Olamide’s latest single, “Update” is a bit of a tricky one to get used to

Posted on by The Native

Olamide excels at making hit singles even though a slew of his releases can be absurd and surprisingly difficult to comprehend. Content wise, his new release “Update” is an outwardly confusing tale. He steers right from talking about marriage in the song’s chorus to talking about himself in the following verses. At intervals, you even start to question yourself; maybe it is you who isn’t understanding.

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

But what it takes to understand Olamide’s “Update” is a little extra attention and effort to piece together the non-chronological narrative. On the song’s opening is the chorus, which for one, is very catchy –as with most Olamide-tracks. A guess at what Olamide speaks of on “Update” demonstrates a lover’s interest for him, but it appears she isn’t accepting him for who he is.

It’s wonderfully hard to tell where one Olamide’s mind ends and where the other begins—appropriately. “Update” filled with Olamide’s metaphoric creations and Young John’s production with drums and synths, feels like a new iOS update that we are excited to see but just after utilising its functions, you are either irked out by it or you get used to it. After all, the fall and rise of any consumer good –gadget or music– is semi-automated by fan support.

Take a moment and have a listen to Olamide’s “Update” below.

https://soundcloud.com/tap-on-dance/olamide-update-prod-by-young-john

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@baddosneh (Art by Duksart)

Fisayo is a journalist who thinks writing is hard and reading too. But her journey somewhere reveals, words are like pawns on chessboard when writing. She wants to see, create and share with the world, experience & communicate these experiences. Tweet at her @fisvyo

ICYMI: #STREETTAKOVER2017 GETS OFF TO A LATE-START WITH OLAMIDE’S “WO”

DAP The Contract is all smiles for “Another Day, Another Night” video featuring Peter Enriquez

Posted on by The Native

DAP The Contract is more in love than his recently released Two Roads EP suggests. Because while his lyrics on “Another Day, Another Night” are too self-centered to make it a love song—“Whenever She Calls/I’m Always Hanging Up”—the video suggests the opposite. The DAP The Contract, Rekhalala and Baingor Joiner directed video is shot mostly in a POV angle reflecting the song’s introspective narrative but the uplifting self produced beat is given more preeminence than the song’s lyrics in the sunny and artsy romance themed video.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYV-sTDg-tC/?taken-by=dapthecontract

DAP The Contract decides to go with simplicity for the video for “Another Day, Another Night” with a cameo from soul singer Kaline and her band, a grand piano, and the most adorable on-screen romantic chemistry between DAP and his muse. The video is reflective of the song’s uptempo horn driven harmonies. The paradox however lies in how confidently he performs his role of love-drunk boyfriend in the first part of the video though his lyrics are undecided at best. He’s seen at a beach with a love interest before the walking into a beautiful sunset as the first part ends.

The second part of the song is more somber and as Peter Enriquez’s guitar riffs trips off as, DAP The Contract tries out his skills at grand piano before he’s seen walking side by side with his his love interest as the video’s credits roll.

You can stream DAP The Contract’s video for “Another Day, Another Night” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/dapthecontractt

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: DAP The Contract has quietly spent the last few months dropping phenomenal music

D-O’s new release “Bum Vita” is a Comical Joy Ride

Posted on by The Native

D-O has been on the journey to complete the release of all tracks on his E.P debut, Everything Pretty. Two months ago, he had released his “Peter Piper”, a cheeky crowd pleaser and personal fave of mine.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYdHnBInfYc/?taken-by=prettyboydo

Earlier today, D-O released another song also coming off the Extended Play, called “Bum Vita”. On a first listen, “Bum Vita” is a lot similar to the rhythm arrangements of “Peter Piper” and for this, D-O didn’t quite fill the gap we expect that he would with a follow-up release. But mew music usually requires a few replays to stick, and “Bum Vita” takes off nicely like so.

On “Bum Vita”, D-O sings of a misunderstanding with his ex-lover while July Drama weaves witty words like coke, fanta, vanilla, Bournvita (Bum Vita) into the narrative, promising that he wouldn’t play her like a piano no more. Quite comical and interesting to pay attention to.

“Bum Vita” is produced by July Drama, who also features on the track. Peep the single below.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/PrettyBoydo

Fisayo is a journalist who thinks writing is hard and reading too. But her journey somewhere reveals, words are like pawns on chessboard when writing. She wants to see, create and share with the world, experience & communicate these experiences. Tweet at her @fisvyo

ICYMI: WATCH D-O’S ROMANTIC HOLIDAY IN THE VIDEO FOR “PETER-PIPER”

Cassper Nyovest Was on Apple Beats 1 Radio, Discusses Album “Thuto”, Announces Own Concert

Posted on by The Native

“When you speak of Hip-hop music in Africa, You have to start with Me” – Cassper Nyovest on Apple Beats 1 Radio.

Cassper Nyovest has had the busiest months following the release of his third studio Album, Thuto.  Since the album’s release in May, Cassper has granted one interview to another in promotion of the 16-track album. Earlier in the month, he was on the breakfast club to talk on Thuto and on his goal to Fill up the 75,000 seats at FNB stadium in Soweto, for his concert later in the year. His latest media round is an interview with  Apple Beats 1’s Ebro Darden, to discuss African music and being Cassper amongst other things.

