-paced and that if you don’t fall in line or follow the formula, you’re not going to be recognisable, or considered. So it puts pressure on the artist to keep putting out stuff, and in the effort of putting out stuff, you’re not really thinking about quality.
I think ease of entry has made it easier for people to actually know of genres that aren’t popular because the Internet has opened up avenues for independent musicians, there are now more tools and resources that are available for independent artists. There was a time where you couldn’t get your music on iTunes or Spotify if you weren’t signed, but now it’s pretty open. If you can pay the fees expected of you to pay for distribution, pretty much anyone can get on iTunes and Spotify or Tidal. Ease of access has made it easier for us to connect with more people outside of Nigeria for those of us who are not in the forefront when it comes to talking about Nigerian music.
NATIVE: Are there other aspects you would like to explore?
Lindsey: There are definitely parts of my creative side I’d like to explore more. I like photography, so far what I’ve done is mobile photography, taking pictures with my phone. I have a VSCO account where you can see some of the photos I’ve taken. With the experiences I’ve had for the residencies I’ve been in, I’ve gotten to the point where I would love to work in a way where I can collaborate with other artists in different disciplines, especially when it comes to visual arts, whether it’s film or photography. In the future, I’m hoping I can find a way to have that intersection between music and film, or music and photography as moving forward, as a way of expressing myself more, because I feel like these are two things I’m interested in.
NATIVE: Do you feel there has been much growth in the alternative scene?
Lindsey: I wish that we would get past having these two categories, if it’s not afropop, then it’s alternative. There are other genres, like r&b, soul, indie etc. I like that they are showing a different side of Nigerian music, but I feel like it’s also now creating this big box that they’re shoving people in, so if you’re not in afropop, you’re shoved into that and I’m not very enthusiastic about it. I still want to see it expanded, because I’ve heard people who have done good music, who are active in different genres, whether it’s afro-jazz or soul, and I want to see them come out and be shown as who they are, and not just shoved into a category that is not Afrobeat. The alternative name that doesn’t do justice to what the artist is saying about their music.
NATIVE: Which other artists are you currently listening to and championing?
Lindsey: Definitely there are people’s albums that I enjoy, like Asa’s album I was excited about, there are still people like Bez and many others like the Cavemen, who are doing this very interesting fusion of contemporary genres with highlife, people like that I enjoy.
Featured Image Credits: Web/ Lindsey Abudei
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Djaji is a creative Vagabond, send me your takes on music and African culture @djajiprime
As the world we are used to fades into the past, with not much certainty of when, or even if, we will get it back, there are few constants that have been able to keep us sane – music is one of them. Whilst we can’t listen to our favourite new releases in the clubs, or show off our intricate knowledge of sub-genres on the AUX, platforms such as RECESS’ offshoot No Signal are giving us different ways to digest music as a community, most notably through their now infamous artist catalogue battles, #NS10vs10.
Brothers, Jojo and David are the duo behind the London party sect, RECESS, commonly dubbed “the party of the people”. Beginning No Signal in order to extend their ecosystem, giving more DJs the opportunity to join the RECESS network through a more casual platform, Jojo and David have now become the masterminds behind one of the most coveted radio shows in the UK, and beyond, during this lockdown period. With their 10vs10 battles welcoming audiences from over 34 countries around the world, breaking their record listeners with each episode – the Burna Boy and Popcaan clash brought in over 24,000 listeners – No Signal has even influenced album sales and chart positions, as fans look to familiarise themselves with the discographies of the artists being pitted against each other.
Ahead of tonight’s hotly anticipated clash between Wizkid vs Vybz Kartel clash, we spoke to the RECESS duo about how the battles have affected them as a business and individuals. But first, let’s hear what the pundits for tonight, Joie and Levels, have to say about their tactics and techniques going into the big game.
The NATIVE: How are you preparing for battle? In terms of finding the right songs from their vast discographies and tactics going into the battle.
Joie: I’ve been listening to Wizkid alllll week, really zooming on the songs with the best production because we all know songs are not just the lyrics and performance; it’s about how it makes you feel. Obviously I’ve had recommendations but I think my list will at least please SOME people.
