Mr Eazi has released a new single, “Kpalanga”, after celebrating the 3rd year anniversary of his romantic relationship with Temi Otedola. He puts his mushy side on full display on the Killertunez-produced single, which allows him to take a break from his globe-trotting schemes and focus on emotional sentiments.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7OcNeuJqP1/
Killertunez produced the catchy beat for “Kpalanga” and sets a lightweight groove for Mr Eazi’s heartfelt confessions of love; “If you want, I go cry a river/ Just to show you your love dey make me kpalanga”. He explained in a GQ interview that the song is inspired by the love between his military father and civilian mother and dedicated the song to men and women in service. The military appreciation is also expected to reflect in the music video when it premiers later today.
In the meantime, you can listen to “Kpalanga” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/mreazi
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
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
For a while now, Netflix has been expanding into the African market by acquiring an expansive catalogue of African films from Genevieve Nnaji’s directorial debut ‘Lionheart’ to French-Senegalese director, Mati Diop’s award winning ‘Atlantics’.
Last year, Netflix announced it’s plan to acquire and release original series from Africa, created by Africans and it seems like at the top of that list is Kagiso Lediga’s ‘Queen Sono’, its first-ever original series from the continent. The series is an action-packed set starring South African star, Pearl Thusi as a James Bond-like operative who tackles dangerous missions while dealing with personal challenges from the relationships in her life.
The trailer for the upcoming series was released yesterday, and features an impressive soundtrack created by some of South Africa’s budding talents, like Sho Madjzoi, newly-signed Sauti Sol group and Black Motion. From the look of the action packed trailer, we can be sure to expect an equally bubbly soundtrack. The first season of ‘Queen Sono’ will be available to stream on Netflix from February 28.
Watch the trailer for ‘Queen Sono’ below.
Featured image credits/queensononetlfix
Tami is a lover of astrology, music and women. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
After kick-starting the year with a latin-pop remix for “Emotion”, Runtown steps on the pedal as he shares a brand new single, “Body Riddim”, featuring Darkovibes and Bella Shmurda. The lightweight club driven song was produced by Kel P who creates a psychedelic groove with the guitar baseline and catchy drum riffs. It serves as the cosy backdrop for Runtown, Darkovibes and Bella Shmurda’s romantic confessions for their love interests and makes “Body Riddim” hit the sweet spot where love and lust meet.
“Body Riddim” featuring Darkovibes and Bella Shmurda is Runtown’s first official single since he released the 6-track ‘Tradition’ EP last year.
Stream “Body Riddim” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/runtown
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
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
Society is at a crossroad. Audiences are demanding more than ever from their favourite artists with the access social media provides. For us, all we ask is more female collaborations. Imagine hearing a track with Falana and Efe Oraka or 234jaydaa and Merry-Lynn or Tems on a track with Somadina and Solis or even Tiwa Savage with Bella Alubo and Emosé. The younger crop of female artists in Nigeria, especially seem to all good friends with each other. They have set the perfect stage for them to band together to give us the ultimate girls anthem we deserve.
This is not to say that there aren’t any of such collaborations, Lady Donli’s ambitious debut ‘Enjoy your Life’ had her pairing up with Somadina and Amaarae on “Flava” and with Tems on “Good Time” and Bella Alubo’s ‘Summer’s Over’ EP saw her linking up with Ezi Emela on “Don’t trust Geminis” which landed her a coveted Best New Music pick.
It seems that this year more collaborations between the girls will be happening, as just last week UK based singer and vocalist, Tomi Agape teased an upcoming collaboration with Tems. As if that was not enough to whet our appetites, yesterday Dami Oniru also teased a collaboration with Tems titled “Without Me”, the pair who are good friends have constantly been torpedoed with questions of a song together and now we seem to be finally getting a collaboration from them.
234jaydaa and Solis have also potentially teased some new music after a fan called for them to be on an EP together; it seems to be the year of girls, girls, girls and we are personally loving every bit of it.
Featured image credits/native
Tami is a lover of astrology, music and women. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
Led by popular media personality Douglas Jekan, the PGM (Pushing Good Music) club has made it an obligation to champion rising, talented artists, via its weekly radio show, Pushing Traffic to Good Music, as well as through frequent live events. After a brief hiatus, the crew is resuming their mini-concert series, PGM Live, with a first instalment for 2020 scheduled for Friday, January 31st at BLD by Play, 15 Admiralty way, Lekki, Lagos.
