#ThankGodItsRia is the official hashtag for Ria Boss’ “Friday takeover”. Ria, via her twitter and Soundcloud accounts, announced plans to release a collection of songs every Friday until an undisclosed date. At the release of the first project, LOVEFLUX, on the 14th of September, she tweets “I Own your Fridays now”, like a demigod with the power to hold time.
WILDWOMAN, the second of two consecutively released projects is a 4-track EP that exhibits the many sides of Ria Boss —singer, songwriter and poet. It begins with a low-tempo “Intro” track where she basically defines the crux of the project. You get a sense that she’s warning anyone who doesn’t agree with her women-uplifting words to stop here.
Singing over a soft synth baseline, she introduces us to a woman who unwittingly emanates power, tagging her a “wild woman”.The theme continues until “Crown Funk”, the concluding track that doubles as a subtle call to action. On it, Ria softly commands the woman to fix her crown and trust herself, “cause you’re a queen”, she sings, reminding listeners of her royal power as a woman. Likewise, “Who Gon’ do you” is a soulful paean to the limitless attributes simultaneous to self-trust. Ria sets the universal mantra, “Who gon do you better than you?”, emphasizing the liberating effects of true self conviction.
“Bad mama” however asks that the mantra be individualized as Ria reminds listeners that self-trust must come with a willingness to shape shift, because growth is a part of the process. Ria odes the woman’s ability to transform like the earths seasons, encouraging her to explore every form of her many selves.
So far, #ThankGoditsRia has continued Ria Boss’ introspective songwriting direction, as she introduces meditative themes using pianos and rain samples to set a soothing ambiance. “Blossom”, off LOVEFLUX is a romance themed track where she is telling a love interest that she is here to save him, opposing the usual counter narrative.
As if to emphasize this narrative further, the next track, “Equal”, finds her singing of a relationship based on the foundation of mutual respect and true partnership; a ”YintomyYang” style courtship. On “Wasting Time”, the concluding track forLOVEFLUX, Ria reintroduces the piano and presents a number of topics to meditate on: “think about your love, think about your legacy”, recommending these thought processes as tools for a free mind.
In her interview with the NATIVE, for the 2017 magazine print edition, Ria Boss highlighted her desire for love and self actualization as two of the few things she’s looking forward to. With a central theme of heavy introspection as well as inward and outer love on both EPs, you get to see how the 8 meditative tracks Ria Boss presents over the course of LOVEFLUX and WILDWOMAN are as much for her audience as they are for herself.
Follow the rest of #ThankGoditsria on Soundcloud via the artist’s page. You can listen to the first two below.
WILDWOMAN
LOVEFLUX
Featured Imge Credit: Twitter/_riaboss_
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After giving us two projects, H. E. R. (His Emotions Recorded) and ØÜ by ØÜ, last year, the Abuja based singer known as Ayüü has released Mango Juice & Bad Decisions, a 4-track EP, where he continues his emotionally rending vocal performance over densely layered and meticulously produced instrumentals. The romantic direction of the project is quite straightforward, revolving around complicated relationship woes that happen often, but it exemplifies why Ayüü’s projects are so outstanding, creatively ambitious and unafraid of embracing the nostalgia that 2000 pop music offers.
Mango Juice & Bad Decisionsopens with “00 Nostalgia”, a mid-tempo lo-fi track with ambient synth production credited to Benny Que & DOZ. The atmospheric instrumentals set a beach party mood heard all through the rest of the EP. Although Ayüü’s verse samples lines and melodies from Sinqo’s “Thong Son”, he infuses his personality by singing of the things his love interest’s good looks is doing to him. The featured artist, Andrè Wolf, performs a rap verse to complete the song’s wistful intentions.
For “In2 Ü”, Ayüü continues to reference pop classics to perform his confessional love song, backed by a bouncy beat produced by Jaylon and Higo. “In2 Ü” doesn’t feature any guest artist, but Ayüü’s impressive vocal range is highlighted through his array of layered voices, rapping, hitting a falsetto and singing his own back up. “Teyana” featuring PyschoYP finds Ayüü convincing a love interest he’s worth her attention, but with the mix of samples from Westlife, Craig David’s “7 Days” and Wizkid’s “Wiz Party”, the track seems to document the strain of being stuck in a limbo with someone you love.
“Pull Up”, the last track on Mango Juice & Bad Decisions, takes a more showy direction as Ayüü performs over a party beat Jaylon and Higo produce with sweeping synths, string riffs and a catchy drum pattern with head bumping high-hats. Ayüü sing raps in a more baritone voice than we had previously heard through the EP as he brags and threatens his oppositions. It’s an aside from the rest of the project which listens like a medley of songs from the ’00s, re-purposed to the relax warmth of beach hangouts.