How are you handling the pressure? Both Vybz and Wizkid have some pretty passionate fans
Mate, I don’t even know if I’m handling it. I’ve put my twitter account on private so people don’t bother me and yet they still find me. Either way, I’m a confident person so my tongue is just as sharp as theirs.
Why is it important to you to showcase these discographies?
Music is very important to me and it’s especially important to explore the music of the kings of their respective countries. We don’t seem to understand how deeply intrinsic our music is back home and how much of a cultural impact they’ve had.
The NATIVE: How are you preparing for battle? In terms of finding the right songs from their vast discographies and tactics going into the battle.
Levels: Kartel has over 1000 songs so condensing his catalogue into 15 hits, whereby only 10 will play, has definitely required more focus than my dissertation!
How are you handling the pressure? Both Vybz and Wizkid have some pretty passionate fans
No pressure at all. I see it as a little bit of online fun – corona cheer, if you like. If Kartel’s freedom was dependent on today’s results than I’d be a nervous wreck!
Why is it important to you to showcase these discographies?
Wizkid has achieved phenomenal success and has had an illustrious career within the last decade. He’s catapulted himself to the pinnacle of African pop music and transformed himself into a global icon
On the other hand, Kartel has achieved then near impossible. Constantly reinventing himself and remaining the dominant force within Dancehall – even from a prison cell for 8.5 years – is a feat to be celebrated and there’s no better way to do so than showcasing his music.
The NATIVE: How have the No Signal battles been helpful in helping you sustain the business during these uncertain times?
RECESS: Obviously the parties bring in money and [the radio] stuff hasn’t brought in money so far but it’s brought a lot of awareness and stuff like that. We like to entertain people, and [No Signal] given us a chance to entertain people and still maintain our relevance as people who program moments. We put together moments and find ways for people to enjoy themselves.
I’d say it does put less pressure on us to keep RECESS relevant or alive. RECESS can still exist on a more dormant basis, because this whole 10v10 has allowed us to still maintain our presence as people who create cultural moments. So we’re not making money but by making the right moves we can start making money.
What inspired you to begin the 10v10?
The 10v10 started from the desire to make interactive content. So, we saw a lot of stuff at the beginning of quarantine, people on Instagram Live – we had all of those Lives going off, like Tory Lanez, Versuz that Timbaland and Swizz Beatz started. Naturally, Versuz started a lot of conversations, and then one guy called Bola tweeted “Drake vs 50 10v10 who would win?”
I saw it and I was like we can make this happen at No Signal. I know how to make audio and voice chat and mix it together and put up a radio show from our bedroom. So I messaged him and just told him ‘listen we can make it happen, are you down?’ Then I got like Jameela down, I got my friend Scully the presenter and Henrie the presenter as well, got them down to host it and yeah, the rest is history to be fair.
When did you realise that this had caught the attention of the public, beyond the audience that knows Recess for the parties?
I think it was after the Kojo one that we realised this was beyond the RECESS crowd. But even from the early days, I would even say the RECESS crowd jumped on, because like in the early days the numbers were still quite low compared to something RECESS might do.
People would lock into the RECESS show – I remember when we first started this No Signal Radio we would do streams earlier this month [on RECESS] and the RECESS parties and shows would probably get more streams than the no signal show, by far. But now it’s completely the opposite way around so, I can’t lie to you I think the RECESS crowd even jumped on to this, because they weren’t aware of it either. Before we only used our platform to stream our parties and things we used to do and maybe do events on the side with the name No Signal.
How do you feel about the reception so far?
The reception’s been crazy because at first we had like a hundred people listening, and it’s like ‘ah that’s mad’, then we touched like 200 and it was really mad, that was Nicki Minaj vs Lil Kim. But then it started to take off when we did 50 vs Ja Rule, we had like 851 and we was like “what the fuck!?” But then, J Hus and Kojo, that’s when it was like 4000, 4500 people and it was like ‘you this is actually kind of crazy’. And people knew what we were doing innit.
What have you learned from this whole experience?
