It’s a Mexican Standoff in DJ Ecool’s video “4 U” featuring Davido and Perruzzi

Posted on by The Native

At the start of the year, DJ Ecool and Davido teamed up on “Ada“, a compelling single complete with an aesthetically pleasing video that bode well for the kind of year Davido and his music leanings would have.

If you, however, don’t remember ever hearing the second single featuring Peruzzi, “4 U“, it’s no fault of yours as underwhelming music releases are assuredly easily toppled over by better ones which Davido and the DMW have themselves put out.

The video Twitch directs opens with Perruzzi making a booty call and progresses with Davido and E-cool independently courting their women with shopping sprees and intimate dinners. In what is intended as a plot twist,  it turns out all three of them had been dating the same babe with no one the wiser.

Watch the video here:

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Best New Music: Davido’s “Wonder Woman” is another typical OBO flex

Hear “Famzy Anthem: Moving Mad” by Falz

Posted on by The Native

Since the start of his career as an artist, Falz has never shied away from showing off his uncanny ability to go from charming to ridiculous at the drop of a hat. Whether it’s spoofing the Yoruba English speaking accent on his Instagram or coming up with outrageous pickup lines for his music releases, the Law school graduate turned artist is able to tap into his funny bone and make himself famous. His stick has afforded him the opportunity to act in films (and even make political satire) with his Famzy role in EbonyLife’s “Chief Daddy” being his latest foray into cinema.

To celebrate the film’s release last week, Falz released a new single, “Famy Anthem: Moving Mad” along a music video that also features cuts from the film. On the song, he stays in his London road-man Famzy character, bragging about his swag ‘and that’ over a Grime beat that establishes his penchant for pairing decidedly millennial pop-culture obsession and charmingly homemade aesthetic.

You can watch the music video for Falz’s “Famz Anthem: Moving Mad” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/EbonyLife Film
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ICYMI: Falz’s “This is Nigeria” says a lot about Nigeria but not enough

DJ Enimoney’s “Send Her Money” is an Afro-Latin smash

Posted on by The Native

All the sonic experimenting Afropop artists and producers have been doing this past decade has redefined the conventions of other genres. Until Afropop came into the scene, a good Latino influenced song asides conjuring your waistline to have a mind of its own, also had to make listeners feel like they were fluent in patois. But DJ Enimoney’s new single, “Send Her Money” blends African and Caribbean cultures, leaving his featured artists, Olamide, Lk Kuddy and Kizz Daniel to perform in Pidgin English over the guitar led Afro-latino beat 2kriz produces. While Kranium’s verse infuses a few lines in patois, he doesn’t make an appearance on the recently released video for “Send Her Money” directed by Unlimited L.A.

The music video is shot at a party where everyone but the stars know how to dance the salsa. Just as Jamaican dancehall influenced their melodies, the video also celebrates Jamaican dance culture through the gravity defying dance moves with a touch of arty photographs featuring in the cut.

You can watch the music video for Enimoney’s “Send Her Money” featuring Olamide, Lk Kuddy, Kizz Daniel and Kranium below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/DJ ENIMONEY
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ICYMI: Watch the video for DJ Enimoney’s “Diet” featuring Tiwa Savage, Reminisce and Slim Case

See Omawumi and Falz in new video, “Hold My Baby”

Posted on by The Native

“Forget These Lyrics Baby, We Go Quiet Corner Cause I Will Like To Hold My Baby”, Omawumi sings on her new single, “Hold My Baby”, featuring Falz. The singer’s deeply intimate confessions over the sparse instrumental arrangement, produced by Sess to listen like a live band’s performance with cued drum riffs and backup vocals, is both romantic and homely. Her approach to infusing Yoruba lyrics gives the song an intimate feel as though listeners are merely eavesdropping on a private conversation between lovers. And though she keeps her lyrics sweet and suitable for kids consumption, her sexual intentions are conveyed clearly enough to leave knowing blushes on listeners faces.

Falz contributes a verse, using his Brother Taju alter ego to infuse some humour. And though it’s a style that he has consistently employed since the start of his blooming career, its charm is yet to burn out completely. The combination with Omawunmi’s passionate performance on “Hold My Baby” makes a strong case for the Yoruba language’s elegance.

