AYLØ Releases Sophomore Full-Length Project, ‘dnt’dlt’

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

After months of teasing its release, soul-fusion artist AYLØ has just released his sophomore full-length project, ‘dnt’dlt’. The singer/rapper announced the tape’s imminent arrival barely 24-hours ago across his social media pages. In addition to recently pre-released singles, “Paris!” and “Sassy” featuring Psycho YP and Fasina, the tape contains eight new tracks, clocking in at a brisk 30-minute runtime.

While the project maintains a strutting, ambient tempo, AYLØ features a diverse cast of artists to inject colour, pulling guest vocals from Myquale, MOJO, Sugarbana and Cheso. ‘dnt’dlt’ comes two years after his acclaimed debut full-length, ‘Insert Project Name’, and over eighteen months after his 4-track joint project with AYÜÜ, ‘ØÜ’.

Stream ‘dnt’dlt’ via Apple Music below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/Arkhonellz

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WITH AMAA RAE, AYLØ’S “WHOA” IS A SWEET SULTRY TRIBUTE TO LOST LOVE

Best New Music Special: “Brown Skin Girl” by Beyoncé + “Collateral Damage” By Burna Boy”

Posted on by The Native

Afropop is having a fairytale year;  Rema is the hottest new artist in the world right now; Burna Boy’s ‘African Giant’ rebuttal to Coachella’s flyer, rippled into a landmark fourth studio album (already enjoying a rave of positive reviews); Western influential media is awash with stories about representation in response to Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift featuring some of Africa’s biggest Afropop stars. This a momentous turn of trends, considering global interest in the continental sound came nearly a decade ago. For our best new music series this week, we decided on “BROWN SKIN GIRL” and “Collateral Damage”, two picks from the albums of the moment: Lion King: The Gift by Beyonce and African Giant by Burna Boy, respectively.

 

BROWN SKIN GIRL (feat. Blue Ivy, Wizkid & SAINt JHN – Beyoncé

“BROWN SKIN GIRL” is a warm, angst-free reminder that history will remember a world where blackness is symbolic in itself; where Nigerian popstar, Wizkid and Guyanese songwriter, SAINt JHN can collaborate with transgenerational African-American Hip-hop royalties, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy.

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Afropop is finally being presented at a global stage by its most popular stars, and Queen B makes a case for representation in the fulfilment of human experience. There is a part at the tail of this song, where she is singing “Your skin is not only dark, It shines and it tells your story”. The follow-up lines wax poetic about breaking from control and basking in the swirling adoration for black culture. As Beyoncé belts into the pre-chorus “If ever you are in doubt, remember what mama told you”, the reassurance in her voice is so powerful, you may be in tears by the time Blue Ivy returns to close the track.

Stream “BROWN SKIN GIRL” via Apple Music below:

Collateral Damage – Burna Boy

Burna Boy’s reimaginations of Fela are not as indelible when rendered across his other sonic fascinations with Hip-Hop & R&B and Afro-Carribean music styles. But across his projects, there are always occasional stand-out moments like last year’s “Ye“ where all of his wide-range influences are married under one colourful Fela-inspired bouquet.

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“Collateral Damage” directly echoes the same themes of multi-dimensional social repression as Fela’s classic, “Shuffering and Shmiling” off a 1978 album of the same name. On “Collateral Damage Burna’s lyrics are laden with social commentary on corruption, religion and Nigerians who are too gun-shy to demand institutional change.

The imagery on “Collateral Damage” is strong, but the best thing about this guitar-riffed banger is that it’s a good Burna Boy song; confident, awingly smooth and surgically pointed. Historically, social commentary is a running theme of contemporary African music. It’s delightful to hear new generation artists like Burna Boy sustain this legacy. Especially, in an increasingly globalising world where formats keep evolving and Afropop continues to incorporate elements from other soundscapes.

Stream “Collateral Damage” via Apple Music here:

Image Credits: Instagram

Toye is managing-partner at NATIVE Nigeria. Tweet at him @ToyeSokunbi

ICYMI: Burna Boy is ‘African Giant’

Abstraktt shares new single, “Guyman”, featuring Jesse Alordiah

Posted on by The Native

The increased difficulty for Hip-hop acts trying to reach mainstream acclaim in Nigeria’s dance-club driven music industry makes for a more competitive rap scene. While this has resulted in a free-for-all rap battle competition for the metaphorical rap crown in some circles, Abstraktt seems unbothered by the politicking as he shares a new single, “Guyman”, a testament for why he deserves to be part of any hip-hop conversation.