My experience is that you can’t please everybody. We’ve had so many negative comments about this, it’s crazy – you can’t even take it personally. People will say ‘why are you comparing them? Vybz Kartel is incomparable’. Other people were being inflammatory towards dancehall lovers and Vybz Kartel. It was a bit mad, it was a bit mad to see all that, but you can’t take it personally.
Another thing we’ve probably learned is that there’s no excuse. Like this is DIY radio out of our bedrooms, DJs are doing it out of their bedrooms, all the hosts, out of their bedrooms – yeah, there’s really no excuse in life. If you see there’s a problem, something you don’t like in any field that you work in, try be the solution instead of complaining.
Can’t lie we was complaining before. When we were on road, we were complaining all the time. We were like ‘when we get a studio we’ll pattern it properly’ but now this Corana has forced us to actually pattern up.
Do you think clash culture is going to make a comeback whenever we’re allowed back out again?
I think the clash culture never left. If you go to raves, you go to parties, you’ll just know it’s never left. But in terms of the way it’s so prominent and regular [now]?
I think this is a good time to re-educate people on clash culture. Obviously, we’re not here to teach anybody, that’s why we’re not calling it a clash because we know that this ain’t exactly a clash – it has a few elements of traditional clash culture but this ain’t a traditional clash.
But I do feel it’s time for clash culture to step into the 21st Century. Not that it’s old, but it’s always referenced like ‘oh it used to be great back in the day’ do you know what I mean? So [we want clash culture to] step into 2020 and beyond, for people to understand it, not for it to be watered down but for it to be made palatable for everyone to enjoy.
It deffo could run because music is one of those things that you can enjoy in so many ways, and the fact that clash culture exists shows that music is really something. To enjoy music in a way that’s borderline competitive where opinions really matter in a space like our space where we usually enjoy and dance to music but right now my opinion count, that’s really something.
And another thing we wanna say is: Black Radio Baby
“First of all, it’s not your fault at all that someone is abusing their power, trust, and love. We let women know that love is great, but should never be violent. If any love is violent, then it’s not love at all and they should not be in a place where they do not feel safe. We help them understand what support is available for them and the risk of not leaving an abusive relationship”.
This is what the founder of the StandtoEndRape Initiative, Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, wants every woman to know first when they come to her non-profit organisation for help. The guided and emphatic teaching that no woman brings assault upon herself, regardless of the nature of her relationship and a reminder that love does not justify physical abuse in any way.
StandtoEndRape Initiative or S.T.E.R as it is commonly known has been the brainchild of Oluwaseun Ayodeji since its inception in 2014 when the youth-led movement was born. Since surviving her own abuse in 2011, she has remained dedicated to raising awareness of violence against women and girls. “I started S.T.E.R because I saw a death in resources,” she tells me over a Whatsapp call, “I saw there was a death in resources in terms of content around sexual violence and what rape is and how people should break the silence and speak up and there was a death of resources in terms of where to get the help”.
To bridge the gap in this death of resources, Olwaseun Ayodeji took on the arduous task of fighting for women like herself, and those who were less privileged, in a country where women’s issues are still placed on the back burner. Her fight against the system came with its struggles and limitations, “When I first started, it was really tough and difficult because I would get a case and I would struggle between getting medical help, legal help, mental health therapy and economic empowerment at the same time for just one person”. From battling with the inept court systems to dealing with policemen who couldn’t care less about women, Oluwaseun Ayodeji struggled to keep S.T.E.R running but amidst all odds, she continued to fight for the women who sought out her help.
“The police at some point were frustrating, the legal system was frustrating, the medical system as well, it felt like the world was on my shoulder and I was struggling. Until people starting reaching out to volunteer their services, and I was able to help more people. Even now, there are times when we get cases and we refer them and we don’t get the outcome we are hoping to get, and for the client, it’s like ‘STER has failed me’, but it’s really just the system that didn’t let things work, and people don’t see that. It’s been a difficult state to navigate, especially when people have to get evidence for their case to receive justice”.
Now, S.T.E.R is a full-functioning youth-led non-profit organisation with offices in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt and volunteers in other states across the country. S.T.E.R also provides a range of programs for women and children that range from advocacy to mental health coaching. “We run a range of programs from on-ground community-driven activities and advocacy to litigation, research, M&E, and learning which monitors our impact and scale our activities to even communications for creatives or writers to get involved in and mental health, and psycho-social support unit” she explains to me, listing off the different departments available for volunteering.
