Here is a first look at Idris Elba’s new series “In The Long Run”

Posted on by The Native

The trailer for Idris Elba’s highly anticipated comedy series, “In The Long Run” has been released by British television network, Sky. Based loosely on Idris Elba’s father and family, it stars the actor, along with Bill Bailey, Kellie Shirley, Jimmy Akingbola and Mattie Boys as the main cast while Declan Lowney and Cecile Emeke direct the sitcom.

“In The Long Run” follows the Easmon family’s life as migrants from Sierra Leone living in London in the 1980s. Walter Easmon (played by Idris Elba), and his wife, Evelyn Easmon have managed to attain a level of success by keeping a strict routine for themselves and their son. Their routine is threatened when Walter’s less serious brother moves to the UK. And though he frustrates Walter and Evelyn, their son Akuna takes very well to the new breath of fresh air in the family.

Idris Elba who created the show, recently said that playing his late father is a form of therapy for him. Apart from acting, he executive produces, along with Gina Carter. “In The Long Run” premieres on Thursday, March 29 at 8pm on Sky One

Check out the trailer for “In The Long Run” below.

Featured Image Credits: Web/SkyOne

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Olamide’s VOTS is the first ever TV station owned by an African artist

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After a series of street hot singles and an engagement announcement, you’ll think Olamide had used up all his birthday wishes. But alas we got one pleasant surprise with the launch of his television channel. He announced the birth of VOTS (Voice of The Streets)a station expected to feature on PlayTV via his Instagram and as with everything the artist has done lately, fans have welcomed the idea gleefully.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgUrB-wgItV/?taken-by=baddosneh

While digital streaming has shared in the role of television as the primary source of entertainment for many, Olamide is confident his TV station will change the face of African entertainment. It seems a long shot but VOTS is the first ever TV station owned by an African artist and it could potentially open never before explored opportunities.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/baddosneh

Listen “Proud”, off Foresythe’s ‘Lolu Foresythe and Partners’ project

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Foresythe’s debut EP, ‘Lolu Foresythe and Partners’ is a 8 track collection of impassioned songs communicating how the artist processes different emotions: love, loss and everything in between. Foresythe introduces his project with “Where are you going”, a song about how the loss of a loved one could lead to the loss of self. Through the track, he tries to find himself by reaching out to the lost one. The third track, “Proud”, continues this sentiment of loss with support from Jinmi Abduls.

Unlike “Where are you going”, “Proud” sounds more cheerful with the upbeat instruments complimenting Foresythe’s message of acceptance of the loss. He starts of reminiscing how the loss felt when it first came to be, “And I Lost All Faith There, Was No Hope”. As the song progresses, he seems to come to terms with the loss explaining how the loss of a loved one means you gain a guardian on the other side.

Listen to “Proud” here

https://soundcloud.com/theforesythe/proud-ft-jinmi-abduls?in=theforesythe/sets/lolu-foresythe-partners

Featured Image Credits:Instagram/theforesythe

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Listen to theforesythe’s “Kerewa” here

D-O’s “Chop Elbow” indemnifies the Nigerian struggle in a most relatable way

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The follow up to Pretty Boy D-O’s “Foot Work” is just as catchy, but this time, the rapper hints a pseudo-conscious message.

We’ve all collectively complained about the state of Nigeria and blamed the government, D-O’s new single, “Chop Elbow” echoes some of that frustration. “Chop Elbow” offers casual rage as an outlet for dealing with lack of stable eclectic power supply, untrustworthy police force, unfriendly phone service providers and other random inconveniences the average Nigerian can relate to.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgT7OTOht4j/?hl=en&taken-by=prettyboydo

Known for his ability to provide the perfect melody to ride a groovy baseline, he matches the synth-based beat with an urgent tempo, to accentuate the Nigerian struggle life. Singing “Everybody Chop My Money/ Everyday Na Work, Hustle No Go Stop”, the song’s driving force is cutting as he highlights the hard knocks of life. But delivered through his dancehall melodies, it’s less a potential radio smash than a protest song for the realities we face as Nigerian youths.

Listen to D-O’s “Chop Elbow” here;

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/prettyboydo

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Listen to Prettyboy D-O’s “Bum-Vita” here

Tekno infuses a bit of makossa nostalgia for new single, “Yur Luv”

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After shaping Afropop zeitgeist with “Pana”, spawning several other hit singles like “Yawa” and more significantly, his production on Davido’s “If”, Tekno doesn’t appear to be under any pressure to outdo himself. He has already stayed doubts of being a one-hit wonder, by releasing more material and hinting a collaboration with Drake.