With assist from Jesse Alordiah who takes the catchy hook, “Guyman” highlights the charming allure of Abstraktt’s pen-game, channelling his sense of humour as he brags about his accomplishments; “Sensai of the chiefs, what do you think they call me master for/ Rappers think they’re joker, I’d jolt you/ My versatility, if I vex, I fit drop like 3 verse on electricity”. While his confident bars undermine other rappers, it’s his pop sensibilities with storytelling lyrics and catchy flows that earmark him as a prospect for the hip-hop throne.

You can stream Abstraktt’s “Guyman” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/kingabstraktt
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ICYMI: Check out the essentials from Abstraktt’s ‘Radio Irregular’

itsMOSA Shares Debut Music Video For “Still”

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

R&B music might be teetering on the fringes of the Nigerian music mainstream, but there is an ample amount of artists who are still devotees of the genre. One such figure is itsMOSA, a veteran singer and producer, mostly known for his production work TY Bello’s classic “Greenland” record. Last year, itsMOSA released his long-awaited debut album, ‘Colours I Hear’, a finely aggregated contemporary R&B project with an Electronic edge. In support of the critically acclaimed album, the singer has just put out the music video for the fourth track, “Still”, as his debut video.

Set to the sombre piano chords and gently blaring synth drums Mosa self-produces, the singer addresses an aloof love interest, trying to convince her of the depth of his feelings, and get her to reciprocate with the same level of intensity. For the rather simple and efficient music video Mosa self-directs for “Still”, the singer is captured performing his lyrics with a cool candour, while a beautiful model performs her dance routines to highlight the songs boisterous vibe. All of this takes place in a plain background that is slightly decorated by visual effects, to add some pizzazz.

Watch the video for itsMOSA’s “Still” here.

Essentials: Maison2500’s ‘Maseworld’

Posted on by The Native

As music streaming continues to facilitate the world growing smaller, the appreciation for Nigerian pop music around the world has seemed more apparent. But despite the zealous publicity for Nigerian pop music leaving us in danger of being overexposed, there has been no shortage of vibrant music happening in the corners, outside the traditional boundaries of pop and R&B, and in the fertile zone between them. The blunt and edgy youthfulness of Maison2500’s rap songs box him within fringe hip-hop conversations in Nigeria, but his online support has continued to grow as he releases a new project, ‘Maseworld’, the follow up to last year’s ‘Generation XXX’.

The 14-track tape is delivered with a cocksure offhandedness, matching his vibrant personality with forward-thinking trap arrangements he co-produces. He opens the tape with “McDonalds…”, setting the psychedelic pace of the project, painting a vivid image of the trap lifestyle. UK rapper, Lancey Foux, joins him to on the second track, “Psyched!”, to add more gloss to the street tale through brags about their high fashion taste and adoring model fans, while $odaman assisted “Top of the League” depicts the more cruel reputations of the streets where only the tough and active can overcome competition. Though it’s a generic representation of the street life, “Buss Down Thot .” finds Maison2500 offering more context for his hostility as he blames his haters and the jealousy for his penchant for stunting.

“Kill a bitch/ Kill a bitch/ Kill a bitch/ Kill a bitch”, Maison2500 snarls, like a gleeful serial killer on “2 Band Vetement Jeans”, blurring lines between metaphors as he raps about his youthful and reckless lifestyle over a trap beat that uses gunshot samples for drums. While the songwriting on most tracks off ‘Maseworld’ isn’t too ambitious, focusing on Maison2500’s druggy and outlandish lifestyle, he does explore themes like the duality of life on Nigeria name-dropping track, “Blessing + Curse”.

