Viveeyan first captured national attention after making the top 8 of the first season of the Voice Nigeria, in 2016. Shortly after her talent show run, she’d release “The Bull’s Eye”, a statement track declaring her unwavering intent to express herself through her music. In the over two years since that song, she’s been very quiet in new music terms, until recently, with the release of two new singles, “Your Lover” and “Taya Me”.
As a (re-)introductory singles, she uses both singles to display her much improved song-making abilities, melding her delightful, punchy vocals with impressive and slightly catchy writing. Fixed on the lightweight side of the thematic spectrum, Viveeyan delivers charming sets on both songs, aimed at appreciating an immaculate lover. “My world got better when you came into it”, she sings over the slinky pianos and thumping 808 drum pattern of “Your Lover”, while acoustic guitars and EDM-type drum breakdowns adorn her fawning lyrics on “Taya Me”.
Listen to Viveeyan on “Your Lover” and “Taya Me” here.
Featured Image Credits:
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Fans have always wondered if Drake would ever return to the theatres since he left the teen show, “Degrassi”, to chase his rap ambition with Lil Wayne’s YMCMB label. His return is however not as many predicted with the Drake buying the rights to “Top Boy”, a gritty series based in London, and playing the role of executive-producer for the show’s third series.
Ronan Bennett’s “Top Boy” already gained cultural acclaim after the first two seasons before it was cancelled by Channel 4 in 2013. But with the co-sign from Drake who has been a long time fan, the show seems to have grown new wings, debuting the trailer at his show at the O2 Arena in London where new additions to the cast, Little Simz (Simbi Ajikawo) and Dave(David Omoregie), were announced. The rappers are sure to amp up anticipation for the East London street culture promoting series ahead of the re-issue of the first two seasons and the 10 new episodes on Netflix.
The trailer keeps in line with the haunting image of London’s violent streets the previous series already established surrounding the characters of Dushane and Sully in Summerhouse. Their return from exile and prison respectively to find a new gang leader, Jamie, played by Micheal Ward will certainly lead to some drama haven been described as young, hungry, and ruthless gang leader. The crimes motivated by drugs, money and power is on full display in the Netflix trailer ahead of the official release on Friday, the 13th of September.
Burna Boy is on a roll. In addition to the release of his marquee ‘African Giant’ album, he’s remained an omnipresent figure in music conversations this summer, with a slew of cross-Atlantic collaborations, including a solo spot on Beyonce’s “Lion King”-inspired album, and features on summer bops by Mahalia, DJ Snake and Jorja Smith. His latest guest appearance is on DC rapper IDK’s “December”, the ninth song on the rapper’s newly released, star-studded major label debut, ‘Is He Real?’.
Mainly known for his unrelenting wordplay and picturesque storytelling, IDK spends a significant portion of his new album untangling doubts and his relationship with God through vivid raps. However, IDK’s collaboration with Burna is one of the more lightweight moments on the album, as he slips into a flitting falsetto, cherishing his lover and reminiscing on the early encounters that helped him fall in love with her. With its integral interpolation of Chaka Demus & Pliers’ Dancehall classic, “Murder She Wrote”, and the bouncy tropical house beat, Burna finds a familiar, immaculate pocket, sharing the same heartfelt sentiments with a vulnerably charming performance. “December” is clearly IDK’s move at scoring a mainstream hit, and with all factors considered—the combination of a major label machine backing, the undeniable fanfare around Burna, and the song’s summery vibe—it has the right makings.
You can listen for IDK’s “December” here.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/IDK & burnaboygram
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Trill Tega titled his latest album ‘Sound Exploration’, a pleasantly diverse rap project backed up by the 18-year-old rapper’s outspoken personality and his knack for blending different hip-hop influences from Drill, Grime and trap. He just released the music video for one of the album’s standout tracks, “In Peace”, and while the rapper’s love for diverse cultures doesn’t make its way into the lyrics, the TG Omori directed video highlights his different influences and rebellious nature.
The iced out customized chains and Nike shoes highlight his foreign-inspired style but we still see him dancing the Shaku to the beat. To portray the youthful angst Trill Tega channels on “In Peace”, we see him performing next to a bunk bed with friends, palming a baseball bat and performing in the passenger’s seat of a convertible ride.