On the show, Cassper reveals how his last name Nyovest came to be and the inspiration behind the name he titled each of his albums Tsholofelo (2014), Refiloe (2015) and Thuto (2017). Cassper has formed the habit right from the first to ascribe a relative’s name to his music catalog. ‘Thuto’, his sister’s name, translates to ‘knowledge’. Even his hit track off the album, “Tito Mboweni” which signifies ‘money’ in the context he sang it in, was inspired by South Africa’s reserve bank ex-governor’s name.

The two also spoke about South Africa’s Kwaito music, western influence on South African music, and highlighted briefly on rivalries. While Cassper tried not to dwell on that, instead, he highlighted briefly on his intention to not jump on the popularity of the Afrobeats wave, and stick to his strong passion for hip-hop music.

The first airing of the show with Ebro Darden was scheduled for 8/29 at 7:00pm NYC, take a moment and have a listen to the 12 minutes interview session below.

At the end of the interview, Cassper once again announces his concert, after Ebro teases him to unwrap the the artist line up. Meanwhile, mark your calendars, Soweto, FNB Stadium, 75,000 seats, December 2nd.

Fisayo is a journalist who thinks writing is hard and reading too. But her journey somewhere reveals, words are like pawns on chessboard when writing. She wants to see, create and share with the world, experience & communicate these experiences. Tweet at her @fisvyo

ICYMI: Young S.A Rapper, Nasty C delivers killer live rendition of Runtown’s “Mad Over You”

PatricKxxLee releases ‘Warning’ EP with BABYFACEDEAN and Saint Klaus

Posted on by The Native

Before his recently released debut album, Diary Of An Arsonist PatricKxxLee already earmarked himself as one of the most adventurous trap-hop artists out of Africa with themes and compositions expressing feelings beyond the explicit. Opting for a ruthlessly dark narratives on his release, his goth and emo influences allow for honest-to-god messages as heard on his album released back in June.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYcr7JohbCT/?taken-by=patrickxxlee

For his follow up EP, Warning he remains earnest as day, with collaborators, Saint Klaus and BABYFACEDEAN camping on this same ethos. The two track release is an ambient representation of doomed relationships and its unhealthy effects. The opening track, “Bad Type” is a relatively minimalist affair, built mostly on a breezy skittering percussion, throbbing drums and some pitch-bent synthesizers playing underneath. It’s PatricKxxLee’s vocals that take centerstage as he coons, “She Likes Them Sad/ She Takes Them Meds” repeatedly for the hook. Saint Klaus resounds the cursed affection through “Love Is Rage” lines borrowed from PatricKxxLee’s DOAA while BABYFACEDEAN’s veers into meme-worthy iterations like “New Phone Who Are You?”

“Your Highness” is a thrilling and surprisingly rounded exploration of the complexity of modern life, challenging the expectations artists face. PatricKxxLee and BABYFACEDEAN delivers a sing-song verses while Saint Klaus gets back to rap flows showing his appreciation for good melody-writing. All three however hold together as they offer different perspectives on persevering as an artist—“We’ve Been On/ We Be Sipping”. Pairing the deconstruction of rock and the quiet mood of folk with the somber layer of vocal harmonies, “Your Highness” evokes the human trait of hoping for the best but secretly expecting the worst.

Saint Klaus and BABYFACEDEAN are rumoured to be linked with PatricKxxLee’s parent label, Artis records so it makes sense that they would feature on the Warning EP. You can stream the EP below.

https://soundcloud.com/artis_records/sets/warning-patrickxxlee-x-babyfacedean-x-saint-klaus

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/PatricKxxLee

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

ICYMI: Revisit PatricKxxLee’s feature on Native’s Best New Music through, “Pocahontas”

KillBeatz Tops British Official Music Charts for production on “Bibia be be ye”

Posted on by The Native

Joseph Addison known under the moniker of “Killbeatz”, is easily one of the best and the most sought after producers in the African music industry. For those who do not know him, some throw back hits Killbeatz has produced and you should be familiar with include some of R2bees hit singles: “Slow Down” featuring Wizkid and “Kiss Your Hand” featuring Wande Coal. Killbeatz has also done production for Fuse ODG on “Antenna” and Sakordie on “Rap Attack”. The Ghanian producer has done justice to most of the work his done, most of them go on to become hits for each of the artists -an apparent reason calling him “Kill”beatz . It’s now 2017, he has a horde of production works under his music catalog, including international ones too. For Ed Sheeran’s 2017 album, Divide, he and Fuse ODG are both credited as song writer and producer respectively for their work on “Bibia Be Be Ye”.

For the record, “Bibia Be Be Ye” has gone to sell over 1.9 million copies world wide. The British Official Music Charts Company has just awarded Killbeatz for charting Number 1 in the UK. Essentially, see this as as an equivalent to the famed Billboards charts awards.

Killbeatz he has bagged several awards to his name prior to this: Producer of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards 2017 for Adina’s “Too Late” and Best Producer at The Ghana Music Awards 2013/2014.

Here is a picture of Killbeatz holding the certificate and plaque of the award. Meanwhile, beneath his Instagram post, you can also check out the official music video of Ed Sheeran’s “Bibia be be ye”, shot in Ghana.