The line-up for the mini-concert features Buju, Gigi Atlantis and Solis, three talented who had successful rookie campaigns in 2019 and are set to have a better run this year. In addition to seeing these three artists perform, ticket purchases will serve as philanthropic acts, as the organisers have announced that all proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the displaced residents of Tarkwa Bay, who were forcefully evicted from their homes last week. Tickets to PGM Live can be purchased here.
Check out the event details here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B745TvqHaaT/
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/douglasjekan
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Naira Marley rounded up last year with his EP ‘LOL (Lord of Lamba)’ which saw him releasing music videos for some of its standout singles including “Tesumole” a catchy upbeat song that came accompanied with a viral dance step. We haven’t heard much new material from him, but our fave is back with a new single “Anywhere” in collaboration with UK singer, Ms Banks. ‘You’ve got something different and you share my vision/you know I’ll go anywhere for you’ sings Naira Marley, ditching his assertive raps for a pitched-down romantic flow.
Listen to “Anywhere” below.
Tami is a lover of astrology, music and women. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
Davido’s DMW crew has remained one of Nigeria’s most endearing musical outfits, thanks to the palpable camaraderie shared amongst members, which we see on their hit collaboration like “Mind” and “On God”. Despite the successful solo careers of members like Dremo and Mayorkun, they are never too shy to rub their team spirit proudly in our faces, and even on solo releases, it’s not uncommon to find other members making cameos in music videos and in pictures shared on the gram.
Mayorkun’s first release of the year, “Geng” doesn’t feature any DMW member, but the sentiments expressed on the song are informed by the team’s compadre. He ditched the lover-boy narrative his songs are famous for, and recorded what seems to be a diss track aimed at other groups.
Que laid down the upbeat, street-hop influenced beat for “Geng”, which allows Mayorkun to dig into his more ratchet songwriting bag. He pays homage to popular lingo such as “Set Awon” from Small Doctor, while mocking gangs named after the “Akube” and “Pepper Dem” from Dotman and Olamide respectively; “Set awon bad mouth geng/ Akube Balenciaga geng/ One Hennessey, 20 men geng/ This geng is the most high”.
In the spirit of fair play, Mayorkun has also launched a #GengFreestyle challenge for those interested in responding to the disrespectful song. Sauce Kid was among the first to accept the challenge and the freestyle verse he released got featured on the newly released music video for “Geng”. The video was directed by Splaash and Cjay Moore and it captures Mayorkun and Sauce Kid as they perform their verses while surrounded by their goons.
Watch the music video for “Geng” below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvDEnITdwsM
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/iammayorkun
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
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
Sauti Sol has grown from being an acapella group formed in Nairobi in 2005 to become an international award-winning group with successful tours across Africa, America and Europe. Following their latest album “Afrikan Sauce”, which was an important moment for Pan-African music collaborations, the Kenyan band has now signed an exclusive recording deal with Universal Music Africa, a division of Universal Music Group (UMG) that will allow the band access to a global network of recording opportunities.
The band has remained dedicated to spreading their cultural heritage to the ends of the world and the contract with Universal Music Africa is expected to help them reach new audiences whilst remaining loyal to their home-base fans. fanbase with bold, creative campaigns that will engage a new generation of fans throughout Africa.
The MD of Universal Music Group (South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa), Sipho Dlamini told NATIVE; “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Sauti Sol, one of the most innovative and creative groups to have broken through from Africa in recent years. We look forward to working together with them to ensure they are able to authentically celebrate Africa through music and to help introduce their unique blend Afro-pop to new listeners everywhere.”
Having already received international recognition from their past projects, tour and awards, the effect of the UMA deal is expected to reflect in the record label the band formed last year, Sol Generation Records. They have expressed that the sole aim of creating their own record label is to develop and introduce new live African acts. The label has become even more attractive for singer and songwriters hoping their talent will get recognized.
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
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
Two weeks ago, on January 15th, Nigeria was once again reminded of her bloody past as it was the remembrance day of her civil war, one that rocked the nation and left many with horrors that they still deal with till today.
Ifeoma Chukwuogo, a young film writer and director is currently producing and directing a documentary-series titled ‘No Victors’ which helps uncover the human stories of the Nigeria-Biafra civil war. In a bid to take charge of our narratives, she is focusing the story on everyday people–like you and I–who ‘found themselves entangled in the horrible realities of war on the dawn of a country’s independence and promise of a prosperous future’.