His versatility is also displayed through the different influences like his Playboi Carti inspired “Faunee Freestyle!” and the lightweight and melodic raps on “Don’t Do Drugs” seemingly inspired by Uzi Vert. The 8th track, “No Socials”, however, aims to show the extent of the rapper’s musical pallet as he ditches the trap beats to sing over a mellow synth-pop instrumental. He also taps into his more vulnerable side on “Way Out, Pt. 2”, saying I can’t even kill myself cause my momma gan hurt. Fuck” over the chilling piano-led instrumental. Channelling his anxiety as fuel for his vivid storytelling makes the track one of the most captivating songs on the tape.

The productions on ‘Maseworld’ is also outstanding with extra care to sound designs, finding the right balance between ghostly and ghastly, striking a tone dark enough for shudder, yet bracing enough for an adrenaline rush. Samples like lean pouring into a cup help set the mood as he opens “The Poltergeist” with the sound offering some backstory to his overly cocky attitude on the song. The transition on Ugly Moss assisted “Cantaloupe/ Brand New” is also among the highlights of the tape as it displays the different imaginations of the trap sound.

‘Maseworld’ closes with “Brainstormin'”, where PsychoYP and DRB’s Teezee join Mainson2500 to trade bars over the pulse-raising booms of the 808 drums and synth samples. Their confident bars are subtle but impactful, seamlessly fusing their unique rap quirks while highlighting the core g checking element of hip-hop where they all excel. Closing the project on this high note gives the impression that despite the many challenges of being Maison2500, life remains a joyride.

You can stream ‘Maseworld’ below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/maisonvendetta
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ICYMI: Listen to “Choppers on Deck!” by Maison2500

Lil Kesh Features Mayorkun On Latest Release, “Nkan Be”

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Although he’s not necessarily the hottest around, Lil Kesh has stayed far away from Afropop’s nadir, by being able to finesse a hit, either alone or by wrangling himself unto big singles from other artists. For his latest single, Kesh flexes the weight of his phonebook, tapping prominent hitmaker Mayorkun, for “Nkan Be”, a propulsive song on which they both admire the beauty of their love interest.

Cribbing inspiration from the popular  ‘00s Yoruba TV show, ‘Nkan Be’, their confessional lyrics retools the show’s premise—dissecting the otherworldly—to describe their muse’s stunning physical attribute. Between its lightweight theme, Kesh and Mayorkun’s syncopated deliveries, and the clanging production from Rexxie, “Nkan Be” unfolds its true intention to dominate on the club scene.

You can listen to “Nkan Be” below.

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ICYMI: THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR MAYORKUN’S “SOPE” IS A FUN VISUAL EXPERIENCE

See Chinko Ekun & Johnny Drille In Video For New Single, “Calling”

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Chinko Ekun’s momentous “Able God” hit single from late last year, ushered the rapper into sensationalized ubiquity. In a bid to solidify his prominence, Chinko has opted to showcase his wider range beyond street-inflected rap tracks, featuring Mavin singer Johnny Drille on his romantic, new “Calling” single. Over the resplendent, mid-tempo beat Big Dre produces, mixing sunny piano chords, groovy bass guitar riffs, intermittent horn flourishes and boisterous Afropop drums, both artists declare their heartfelt feelings for their love interests, with Chinko delivering the song’s two verses, while Johnny sings the catchy hook and a short outro.

Harping on the song’s mushy sentiments, the accompanying music video WalinteenPro puts together for “Calling”, features Chinko Ekun performing his verse in a goofy beach setting, alongside a model acting as his muse, while Johnny Drille sings from a phone booth. Adding some intrigue, the video comes with a socially conscious plot twist, with the love interest seemingly being a cancer patient, deepening the affecting quality of Chinko’s raps and Johnny’s singing.

Watch the video for Chinko Ekun’s “Calling” here.

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THE BIGGEST AFROPOP TRENDS COME FROM THE STREETS, BUT WHO PROFITS?

See the salacious music video for Chyn’s “What You Want”

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Although Chyn might not be the fastest name to come up in Nigerian rap conversations, he’s been able to carve out a small core of attentive supporters, thanks to his suave cadence and enjoyable lyricism, as well as the consistently stellar visuals he presents alongside his singles. On his latest single, “What You Want”, Chyn splits the difference between his admiration for a love interest and his more randy intentions, over a shimmering beat comprising gleaming keys and thumping pattern of 808 snares and bass.