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

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@Killbeatz

Fisayo is a journalist who thinks writing is hard and reading too. But her journey somewhere reveals, words are like pawns on chessboard when writing. She wants to see, create and share with the world, experience & communicate these experiences. Tweet at her @fisvyo

ICYMI: FUSE ODG’S VIDEO FOR “NO DAYLIGHT” IS THE HAPPIEST THING YOU’LL WATCH TODAY

Essentials: The wait for Yinka Bernie’s ’19 and Over’ EP is finally over

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In many ways, the 19 & Over story is indicative of the new paradigm in independent music: an indie spirit buttressed by online platforms that offers visibility and the freedom for sonic experimentation. Owing to an array of one-hit wonders who overstuff their songs with synthesizers and go a little too heavy on sampling, it could be a bit tedious to comb through streaming sites for promising prospects who aren’t carried away by the freedom that creating music indie offers. Yinka Bernie falls neatly in the category of artist who make the hunt through our digital soundscape worth it with his sparse, relaxed and unanxious music releases that are reminiscent of antiquated recording tech, ambient music and wake-and-bake style laid-back vocals.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYTkfpaDeZW/?taken-by=yinkabernie

Musmah, Lady Donli and BrisB are the only features on the EP through their guest features on pre-released single, “Palmwine Chills”. And while the rest of the tracks are written and composed by Yinka Bernie, the tape is engineered by Bankyondbeatz while Saxofix gets saxophone credits and Le Mav and Higo get production credit for “Don’t Rush”. 19 & Over is a very introspective tape that seems to tell Yinka Bernie’s  story or at least a version of him who over the course of the 7 tracks, details his dreams, ambitions and the path he has to take to reach them.

Opening with “Not The Intro”,  he sets the record straight for those who are making first contact with his music through the 19 & Over EP. This allows him continue in his self absorbed narrative through the rest of the tape. He explains how he has been “Plotting/ To Make A Million” over the somber xylophone led beat that lasts barely over a minute, leaving no time for a chorus. The album titled track, “19 & Over” plays next as a reminder of his actual debut tape, Facts Of Existence a spoken word compilation, as he scats and sings “I Just Wanna Get Rich” over a back drop of horn infused harmonies and some spoken word poetry on taking our pleasures seriously.

“Aura Stir (Raindrops)” and “Don’t Rush” are the two dedicated love songs on the tape and they show how Yinka Bernie can be as assertive as he’s laid-back. While he’s cooing “Girl Take It Slow, No Don’t Rush Now/ Slow Down” on “Don’t Rush”, he’s all charming and demanding on “Aura Stir (Raindrops)” singing, “Make Me Smile/Blow My Mind”—a perfect picture of the mix signals often experienced in romantic relationships.

The last track, “Balance” advises listeners to stop living fake lives and “Count (Their) Blessings”. Over a cloud of somber and breezy synth melodies on loan from dreampop and chillwave territories, Yinka Bernie sings a loner anthem—“I Dey My Lane/ Doing My Own Thing” allowing himself take his time to reflect so he can make logical decisions as oppose to “Rushing Things”. The somber harmonies plus Saxofix’s horn driven harmonies allows him deliver a rap verse showing his ambidexterity.

For most devoted followers of the indie scene, Yinka Bernie’s sound may listen a little too familiar to believe the 19 & Over tape is indeed his debut project. Asides the distinct BlackMagic style alternative melodies, he has been putting out one impressive single after the other since 2015. And for many, the debut project is long over due.

You can stream the 19 & Over EP below.

Featured Image credits: Instagram/yinkabernie

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

It’s all about the vibe on Yinka Bernie’s “Subconscious Flashes”

Lynxxx is back to his pre-‘born again’ ways on “Ghana Girls”

Posted on by The Native

It is a really good thing that Nigerians have famously short memories, (this only applies if you are a man). Otherwise half of our biggest celebrities wouldn’t even have careers. This famously short memory and the swiftness with which we forgive once you give us a new hit single is what gingers our artists to ‘reinvent’ themselves in different ways and try out outlandish and sometimes outright bigoted gimmicks to get our attention, trend and sell a few singles.

Who can forget all the fake feuds of 2016, the Davido x Hush Puppy beef and Five Star signee SkiiBii faking his own death just so he would trend.who could forget Jollof rapper Lynxxx, announcing he was born again and trying to create a new career for himself as a motivational speaker on Instagram and trying to slut shame women’s choices as a way to get himself some publicity. Yup, you read right. Lynxxx spent most of 2016, trying to convince us he was done with the video vixen, music video life and he had rededicated himself to the service of God. But of course, are you really born again, if you don’t attack the autonomy of women you have never met. It worked for a while, but in late 2016, Lynxxx backtracked and assured us he was in fact not going to leave the often misogynistic jollof music that made him famous in the first place and become a gospel rapper.

He just made good on that promise with his new single and video ‘Ghana Girls’, in which he lauds Ghanaian women for wanting to sleep with Nigerian men, name dropping all the usual Ghanaian celebrities, run-of-the-mill Jollof music. The new single is the first from Lynxxx’s new EP “Summer Time Vibes”, and will be released in September.

Watch “Ghana Girls” here.

 

Phugo is seeking to shake up Abuja editorial scene with ‘Electro’.