Watch the music video for Trill Tega’s “In Peace” below.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Trill Tega
[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
Abba is in high spirits as he takes me on a tour of his home, cheerily pointing out the impressive art pieces and masks that decorate his home office and studio in Lekki, where we had our interview. His role as a director and filmmaker was what prompted the interview but it was hard to miss his artistic talent with most of the pieces displayed in his homemade by him. After the tour we settle down in his home office; arguably the most interesting room in the house. The walls are splattered with scribbles formed from pastels and paint; in the centre two keyboards hang side-by-side under a suspended voodoo doll, hanging by ropes attached to a samurai sword. He admits the debasing of his office wall was a product of a depressive episode prior to the nomination of his film, “Green White Green”, at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Abba’s success in the film industry came after his debut feature film length movie, “Green White Green”, which is now being streamed on Netflix. Before this, he had been releasing short films over the years like “Nollywood”, the Aljeezera documentary on the Nigerian film industry and his satire “Direc-toh”. He has grown reluctant to answer questions on why he got into filmmaking, a question he feels he has answered many times over the years. However, he indulges me and recounts the tale of leaving university in Jos for upstate New York where he found himself in the midst of music and art students as opposed to his Business course mates. “I just fell in love with film magically,” he says, narrating how his university roommate back then had an impressive film collection. It was through revisiting classics like “Reservoir Dogs”, “The Godfather” and “Good Will Hunting” that he felt compelled to be a filmmaker.
The more movies he watched, the more he was able to appreciate the distinction between a good and bad film. I ask him about his perception of the present state of Nollywood and he responds that being called a Nollywood filmmaker is almost like being called the ‘n-word’. For him, accepting this n-word description is relative; there are times he readily embraces it while there are other times he refuses to accept this label, “it leaves a bad taste in your mouth” he says, describing the condescending tone used to debase Nollywood movies in some places.
Surreal 16, the filmmaking collective Abba operates within also houses other creative minds like Mike Omonua and CJ Obasi; a group of like-minded filmmakers he considers his peers. The group was formed to forge a different side to Nollywood films, distinct from those we grew up watching. Abba admits there is no real significance behind their group title: “It’s honestly just a name we thought sounded cool”. This is not entirely true as Abba later discloses his fascination with psychologist Carl Jung and his archetypal theories of the subconscious mind.
Coincidentally, his new release “The Lost Okoroshi” originated from stumbling across the works of photographer, Charles Fréger’s Wilder Mann: The image of savage; a photo series that showcased masquerade-like creatures (Fréger dubs them ancient pagan ceremonial gods) from various European countries. Abba’s conviction in Jung’s theories and the collective unconsciousness was reinforced on seeing these images; be it a masquerade or a pagan god — the similarities were striking as they were the same supernatural creature but manifested in different ways in different cultures.
His fascination with masquerades dates long before coming across Freger’s work, Abba’s nickname “Dodorowski” was bestowed on him by his cousin. It is a play on Jos-slang “Dodo” meaning masquerade and one of his filmmaking inspirations, Alejandro Jodorowsky. As a child, Abba was immensely fascinated with masquerades particularly the unspoken agreement that whoever wears its attire is elevated to a status beyond human; a supernatural being. It was his all-round fascination for masquerades as well as his affinity for the Igbo culture that birthed his latest project, “The Lost Okoroshi”. He terms himself a ‘cultural ambassador’ who “is adding to the lexicon of cinema which later translates into pop culture”.
Abba is keen on this ambassadorial work because he feels it is his responsibility as a filmmaker to reintroduce Nigerians back to themselves through film; He divulges his distaste for how Nigerians have demonised a lot about their culture to appease to Eurocentric ideals. His vision with this movie was to debunk some myths about ancestors and masquerades, by showing them in a comical light, Abba aims to re-directing the reverence for masquerades from that of fear to that of respect. He nods to other artists using their celebrity status to make being African cool again, one of such artists he admires is Beyoncé’s and her involvement in the culture following her executive produced “The Lion King: The Gift” album. Abba is happy to be one of the custodians of a new wave of creatives spreading the propaganda that being black and African is not second best to being a member of any other race.
