NATIVE EXCLUSIVE: Why DRB’s debut project, ‘Pioneers’ took 10 years

Posted on by Damilola Animashaun

There’s a vibe that we provide that no one else can. We have so many unreleased DRB music over the years, so now it’s like let’s just give them this thing.

The roots of being alté as we know it were largely set in motion about a decade ago, and it would be impossible to not trace it back to the days of the Double R Boys, who we all know today as DRB. When I was a young teenager, any kind of proximity to them gave you automatic cool points, whether it was from getting emailed the links to their tracks like “Marry You” and “Wait A Minute”, or that Teezee waved to you from afar at their annual DRB concerts.

Today, not much has changed apart from the fact that the foundation they set all those years ago has now been built into a mansion, which houses Lagos’ creative scene. We’re expecting their debut project ‘Pioneers’ after 10 years of being a collective, and ahead of the release, we spoke to TeeZee, BOJ & Fresh L about their decade of contributing to the creative scene in Lagos, what to expect from the album and more.

‘Pioneers’ is a love letter to alté as a whole, with a star studded guest list featuring Odunsi The Engine, Santi, Tems, WANI, D-O, Lady Donli and many others. The group released their fourth single off the upcoming album “Softly” last week, and with the eclectic range of sounds from all three other singles; “Necessary”, “Shomo” & “Based On”,  ‘Pioneers’ is definitely a defining moment, bringing all their efforts over the years to full circle.

As a collective, DRB saw ahead into a time when accessibility, lifestyle and experiences are just as important as the music itself. While they’ve always stayed connected to the music in some way or the other, what DRB sell to us much like it was when they were just the cool guys in school, is themselves.

Years before social media apps like Instagram or Snapchat allowed people feel like they had direct access to their favourite celebrities and influencers, DRB continuously gave the community a peek into their lives. With several vlogs and Facebook videos of them just hanging out or following them as they toured from uni to uni within the UK, the intimacy of these posts also helped them gain a cult following and remain relevant, where everyone watching was made to feel included.

DRB have always been the kind of collective to set the pace. They were the first in our community to actually grow outside of the community, and their first act as a cool and trendy collective of adolescents eventually gave way to their second act as mature solo artists. With their upcoming project, the group is stepping into this next act nicely, having seen the creative scene from bird’s eye level, and touched on every corner from fashion and lifestyle to music and parties. Following in the steps of Wu Tang or Odd Future, clothing and appearance were a big selling point for them. Each member represented a distinct aesthetic which challenged shallow societal representation, and in turn strengthened their collective force.

All those years ago, their branded t-shirts became something of a status symbol amongst our community, and their close friendships with other burgeoning fashion houses such as Modus Vivendii and WAFFLESNCREAM intensified their position as tastemakers. They dressed to stand out from everyone, which today, has become a defining factor of the alté community today.At some point during the last decade, Teezee adopted the moniker ‘Fresh Prince Of Las Gidi’ thanks to his colourful mix and match of clothing, and BOJ established his signature look wearing a big hat and sunglasses which we still see him rock today. The alté scene is coloured by a bunch of people wearing and doing whatever they want, not following the trends from the runways or Instagram, which is considered – much like the original Fresh Prince was – outlandish.

Before the creative scene became what it is in society today, young Nigerians who were creatively inclined had to deal with a lot of nay sayers who saw our work as a hobby, rather than something to be taken seriously. With their music, they have always touched on topics which were relatable to listeners, and in the wider scope, represented a generation who collectively decided to rewrite the rules to suit our own paces.

When I asked the group why they decided to make an album after 10 years on the scene, they said:

“As you develop yourself as a person, and if you care about your craft and what you’re doing, you realise that there are some certain things you need to do to get things done. Life happens and you become forced to take things more seriously. When you get to adulthood, you have to be forced to translate the your passion into bar.”

This drive to create room for their own normal, allowed DRB to explore many different options outside of the music to make things happen for themselves, from organising parties to branching into the media (Teezee as co-founder of The NATIVE & Fresh L as founder of Alte Daily). Being the oldest member of the collective, TeeZee takes on the role of the organiser, who makes sure things are always in order.

Fresh L tells me about Teezee :

“He has always been like the big brother of the group, the one that’s always making sure everything is in order. He’s mostly in charge of our visual identity and does most of the creative direction. He brings in the business for us and generally makes sure we’re always doing what we need to be doing”

Musically, he has consistently maintained a melodic flow which made songs like “Swagga Mi Gbona” and more recent tracks like “Softly” as enjoyable as they are. After being quiet on the music side for a few years, Teezee returned with a big bang with his standout verse on BOJ & Ajebutter’s “Amala” in 2017, which housed the iconic line “I dey shaku with Naomi”.

In his time as the Brand Ambassador for Jameson Nigeria, Teezee managed to make whiskey the go to choice for young party goers, through carefully curated events from the weekly parties at Vapors; Trap Jungle to our annual festival, NATIVELAND. His experience putting together the best and most unique experiences for young Nigerians made him a trusted voice in the corporate world, which facilitated a lot of financial backing for the creative scene as a whole.

Speaking about what we can expect from him on ‘Pioneers’, Teezee said:

“Naturally, I’ve always been melodic, with a weird sounding vibe and unorthodox flow like you hear on “Toyin”. As everyone has grown, our sound has evolved, but with this project, I really want to show that this is my vibe.”

Their individual strengths within the collective definitely play a key role in continuing this drive, and this is only possible through their close camaraderie and need to see each other winning. Having been friends for most of their lives, they have an unspoken understanding of each others’ strong points, which helps their music, branding as a collective and business decisions.

Since NATIVE 11 alum, BOJ moved back to Lagos from schooling in England, he won over the affection of Nigerians with his ability to kill every single hook he’s featured on. His relationship with other artists in the game gave DRB that extra leg in to the music scene, and having featured on super popular songs like “Omo Pastor”, “Feel Alright” in the early 10s gained the group the attention of a wider Nigerian audience.

Speaking to the NATIVE about BOJ’s role,

“He’s been the most popular guy, he’s been on major hits and people see him as like the most blown guy and he always brings us along with him. Sonically and melodically, he has the ear. He also provides the balance in the group, when we’re all being eratic, he’s the voice of reason to bring some grounding to the conversation so everyone is still productive.”

BOJ has spent the past decade listening to more music which has contributed to making his melodies better, so we can expect more fire hooks from him in the future. He’s also been paying more attention to his lyrics, which we can see clearly through his most recent feature on Gigi Atlantis’ “Deathproof”, where he sends a timely message about perseverance and resilience. On this album, he’s interested in being more vocal and saying more things than he used to, in order to reflect his personality better.

Back in the day, DRB used to be a bigger collective in conjunction with CE – CE/DRB, which also included artists like Kasien, Tau Benah 3 Feat and more. In that time, they gave us songs like “Go Harder” & “No Send”, and even though this collective doesn’t really exist anymore, they’ve all continued to work together in different capacities. Fresh L has now started a media outlet with Shayo Okupe (aka 3 Feat or Thr33), in addition to ploughing his own way through the music industry since he moved back to Lagos in 2016.

When we spoke to him prior to the release of his mixtape, S.U.N.S, there was a clear feeling of unfinished business when he discussed the group’s 10th year anniversary. They have been gearing up to this moment for a long time, a BOJ tells me that Fresh L plays the unique role of setting the tone for when they’re making music:

“When it comes to setting the storyline and subject matter that has happened to us, Fresh L is our guy, we want to represent young, black, Nigerian man and he always gets it. He has also managed to keep the brand alive all this time since we’ve been quiet on the music side on social media. He’s kind of like our voice on social media, whether it’s positive or negative. *chuckle*”

His social media pages, especially Twitter, are typically littered with him saying incendiary things to rile people up, but even after being trolled countless times, Fresh L refuses to conceal this aspect of his character to appease the masses, and others who don’t know him personally. 

Through his mixtape, S.U.N.S, we saw an evolution of his sound from straight up raps to suit different melodies. His strength as an artist lies in his pen and his flow, and while he still considers himself a rapper at heart, over the years, his sound has become more malleable. Showing versatility with songs like 2018 summer hit, “Firewood” or his contribution to BOJ’s bolshy track, “Awolowo”, he’s spent the past decade polishing his craft in preparation for what we’ve getting on the new album.

Speaking to us about what to expect from him on this album, Fresh L said:

“I always want to rap. I’m still trying to put as many bars in there as possible, however I’ve trained myself to the point where I can do it on any kind of beat. Whether it’s hip hop, afropop anything. As long as I’m saying what I need to say, I’ll ride the wave.”

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. The role ‘Pioneers’ will play in this is difficult to overstate, being a cultural coming-of-age of sorts, and housing all the popular facets of music we all enjoy from rap & R&B to street-hop and dancehall influenced tunes.

When making music, it’s very important for them to stay true to themselves, much like it is for anything else they involve themselves with. ‘Pioneers’ is their playground as a group, which allows them express themselves as individual artists who belong to a collective.

After ‘Pioneers’ drops this weekend, we can expect more music from each of them as usual. They are all individually working on new music, and they all have new projects on the horizon. According to them, DRB is just the legacy and the foundation that will forever be there. Their album to them, is a means to “introduce people to the past and the future, and 2020 is the perfect year to do that, because it’s not the same world we used to be in”.

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TeeZee is one of the co-founders at The NATIVE

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Where were you: Africans in Conversation is a big step forward for the creative industry

Posted on by Tami Makinde

Over the weekend, Njiko Agency and Abike Studio hosted a digital conference, ’Africans In Conversation’ which was aimed towards creating cultural dialogue between Africans both at home and in the diaspora, who work within the spaces of music, arts, politics, and culture.

Africans In Conversation hosted several industry innovators such as our Editor-In-Chief; Seni Saraki, Lagos-based artist; Adekunle Gold, cultural tastemaker; Jess Finesse, journalist; Joey Akan and many more. They spoke about the current state of the world and their industries within that, how they manoeuvre their chosen fields, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for the continent and African diaspora. With close to 700 RSVPs and attendees, the inaugural conference was a resounding success.

The creative industry in Nigeria is still in its infancy, and creative talent is a huge untapped resource in our society’s ecosystem today, especially within Africa, where people see creativity as more of a hobby than something to be taken seriously. Commercial and more ‘serious’ vocations prioritised and get the most financial backing from the government and private entities alike.

It’s actually very impressive that the creative industry has become what it is today, mainly due to the fact that a bunch of young people came together and decided to rewrite their own rules and take up their own space. For creatives, getting work invested in can be an arduous task, especially in times like this where uncertainty is the order of the day and workflow has been impeded upon by a lot.