The recently released music video for “Hold My Baby” is set in a rural fishing community that highlights the song’s traditional lyrics as Falz attempts to convince Omawumi that he’s the one she should settle down with and marry.

You can watch the music video for Omawumi and Falz’s “Hold My Baby” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/omawonder
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ICYMI: You can stream Omawumi’s street inspired “Malowa” single here

Sade’s “The Big Unknown” soundtrack gets shortlisted for the Oscars

Posted on by The Native

Coming off her 7-year hiatus, Sade Adu and her band returned with two new singles this year, “Flower of the Universe” and “The Big Unknown”. Both songs are soundtrack for movies but only “The Big Unknown”, the soundtrack for the Steve McQueen-directed “Widows” made the shortlist for “Best Original Song” at this year’s Oscars.

The film which starred British-Nigerian actress, Cynthia Erivo is based on a bank heist led by women who come under pressure from police and rival gangs. Sade’s heartfelt performance over the soothing beat Aaron Taylor Dean produces scored the emotive scene in the film as she performed an ode to rising out from the dark place. The other shortlisted songs on the Oscar “Best Original Song” shortlist include Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “All The Stars” from “Black Panther” and Emily Blunt and the cast for “Mary Poppins Returns”‘s “The Place Where Lost Things Go” and “Trip A Little Light Fantastic”.

See the lyrics video for Sade’s “The Big Unknown” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/sadeadulovers
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ICYMI: Check out Sade Adu’s second single for the year, “Flower of the Universe”

Ilaye’s new single, “Binoculars”, is a frightening lucid dream as musical

Posted on by The Native

Like she did on earlier works, “Castle Wall” and “Shut it Down”, Ilaye’s new single, “Binoculars”, continues to thread her voice through light, breezy melodies that obscure her lyrics’ dark subject matter. Tejiri’s airy production and Nsikak David’s charming guitar harmonies transport listeners to her moonlit zone, offering wind-chimes and dreamy guitar solos to hang onto. But her captivating voice dares you to pay attention to anything asides her heartbreaking tale of love born of the kind of trauma that could really flourish on a Disney studio film.

She contrasts snippets of hope with an intractable feeling of doom, crafting lyrics like “The Vision is Blinding But I Don’t Want To Wake Up From This Dream” as though she’s trying to convince herself as much as her listeners. “Sweet Turns to Soar and New Turns to Old” Ilaye continues over a sarcastically cheery bassline and trills of bright guitar. Her slight delivery and the echoing quality to her vocals make the song feel a bit like a frightening lucid dream. It seems happy enough, like a jingle for a car commercial, but seeds of melancholy stir beneath the surface. In our increasingly kid-friendly censorship world, her smooth voice is the perfect camouflage for speaking heart-crushing truth.

You can stream Ilaye’s “Binoculars” here.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/_ilaye_
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ICYMI: Ilaye’s “Shut It Down” is a blissful deep-soul ballad

Exclusive: The NATIVE partners with Nike to launch limited edition jerseys

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The positive reception of Nigeria’s World Cup jersey is proof of how style and sports intertwine popular culture across the country and its diaspora. This is why NATIVE is partnering with sportswear giant Nike to launch limited edition jerseys themed after Nigeria’s street football culture.

The NATIVE’s limited edition jersey design is a mixed print of Adire-inspired patterns meets tyre tracks, a tribute to the popular make-shift goalposts used by kids on streets of Lagos.

The newly released jerseys from this Nike collaboration aims to merge The NATIVE’s growing influence in Nigerian popular culture with the country’s favourite sport. Speaking on the launch, The NATIVE founder, Seni Saraki told Nike News, “We wanted to create something that wouldn’t look out of place on the field and in the dance. In Nigeria, the football shirt has always been a vital piece in anyone’s wardrobe”

You can visit nike.com/jerseyshop for more details on where you can pick up yours.

Here are more looks from the Lagos shoot below:


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Exclusive: How an All-Nigerian Cast Brought Nike’s ‘Naija Collective’ to Life

The DRB’10 rave is good to go

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While some believe that your December isn’t quite detty enough if you remember every night, the DRB are sticking to their guns and promising that the DRB’10 rave won’t be a night we’d forget in a hurry. The music collective we remember from the serene years—when only the alte knew of the alte scene—are having their 10-year anniversary concert on the 22nd of December and they want you to come be a part of it.