These days, Slimdaddy’s gameplan appears to be a deliberate act of fusing nostalgia to create sleeper hit. Take, “Go” for example, where he samples triumphant chants from 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” for an infectious, earworm for a chorus. Similarly, “Yur Luv”, Tekno’s latest single builds its hook off a past hit by repurposing the familiar melody from Magic System’s “1er Gaou”. Over the mid-tempo beat Tekno produces himself with warm horns, flutes and drums, he sings, “Amaka Gaou Oh/ Oya Chop My Money Oh/ Dance To The Jukpa Oh” expressing sentiments typically felt at night clubs.

While ‘Gaou’ might be a reference to the popular Makossa dance-step from the early 2000s—with the rest of the song celebrating his love interest’s waist—it could be a more literal interpretation of the word ‘Gaou’, which loosely translates as ‘Fool’, as he implores his love interest to take all of his money. Either way, the song is an irresistible club number anchored by the nostalgia of a long-forgotten but instantly familiar groove.

Listen to Tekno’s “Yur Luv” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/TeknoMilesVEVO

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ICYMI: Listen to Tekno and Wizkid’s joint effort on “Mama”

Here is a quick look at Stephen Hawking’s life in pop culture

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“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.” – Stephen Hawking.

Hawkings is undoubtedly among the greatest minds in physics since Albert Einstein. He’s renowned for his contributions to the fields of cosmology, general relativity and quantum gravity (black holes).

Despite being restricted to the wheelchair and relying on keyboards for speech, he postulated a number of groundbreaking theorems to advance the study of science. In his words, “My goal is simple. It is the complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all”. He covered so much ground scientifically that scientists regard his prediction that the earth will become a giant ball of fire in some years time with the same severity that Christians attach to the second coming of Jesus.

After getting diagnosed with ALS at 21, Stephen Hawkings defied great odds and lived a long productive life until the 14th of March 2018—the anniversary of Einsteins birth and Pi day no less!). His relevance to science is so significant that he inevitably features in pop culture with references being drawn to his distinct attributes. From “The Simpsons” to Pink Flyod, here’s a look at times the brilliant cosmologist was also a pop culture jauggernaut.

His appearance on The Simpsons earned critical acclaim and the top spot on several best Simpsons guest appearance lists.

He spent a significant amount of his life studying the big bang theory, so it’s only right that he’ll feature in the “The Big Bang Theory” sitcom as well.

Hawking also appeared on an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, playing himself at a poker game with the greatest minds in physics, including Einstein, Isaac Newton and Data.

Hawkings’ declaration, “Mankind’s greatest achievements have come about by talking and its greatest failures by not talking. It doesn’t have to be like this.” in an advert led to his feature in pop music when his words were sampled for Pink Floyd’s “Keep Talking” track off their ‘The Division Bell album.

Featured Image Credits:

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Life + Times: 7 must see classics from the legendary filmmaker, Tunde Kelani

Mobelieve wants you to dance on “Gbo Temi” featuring 3rty

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As times have changed, music production methods have also evolved. Software replaced traditional drums with 808’s and synths as the default domain of musical self-expression and traditional languages eased out of style.

In more recent years, sampling and nostalgia has led Afropop back to traditional samples. However, only a few have managed to infuse Yoruba into electro-soul-pop like Mobelieve on his latest single, “Gbo Temi”. “Gbo Temi” is a soulful call to dance, sing and have a good time with the soft strummed guitars, warm synths and traditional drums that OLSB produces. Mobelieve’s Yoruba vocals are haunting with the layered vocal arrangement and his use of Yoruba idioms that give off a fetish feel rather than the pleasant interpretations. “E Te Se Mo Jo (Get Your Dance On)/ E Te Enu Bo Orin (Sing Along)/ Aye Ebami Judi Si Orin Mi(I Need Everyone To Dance To My Song)”. And with 3rty’s contribution singing “We’re About To Roll Up, Who’s Down?/ Whatever Goes Up Most Come Down”, none Yoruba speaking listeners can pick up some hints.

Listen to Mobelieve’s “Gbo Temi” featuring 3rty.

Featured Image Credits: Soundcloud/mobelieve

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ICYMI: Listen to Mobelieve’s “Jolly Jolly” single here

“On the Low” is a lesson on silent moves and relentless execution.