The music industry especially has seen a paradigm shift, and the entire world is currently interested in our sound, and our local talents are now performing on a global stage. In the past few years, with efforts such as NATIVELAND in Lagos, La Meme Gang’s Crusade in Accra, and La Sunday in Abidjan, we’ve been aiming to bridge the gap and connect the dots by ourselves.

As our Editor-In-Chief impressed upon in his conversation with Joey Akan at the panel, we have a responsibility to tell authentic stories and showcase the vast talent we have within our community, and also why it’s important for African publications to tell the truth about what’s going on in order to control our own narrative and gain some autonomy over how our stories are being documented.

In the wake of the unease the pandemic is bringing, with everyone being stuck indoors, “Africans In Conversation” was a great way to take our minds off the stress, and also an interesting way for creatives who signed up to the event to network with other creative talent, and expand the scope of their work across various jurisdictions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_cq9sopPej/

Africans In Conversation is digital brainchild of Olive Uche, Dotun Abeshinbioke, and Ikenna Ngwu, who through their the three brands are focused on building and connecting Africans through dialogue. Their efforts provide a safe space for Africans both at home and in the diaspora to commune, share ideas, and connect while engaging in unique and necessary conversations about the continent, working in certain spaces, health & wellness, and more.

Speaking to the NATIVE, the event organisers shared their motivation behind creating the platform and the importance of having such cross-Atlantic events online:

Africans In Conversation was created as a community across different borders at a time, with the aim to evoke feelings of togetherness even while we’re all apart. This conference focused on music and culture and how some African tastemakers are creating names for themselves and thriving within these spaces. We wanted people in attendance to have key takeaways that they could apply to their careers moving forward.

This effort, particularly in the current climate, is admirable as it serves as a reminder of how far the creative industry has come together as a whole and it serves as a much-needed reminder to keep going and grinding against the grain, because there’s a lot for us to do. Check out what some attendees had to say:

“Currently having the best time during this lockdown at this digital conference.”  – Halima Ibrahim

“So many nuggets dropped at Africans In Conversation. Best Sunday spent during lockdown.”  – Chineme Ezekewnenna

“This was very informative and inspiring.” – Benewaah Boateng, Harmattan Rain

Featured Image credits/abike.studios

Tami is living in a black mirror episode and can’t seem to wake up. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_

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Essentials: Listen to Rexxie’s debut project, ‘Afro Streets’

Posted on by The Native

As the producer behind most of Zlatan and Naira Marley’s hit songs, his famous producer tag “Yo Rexxie pon this one” saw him developing a reputation as one of the producers responsible for building Nigeria’s Afro-house scene into a dominating force in the mainstream. Though the works of producers like South Africa’s Black Coffee and the Distruction Boiz already established Afro-house’s acclaim around the world, Rexxie has released his debut project, ‘Afro Streets’ and it defines his role as the architect of the distinctly Nigerian influenced Street-hop sound of Afro-house.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8i_YhiB9IQ/

In many ways, Rexxie’s ‘Afro Streets’ is a genre-defining project. The distinctly ingenious sounds that influence Rexxie’s production are primed to show off all the different range of sounds within an entire scope which is usually boxed as one, and this further highlights the fault with international bodies like the Grammys putting all music from Africa under one umbrella genre, ‘world music’.

From the opening track, “Eze Egwu”, we hear him mix synth harmonies with vibrant traditional drums and whistle harmonies produced by traditional Igbo musical instruments. With no vocal contributions on songs like “Eze Egwu” and “Marlian Riddim”, this allows listeners appreciate Rexxie’s skill, as he draws different elements together to masterfully blend ambient electronic synths with the steady pace of the traditional instruments.

Elsewhere on “I Can Dance”, popular street-hop dancer, Poco Lee makes his debut as an artist on ‘Afro Street’ through his contribution. His DJ-hypeman-esque performance over the frenzied mix of synths and traditional drums highlight that Rexxie’s productions belong on the dancefloor. On “Opor”, he collaborates with Zlatan to produce a lightweight beat for the street-hop rapper’s boastful lyrics. The ambient synths Rexxie layers over the groovy drum riffs definitely make you want to get up and dance, which builds upon the ability for the genre to fork out many of the trendy dance moves we’ve had.

The street-savvy approach to Rexxie’s production is highlighted on standout track, “Mofoti” featuring Naira Marley. While the guitar harmonies aren’t too different from what you’d expect of any highlife-fuelled Afropop song, the traditional drum riffs, whistling harmonies and Naira Marley’s foul-mouthed lyrics distinguish it as a street-hop jam. ‘Afro Streets’ closes out with the Barry Jhay-assisted, “Sokale” the most reflective track on the tape, which sees Barry Jhay’s prayerful introspection over an atmospheric beat.

Rexxie’s debut project challenges the popular divide of African music between South African House and Nigerian pop. The tape captures the very Nigerian allure of Afro-house through the sonic influences and lyrics. Though the casual use of Yoruba language and tropes gives the impression that street-hop is primarily designed to entertain those on the streets of Lagos, tracks like “Eze Egwu” expand the sound to cover other cultures within Nigeria. While the tracks with Yoruba-speaking features highlight Rexxie’s appeal on the streets, the other tracks with no features and vocals broaden the scope of street-hop to match the global renown of Afro-house.

Stream ‘Afro Streets’ below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/rexxiepondabeat
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You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu

ICYMI: Here’s why everyone is so hyped Rexxie released ‘Afro Streets’

Best New Music: Gigi Atlantis delivers a timely message with “Deathproof”

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

According to Gigi Atlantis, this was—or maybe it still is—the year we were going to be catching flight, but look at us now, restricted to the four walls of our bedrooms and houses for our own safety.

“2020”, Gigi’s single from March last year, basked in the bright glow of positivity, honing in on the belief that youth and its heartaches are a portal to better things ahead. Even in the face of a global pandemic, her optimistic stance remains unchanged on her latest release, “Deathproof“.

“Deathproof, ain’t finna die so we rise”, Gigi sings on the sublime hook of her incredible new single featuring BOJ. Both singers come together for a gently nudging anthem over IKON’s flickering Caribbean-pop beat, bringing depth; a lived-in feel and the perfect shade of technical flair required of any song released right now.

One of Gigi’s superpowers lies in her sly and tender voice and its ability to reel you in with it’s riveting coolness. On “Deathproof”, Gigi’s voice exudes a casual confidence that amplifies the potency of her emotionally resonant lyrics. While it’s now common for singers with mood-inducing voices to lean into hazy songwriting, Gigi has set herself apart as a writer with a poetic precision—for example, her party-starting breakout, “Wahala on the Rocks”, is very much an ode to freedom.

“Deathproof” finds the balance between chant-ready declarations and promoting resilience, singing “nobody said that it would be smooth sailing”, which indicates that it’s a song made for both the artist and the audience. This serves as the perfect context for BOJ’s brief, yet, effective cameo where he triumphantly sings, “even if I fall I go get back up”.

In the wider context of a world currently riddled with uncertainties, “Deathproof” is as timely as it gets. It’s a call for us to push through and reject the temptation of apathy, because there’s light at the end of the dark tunnel. Scaling back to Gigi’s career, “Deathproof” is a powerful and well-executed slice of pop music, consolidating Gigi Atlantis as a supremely talented artist with a golden pen and uniquely striking voice.

Listen to “Deathproof” here.

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

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Songs of the Day: new music from Jidenna, Ajebutter, Stonebwoy & many more

Posted on by Tami Makinde

The constant frequency of cross-Atlantic collaborations is proof that afropop is only moving forward with its global appeal. Last week alone, we’ve got new music from Tems and Davido alongside Khalid, and Santi joined Octavian and Obongjayar for a hypnotic bop. 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.

Last Friday, we brought you music from Akon and Wizkid who teamed up for a new single “Escape”, WurlD also released his first single of the year as well as collaboration with Bankuli. To start the new week, we’re bringing you songs you may have missed over the weekend such as Ajebutter’s new single “Big Man Talking” which is currently making rounds on social media with different artists rising to the freestyle challenge. We also have new music from Jidenna, David Meli, SGawD, Mut4y, and GJtheCaesar. Dig in, and you’re welcome.

Jidenna – “Feng Shui” (from Insecure soundtrack)

The fourth season Insecure is here, and while we’re taking in all the new lessons that Issa, Molly, and the other characters in their world have to offer, we can’t gloss over the impressive music played throughout the series. In this light, Jidenna who also starred in the show a few seasons agom is back with a brand new single “Feng Shui” which is set to feature in the next episode. Over an upbeat highlife guitar-led beat, Jidenna adopts a braggadocious persona, where he boasts about having that Feng Shui. ‘They wanna keep me in a chokehold/I send a b*tch nigga one way’ he croons, self-confident in his abilities which set him apart.

Ajebutter – “Big Man Talking”

We haven’t heard from Ajebutter since he released his second joint EP with BOJ, ‘Make E No Cause Fight 2’ which they also enlisted Falz for. He’s back with his first single of the year “Big Man Talking”, where we see Ajebutter switching up his more romantic sounds for a braggadocios anthem, letting the naysayers know he’s a cut above. Over the drubbing beats produced by Que, Ajebutter uses his signature wordplay, rapping “They can’t see the vision, they need Specsavers, talking shit like they need lifesavers” as he challenges his opps who competition who are nothing but dead men walking.

Mut4y x Elhi – “Feeling U”

As one-half of the revered Legendury Beatz, Mut4y has shaped the sound of the afropop genre by working with some of the biggest names on the scene. For his next project, he’s linked up with an up-and-coming singer, Elhi, for a 5-track EP titled ‘Eu4ria’, which will be available next month. Earlier this month, they released one of the singles off their joint project “Bad” and now this week, they have returned with new single “Feeling U” which marks the duo as a formidable pairing. On this new romantic number, Elhi sings about a love interest who has him captivated with her charms and good looks ‘I’m feeling you girl/you don’t need to try’  he sings, offering praises to this mysterious woman who has him smitten.

David Meli – “Only You” featuring Psycho YP

Nigerian singer/songwriter David Meli is back with his sophomore project ‘Fruition’, a smooth 14-track follow up to his 2019 release ‘Zamira’. One of the project’s standouts, which immediately caught our attention was the romantic number, “Only You” featuring the talented Psycho YP.

While David Meli croons his appreciation for a lover who can do no wrong in his eyes because of his love, Psycho YP comes through with his usual onslaught of wordplay. Joining Meli on the second verse, YP subverts the song’s energy to sing about his love for the grind. ‘First thing on my mind is money, it ain’t you’ he sings matter-of-factly letting any love interest know where they stand with him.