As much as Chyn puts his own sophisticated twist on a thematically cliché song via his detailed raps, the music video A Beautiful Mind Pictures directs for “What You Want” is impressionable and visually appealing, bringing the song’s salacious elements to life. Mostly trained on the eye-catching group of models at a pseudo-photoshoot, the video is a tastefully provocative reminder of the aggressive beauty Nigerian women possess. Darting in and out of the cut, Chyn also appears with the models, performing his lyrics with a cavalier candour.

Watch the video for Chyn’s “What You Want” here.

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A RAD SAMPLE ELEVATES CHYN’S “OMO KEKERE”

Demi Grace reimagines EDM as Afropop on new single, “Tired of You”

Posted on by The Native

Though born in South London and now based in the US, Demi Grace’s new single, “Tired of You”, is grounded in an African melody. Having performed at the 25th Annual Essence Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana earlier this year, she understands the growing appreciation for diverse cultures and shows it through her fusion of Electronic Dance Music influences with her Afropop melodies as she sings on the relatable subject of being in a complicated relationship.

Singing “I should be running from you/ You keep me crawling coming back to you” over the EDM beat Sigag and Tempoe produces with Afropop drum riffs and synth drops, “Tired of You” expands on the theme of seduction to make a dance song that aptly soundtracks tempting allure of getting reckless at a party.

You can stream Demi Grace’s “Tired of You” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/iamdemigrace
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ICYMI: Listen to Ajebutter22’s charming depiction of romance on “Lagos Love”

Apex Village Shares Music Video For “W.T.T.V”

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Abuja’s Apex Village collective has whipped up a considerable level of notoriety in the last two years, putting out a prolific stream of music releases to sate their expanding fanbase. At the top of the year, the crew put out their first collective album, ‘Welcome to the Ville’, an all-inclusive 9-track tape that scans the breadth of the posse’s exuberant poster. In support of W.T.T.V, the crew have just released the music video for the intro, title track, adding a visual component to the tape’s introductory aspect.

Set to a gummy, instrumental amalgamation of Trap and Funk, comprising appergiated guitar licks, rippling bass and slip-n-slide percussions, Psycho YP, Zilla Oaks, AYÜÜ and Marv OTM take turns delivering self-assured lyrics, heavy on bravado and braggadocio. Showcasing the camaraderie that binds the group, as well as its anarchic core, the music video AO Innovation, Kuddi is Dead, Psycho YP & Ceeander direct for “W.T.T.V” is mostly shot at a pastoral location, and through a guerrilla-tinted aesthetic. Each rapper takes turns to perform their confident lyrics, in the company of their colleagues, as well as in their own unique locations.

Watch the video for Apex Village’s “W.T.T.V” here.

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ICYMI: LISTEN TO PSYCHO YP’S GROOVY SINGLE, “BE LIKE YOU”

Listen to Terry Apala’s new single, “Apala Wifi”

Posted on by The Native

Year in and year out, Hip-hop in Nigerian has remained consistent in its appreciation of indigenously fueled expressions. Though Yoruba has been a staple in Hip-hop conversations from DaGrin down to Zlatan, no other rapper has matched Terry Apala’s dedication to carving a specifically Yoruba niche as his discography finds him funnelling trap sounds through his Apala cadence. His latest single, “Apala Wifi” however ditches all foreign influences to focus on the psychedelic sound of his Yoruba heritage.

OYW Beatz produces the beat for “Apala Wifi” with native sounding drums and shakes that set a folky ambience for Terry Apala’s proverbial bars. But given the contemporary themes like Skiibii’s “Dats How Star Do” that he discusses, the song plays out like a bear-parlour conversation and establishes Terry Apala’s authentic sound.

You can stream “Apala Wifi” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/terryapalaofficial
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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: Listen to Terry Apala’s “Mushin”

Watch the music video for Davido and Chris Brown’s “Blow My Mind”

Posted on by The Native

Though ‘sentimental’ isn’t always a descriptor associated with dancefloor serving genres like Afropop, Davido has worked to keep a reputation for heartfelt romantic numbers that make his songs relatable. From his melodies to the imageries in his music videos, Davido has never been shy about his R&B influences and for his most recent single, “Blow My Mind”, he features a guest verse from Chris Brown who as a result, can conveniently join him to perform a romantic tribute over the Afropop beat Shizzi produced.

