Skepta has shown exceptional ability to advertise his Nigerian side, without abandoning any of the things we love about his more gangster UK grime side. On “Pure Water”, released back in May, he adopts everyday Nigerian lingo for his gritty swag rap that confirms he hasn’t lost touch with his roots.
The video for “Pure Water” has just been released and it features everything that high-stake music videos should keep in their arsenal: its own mythology, fashion, and convincing cameos. Skepta has rarely looked better than the black and white shots of him standing in a bath, accompanied by models who look stunning in their Mowalola styled outfits. In “Pure Water”, we follow Skepta get out of bed to prowling around till the video ends with a frame of him staring at a spaceship like a superhero in a cool leather jacket and shades.
You can watch the music video for “Pure Water” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/oliviarosegarden
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It’s almost impossible to go for a music concert without catching a whiff of weed smoke in the air. Everyone has different taste in music, but we can all agree that smoking herbs and listening to music is up there with bread and butter, on the list of greatest combinations ever. And though the psychedelic drug is still illegal in most parts of the world, that hasn’t stopped it from inspiring billboard hits like D.R.A.M’s “Broccoli” and more recently, Boyewa’s latest single, “a – herbman2”.
Over a mid-tempo beat he produces himself with traditional African drum samples that listen like the beating of a gong or a pot, Boyewa performs a slurry set, dedicated to his dealer. Though most songs about drug consumption use flowery prose, metaphors, and symbolism to get their point across, Boyewa continues to defy the norm on “a – herbman2”, singing off a lyrics book so direct, they bother on the mundane. His lyrics carry an urgency as he sings, “African Herbman, Widen Your Arms, Just Concentrate Cause Heaven is Hard”, but the warning fades away with his slurred vocals and the mellow vibe of his reggae melody.
You can stream “a – herbman2” below.
Featured Image Credit: SoundCloud/Boyewa
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Because most artists recognize the potency of an Afropop drum riff on the dancefloor, we don’t often get Afropop songs whose themes venture outside the four walls of a club. But after hearing Wizkid’s “Ojuelgba” and the more recent “Ye”, off Burna Boy’s ‘Outside’ album, the love for the club isn’t excuse enough as both songs have become classics for subsequent Afropop songs to aspire to. And “Economy”, Magnom’s latest single, has all the markings of a classic; an incredibly catchy baseline, practical songwriting and a subject matter that’s relevant everywhere in the world.
Singing “Media No Know/ Everywhere, no Doe/ Mr DJ, You Dey Kill The Game/ So How We Go Maintain?/ How Una Destiny go Change?”, Magnom’s lyrics conjure up feelings of sadness. But set to a backdrop of bright video-game inspired synth harmonies, the song fits neatly into DJ sets at the function. Though Nshorna Muzik contributes a verse of his own, geared towards the club friendly show offs, it’s the honest reflective quality of Magnom’s lyrics that gives “Economy” more substance than a disposable pop hit.
You can listen to Magnom and Nshorna Muzik on “Economy” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/magnombeats
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The litmus test for every romantic song with the underlinings of nuptials is it has to be catchy as fuck. Whether it is slow or running at a pace, if it is catchy enough, it’s likely to be dazzling. It’s also going to stick well enough that it is hard to shake the melody off your limbs and lungs because who doesn’t love love anyway?
Jeff Akoh’s “I do” is produced by Password (who won MTN songstar with Don Jazzy) checks the blue to red box many ways than one. The catchy song whose release is perfectly timed to the end of the year wedding buzz should be well received on wedding music compilations.
Jeff Akoh, a one time MTN project fame contestant dropped “I do” as a single off a yet to be released wedding themed EP that includes two other songs entitled “Papa Oyoyo”and “First Dance”.
Listen to “I do” here;
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As a mark of Burna’s growing cultural influence, his grimacing face singing “Ye”, was projected on billboards at Time Square less than two weeks ago by YouTube. Like the same artist who mythologically emerged with a classic like “Like to Party” in 2012, Burna is also casually making history with “Ye”.