In the first episode which was released this week, Ifeoma begins her story with former voluntary child soldier, Weluche Ume, a man who at the time, was willing to live by and die by the cause of the Biafran people following the death of his parents in the North. He failed many times to be conscripted into the army, but eventually had to lie about his age to seek the vengeance he so greatly desired. Years late, Weluche tells his story and how he dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder following the horrors he witnessed, and the friends he lost along the way.
Watch a featurette of ‘No Victors’ below.
Featured image credits/youtube
Tami is a lover of astrology, music and women. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
It was in her second year at the University of Warwick when 22-year-old, Seyi Alawode realised that there was an imbalance in the opportunities available for the more traditional careers, like Law and Medicine, and those available for alternative creative careers. “It just seemed like there was this culture where if you are not pursuing those careers, then you were not serious” she says to me, explaining how she birthed her creative agency for young adults during her university years.
“I decided that seeing as the uni isn’t going to bring the industry I wanted to me, I was going to bring it to uni myself.”
Seyi Alawode grew up in Nigeria, where traditional career paths were highly favoured from just about everyone, from our parents to graduate recruiters. Being the only child, her knack to be her own boss began at home, where her independence and freedom were encroached on, leading her to seek out opportunities where she could express her creativity and freedom. It was through countless internships and work experience in the creative sector in her home country, that she found out she was unwilling to compromise on being her own boss.
“I noticed that the industry in Nigeria is hella traditional. Storytelling is not as exciting as I want it to be and I feel like the Nigerian market stifles creativity. So that really pushed me to want to do my own thing”.
Starting off as Create Her Lane, Seyi Alawode began taking on the creative industry in the United Kingdom, where she attended university. Her first event was a humble affair, after a total of 15 people attended it. Despite the low turnout, she was determined more than ever to show young people – black women- especially that there were people out there willing to pay them for their creative skills.
In November of 2018, she decided to try her hand again at another event, inviting a panel from all across the UK including a blogger, a journalist at the BBC, and a YouTuber. Her second event was by far better in comparison, as over 200 people showed up. “I realised I had something on my hand and this is what I now wanted to do—although at this point, I still was not trying to go full time”.
The creative industry in the UK, proved to be just a force to infiltrate as the industry back at home. Currently, only 14% of creative directors in the UK are women, as the industry is heavily white male dominated. “I am an intersection of everything the industry hates in the UK: I am black, I am a woman and I am young. It is literally what the industry rejects” she tells me, passionately speaking of her resolve to not be deterred by the naysayers.
Seyi does not shy away from admitting she needs help, “there have been women that I could not have done this without. Women that do not need to help me but they constantly show up for me” she tells me, recounting how she met her current mentor Francesca Gamble after applying to exclusive members club, Soho House. On the other hand, she has also had not so great experiences with other women in power, particularly in Nigeria where she worked for ‘gatekeepers’ unwilling to give her a chance because of her age, and experience.
“I actually found it easier in the UK because all the women seem to want to help you, but here it’s almost like they want to gatekeep you and say I’m the boss, you’re not”. Both experiences shaped the journey she is currently on, as it determined her resolve to be her own boss and ‘Create Her Lane’.
Create Her Lane also took on new shape during Seyi’s experiences, owing to the ever changing world we live in, Seyi decided to rebrand as ‘Creative Hub Limited’ and open up her creative agency to anyone and everyone, regardless of gender.
The decision to broaden the group’s focus came from her mentor, “She said to me that you are in a world where things are changing, and gender pronouns may not be that clever because in 5 years, will we still be using genders? And when you say her, who are you referring to? Are you referring to women or people that identify as women? Or do you include trans women as well? How are you going to make this as inclusive as possible?”
Taking these into account, a rebranding was imminent for Seyi as “the heart of CHL is inclusivity, I do this for the underrepresented so if me having a pronoun just by default excludes certain people then I won’t want that”.
Although CHL is taking on shape in the UK, where Seyi lives and currently works, she is not afraid to also infiltrate the market in Lagos. “I registered it in Lagos last week” she admits to me, “It is very very long term, but definitely yes it has been registered and one day, we will take on life here”.