Speaking on the hardest parts of bringing his new film to life, Abba ran me through a series of anxieties. Before the conception of the film, he always worried about the costume for the Okoroshi masquerade. This fear was furthered by the costume designer taking off with the money for the masquerade costume without producing anything. He tells me how watching the documentary for Francis Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” inspired him to continue with the film despite shortcomings with funding. The documentary details how everything went wrong during the production of the movie yet despite this, it went on to win the Palm D’or which is the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival.
“You have to be insane and almost delusional when you are creating something. You have to be like I am the shit, fuck everybody else!” he advises me on any project I wish to undertake. Before the interview ends, I am able to ask Abba his plans for the future, he tells me he is already working on his new film and a new television series based on, “Direc-toh” a satirical short film that first brought him to public attention. In the near future, Abba wants to take a long sabbatical from filmmaking and focus on growing his art as well as setting up a studio in his home for young painters. On his to-do list is also to clean up the country, he says it is the least we can do for the country if we cannot fix it.
“The Lost Okoroshi” will be premiering at the TIFF this month and is also set to premiere at the forthcoming BFI London Film Festival in the UK.
With only a handful of releases, Censodd has built a reputation for writing love songs and performing them to catchy Afropop beats that serve dancefloors audiences. Shifting pace from the Caribbean influenced beat of his NATIVE debut, “Dirty Fiona”, Censodd’s new release, “Lost”, expands his sonic palette as he conjures an intricate tribute to the lush sound of house music.
Infusing electronic guitar flourishes, sweeping synth and piano harmonies and a catchy drum riff, “Lost” unfurls with an easy-going vibe PD produces with little pockets to accommodate Censodd’s supple singing voice. Singing his inquisitive lyrics with a slightly mournful intonation, “Where do you go to find yourself?”, his verses always seem to stretch toward the release of a pop chorus. And though the beat eventually drops for a groovy chorus, his lyrics remain questioning “Ogini K’icho? (What do you want?)”. The contradiction reinforces his tortured lyrical themes of feeling lost.
Watch the Into the Spider-Verse inspired lyrics video below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/censodd
[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
While neither party of the seminal sibling Afropop duo, P-Square, have had the best of times since going on separate solo endeavours, they’ve both continued to push out an unwavering stream of new music releases. Rudeboy is the latest half of the now defunct group to put out a new song, and unlike the more romantic inclinations of his previous singles, “Audio Money” tilts toward seriousness, with its socially conscious outlook.
Clearly not fascinated with the current proclivity for presenting glossy, curated lives on online, Rudeboy uses “Audio Money” as a scathing take down of society’s double standards, fostered by the need to be seen as well-doing. Capturing the spirit of the song’s title phrase, Rudeboy’s vivid, grave lyrics personifies a smirk, its efficacy ultimately elevated by the bewitching, Igbo Folk-inspired groove Lord Sky lays down as the song’s beat. “Audio Money” is the type of nose-thumbing song that’s catchy enough to land on club setlists.
Listen to “Audio Money” here.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
‘Deal With It’ is Phyno’s 4th studio album since he debuted ‘No Gut No Glory’ in 2014 and established himself as one of the key rappers propagating the gospel of indigenous rap in Nigeria. His latest offering continues to highlight his appreciation for rap, his Igbo culture and his pop sensibilities with the 21-track album featuring artists like Olamide, Falz, Davido, Phenom, Cheque, Ratti, Don Jazzy, Olamide, Zoro, Nuno, Runtown and Teni the entertainer.
The project’s lead single, “Deal With It”, comes with an accompanying music video directed by Clarence Peters to portray the epic influences on the beat Benjamz produces with motivational piano harmonies and energetic drums and chants that inspire confident Igbo rap bars from Phyno. With the help of some FX edits, “Deal With It” shows Phyno in a matrix esque universe where he repeatedly kills different clones of himself while rapping along to the song.