Stream Ayüü’s ‘Mango Juice & Bad Decisions’ below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/ayuu_safi
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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
“Savage” isn’t a love song, as much as a platform to show off the underrated strength in passionate emotions. Doubling up on the themes from her The Cries of my SubconsciousnessEP, Deena Ade performs an ode to her tender affection for a love interest over an immaculately moonlit house beat Tiwa Dara produces minimally with layered synth harmonies, soft piano chords progressions and a preppy Afro-house drum riff that keeps to a steady pace with uplifting horn samples.
Singing “Baby, Your Loving Got Me Drunk, Hennessy Drunk/ Make Me Believe I Need You, Yes I Do” in her dreamy alto, Deena Ade’s lyrics are so endearingly sweet and subtle, it almost blurs out sentiments that are more graphic: “This pussy popping for you/ And if anyone tries to breakup what we got, I will die on the matter baby, I’m boko haram”. While the chorus for “Savage” is loudly chanted, Bella Alubo’s vocals is silvery, registering barely above a whisper at first, then gathering momentum as she joins Deena to weaponize her emotions, singing, “I Know you need my fire/ It’s a Cold World, it’s a Jungle”.
You can stream “Savage” by Deena Ade and Bella Alubo below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/deenaade
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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
If Dice Ailes wasn’t already a household name before he released “Otedola”, which spawned into a hit and a slang, the track itself certainly made him into a mainstream superstar. His latest single, “Dicey”, embellished with lyrics that sing praises of himself, listens like a testament to his stardom. Over the mid-tempo beat bop Ckay produces with percussion instruments and cheering vocal samples, Dice Ailes confesses that he’s “Making more money” and “Your girlfriend is feeling (his) melody”. Although his lyrics also carry some shade for his competitors and those who belittled him before he got so successful, the video directed by Tee Tash of Visionarie Pictures, only emphasizes his wealth and chic magnet with colorful designer clothes and beautiful admirers chasing him in his drop-top car.
2 Chainz – “Bigger Than You” Feat. Drake, Quavo
2 Chainz is set to release his 5th studio album, Rap or Go to the League in the following months. His lead single, “Bigger Than You”, featuring Drake and Quavo already has a video. All three artists seem too cool for school as Nathan R. Smith directs the video showing child actors playing the roles of the three rappers in high school. The cinematic clip follows 2 Chainz and his crew, as they perform their rap bars while they sit in detention and cause mischief. Donning a fur jacket, shades, and head scarf, the young Drench God and friends take over the library, terrorize their teachers, and throw a party in the halls, making for a fun hip-hop video that may be wrongfully inspirational for kids.
Tobi Lou – “Buff Baby”
Off his recently released Tobi Lou and the LoopEP, “Buff Baby” was a standout track which featured Tobi Lou interpolating the “Puncha Your Bun” song from an episode of Adventure Time to reminisce on heartbreaks that have inspired him. The music video Ronald Grandpey animates for “Buff Baby” is also inspired by the cartoon, showing Tobi Lou carrying a singing baby version of himself through a surreal animated landscape where butterflies and flying rainbow ponies sing along to the song’s lyrics. With his consistent release of feel-good rap songs, sampling Adventure Time almost seems like a natural cross over.
CDQ – “Flex”
For “Flex”, CDQ’s latest single, he ditches the hip-hop beats that made his Afro-house songs so famous in favor of string, high-life and house influences produced by Jaypizzle. With Fiokee handling the guitar harmonies, the house instrumentals are locked to an irresistible groove, which sets the mood for CDQ’s celebration of wealth. “Flex” was released with a video set at a party in South Africa as if to show CDQ’s respect for the booming South African House music scene. However, it is more likely that he’s just there to flex. As we see the Mazi C.I Jizzle directed clip showing CDQ party so hard, he steals the love interest of one of the party guests.
Xxxtentation – “Moonlight”
Four months after his death, XXXTentacion posthumously releases a video for his hit single, “Moonlight”. The video is the second posthumous release, following the release of “SAD!” in June. X wrote and directed the video himself, set at a party in the woods where he seems comfortable, smiling at his friends, but never speaks to anyone. He is seen with headphones in certain shots, but everyone else is dancing to the music. The video also hints at a possible love interest lurking in the background, but XXXTentation remains lonesome under a tree, tuning out the world while occasionally smiling at his phone. Although it won’t be a reach to assume the video speaks to the rapper’s everyday life as a young boy, the relevance of the commentary it gives on party culture is one that almost all young people can relate with. The last we heard from X came through a posthumous feature on Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter V, Kanye West has also hinted a potential feature on his upcoming Yandhialbum as well.
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse – “Trailer #2”
It has been confirmed that Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse would hit cinemas December 15th. Anticipation for the animated film has been high since the first trailer was released. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have also upped the ante for the new Spider-Man Universe through their creative work in The LEGO Movie and 21 Jump Street. Their animation style is the first of its kind and the surreal ambiance is just fitting for the alternate dimension narrative of the film’s script. The first trailer already introduced Brooklyn teenager, Miles Morales, his dad and the Spider-Verse, where more than one person can wear the mask. The newly released trailer details the other Spiderman characters that will feature in the film, including Scorpion, Spider-girl (played by Gwen Stacy), a detective looking Spiderman and a Spiderman from a dimension where pigs can talk.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Sony Pictures Entertainment
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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
In a recently released three-part series by Beats1 radio, Julie Adenuga walks the audiences through her experience at Homecoming 2018 back in Easter. Linking up with BBK (helmed by Skepta and Greatness Dex), Grace Ladoja and our family at Nike, we curated a three day experience designed to further strengthen the bridge between Nigeria and the rest of the world – a bridge that The NATIVE has been committed to forging since our inception.