Till then, Seyi Alawode is happy building up an ever-growing network and looking to expand globally. “I want to get young creatives to actually work on things and get paid for it. Long term, I want there to be sort of like a Soho House but just for young creatives in Lagos. I want there to be a space where young creatives can host events, network, work and meet other people. We’re actually talented, we just need to be paid for it”.
Patoranking is the latest Nigerian artist to feature on online music performance platform, A Colors Show. For his appearance, the singer delivered a stunning rendition of “Feelings”, a reggae-fueled standout off his 2019 sophomore album, ‘Wilmer’. Backed by DJ Coublon’s sway-inducing beat, the singer’s raspy voice shines as he sings the song’s romantic lyrics, surrounded by a vibrant yellow backdrop. Patoranking’s feature on A Colors Show makes it three-for-three, following superb displays by Rema and Tiwa Savage.
Watch Patoranking perform “Feelings” here.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/A COLORS Show
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
King Perryy’s affectionate lyrics on “Baeby” already earned the song a spot on fans’ romantic playlists when it was released last year. Wavos has revived the song’s sultry effects with the accompanying music video released in time for the coming Valentine season.
K. Somto shot and directed the music video that follows King Perryy and his love interest on their date night. Though the video’s focus is mostly on the couple’s fun times, there are also aesthetically pleasing shots with colourful set designs and a young child who seems to be playing the role of a young Wavos.
American-based Nigerian singer, Olayinka Ehi released her debut single for 2020, “Terms and Conditions”, to mark her birthday on the 26th of January. The aptly titled single, “Terms and Conditions”, is addressed at a lover who takes her for granted and she reminds him of the requirements she deserves in their relationship, “I want it all the time/ I want it on my time”.
Olayinka Ehi expressed her saddened feelings of neglect over the smooth mix of percussion, guitar harmonies, laid back drum riffs and backing vocals that evoke emotion from listeners. Her voice, storytelling and the sweeping instrumentals merge seamlessly to give “Terms and Conditions” an air of dread, not too different from the one we get when we have to agree to the terms and conditions from products we use.
Stream Olayinka Ehi’s “Terms and Conditions” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/olayinkaehi
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
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
Late last year, Naira Marley dropped his EP, ‘Lord of Lamba (LOL)’, and the rapper has been following up with videos for singles, “Isheyen” and “Tesumole”. His latest drop is the video for “Tingasa”, a raunchy cut that features C Blvck, one of the artists recently singed to Naira Marley’s imprint, Marlian Records. The Somto-directed video for “Tingasa” shows Naira and C Blvck as they energetically performing their set amongst a posse, in a garage filled with cars.
You can watch “Tingasa” here.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Naira Marley
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
With a career spanning over two decades, Terry Tha Rapman is currently in his legacy act phase. Back in 2001, the veteran rapper, who celebrates his 44th birthday today, dropped his full-length debut, ‘Tha Rapmanifestation’, a project that mainly relied on his ability as a dead-eyed lyricist, sometimes to the overall detriment of the music. By his 2007 sophomore LP, ‘Tha Rapman Beginz’, he’d grown into a better song-maker, retooling his raps into memorable quips and selecting beats that slapped.
“Na Beans”, an early single off ‘Tha Rapman Beginz’, is a stunning call-back to that period in Terry’s career, where he was operating at full strength as an artist and his mainstream appeal was on a rapid rise. On the classic cut, Terry touts his lyrical ability and shadowboxes his competitors, two themes that are commonplace in hip-hop. However, three things elevate “Na Beans” beyond being a cliché brag track: a stomping beat that will compel your shoulders to shimmy till this day, the colourful references and pointed wordplay woven into Terry’s impressionable (and sometimes corny) raps, and an immortal hook—“you think say na beans to bust 16?/oya bust 16!”—that crystallises the song’s mix of conceited and catchy.
In the context of Nigerian rap music, “Na Beans” is an exemplary pop-rap song and a showcase of how lyric-driven rappers can adapt their abilities into becoming market-ready artists. In the context of Terry’s longstanding career, “Na Beans” kick-started a dominant commercial run that lasted into the early 2010s, a period during which he cemented himself as one of the greatest Nigerian rappers to hold a mic. Happy birthday, Terry Tha Rapman!
Stream “Na Beans” here.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Terry Tha Rapman
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
The growth of social media has birthed a new DIY generation of entertainers, who from the comfort can reach millions of viewrs on the internet. But as technology continues to develop and become more accessible, it was only a matter of time before the really innovative social media users took on bigger roles in entertainment, as we have seen previously with Big Brother housemates and other reality television stars.