Watch the music video for “Deal With It” and listen to Phyno’s 4th studio album below.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/PhynoVEVO
[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
In the GTA-inspired opening sequence of the action-packed music video for “Yard”, Tulenkey, Ara and Wes7ar 22 are blocked off the road and pulled over from a vintage Camaro by a police task force. Ominous music and sirens heighten the tension as the officers roughly search the boys, a cinematic cut-away intro follows, re-opening to a flashback of events leading up to the police arrest.
Rapper, Tulenkey’s has been coasting in Ghanaian underground for nearly two years, with sharp lyricism and picturesque music videos. “Yard” is visibly his most ambitious attempt yet. The emPAWA-backed single comes packed with all the stylistic elements of grit, storytelling and bright colours that fit right into the renaissance of modern West African Afropop.
In the video, we follow Tunlekey—who is flanked by a masked Wes7ar 22 and Nigerian up-and-comer, Ara—through a trap-house, he is there to pick up a package but the details around him tell the clearer story. Wes7ar 22’s ebullient chorus, “We’ve got some Igbo (weed) in the Yard“, foregrounds trap house scenes; a pair of dice at the centre of a gambling circle, money being exchanged for an unidentified purchase and women packaging a white substance in palm-sized bags. As the events in the “Yard” progress, we later see the police slowly surrounding the building. Tulenkey and the gang are seen driving away, the gamblers scrambly disperse, and the formerly rowdy trap house rapidly empties out until viewers are reconnected to the scene of Tulenkey’s arrest.
“Yard” has an unapologetic attitude in itself that’s impossible to ignore. This is partly due to the confident delivery of all three artists on the track, but mostly because the edginess of the video highlights Tulenkey’s inclination towards hyper-realistic narratives steeped in contemporary pop culture references. Nigerian contemporaries Naira Marley, Santi and Prettyboy D-O have already become subjects of social media fascinations for using the same stylistic trope. With “Yard” , Tulenkey is proof raw depictions of African reality in this gritty manner won’t stop surfacing in popular music any time soon.
See Tulenkey in “Yard” below:
Toye is managing-partner at NATIVE Nigeria. Tweet at him@ToyeSokunbi
This is not the first time that actions in South Africa have caused the #SayNoToXenophobia hashtag to dominate social media. In 2015, Bloomberg reported that there was a death toll of seven people following the violent attacks on African migrants living in South Africa. Now the hashtag has surfaced yet again following the release of a series of harrowing videos capturing foreigners, mainly Nigerian business owners, their properties and cars being set aflame.
AlJaezera reports that the attacks broke out on Sunday following a clash between local taxi drivers and alleged immigrant drug dealers. This continued into Monday where anti-immigration protesters clashed with police and set fire to properties mostly owned by foreigners. Today, Nigerians are being vocal about their outrage at these inhumane attacks; with people actively protesting outside South African owned businesses like the Shoprites at Ikeja City Mall and Jakande while some celebrities have taken to social media to share their thoughts. Wizkid, Jidenna among others expressed their concerns; in the slew of online reactions, YCee had a heated exchange with South African artist, AKA that opened a broader conversation on the tense history between Nigerians and South Africans.
WATCH | “You won’t find South Africans in other countries dominating a city up to 80%… we cannot surrender South Africa to foreign nationals.” ~ South Africa Deputy Minister of Police Bongani Mkongi #XenophobicAttacks#Xenophobiapic.twitter.com/vSUwzytRv9
The history behind the bad energy between South Africa and Nigeria is inspired by S.African nationalist propaganda that Nigerian immigrants are responsible for crimes and have taken all the employment opportunities away from the locals. Considering that the 2016 statistic survey done by Pretoria provides a much less number for the Nigerian citizens in South Africa than the local media, one wonders if there are some political roots.
It may be too easy to presume the extent of the reported cases of xenophobic attacks as a S.Africa-wide occurrence. Alongside some of the most graphic images of violence and looting that surfaced online, the video of South African rapper, Cool Zet who delivers a verse about losing a friend to xenophobia, has also made rounds. Aside spotlighting the young rapper’s talent, this shows that just like any other fraction between two camps, the hatred isn’t all encompassing.