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Silence can be quite literally deafening. Odds are, no matter how hard you tried to stay completely still and shut yourself up, you can still hear something; Neighbors’ generators, sirens, the hum of a fan, the murmur of background conversations. So it’s understandable that Delis, Kofi Taylor and Psyko’s latest single, “On The Low” finds them trying and failing to hide their hustle despite what the song’s title suggests. Over the Psyko produced synth-based beat with vocal samples and percussion, Delis, Kofi Taylor and Psyko confess their productivity and the work they’ve been putting in “For The Doe”. Through their peddle to the medal message, the three paint a picture of an accomplished squad with matching outfits. Which seems fair given that the only thing more satisfying than earning money is earning money with your homies.

Listen to “On The Low” below;

Featured Image Credits: Soundcloud/thecolonymuzic

Listen to “So Amazing”, a song about self-love by Lami Phillips and Tiwa Savage

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Loving yourself is a win-win for all. It provides you with an inner happiness, confidence and peace of mind that is not easily swayed by outside events and opinions. Lami Phillips’ new single, “So Amazing” is about self-love, an anthem for appreciating the real you above the perception of glitter and glamour.

Shot and directed by Clarence Peters, Lami Philips dressed in regal outfits passes her message of being kind to yourself as she emphasizes the importance looking after your mind, your body and your spirit because we all deserve love. Tiwa Savage joins in with more self-adulation bringing the perspective of her fame into the mix. Altogether, the video works cohesively with the message of self-love.

Watch the video for “So Amazing” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Alterplate

Stream L.A.X’s new single, “Gbefun”

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Shortly after the launch of Rasaki Music, L.A.X’s record label and brand, the singer has released a number of radio bangers proving that his decision to branch out was one might imagine.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf-pnGfn0hb/?hl=en&taken-by=izzlax

L.A.X recently unveiled a studio under the brand’s name and perhaps in celebration of the new studio, the singer has released a new single titled “Gbefun”, his first release of the year and it attempts to continue right where he left off last year with another pseudo-romantic mid-tempo Afropop single, this time produced by Minz. Delivering a combination of Pidgin English and Yoruba metaphors to describe his intentions for his love interest. In the space of twenty four hours, “Gbefun” shows LAX throwing bills up for the babe. From luxury shopping to fast cars, he’s giving every and anything up for the love of his life. To his delight, his plan works ( we’re not sure how flexible  fifth avenues return policy is).

Watch  Gbefun here:

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Listen to L.A.X’s “Big Daddy” here

Hollywood, Oscars to introduce “Inclusion Rider” clause to boost minority representation

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At the Oscars last week, Best Actress winner, Frances McDormand promoted the notion of an “Inclusion Rider”. And though the term was first introduced by Stacy Smith, the founder and director of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, along with attorney Kalpana Kotagal, and producer and actor Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni, Frances McDormand’s speech has led to discussions on what the term represents and encouraged companies such as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Pearl Street company, and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society Productions to adopt inclusion riders in future production agreements for their movies.

The ‘Inclusion Rider’ contract will ensure diversity representation in films as it is a contract that demands inclusive hiring practice for women, the LGBT community, those with disabilities, and others from minority groups. Demanding diversity not just in the on-screen hires, but for the off-screen crew as well. The clause spreads responsibility so that control of the distribution of wealth, and the job market is decentralized, allowing the people who have previously borrowed their voices to the equality cause in Hollywood, to turn these concerns into action. Ultimately, this power shift will increase opportunities in the industry.

When Frances McDormand mentioned the term at the Oscars, she was extending the responsibility for equity in the industry to everyone in the room, to let the movie producers and Hollywood stakeholder realize that they are the ones with the power to enact this change.

The extension of the responsibility has taken place in various industries. One being the demand of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) to redistribute wealth. The Hollywood instance comes in two forms. The first is the protests and raising awareness—when big players in industries use their platforms to raise awareness about causes either through ads or sponsoring events for the cause—while the second is more action based where the organisation recognizes a gap for change within their chosen responsibility space and takes it upon itself to fill that gap. The latter is where inclusion riders stand.

Featured Image Credits: Mashable.