Justin UG built his career as a comedian on social media, and he’s now pivoting to cinema with “Requital”, an action-comedy directed by Director Dutch. Apart from starring as a lead role, he also co-produced the film with Victor Giwa. The trailer for “Requital” shows Justin pushing the acting skills he regularly displays in his viral clips to extreme levels, showing him as Richard, a casanova who gets himself in sticky situations due to his love for women.
“Requital” will feature newcomers like Hadassah Zubairu, Nidiya Justine, Leo Obienyi, Martin Izehi, Uchendu Steven and others expected to make their movie debuts when the film is released. Producer, Victor Giwa told NATIVE “It’s essential for Nollywood to create space for young creatives with new age humour and relatable plots that can capture the interest of audiences of all ages”.
“Requital” will go on a university tour in Nigeria before it drops on the movie’s website and on amazon. While we wait for the tour dates and official release date, you can watch the trailer below.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/JustiiinUg
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
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
Nothing really prepares you for life as a student in a Nigerian university. Anecdotes might give you a general idea of what it’s like, but it’s a period that is best gauged by personal experiences. Things like the inadequate infrastructure, dealing with lecturers who double as bullies, and the difficult adjustment phase (especially if you have to travel away from home) are through lines almost every (ex-)undergraduate can relate with, however, uni stories differ from person to person.
The one absolute positive, though, is that everyone finds a tribe of friends to go through the ups and downs of uni with. Reflecting the importance of camaraderie, Netflix show, “Crazy, Lovely, Cool” shows the life of a group of undergraduate friends, using them as the point of contact to represent the topsy-turvy nature of the Nigerian university experience.
Brought together by the eponymous blog/website, CLC (acronym for the show title), the nine friends at the show’s nucleus—Izu, Funmi, Nana, Luciano, Ubong, Amara, Wisdom, Boma and Nkem—spend the major portion of “CLC” dealing with challenges that are brought about or exacerbated by external sources.
One issue that quickly becomes a definitive part of the show, comes at the end of the first episode, when Effy—Boma’s younger brother—dies during a cult initiation and his body is found beside the basketball court on campus. Grief stricken, Boma takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of what happened to her newly matriculated sibling, after she comes across comments on the CLC blog from students who suspect her brother was into cult activities.
Beyond being related to one of the show’s central characters, Effy’s death serves as a compelling touchstone for “CLC”, due to his endearing introduction as a starry-eyed kid who wanted to gain popularity on campus through his artistic endeavours. Solving his sudden demise gives “CLC” a sense of purpose for its first five to episodes. It’s during this period that we see potent depictions of the insecurities students face due to cult activities on campus, as well as the grossly ineffective policing in Nigeria, especially on the investigative side. Also, this plotline largely moves with intent, as the friends galvanise in their fact-finding mission. For example, their strategy of getting a medical student to do an autopsy on Effy’s body isn’t foolproof, but their desperation and the humour of the events in the autopsy scene makes it one of the more memorable moments of the show.
As the second half of “CLC” unfolds, though, the search for answers begins to bug its enjoyability. Although part of this downward spiral is assisted by the stiff acting of Chinonye Chidolue, the actress that plays Boma, the major culprit is the trajectory chosen by the award-winning backroom duo of Kemi Adesoye (“The Figurine” “Fifty”) and Obi Emelonye (“Last Flight to Abuja” “Onye Ozi”), series writer and director respectively.
For the most part, their story and character development is remarkable, but the introduction of Hassan, a wealthy love interest mid-series, as the hero figure undermines the initial build-up, in favour of closing the story arch neatly. Also, the revelation that Effy being gay was the reason he was killed sheds a light on the cruelty gay people face in Nigeria’s conservative society, but in the context of the show, it comes across as a shoehorned detail that fits a narrative.
The struggle to find a strong closing arch also spills into the other relatively minor storylines. A particularly vexing story arch is that of Dr Douglas, a poised and intelligent lecturer who eventually loses her career by getting into a needless sexual relationship with slacking student/upcoming artist, Luciano. Also, the tame affair, on-screen, is a prime instance of how unstimulating “CLC” is when it comes to building romantic tension between two potential partners. This part is down to the lack of chemistry between actors immediately the script goes beyond filial, which is a shame because dating is a big part of the university experience.