Davido just released the music video for “Blow My Mind”, nodding to his R&B influences through signature tropes like Davido singing in a phone booth and Chris Brown break dancing and singing in the rain. Edgar Esteves set the video at a night scene where their sultry fantasies can be depicted through the muses and the motel set.

Watch the music video for “Blow My Mind” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Davido Adeleke
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ICYMI: Listen to Wizkid and Future’s “Everytime”

Jidenna shares new singles, “Sufi Woman” and “Tribe”, ahead of new album release

Posted on by The Native

Africa has grown a more alluring reputation thanks to the global appreciation for our art and culture. The success of Jidenna’s African-tributing debut album, ‘The Chief’, can be credited for laying some of the foundations for Africa’s recent trendy moment in America and he seems set to release a new album, ’85 to Africa’, his follow up to 2017’s ‘Boomerang’.

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He made the announcement for his sophomore album with the release of a trailer video for the album, hinting at some of the sounds and themes he intends to explore with the project. The back-to-Africa direction captured in the spoken word intro is written to be inspiring, and as far encores go, it’s a potent narrative for an artist who hasn’t really been in conversations in Africa since he debuted. He has since put out two new singles, “Sufi Woman” and “Tribe”, offering lead singles that highlight his blend of indigenous and western influences. While he raps about the accomplishments of his clique over a trap beat on “Tribe”, “Sufi Woman” finds him singing about his love interest over a folky Afropop beat.

You can listen to “Tribe” and “Sufi Woman” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/jidenna
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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 are all the essentials from Jidenna’s ‘Boomerang’ EP

Daramola announces release date for his sophomore album, ‘It’s a Double Pleasure to Deceive the Deceiver’

Posted on by The Native

When Daramola debuted his ‘Last Time I Tried’ project back in 2017, fans saw him as the shining example of what African music can sound like with extra attention to songwriting and vocal textures. His refreshing blend of fringe poetry and tints of Yoruba folk music shrewdly laced on an EDM-inspired refrain on the project’s lead single, “Lotto”, was particularly impressive and marked him as one to look out for. However, his releases have remained few and far between, leaving fans only a handful of releases, guest verses and a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Liberian Girl”.

The singer just announced he’d be releasing his sophomore project, ‘It’s a Double Pleasure to Deceive the Deceiver’, on the 23rd of August. He also shared a tentative cover art which includes previously released singles like “Lagos City Wave” and 10 other tracks with features from Nonso Amadi and Karen Inder. Check out the tracklist and cover art below.

Featured Image Credits: Twitter/itsdaramola
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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: You can listen to “Lagos City Wave” by Daramola here

DJ Snake shares ‘Carte Blanche’ album featuring Burna Boy, Cardi B and more

Posted on by The Native

DJ Snake has always had an ear for making borderless music, stacking his discography full of Dance/Electronic, R&B/Hip-Hop, Latin and Pop genres that have seen him collaborate with artists from all over the world. Last year, he updated Niniola’s hit song with a “Maradona Riddim” refix which has gotten millions of streams on Spotify. He has since returned to serving American audiences with his “Enzo” single, featuring Offset, 21 Savage, Sheck Wes, and Gucci Mane, serving as the lead single for his anticipated sophomore album, Carte Blanche’.

The French DJ just released the 17-track album that boasts of features with Bryson Tiller, Offset, 21 Savage, Sheck Wes, J Balvin, Selena Gomez, Ozuna, Cardi B, Anittam, Sean Paul, GASHI, Plastic Toy, ZHU, Malaa, Tchami, Mercer, Zomboy, Majid Jordan. Burna Boy assisted track, “No Option”, adds a Reggae rhythm to the project, singing of how he has survived the tough realities on the street. It’s a subject that fits aptly into the freedom fighting direction DJ Snake takes with the project.

Listen to the album below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/djsnake
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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: Listen to “Maradona Riddim” by Niniola and DJ Snake

Bella Alubo and Lady Donli collaborate for new single, “Unavailable”

Posted on by The Native

While we wait for Lady Donli’s highly anticipated ‘Enjoy Your Life‘ tape, she’s collaborating with Bella Alubo for a new song, “Unavailable”, where they bask in their sisterhood and the bravado it inspires. While the airy trap-influenced beat Saucy produces is more Bella’s speed than Donli’s, they both have their liquor glazed eyes fixed on the dancefloor with their sleek Auto-Tuned vocals capturing the positive attitude they’ve both pursued with their individual catalogs.