Stonebwoy ft Keri Hilson – Nominate

Stonebwoy recently released a new star studded project, Anloga Junction over the weekend, and made one of the standouts – the Keri Hilson-assisted “Nominate” the first single after release. Against a mellow, yet catchy beat, the pair are on top form, presenting a feel-good jam, where they confess amorous feelings for their lovers.

SGaWD – “Whorephobia [Hannibal] Freestyle”

Over here, we’re big fans of more women taking center stage and simply talking their shit, and  SGawD is one rapper who is not afraid to call out men who uphold misogynistic beliefs.  On “Whorephobia [Hannibal] Freestyle”, SGaWD targets the men she’s encountered who have belittled her for living her life unapologetically the same way they would. ‘Cut a nigga off he mad/Niggas hurt you then tell you relax/ give a fuck if you call me a slag’ she raps digging into the frustrating knots of life and turning it into ammunition to school these niggas. We have no choice but to stan!

GJtheCaesar – “Baby Giant” featuring Ayüü

You don’t want to miss GJtheCaesar’s new EP ‘Don’t Play With Me’ a 7-track project which he rolled out last week comprising of tracks made while social distancing during the current mandatory lockdown imposed by world leaders around the world. For the project’s third track “Baby Giant” GJtheCaesar taps into the nonchalant raps of fellow Abuja-based artist Ayüü.

GJtheCaesar starts off by rapping about his current state of mind from losing it during isolation to drinking more alcohol than he would and spending time trolling on Twitter streets. Ayüü comes in with boastful, off-the-cuff raps about his status as a hitmaker ‘You bloody insect trying to talk to the GOAT’ he raps self-assuredly, taking on the persona of the Baby Giant and offering cut-throat one-liners at the competition.

Featured image credits/Instagram

Tami is a lover of women, music and astrology. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_

ICYMI: All the new music you may have missed from last New Music Friday

Making great rap music & chasing money are not mutually exclusive

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

One of JAY-Z’s most quoted passages comes from “Moment of Clarity” on ‘The Black Album’, where he raps: “I dumb down for audience to double my dollars/they criticise me for it yet they all yell HOLA!/If skills sold truth to be told, I’d probably be lyrically Talib Kweli/truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common sense, but I did five mill, I ain’t been rhyming like Common since.” At the time of these raps, Hov had been running the rap game for six straight summers and was already established as the G.O.A.T, yet here he was, explaining the motivation behind the commercial tilt of his music.

As an art-from which focuses a lot on how its practitioners use words (especially among its fair share of purists) rappers who consider themselves to be the best are usually held to high standards when it comes to content and technical writing. Prior to today’s more diverse and boundless hip-hop terrain, the perception that a rapper was compromising lyrical depth and complexity for crossover appeal was frowned upon by these purists.

In his memoir, “Decoded”, JAY explained that he started out in the late ‘80s wanting to be the best technical wordsmith possible, but upon realising hip-hop’s bright future and seeing rap as a potent medium to deliver stories and life lessons, he began to tailor his music to entertain and connect with more people than it impressed upon. This strategy clearly paid off for him, and JAY-Z is widely regarded as the greatest these days, carving his name into music history books—quite literally—through skill and clarity. The rap mogul is walking proof that making great rap music and cashing huge cheques are not mutually exclusive.

In Nigeria’s needlessly segregated hip-hop scene, there’s the currently held belief that being overtly ‘lyrical/hardcore’ is a recipe for constantly fighting obscurity, while rappers who are commercially successful by peddling different varieties of pop-rap aren’t to be looked at through a lens of critical (rap) acclaim. The effect of this dichotomy is that, the English rap is seen as struggling, while indigenous rap music is sometimes dismissed as an artless form of hip-hop. While this contrasting narrative has been pushed to fans, what’s precarious is that it’s being internalised and publicly projected by the rappers themselves.

On “STFU”, the intro track of his newly released sophomore project, ‘Codename, Vol. II’, Dremo issues a stern declaration of where his intentions lie. Rapping with ferocity, the DMW rapper requests for his name to be left out of conversations about who the best rappers are, since being regarded as the best doesn’t expressly secure him a bag or put food on his table. Ironically, on the day of the project release, there was a whole debate on Twitter about whether or not Dremo was indeed one of—if not—the best rapper in Africa.

The debate, which featured a stinging, yet, ultimately friendly back-and-forth between Ycee and DMW label boss Davido, was more or less an indicator that wanting to be regarded as (one of) the best is an intrinsic and almost inescapable part of rap music, depending on the degree to which each rapper cares. While Dremo claims that he’s only focused on making his money, he can’t control discussions on whether he’s the best—or even a good rapper to begin with—especially in this era of stan culture.

Regardless of where they place their sights, fans will always be selfish enough to believe that their favourite rap artists are the whole package, and casual listeners and didactic enthusiasts will always want to add their two cents. In Dremo’s case, more people went ahead to listen to his new project so that they could chime in on the debate with their opinions—which turned out to be very mixed. Without a doubt, ‘Codename, Vol. II’ is a clear upgrade from its 2018 predecessor; it has the sense of urgency ‘Vol. I’ lacked, the production is diverse and worth its weight, and Dremo sounds more confident than ever while rapping and in his several singing forays.

All these positives, however, don’t quite make up for the project’s negatives, with the most glaring one being that Dremo very often conflates his forward momentum with quality. Regardless, he’s still very prominent in our music scene today, and the reason all of this sticks out is that if there’s a Nigerian rapper who should unanimously be regarded as the whole package, it’s Dremo.

As far as artistic sensibilities go, he’s the middle-of-the-road rapper, who can work within a wide range of rap sub genres as well as afropop. It also helps that he delivers his lyrics in a mix of English and Yoruba, so his sound is quite malleable. In the last eighteen months alone, he’s been on songs with Reekado Banks, Psycho YP, Zlatan, Zilla Oaks and more, without ever sounding out of place. In all this, I don’t think Dremo has ever been put under the pressure to become something of a Nigerian rap messiah, but it’s interesting, however, it’s still quite interesting (and a little disappointing) that he’s not exactly bothered by the expectation that he should be making great rap songs and expressly good projects.

In declaring that making money is his priority, Dremo is decidedly playing into pre-existing tropes, hedging himself closer to the indigenous and pop-rap sect that has a the mainstream in chokehold currently, but is sometimes not awarded its due songwriting credit. In actuality, though, indigenous rappers are not only making some of the most popular rap songs, they’ve been putting out some of the best rap songs in a long time.

Just this week, we commemorated the 10-year anniversary of DaGrin’s passing, an artist who effectively changed the rap game in Nigeria by staying true to his roots, and is widely regarded as one of the best to ever come out of the country. In comparison to DaGrin, whose music still adhered to the more traditional style of rapping, the newer crop of rappers he paved the way for mirror the amorphous and radical nature of rap, globally, but don’t always get their deserved props. For example, Naira Marley’s phenomenal 2019 run was powered by hit songs that made full use of his ability as a quips, as well as his sly yet infectious delivery. Somehow, though, debates still hover around Naira’s validity as a rapper.

It might as well be the aftereffect of “Local Rappers”, the levelling and defining collaboration between Reminisce, Olamide and Phyno that also resulted from elitist concerns. Beyond the cycle of cause and effect, what is most important is, between Olamide’s “Voice of the Streets” and Phyno’s “Alobam”, indigenous rap artists have delivered defining songs while being bankable. Even the supposedly struggling English rap scene has produced independent and talented cult acts like Show Dem Camp and A-Q, who are adjusting the notion of what it means to be successful rappers through the lenses of their own successes.

The narrative that a rappers have to choose between making great rap music or aiming for popularity needs to be challenged and eradicated. As long as the music slaps when we hear it, it’s completely fine for a rapper to switch up their style to improve their chances at wider prominence, however, shouldn’t be an acceptable excuse to deliver shoddy rap. With this in mind all the time, younger rappers will understand that they can aspire to have it all. The pursuit of money, while noble, shouldn’t dampen the pursuit of making excellent rap music, and vice versa.

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

AFROPOP ON THE RISE: WE’RE WITNESSING A DOMINANT NEW LINE IN THE AFROPOP VANGUARD

Rap Song of the Week: XNO merge profundity and grittiness on “Destiny”

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

When you think of rap duo XNO, the first three adjectives that come to mind are rough, rugged and raw. Made up of Xploit and ODC, the duo have been around since as far back as 2015, however, they only recently dropped their debut tape, ‘CHx presents Prohibited Weapons’. Entirely produced by veteran Nigerian hip-hop producer, Charlie X, the 6-song project is steeped in gritty street realism, where raw and unflinching quips embolden the lifestyle they portray in the music.

As viscerally thrilling as their confrontational boasts and unfiltered storytelling is, the project strikes the loudest in its moments of profundity. On the final track, “Destiny”, the duo get philosophical, letting listeners in on the importance of integrity and purpose.

Over sombre piano and bass guitar samples and thudding boom bap drums, Xploit examines the allure of making illegitimate choices in a dysfunctional society like Nigeria, and its hindrance to finding personal peace, while ODC raps about cultivating generational wealth with a celestial wisdom—“You have to visualise the full story for the destiny to manifest/that’s what the chief priest told me”.

Jazzz Atta’s soulful chorus, laden with aphorisms on the human existence, serves as the connective tissue between both verses. Her elastic and ear-bending vocals bring a layer of Zen to “Destiny”, making it the perfect comedown for a project that spends majority of its time in bruising motion.

Listen to “Destiny” below.

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

ICYMI: LISTEN TO ESPIQUET’S CATCHY & SINISTER “THE KROWN”

Gigi Atlantis finds her groove on new single “Deathproof” featuring BOJ

Posted on by Tami Makinde

We’ve been dying to hear some more from Gigi Atlantis since she released her self-confident number “Wahala On the Rocks”last year. Her mellow voice which she infuses perfectly with pop-leaning beats and solid songwriting, sets her apart and now we’ve got another taste with her first single of the year, “Deathproof”.

On the new track, with silken melodies and a drum-led beat, Gigi delivers a self-assured number about powering through, regardless of the obstacles in your way. ‘Deathproof ain’t finna die so we ride/Nobody said it would be smooth sailing’ she croons on the hook, empowering listeners to go for everything they want in life, before she’s joined by DRB’s hook killer, BOJ who addresses his haters and naysayers.

This new release gives us a taste of what to expect from her upcoming project, and while we wait for it, she gave The NATIVE a little preview of what to expect, saying:

Deathproof encapsulates a recharged battery . It’s like getting back up and dusting yourself off with glitter. The trials we face won’t kill us so we must go on . We’re saying not today and daring to glide. On my EP, people can expect more Persona–past , present and prospective.

Listen to “Deathproof” below.