Posted on by The Native
Lagos cast a very huge shadow over the creative industry in Nigeria, so much so, that it is common knowledge that to truly advance as a professional in any creative field in the country, you eventually have to make the move to Lagos and conquer it. But not everyone ascribes to this, and many creatives are trying to change things by creating collaborative collectives of their own in their own cities. Abuja especially has risen up as a counter point to Lagos, with its stellar Bantu Collective, and its growing couture fashion industry. Phugo, Abuja-based creative direction duo consisting of Phoebe Ben-Kalio (makeup artist) and Ugonna Nwaka (stylist/production designer) want to do the same for Abuja’s art/photography scene.
 
The Nigerian editorial aesthetic is pretty stolid at this point, obsessed with an illusory ‘luxury’. Dead eyed models, faux opulent backgrounds, predictable poses. There is little or no incentive to reference other cultures or people. Phugo is changing that with it’s first editorial collaboration called “Electro.”
We defined her as an alternative, cosmopolitan girl who still maintains her African roots. She is adventurous and daring, a millennial attribute – hence the biker imagery and bold colors.The styling and concept of the shoot was inspired by Aaliyah’s music video aesthetic. The late singer’s style was very cool and effortless which we channelled through the clothes and accessories, and makeup was equally drawn from late 90s to early 2000’s pop culture.
 
These photographs were taken in central Abuja (Wuse), an area which lacks the depth and otherworldliness we aspired for on this shoot. Yet natural light would be more effective than a studio shoot, hence Amy (photo assist & post-production artist) drew inspiration from Midwestern desert campaigns and pop-fiction narratives, similar to Charlotte Rutherford’s ‘Desert Cowgirl’ campaign for Skinny Dip Ldn. Amy states that her editing process was instinctive as all the elements needed to recreate the “mise en scene” were present from the lighting, to the styling, bikers and makeup.
Personally, we’re intrigued by the art direction and the photography is stellar, but for global standards, this pretty par the course, especially with the resurging interest in afrocentric fashion. We’ll just have to watch and see if Phugo make good on their promise to disrupt the status quo.
 
Art Direction: Phugo @itsphugo
Photography: Ogoh Clem & Amy Limor @ogoh_clem/@amygoesthere
Post Production/Retouching: Amy Limor @amygoesthere
Makeup Artist: Phoebe Ben-kalio @phoebebenkalio
Stylist: Ugonna Nwaka @ugonna_
Phugo

6 videos you should see this week

Posted on by The Native

Wizkid – Missing “One Dance” Vocals

The biggest debates after Drake’s “One Dance” peaked at #1 on Billboards was why Wizkid’s cut was relegated  into a barely audible vocal sample. . Nonetheless, we’ve grown to accept the song for what it is—a casual shoutout to Afropop , nothign more—and just enjoy the monster hit. But since South African DJ, DJ Maphorisa played the clean version of Wizkid’s at One Africa Music Fest in New York, it’s starting to look like Drake has a fresh set of question to answer for why he didn’t use Wizkid’s cut.

Yo Gotti – Rake It Up Feat. Nicki Minaj

Yo Gotti’s collaboration with Nicki Minaj off his recent tape with Mike WiLL Made-It, Gotti Made-It has received a video treatment despite Nicki’s troll on her twitter; “We decided to not put the #RakeItUpVideo out anymore so that ppl can stop twerking and start reading. Let’s change our world 1 book @ a time”. So either the world turned down Nicki’s help or like you can’t street out of the hustler, presumably, you also can’t take the trap out of the rap. The suburban set for the video is directed by Benny Boom who shots Nicki in her classic pink latex dress, twerking, Lamborghini racing against Blac Chyna and literally raking money falling from trees.

DJ Consequence – Blow The Whistle Feat. Mayorkun

Mayorkun and DJ Consequence head to China Village, Ojota in their video for “Blow The Whistle”. Directed by Twitch Visuals, the pair reach for a culturally relevant location though the song’s lyrics explicitly places them at a club in Ikoyi. The location is however far from glamorous with the fading paints and moss growing on the walls. Still, the Asian insignias and roofings give the video some of its most effective exoticism, especially given that Odunsi’s “Desire” video was shot at the same location with no touch up to the location’s worn out walls.

Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do

Just as the song already suggested, Taylor Swift’s video for “Look What You Made Me Do” takes more than a few subliminal shots at the Wests, Calvin Harris and Katy Perry who damn near ended her career after her fall out with them. While her lyrics weren’t crude or direct enough to call the song a diss track, the video certainly aims for the controversial as she attempts to turn her bad publicity to good music. She moves from grave yard to diamond filled bath tub, to a snake throne in a dream like narrative directed by Joseph Kahn . Though the intent is clearly to mock her bad reputation, the dreamy narrative and lyrics makes us wonder if she’s having a case of the Jacob Ladders.

Dotman – Afro Girl Feat. Mr Eazi

Music has always been one of the most unifying cultural traits in Africa. Dotman proves this on “Afro Girl”, a song that features Mr Eazi and is produced by Tanzanian producers Simba Tagz and Mr. Kamera. The mid tempo dancehall number’s adjoining video is also directed by a Tanzanian director, Teekay who casts Ugandan, stars Sheebah Karungi as Dotman’s love interest in the melodramatic romance themed video. It’s sort of like Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending.