Rising multidimensional poverty levels in South Africa also indicate some of the violence is a result of low economic conditions. These attacks, perpetuated by second generation independent South Africans, can be traced to socio-economic causes; repressed poorer South Africans are unable to direct their violent outbursts at the minority white social class who are so far removed from them. This leads to them holding animosity for fellow Africans; particularly Nigerians who have a lot of commercial influence in their country.
Next month, President Muhammadu Buhari will visit South Africa and meet with her President, Cyril Ramaphosa with an eye to guaranteeing safety for all Nigerians in South Africa. In the meantime, it is important we begin to prioritise education on the history of how post-colonial Africa emerged. Not only does Nigeria have deep footprints in South African history, South Africa also deployed soldiers to Nigeria at the peak of the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in Sambisa Forest in 2015. These and more are recent examples of shared common purpose between South Africa and Nigeria that embodies the kind of African unity required for continental progress.
Regardless, the xenophobic attacks have also affected other African and Asian citizens with the crisis taking the lives of 62 people in 2008 and displacing of many more in subsequent attacks. South African authorities are currently tasking themselves with treating the reported case of xenophobic attacks as criminal cases. Until a judicial process is followed through and through, #SayNotoXenophobia.
Peruzzi has sustained his relevance in the mainstream since breaking out in 2018 with his ‘Heartwork’ EP boasting of hit songs like “Majesty”. But the DMW singer isn’t resting on his laurels just yet. Word on the street is he’s already working towards releasing his debut album, and his latest release, “Nana”, hints at what we can expect.
Lush produces a Caribbean influenced beat, mixing Raggea fueled guitar riffs and drums to create a groove for Perruzi’s layered vocals, singing of his romantic feelings for a love interest. The song debuted on Amazing Klef’s AKtivated TV YouTube show where Peruzzi sits in front of the mic in the studio to perform his vocals.
Watch the AKtivated TV video for Peruzzi’s “Nana” below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4J1mPfv5hc
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/AKtivated TV
[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
As he’s continually proven his potency with billboard melodies and more mellow, stunning mood pieces, Drake’s influence on today’s R&B is only emphasized with each direct reference, from R&B star H.E.R’s cover of “Jungle”, to Nigerian singer Jake Doe building his latest single, “WWW”, around lyric interpolations off “Redemption”. Ruing his lackadaisical attitude during their relationship, Jake tries to win back a lover who recently called it quits after being fed up of his bullshit. Pleading through gritted teeth, he promises to do better if she takes him back, his confessional being bolstered by the Ronin-produced sombre beat, underscored by slow plodding 808 bass.
Listen to Jake Doe’s “WWW” here.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/jakedoeofficial
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Six years after its formation, Kenyan Pop trio H_art the Band have finally released their debut LP, ‘Made In The Streets’. Comprising producer/singer KENCHEZ, and singers ASAP and G.T, the group put together an elongated run of singles, breaking out with 2014’s “Uliza Kiatu”, and continuing with a steady stream of new music. However, they effectively started the long roll-out for their first album, at the beginning of this year, with the February release of the Kaskazini-assisted “P.D.A”.
Last Friday, the band finally released ‘Made In The Streets’, with the inclusion of all four pre-released singles on the 15-song set. Rhythmic, boisterous and with a wide variety of musical influences to add colour, the album is a propulsive set-list intended for a wider audience beyond their local country. While its latter tracks veer into contemplative and religious subject matter, a major chunk of the album is concerned with blue-eyed romantic sentiments. Bensoul, Cindy Sanyu, Nyota Ndogo and Kenyan pop stars Victoria Kimani and Sauti Sol make up the list of local guest appearances, while Jamaican Reggae singer Randy Valentine, and Nigerian singer Seyi Shay join in from outside Kenyan borders.
Listen to ‘Made In The Streets’ via Apple Music below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/h_arttheband
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Storytelling seems like a forgotten skill in Hip-hop with the recent emphasis on catchy, innovative flow, brags and disses. But Black Esper is among the few young emcees you can always count on to craft his bars through vivid stories that make his songs more compelling. He just put out a new single, “Nile Alhaji”, his first release since dropping his debut project, ‘Rice’, and it narrates his experience partying with nymphomaniacs.