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Tami is a lover of women, music and astrology. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_

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Songs of the Day: New Music from Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, WurlD Maison2500 & More

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

The constant frequency of cross-Atlantic collaborations is proof that afropop is only moving forward with its global appeal. This week alone, we’ve got new music from Tems and Davido alongside Khalid, and Santi joined Octavian and Obongjayar for a hypontic bop. 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 absolutely Need to hear.

For our mid-week edition, we brought you music from Jean Feier, B.Banks, Tide, as well as the gorgeous collaboration from Sauti Sol and Soweto Gospel Choir. Today, we feature the new joint single from Akon and Wizkid, WurlD’s first single of the year, Reekado Banks’ collaboration with UK producer/singer Parker Ighile, and more. Dig in, and you’re welcome.

Akon x Wizkid – “Escape”

Akon’s affinity for Nigeria’s biggest pop stars has well-documented over the years, and none more so than Wizkid. In the past, the two collaborated on “For You” off Wizkid’s sophomore album, ‘Ayo’, now and they’ve reunited for new single, “Escape”. Backed by glossy, stadium-pop instrumentation, both singers make the perfect pairing for a romance-themed set. “I Will Climb The Tallest Mountain, I Will Swim The Seven Seas If I Could, To Be By You”, they devotedly sing on the bridge, asserting their commitment to their lovers and making their feelings very clear.

Young Jonn x Tiwa Savage x Joeboy – “Let Them Know”

With his widely credited involvement in “Mafo” and “Ello Baby”, Young Jonn is moving from popular producer to star curator of hit songs. For his first single of the year, “Let Them Know”, he recruits Tiwa Savage and Joeboy for a blue-eyed love song, where both singers sing lyrics of commitment, promising to stay together forever. With a combination of Young Jonn’s lush, mid-tempo beat, and the catchy melodies carrying the lyrics, “Let Them Know” is perfectly suited for wedding dancefloors and other similar events.

Maison2500 x Odunsi (the Engine) – “Dirty Fanta”

At this point, it seems a bit torturous that “Wicked & Sexy”, the highly anticipated collaboration between Odunsi (the Engine) and Maison2500, isn’t out yet, because the streets need it. To satiate us it seems, the duo have now unexpectedly linked up on “Dirty Fanta”, the lead single off Maison’s forthcoming EP, ‘Turnpike’ which we’re expecting next Friday. Having leaked last week (sans-Odunsi verse), it’s now been officially released, and provides a detailed glimpse into the rockstar lifestyle. “Money Coming In Way Too Fast, bands On My Ass Do The Dash”, Maison croons with a hint of intoxication in his voice. Odunsi blesses the song with a quick rap verse, leaning into a new vocal cadence, perfectly fitting into the pocket of the shimmering trap beat.

Reekado Banks x Parker Ighile – “Options”

The constant frequency of cross-Atlantic collaborations is proof that afropop is only moving forward with its global appeal. The latest of such collabs is between Nigerian singer Reekado Banks and Parker Ighile, the UK record producer/singer who has worked with Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, G-eazy and more. “Options”, the newly released single, combines honest pleas for reciprocal affection with a colourful neo-Afropop beat, resulting in a sneaky banger. Reekado and Parker acknowledge the hold their love interests have over them, trading lyrics and contrasting harmonies like a conversation between two people going through the same situation.

WurlD – “Love Nobody”

It would be entirely fair to describe WurlD’s 2019 campaign as career-defining. Within the 12-month span, the singer dropped two well-received projects, ‘Love Is Contagious’ and ‘I Love Girls With Trobul’, his joint EP with Sarz, and feature on Davido’s smash hit, “Sweet In The Middle”. To begin his 2020 run, WurlD has just dropped the TMXO produced “Love Nobody”, which leans closer to the electronic universe of ‘ILGWT’. Over the hypnotic percussion and synth lines, he paints the portrait of a relationship where he and his “baby” are keeping things exclusive, even though they’re taking things slow. “She Don’t Want Me Loving Nobody/And I Don’t Want My Baby Next To Nobody”, the velvet-voiced singer passionately intones, whetting our appetites for what’s still to come.

Bankulli x WurlD – “Gbemiro”

Over the last year, Bankulli became an instantly recognisable voice in afropop, following his contributions to the Beyoncé-curated project, ‘The Lion King: The Gift’. He’s remained very vocal ever since, dishing out music business knowledge and industry stories via his IG Live series, Connecting the Dots, and he’s now shared his debut single as an artist, “Gbemiro”. Assisted by singer WurlD, the two deliver a Gospel-indented set, as they look up to God for continued blessings and protection from all harm. Their heartfelt singing is accompanied by sleek guitar strums and folksy percussion, culminating into a soulful song.

Darkua – “E Dey Pain”

Even though the song’s pristine energy gives Darkua away as a newbie, you wouldn’t guess that “E Dey Pain” is her very first single as an artist. The Ghanaian singer possesses a gently moving voice, impressive melodic phrasing and her writing on the song feels very lived-in. Backed by N.O.B’s sweeping piano strings and thudding afropop drums, she promises to maintain the same energy with an ex who didn’t treat her right, refusing to take the high road while still sounding as gracious as possible.

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

ICYMI: SANTI, OCTAVIAN AND OBONGJAYAR LINK UP FOR TRIPPY NEW SINGLE, “POISON”

The importance of women sharing their experiences through music

Posted on by Tami Makinde

April is the month of sexual assault awareness, and while there should never be a time where we’re not raising awareness about the effects, we’re glad there’s a dedicated month to the cause. Over 10 years ago, The #MeToo movement began with the aim to give women a space to speak about sexual assault without the fear of unfair consequences. In the last three years, the movement has gained enough momentum, become an outlet for women to hold abusers accountable for their actions, and also done a fair bit to dismantle silence culture and victim-blaming.

Over here in Nigeria, misogyny and systematic oppression of women and children is the order of the day, and the stigma attached to being assaulted leaves women who experience this trauma wanting to keep quiet about their experiences. UNICEF says 1 in 4 Nigerian girls are victims of sexual violence before they turn 18, and according to a national survey carried out in 2014, only 38% of those who experienced sexual violence as children told someone about it, and only about 5% sought help.

Something that ties all women together, from any walk of life is the fear and anxiety of attack from a possible abuser. Anywhere in the world, you will find that women are walking around in survival mode and taking measures to avoid attack or prepare of the possibility. It should be noted that black women suffer more from domestic and sexual violence as this study shows and this is why it’s important for us to have our voices amplified in any form possible, and music has proven to be one of the most effective.

Black women have always used their music as an outlet to speak up against the injustices they face, from recounting their own personal experiences to just serving as a socially conscious mouthpiece for other women who have been in similar instances. Ludacris’ 2006 single “Runaway Love” which featured Mary J. Blige was a powerful depiction of this, although the song focused on children who run away from abusive homes, the accompanying video showed the violence that women withstand in the home at the hands of abusive husbands.

Other anti-assault anthems have been Asa’s “Murder in the USA”, one of the lead singles off her last project, which deals with the realities of toxic romantic relationships that are physically abusive and lead to the death of one of the partners involved. ‘I shot my lover and I run away/committed murder in the USA’ she solemnly croons over the tracks hook, as the Sesan-directed video plays out a situation in which a woman in an abusive relationship wishes to end the life of her lover who has physically hurt her but we painfully watch as he gains power and leaves her for dead.

Asa takes an active role in the video, playing the police officer who arraigned the murderous boyfriend, but she also plays the role of every person who uses their music as a vessel to channel pain. We see Asa fully clothed in a bathtub as she submerges herself in water with the intention of drowning herself, this action is a bold metaphoric stand with women who feel so choked up in their relationships or marital homes and a clear message that we see you, and we mourn with you in solidarity.

There is a long history of music putting women down – particularly hip-hop and rap which has a track record for being entirely misogynistic and glorifying violence against women or depicting us as accessories to their stories. This is why the unified strength of women who come together and speak out against these injustices through different mediums such their music is extremely necessary and powerful.

Beyond positive empowerment, with songs such as Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” or Lil’ Kim & Christina Aguilera’s “Can’t Hold Us Down”, artists like Kelly Rowland have also released powerful tracks about their own experiences. Back in 2013, she shared a single “Dirty Laundry” which was a cut-throat candid track where she laid herself bare. touching on numerous topics but more poignantly recounts her personal experience with assault. ‘Hitting the window like it was me / And still it shattered. He pulled me out and said ‘Don’t nobody love you but me / Not your mama / Not your daddy’ she sings recounting her abusive relationship and also revealing her mental struggles of wanting to leave despite being warned by loved ones. This trope of women blaming themselves for staying with physically and emotionally abusive men is not uncommon, and Kelly vulnerably gives us an insight to her truth, which will be sure to inspire someone who is going through something similar.

Feminist anthem “For My Sisters” on Ko-jo Cue’s album is another worthy noteworthy mention, which speaks out about women seeking allegiance against the injustices they face. Ms Fu, Raphaela, Anae and Dzyadzorm feature on the highly illuminating song, where they angrily stick it to the men who continue the cycle of silence and harm. The track begins with ‘Listen to the stories, you can’t see the pain in our eyes/do you call yourself an ally just to keep your mind satisfied’, imploring all who listen to reflect on their own actions and strive to do better within their own communities and groups to protect and empower women.

Although we’re a long way from how people viewed the danger women face back in the days, there have been great strides and effort to punish perpetrators (shout out to Harvey Weinstein & Bill Cosby spending the rest of their lives in prison). Music is a powerful tool that has a wide reach to everyone all over the world, and you never know what can inspire you to either speak up or help someone who is in need out.

Men have used gangster rap as a tool to empower each other and let the world know about the struggles they had to overcome and the violent conditions of the hood they grew up in. They have used music as therapy to deal with their mental stress, whilst making enough money from it to get out of their situations, and this should be the case for women too. By always speaking up and becoming irreverently loud, we can reduce the chances of being ignored, and increase the chances of making our society a safer and saner place for everyone – especially us women.

Tami is a lover of women, music and astrology. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_

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Watch Davido, Summer Walker & London On The Track in the flossy video for ‘D & G’

Posted on by Tami Makinde

Last year when Davido finally dropped his sophomore album, ‘A Good Time’, it was a crowning moment in the career of a young legend. With club-ready anthems like the Naira Marley and Zlatan-assisted “Sweet In The Middle” sure to get airplay, it was a pleasant surprise to see “D & G”, the moody collaboration with Summer Walker and London On The Track, become a fan favourite.

On the track, Davido in his usual manner marries his love for women and luxury, saying that when his lover looks into his eyes, all she sees is luxury brands including Dolce & Gabbanna. For the DAPS-directed video shot in Los Angeles, we see Davido, Summer Walker and the song’s producer, London On The Track clad head to toe in the designers they sing about , making the best of their time.