The concert is a follow up to the recent release of their ‘DRB 10′ album reissue, a collection of all the group’s hit songs and some unreleased records. Their role as pioneers of the alternative music scene which is now booming in Nigeria hasn’t gone without recognition from international acts like Skepta and Davido who have worked with the group in the past. The group has also hosted acts like Davido, Olamide, Simi, Naeto C, Seyi Shay, Falz, Ice Prince, Runtown and Dammy Krane in the past. With the DRB’10 being being their 5th showcase, this time, they are bringing the sound of the future with Odunsi, Prettyboy D-O, SDC, Ajebutter, YCEE, Wavy the Creator and Kida Kudz expected to grace the concert’s Harbour Point venue in Victoria Island.

You can get your tickets at Harbour point V.I or the the DRB website here.’

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ICYMI: See Teezee, Boj and Skepta in their music video for “Like 2 Party”

Make room Lupita! Ifeanyi Dike jr. is gunning to bridge Nollywood and Hollywood

Posted on by The Native

As the year rounds up, we at the Native Mag are taking time to highlight the stellar careers of young Nigerians who really stepped up to the plate and pushed their careers to stratospheric levels. There were so many stellar actors who did amazing work in 2018, but I wanted a truly transcontinental artist, someone whose year was spent laying the groundwork for a truly transcendental career. For inspiration I looked to Lupita and her trajectory before her star making turn on 12 Years A Slave, and the only actor who seems on the precipice of that kind of craft is Ifeanyi Dike jr. 

Dike Jr. in 2016, took a hiatus from a thriving career in Nollywood to attend the prestigious UCLA’s threatre for an MFA. But even that was career-defining in its own way. Dike Jr. was the first African to be accepted into the programme, and the first to be considered solely on his body of work created with local talent on the continent. It seemed a curious thing to do at the time, Dike was coming off his run as the lead in the Abba T. Makama helmed satire ‘Green White Green’, one of the first Nigerian films to debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. Dike’s work was greatly praised at the festival and he was singled out as one to watch. Not long after the film was picked up by Netflix, and become one of the first Nigerian films to earn a deal with the streaming giant. It also set Dike apart, not just as a compelling lead but a bankable one, a combination vital to be considered as A-list talent in any film industry. 

Just before he left however, Ifeanyi Dike Jr. still took time to do promotional work for Green White Green and accept the Lead Actor Award at the Africa International Film Festival. As the youngest actor to win this award, Dike jr. provided proof that his long term director-lead synergy between himself and the Surreal 16 collective (featuring Makama, C.J Obasi whose film Mami Wata is heavily anticipated and Michael Gouken who is a pioneer D.O.P in Nigeria) was a solid one.

Dike jr. went on to represent Nigerian in the Viacom owned BET reality talent vehicle Top Actor Africa. Top Actor helped introduce Dike jr. to American audiences and talent management, and really assert his desire to crossover into global film. Content in the knowledge that Green White Green’s peculiar subject matter would help catapult it into canonical status (it satirizes Nigeria’s Independence and the continuing friction between its major ethnicities, all processes through the perspectives of three young protagonists), Dike jr. focused all his energies on expanding on his craft as an actor.

Since he moved to LA, Dike has met Kenya Barris, the phenomenal writer and producer behind ABC’s runaway black-helmed television successes Blackish and Grownish. Barris has shown significant interest not only Dike jr. range as an actor but also the unique position his heritage offers to help bridge the viewing audiences of America and Nigeria, much like Priyanka Chopra did on the detective procedural Quantico. 

With critical acclaim, some of the best training in the world and interest from some of the sought after showrunners in Hollywood, 2019 is shaping up to be the year Ifeanyi Dike jr. cashes in all the momentum he has spent the last 5 years build. He may very well become the next African actor to bring home an Oscar. 

 

Celebrating The Market March as a small win towards ending harassment

Posted on by The Native

If you’re a woman who grew up in Nigeria, you’re no stranger to the casual harassment and catcalls if for some reason you dared to walk past a group of men. We’ve all learned to adopt the stern face, aggressive pose, desperately trying to mask the rising panic until we’re in relatively safe quarters.

Its also not news that the harassment is more brazen in marketplaces. You see, nothing is sacred to these group of men; they’ll pull and inappropriately touch your adolescent ward against her will. In this very spaces, women are subject to ogling, groping, and jostling among other assaults. But speaking out creates a spectacle where the audience often urges the complainant to walk away or jeers vehemently.