With worldwide lockdowns and social distancing becoming the order of the day, Oluwaseun Ayodeji is seeing a disturbing surge in the number of cases she receives. “We have received an increase in the number of calls and reports and at this time where our impact is limited, we are working on referrals for shelter services, and also providing support for mental health. Because of the lockdown, we are not able to provide our medical or legal services in Lagos, but for other states, we are able to do so”. Even during our interview, she is distracted by incoming messages from women seeking out help from her, which shows just how steep these cases have become in recent times.
April is sexual assault awareness month, and to close out the month, a group of women were brave enough to name and shame their abusers on social media yesterday. A remarkable feat in which we witnessed true strength in numbers and camaraderie in women siding with each other against a patriarchal, misogynistic society that still sides with the abusers and perpetrators in power over women. S.T.E.R saw this social media callout as an opportunity to reach out to more women and men who are currently in abusive and violent homes. They have also currently teamed up with Piggy Vest to start a donation fund for women who are unable to cover their own legal fees.
Hey survivors, your timeline is probably very triggering today. Abusers are being outed and hard but important conversations are being held. Remember you can get help and much needed support from us ❤️
Fill our form at https://t.co/dI5BbpH5uG
We love you, it was never your fault.
For Oluwaseun Ayodeji, her long-term plans for S.T.E.R all involve working hand-in-hand with the government to help victims and provide data that will be used to influence future policies and laws. “We’re looking to morph into a capacity-building organisation to help governments to develop programs to help assault survivors. It’s very hopeful and grand, but by the next 5 years we are hoping that we have other organisations doing what we do now, directly providing support to survivors giving us the chance to progress into something much more”. With the government already taking on suggestions from these youth-led organisations such as the federal sex offender’s registry we finally got in Nigeria, and plans for a new Sex for Marks Bill, S.T.E.R’s long term plan is definitely within reach if we all work together.
People, in collaboration with @StandtoEndRape, we now have a link where you can donate to the legal fund to help the ladies who have come forward.
Friday is universally known as the day for new music releases. This means there’s so much music to wade through, and a few might be lost in the shuffle. To help out, here’s a run-down of newly released projects The NATIVE recommends from this week’s slew of releases. From the joint tape from Mut4y and Elhi, debut projects from Terri and Northboi, new EPs from Juls and Maison500, and more, make sure you dig in – you’re welcome.
DRB Lasgidi – ‘Pioneers’
It took about a decade for DRB Lasgidi – BOJ, Teezee and Fresh L, to put together their newly released album, ‘Pioneers’. The 12-track project is both an acknowledgement to their individual growths over that time, as well as their influence on Nigerian music and youth culture. To that end, ‘Pioneers’ is packed with high profile features from Olamide, Odunsi (the Engine), Santi, Tems, Lady Donli and more.
Listen to ‘Pioneers’ via Apple Music here.
Mut4y x Elhi – ‘Eu4ria’ (EP)
Mut4y, one-half of production duo, Legendury Beatz, linked up with rising Fresh Meat alum, Elhi, for a joint EP which could very well be the beginning of his breakout era. ‘Eu4ria’ is made up of five tracks, including previously released singles, “Bad” and “Feeling U”, which serves as good indication of the young singer’s talent. The project is entirely produced by Mut4y, while Elhi handles vocal duties all through.
Listen to ‘Eu4ria’ via Apple Music here.
Terri – ‘Afro Series’
Since his introduction on “Soco”, Starboy signee, Terri has been biding his time with singles and feature appearances. The singer has now released his long-awaited debut project, ‘Afro Series’, which houses seven new tracks, with production from Sarz, Tuzi and more. Terri clearly wants to introduce himself on his own terms, and give people a taste of what he’s really about, with no guest features on his debut.
Listen to ‘Afro Series’ via Apple Music here.