“Unavailable” unfurls like a sunflower in the gentle glow of sunlight as the song opens to the calming sound of birds chirping. Singing “Unavailable, I don’t see no problems/ We have been living like we got no problems” in a rousing chant-like cadence, the song inspires a carefree ethos, made more compelling by their soothing vocals and captivating songwriting. While Bella takes the chorus, they both get a verse each.

You can stream Bella Alubo and Lady Donli’s “Unavailable” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/bellaalubo

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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: Listen to Lady Donli’s new single, “Suffer Suffer”

Watch the music video for “Ojoro” by DJ Neptune, Flash and D’Banj

Posted on by The Native

DJ Neptune follows up his Davido-assisted release, “Demo” with a new single, “Ojoro”, featuring Flash and D’Banj. The new collaboration aims for the hearts of fans through the romantic direction of the song, as well as a place in summer playlists and DJ turntables with the groovy instrumentals Magic Beatz produces.

“Ojoro” comes with an accompanying music video directed by C.S Ifeme who follows Flash and D’Banj’s romantic direction by setting them with a beautiful muse who they sing their melodic and charming lyrics to. The bright and colourful attires they all wear makes the video a perfect fit for the summer rotation as we continue to anticipate DJ Neptune’s promised ‘Greatness II; The Sounds Of Neptune’ album which is expected to be released later this year.

Watch the music video for “Ojoro” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/DJ Neptune
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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: Watch the music video for DJ Neptune and Davido’s “Demo”

Juls celebrates the rich sound of Africa on his 11-track album, ‘Colour’

Posted on by The Native

UK based Ghanaian producer, Juls is among the tastemakers responsible for the recent global buzz about African music with his successful string of Afropop releases. With the genre already proven accomplished on Billboard charts and getting a nod from pop acts like Beyonce and Drake, there’s no better time than now to release his much anticipated sophomore album, ‘Colour’, the follow up to his full length debut, ‘Leap Of Faith’ and the late 2017 ‘Ojekoo’ EP.

‘Colour’ is an 11-track tape combing all of Juls sonic influences from highlife, hip-hop, grime, garage, jazz and Latin-pop. Pre-released singles, Agent Sasco-assisted “Slow Down”, “Maayaa” featuring Tiggs Da Author and Santi and Mr Eazi assisted “Cake” already hinted at Juls’ prefered lightweight ambience setting music for breezy summer parties. But with the new tracks, we get a clearer picture of his sonic vision, highlighting everything beautiful about being African through the love songs, spoken-word poetry, meme skits and guest list that boasts of guest verses from Kida Kudz, Worlasi, Kojey Radical, Kida Kudz, Ms Banks, PA Salieu, Falz, Oxlade, Big Zeeks, Sweetie Irie, Sway Clarke, Knucks, Xamvolo and Che Lingo.

Juls has also released the accompanying music video for “Like Tu Danz”, one of the album’s standout tracks from ‘Colour’, where he bridges Afropop, Grime and hip-hop. Featuring Ms Banks, Kida Kudz and PA Salieu, “Like Tu Danz” emphasize how music has contributed to making the world smaller as they all channel their unique sounds and style into a delightful dance-inspiring song. The music video Ray Fiasco directs follows the festive direction of the song with neon lighting and a party-bus set where the artists perform their verse.

You can watch the music video for “Like Tu Danz” below.

Stream Juls’ ‘Colour’ album below.

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You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu

ICYMI: Watch the music video for Juls’ “Maayaa” featuring Tiggs da Author and Santi

Listen to Davido and Chris Brown’s “Blow My Mind” collaboration

Posted on by The Native

Nigerian music has come a long way from the time when songs on the radio were shameless copies of American pop songs. Now we have a more defined sound that’s mainstream enough to catch the fancy of American pop music tastemakers like Chris Brown who features on Davido’s latest release, “Blow My Mind”.