Market March, an initiative dedicated to putting a permanent end to harassment in marketplaces, had their first protest in Yaba market on Saturday. Their demand that to be respected by the men who trade in Yaba market wasn’t well received. The group of protesters had stones thrown at them, were booed, jeered at, and called names.

The presence of police officers didn’t deter these men, who felt insulted that women dared to demand that they not be harassed. It is this kind of brazen entitlement to women and their bodies that feeds the culture of rape and disenfranchisement. The response to their reports of the harassment they experienced on their anti-harassment walk proved that the problem isn’t just the illiteracy of the traders but deep-rooted entitlement to the bodies of women.

https://twitter.com/eddy_kingdom/status/1074207046713651200?s=21

It would be convenient to conclude that this kind of behaviour is only perpetrated by people with limited access to education be it formal or otherwise but we could just as well bury our heads in the sand and believe unicorns exist. It takes a different approach but this disregard for bodily autonomy is ever present. It trickles down from the co-worker who moves in for hugs and makes you out to be irrational (and blowing things out of proportion) when you refuse them; the stranger who ‘mindlessly’ touches your thigh on the bus; the boss who makes inappropriate jokes (because everyone is cool) but is sure to single you out for a knowing leer.

It may be a long way off, and we don’t make any claims to it being an easy walk but ultimately movements like Market March mirror an on-going rise of social media coordinated protests. A future where more voices join the conversation may not be so far off, after all.

 

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Mariam is (insert pretentious stuff about myself here). Share your thoughts with me @MA_Y_M

On Sexual Assault and Rape, watch Udoka Oyeka’s “Las Gidi Vice”

Essentials: PatricKxxLee’s ‘Nowhere Child’

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The sprawling sonic of punk Rock has always had an influence on PatricKxxLee’s production. It’s among the many things that inspires him to explore more avant realms with his songs, never shy to push the boundaries of his darker emotions. His production on “You Rappers Should Fix Up Your Lives” helped score M.I a viral hit last year. But in spite of the visibility that afforded him, featuring on the ‘Yung Denzl’ album, PatricKxxLee undoubtedly cast the strangest figure on the project with his somber and edgy performance. On ‘Nowhere Child’ however, he creates a tense Rock inspired trap soundscape where his angst raps feels right at home.

The blend of Rock and rap may have gotten popular after Lil Wayne picked up a guitar for his ‘Rebirth’ album in 2010, but PatricKxxLee’s foray into Rock goes beyond a mere instrument. The penchant for gangster rap’s lyrical pacing he established on his album debut, ‘Diary of an Arsonist’, takes a back seat on ‘Nowhere Child’, showing both his growth as an artist and his resolve never to get boxed in; not even by himself. The album opens with “Intro [The Nowhere]”, where he repeats “Don’t Classify Me” till it sinks and becomes one with the horror-cinematic beat he produces with a pacy rock drums riff, distorted reverb loops and distorted vocals. Though he still operates in slasher mood on the next track, “Can’t Tame Morgan”, he’s a lot more reflective, even admitting his dependency on abusive substances and its effect on him and his relationship with those around him.

He soon returns to his destructive ways on “Sweet Whisper”, a moshpit inspiring song set to droning synths and chant lyrics throwing the middle-finger to his exes. But beyond the cool “Devil Trigger With The Sword Play” reference to a video game, the hyped mood of the song allows a glimpse at the violent voices living inside PatricKxxLee’s head. The mellow next track, “Hurts to Feel” listens like an interlude from his haunting and chaotic reality, yet his lyrics—“Wonder if I’m My Own Demise/ I Still Feel Low When I Get High”—remain as sharp and piercing as ever.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrIblfzh7UX/

The guitar-led beat for the J Molley assisted “Idle Mind” continues the album’s Rock leaning sonic exploration. And even though he infuses mind-numbing synth harmonies and pacy hi-hats to give the song a trap bounce, it doesn’t uplift their graphic detailing of the hollowness of romance for loner celebrity. It’s a theme further explored on Champagne69 assisted “Love Psycho”. Pre-released single, “H3llywood Blvd” ensures it’s not all dark on ‘Nowhere Child’. PatricKxxLee’s voice glides over the somber synth led beat he produces with slow-building drums, repeating “Hollywood Boulevard” like a lost memory of something he can no longer reach, or a dream that never happened. Though his lyrics “Heart Still Pierced And My Life Moves Fast/ I’m Still Shitfaced And My IPhone Cracked/ Fuck!” are woven around his troubling reality, there’s an unmistakable sense of hope; “In H3llywood Blvd”. “Distraction (Reaction Relapsing)” also offers some glimmer of light with PatricKxxLee apologizing to his mom for destructive tendencies, while promising to watch his step in the future.