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Last Ake festival tackled the mercurial “That F word”

Best New Music: ODIE’s “North Face” recounts a tale of love and ambition

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Toronto based Nigerian singer, ODIE has been releasing his anticipated album debut, Analogue in bits since January. He started with “Little Lies”, a single contemplating the concept of faith by embodying the vulnerability that comes with self-awareness. Though the song highlights ODIE’s liking for gospel like introspection, neo-R&B melodies and a mix of synth-based ocean-crossing rhythms, makes impossible to say what the album will sound like till its eventual release on the 6th of April. But recently released “Northface” off the project offers more perspective.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgHSDJpHI8r/?hl=en&taken-by=odiexyz

On “Northface”, ODIE applies his knack for layered hooks for a quiet, hypnosis-inducing banger with guitar-led harmonies. The dreamy number takes us through the singer’s past recounting a tale of love while he worked retail at North Face and wasn’t so sure of his place in the world. With the soulful beat finding its pulse in a mid-tempo baseline, there’s plenty of room for ODIE’s blocky vocal phrasing as he stacks syllables that mimic a clipped long-distance conversation or shards of text messages.

Singing “I Used To Work At The North Face, Wasting My Time Just Doing Nothing/ You’re On My Mind When I’m Lonely, Baby You’re Fine In Your Own Way/ Searching For You/ Praying For You” at the beginning of the song, “North Face” comes off like a love song. But ODIE can’t keep himself from introspection as the song goes on to focus more on the singer’s worries and ambitions, “I Find A Way, I’ll Make A Ploy/ I Need That Figure, She Needs This Toy/ Comes All The Way From  All The Way From Illinois”.

ODIE’s reflection on his past and romantic relationship with his perfectly blasé delivery reminds us that though it feels good in the short run to plunge headfirst into love, it’s really not a lifelong solution to evading the humdrum of life. “Swear She’s The One But I’m Still Employed At The North Face”.

Listen to ODIE’s “North Face” here,

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/odiexyz

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

ICYMI: Listen to ODIE’s “Little Lies” here

Watch the video for “Sit Back Down”, Not3s and Maleek Berry’s latest single

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On the heels of last year’s NATIVELAND performance, Not3s released “Sit Back Down” featuring Maleek Berry to kick of the year with a taste of the motherland. The pair performed separate sets at the show but share a smooth chemistry on the single, combining Afropop’s melody with the swagger and floss of hip-hop and grime. The video for “Sit Back Down” has just been released, showing just the artists, pretty models and the cushion they sit on. It’s subtle, but beautifully depicts the song’s theme as Not3s and Maleek Berry strike poses in cool jackets, awash with impeccable lighting, the rest is in an innate charm channelled through the song.

Watch the video for “Sit Back Down” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Not3sOfficial 

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

ICYMI: Watch the video for “Corner” by NATIVELAND headliner, Yxng Bane

Listen to Kwesi Arthur on Juls’ latest single, “Maintain”

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Juls may have made a name for himself spinning records and making Afropop, but he put his understanding of hip-hop to the test for his latest single, “Maintain”. And with vocal contributions from Ghanaian rapper, Kwesi Arthur, “Maintain” hits all of Hip-hop’s core points; Gritty introspection over pop samples.

Produced by Juls, “Maintain” opens with thirty seconds of highlife music reminiscent of unending garden parties.  He samples Alhaji K. Frimpong’s highlife classic, “Kyenkyen Bi Adi M’awu” for the hip-hop number but introduces heavy drums and guitar riffs. Kwesi Arthur describes his life, mind-set, ambition and steady rise in the hip-hop game with picturesque imagery using a mix of English and his indigenuous tongue.

Listen to “Maintain” here;

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/julsbaby_

Chinonye Chukwu’s upcoming film, “Clemency” to feature Alfre Woodard and other Hollywood stars

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Nigeria-born writer and movie director, Chinonye Chukwu, recently announced a new independent drama called “Clemency” starring Alfre Woodard, Aldis Hodge, and “Orange Is The New Black”‘s Danielle Brooks.

“Clemency” tells the story of a prison warden played by Woodard as she develops an intimate relationship with an inmate she’s scheduled to execute. Bronwyn Cornelius and Julian Cautherley produce the film via ACE Pictures Entertainment. And in a statement following the announcement, The managing director of ACE Pictures Entertainment was quoted saying, “We were thrilled to discover the incredibly moving screenplay by writer/director Chinonye Chukwu, and with the participation of the outstanding lead actress Alfre Woodard”.