D. R. A. M. – Gilligan Feat. ASAP Rocky, Juicy J

D. R. A. M. continues his reputation for bright, colourful and creative videos continues on “Gilligan”, a new single expected to feature on his eventual follow up to his debut LP, last year’s Big Baby D.R.A.M. With guest features from Juicy J and ASAP Rocky, D. R. A. M. plays wacky weatherman on television to the announce of white families before heading to the street where he and the featured artists show off his super powers—shooting out beams from their eyes that expose women’s butt.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/TaylorSwiftVEVO

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

Watch Odunsi’s video for “Desire” here

Timi Saurse’s debut, “Tangerine” is Strangely familiar

Posted on by The Native

The simpler a pop song, the more approachable and familiar it feels. This has created the trend for exposure seeking artists to create familiar songs knowing listeners are more likely to enjoy it. But while it ensures the song will be a hit on radio and on DJ turntables, the formula has a flaw that leaves listeners comparing new songs to old ones and usually, listeners are too invested in old songs to fully appreciate the new ones—explaining why Runtown’s “For Life” never got past the “Mad Over You” comparisons.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYK0a5sFAtK/?taken-by=timisaurse

Though Timi Saurse’s debut, “Tangerine” listeners like more than a casual nod to Afropop with mid-tempo tin-pan drum riffs and piano led baselines we’ve heard on every mainstream song since Mr Eazi’s “Skin Tight”, he manages to stir clear of cheap sampling gimmicks. Infusing horns at the bridge, Timi Saurse and Ozedikus’ production deserve credit for the somber gentlemen’s-clubs inclined number with catchy laid-back melodies that only make the song more approachable.

Of course while his reassuring lines; “While I’m Sipping On My Hennessy”  confirms that “Tangerine” is meant for the ill-advised club affections, Timi Saurse’s auto-tuned vocals and soppy sentimental lyrics on “Tangerine” make for an impressive debut and yet another club song using fruits as a metaphor for the sexual human anatomy.

You can stream Timi Saurse’s debut release, “Tangerine” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/timisaurse

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

Fear and hope hold a radiant gleam on Ilaye’s debut, “Castle Wall”

Gavi’s “Sefunmi” tells of his pop star beginnings and aspirations

Posted on by The Native

“Sefunmi” is the sort of song artists spend some phases of their careers writing: on true friends (real Gees), trust in God for greater good, hustle and quest for money, tapping into life issues that fall under universal themes. The “one day boys must chop, one day food go come” dictum that should be believed melting into “shout out to my niggas, one day o Adura wa a gba” is a stretch of songwriting that many artists have mimicked. It makes sense that Gavi will sing a song of this kind though, since he has been on his own journey of reinvention, finishing school and trying to find his life’s purpose to see where this music thing is really headed. After all, not everyone comes fully formed having all of life’s worries figured out.

The composition and production benchmarks of “Sefunmi” doesn’t come close to capturing depth but it will probably define Gavi for a kick off to a genuine phase of his career. Which is fine because Gavi has been ascending and descending on the path, often changing his name and leaving one SoundCloud account for another. For now he’s a promising rookie worth giving 3 minutes of your time to.

It feels a little like a prayer, take a moment and have a listen to Gavi’s “Sefunmi” produced by K.J. below.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@Gaviofficial

Fisayo is a journalist who thinks writing is hard and reading too. But her journey somewhere reveals, words are like pawns on chessboard when writing. She wants to see, create and share with the world, experience & communicate these experiences. Tweet at her @fisvyo

ICYMI: Badsam’s “Alright” Is The Pick-Me-Up Song You Need To Get Through The Day

Developing story: YCee has had it with unfair record deals

Posted on by The Native

YCee is clearly unhappy with the unfair relationship between labels and their artists. Though it’s still unclear what caused this—asides the anti-label campaign artists like Jay Z and Chance The Rapper have been championing for years—the Tinny Entertainment artists has taken to twitter to express his grievance against Freeme Digital and Michael Ugwu who apparently “Run(s) Sony Music Nigeria”.

Michael Ugwu’s Jay Z inspired tweet vexed YCee into a one sided tweet-off that resulted in his 10 tweet thread, speaking against the unjust treatment of artists in the music industry. He compared the situation to slavery just as Prince did before sidestepping record labels and opting for a Tidal deal for his HitNRun album release back in 2015. However, YCee’s displeasure with FreeMe Digital and Michael Ugwu only goes to show that even third party distribution labels can be just as selfish and parasitic towards artists.

YCee’s thread is however just one side to the story. While we wait for reactions from the other parties involved—Micheal Ugwu and FreeMe Digital—the rapper has quickly moved on to more important things which even his fans will agree is making quality music and earning a living off his talent.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYYrWT9nE7X/

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/iam_ycee

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

Check out all the essentials from YCee’s debut EP, ‘First Wave’

DJ Consequence and Mayorkun bring “Blow The Whistle”

Posted on by The Native

Music formats may have changed over the years, but the primary duty of DJs to filter through which music is pushed out to the masses remains. New artists and music in their respective genres are given expose by the DJ’s and though the music and artist often end up being more popular, artist give back by lending their vocals on DJ’s released singles. Since his rise into the mainstream after his YCee assisted single, “In A Benz” DJ Consequence had to live up to the expectation of creating dance pop songs. And his latest offering, “Blow The Whistle” features Mayorkun who is quite accustomed to the groove demands of the dance pop.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYOIY0ujTT0/?hl=en&taken-by=djconsequence

Spellz produces the piano led instrumentals for “Blow The Whistle” and infuses layers of synth harmonies and pacy 808 machine drum riff. The beat leans heavily into afro-house territories with the ever rising piano loops over which Mayorkun sings about a particularly eventful evening that begins at a party and ends with a life lesson.