Davido is seen serenading a love interest as they grab a meal, before the pair join the rest of Davido’s posse on the basketball court. Summer and London also put their love on full display, as she sings directly to him while delivering her verse. The song’s romantic subject matter is definitely brought to life in the video, which makes it even more enjoyable to listen to.

Watch the video for “D & G” below.

Featured image credits/youtube

PREMIERE: Oiee, M3NSA & Amaarae for new single “Still Dey Inside”

Posted on by The Native

We’re beginning to see more cross-atlantic collaborations this year, particularly as the world seems to be paying more attention to afropop and its subgenres coming from Africa. With no prospects of slowing down these collaborations anytime soon, Budapest based DJ and producer, Oiee has now tapped into the immense talent coming out of Ghana in his new single “Still Dey Inside” featuring M3nsa, one half of Ghana’s FOKN Bois and our favorite neo-pop princess, Amaarae.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0nuHf8nOSk/

The upbeat catchy track begins with Amaarae sing-rapping about an independent woman who strives hard to get out of the slums, ‘I wanna be strong like you but I wouldn’t wanna be ya’ she sings over the frenzied beat of hi-hats and whistles. Through this, we see her showing off her sonic range which endeared us to her in the first place.

In the accompanying video, a group of people are huddled around a pyramid light source, which seems to be possessing them with the need to dance, while M3NSA joins them to deliver his fantastic verse. He glides over the bouncy beat with his laser-precision flow with wordplay, complete with profane boasts on how the haters haven’t been successful at bursting his bubble. “Still Dey Inside” is a timely story of staying on your grind while stuck indoors, and is a timely collaboration since mandatory lockdowns worldwide means we’re all spending a lot more time indoors.

Watch the video for “Still Dey Inside” below.

Tami is a lover of women, music and astrology. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_

ICYMI: Bella Alubo drops the lyrical video for “Don’t Trust Geminis”

Santi, Octavian and Obongjayar link up for trippy new single, “Poison”

Posted on by Tami Makinde

Just last week, we explored how we’re currently witnessing a dominant new line of afropop vanguards, as the likes of Rema, Odunsi, Santi, Tems, Fireboy and many more are at the forefront of conversations centered around the viability of the genre on a global scale.

Earlier in the year, Rema championed a memorable cross-atlantic collaboration when he teamed up with UK’s Manny Norte and Tion Wayne, as well as America’s 6LACK on “4AM”, a cultural feat that showed the undeniable growth and attraction of afropop and the global village we are currently now living in. Now, we have Santi at it again, who has just teamed up with Octavian and Obongjayar for a trippy new single, “Poison”.

“Poison” tells a psychedelic tale that falls somewhere between sentimental longing and brazen lust. Octavian is in search of an attractive woman, and so he recruits Santi and Obongjayar to follow him into a neighbouring club which is really a colourful underground world of trippy colours and hypnotising dancers. Upon entry, they’re given an unsuspecting drug which enhances their sensual and visual experiences while in the club.

‘You’re my poison/baby love me till I overdose’ croons Obongjayar over the songs infectious hook as the three men enter into their eventual captivity. Clad in Mowalola originals, the women in the accompanying video are the masterminds in the end, and all three men are seen unconscious while the girls rally around their lifeless bodies in the closing scene.

Watch the hypnotic video for “Poison” below.

Tami is a lover of women, music and astrology. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_

ICYMI: Santi promises to feed us with new music this month

How ‘Skinny Girl In Transit’ is tackling social issues Nigerian women face

Posted on by Tami Makinde

Ndani TV’s web series ‘Skinny Girl In Transit’ has become a bench mark for what Nigerian webseries should look like since its emergence on the scene in 2015. The show which boasts of big names like Ayoola Ayolola, Sharon Ooja, Abimbola Craig and Timini Egbuson began as a sitcom which traced the life of a young plus sized girl named Tiwa as she navigated the struggles of dating as a millennial woman, and her complex journey to self love.

Written by Dami Elebe and directed by Ema Edosio, Skinny Girl In Transit has racked up a huge fan base since its release, particularly due to this, however, these days is a far cry from and is now developing into full on romantic comedy, which now focuses on other young women such as Didi (played by Bisola Aiyeola) and Wosilat (played by Chioma Okoli ) are on full display.

 

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The show is currently on its sixth season, which began earlier this year and has sent the Twitterverse into a frenzy with hot takes on the kind of topics they covered within the space of a few months. Spoiler alert, but in season 6, Tiwa and Mide are now married and the season begins with us finding out Tiwa is pregnant. As the series progresses, we learn that Tiwa has a miscarriage and now has to deal with the psychological effects and trauma that has on her personally and on her relationship with Mide.

We see as Tiwa struggles to make sense of her loss, from blaming herself to lashing out at her loved ones, we mourn and weep as she does and watching her make sense of the situation is sure to resonate with anyone going through something similar. A recent study shows that black woman are two times more likely to suffer from miscarriages than other races, and this is what makes speaking about these things in popular shows like ‘Skinny Girl In Transit’ is not lost. At any point in life, young Nigerian women are under undue pressure to perform perfunctory gender roles, and the series shows this with how much importance Tiwa & Shalewa’s mum, (hilariously portrayed by Ngozi Nwosu) places on whether they’re married or not. Even when you “finally” get married, there’s rush to get to the next step and have children, without anyone really taking time to know and understand the risks involved.

Through Shalewa, we also get to see the struggles of living with African parents as a single millennial woman, in past seasons we have watched as Mrs Awosika constantly worries and stresses her girls about finding a man and getting married. However, with this new season her efforts seem to have intensified as her first daughter is now married. Shalewa gets the short end of the stick, as she finds her voice and fights for herself within her own family home, who is trying to get her out as though she’s a guest. I’m sure we can all relate to this. This could very well be wha clouds her judgement when it comes to her choice of men, throughout the series, and the series’ in-depth coverage of this issue is sure to find a place in the hearts of many young female viewers who have had to live through the same constant nagging from parents.

Perhaps the most important social issue addressed this season is the physical and verbal abuse one can sustain from their romantic partners. Shalewa (played by Sharon Ooja) has had nothing short of a tumultuous dating life, she’s just broken things off with her long term boyfriend Mohammed who incessantly cheated on her, and her attempts to leave him and forget her trauma leads her into the arms of Kwame. Kwame arrives on the scene with grand promises of love and tries to break Shalewa’s walls down with constant reassurance, but we later find out he was just waiting to unleash his madness.

Shalewa thinks she has found the perfect rebound, only to realise he’s aggressive and abusive further down the line. He instantly becomes cold and even uses force to restrain her from touching him, and it’s not until we see her stand up to him that we see him for who he really is–a coward with low self esteem. The inclusion of character like Kwame does serve its purpose, to let viewers know how commonplace this behaviour is and how easy it is to fall into such a situation without ‘deserving it’ or ‘asking for it’ like society wants us to believe.

On a smaller scale, we also get to learn about some outdated laws in our country like a woman not being able to post bail. Tiwa’s aunt, Dupe is refused the option to post bail for her adopted son solely because she is a woman, and she is asked to come back the following day with a man instead. This is similar to her earlier plight she went through during adoption, where she was refused a child solely because she was not married. Even her sister, chastises her for her ‘poor choice’ to not get married, and blames this choice for not being allowed a child by an adoption agency. Through her character, we get to learn how older unmarried women are treated by Nigerian society, and learn the subtle ways society tries to stifle their voices.

‘Skinny Girl in Transit’ has definitely served its purpose, and offered nuanced and well-thought responses to social issues we face here in Nigeria. They haven’t always presented it in the best way, and definitely have some questionable views presented here nad there, but when you dig (very) deep, the nuance isn’t really common on Nigerian TV and it’s commendable that they are doing this at all. We’re hoping that as we all become more aware of our place and power in society, younger female writers will be hired to carry the story along and the series will evolve with us.

Featured image credits/AMXNigeria

Tami is a lover of women, music and astrology. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_

ICYMI: How Inkblot Productions new film ‘Who’s the Boss’ represents the modern Nigerian woman

NATIVE Exclusive: BeBe Zahara Benet is bridging the gap between her two worlds

Posted on by Tami Makinde

“If you take away the drag, and the costume, hair, makeup, I still have all the gifts I was given as a performer, as a makeup artist, as a singer, as a musician, without the drag. The drag is just the icing on the cake. A lot of mainstream artists use the art form of drag to add more to their art. I’m here to tell my story and I’m here to tell you so you understand and use your platform to educate others”.

Cameroonian-American drag artist, Bebe Zahara had her first tryst with fame back in 2009, after snagging the title and the cash price of America’s Next Drag Superstar on the first season of Ru Paul Charles competition. Regardless of this, she doesn’t want to be solely known as a drag queen, and she does not hesitate to tell me that during our Zoom conversation: ‘First thing first, I need to set the record straight that I do not identify as a drag queen. I identify as a drag artist or an artist who uses the art form of drag’. 

Born Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa, BeBe has been making music for as long as she can remember. “Growing up, I was very into the arts, I grew up with music. My dad played the guitar, my mum loved to sing and for us, it was never about the right notes or the right harmonies but the idea of music just connected us together as a family. I later joined the choir at our family church, before becoming the choir director and then later teaching music’ she excitedly explains to me.  

 

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Growing up in an African house hold, you can imagine how far away from her mind anything like drag was to her. In fact, BeBe didn’t even know or understand drag until a friend introduced her to the underground world of sensual performances and late night shows one evening while she was at university. Music and performance were second nature to her, and once she came across drag, something clicked and her love for fashion, theatre and music all began to make sense – she realised her calling.

“The little boy in me was telling the older mature boy ‘you were not crazy when you were growing up’. Back in Cameroon, I never knew what it was called and I had never seen drag before. In my mind, growing up I would go into the bathroom and play Whitney Houston or Diana Ross and I’ll lip sync my heart out and create this huge stage that people are there clapping for me”. 

From then on, BeBe began to look for how to merge her passion for entertaining with her new found love for drag, and then landed her first show performing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” for Cindy Lauper during one of her shows. 

At first, she struggled a bit to reconcile the different parts of her persona; her voice was tenor not soprano, her clothes and style weren’t quite ‘on trend’ since she was African, and her accent also proved to be difficult at first. Of course, she had people who offered unwarranted advice, telling her to be more this or more that, in order to suit a more westernised gaze, however, luckily, these things didn’t get to her. She tells me “I realised  what I was being told to do differently was actually what people were appreciating and celebrating me for – being authentic, living my truth, celebrating global drag and most importantly being Bebe Zahara Benet.”