The series uses the pop-up concert as a backdrop to explore the growth of the new generation sound and the urban culture and fashion scene adjacent to all the recent global hype for African music.
The series features never seen before clips of BBK Africa’s three-day event in Lagos, including cuts from the performance, the NATIVE x Nike Football Tournament, and the pop up shop. Beats 1 talked to Skepta’s manager Grace Ladoja, Greatness Dex who provided their take on the Nigerian culture from their POV.
Elsewhere in the documentary, Odunsi, WavyTheCreator and Santi talk influences and give insight into their sound and what it means to be an African growing up in this increasingly digital landscape for global music. There are also clips of Modus Vivendii and WAFFLESNCREAM who feature in the fashion and urban culture part of the series.
Late last year, the three Migos started to branch out to work on personal projects with other artists and producers. While Quavo released Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho with Travis, Offset dropped Without Warning, a collab tape with 21 savage that was solely produced by Metro Boomin. Although Quavo debuted three new singles and promised that his debut solo project, Quavo Huncho, would be released in September through a possible cover art on his Instagram, the Atlanta rapper is still yet to release the project.
However, fans got a glimpse of what to expect through a new post on Quavo’s Instagram today, hinting at a list of potential featured artists, written notably on a rough piece of paper. The piece of paper was an image with burnt holes containing unseen names that had been scribbled out, with the names of other Migos —Offset and Takeoff— as well as Travis, Lil Baby, Drake, Kid Cudi, 2 Savage, Cardi B, Davido and Saweetie. The Instagram post was captioned “P R E S E A S O N C U T S (Not Final Cut) Q U A V O H U N C H O”.
It’s unclear if this means more artists will be added or if some of the mentioned artists could be dropped from the final cut, however, a Davido and Quavo feature certainly happened.
The resulting track on Quavo’s final project will serve as more pertinent proof to confirm that the Afropop sound is more than just a phase or an aesthetic; it’s a globally recognized genre. Perhaps, the Quavo X Davido collaboration could even cause a repeat Billboard appearance after Wizkid’s “One Dance” feature scored a number one on the charts. Davido seems to think so.
Coming hot on the tail of his well accepted “Devil is a Liar”, B4bonah’s new single, “Indomie”, shows off the Ghanaian artist’s ability to make introspective records tailored to Afropop’s dancehall preferences. “Indomie” has a bouncy drum pattern mixed with other percussion instrumentals produced by Zodiac, which listens like an hip-hop beat with the scratch effect, rattling riffs and vocal samples. Although B4bonah does give a brief rap performance, he sings for the most part of the 4-minute listening time, expressing how blessed he is to have made so much from his humble beginnings; “They Show Me Love/ Can You See Food on My Plate?”. While he celebrates the comfort of being an accomplished artist, he acknowledges the times when what he now has were mere wishes. With the popular meal for masses referenced in his “Indomie” track title, B4bonah knows how to back up introspective song writing with relateable sentiments.
You can stream B4bonah’s “Indomie” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/b4bonah
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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
When Davido grew out of HKN into establishing DMW in 2016, he listed the names of artists signed to his label without mentioning Ghanaian rapper, Deekay who was also signed to HKN at the time. The list Davido made on twitter became enough evidence for people to speculate that there was bad energy between both of them. In the months that followed, Deekay explained in a video interview with Pulse that it was no more than a misunderstanding. It’s been roughly 2 years since the gist lingered noiselessly.
Earlier this year, Deekay finally became part of one of Nigeria’s leading record labels again. To casually substantiate the legal binding to the public, Deekay posted a picture with Davido and his manager, Asa on his Instagram, rebranded his username with DMW, teased a new song, “Hangover”, released an audio last week and followed up with the visuals today.
“Hangover” features two of Afropop’s best music collaborators and Deekay’s new label-mates, Davido and Peruzzi. The video also features many of DMW’s crew members/acquaintances and comedian, Broda Shaggi, who engages in a ‘funny’ phone conversation before the video directed by Twitch, kicks off to show Deekay, Davido and Peruzzi in dimly lit rooms singing love praises with vixens over percussion instruments and synths composed by DMW in-house producer, Fresh VDM. With lyrics that are composed to rhyme sweetly with Ghanaian words, “Hangover”, —like most Afropop songs— is set to be a club jam.