The murmurs from the public to make “Ye” Nigeria’s actual national anthem is one thing, but recent global events even suggests THAT level of success is different from the one “Ye” truly deserves. For a fact, “Ye” has already done three things for mankind as a whole:
“Ye” saved us from Ye
Remember when a rapper who shall not be named (hint: used to be friends with JayZ) dropped that album—also titled ‘Ye’—that made everybody cringe? Ah well, lucky for people who only tried to stream that hot mess because they got directed to a different kind of “Ye”, literally.
Burna announced that his streams were up after the rapper’s album also titled Ye dropped, and it was a good thing too, no one should be listening to the ramblings of a man who probably thinks Wakanda is real anyway. (Except Donald Trump of course, because likeminded people need each other)
A lot of random things have happened in 2018, and Ariana Grande making Pete Davidson the face of Big Dick Energy doesn’t even top that list. What comes close, however, is this video of a superfan geeking out while playing “Ye” for ‘Ye in Uganda. The kicker comes at the end of the video where he is yelling “Bona Boy Call Me!” into the camera. We haven’t talked to Bankulli, the music entrepreneur who was featured in the clip, yet, but the moral lesson from that epic “Ye” moment is: securing the bag is key, even when it’s two different Ye(s).
In the age of social media, nothing is truly pop culture until it has become a meme-worthy moment for millennials to mine for situational humour and self-deprecating jokes till the end of time. This is another noteworthy mark of how “Ye” is truly a gift that keeps on giving. The video above is of a rapper simply known off Twitter as Osh, freestyling a rap-sung verse to Burna’s “Ye” . Don’t get us wrong the rap is bad but that’s not why this video is funny. Osh can rap-ish, but something about how he sings “Different to your Ye” makes him sound unusually melodic for a rapper, almost like he’s from the opera. If this is your first encounter with this video, don’t be surprised if you catch yourself singing this line over and over till somebody punches you in the face.
It’s a whole ass crazy “Ye” out here. Stream it via Apple Music below:
A week ago dancehall artist, Patoranking opened the Tidal X: Brooklyn show at New York’s Barclay’s centre. Off of that win, he’s released an EDM infused dancehall bop- “Everyday”. “Everyday” is produced by Dutch DJ and Alvaro and Patoranking serenades with a playful account of his inexplicable affection for his ‘“baby”. Over sonorous guitar licks mixed perfectly with thumping bass, he attests to the depth of the feelings both he and his lover have for each other and the lengths one would go to keep the other happy.
R2Bees have been building anticipation for their coming project, ‘Site 51‘, since they released the album’s lead single, “We De Vibe”, back in July. Earlier this month, the Ghanaian hip-life duo released “Boys Kasa”, featuring La Meme Gang, and are now releasing “Supa”, with a Wizkid feature that’s bound to heighten fans’ excitement for the project that’s expected to be released next month.
Hearing Wizkid’s laid-back vocals riding the mid-tempo piano-led beat Killmatic produces with layers of sweeping synths, percussion and a catchy drum riff, “Supa” evokes images of cookout by the beach. His lyrics, “I Fit Do Anything for your Love”, paint a picture of a perfect romance, an attribute that has become the currency of dancefloor geared Afropop. Mugeez performs a sultry verse as well and Omar Sterling helps complete the balance.
You can watch “Supa” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/r2beesmusic
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Mayorkun has always been Afropop’s odd but not so oddball. Since his debut single “Eleko” where a mix of Fuji-pop meets Yoruba-folk, he has always managed to mix familiar conventions with a unique twist that reflects his often sardonic sense of humour. On “Blow The Whistle” a pulsating electronic Afropop collaboration with DJ Consequence, he meta-referenced Nigeria’s on-going anti-corruption war, with a mirror cast against everyday interactions.
His latest video “Fantasy” also appears out the same vague obscurity of how things work in Mayorkun’s head. An opening sequence with Mayorkun durag-on, and working hard at a pool cleaning job as hot models are introduced into the scene, is the not the first intriguing thing about this scene; it’s the reverb of Olu Maintain’s controversial hit “Yahooze” playing through Mayorkun’s headphones.
Olu Maintain himself cameos in “Fantasy”, but the reason for his presence could be both a homage to the refrain “awon k on” (‘some people’) borrowed directly from the Afropop veteran’s old hit, or a remark of how in touch Mayorkun is, with his musical roots. Especially since these scenes are directed dutifully by Clarence Peters, so it almost feels like a hip-hop cliche when the token cameos reel in.