 

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From then on, an urge to fit in was never on the cards for her, and now she’s living her entire truth both in self and in music. BeBe is fresh off the release of her latest pidgin-inflected number “Banjo”, and is set to roll out her new EP ‘Broken English’ in a few days. Beyond that, she’s booked and busy, preparing to grace the stage of TLC’s new show ‘Dragnificent’ with her drag sisters Thorgy Thor and Jujubee.

Her upcoming EP, is coming after two years since she released any original music, and with this, she wanted to represent her vision of her two homes, Cameroon and America. She tells me that with her music, she wants to create a fusion “which is like a melting pot of melodies, afrobeat rhythms and also with a touch of pop sensibilities”, however, the most important thing to her is for her music to be an ambassador of global drag.

“Broken English’ is really part of this journey. It’s really just saying this is who I am, and this is how I talk. Broken English or Pidgin is how people converse where I come from, it’s not a make-believe kind of language, but rather it’s a whole part of our culture and I am going to do justice to it in this way”.

Global drag became BeBe’s focus after meeting her current band mates ‘Afro Chord’, a group in Minneapolis who take pop music and reinterprets them with a world beat. ‘What people fail to understand is I don’t only represent Cameroon and West Africa, but I try to represent what we call global drag where there is just diversity. Because if you have not travelled enough or opened your mind to experience different cultures and different kinds of music, then you are missing a lot. There is just so much talent and creativity and the gifts are endless from where we come from’.

“When you come to my shows and see me perform, it’s always a melting pot of different kinds of people.”

While the entire world has become more accepting of Africa in general, thanks to ‘Black Panther’, we still in some ways have to create a version of ourselves which is pallatable to the worlds’ tastes, and people like BeBe are a beacon of light in this sense. In addition, our thoughts and beliefs are typically backwards driven, and without even trying BeBe just existing and being successful is very important to our LGBT community, who are very oppressed over here.

“We still have a lot of work to do back home and here in America, you don’t stop living your truth and being authentic because of everything else that is working against you. Being authentic about who you are and the music you want to make, it will never ever fail you’.

For now, BeBe wants to bridge the gap between her two worlds, having drawn influence from artists like Yemi Alade, Whitney Houston, Yvonne Shaka Shaka, Paul Simon, Diana Ross, and many others who are dominating their respective genres.

BeBe’s EP ‘Broken English’ will be out tomorrow, and while we wait in anticipation to listen to her take on fusing pidgin English with melodic tunes and afropop drums, it’s very comforting to know that she’s not using it as a gimmick for sales. ‘My sista I dey talk broken english all the time. I sabi am weh weh, I grew up with pidgin ehn. You sabi am too?’.

Watch the video for her latest single “Body on Me” below.

Featured image credits/BirdLambroPhotography

Tami is a lover of women, music and astrology. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_

ICYMI: Watch BeBe Zahara Benet in the fabulous video for new single “Banjo”

Khalid teams up with Tems & Davido for “Know Your Worth” Remix

Posted on by Damilola Animashaun

Earlier this year, Khalid teamed up with Disclosure for the dance-heavy “Know Your Worth” in February, which seemed like a love letter to anyone who was downtrodden in a relationship where they weren’t appreciated. Now, to drive his message even further, he has teamed up with our very own Davido and Tems for an even more upbeat remix, and it’s definitely a vibe.

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New me, New York🌌

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Maintaining the lyrics from the original song, Khalid starts off addressing the listener with his verse, before he asks them to keep their head up and to find someone who knows will put them first in the chorus. Davido then joins him for an impressive verse where he asks a lover whether she’s happy with the mediocre love she’s getting, maintaining the best form we’ve ever seen him in.

Tems then joins and steals the show with her impeccable vocals as usual, where she’s demanding the kind of love she knows she deserves, urging the listener to find themselves a new thing, before the song launches into the chorus where she and Khalid duet. Tems only has a handful of collaborations under her belt, and this in addition definitely makes a case for her being at the forefront of the next generation of hitmakers.

Hopefully, we’ll be getting more fire from her soon, and we can’t wait. Until then, listen to “Know Your Worth” here:

[Featured Image Credits: Instagram/Davido/Tems]

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

ICYMI: WE’RE WITNESSING A DOMINANT NEW LINE IN THE AFROPOP VANGUARD

The CEO: Remembering the legend of DaGrin, Nigeria’s first street superstar

Posted on by The Native

In just over a year of prominence, DaGrin changed the face of rap music in Nigeria, and by extension, all of the entire musical soundscape in West Africa. Prior to his phenomenal and abruptly truncated run, there were rappers doling out their raps in their native languages and even scoring hit songs—Lord of Ajasa and Mr Raw (aka Nigga Raw) are two quick examples that come to mind. What they never managed to attain was a wholesome level of critical respect and commercial success that cut across the spectrum of music listeners. DaGrin reached those heights, and then some.

Today marks a decade since Oladapo Olaonipekun’s tragic passing, but his name has yet to be forgotten. He didn’t just attain success, he won the type of approval that was unprecedented for indigenous rappers at the time. DaGrin spoke the language of the streets, and told the stories of the majority who were routinely underrepresented in the mainstream; that’s the norm nowadays. He is the catalyst behind the movement that’s still sometimes shunned but has only continued to grow its impact on contemporary Afropop.

Sonically, DaGrin was stylistically different from the current crop of high-flying street-bred artists that he unknowingly paved the way for, and rightfully so—he came of age in the era where 50 Cent reigned supreme, and it influenced his own style. At that, the aftershock of his success and attitude has continued to directly and indirectly impact those who have come after him. You can hear the influence of his agile flow in a rapper like Zlatan, while his authenticity echoes in the irreverent but relatable energy of rappers like Prettyboy D-O and Kida Kudz.

Music from the continent is being consumed at a larger and faster pace than ever before. Due to streaming capabilities, social media and the general inter-connectedness of the world in the 2020, a hit record in Lagos is more than likely to be a hit record in London and New York, too. Although DaGrin was sadly not able to utilise the tools and reach available to artists today, it is without question that he paved the way for an entire generation of musicians from Nigeria, spanning multiple genres, to be true to themselves.

To remember him, we spoke to artists, label executives, radio owners and friends of DaGrin, about his rise, his legacy and what made him so special.

Loose Kanyon

Rapper, Co-Founder 100 Crowns Ent.

“The rise of DaGrin was really interesting to watch. He was one of those guys that had been rapping his ass off for a little bit, and you just knew that when he got that one record, he was out of here—which is what happened with “Pon Pon Pon”. Most people who heard that single thought that he was an overnight success, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He had been killing the features and working his way up, he had “Efimile” with YQ, so when he got with Sossick, he was out of here. And the video also did justice to the song, it portrayed him in the most authentic light of who he was—he was a street dude and a proper Lagos boy. People gravitated towards him and his story.

Let me tell you this story. I started doing Wax Lyrical—a now-defunct bi-weekly hip-hop live show—at Koko lounge. At the time, Koko lounge was a buzzing joint in Lagos and artists used to come through and do whatever. DaGrin is there on the night I started doing Wax Lyrical, maybe on a date ‘cos he had a lady with him. He got a bottle of Guinness, sitting down in the corner and minding his business. The show starts, the DJ is playing the records and I’m rapping my ass off and stuff. Clearly, he wanted to be a part of it and he asked for a mic, and we started going back-and-forth. My Yoruba has never been great, but you could tell that this guy was just great at what he does, and he was electrifying the crowd. He did that for about thirty minutes, went back to his corner and left when he was done. It was so genuine and so original to me, ‘cos people were so hype about him.

It’s such a shame we lost him when we did, ‘cos he was just about to start properly dominating and killing the game. But, I mean, his legacy is forever written in stone, it’s not going anywhere. I hope his family continue to have the strength to deal with the unfortunate situation—I know it’s been ten years, but you still keep dealing with that kind of stuff. God bless him and may his soul rest in peace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDgGBe7sxro

Olisa Adibua

Entertainment & Media Entrepreneur 

If I say I knew DaGrin personally, I’d be lying, but I did have the opportunity to work with him and witness the quality and greatness of his talent. Back in mid-2009, we’d just started Beat 99.9FM, so we decided to do a formal launch of the station in February 2010. I remember we had it at the GET Arena, and DaGrin really had a great performance on that night. You know that corny bit in movies where an artist is on stage and everyone just focuses their attention on the stage, that was how it was. Witnessing the rise of DaGrin was fresh—the way he flowed in Yoruba and street slangs in Pidgin English. It reminded me of when 50 Cent first came up, that raw energy, the grit and the attitude. It was all so infectious, no matter who you are.

Losing him so early was even more painful, ‘cos you have to wonder what could have been. But then, he inspired a lot of people. People now knew that it could be with talent and will, you didn’t have to copy, ‘cos he was a true original. He gave a lot of encouragement to what we’re seeing now, what we’ve seen over the last ten years. Street sound that was only appreciated by a few people has become THE mainstream. Sure, he’s sorely missed, but the thing about people like Dagrin is that they always leave a timeless legacy. If you play Da Grin’s music now, it still resonates with young people of any generation. His legacy is that, he’s left a sound that has grown and become embedded in Nigerian music.

Ehis Combs

Journalist

For me, the first time I heard a Yoruba rapper was AY, and he was a dope MC but the timing just wasn’t right. Then Dagrin comes up, and I honestly did not expect him to have that much appeal at the time, ‘cos the year before he dropped “Pon Pon Pon”, M.I had just dropped and guys like Modenine and Ruggedman were still very much around. Then that single drops and, literally, everything stopped. There was instant shift in what Nigerians were being offered as the way to rap and what could be termed as our own way to rap. Da Grin was the guy with the voice that puts you on notice. He went from having a commercially quiet album to having a classic that influenced so many young rappers. He broke the boundaries, ‘cos he showed that irrespective of the language, as long as you were doing something people can connect with, you had a chance to succeed. I would be lying if I said that without Da Grin, street music would never have gotten this big—that would be unfair to those who did it before him and even after him—but I would also be correct to say Da Grin made it happen quicker.

Prettyboy D-O [Artist]

Rapper

I remember “Kondo”, that’s like the first song of his I remember. I just remember going to the club, that was Rehab at the time, and that’s what the DJs used to play. He’s the first voice of the streets, man. I love Baddo (Olamide) with all my life, that’s my Presido, but he definitely to the mantle—Dagrin ran so Baddo could fly. In terms of legacy, that’s Makavelli, like 2Pac. I say that ‘cause he was from the streets, the streets listened to everything he said, they related with him. He had everything—the attitude, the arrogance—as a Yoruba street nigga. As an artist, [he inspired me] with the attitude and the bravado. With Dagrin, I feel more of a sadness that he left too soon. Long live the legend, rest in peace.