His lyrics swerve wildly between introspective storytelling—“I Go Party/ For Ikoyi”—to aggressive threats—“I Fit Light(Slap) You Like Cigar”. But the song’s pseudo-religious narrative that only God is righteous enough to judge makes his violent remarks intelligently controlled even when he declares that; “Ole Ma Ni Everybody (We Are All Thieves)”. 

In contrast to the title, “Blow The Whistle” encourages listeners to leave God to judge cheats because as Innocent “Tuface” Idibia puts it; “Nobody Holy Pass”. Watch DJ Consequence and Mayorkun’s “Blow The Whistle” video below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/DJ CONSEQUENCE

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

DJ Consequence resurrects the mannequin challenge for “Banging” video

Telz enlist Thr33 and FreshL on dancehall bop “This and That”

Posted on by The Native

Dancehall has come a long way from its Jamaican origins. It is a living genre, adapting with the migrants who moved from the island country to Europe, Africa and Asia. Dancehall has particularly influenced the youth subcultures of England and Canada, and Afro Caribbean dancehall, interspersed with British grime is what Nigerian producer Telz, replicates in his new single “This and That”. Telz has had a busy year, dropping a handful of singles and leaning on his careers as a producer for other artists. He is still in that frame of mind on “This and That” because he mostly sticks to producing and enlists the help of rappers Thr33 and Fresh L to bring the fire.

Fresh L  of the DRB fame has had a tumultuous few years on the internet, attracting the worst of the trolls on social media platform on twitter, the resulting scandals from his refusal to bow to their trolling threatening to overshadow his music. But L’s talent is undeniable and we are always happy to see him back in the studio doing the thing that got us interested in him in the first place. And he brings his A-game to Telz’s “This and That” his rapid fire delivery peppered with British road man slangs work quite well in the circumstances. Thr33 who is affiliated to Rosewood group acquits himself pretty nicely.

It is a pretty decent dance bop with just enough sampling to give it some depth. You should definitely bop this.

Edwin eats his rice and cabbages. Tweet at him@edgothboy

ICYMI: FreshL And His DRB Squad Are Ready For The Whistle Blowers On “EFCC Nightmares”

Essentials: ‘King Don Come’ is a testament to D’banj’s dynamic and entertaining career

Posted on by The Native

The mid-2000s was an era populated by Afropop artists who were synonymous with how they staged their skill sets, ironically, Dapo ‘D’banj’ Oyebanjo, a self-styled ‘Entertainer’ was the anomaly. He didn’t have the Okoye brothers nimble feet, the vocal dexterity of TuFace, nor did he bear the musty to be a composer and multi-instrumentalist like Lagbaja. Despite a vague all-encompassing title that should glean his creativity across vast board of entertainment inclined crafts, all D’banj came with was a harmonica, a boyish charm and an other-worldly charisma that always seem to be brimming for  a soon-to-come controversy. Yet an Entertainer he proclaimed  himself, and an entertainer he was.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYLI5dFlNeg/?hl=en&taken-by=iambangalee

Since his No Long Thing debut in 2005, D’banj’s disregard for genres and labels has been obvious right from the “Intro” track where he describes himself simply as “An Artist”—presumably summing up all categories as within his range. This inclusive aesthetic has allowed him take on as many personas as he has hit singles. But while his aliases; Igwe, Koko-master, Importer Exporter Koko Water, Eja nla, African Michael Jackson portray his dynamism as a mere reckless charm and spectacle, his latest project, King Don Come marries his music and versatility in a way that even the best DJs couldn’t have imagined.

Opening with lead single, “It’s Not A Lie” featuring popular highlife artist, Harry Songs and former label mate and long time collaborator, Wande Cole, D’banj takes us through his epic history and why he’s so lovable; “He makes The People To Dance”. The highlife dance number produced by Dr. Amir and Cheeky Chizzy was an instant hit with dancehall affections that Afropop strives on. And though he’s clearly back-packing the nostalgia of his past fame with self samples from “Oliver Twist” on “Ntswempu” and samples of his harmonica on “Egweji” (a sequel to “Igwe”?) featuring Phyno, he deserves credit for not resting on his laurels and using the past to inspire the present.

Even when the present is a dark drug inclined universe, D’banj has no trouble reinventing himself as the legendary Mexican drug lord, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzma over a Maleek Berry produced trap beat, where he, Wande Cole and Gucci Mane can test the extent of their thug vocabulary. While some may disapprove of the song’s violent narrative and outrageously unlikely brags, stunt of this magnitude aren’t exactly outside D’banj’s emo. But fortunately, he doesn’t continue this trap theme through all 12 tracks on King Don Come. Killertunes and Cheeky Chizzy produce “Turn Down For What (Focus)”, a mid-tempo afrobeat number that emphasises D’banj’s influences from the Fela inspired beats to his interpolation of Kendrick Lamar’s “I Love Myself” chants from “I”.