Watch Deekay’s “Hangover” featuring Peruzzi and Davido below.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@deekay_dmw/Fortune Photography
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Fisayo is a journalist in search of words. Tweet at her @fisvyo
Stonebwoy has been releasing videos off Epistles of Mama since the album dropped last December. “Most Original”, his first single since the project dropped, shows Stonebwoy pay homage to the origins of his basement style dancehall. The new single, which was originally released as a Tidal exclusive, features dancehall legend, Sean Paul, whose presence on the track is no mere gloss.
On “Most Original”, Stonebwoy praises a love interest while tacking the track with patois influenced lyrics on mid-tempo instrumentals.
The increasingly recognizable variety in music has created a space for music curators such as DJ Khaled and —to some extent— Drake to enjoy the spotlight. In Afropop, “Gaga Shuffle” featuring 2Baba established Larry Gaaga’s reputation as a noteworthy curator after the single became a nationwide hit last year. Though he has since released other singles enjoying decent radio time, for latest single, he bridges 3 generations of Afropop, featuring 2Baba, D’Banj and Burna Boy on “Baba Nla”.
Over the mix of Caribbean influenced Afropop instrumentals Dapiano produces, Burna Boy sings a refrain that samples Fela’s “Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense”, while D’banj’s piercing harmonica harmony seems to punctuate the grievance from three pop stars that have been victimized by the media over the course of their successful careers. The recently released video for “Baba Nla” depicts Burna Boy and 2Baba’s anarchic description of stardom through chaotic set designs, showing burning torches, erratic flashing lights and a garage scene with women dancing in cages. Despite all the tumult displayed in the background, all four artists, Larry Gaaga, Burna Boy, 2Baba, D’Banj, look dashing and almost oblivious of the chaos that surrounds them.
You can watch the music video for Larry Gaaga’s “Baba Nla” 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
Bowale’s follow up to, “Would you“, his first release of 2018, is an ode to honeymoon love, titled, “Good Loving”. “Good Loving” is a mid-tempo-building enthusiastic love monologue, sang over a mix of piano and percussion instruments, beginning with Bowale’s inviting “if I tell you say you are the one I’m waiting for baby”. He pulls off the earnestness required to handle Afropop, carrying everything here with its familiar themes and sound. On it, the Nigerian singer-songwriter, sing-raps in a mix of English, Pidgin and Yoruba, promising a love interest his commitment to their blossoming relationship.
Listen to Bowale’s “Good Loving” here:
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Tomiwa is figuring it out. Tweet at her @fauxbella
Tongues wagged when Burna Boy’s “Ye” video surfaced earlier last month. Since the release of the singer’s Outside album, “Ye” one of the much-talked-about cuts from the project has been dubbed worthy of being a new national anthem due to its relatable message. Yet, its accompanying video has been labelled a far-cry miss from the song’s message, due to the visuals merely cobbling up a series of hip-hop video stereotypes with no depth or subliminal message.
The track itself, set on the expression “Ye”, an obscure onomatopoeia with a multiplex of meanings, was borne of a series of spontaneities. According to producer Phantom, he produced the beat in less than two hours with nothing but a kick, piano synths and a few snares. The icing on the cake came by way of a vocal sample he had performed himself and layered on to the beat. The result of Phantom’s wailing cry lifted the simple arrangement into a pseudo-spiritual Afrojuju-inspired composition.
This distinctly harrowing sample is first reason “Ye” immediately reckons as an authentically Nigerian song. Enter Burna Boy who cuts straight to the heart of his message with very little intro; “This one na gbedu wey dey ja pata”. It’s not a sombre entry that compliments the wailing vocal sample that makes the beat so poignant, but Burna’s brashness is justified by a point of inflection he introduces on the track: “Dada cover my face, they calling me Lagbaja” .
The metaphor implied with this line is so apt that it could be considered as the strongest argument for a “Ye” premise. In literal terms, Burna refers to the stereotypical negative character assessment often given to Nigerians who carry dreadlocks, a hairstyle Burna himself has donned for many years. The double meaning of the line also speaks to an upward rise in police brutality, which people with dreadlocks are often susceptible victims. Burna’s “Ye” story opens from here, as he embraces the mystique of being ‘Lagbaja’ (which literally translates as a John Doe), with a follow up line about being a “biggie man”, whose social status is undiscernible because he doesn’t wear flashy clothing.
After this eclectic first verse, Burna’s outlook becomes more personal, as he looks for respite in a less altruistic life of switching G-Wagons for Bentleys. While Burna’s self-removal here echoes a man who isn’t overly burdened by larger society ideals, he also appears to be posing as the average Nigerian dealing with the average Nigerian problems; of a society where nothing changes because everyone is too busy looking to save themselves. Nobody wants to suffer or die without reaping the full fruits of coming on the earth, and Burna is no different from every Nigerian in that category whose greatest aspirations lie somewhere between exceeding wealth and personal advancement at all costs.