A-Q

Rapper

When I first met him, he had just started working with Sossick. At the time, he had released his debut project and he had one song off it that had some buzz, “Rap Rules Anthem”. I used to record at a friend’s place at Ikotun, it wasn’t far off from Ejigbo, where Sossick lived the time, and sometimes we’d go there to listen to beats or just find out what people were up to. Seeing DaGrin a couple times, his confidence level was really high, he kinda knew he was going to make it big. I mean, there were many people around that area that rapped in Yoruba but he just sorta knew, you know, he had this 50 Cent delivery and he could even switch it up to English sometimes. After they dropped that first single off the second project, it blew up in our faces. At the time, Storms Records were doing their thing, M.I and his guys had recently blown up, but there was a difference when DaGrin came into the game. He represented something—the streets. For those of us that were not posh, DaGrin showed that someone from our kind of background could actually really make it big. Rappers blew up, but DaGrin’s was different, and he became something of an aspirational symbol; he became the standard, he became the bar.

Naeto C

Rapper, Friend

First of all, I must admit that I am biased when it comes to DaGrin, because he’s legit one of my favourite artists ever. Everybody has their own perspective on hip-hop culture, but from my personal standpoint, I could identify with him as an artist, because his understanding of what hip-hop culture represented was spot on, especially in terms of authenticity. I met him in 2008 through DJ Neptune and YQ, and we worked on three records together. His album was one of the greatest bodies of work from a Nigerian hip-hop artist, in my opinion. That’s because, he pretty much had the right kind of ideology, and that’s what drew me into his artistry and made me a fan.

I remember working on a record with him on my second album, that’s the remix to “Ako Mi ti Poju”, and I hit him up to come to Dr Frabz’s studio in Iyana Ipaja to drop the verse. He came in, we chopped it up a bit and he went into the studio with no paper and knocked it out in like one take, which was really dope. Like, my first album, I barely wrote anything, so I admired that we were on the same kind of wave. He’s definitely an artist I enjoyed working with, the few times I was privileged to work with him. When he dropped that C.E.O album, I wasn’t surprised it was that dope to be honest. It was my favourite hip-hop album at the time, I was really excited for him.

I remember being in Dundee hearing that he’d passed after the accident, and I was very devastated, just like any regular fan. I rcback to Nigeria shortly after, on the day of his funeral, and I went to pay my last respects—which is the least I could have done. I really do believe he was a huge loss for Nigerian hip-hop, he is an icon, and what he represented for Nigerian hip-hop, I knew it couldn’t be replicated that easily. But if you look at where street music is in Nigerian music today, my perspective is that he is the template. To have that level of courage, authenticity and conviction at that age and in that time, and to reflect it in the music, it’s genius. From the artists driving Nigerian hip-hop and street music now, and you can clearly see that his legacy is still living on. I’m just appreciative to have had the opportunity to work with him. May his soul rest in peace, and I pray he continues to be celebrated forever.

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READ OUR SHUFFLE SPECIAL ON DAGRIN’S GAME-CHANGING SOPHOMORE ALBUM, ‘C.E.O’

Songs of the day: New music from Sauti Sol, Bbanks, Olamide, Jean Feier and more

Posted on by The Native

More than just a bit of songs we can listen to, music has become a cure to the cabin fever we’re all facing in these unprecedented times. As the music scene grows more diverse with drops from many different artists on a regular basis, we’ve decided to help out, by sorting through all the 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 absolutely need to hear.

We started the week with new releases from Ria Boss and Efya, Sarkodie and Oxlade, DaRe, Prettyboy D-O and MOJO, LOS and many more from around the continent. Today, we feature new music releases like Sauti Sol’s collaboration with South African band, Soweto Gospel Choir, “Brighter Days”, Tide and Straffitti’s “Brand New”, Bbanks and Olamde’s “4.20”, Jean Feier’s “Destiny”, Rozzz’s “Asaba Riddim” and Bluf7ame’s “90k Freestyle”. These are all the new songs you absolutely need to listen to today.

Sauti Sol – “Brighter Days” Feat. Soweto Gospel Choir

Sauti Sol have just released “Brighter Days”, the lead single from their upcoming project, ‘Midnight Train‘, were, they’ve teamed up with Soweto Gospel Choir. Together, both groups deliver an optimistic song with a positive message we all need in these times. While the choir provides backing harmonies, each of the Sauti Sol members take turns to sing reassuring lyrics about the future; “Ain’t no question that tomorrow there’ll be good times”. Their heartwarming video, encouraging lyrics, pleasant melodies and the lightweight guitar-led instrumentals are just what the doctor ordered for the uncertain times we’re living in.

Bbanks – “4.20” Feat. Olamide

After making his name as a producer under Olamide’s YBNL label, Bbanks made the career switch to an artist with his debut single, “Ajilomoto”. The producer turned artist has now dropped a new single, “420” and featuring YBNL boss, Olamide for a groovy celebration of partying under the influence of marijuana; “When I put my 420 on it/ You make me sing I know”. Though “4.20” was released in celebration of the holiday from Monday, the mix of groovy drums and ambient synths produced by Bbanks is designed to serve dancefloors for much longer.

Jean Feier – “Destiny”

Jean Feier’s “Destiny” evokes an empowering sense of pride for listeners to lose themselves in the joys of dancing in front of a mirror. “I don’t have to pull up with a stick now/ I just kill them dead with a look now/ they gon feel me like a bassline/ Every time I drop, I just blow minds” she sings with a strong voice accented by the nonchalant dancehall beat produced by NLMGNM. Though the UK-based Nigerian singer is yet to break into the mainstream, her confident lyrics mark her territory and promote her as one of the artists to look out for.

https://soundcloud.com/jeanfeier/destiny

Tide – “Brand New” Feat. Straffitti

Tide and Straffitti subvert R&B’s reputation for babymaking music, in their biting ode to unrequited love on their latest collaboration, “Brand New”. Over the soft and soulful beat with woozy vocal samples, Tide sings “I tell you say I love you/ Got me feeling like it ain’t mutual” on the chorus. Straffitti joins him for a duet, where they both muster up some bravado and try to deliver charming lyrics meant to convince their lovers; “I just want to keep on rocking with you/ fucking with you/ smoking with you”. However, from the song’s title and lyrics, “You ain’t gotta act brand new”, you get the sense that their lovers have long moved on and can only offer inspiration for more heartbreaking anthems.

Blue Flame – “90k Freestyle”

Blue Flame burrows into the grimy details of street rap narration on his latest single, “90k Freestyle”. His raspy voice and lyrics, “If a neighbour acting nosey, then a nigga relocate/ I move away/ Out of state/ Not a trace” offer a vivid image of the gangster lifestyle hip-hop sheds light on. The exciting street tales he offers are made even more engrossing when he teams up with Marco, who produced the mosh-pit inspiring trap beat. The beat’s zig-zagging synth lines sound equally cheerful and menacing and allows “90K Freestyle” listen like the soundtrack for the opening sequence of an violent anime.

Rozzz – “Asaba Riddim”

Rozzz only has two songs on his catalogue on Soundcloud and both are fueled by his romantic sentiments. His latest single, “Asaba Riddim” continues the ritual, where he switches charmingly between English and Igbo lyrics, over a smooth guitar-led beat. Singing “You make man dem craze/make man dem shut down the place all because of your presence”, his lyrics praising his muse confess to the power women have over men.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Sauti Sol
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You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu

ICYMI: Catch up on all the songs you may have missed from earlier in the week

Legacy: The late Da Grin, a beacon of hope to the hopeless

Posted on by The Native

Today marks a decade since Barack O’ Grin passed away. After a nasty car accident and a tough battle for his life, Da Grin died while he was at the cusp of greatness and at the brink of mainstream success. As hundreds of people marched from his former home in Surulere to the National Stadium during his candlelight service, Da Grin had endeared himself with the poor and  downtrodden – the lost generation.

He became the illustrator of the streets, who told stories about life in the slums and ghettos of Lagos. Similarly to the way rappers like Notorious B.I.G, Eazy E, Fredo Santana, Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke & others did before their untimely deaths, Da Grin composed vignettes about parts of Lagos lacking enough tarred roads for flashy cars to roam. 

He put a spotlight on the neglected, and became a source of hope for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. A street general to the core, Da Grin had amassed a legion of followers before he died, and even after his death, is still celebrated as a hero.

Less than a year before he passed, Dagrin released his sophomore album, ‘C.E.O’ (Chief Executive Omo’ta) to both critical and commercial acclaim. While his debut album, ‘Still On The Matter’, was a muted affair, his second LP was a work of art that shifted culture and moved the needle. It’s perhaps the most influential album of this generation after Wande Coal’s ‘Mushin 2 Mo ‘Hits’.

Dagrin’s sophomore smashed the glass ceiling and listening to the album in 2009, you knew you were listening to a work of art that was about to change history, you could feel it in your bones, you could taste it in the air – it was that real. C.E.O shifted the trajectory of Nigerian rap music.

In late 2008, M.I dropped his debut album ‘Talk About It’, a blistering album which was equal parts swag, mainstream appeal, cool rhymes and lifestyle engineering. It was a momentous LP that sold rap as a lifestyle and a culture, rather than a geeky art-form. M.I wasn’t alone in selling rap music to the mainstream; straight from Nigeria’s elite, Naeto C arrived with so much swag you’d think he invented it. His debut album ‘You Know My P’ was another great cultural moment for Nigerian hip-hop, where he managed to influence lingo, fashion and pop culture like none other.

With Naeto C and M.I peddling this brand of rap music, it was difficult to imagine someone succeeding with a different, more gritty style of hip-hop. During this period of glossy rap music, in the dark alleys of inner city Lagos, a street singer by the name of YQ released a single titled “Efimile” featuring Da Grin, which became a hit where many applauded ‘Grin’s input. Regardless, he wasn’t dominating the rap headlines.

M.I still reigned supreme, and at the 2009 Headies in Abuja, he took home the award for Best Rap Album, whilst Dagrin merely attended the show. For his second album, Dagrin primarily worked with Sossick whose work with his brother Gino a few years before on his debut album had earned him a reputation as a sick producer.

The first release from the project was “Pon Pon Pon”, a track hard as nails, which made you want to beat your chest with your fist and swoon in Naija pride. Dagrin’s opening lines on the song kick off with pro-Naija sentiments, but quickly settles into poignant bars about what life is like in the ghetto – dark, cunning, brutish, bullish and tough.

The gunshot at the beginning of the song was the bullet that killed swag. From then on, Dagrin captivated the soul of the economically disenfranchised, and a hero was born. When C.E.O finally dropped, it moved faster than hand sanitisers during the current pandemic, thanks to emotional songs like “Ghetto Dream” which was the soundtrack of a generation who was yet to see the benefits of Nigerian democracy one whole decade after the evacuation of military powers. You can hear Dagrin’s despair, pain, sorrow on many of the cornerstone tracks on the LP.