“Bermuda Triangle” finds PatricKxxLee returning to rap, but it’s another somber confessional that brings listeners closer to his traumatic life filled with scars, rampant drug use and falling out with friends and family that care about him. On the closing track, “Cliff or Hang”, he’s self-aware enough to admit his flaws and warn off new relationships. His unflinching resolve to wear his heart on his sleeves is callous, brazen, and indulgent, like someone testing out the entire spectrum of feeling for the very first time. But asides from his personal story, the album’s attempt to resurrect the fusion of Rock and Rap is also a pretty ballsy feat.

You can stream PatricKxxLee’s ‘Nowhere Child’ here.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/patrickxxlee
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ICYMI: Watch the video for PatricKxxLee’s “Dante’s Awakening” here

YBNL shares ‘YBNL MaFia Family’ album

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Just when fans started to wonder if 2018 will be the first year we’d go without an Olamide album since his YBNL debut in 2012, the Yahoo Boy No Laptop label-boss released a surprise album titled ‘YBNL MaFia Family’ at the end of last week. Olamide has been building his YBNL roster for some time and it presently boasts of rappers like Davolee, Limerick and the latest indigenous rap sensations, Picazo, Yomi Blaze.

The 13-track album features pre-released Olamide singles, “Poverty Die” and “Motigbana” as well as other songs from the label acts and their joint works. Other artists that are featured include, DJ Enimoney, LK Kuddy, Kizz Daniel, Fireboy DML, Kranium and ex-label member, Lil Kesh. And though YBNL Mafia had initially debuted “Juju, Guns and Rose” earlier this year, the single didn’t make it to the final cut for the album.

You can stream ‘YBNL MaFia Family’ here.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/baddosneh
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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: Read NATIVE’s feature article on Olamide, YBNL and the future of street hip-hop

DJ Tunez’s new single, “Turn Up” gives us the Wizkid, Reekado Banks feature we didn’t know we needed

Posted on by The Native

DJ Tunez’s new single, “Turn Up” features Reekado Banks and Wizkid. Asides offering fans a chance to listen to the first Reekado Banks verse since he jumped ship from Mavins to form his own Banks Music recording label, “Turn Up” also offers the dream collaboration between Reekado Banks and Wizkid that no one had thought to ask for.

“Turn Up” is an ode to the dance-club with Wizkid expressing his frustration with finding love while still enjoying the swirl of an exotic dancer. Reekado Banks’ hook and verse fill us in on the loose details; a late night, turning up at the club. Baby Fresh and HonterOnTheBeat produce the synth bed of harmonies, generating a mid-tempo rhythm optimized for the dance-clubs that inspired the song.

You can stream DJ Tunez’s “Turn Up” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/wizkidayo
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ICYMI: Watch a pre-Superstar Wizkid throw down a raw freestyle on the streets of Surulere (2011)

Apple Music’s “Beats 1” streams hour-long special on African Music

Posted on by The Native

With 2018 winding down, Apple Music has shared new playlists, highlighting the best music, movies, television shows, podcasts, and books of 2018. The roll out included an all-new “Best of 2018” category and asides giving listeners a chance to reflect on the what we’ve loved in 2018 while also offering hints at what to look forward to in the coming year, 2019. Though the Apple Music editors curated Best of 2018 list is the big talking point for the month, there are also other playlists worth mentioning like the trusty live-streaming, “Apple Beats 1” and the hour-long special airing of Apple Music’s African Music Playlist during Beats 1 on Wednesday.