We no go kpai We no go die We no go kpeme We go enjoy We go chop life We go buy motor We go build house We go still turn up!!! – – Happy Independence Day Nigeria! 🇳🇬
“When it comes to money, I dey concentrate”, Burna sings, exemplifying a common mentality weaved into the life of every Nigerian: the hustle for money. Even Burna’s brag to unknown rivals about his pedigree and status don’t feel out of place with how the average Nigerian motive for seeking wealth is to flex on “haters”. Considering this context for “Ye”, its no surprise that Burna ended up with a hip-hop-inspired music video with models, visible opulence and bright lights. If there is any reason to seriously consider “Ye” as a new Burna anthem, it’s because it embraces the anathema of every self-interest seeking seemingly “good-natured” Nigerian. Many fans will still disagree but it is the most Nigerian portrayal of a very Nigerian story.
It’s a thing of Joy that Nigeria celebrates Independence day today, but looking back, all that can be seen is a lot of blood sacrifice, hard work, determination, commitment and resilience. On his new releases, “Bless Me” and “Champion”, Korede, just like his label mate Di’ja, beckons to Nigerians to spread love and light, putting more hard work and commitment into our greatest positive passions and desires; nothing is a limitation for the grateful —“Omo olope”, as he sings on “Bless Me”.
On “Champion”, which is drenched in flowers of Yoruba Language, he instills a lot of optimism and hope for growth, singing, “no be who first come class, no be him carry first class/na only God show pass, he’ll surely find away”. Although the mixing of “Champion” is a bit uneven with pattering percussion in the background, when one decidedly redirects all focus to Korede Bello’s narration, the song will seem more moving than “Bless Me”, which has a tighter production.
Listen to Korede’s “Champion” and “Bless me”, released by Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records below.
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Fisayo is a journalist in search of words. Tweet at her @fisvyo
With artists releasing music to retrospectively celebrate October 1st, 1960, we are summoned to speak good over the country in all things. Phyno’s release of his new track “Iwa”, as Nigeria observes her independence day today, is a reminder of how poetic Nigerian languages are in writing. With lines like “Nwannem amaka, k’anyi jewa” and “Nyem your number nyem control”, Phyno and Tekno drift between praises of a girl they fancy as deftly as they flit between languages, and as smoothly as the beat by Tspize builds.
The two artists play on words and use good humour as a tool, singing “Oburo film mana onye chota gi m actikwa” and “Imma Watchikwa”, which roughly translate to how far Phyno will go if someone else tries to get his love interest; “It’s not a film, but if someone looks for you, I’d act and I’ll watch it too”. Phyno is loved for his funny puns and it reflects on this track too. “Iwa” even more reflects a person at the centre of the dance floor, as clean tones, crisp thumps and ever-so-streamlined synths set a back drop for a bilingual love serenade.
Stream Phyno’s “Iwa” featuring Tekno, produced by Tspize, via Apple music below.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/Phynofino
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Fisayo is a journalist in search of words. Tweet at her @fisvyo
Wizkid has been teasing a new album to follow up his 2017Sounds From The Other Side mixtape. On September 16th, he announced the project title via twitter, Zion, giving his third son all the love and glory.
His lightheartedness and ability to spin rivers of flowing sweet nothings into afrobeat is admirable, but it too is emblematic of Wiz’ diminished role in the baby mama drama that went down over a week ago —not long after he teased his third son’s name as his album title. While listening to “Fever” and “Master Groove”,it is difficult to not take cues from his own life to see that as charming as the sweet words he utters on the two tracks are, it will be extreme narrowness of viewpoint, to think that it necessarily translates into the most common and assumed choice of relationship commitment, where a romantic couple chooses to be sexually and emotionally monogamous.
Lines like “come make I touch your body, rock your body/she call me Mr lover lover/love wey no body feel stop am” on “Master Groove” and “girl you make my eye dey red o, anytime you no dey close to me/you be my handbag” on “Fever”, only reinforce moments energised by sheer, desire and lust. In retrospect, “Fever” and “Master Groove” indicate that connection can be stricken with someone you are not romantically interested in pursuing for the long term. However, whatever activities we embark on, responsible actions remain important.
“Fever” and “Master Groove” build their dance floor momentum in a mix of drums, organs and looping synths, integrated with Wizkid’s tradition of streamlining his craft into easy-to-consume pop and the universal language of love. Like all the best Wizkid songs, “Fever” sounds like it was tailored specifically for live performances. You already know what to expect from Zion;more afrobeatthat’ll do nothing more than uplift your body and mind from whatever’s holding it down.
Listen to “Fever“ and “Master Groove” below.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/wizkid
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Fisayo is a journalist in search of words. Tweet at her @fisvyo
Death hasn’t been kind. Di’ja knows this. In the lead up to Nigeria’s independence day, she released “Save Me”, characterised by an impassioned delivery with an emphasis on the negative headlines that have resulted out of the plague that is death and war in Jos and other parts of Nigeria (and Sierra Leone). Through Instagram, Di’ja made an announcement post for her new track, saying we should “have some empathy for one another, regardless of religion, culture or tribe; people are people and everyone needs love and kindness”.