Only the man behind the art can tell for sure what “Fantasy” means but things sure got provocative after pool guy Mayorkun wakes up in a bed filled with dollars and hot models. It’s a strong imagery for how lives can supposedly change overnight in a country where nothing comes easy (or so to speak). Mayorkun is in touch with something, it may not look like much, but its enough truth to see the lines between reality and “Fantasy”
See for yourself here:
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After featuring KJ Sunmon on “Mainland Cruise” a few weeks ago, Jamal Swiss is back with a new single titled, “Jam”. The incredibly feel-good single features Mich Straaw on the chorus and his smooth vocals over the bubble-gum pop harmonies of the beat Jay Blakez produces heighten the airy romantic sentiments expressed on the song.
Over a mid-tempo mix of synths, horns and catchy chopped and screwed drum riffs, Jamal Swiss paints a dreamy portrait of his relationship with a love interest. Despite his obvious glee, his doubts start to show when he raps “Maybe We’re Moving Too Fast”. And though he tries to keep his romance from distract from enjoying the pleasant vibe the beat inspires, he admits “I’m only here for a sing along/ 2 step out of here and then let me love”.
You can stream Jamal Swiss and Mich Straaw’s “Jam” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/thejamalswiss
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Spotify announced the introduction of a new feature to help artists get discovered back in July. Since streaming platforms became so monetized with artist-friendly payment plans, everyone knows that being featured on playlists is the new name of the game. It can help boost expose as the more followers a playlist has, the higher equity it brings with the growth in audience reach leading to more plays.
By democratizing their playlist submission feature, they now allow anyone to submit music to their team of editors around the world who according to the announcement released in July are “a team of over 100 editors around the world—music experts and cultural ambassadors whose job is to spread the joy of music discovery everywhere from Brazil to Japan to Turkey.” Of course, the streaming platform has since launched in Africa with “Afro Hub” which already featured popular playlists like “African Heat”, “Peppeh”, “Goldmine” and a couple of other newly curated selections.
However, with the new playlist submission feature, any label or artist can follow the few simple steps they need to submit through their Spotify analytics platform or Spotify for Artists account respectively, then tag as much metadata to help describe the track for the editors put it into the right playlist if they think it is worthy.
Watch the promotional video showing how to use the new feature below.
Simi held her debut concert in Lagos, “See Me Live”, in collaboration with Eclipse Live Africa at the Hard Rock Café last year. This year, she’s giving her fans the chance to see her perform at the first edition of her “Simi Live In Concert” which will hold on the 9th of December at the Balmoral Convention Centre venue in Victoria Island.
She released her album debut, ‘Simisola’, last year and it peaked at number 5 at the Billboard World Music charts. To experience the live performance of her hit records like, “Joromi”, “Owanbe” and others, you can get your tickets for the “Simi Live In Concert” here.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/symplysimi
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Miles from Mars, a band formed by Bio and SoulBlackSheep have released their debut single, “Asteroid Blues”. Though stating their intent to “Use music as a vehicle to take their listeners on a journey through all of the universe”, the main theme for the single revolves around a relationship that has turned sour. But the synthetic drum kit and spacious synth percussion stay true to the group’s sci-fi theme of space exploration.
While the soothing mid-tempo beat Mullah produces is lightweight as Bio delivers the catchy hook in a mix of English and Yoruba, Soul’s sultry verse singing “No, I Don’t Need You” and effectively terminating his relationship, reminds listeners of how inhospitable, nihilistic, and misanthropic space can be. “Asteroid Blues” features a guest verse from featured artist, Paula. B who impresses with her feather light vocals emphasizing the sad emotions in her performance.
You can stream “Asteroid Blues” below.
Featured Image Credits: Twitter/soul_blacksheep
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In the way of ominously released Afropop projects, that follow-through and through with the sound’s tendency for affective composition, L.A.X has released his debut album Rasaking. LA.X’s Starboy affiliations may have skewered the singer’s place in the industry, but the 24-year old only just made some major landmark moves with the launch of his Rasaki Music Group headquarters back in April.