With cultural diversity being the current trend, Davido’s melodic sound, closing the gap between the rituals of church and the freefall of the dancefloor, is riveting and compelling as he rides the mid-tempo beat Shizzi produces to perform a love song that sure to enjoy the breezy lightweight ambience of summer parties. The mix of sparse electronic synth harmonies, percussions, traditional drum riffs and shakes, however, leaves room for an R&B fueled second verse from Chris Brown, joining Davido to spill his heartfelt emotions for a lover.

You can stream “Blow My Mind” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/davidoofficial
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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: Watch the music video for Davido and Zlatan’s “Bum Bum”

DJ Spinall features Wizkid and Tiwa Savage for new single, “Dis Love”

Posted on by The Native

Having played his part in putting Afropop on the world map through his ‘Iyanu’ project that saw him perform at the Glastonbury Festival earlier this year, DJ Spinall is returning with a new single, “Dis Love”, featuring Afropop’s most sensual collaborators, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage. While Tiwa’s “Ma Lo” established the sonic thrill of having Afropop’s ‘baddest’ girl and the Starboy on a song, Wizkid’s cameo in the music video for “Fever” highlighted the sultry appeal of their Bonnie and Clyde narrative.

DJ Spinall shows off his exceptional nose for curating Afropop with “Dis Love”, giving the people just what they want by tapping into the glossy romance of the Afropop stars. The song is a mellow, slow-building conversation around the dancefloor-driven beat Spells produces, mixing traditional drums, percussion harmonies, guitar riffs and some synth samples. With Wizkid inviting “Come make I show you special loving” and Tiwa Savage’s charmingly seductive response, “Kiss me baby make them vex oh”, the two flaunt their captivating melodic vocals and compelling songwriting. The music video Meji Alabi captures the mood of “Dis Love” through the club setting, complete with exotic dancers and DJ Spinall’s signature liquor.

Though the rumours of Tiwa and Wizkid dating is no longer as prevalent as it used to be, it has made sure that every time they collaborate is to be cherished, because they might drop some hints to confirm their status. You can watch the music video below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/DJ Spinall
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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: Revisit the fan reaction to Tiwa Savage and Wizkid’s on-camera romance in the music video for “Fever”

Burna Boy is ‘African Giant’

Posted on by The Native

Earlier today, Burna Boy released his ‘African Giant’ his fourth studio project, announced with very little hush than a tweet right before his feature on Beyonce’s The Lion King: The Gift started making news rounds. ‘African Giant’ stretches through 19-tracks. with features including Zlatan, Jeremih, M.anifest, Damian Marley, Angelique Kidjo, Future and YG.

In the build-up to the release, Burna infamously touted his “African Giant” status in reaction to promotional flyers for Coachella 2019. With the features on ‘African Giant, perhaps the point he was trying to make (to much contention) is a little more obvious.

In the making of modern Afropop stars, the most persistent question seems to be: ‘who is an African superstar’? SONY attempted marketing mega talents like Wizkid and Davido to middling succes. Even less subtly, Beyonce’s ‘love letter Africa’, ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ faced backlash for not being more representative of East and South African regions. In a sense, some of these conversations are nascent indications of the kind of diverse conversations we’ll be having about contemporary African music in the future, but it’s too easy to get lost in the noise.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0TrrvOF04Q/

The history of modern Afropop is not very long. After major labels left West Africa for other music scenes in the late 90s, local radio, Channel O and MTV were the only things that happened until Forums (e.g Nairaland) and music download blogs like NotJustOK in the late 2000s. The explosion of the electronic music bubble that brought artists like D’banj to a global spotlight also reflected the inflections of popular music towards electronically-produced Latino and Afro-Caribbean sounds. Burna Boy is an offshoot of that post-electronic class of African frontliners alongside Davido and Wizkid, who are also enjoying prime positioning.

The strongest push for Burna Boy’s new project is that history will be documented by storytellers through stories that feel most authentic to the times. African Giant, is a testament to an increasingly globalised era where the lines between the global music industry and Africa’s contemporary sound are blurred to the point of nonexistence. Wherever you’re standing right now, you’re witnessing a new pop culture renaissance; Burna Boy is African Giant.

Stream Burna Boy’s African Giant below

Toye is managing-partner at NATIVE Nigeria. Tweet at him @ToyeSokunbi

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