Fighting terrorism without strengthening the key institutions is fruitless and this is evident in the economic and political situation of the country. 2 days before she released the song, Di’ja was appointed an official Ambassador for United Nations on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria. The SDGs are basic; 17 goals, set by the United Nations General Assembly, that cover social and economic development issues including poverty, hunger, health, education, global warming, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, urbanisation, environment and social justice. And Di’ja seems committed to lead the vanguard for this.
Following the release of her song, she has partnered with the Samira Sanusi Sickle Cell Foundation (SSSCF) and Sanitary Bank Initiative for the “#SaveMeChallenge”, to give free sickle cell blood test, and for free sanitary pad distribution, medication and dispensation to families at the IDP camp in northern states in Nigeria.
Through “Save Me”, she offers an anthem to those in need to visibly express themselves, in turn seeking collective action from everyone, to deal with not just the problems Nigeria and Sierra Leone face today, but the causes of the problems, for sustainable development.
Take a moment to watch Di’ja’s music video “Save Me”, directed by Unlimited LA, with additional vocals by Don Jazzy, below.
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Fisayo is a journalist in search of words. Tweet at her @fisvyo
Upon release yesterday, we established that Burna Boy’s “Gbona”, is a celebration of Afrobeat as a dance genre, reminding everyone that, regardless of Fela’s political prowess with music, sometimes Afrobeat should do nothing more than uplift the mood. The instantaneous follow up with vibrant visuals directed by Clarence Peters, reveals that just like the aura of good spirits encapsulated in “Gbona”, the creator himself is on a prolonged spell of happiness.
From African female dancers similar to those you’ll find at Fela’s Afrika Shrine, to masks and mannerisms that loosely remind of Lagbaja —especially as the video shot of dancers wearing the mask comes in the moment Burna utters the line with an analogously rich baritone voice— the delivery of “Gbona” is a delight to watch. Clarence got it right this time.
Watch Burna Boy’s video for “Gbona” below
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Fisayo is a journalist in search of words. Tweet at her @fisvyo
As Mr P of Psquare celebrated on his instagram that he had received his first award recognition as a solo act 4 days ago, the reality of the ex-duo’s future career path as individuals illuminated even more. But Rudeboy’s “Together” is one in a few things that puts an end to the illusion that we will not get Psquare-music anymore since the duo’s disbandment.
Over the first few seconds, Rudeboy’s vocals on “Together” harkens back to a time when we used to get sweet R&B tracks from the two, giving life to an entity that only ended on the surface of things. Woven with that nostalgic tone, is Patoranking who compliments Rudeboy’s verse with his strongly-accented Jamaican patois. On “Together”, they close a boundary between R&B and Reggae to sing love praises to an interest that “brings joy everyday”. Even as the song’s narrative is in the present, when Rudeboy stretches his voice upward, “Whenever, however…we go stay together forever”, he promises a future, appreciating is lover.
Netflix’ black film subgroup, Strong Black Lead, announced that their latest black-led film, “Been So Long” will premiere on the platform on October 26th.
“Been So Long” is an adaptation of a titular soul/funk stage production with music and lyrics by Arthur Darvill, and it’s penned by Ché Walker. It is a romance story that follows Simone, a dedicated mother gets charmed by a troubled stranger, igniting old and new feelings on a rare night in the town. The synopsis highlights that “Been So Long” presents a fresh take on love, life and moving on.
British-Ghanaian actress, Michaela Coel, who has worked with Netflix on a few notable projects, including her comedy series, Chewing Gum leads the all-black cast for the London-based romance story alongside playwright and actor, Arinzé Kene. The film, directed by Tinge Krishnan, casts George Mackay and Ronke Adekoluejo in supporting roles.
Watch the trailer here:
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/Strongblacklead
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Tomiwa is figuring it out. Tweet at her @fauxbella
Tinny Entertainment has been strengthening its A-team of signees since the label released last year’s “Kokoka” featuring Bella Alubo, YCEE, Damilare and Dapo Turburna under a group alias called Tinny Mafia. The label’s strategy has been more overt this year, putting two of it’s leading acts—rappers YCEE and Bella Alubo—on Late Night Vibrations, an emphatic joint project. LNV is technically a romance-themed project, but rather than packing the 6-track EP with corny declarations of undying love and affection, YCEE and Bella Alubo double-down on the real-life niceties that can make or break any relationship. Young love always seems to be constantly going through the motions and this reflects in LNV‘s songwriting and mellow production. Both YCEE and Bella talk communication, romance itself and staying together despite the odds of not knowing how best to do that. As we hear on “Be There”, the EP’s final track: ‘Bad as e bad, we can work things out’, Bella and YCEE sing, exemplifying the flawed humanity at the core of every relationship.