Chukwu, who, herself talks about deeply emotional times in her life has explored such themes in her films in the past. Her first feature film, “Alaska Land” released in 2012,  follows a young Nigerian-American man who is forced to reconnect with his sister and his roots after life gets difficult in his home in Alaska. She has also worked on a series of short films, one of which is BOTTOM, a film about sexual trauma and abuse. Chinonye Chukwu’s deep involvement in human rights activism may have inspired “Clemency” as she worked on the clemency campaign for Tyra Patterson a while ago after she was wrongfully accused of murder.

There’s no release date for “Clemency” yet, but you can peep Chukwu’s emotive short film, BOTTOM here while we wait:

https://vimeo.com/chinonye/bottom

Featured Image Credit: Vimeo/chinonye chukwu

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Watch the trailer for nadine ibrahim’s short film “tolu” here

Spotify just set up shop in South Africa

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Ahead of plans to make its shares public, Spotify has just unveiled subscription plans and set up shop in South Africa. Though the company is the world’s largest online streaming service, it’s their first African service and the website only went live on Monday afternoon.

Offering a free 30-day trial for its premium service, the new users will be allowed to decide whether or not this service worth the  monetary commitment. The premium service, which usually goes for $9.99 in other markets was brought down to $5 perhaps influenced by the competition from other streaming services like Deezer and Apple Music that were already in South Africa and also charge $5 for their own services.

Despite the fact that competitors like Apple Inc, Google Play and Amazon were already established in South Africa, Spotify continues to be the largest music streaming platform with a community of almost 160 million users, including 71 million paying premium subscribers. The Swedish company is set to list shares on the New York Stock Exchange by the first week in April. This launch is an attempt to extend their services to Africa before the listing.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/Spotify

 

See Yemi Alade in colourful new video for “Bum Bum”

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Off her third studio project, Black Majic, “Bum Bum” is rare of cut of a Yemi Alade party girl moment. Subtle as it seems, this is a welcome deviation from the Yemi Alade who is always down to dance but rarely embracing it as an experience she’s actively participating in. In her new video for the track, Yemi hits the streets with her crew in bright colours, “Bum Bum” , singing “I like the way you’re looking at me“, as she shows off dance moves with backup dancers.

It’s noteworthy at this point in Mama Africa’s career, the singer has successfully merged her ‘urban Africa’ aesthetic with her craft to the point that her identity no longer needs the use of her Ankara signature. “Bum Bum” is her most effective work yet in that regard, thanks to bright colours and Afro-inspired styling mixed with a touch of hip-hop apparel.

Stream “Bum Bum” in below:

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Yemi Alade scored a video game feature with creators of Assassin’s Creed

Tàtásè culture’s “I bring what I love” brings self love and freedom

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Over time, we’ve seen women strive to find their position of power by abandoning their feminine energy. From the ‘power suit’ becoming a beacon for women’s rights to shoulder pads that made a woman’s shape disappear, the plot has morphed and evolved like so. Somewhere along the lines though, it became about working to be taken seriously whilst wielding the innate feminine energy as a sturdy identity marker.

Tàtásè Culture’s new short film, “I bring what I love” uses a mix of African clothing, design, art and crafts, to celebrate innate femininity. Exploring an African woman’s journey to freedom, Tàtásè Culture highlights ritual processions, adornment with luxurious fabrics and the rebirth of a fearless woman, confident in her sexuality.

The African woman is a sensual being and her sensuality is a part of her power not a detraction from it. With “I bring what I love”, models in silk and lace, sheer fabrics and pastel tones, portray the woman who is at peace with her sexuality, one who loves herself so much, she would only wear the most luxurious and intricate pieces.

Watch “I bring what I love” here:

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AV Club: Daniel Obasi’s “Alien in Town” is a dull attempt at Afrofuturism

He’s Black, he’s gay and he’s unapologetic; MNEK’s “Tongue” is everything

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British artist, MNEK, Uzoechi “Uzo” Emenike who already picked up credits writing for artists like Dua Lipa, Stormzy, Madonna, Beyoncé and Craig David, just released “Tongue”, a single off his forthcoming album.

MNEK oozes an irrepressible energy so addictive, you’re inclined to fact check everything you’ve been taught, as he talks lust and love over the thudding beats. In the video, his love interest sits across the opulent table as they play the ‘will we, won’t we – should we?’ game with their eyes. Getting a straight actor to play his love interest in the video, MNEK not only settles confidently into his sexuality, he pushes the boundaries of masculinity past where it presently is.

Speaking with Noisey on the inspiration for the video, he said, “Now I’m not afraid to touch on relationships and on my sexuality in my videos. I feel as though it’s an important thing to put into my visuals, because those are the main source of visual content that I have” and dammit, all of our edges were snatched.