Reniss – ‘Nzo’
Reniss is a Cameroonian singer/songwriter who makes vibrant Electro-Pop music, while also inflecting folksy elements to reflect her roots. ‘Nzo’ is the singer’s sophomore studio album, the official follow-up to her 2016 debut album, ‘Tendon’. The new LP contains twelve tracks, with no guest features.
Listen to ‘Nzo’ via Apple Music here.
Maison2500 – ‘Turnpike’ (EP)
Maison2500’s last project, ‘Maseworld’, shot the rapper into higher prominence which introduced most people to his immense talent. His follow up, ‘Turnpike’, continues to consolidate Maison as one of the more exciting artists around, and shows his growth since his breakout. The short tape is made up of five tracks, including the exhilarating, Odunsi-assisted lead single, “Dirty Fanta”.
Listen to ‘Turnpike’ via Apple Music here.
Juls – ‘Happy Place’ (EP)
Less than a year after releasing his stellar and vibrant sophomore album, ‘Colour’, Juls is back with a new EP, ‘Happy Place’. The UK-based Ghanaian producer/DJ continues to explore the colourful range of music in Africa and the diaspora, with the 5-track EP featuring a range of guest artists from all around the globe including Busiswa, King Promise, Jamaican reggae artist Jah Cure and Canadian-Nigerian singer TOBi.
Listen to ‘Happy Place’ via Apple Music here.
Northboi – ‘Spirit Business I’
Since ascending to mainstream prominence as the producer behind Wizkid’s “Soco” and a string of follow-up hits, Northboi has christened himself the oracle of new music. After his major controversy and fall out with Wizkid last year, the producer is back to letting his music do the talking. ‘Spirit Business I’ is Northboi’s debut project, and it comprises twelve tracks with no featured vocal assists. The beat tape is Northboi backing up his assertion that he’s one of the best around, and he’s not wrong.
Listen to ‘Spirit Business I’ via Apple Music here.
Featured Image Credits: Web/Konbini
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Life in Quarantine is a new bi-weekly column we will be running to give African artists quarantining in different countries from their home country the audience to speak on their current creative processes during the current global pandemic. We take a look into their daily routines and find out how they are fairing being away from their family and friends with no end in sight, yet. To start off the series, we caught up with Enjoy Your Life president, Lady Donli in Canada.
There is no denying that afropop is getting it’s long overdue golden moment, and we’re witnessing a dominant line of new-age at the forefront, taking our music all over the world. The undeniable allure of afropop has lead to many artists from these parts taking on international shows as seen from Santi’s performance at Tyler the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw last year to Rema’s string of live shows in the US.
This is what led Lady Donli to North America for a scheduled tour in different states including New York. She was set to fly back from the States to Lagos, but was unable to make it before the government restricted flying and movement, thanks to Miss Rona. Now in Toronto, Lady Donli is trying to take it one day at a time, and is spending most of her days practising the guitar and getting fed up with her male housemates.
Last week, she held an interesting at home concert for her fans, and following that we spoke to the singer about how she’s finding isolation and how she’s coping with the pandemic.
DONLI: I was on a little North American tour, and I was meant to have a show in New York but my show was cancelled because of the pandemic. I had to take a flight back to Toronto and plan my route from there (Toronto is usually my base when I’m in North America). However, at this time flight prices at the time were so steep so it was literally impossible.
Then I just woke up one morning and they were like borders are closing in Nigeria, and Toronto also closed its borders so I was like oh shit! This was all around the end of March, and I couldn’t get a connecting flight because flying from Canada means I have to transit somewhere so I either had to go to London or New York, and it just didn’t make sense to double my risk.
So I had little choice but to stay here and see how everything plays out. Literally my mantra now is just one day at a time, cause my days are all the same now, they all feel the same. There’s nothing else that can be done, like I’m here and I just have to make the most of it. Being away from my family is hard, this would have been a good period to bond cause I’m never at home ever but we’re here so it is what it is.
On how she’s finding it
Donli: I’m with my manager basically so it’s not too bad. But it’s so cold, the weather here sucks and I am tired of being around men – I’m with my manger and his housemate and they’re both men. On the bright side, I have time to practice the guitar and I’m exercising more and just doing things more consistently that I wouldn’t do if I was in Lagos/Abuja.