The instrumental Mockingbird produces for “Nile Alhaji” is perfect for Black Esper’s raspy vocals; it’s spacey and generally catchy with its bouncy drum riff. It sets a psychedelic vibe that also fits the intoxicating mood of his tale of debauchery as he switches flow and flaunts his ability to slow down the flow and pick up the pace on a whim. Rapping “On a Sunday, emi Sola ati Femi/With some hot girls, smoking weed nile Alhaji” on the chorus, he sets the scene with a conversational ease that sets him apart from your average rapper. But it’s the topical theme, referencing the trending sensual coconut challenge from twitter without being overly raunchy that makes “Nile Alhaji” so remarkable.
Listen below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/theblackesper
[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
Few cultural artefacts scream, “Ah yes, the ember months” louder than CAC Good Women Choir’s “Odun Lo Sopin”. It might as well be the theme song for the trends that would dominate popular conversations in western Nigeria following its 1979 release. In 40 years, the song has remained an evergreen classic, resurfacing with religious devotion each time the calendar years nears its end between September and December.
Mrs Deborah Fasoyin who led the 200 women Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Good Women Choir in Ibadan to sing the hit record has gone on record saying that the song was inspired by a CAC composition dating back to the early 1940s. “It was a hymn that was sung at the end of each year by all CAC churches but we added only two verses to the original composition so one can’t really say who wrote it but many have said that we made it famous and we thank God for that,” she told a media publication in 2017.
The religious origin story is certainly interesting—another case of the church inspiring musical talent—but it’s the song’s apt depiction of our end of year anxieties that make it unforgettable. Channelling the optimism of prayer, the melodic chant rhythm is celebratory while the lyrics plead for safe, stress-free passage into the new year. “Odun Lo Sopin” is the perfect marriage of iconic bassline, magnificently rendered Yoruba vocals made for the prayerful lyrics, and cultural relevance that supersedes changing trends.
Today, it’s hard to imagine gospel music existing as part of mainstream Nigerian music entertainment, given the lewd sentiments that have now been embedded in the cultural mainstream. For reference, Naira Marley’s masturbation advocating “Soapy” is one of the biggest songs of 2019. And yet, it’d be unwise to rule out the very religious “Odun Lo Sopin” from enjoying its annual rounds in mainstream Yoruba speaking media as we kick off the first week of the ember months.
Watch the music video for CAC Good Women Choir’s “Odun Lo Sopin” below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fipavXgdfY
Featured Image Credits: Web
[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
Like a legion of pop-stars before him, JoeBoy has a simplistic approach to his music videos, focusing on mirroring the mood of his songs. The “Baby” singer continued his googly-eyed romance on follow up single, “Beginning”, setting his romantic confessions to the lightweight groove of a guitar-led beat Killertunez produces. The music video Mollana Burke directs coasts on the narrative his lyrics already established, showing JoeBoy and his love interest sharing intimate moments where they dance to the music and stare longingly into each other’s eyes. The video holds next to no surprise, closing with JoeBoy proposing to his love interest who seems to have said yes as they end up hugging before the camera fades to black.
Watch the music video for “Beginning” below.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/emPawa Africa
[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
The success of rap music around the world has helped the niche Nigerian trap music scene grow into the thriving, highly collaborative community it is today. But while high profile artists like Rema have yet to fully embrace the raw and dirty inclinations of trap, Zilla Oaks and Straffitti make up for the laxity on their new collaboration, “Backseat”, where they exchange sex stories while showing off their rap proficiency and ability to make the obscene seem cool.
Backed by the slick beat Tobi Sho produces with a bouncy drum riff and synth harmonies that seem designed to soundtrack a car chase scene, Zilla Oaks and Straffitti brag of their sexual prowess with enough aggression to be offensive. Rapping “Your mama and your sister sucking on my dick”, “Backseat” is too abrasive to appeal to new audiences who aren’t already familiar with the raunchy sensibilities of trap despite the rappers’ whimsical rhymes and diverse flows.