Still, D’banj remains every bit as entertaining as ever and on “That’s What I Mean” he features his brother Kayswitch who assists him as he embraces his raunchy side—probably also his most confident side. They truly share the same mind here as their vocals and lyrics interact with each other in effortless fluidity. This harmony with his featured artist continues on Bucie and Busiswa’s assisted  “Ntswempu” despite singing in different languages.

Though there are only 12 tracks and at least 3 of them have already been heard before the album dropped, King Don Come is not only satisfying but also convincingly cohesive.

Stream the album below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/iambangalee

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

And here’s probably why he tracklisted “Oliver Twist” on ‘King Don Come’

Teni the entertainer channels the old time kings of the Faaji on “Fargin”

Posted on by The Native

Talent is a precarious thing. For some people, talent is something that is honed over years of grueling self discipline, growing a mustard seed of an idea into a formidable tree pruned with experience. For the rare prodigy, talent is a tidal wave, far more enormous than any one person should have to wield. Teni the Entertainer is one of such rare talents, an old soul with a voice that cuts through the bullshit and coaxes wells of unbridled joy. And what a privilege it is for us, that she is finally putting out her own music.

Teni’s been skirting on the fringes of the music industry, since early 2016, occasionally dropping covers of popular songs and snippets of her own, garnering fans along the way as she experimented with her sound. She’d previously released two singles in 2014 and 2015, long before the ‘New Age’ of musicians began to find mainstream success and draw much needed press. So this new iteration of Teni might as well be considered brand new, and her new single “Fargin” a proclamation of her talent and the leagues in which she is looking to play.

“Fargin” pays direct homage to the greats of Nigerian Faaji music, juju legends like King Sunny Ade,  Ebenezer Obey, her personal style leaning especially towards the incomparable Salawa Abeni and her oeuvre of true-life vignettes. With Mystro producing, Teni tells a story every Nigerian girl is familiar with (and which Falz and Ajebutter touched on in “Regards to your momsie”), the ever present lecherous ‘uncle’ at Nigerian parties and family gathering, publicly hitting on underaged girls. She skillfully references Niniola’s sleeper hit “Maradona” and reminds us just how pervy these incidences are and how we cannot continue to normalize them, all the while ensuring that your hips keep rolling.

It is even more remarkable that “Fargin” started as a freestyle on Instagram and was most likely recorded in a few takes. Colour us impressed.

Listen to “Fargin” here.

Edwin eats his rice and cabbages. Tweet at him@edgothboy

ICYMI: Best New Music: Streettakeover gets off to a late-start with Olamide’s “Wo”

Mr Eazi brings “2 People” to the streets with Small Doctor and Nakamura

Posted on by The Native

While Mr Eazi is still touring the world with his Accra to Lagos Mixtape, he continues to be strategically playing and winning in his game to conquer the world with his Bantu influenced Afro music. He was still at one of the Creamfields 2017, the world leading dance music festival last week to perform alongside grammy nominated Nigerian artist, Kah-lo for her single, “Money” which he and Davido equally feature on. Being the Business man that Mr Eazi is, while steadily gaining international recognition (mostly) in the Uk, he remains strategic, collaborating with Nakamura and Small Doctor to deliver a remix of his song “2 People”. By implication, Mr Eazi leverages on the audience of both artists, especially, Small Doctor’s indigenous fans. Albeit, it’s a win-win situation for all of three of them.

https://twitter.com/mreazi/status/901924592243154950

GuiltyBeatz’ production on “2 People” is retained on this remix that takes us back to the atmosphere of Accra to Lagos transcendental release. The song was first released on his radio show, Detty Radio on BBC 1xtra, yesterday. On “2 People” remix, each of them are in their element. Small Doctor kicks off in his Afropop tinged with Fuji, Nakamura brings his signature yoruba rap flow, the two ride under Mr Eazi’s guidance and connection.

Take a moment to have a listen below.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@mreazi

Fisayo is a journalist who thinks writing is hard and reading too. But her journey somewhere reveals, words are like pawns on chessboard when writing. She wants to see, create and share with the world, experience & communicate these experiences. Tweet at her @fisvyo

 ICYMI: Mr Eazi teams up with a childhood friend

Jinmi Abduls’ “Itan” is a polaroid of the story so far

Posted on by The Native

Jinmi has now lived two decades of his life and with the many more years ahead, the storyteller is ready to conquer the world, one foot in front of the other. “Itan”, a bonus track released to celebrate his birthday, is introspective and full of gratitude. ‘Itan’ is a yoruba word which translates to ‘story’ and it’s a testament to Jinmi’s defining and developing career.

Though Jinmi still has unfinished business, he has had substantial success with cultivating a following from a crowd of fellow hard-to-impress millennials. On “Itan” he inverts his own growing acclaim in the natural pressures from his inner court to not only be successful in his career run but also to pay off their support with literal returns. “When you blow please don’t forget me, buy me prada, buy me bentley…to ba ra ile…They say it’s ise awon ni, but I say it’s ise Oluwa” Jinmi says 30 seconds into “Itan”. Perhaps unintentionally, Jinmi’s rejoinder for what seems like growing accounts of owed debts is rebuffed when he attributes all of his success to the work of a supreme being.