The show featured Olamide, who gave his take on Hip-hop in Nigeria and Niniola, who spoke about her “Maradona” hit song and it’s global appeal. The Apple Music A-List playlist is the first for the live-streaming show and is mostly dominated by Nigeria, Ghanaian and South African acts, with Nigerian artists taking 19 spots, while Ghana and South Africa get 13 and 7 songs respectively. The list includes Universal Music artistes, Wurld, Nasty C and Sho Madjozi as well as other impressive African artists; Ayo Jay, Niniola, Runtown, Amaa Rae, Darko Vibes, Kwesi Arthur, Jovi and more.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/thisiswurld

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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: We are calling it early, but here’s why Afropop is going to revolutionize the sound of popular music

Essentials: ‘La Vie’ by Traplanta

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Trap music has finally stepped out from behind the curtains of the strip-clubs to become a mainstream phenomena thanks to the works of artists like Travis Scott and Migos. Traplanta Records is a music collective whose, rhythmic rap songs are so showy, it casts an almost scornful eye. The cutting wordplay, dynamic voice, and mellow trap production of pre-released single, “Own That” featuring Odunsi, set the tone for Traplanta’s sophomore project ‘La Vie’ EP. The collective of rappers, dndSection, KA$H, Folabi Xan and OBA released their 6-track EP, filled with glossy trap bars that are uncompromising and unforgiving with a slight hint of goofiness.

‘La Vie’ opens with “Garments” where dndSection, KA$H and Folabi Xan bask in their collective and unrivalled glamour, bragging about their crew love and sex appeal over the atmospheric beat JZ Production produces. The next track, “Pledge 2 Me” featuring Sodaman, KA$H, ElmoCamo and dndSection gleans an awareness for competition, admitting they “Gotta Stay Prayered Up” over the unassuming beat Master Don produces with layered synth samples.

dndSection, KA$H and Folabi Xan reunite on “Gorillaz”, for the project’s most assured and energetic performance, showing off their keen ear for catchy flow and underlining their individual skill personality; “I”m Used to Being On My Own Because I’m Way To Different”. All three rappers tackle the bouncy beat +gray+ produces with a different approach but remain cohesive as they exchange brags back and forth.

‘La Vie’ however ends on a somber tone. On “Beautiful Shadows” KA$H spells out the newfound paranoia of a rising rap star over a somber piano led beat with scatting hi-hats. Last track, “Fools Gold”, features an impressive verse from OBA who joins dndSection, KA$H and Folabi Xan to speak on their trust issues while still relishing every opportunity to shame their foes.

You can stream ‘La Vie’ below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/traplantaworld
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ICYMI: Watch the music video for dndSection’s “Georgia Peaches” here

Rho is both charming and cutting on reggae inspired single, “Black Dress”

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They say your closest friends will make your worst enemies, but can you imagine what sort of enemies lovers would make. Rho’s new single, “Black Dress”, offers some insight into the romantic roughhouse, channelling Reggae’s lightweight melodies and taking it into rougher and darker territories. The mellow guitar led beat, produced with bouncy drum riffs, percussion harmonies and horns provide an outlet for her to highlight the staggering emotional and physical trauma of an abusive relationship.“I’d Pray For Your Soul From Prison Cause It’s Gon Be Hard to Run”, she sings, a show of both the good and the darker side of the romantic coin.

In the statement attached with the single, Rho tells us: “The objective of this song is to provide an opportunity for society to discuss an issue that is a growing concern. Lots of women in relationships are abused in one form or the other and have somehow been conditioned to accept and live with it. No one should have to live with that; not women, not men, and definitely not children.” You can hear the outrage in her vocals as she takes sharp shots at the lover as she threatens coolly singing, “This Is The Night You Pay”.

You can stream “Rho’s “Black Dress” here.

https://soundcloud.com/catchrho/black-dress

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/catchrho
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ICYMI: Reminisce details the hazards of abusive relationships in his “Ponmile” music

Here’s a list of nominees for the Soundcity MVP Awards

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Soundcity has released its list of nominees for this years MVP awards. Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Davido and a few others have been nominated for awards in different categories. Hip-Hop stars and our favourite breakout stars this year all have exciting competition for the SoundcityMVP awards set for the 5th January 2019.

A new category has been added to recognize the Disc Jockeys this year.  ‘African DJ of the Year’ will celebrate the most accomplished DJ’s on the continent and the inaugural nominees are DJ Spinall, DJ Neptune, Prince Kaybee, DJ MicSmith, DJ Arafat, Black Coffee, DJ Xclusive, DJ Kaywise, DJ Vyrusky, and DJ Maphorisa. For diversity, Soundcity will be acknowledging creatives in sports, entrepreneurship, creative arts, fashion, digital influence, and socio-political development.