Stream Zilla Oaks and Straffitti’s “Backseat” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/zilla__oaks
[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
A Kunle Afolayan-directed movie carries with it an intrinsic stamp of quality. Gaining fame after playing a string of memorable roles in a handful of movies, kickstarted by his famous role as “Arese Jabata” in Tunde Kehlani’s 1999 classic, ‘Sarowoide’, the actor widened his role to include sitting in the director’s chair, with his 2006 feature, ‘Irapada’. However, it was his next feature, 2008’s ‘The Figurine’, that validated his chops behind the camera, and started an undeniable run that’s still ongoing with this year’s lauded film, ‘Mokalik’.
In July, the highly rated director announced that visual streaming giant Netflix had acquired the rights to ‘Mokalik’ and a couple of his other features. True to that announcement, viewers around the world can now watch six movies directed by Kunle Afolayan on Netflix, with ‘The Figurine’, ‘Phone Swap’ (2012),‘October 1’ (2014), ‘The CEO’ (2016) and ‘The Bridge’ (2017), completing the line-up. These additions come just a week after FilmOne productions announced that ‘The Wedding Party 2’, ‘King of Boys’ and ‘Merry Men’ would be available on Netflix very soon.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zO6PSJaLF/
Earlier this year, Netflix declared plans to develop its catalogue of Nigerian films, and also commission original content, in coming months. Their current aggressiveness shows their intent, further emboldened by the diversity of content being acquired. With one of the strongest catalogues of the last decade-and-a-half, Kunle Afolayan’s directorial filmography will offer a compelling set of Nigerian storytelling to viewers around the world.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/kunleafo
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
The Tulenkey train is revving up to full speed. Following the remix of his jovial, infectious “Proud Fvck Boys” single with prominent Nigerian rappers, Falz and Ice Prince, the Ghanaian rapper has featured on former BBNaija winner Efe’s “Scammer”, and more recently collaborated with La Meme Gang’s $pacely on recent single, “Little Soldiers (Tsoboi)”. Keeping up with the impressive consistency, and also scoring an integral look along the way, he’s the latest artist on the ongoing emPawa100 program, featuring with the music video for new single, “Yard”.
Assisted by fellow Ghanaian music upstarts Ara and Wes7ar 22, who deliver the superb hook and a quick verse respectively, Tulenkey vigorously raps about his come-up, detailing his ambition and also adding a few hedonistic bars for catchy measure, over a Leviathan, reggae-inflected trap beat. Directed by Babs, the video for “Yard” is a cinematic set, following all three artists as they saunter around a trap-house under police surveillance. Upon exiting the building, cops come at them unsuccessfully, deceptively ducking attempts to arrest them for picking up drugs.
Watch the video for Tulenkey’s “Yard” here.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Empawa Africa
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
In the age of the infinite scroll, any occasion to slow down merits praise, but Ictooicy does so with purpose. Her catalogue of releases like “Devil Wears Prada”, “Guava Juice” and her latest ‘Majic’ tape has the lo-fi sounds that encourage listeners to be more chill. Her latest song titled, simply “Serenity”, does so through a relatable romantic narrative and the lightweight lo-fi beat she lifted off YouTube.
While the song narrates how love can provoke some unpleasant emotions, she sings soothingly, layering her voice over the synth piece, singing “We can take it slow tonight”. The implication is intuitive. The more you’re willing to pause and take in your surroundings, the richer your experiences can be. The details are more vibrant, the colours more full, romance, less tasking.
Stream Ictooicy’s “Serenity” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/icygram_
[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
Earlier this year, prolific rapper Psycho YP put out “Be Like You”, a groovy bop that doubles as his most overt play at a mainstream crossover, as well as playing up his growing celebrity status. In the newly released music video, the simultaneous facets of the song are grandly displayed. Set at a school, the first part of the video features star struck classmates, while YP performs his lyrics with a cool, detached demeanour. The other part of the video takes place on a basketball court, with boisterous dance moves performed by a dance crew, to underscore the song’s club-ready tilt.
Watch the video for “Be Like You” here.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/PsychoYP
[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