Watch “Tongue” here;

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/MNEKVEVO

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Amaa Rae feels like a singing psychologist dealing with human connection

Watch Lady Donli’s colorful video for “Ice Cream”

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Lady Donli’s ability to convey emotions through her music is heard most on “Ice Cream”. Accompanied by additional vocals from DJ Woske and a verse from Tomi Thomas, she depicts just how mysterious love is by using the creamy delicacy as a metaphor. Singing “You Are Sweet Like Ice Cream Baby, You Do Me Like Ice-Cream Baby/ But You Know, We Both Know, That You Are No Good For Me.” it’s seems like a cheesy description for love but it’s rather apt considering both come in varieties. And while they both can be quite the treat, it could get messy when it inevitably melts.

The video for “Ice Cream” displays some footage of Lady Donli, Tomi Thomas and friends in a summer-like laid back scenes. Their warm smiles and charming dances make the video delightful and playful—so playful, there’s a freeze frame with text saying ‘Misplaced Some Footage of Tomi, Sorry’. The video’s director, Kuddi chooses colorful frames and filters to further emphasize the cheerful mood conveyed through the single and characters in the video.

https://youtu.be/VLLZRnZKXmA

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Lady Donli

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 all the essentials for Lady Donli’s ‘Letter To Her’ debut

6 videos you need to see this week

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MTV – Episode 1, Shuga Naija

Fans of MTV’s Shuga know they can always count on the show to deliver entertaining drama that mirrors millennial life by touching on issues that are usually considered taboos in society. The 6th series just kick off with the first episode and it jumps right into sex education and society’s reservations towards it. The show is set in Lagos where we are introduced to host of new characters who are  coming-of-age and dealing with secrets threatening to break friendship ties. YCee makes a cameo appearance on the first episode but the show stars Timini Egubson, Sharon Ezeamaka, Jemima Osunde, Rahama Sadau, Adebukola Oladipupo, Abayomi Alvin, and many new faces as actors.

British GQ – Skepta and Naomi Campbell Interview

Last week, Naomi Campbell and Skepta struck a romantic pose on the cover of GQ magazine. The pair also sat for a row of quick fire questions where they discussed how they meet at an award show in 2016. The magazine published the interview on the 8th of March but released a video teasing the different topics the interview touched on from race, politics, the entertainment industry and underwear.

Orezi – “Whine For Me” Feat. Tekno

“Whine For Daddy” is Orezi’s first single of the year and features Tekno. The video shows a cute imitation of CNN’s broadcast where Orezi dressed in a white shirt and a black tie sings to Korra Obidi, the featured model, through her TV screen. The video has all the tropes for dance driven pop songs with the glossy colors, models and clubs scene KurlEvra directs.

Vanity Fair – Davido Oyelowo and Charlize Theron teach Yoruba and Afrikaan

“Gringo” hit the cinema last week and the movie stars David Oyelowo and Charlize Theron were featured on the promotional video for the movie with Vanity Fair. In this video, both actors teach each other slangs and quotes from their traditional languages. The exchange featured David Oyelowo teaching Theron a few Yoruba phrases translating proverbs while she kept things lighthearted with Afrikaan phrases about sex and being drunk.

Tobi Lou – Troop Feat. Smino

Since the beginning of the year, Tobi Lou has kept a consistent stream of music video releases for singles like “Solange” and “LOUNAR”. He continues his streak with a brand new video for “TROOP” featuring Smino. “TROOP” falls under Tobi’s pseudo-sad boy story arch brightened by his syrupy melodies and this psychedelic video Glassface directs. Augmented reality cartoons and graphics pop up as Tobi seems caught up in a happy trip in his magazine-photo wallpapered room.

Gunship – Art3mis & Parzival

While we wait for the cinema adaptation of Ernie Cline’s science fiction novel, “Ready Player One”, GUNSHIP has released a video based on the relationship between the characters of Art3mis and Parzival from the book. GUNSHIP’s depiction focuses on both in such a way that they play central roles as oppose to the supporting role the female lead played in the book. “Art3mis & Parzival” features several 80’s references through the video showing figures of He-man and Transformers through a pixelated animation that follows the heroic story of the characters’ battle against the evil cooperation bent on controlling the virtual world.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/MTV Shuga

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: Skepta’s Homecoming was homely and we were there to capture the special night