All of these missteps are balanced out by the show’s charming portrayal of friendship. While they show up for each other in varying combinations and capacities, the in-fighting and personal quarrels adds a personable layer to their relationship. This imperfect framing allows the mix of recognisable and new faces to get along on screen without the need for a strong bond, even though the more experienced actors—Adesua Etomi (Funmi), Enyinna Nwigwe (Izu) and Uru Eke (Dr Douglas)—clearly outpace their relatively new colleagues at nearly every turn.
Although “Crazy, Lovely, Cool” was shot in 2017, its status as the first Nigerian TV series to be acquired by Netflix should have set it up for an anticipated second season. But with a Kamikaze-style ending—another result of the latter preoccupation with fitting in an ending—it likely won’t be back, and it’s probably best that way. Being a near even balance of highs and lows, “CLC” does a solid job of never falling flat, which is all it really needed to do across its ten 50-minute episodes to keep things interesting. It can be confounding on multiple occasions, but it is also frequently entertaining and relatable.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Obi Emelonye TV
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
All wars are awful, but civil wars are regarded as the worst kind, as they turn brothers into enemies and force civilians to choose sides. January the 15th marked not only the anniversary of the first military coup in Nigeria’s history but also the beginning of her bloody civil war a year later. Though these two chapters have had a tremendous impact on the course of Nigeria’s history, they are shrouded in the most secrecy and conspiracy.
One startling aspect of Nigeria’s civil war, is the glaring difference in the accounts among the different people from the various regions of Nigeria, which is further exacerbated by the fact that there is no official account of the events of the war.
On the morning of January 15th 1966, a coup led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna would eliminate several senior officials of the then parliamentary government, despite maintaining that the coup was for the good of all Nigerians. The loss of major political figures particularly from the north cultivated a perception that the coup was orchestrated to only serve the interest of the Igbos.
Nigeria was witnessing its first power struggle as an independent nation. Months of civic unrest lead to worsening economic situations, following the controversial 1965 parliamentary elections, which birthed the geo-tribal fault lines between the 4 regions of the country and their corresponding ‘dominant tribes’. This is a trait that has continued to characterise politicking in Nigeria, even today. Numerical discrepancies between the voter numbers and census returns, resulted in a boycott of the election by the UPGA party in the eastern region. The resulting election was marred with reports of ballot stuffing and irregularities.
Following Nzeogwu’s coup, Nigeria’s acting president Nwafor Orizu (Nnamdi Azikiwe was not in Nigeria at the time) announced a voluntary decision by the cabinet to transfer power to Nigeria’s armed forces. As a result, Major General Aguiyi Ironsi was installed as head of state, setting the precedence of military takeovers that would mark most of the political development of Nigeria, till the very end of the 20th century.
As interim commander-in-chief, Ironsi sought to return calm to the country, but failed to punish the coup plotters. Following a counter coup in July, Yakubu Gowon would assume power, and from June to October of 1966, riots in the northern region of Nigeria would leave thousands of Igbos dead, and forcing up to a million to return to the eastern region of the country. The federal government’s response to the crisis was slow and failed to quell the loss of life. On May 30th 1967, Odumegwu Ojukwu would declare the eastern region a sovereign republic named ‘Biafra’. War would break shortly after in July following failed peace talks in Aburi Ghana. An estimated 2 million civilians, mostly of Igbo origin were lost as a result of the conflict, with many more displaced.
Following the war, Yakubu Gowon decreed ‘No victor, No vanquished’, a mindset aimed at quickly moving past the harrowing memories of the war, and reintegrating Igbos and the eastern part of Nigeria. Despite this mantra, the reality of returning back to Nigeria was far from resuming the norm, as most Igbos lost possession of their property in other parts of Nigeria (receiving only a 20 pound compensation), and continued to face stigma as a result of their ethnic identity.
The war, and the divisions it caused in its wake are not simply repairable by ignoring the past. Secrecy only serves as a breeding ground of festered wounds, and when proper context is not provided for such heavy and important national events, the emotion and resentment can be manipulated by vested interests, spawning more problems and serving to deepen already strained ties amongst the ethnicities in Nigeria.