On what the city’s like in lockdown
DONLI: I mean people still move about here, the lockdown is actually not that strict, but compared to how Toronto usually is, this is a ghost town. Minus essential stores, all other places are still very much closed, you have to line up to enter grocery stores one-at-a-time. No one’s outside really, and the weather is shit as well so that also contributes. It’s not as strict in the Ontario area, but in other provinces there are way more cases so the social distancing requirements there are stricter. I hear from May they might relax the lockdown a bit over here.
On making new music in isolation
DONLI: Okay so basically my laptop crashed, so that has kind of thrown a huge spanner in the works of my creativity. I’m currently trying to get a new one next week, and so I have not really been recording anything. I have been writing a little bit as I’m practising the guitar, but I have kind of paused on actually creating music and I don’t mind cause a break is needed. I wake up, meditate, make breakfast, practice, practice, practice, exercise, shower, and sleep. Like every day I have the same routine.
On her upcoming single, “Wonda Wonda”
Donli: I made “Wonda Wonda” in November of 2019 in Lagos. I was meant to drop it in like February, but like the dates kept getting pushed back by reasons beyond me. I actually wanted to shoot a video, we had even done the treatment and everything was set to be shot in April, which is when I was originally slated to return to Lagos, but obviously that didn’t happen. Right now, there’s so much uncertainty on whether I will ever get to shoot a video or when all this COVID-sh*t will end so yeah I was just like let’s drop it now cause it’s been ready and people want to listen to it.
On when she wants this all to end
DONLI: I really don’t know when all this will end but I am hoping to come back home in like July. There’s barely any flights, and I definitely don’t want to transit in any country with really high numbers cause of the risk. April ended, thank God, and very soon May will as well. I’m just hoping that by June, I can go home but I’m not trying to be too hopeful.
The constant frequency of cross-Atlantic collaborations is proof that afropop is only moving forward with its global appeal. Across the continent, music has only become more diverse and expansive, leading to a daily flurry of new releases. We’ve decided to help out by sorting through new songs from across all the sub-genres around the continent to curate a column with all the best “Songs of the Day”, to highlight all the new releases you Need to hear.
Earlier in the week, we enjoyed new releases from Korede Bello, Sarkodie, Kiienka, Dapo Turbuna, and Mayorkun and many more, as artists around the continent continue to roll out much-needed music to get through these strange and unprecedented times. Today, we bring you all the new music Friday releases all in one place from Adekunle Gold’s first single “Something Different” under new label Virgin EMI Records, to new releases from DRB, Tekno, Wurld, Noir, Starboi Terri, Yinoulu x Psycho YP, Maison2500, Dusten Truce, Adanna Duru and many more from around the continent. Dig in, and you’re welcome.
Adekunle Gold – “Something Different”
For the past week, Adekunle Gold has been teasing his second single of the year “Something Different” and it’s finally here. The sultry romantic drum-led number sees Adekunle Gold crooning about a girl who seems to still be leading him on, even though he’s ready to commit to her. ‘We could be have been something different/You say no money no Hunny o’ he sings over the song’s hook as he tries to reason with his love interest who is unwilling to fall in love if it’s going to mean not being pampered and spoiled the way she needs.
Tekno – “Sudden”
Tekno is back with his third single of the year, “Sudden” an upbeat number where he runs much-needed social commentary on our country. ‘All of a sudden, hustle don catch/40 billion is a nothing for them’ he sings, mocking politicians and governments around the world who are suddenly pushing out billions of cash to combat the deadly pandemic and its ensuing socio-economic effects on the masses. The ongoing pandemic has shown more than ever that most of the existing systems that were the norm under capitalism are suddenly being halted or corrected, showing just how easy it was to make these changes before the virus took over.
WurlD- “GHOST TOWN”
WurlD is set to release his sophomore solo album ‘AFROSOUL’ later on this month and ahead of this, he’s released a new single “Ghost Town” which he premiered on the COLORSXSTUDIOS stage earlier this week. The afrosoul/pop-tinged production allows for WurlD to show off more of his stellar penmanship, speaking about ending up in a ghost town due to his loneliness and having to go the mile on his own. ‘You only gonna get one chance so you better hit the bullseye’ he sings passionately on the song’s hook, advising others like himself to stay true to their passion and beliefs even if it means standing alone.