Rasaking, L.A.X’s first album is also the first album released under his imprint. A cast featuring favourites like Davido, Duncan Mighty alongside Afropop stalwarts like Barry Jhay, Moelogo and Maleek Berry offers a colourful range on Rasaking, despite L.A.X’s dedication to Fuji-inflected Afropop. Rasaking‘s biggest success, however, is an extensive horde of underground producers like DMW’s Fresh, Starboy’s Spotless and Bizzouch who has worked with L.A.X in the past, amongst others who make the project memorable.
Though L.A.X has been in the game since he first came into public consciousness with “Caro”, Rasaking is purposefully packaged like a newcomer’s project starting with intro track, “Ile Aye” , where L.A.X laments how he is often treated with disdain because people think his privilege precedes his music. In many ways, this inspires the statement L.A.X wants to make with this album; that he is capable of Afropop royalty without the cuffs of his parents (some would even say without the air of a Wizkid co-sign). Tracks like “Money” where L.A.X he decries how haters “fail to realise”, he has been monetising his hits create context for “So Pe”, where the singer is more thankful for his life.
The bulk of Rasaking leans into Afropop’s pseudo-romantic thematic mainstay. Whether it’s the playfully Davido-assisted “Same Girl”, or when British artists Moelogo and Sneakbo, join L.A.X for a preppy bop on the befittingly-titled, “Radio” , L.A.X doesn’t stray from Afropop’s cadences.
We’ve clamoured for Ezi Emela’s pop dominance since the release of her single “Chineke meh”– a song that launched the British Nigerian artist as having her hand constantly on the pulse of her sound, image and sexuality.
Without warning, three tracks of Ezi’s appeared in all its multimedia glory on SoundCloud. The three songs- which she has compiled into one extended playlist named “LostFiles’, are pleasingly all winners.
Above brittle, syncopated rhythm, quickly articulated verses alternate with smoother choruses, Ezi stays tapped to and in control of the music on all three songs. Produced by Omeiza and GA, “Door Die”, “Gabriel” and “Nothing inthis world” are all soulful stories of love, sadness and resilience.
“Nothing in this world” is a three-minute promise to never stop feeling feelings for a lover. A promise, however, she can’t keep from fulfilling since there’s nothing else like them in the world.
“Do or Die” however is some kind of ultimatum being issued in the same vein as a promise to stay and fight for the relationship. Guess it could go any of two ways.
Ezi’s interested in how far “Gabriel” is willing to go to win the ultimate prize of her undivided attention and affection.
Tobi Lou’s honest confessional lyrics have made his music serve as a sort of window into his life and “Orange” continues his revealing songwriting. Listening to “Orange” gives a sneak peek into the artists psyche as he entertains listeners with his ramblings, made bearable by accompanying music keys. “Orange” revolves around the subject matters of his anxiety, wardrobe choices, favorite colors and society’s perception of him. It’s a loop a lot of us are stuck in and can relate to.
The second single, “The Blue”, is ironically more upbeat and cheerful as Tobi Lou reflects on the ease of making his dough, explaining that not even a heartbreak and an inconsistent love interest can distract him from the importance of making money. It’s exactly like Tobi says, we might be chicken, but we’re not crossing the road except it’s paid for.
Since kicking off their marketing campaign in Nigeria, Budweiser has found innovative ways to entertain beer lovers and with their latest foray into music with BUDx, they have opened up more avenues for various stakeholders in the music industry, from artists to fans. The Electronic Music Lab, BUDx, launched in Abuja on the 20th of October and it brought artists, producers, DJs and fans together for entertaining and educative brand experience.
The event held at the Harrow Park and had a vibrant guest list of performing acts which attendees were excited to see. Among the guest acts were Christian Rich, who hosted the “House Music Defined” masterclass. Tomi Thomas was also around with the limited edition streetwear t-shirts he designed for Garm Spot. Sarz beat also made an appearance to deliver a speech for the “House Music Production 101” workshop. After the learning experience from the elites in the industry, guests stayed back for an after party that with DJs like Aye, DJ Smooth, DJ Aldeen The Sygerian, Sensei Lo performing behind the deck and artists such as Tomi Thomas and Pretty Boy D-O performing some of their hit singles.
See some of the pictures and videos from the BUDx Electronic Music Lab that made rounds on IG below.