It wasn’t all pain, though. C.E.O is a story of hope, which tells the story of an impoverished young man who was born into the bowels of poverty; one who made it out of the hood through undeniable talent, sheer will and some serendipity. The last official track on the album, the Omawumi-assisted “Thank God”, ends with his success story—one which would have created a dynasty if he were still here with us.

A decade after, the legacy of this honest album is that, it was made for a generation who was promised everything but given nothing. It effectively and immediately changed the face of Nigerian rap music. After the death of Dagrin, there was a noticeable increase in the number of indigenous rappers. Just like Dagrin, they too would tell the stories that Nigeria’s political and rich elite would sneer at. A rapper like Naira Marley who has gone on to offend Nigeria’s ultra-conservative society has offered comical commentary on everything from Internet fraud and cosmetic surgery, to drug abuse and police brutality. He might have not been directly inspired by Dagrin but the template he works with was created by the late rapper.

C.E.O took rap music to a class of Nigerians previously neglected by its rappers. M.I, Trybesmen and Naeto C sold rap music to the cool kids. Wordy lyricists like Modenine made music for the hip-hop heads. For the impoverished and young, Fuji was the music of choice—that is, until Dagrin kicked the door down and sold them hope. He consecrated the land on which immediate and future successors like Reminisce, Kida Kudz and Zlatan now triumphantly march.

For that, we might as well call him the Hood Pope. Rest In Peace.

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Ayomide O. Tayo is an award-winning Nigerian music and pop culture journalist. Get at him on Twitter @AOT2

OLAMIDE, NAIRA MARLEY & THE LEGITIMACY OF INDIGENOUS RAPPERS

The Shuffle Special: Dagrin’s phenomenal sophomore album, ‘C.E.O’

Posted on by The Native

On the 30th of April, 2010, thousands of people packed in and around Lagos’ Atan cemetery to pay last respects to the then just departed rapper, Dagrin. Eight days prior, the man born Oladapo Olaitan Olaonipekun passed away at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), following health complications from a ghastly car accident that happened eight days before his death.

At just 26years old, Dagrin’s passing was very sudden, and the instant grief it caused many was heightened by the impression that he would have achieved way more if it wasn’t for the finality of his death. This was the fuel behind the morose, yet charged atmosphere at his burial, where attendees included visibly distraught family members, friends and industry colleagues. Majority of those present were fans, including myself and three other friends, who had come to hang onto every word of the rapper’s hugely successful 2009 album, C.E.O (Chief Executive Omo Ita).

Although C.E.O was a breakout of epic proportions, it took some time for Dagrin to become the burgeoning superstar he was, at the tail end of his life. Back in 2006, he independently released Still on the Matter, a debut album that barely made a dent commercially. To be fair, the quality of Dagrin’s debut was a far cry from his follow-up: his song craft was still very crude, the mixing was less than ideal and the production choices did little to flatter his still developing voice. There was promise on the album, though, mainly from in his writing. Cuts like the romantic “Kowale” and the self-assured “Rap Rules” flaunted his ability for vivid raps—but in the music business, promise doesn’t always equate to staying power.

Very often, artists tend to go from obscurity to non-existent after a self-funded project flops. In Dagrin’s case, though, he successfully kicked against oblivion. In addition to his tenacity, his rise was buoyed by finding the right allies – musically and business-wise. On the business side of things, the rapper stuck to putting out music on his own imprint, Missofunyin Entertainment, however, he signed a management deal with Edlyne Records, the label behind DJ Zeez “Fokasibe” and “Bobbie FC”. Dagrin’s pact with a record label, who knew the workings of the Nigerian music space at the time, gave him a huge boost in terms of marketing and promotion.

This positioning was made supremely effective due to the tangible improvement in Dagrin’s music. An integral part of that renaissance was Sossick, the principal sonic architect behind C.E.O. The two crossed paths circa late 2007, after a friend of Dagrin’s introduced the rapper to the producer. At the time of their acquaintance, Sossick was already a popular name within Nigerian hip-hop circles, due to his production work with one of the best rappers around at the time, Gino. Sossick produced the entirety of Gino’s 2006 classic album, Pain Plus Work, which housed the seminal track, “No Be God”.

With their match-up as an undeniably talented rapper and experienced producer, Dagrin and Sossick formed a great musical partnership, which was further entrenched by the deep friendship they fostered along the way. On C.E.O, their synergy is on full display; Dagrin’s guttural voice and striking lyricism are commanding, while Sossick’s superior knowledge of song arrangement and his consistent beat-making—ranging from moving soul-samplers to chunky thumpers—enhances the album’s entertainment value.

Darting between the introspective “Ghetto Dreams”, ambitious “Make Doe”, celebratory “Gboro” and imperial “Swag [Fi Le]”, C.E.O is a wholesome portrait of a man with an enduring spirit. Coming from a relatively poor background where little is given, and growing up in the inner parts of Lagos where closing your eyes was a respite from the harshness of reality, Dagrin’s music reflected his truths at every turn, which is what drew die hard fans to him, especially those who understood Yoruba. For those who didn’t understand his every word, the catch was in his ability to make you feel the emotions behind his words, with alternating cadences and appropriate beat selections.

Similar to Gino’s “No Be God” and M.I’s “Safe”, impactful lead singles off classic Nigerian hip-hop albums, C.E.O’s lead single was “Pon Pon Pon”, a cut that’s widely regarded as one of the hardest rap songs made by a Nigerian. Over Sossick’s screeching piano strings and Leviathan bass drops, Dagrin runs through a series of declarative bars, each one as potent as the preceding one, contributing to the infectious feeling of being invincible the rapper exudes throughout the song. Crystallising its outsize impact, the song’s car horn-mimicking hook—“mo l’enu bi pon pon pon”—quickly entered pop culture lexicon, one of the signifiers of a true street-bred smash hit.

Although Dagrin’s commercial impact was the biggest it had ever been for an indigenous rapper, it didn’t occur in isolation. At the time of his blow-up, the ID Cabasa-led collective, Coded Tunes, was having a major moment following the smash success of 9ice’s 2008 classic album, Gongo Aso. 9ice, who performs the majority of his music in Yoruba, was one of the country’s biggest pop stars, and his ongoing success provided a direct lineage for Dagrin’s reception. There’s also Lord of Ajasa, the Coded Tunes affiliate who is credited for pioneering Yoruba rap on a mainstream level. Although Ajasa never reached the same level of acclaim, there’s no doubt he was important in paving the way for Dagrin.

None of this diminishes Dagrin’s achievements, it only provides the proper context for a stunning, short career that held even more potential. Due to his unfortunate, untimely passing, we cannot correctly gauge how well Dagrin would have thrived in the last decade, but with the ongoing domination of indigenous rap music and street-hop in the contemporary afropop terrain, the projections are positive. What can be said with certainty, however, is that Barrack O’grin—as he proclaimed himself on the remix of General Pype’s “Champion”—left two indelible footprints in the sands of Nigerian music history.

Stream ‘C.E.O’ here.

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ON THE EVERLASTING MYSTERY OF DAGRIN’S LAST SONG

Essentials: M.I Abaga & A-Q’s thrilling joint project, ‘The Live Report’

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

At the beginning of this month, a joint project between M.I Abaga and A-Q wasn’t on the cards. Just last month, both veteran rappers dropped their latest projects, ‘Judah’ and ‘God’s Engineering’, respectively, so it was unprecedented that they agreed to a fan’s request for a collaborative project. Beyond the proximity to their most recent work, though, what really mattered is that the pairing made sense on paper, and it ultimately translated into one of the more thrilling African rap projects in recent memory.

‘The Live Report’ builds off an already established chemistry between M.I and A-Q. While their striking guest appearances on each other’s solo releases were a livewire act in contrasting styles, this 6-track project uses those differences to emphasise the similarities in their experiences and perspectives. “Tone of the Conversation”, the opening song, is a good old lyrical outburst, with both rappers establishing their regal credentials. As much as it’s filled with brags, it doesn’t take much to see the diverging points if their candour: M.I’s raps about his larger-than-life influence projects his slick conceitedness, while A-Q’s threats of burying the hatchet into his rivals’ skulls is a trademark offshoot of his raw pugilism.

While assertive rapping is what carries the project, thematic timeliness is its main sell. The pair address pertinent social issues in a manner that’s provocative and a tad heavy-handed at times, but always finds a way to land in profound territory. At those points, ‘The Live Report’ is a time capsule for the dystopian reality we’re all currently living in.

On the title track, they grimace at the conspiracy theories linking the ongoing coronavirus pandemic with 5G technology, disappointed with the absurdity of it all. Where M.I, in between his dense schemes and optimism, simply urges listeners to apply common sense instead of looking to influential figures who don’t know any better, A-Q flips those theories into part-rant, part-satire that climaxes with the cutting, final lines: “The question is, where is Africa in all of this/we busy playing politics, on some corruption shit”.

“The Live Report” is closed off by a soundbite from a tech expert who harps on the necessity of mobile networks in a time where many have to physically distance themselves from family and close friends. Bits like these are worked into ‘The Live Report’ as a means of building and easing the tensions of songs, as well as emboldening nuance. The lampooning of exploitive religious leaders on “Jesus Said Use Your Head” starts off with preachers quoting and explaining bible passages, while the morbid honesty of “When I’m Gone” begins with a matter-of-fact statement: “…it could be in a month, it could be tomorrow, it could be in a year, it could be in twenty years, but the thing is, you’re gonna die”.

Although M.I and A-Q are rapping on top form, the project’s sole producer, Beats By Jayy, is the spine of ‘The Live Report’. Jayy’s production on the tape combines simple elegance and a vintage knock; soulful loops are girded by head-nodding drum patterns, creating enough negative space for both rappers to find different pockets on each song.

On a less impressive note, “Jesus Said Use Your Head” allegedly samples Daramola’s “I Used To”, without the singer’s permission. Even though the flip is artfully done, and Daramola has since taken down the tweet in which he complained, it’s noteworthy mentioning that artists need to respect the intellectual properties of their colleagues, no matter the level of prominence.

On the purely musical side of things, though, ‘The Live Report’ is a nearly flawless body of work, with two of Nigeria’s finest rappers speaking truth to power over phenomenal production. The fact that this project was conceived and executed within all of five days speaks to the virtuosity of all parties involved. It’s the result of purposeful spontaneity and points to the idea that sometimes, there’s really no need to overthink.

Listen to ‘The Live Report’  here.

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

NATIVE EXCLUSIVE: M.I ISN’T THE MESSIAH THE WORLD WANTS HIM TO BE