Here’s a list of some of the nominees; the full list and voting options are available on the SoundcityMVP website

BEST MALE MVP 

  1. BURNA BOY
  2. NASTY C
  3. MR EAZI
  4. OLAMIDE
  5. A.K.A
  6. SHATTA WALE
  7. HARMONIZE
  8. DIAMOND PLATNUMZ
  9. DAVIDO
  10. WIZKID

BEST FEMALE MVP 

  1. BUSISWA
  2. SIMI
  3. NINIOLA
  4. TIWA SAVAGE
  5. YEMI ALADE
  6. SHEKHINAH
  7. EFYA
  8. BECCA
  9. LADY ZAMAR
  10. MAUA SAMA

BEST HIP HOP 

  1. M.I ABAGA
  2. KHALIGRAPH JONES
  3. NASTY C
  4. AKA
  5. KWESI ARTHUR
  6. PHYNO
  7. SARKODIE
  8. KWESTA
  9. FALZ
  10. MEDIKAL

BEST POP 

  1. KIZZ DANIEL
  2. FALLY IPUPA
  3. TIWA SAVAGE
  4. YEMI ALADE
  5. DAVIDO
  6. DIAMOND PLATNUMZ
  7. MAYORKUN
  8. WIZKID
  9. KUAMI EUGENE
  10. MR EAZI

VIDEO OF THE YEAR 

  1. GRINGO – SHATTA WALE
  2. MIDNIGHT DRUM – A PASS, ROUGE, FIK FAMEICA
  3. SHORT N’ SWEET – SAUTI SOL
  4. YE – BURNA BOY
  5. FEVER – WIZKID
  6. SURRENDA – ADEKUNLE GOLD
  7. SCIENCE STUDENT – OLAMIDE
  8. KING – NASTY C FT A$AP FERG
  9. HEAL THE WORLD – PATORANKING
  10. KSAZOBALIT – CASSPER NYOVEST

SONG OF THE YEAR 

  1. YE – BURNA BOY
  2. SHORT & SWEET – SAUTI SOL FT NYASHINKI
  3. AFRICAN BEAUTY – DIAMOND PLATNUMZ FT. OMARION
  4. SOCO – STARBOY FT WIZKID, TERRI, SPOTLESS & CEEZA MILLI
  5. KATIKA – NAVY KENZO FT. DIAMOND PLATNUMZ
  6. MAKHE – DJ MAPHORISA, DJ SIMBA FT MOONCHILD SANELLY
  7. SKELETON MOVES – MASTER KG
  8. ASSURANCE – DAVIDO
  9. AMAKA – TUFACE IDIBIA
  10. KWANGWARU – HARMONIZE FT. DIAMOND PLATNUMZ

BEST NEW ARTISTE 

  1. KIDI
  2. SHO MADJOZI
  3. ODUNSI
  4. PERUZZI
  5. TENIOLA
  6. KIDA KUDZ
  7. SHANE EAGLE
  8. KING PROMISE
  9. KWESI ARTHUR
  10. MBOSSO

VIEWERS CHOICE 

  1. YE – BURNA BOY
  2. DROGBA – AFRO B
  3. SOMISO – WANDE COAL
  4. SCIENCE STUDENT – OLAMIDE
  5. FEVER – WIZKID
  6. SOCO – STARBOY FT WIZKID, TERRI, SPOTLESS & CEEZA MILLI
  7. KUPE DANCE – A STAR
  8. MAGUN (RMX) – NINIOLA FT. BUSISWA
  9. AVAILABLE – PATORANKING
  10. TIWA’S VIBE – TIWA SAVAGE

AFRICAN PRODUCER OF THE YEAR 

  1. KILLERTUNES
  2. JULZ
  3. SARS
  4. NAHREEL
  5. NORTHBOI
  6. DJ TIRA
  7. PHANTOM
  8. SPEROACHBEATZ
  9. FRESH VDM
  10. KEL P

AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR 

  1. BURNA BOY
  2. DAVIDO
  3. SARKODIE
  4. YEMI ALADE
  5. A.K.A
  6. TIWA SAVAGE
  7. WIZKID
  8. DIAMOND PLATNUMZ
  9. NASTY C
  10. OLAMIDE