DJ Spinall has had the music industry in a choke hold since bagging his contract with Smirnoff. The CAP DJ just put out a new project, ‘Iyanu’, the fourth one since his foray into curating and releasing music records began with ‘My Story: The Album’ in 2015. The 10-track Afropop offering feature an expansive array of artists such as Wizkid, Tekno, Ceeza Milli, Kizz Daniel, Burna Boy, Nonso Amadi, Davido, Wurld, Dotman, and new acts Cnatty.
Although DJ Spinall produces some of the tracks on the ‘Iyanu’ album, other producers like Killertunes, Ckay, Nonso, Benie Macaulay and Stg also get credited for their production efforts. You can expect to hear a few of these songs in parties during this coming festive season.
Stream DJ Spinall’s ‘Iyanu’ album below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/djspinall
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Although the list of nominees for this coming Grammy Award won’t be released till the 5th of December, the 61st Grammy Awards is effectively in motion with the first-round voting which began last week. While we wait for the release of the list of nominees, Seun Kuti has revealed via his Instagram that his ‘Black Times’ album is up for “Best World Music Album” consideration at the Grammy Awards.
The jazz-fueled and politically charged album was co-produced by Robert Glasper and featured Carlos Santana as he paired his defiant anti-oppression message with funky and upbeat grooves. Riton and Kahlo’s “Rinse and Repeat”‘s nomination for “Best Dance Recording” and Wizkid’s writing credit on “One Dance” saw Nigeria represented at the 59th Grammy Awards. This year, Nigeria may have another go at the Grammy Awards if ‘Black Times’ eventually gets nominated for “Best World Music Album”.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/bigbirdkuti
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Among the many takeaways from Odunsi’s ‘rare’ album debut is that his ambition stretches way past the Soundcloud boundaries he was initially boxed in. His pre-released Davido collaboration, “divine”, hinted at the possibilities, but after hearing the rest of the album, it’s clear that the years of hard work, building towards the album’s release paid off with impressive features and a sexy blend of sounds from the past, present and future.
The music video for “falling”, one of the album’s highlights, has just been released and it comprises footage of Odunsi and a few models, dancing awkwardly in retro framed shoots, while the song’s lyrics are displayed on the screen. Odunsi co-directed the video with Ademola Falomo and Santi while Dakota Brady gets credits for the vintage set design that adds to the subtle charm of Odunsi’s vulnerable confessional lyrics, “Your Mama No Like Me, But Me I Like Your Mama”. The video taps into the same lo-fi ambience embodied in the indie-pop sound of “falling”.
You can stream the video for “falling” below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeoHBVhxQRw
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/odunsitheengine
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SMO has returned with a new single, “Motivation”. The politically charged new song marks the singer’s first release since he debuted the ‘Rose’ EP earlier this year. Set to the head bopping pace of the catchy beat Ejaybeatz produces, “Motivation” is both philosophical and lightweight as he highlights some of the societal rots visible to young Nigerians while also admitting his own carnal motivations.
Rather than blaming all of the societal decay on just the government, he also tackles issues like rape and laziness which some young people are guilty of. And though it can comes across a bit preachy, he overlays his musings about lack of employment and good education on top of a catchy synth harmony, soothing vocal samples and mid-tempo drums. Songs like SMO’s “Motivation” can redefine our notions of politically charged music: what it sounds like, who it comes from, and how much identity ignites its contents.
Stream SMO’ “Motivation” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/smo_ngb
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As Afropop makes its rounds in the international music scenes, UK based Nigerian artists like Nonso Amadi and Kida Kudz have served as a template for the prospects for the alternative style to the popular sound. Their music releases experiment with international pop radio sounds and R&B. And for Nonso Amadi’s new single, “Dial Me”, he teams up with Kida Kudz for a party fueled bop.
Produced with warm synth harmonies and a catchy drum riff, all it takes to lift “Dial Me” from the sultry romantic intentions of the lyrics are some carefully placed buzz phrases like “Tonight, I’ma Do the Most”. While Nonso Amadi’s verse might be a downer for those who rely on substance before getting into the party mood, Kida Kudz infuses his bad boy persona to strike a balance.
You can stream “Dial Me” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/nonsoamadi
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