Noir – “Down for It”
Lagos-based artist, Noir has just released his first single of the year “Down for It” , where he shows his admiration and longing for a love interest over an upbeat afropop-infused beat. The accompanying music video which was directed by UaxSeyi is an extremely vibrant and colourful affair, with varying clips of seductive dancers included to add to the song’s suggestive theme. ‘Sex is human nature’ Noir croons, inviting his love interest to give him a chance and consent to a mutual good time. We love to see consent being addressed in music.
Yinoluu – “You” featuring Psycho YP
Talented beatsmith, Yinoluu’s influence on the music scene is undeniable as seen from his involvement on Odunsi’s debut project ‘rare.’ where he produced the fan-favorite, “Alté Cruise”. To start off the new year, he is set to release an EP ‘Lost Files’ later on in the month, which boasts of features from Amaarae to Mafeni. He’s dropped the second single off the EP, “You” featuring Psycho YP. On “You” we see a different side to YP, where he switches the off-the-cuff raps for a romantic flow aimed at a special woman. ‘Nobody’s ever gon’ take my soul from you’ he croons, expressing just how hooked he is to his love interest.
Starboy Terri – “Ojoro”
Starboy Terri has just released his debut album ‘Afroseries’ which includes the standout track “Ojoro”, a catchy afropop number, which is sure to get anyone off their feet and dancing– even though we’re indoors for awhile. The infectious drum-led Sarz-produced beat makes for the perfect backdrop for Terri’s soft vocals, as he pleads with a love interest not to cheat on him and their love.
Dusten Truce – “Omoge” ft. 3rty and TylerRiddim
Dusten Truce recruits Nigerian singer and producer, 3rty and TylerRiddim for new single “Omoge” on which all three artists exchange verses on love and the ensuing heartbreak which comes with risking it all for love. Over the stellar production from Jayblakez and DJ Xtreme, Truce sings ‘This thing no be game but it’s still a sport/so I keep on playing like Ronaldo with the ball’ as he alludes to love being a game, which he must always have control over like the popular football player, Ronaldo on the pitch.
Adanna Duru – “Acid!”
Adanna Duru’s new single “Acid!” sounds just like the title suggests – it’s experimental, lo-fi, hazy and delectably infectious. ‘I give you the rundown, don’t you ever come round’ she croons over the drubbing beat produced by LA-based producer, Dorktheghost. She sings about the self-confidence and undeniable power she possesses, while she sends a message to naysayers that she is not one to be messed with. Love to see it!
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_
After more than a few attempts, it seems like Vader the Wildcard is finally off to the races. The Ibadan-based rapper first garnered major attention after winning the HennessyVSclass Cypher Competition back in 2017, but he wasn’t able to string together a consistent run of material till last year. In the final half of 2019, he put out two jointprojects with tGM and another short but excellent EP with veteran hip-hop producer, Teckzilla.
For his first official single of the year, “You Garru Be Kidding Me”, Vader cuts loose, committing to the comedic side he’s previously showed on social media and a few previous cuts like “Half of a Mellow Sun”, off WeTalkSound’s ‘Lofn 3’. While it has the same dedication to humour as his other attempts, there’s a sly purpose in how “YGBKM” is basically a series of jokes, with no set-ups and every single line is the punchline. Within these non-sequiturs, you’ll find that Vader’s raps are actually quick-witted and timely observations, coated in playfulness and sarcasm—a language readily available to the average Nigerian.
Between poking fun at greedy religious leaders and chuckling at our generation’s fondness for noncommittal relationships, “YGBKM” is a bit more serious than it initially presents. The levity in Vader’s cadence and the songwriting—especially the title as the refrain—are telling signs that the song was crafted for singalongs and is perfectly suited to his ongoing ‘Kidding Me’ challenge.
“Just imagine someone somewhere thinking this song won’t blow”, Vader jovially quips over the light keys and languid but groovy percussion. When that line comes in at the end of the song, you’re already laughing with him because it’s very possible that he’s correct, given that “YGBKM” is an infectious jam with serious smash hit potential.