Embracing the past is a concrete step towards achieving closure and ensuring that the same mistakes are not repeated. A country like Rwanda has since its own brutal civil war acknowledged and integrated the memory of the war into its national consciousness, ensuring that all her citizens understand the price of war, and know exactly what lead to the sad turn of events. It would be very hard for an individual to manipulate the sentiment around the war for personal gain, as the clarity of history would be too glaring to overlook.
Despite the devastating effects of the war on both sides, with atrocities committed towards ethnic Igbos since the war continue to form the backbone of the economic and socio-political development in Nigeria, owing to their dexterity and resilience. It is my hope that we reach a point in Nigeria where we can openly discuss the ills in our society, with a mindset of finding sustainable solutions, and further entrenching our nation’s unity.
Nigeria’s Civil war is instructional material for future generations, and its inclusion as a compulsory part of the national curriculum will help future generations appreciate the sacrifices and diversity that has brought this country so far. It is of no use protecting the memories of our fallen heroes if we do not tell their stories, honestly and completely, and make sure that the unity fought for is further entrenched by carrying every section of the country along.
It is unfortunate that the killings could not have been prevented, and the paranoia around power and control prevented us from setting aside our differences to sight a unified vision, however it would be a disservice to the memories of those affected by the war, dead and many still alive, to not acknowledge and learn about our trials as a nation, in order to build a safer and more united society for future generations to develop in.
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Djaji is a creative Vagabond, send me your takes on music and African culture @djajiprime
In order to effectively communicate their ambition on wax, nascent rappers need to balance skill and clarity. One is important to showcasing ability and potential, while the other helps in creating a bond with the listener. On “Can’t Get No Sleep”, Martyn performs a stunning balancing act between the two tenets of an ambition-based rap song, and in the process, he comes off as a rapper that is both supremely talented and easy to root for.
Earlier this week, Martyn released ‘Paper Planes’, an EP of songs taken from a forthcoming trilogy project. At the centre of those songs is the need to prove that he’s on the right path, not just to the listener but to himself as well. As the closer of the 6-track project, “Can’t Get No Sleep” is a summation of the multiple moments of brilliance into a career-defining statement cut. Right from the moment he arrives, there’s vigour and poise in his voice as his vivid and clever raps land in a controlled flurry.
“I gotta prove that choosing music was a sound decision”, Martyn quips over the radiant beat that immediately recalls Kanye West during his chipmunk soul era. By the time he exits with the final line, “bend the knee or you gon catch something, cos y’all don’t strike me as fire, you don’t match for me”, it’s a declaration that he’s on a mission to start achieving his rap dreams, sooner rather than later.
Stream “Can’t Get No Sleep” here.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/i_stan_martyn
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Relationship experts always emphasise the need for partners to communicate their intentions clearly. What they might fail to mention however is that without finesse, this could make relationships seem transactional and ruin the romantic mood. But on “Mind Games”, the latest single from Ejoya, featured artist, Buju, transforms the awkward conversation about what he wants from his lover and what he’s willing to give her in return into an ecstatic, self-assured pop song meant to celebrate the women that are his type.
“As long as sey you go dey for me/ I make sure I give you my money” Buju sings, riding the smooth, lightweight beat IBK produced for the Ejoya single. Buju has continued to grow more acclaim since breaking out with “Spiritual” last year. His very visible fanbase show their support with daily requests for the release of the Burna Boy feature Buju hinted on social media. But while we wait on that, Buju keeps us entertained with his feature on “Mind Games”.
Listen to “Mind Games” by Buju and Ejoya below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/bujutoyourears
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
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
Grammy nominee, Burna Boy and J Hus have two things in common—they are both well known for making bangers, and also speaking their minds without a filter, holding up a big F U to anyone who gets in their way. The pair first linked up in 2017 on each other’s albums released that year, solidifying their knack for making bangers not only alone, but with each other.
J Hus has now released his third studio album ‘Big Conspiracy’, and news of Burna Boy’s involvement on the album was far from a secret as the UK rapper had been actively teasing the new release, all week. The third single from the pair, “Play Play” is a mid-tempo bass-drop anthem on which Burna Boy shows off his vocal range and enviable flow on the track’s hook as he leans into familiar dancehall tropes. ‘Anytime she go down, she won’t hold out/she let it all out’ he sings, laying down the song’s suggestive theme, and setting the perfect backdrop for Hus’ deadpan delivery.
Listen to “Play Play” below.
Featured image credits/
Tami is a lover of astrology, music and women. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