Ecstasy, Just Chill – SoulBlackSheep
SoulBlackSheep’s ‘Ecstasy, Just Chill’ EP was one of this year’s pleasant surprises. The Ibadan-based singer’s subdued vocals are unlike anything you’ve heard from around here. Soul is able to instinctively channel the angst of emo, the tenderness of gospel, and the emotions of R&B. He first surfaced last year, flaunting gorgeously imperfect lo-fi anthems, “Bermuda” and “Space Girl” before releasing his ‘Ecstacy, Just Chill’ project this year. “Ecstacy”, the tape’s lead single, paints SoulBlackSheep’s Ibadan hometown as an ancient city illuminated by the tawny sun, capturing her curious mix of historic and contemporary architecture, and the unmistakable sense of peace and quiet that almost feels otherworldly. SoulBlackSheep channels this ethereal atmosphere to create a 12-track project with gorgeously sung hymn-like tearjerkers for the ones that got away. It makes a compelling case that dealing with a broken heart can be akin to a religious experience.
Kali Uchis – Isolation
Isolation is a movie in the 80’s and in 2018; it’s interesting to see how Kali Uchis balances all her varying styles in such a modern yet vintage-y manner on this debut. She explores bedroom pop, funk and reggaeton, weaving a personal narrative about having binational immigrant parents, living out of her car, and the universal theme of love. None of the artists that Kali Uchis features outshine her on Isolation —Tyler, The Creator, Jorja Smith or the Internet’s Steve Lacy offer complementing verses and they don’t stay for too long, as Kali Uchis sings truth to power. On “Your Teeth in My Neck” she sings about getting recognised in the music industry. “Nuestro Planeta” featuring reggaeton performer from Colombia, Reyton, is sung absolutely in Spanish but it sounds so good, it’s easily amongst the top five from the Colombian-American singer’s album.
Generation XXX – Maison2500
As the Nigerian Music sphere becomes more popular, one of the crucial signs of a healthy soundscape is the existence of varying genres. This is exemplified perfectly on Maison2500’s debut solo effort. As a member of the collective No Politics Mob – featuring NATIVELAND alumni, New World Ray – he shows himself as the next potential breakout rapper from a raucous bunch. The standout record “Do or Die” – with a fitting name for anyone who has ever been to Nigeria – is an infectious, hookless flexing of Maison’s lyrical chops. With clear influences on Generation XXX from Lil Uzi Vert, Maison shows a range sometimes ignored in this strain of 2018 Hip-Hop.
24: How To Find True Love and Happiness – HYUKOH
Though K-Pop remains unrivalled as the biggest cultural export from South Korea, HYUKOH has seemed set to change the sound with the release of 3 projects in the last 5 years, favouring the guitar riffs of psychedelic rock to contemporary pop quirks. Rather than launch a full-on aggressive campaign to ensure their crossover into the mainstream, their latest project, ‘24: How To Find True Love and Happiness’, has a playful clarity that ultimately gained the record reach where other Korean records felt too abrasive. Recorded in English, they come across as eloquent and subtle, making music that’s wiser and less demonstrative. What ‘24: How To Find True Love and Happiness’ may lack in newness and excitement, it makes up for in wit, charm and a comforting familiarity that highlights the intimate sentiments of the EP.
Highlife Konnect – Bisa Kdei
As African music becomes more homogeneous, collaborations between artists from different ends of the continent have become increasingly popular. From Nigeria’s Niniola to Kenya’s Sauti Sol, many artists are wearing the pan-African tag with pride. Bisa Kdei’s third studio album, titled “Highlife Konnect” may be following in this direction. Assisted by acts from both Nigeria and Ghana, Bisa Kdei’s 15-track album creates a web of varying sounds, all pointing back to the indigenous highlife. On the Mayorkun-assisted “Count On Me” for instance, Kedi borrows from 90s RnB and highlife to plead with a lover he intends to marry, while “Pocket” with Sarkodie is heavily indented with Afropop jollof sounds.
Black Times – Seun Kuti
Seun Kuti knew he had huge shoes to fill after his dad passed in 1997 and he had to take command of the Egypt 80 band. Fela’s reputation for using his Afrobeat music to speak against the ills of the Nigerian government has inspired artists from around the globe to take a similarly humanitarian path. But perhaps Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 have had the privilege of a more direct influence. Their latest project, ‘Black Times’ continues right where Fela left off; Jazz-fueled and politically charged. Co-produced by Robert Glasper, an accomplished jazz pianist, ‘Black Times’ is more than just 8 tracks of a pointed statement, opposing Nigeria’s corrupt government. It is also funky with upbeat grooves that make for an interesting pairing with his defiant message.
IAMDDB’s – Flightmode Vol. 4
IAMDDB’s music, as she puts it on ‘Watrfall”, off her 4th project, is what happens when a girl just wants to express herself. Her aesthetic sound, which she describes as “Urban Jazz”, is the contemporary lovechild of RnB, Jazz and her take on trap music. IAMDDB also sometimes layers her music with drum sounds she says are inspired by her Angolan roots. On her 8-track latest release, ‘Flightmode’, the 4th volume of projects she has dropped at intervals, the Manchester-born singer delves deeper into these roots. On “Azul”, for instance, reminds us that she’s not here to play “I ain’t come to play no games, yeah I came to take the throne and bounce like skrt skrrt”, while paying homage to her African roots with thumping drums and lyrics sung partly in Portuguese.