Listen to “You Garru Be Kidding Me” here.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/vaderthewildcard
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
All year, we’ve been anticipating the release of DRB’s debut album, ‘Pioneers’, and now it’s finally here. In the run-up, the group released four singles, “Based On”, “Necessary” ft Odunsi The Engine, “Shomo” ft Olamide and “Softly” to prepare us for the eclectic range of sounds to expect from the album, before they revealed the robust guestlist including WANI, Lady Donli, Santi, Maison2500 and many others.
Now, the album has been released and it’s everything we expected it to be and more. Prior to the release, when spoke to the group about how the album came together, we noted that the Nigerian music scape is more diverse than it’s ever been and the eclectic range of sounds in one project is the perfect indication of this.
Speaking to The NATIVE about the album, DRB said:
We really just wanted to show how strong we are as a collective. You can see we’re not all on every single song, we wanted to play to everyone’s strengths and show off our individual abilities as artists. In terms of features, nothing was forced. We collaborated with our friends and people who have been rocking with us from time even the producers.
With standout tracks such as the Teezee, Santi & Maison2500 helmed “Salty” to the cool and mellow Lady Donli-assisted “Ma Pariwo”, they achieved what they were aiming for, and the solid, genre-bending project is definitely a love letter to the alté scene. The vast production work helmed by GMK, Pheelz, Higo, Adey, Genio and more ensures that each featured artist is right at home – most notably WANI on the romantic “I Swear” and Tems on the reflective “Trouble”.
We spoke to The Boys again about which songs from the album are their own favourites, and here’s what they had to say:
Fresh L – “Kasala” is honestly my favourite song, because it’s very mellow and it knocks like heavy. The fusion of everyone’s flow and verses comes together really nicely. I also really like “Necessary” it’s an exciting song.
BOJ – “Trouble” is just a hit song, and Tems absolutely killed it and over gingered. Her flow and texture is crazy and Teez & Fresh really killed it.
Teezee – “Ma Pariwo”, because of how the song came about. We were recording for a long time and Boj got this GMK beat, we all just went crazy, and that same day I got Lady Donli in the studio and it just came together perfectly.
Tony Allen, the pioneering Afrobeat drummer, has passed away. The news was confirmed by Allen’s manager, Eric Trosser, to France24 yesterday. Allen passed away at Georges Pompidou European hospital in Paris, with the cause of death being abdominal aortic aneurysm. He was 79-years old at the time of his passing.
Best known for his work as the drummer in Fela Kuti’s band, Africa ’70, Tony Allen is widely regarded as a co-progenitor of Afrobeat. He initially started his career with a brief stint in the Cool Cats, the Highlife band led by Victor Olaiya, before going on to join Koola Lobitos, the Fela-led band who played a hybrid of Highlife and Jazz in the mid to late ‘60s. As Fela switched gears to Afrobeat, Allen’s drumming style, which were a polyrhythmic, innovative use of the hi-hats and delightfully menacing thuds, became a defining part of the influential genre.
Tony Allen departed from Africa ‘70 in 1978, briefly returning to perform on ‘Music of Many Colours’, the joint album between Fela and legendary soul musician, Roy Ayers. From then, Allen continued to build up a sprawling catalogue of music, which spanned dozens of solo albums and collaborative projects. Notably, he was part of the Good, the bad & the queen, a rock super-group, made up of Damon Albarn (Gorillaz), Paul Simonon (the Clash) and Simon Tong (the Verve), as well as experimental funk outfit Rocket Juice & the Moon, alongside Albarn and Flea (Red Hot Chilli Peppers).
In addition, he put out ‘Tomorrow Comes the Harvest’ in September 2018, a joint project with acclaimed electronic producer/composer, Jeff Mills, and he was the drummer on Angelique Kidjo’s Grammy-winning 2019 album, ‘Celia’. Earlier this year, ‘Rejoice’, the album recorded alongside legendary South African musician Hugh Masekela, back in 2010, was finally released, however, his last solo album, ‘The Source’was released back in 2017.
May his soul rest in peace
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