On “Itan”, Jinmi is still relishing in his small town origins as an artist whose coming of age has been somewhat semi-automated by fan support. He sticks to his style of telling stories, infusing ideas he recognises with every developing trend, whether it’s personal or general. This way, he strives to stay relevant on our playlists with new releases and videos to accompany the audio tracks from his debut EP, JOLAG. While steadily rowing his boat towards his end goal to bag a grammy, Jinmi is aware that with every goal, the path and consequence is two-way. This, he says at his recent appearance at Magic of Lagos’ The Hub.

By and by, a small town talent becomes a big time superstar, its vulnerable moments like “Itan”, meditations on Jinmi’s life, the journey so far that will become part of the story to be told. It’s happy music that recognises the essence of process, with a tinsy-winsy sadness hinting every phase of life is just a journey to the next one.  The thought is somewhat comforting, but when juxtaposed with the uncertainty of life, you’re left holding on with the spiritual tint of “Itan”. Prayer could be therapeutic after all.

Take a moment and have a listen below.

Featured Image Credit: Soundcloud/Jinmi Abduls

Fisayo is a journalist who thinks writing is hard and reading too. But her journey somewhere reveals, words are like pawns on chessboard when writing. She wants to see, create and share with the world, experience & communicate these experiences. Tweet at her @fisvyo

Jinmi Abduls: a confident competitor who is more than happy to be underestimated

Best New Music: Yela’s “Fickle” is experimental pop at its finest

Posted on by The Native

As Nigerian pop music has gotten more mainstream, it has fallen into a rut of conformity. All the biggest hits of 2016 and 2017 became so because they were generic, following variations of a trusted formula of predictable mid-tempo beats (as championed by Tekno and Mr. Eazi) and safe, trusted lyric compositions that include some kind of unintelligible improvised riff and a ‘party’ narrative. Sure it works, but it has become the uninteresting background to our dance parties rather than the soundtrack to our lives. But every now and then, an artist breaks the mold, drawing obscure references and taking a risk. Singer Yela’s new single “Fickle” is one such experiments, and it pays off big time.

On his new single, Yela departs from his afro-pop origins as comprehensively explored on his debut EP Clarity. He strips down the sound, taking out everything but a distinctive Afrobeats inspired guitar riff. It is on this riff that the entire melody for “Fickle” is built, piece by piece, using a whole retinue of vocal samples and scat singing to create a eerie sonic choir. It is a big gamble to forgo traditional percussion instruments on an ‘afro-pop’ song, but Yela is an accomplished beat boxer and scat singer and his producer MONLEE works literal magic, layering the samples just so, that you are subtly reminded of  pop great Michael Jackson at his most visceral.

Michael Jackson might be the biggest name you’ll think of when you hear “Fickle”, but the vocal work and technique Yela favours on the song is more in tune with the 010’s British revivalist R&B scene and MNEK, its biggest export. The choice of harmonies, the contemporary subject matter (a long used lover finally find a backbone and leaving a toxic relationship) will resonate in London as it will in Lagos. This, more than the song’s stellar production, its cosmopolitan songwriting and composition and its experimental yet vintage sound is what makes “Fickle”, it’s own unique thing.

This is genre defining, and Yela better fucking ride this wave.

Listen to “Fickle” here.

Edwin eats his rice and cabbages. Tweet at him@edgothboy

ICYMI: Best New Music: Streettakeover gets off to a late-start with Olamide’s “Wo”

Wani’s latest single, “Instaman” is pure dancefloor magic

Posted on by The Native

Earlier this year, a random SoundCloud trawl led to the our discovery of Wani’s freestyle re-fix of Drake’s whine-set More Life track, “Blem” . Wani does two things with his rework of “Blem”: first, he embraces all of the Afro-Carribean leanings of the original, then re-purposes lyrical samples from Sisqo and TuFace. Case that combination in melody and a loose sub-romantic self-appraising narrative, and what you have, is a cover you’d wished had been released as an original.

Funnily, despite amassing over thirteen thousand SoundCloud plays for “Blem” since its release, Wani’s music is minimally promoted. With nothing but a handful of covers and two original singles uploaded on his page over the last two years, you instantly get the feel this is a man that could be doing just anything but music. However, to paraphrase an earlier tweet he made to announce the single, there is no point making art, and hiding it away from the world. And thus, is why “Instaman” was brought upon us.

To describe Wani’s “Instaman” as a walk-in-the-park Afropop song—due to its inherently dance-infused central plot—would be to undersell its fusion of neo-R&B with the nostalgia of Afropop from the early mid-2000s. This does not only become the bedrock for distinct melody on “Instaman” , it also plays like an audio paradox when everything melds on Afro-Latin marimba and bass drums. It’s harmony that should not work, but it does.

Whether “Instaman” is relatable as a commentary on volatility of social media affection. Or as a syncopation of the everything the perfect Afropop song should be; smooth, melodious and full of diverse influences. One thing is certain, Wani is taking us all to the dancefloor with this one.

Stream Wani’s “Instaman” via SoundCloud below.

ICYMI: Read our Best New Music feature on Wani’s refix of Drake’s “Blem”