Dear Annie – Rejjie Snow
A year after leaving a football scholarship in the US, Dublin-born rapper, Rejjie Snow released his debut EP, Rejovich which earned him a deal with Elton John’s management company, as well as gigs opening for Madonna on tour. The project that followed was last year’s The Moon And You, a 13-track compilation of pop, RnB and hip-hop sounds he has explored since his first EP. Leaving the nomadic life behind, Snow released his debut album, “Dear Annie” this year, employing the Pop, RnB and other sounds he explored in his past lives. ‘Dear Annie’, as it is called, is a 20-track genre-defying collection that sees Snow lamenting leaving a lover, mainly desperate for reconciliation. Snow is his most laid back on “Egyptian Luvr”, featuring Aminé and Dana Williams, where he expresses romantic nostalgic lines about what once was and a melancholic mantra—“Leave the past behind”— over a groovy house beat Kaytranada produces.
C.O.L.D – Ice Prince
It’s almost odd how little rap we hear from Ice Prince these days. When you think about it, this was a man once believed to undoubtedly be Africa’s biggest hip-hop act. But this is not the only reason Ice Prince’s 2018 C.O.L.D EP lives up to its name and hype. In a manner that can only be considered transcendental, Ice Prince successfully does two things on this project: show-off his often understated range and delivers sorely a missed Afropop touch through the 8-track serving. C.O.L.D opens with “Shutdown” almost unaware of itself because Ice Prince isn’t trying to clear doubts. In his mind, his foray into full-blown Afropop may look like the sideline on the rap bench but he’s “been on the grind for a hot dang minute”. The best track(s) on C.O.L.D is a hard pick between the fan favourite, “Hit Me Up” (featuring Straffiti & PatrickLee), the Remmy Baggins-produced “Tour 234”, and “So High” featuring KaySwitch—the Mo-Hit era’s most underrated artist. If Ice Prince’ solo-projects have failed to impress you in the last four years, C.O.L.D is the fifth year charm that should turn things around.
Fenfo – Fatoumata Diawara
Born in Cote d Ivoire to Malian parents, Fatoumata’s profile in film and theatre provides some context for her climatic storytelling style on Fenfo. Unlike her intimate genre-mashing debut Fatou (2011), Fenfo, her sophomore project is directed at where her heart will always be: home. On Fenfo Fatoumata settles into the warmth of love and nostalgia, edging her rebellion against tradition on prevailing African realities. Fenfo is Fatoumata singing against beliefs that prevent intermarriage on “Kanou Dan Yen”, emphasising the dark skin and honour for black heritage on “Kokoro”, and laying vocals on Vincent Segal’s beautiful cello baseline for “Don Do”, a haunting track about unrequited love. Across 11-tracks—no more, no less—Fatoumata delivers a perfect album that peaks at the Afrobeat-infused dance number, “Negue Negue” before segueing into a sombre second half, starting with album-centrepiece, “Mama”.
The Color of You – Alina Baraz
Some of the adjectives often used to describe Alina’s voice are: sweet, angelic and dreamy. She fuses these three things into a relaxing cruising altitude on The Color of You. The Color of You is Alina Baraz’ first solo album, a follow up to a sultry collaborative project she did with Danish producer, Galimatias in 2015 titled Urban Flora. On the EP, they both achieve alluring sonics. Little wonder we anticipated her 2018 personal debut, and we’ve been pleased. When Alina sings, her angelic vocal style is layered and combined into one beautiful form with the instrumental. Alina’s sensuous music is all about the interplay between soulfulness and technology; this is exactly what makes her album so dreamy. Some songs you’ll want to zero in on include “High”, “Coming to My Senses”, “Tainted”, and “Yours”. There’s some satisfaction in listening to Alina’s album at night to reflect on loneliness and moving-on as she takes us through the mistakes she’s made in her own relationships
Fela’s ethos as a social justice advocate has made it almost impossible to separate the Afrobeat genre he created from its political path. However, the genre also concerns itself with lightweight themes such as dancing and having a good time. Burna Boy’s latest single, “Gbona” reminds everyone that sometimes Afrobeat should do nothing more than lift your mind, your body, and your soul away from whatever’s holding it down.
Over a bed of traditional drums, horns, percussion, guitar riffs and rattling samples, Burna Boy breezes around effortlessly across the melodic web Kelp Amba produces. “Gbona” is a masterfully composed track, tidy around the edges and brightly-lit with every drum line, guitar and horn harmony hanging, seemingly, in midair. More than that, though, it’s a testament to Burna Boy’s ability to make the music of the past feel an awful lot like the future. It’s as the man said; “As I Dey Sing, They Feel The Bounce/ Make All The People Jump Around”. If you’ve been to any Burna concert or seen clips from his on going UK Tour, you’d know exactly what he’s talking about.
In the meantime, you can stream “Gbona” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/burnaboygram
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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