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Mariam is (insert pretentious stuff about myself here). Share your thoughts with me @MA_Y_M

Listen to Legendury Beatz’s single, “Love Can Do” featuring Maleek Berry

Listen to Na-Ku’s remix to Trill Xoe’s “Love Like This”

Posted on by The Native

Afropop has taken many shapes and forms over the years, from R&B, to dancehall and EDM, but it’s not everyday you hear the ambient pop side of the club-driven genre. But that’s what you get on Trille Xoe’s “Love Like This”, fusing drones and echoes that float under drum patterns and multi-tracked vocal hooks. The ambient synth he produced on the song has inspired a remix from Na-Ku, less than 9 months after the release of the original track.

Na-Ku’s infuses his bad boy personality to his rendition of “Love Like This” and it results in a song that can paradoxically feel agitated and sedate in the same moment. Singing “You Got My Mumu Button and e Dey on Lock/ You Got My Mumu Button and I Guess I’m Fucked”, over the ambient synth instrumentals and rattling sample, he expresses his fear, digging for emotional clarity in the midst of an ambiguous relationship.

You can stream Na-Tu’s “Love Like This (Remix)” here.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/nakunvrs
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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: Xoe shows love to Hip-hop on “Tales: The Episode Before”

Watch Yung L party with models in his “Bam Bam” music video

Posted on by The Native

Most of our favorite music videos reveled in fantasy, conjuring new worlds separate from our own. But the best videos are the ones who make the nuances of everyday living into film-worthy showoffs. The music video for Yung L’s “Bam Bam” finds the Chocolate City artists cleverly embracing his flamboyant persona with the photo-shoot setting of the video. While his ecstatic performance on the record is set up for a club dancefloor scene, the video takes a simpler direction, showing Yung L in garage somewhere in the UK, where he’s seen wearing brightly colored clothes and dancing with models.

Though the video isn’t set in a club, Yung L takes all the fun and glamour from partying and makes something just about as grandly beautiful. You can watch the music video for “Bam Bam” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Yung L
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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: Check out the essentials from Yung L’s ‘Better Late Than Never’ album debut

Kwesi Arthur and Shatta Wale release “African Girl” video

Posted on by The Native

Kwesi Arthur and Shatta Wale have both had their careers take an interesting turn this year.  Kwesi Arthur has collaborated on a number of Afropop singles, consequently leaving a part of himself across genres; “Maintain” with Juls, for instance, spins hip-hop onto highlife.  Shatta Wale releasing his critically acclaimed album “Reign” was also a laudable close to a good year, career-wise. His music video “Gringo“, which is also one of the songs on the Reign album besides being a really good record, rightly generated a healthy buzz for its racial politics.

Kwesi Arthur opens “African Girl“, a song that runs around the appreciation of hot, happy go lucky African women with a smooth verse and Shatta Wale fits right in the mix, taking African Girl from regular pop hit to a fire dancehall song. The super casual and relaxed video is set at a party with shots of guests having a good time with frames of beautiful landscape alternating through it.

Watch “African Girl” here;

 

 

 

 

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Mariam is (insert pretentious stuff about myself here). Share your thoughts with me @MA_Y_M

Listen to Sarkodie’s Shatta Wale diss track, “My Advice”

A night out brings “Trobul” for Sarz and Wurld; See video now

Posted on by The Native

While we continue to anticipate the release of Wurld and Sarz’s promised joint project, the previously released lead single from the tape, “Trobul”, has gotten a visual treatment. And just like the airy mid-tempo beat Sarz produces and Wurld’s laid back confessional set, the music video languidly depicts the romantic emotions expressed on the song.

The video for “Trobul” is set on the night of a house party, following Wurld and Sarz as they are drenched in a sea of beautiful women and the seductive glow of red lights. Though the pair seem to be having a good time, Wurld performs his verses with a somber facial expression, singing “You’re The Only One That I See” like he’s wincing at the loss of his sanity. The video also reemphasizes his fears through metaphorical imagery of “caution” tagged red tapes and the final scene where Wurld is seen, tied-up in the trunk of a femme fatale’s car.

You can watch the music video for “Trobul” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Trobul18
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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: Hear Wurld’s Afrobeat inspired love song, “Paranoid”