Hear a remix of Daramola’s “Traffic” featuring Nonso Amadi

Posted on by The Native

Hills Music Group who put out Nonso Amadi’s remix of Tchella’s “Traffic” has released another Nonso Amadi remix, this time, for Daramola’s “Traffic”.

Not many Nigerian artists can go note to note with Daramola’s falsetto but Nonso Amadi isn’t your average Nigerian singer. His releases have earned him the respect of critics even despite his tendency to drift dangerously close to candy-coated teen-pop.

Daramola’s Last Time I Tried debut album houses “Traffic” as a pseudo-religious interlude before the outro. While Daramola’s hook listens like a praise chant singing “Glory be to God”, his focus remains very much on his love affair finishing the song with “I’m stuck in a cell but I’m looking for heaven/ The last time I tried it was harder than heaven”.

Nonso Amadi’s remix also embraces this religious undertone. Nonso sings over a layer of soft vocal melodies that darts and wraps around the instrumentals, disappearing into itself. He gives an hymn-like anthem for the down-tempo number showing off his faith in God; “If it means me losing all I’ve got/ Hope you notice how I show you off”.

Nonso’s remix to Daramola’s “Traffic” is impressive and grandiose and it’s barely even a real feature. One can only imagine what an actual collaboration would sound like but in the meantime listen to “Traffic” remix below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/nonsoamadi

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 Daramola’s impressive ‘Last Time I Tried’ debut here

Davina Oriakhi is an uptown girl in the visuals for F.S.L.S

Posted on by The Native

Since singer Davina Oriakhi put out “F.S.L.S“, we’ve been hoping she’d take the plunge and give the single the video treatment. With its subtle homage to Beyonce’s Lemonade album and a message of self love and the healing power of forgiveness and community, it seemed the best way to showcase the persona Oriakhi was building away from her career as a spoken word artist. Well we didn’t have to wait long, cos after teasing for a few weeks, she has finally dropped a music video for the single, her first from the cache of singles put out in anticipation of her debut album,  Love To A Mortal, slated for released in late July 2017.

Produced by Gabriel Ryder, Oriakhi forgoes a more comprehensive narrative in the music for a ‘vibe’. This vibe is part afrocentric, part bohemian, and she channels it surprisingly well, her look and demeanor heavily referencing Lauryn Hill’s debut project. She prances through an inner city project being as we watch her from the POV of the person shooting her. It helps that she is almost impossible to look away from, and the video never strays from its primary focus, her. As far as first videos go, this is pretty well thought out, you come away knowing exactly how Davina Oriakhi sees herself and her music. And really that is all an artist can ask for from a music video.

Enjoy.

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

ICYMI, Read Up: Fasina teams up with Higo for “5 Star”, a meta afropop experiment

Michael Jackson’s music will be front and center in new animation by his estate

Posted on by The Native

Words by Ehimenim Agweh

What do “Thriller”, “Beat it” and “Billie Jean” have in common? Michael Jackson of course and the late artist’s estate is not letting you forget that in a hurry.

This October, Optimum Productions which was owned by the singer in his lifetime is bringing an animated adventure feature to the big screen. Tagged ‘Michael Jackson’s Halloween,’ the story follows two millennials and a dog who end up in a hotel on Halloween night. The story is expected to be full of magic, adventure and of course, a finale with an animated Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson’s Halloween is slated to be an hour long production with Michael Jackson songs taking up the entirety of the soundtrack. The feature is the latest in a long list of projects aimed at honouring the memory of Michael Jackson and will be aired on CBS when it premieres.

Featured Image Credit: CBS

A journalist by training, Ehimenim is a lover of history, good books and Game of Thrones. For her, the real world is just another Westeros and everyone is a supporting character. Read and repeat is her motto. Give her a wave on Twitter @EAgweh.

The world’s most prominent Michael Jackson impersonator stars in Michael Jackson’s Biopic

Essentials: Of “Sounds From The Other Side” and the place of Wizkid in African music

Posted on by The Native

A guitar thrumming amidst shakers and wooden drums is how “Sweet Love” opens. As Wizkid breathes ‘All I Need Is One Love’, the arrangement is transformed with a drum roll and a bass guitar humming sweetly along the set piece. The sway is not implied but as it is with African music, even as themes run in circles, the draw is melody, and the magic is finesse.

Wiz masterfully does both, re-purposing Bob Marley’s infamous call for global peace for vainglorious self-celebration like only Baba Nla can. To say expectations for Wizkid’s third studio album was high, would be to undercut the pressure on the 27-year-old to pull off a successful major-label debut and re-state his claim as Africa’s top act. What therefore makes for a better re-introduction than to demand for love? Sweet, sweet love.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWgziyMg40f/?taken-by=wizkidayo

Like Superstar, Wizkid’s ground-breaking 2011 debut, “Sounds From The Other Side” comes at the epoch of African music rising on a global mainframe. With an RCA imprint deal closely marketed alongside collaborations with some of the biggest artists in the world, SFTOS was expected as Wizkid’s seminal album for the modern African sound. However, between 2014’s Ayo and singles leading up to the project, Wizkid’s shift has been incremental, craft-wise and extensive, sound-wise, leaving fans at a loss for what to expect from SFTOS.

Funnily, despite a multiplex of R&B and Pop influences bearing mark on “Come Closer” and ” Dirty Wine” featuring TyDollar $ign, Wizkid never veers into hip-hop or the nether regions of trap. SFTOS, retains Wizzy’s flirtations with Caribbean patois and EDM, an indication his continental responsibility does not directly reflect a fixation for Africanness without innovation. “Naughty Ride”, his shining collaboration with Major Lazer sets pace for more electronic work on “Nobody” and the dancehall-inspired “Gbese”, Wizkid’s strongest album-closer ever.

Though an unintended misnomer for the album, Sounds From The Other Side, packs some of its heaviest punch into its second-half. On “Picture Perfect”, Wizkid returns to R&B basics fans have sorely missed since earlier material like “Gidi Girl”, off Wizkid’s Superstar debut. “All For Love”, the best track on this other side, comes prepared with Latin-inspired steel pans and groove. Producer DJ Mariphosa, (“Soweto Baby”, “One Dance”), reinvents his infamous Afro-house fusion with singer, Bucie who Wizkid features for a silky duet about the limits of true love.

Fans who expected a critically African album, may only have Sarz produced stand-outs like “Sweet Love” and “Sexy” to serve their palates, but SFTOS holds Wizkid right where he needs to be. As a convener for modern African music, the project cements all of Wizkid’s influences well enough to overshadow the fail of lukewarm cuts like “African Bad Gyal” and “One For Me”. As an emerging artist transcending sound and cultural barriers, Wizkid’s craft is streamlined to easy-to-consume pop and the universal language of love.

After a couple of replays it’s still hard to tell who exactly is on the “other” side of the sound, Wizkid brings forth. A great pop quiz for the Starboy would be to definitively say if he’s taking African music to the other side of the world, or riding the new school Afro-wave to distant lands. But perhaps, it should have been obvious Wizkid did not expect to be taken literally since Efya sleepily implored him to make us dance on lead single, “Daddy Yo”. Because he rises to the occasion and delivers without question.

Stream Wizkid’s Sounds From The Other Side via Apple Music

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@wizkidayo

Toye is the Team lead at Native Nigeria. Tweet at him @ToyeSokunbi

Essentials From Wale’s ‘Shine’

Here’s some good news, Max Go has launched

Posted on by The Native

It’s crazy how quickly your day can go south once you get stuck in traffic. Even after dedicated yoga exercises, quick work out to get the blood flowing, a rushed but satisfying breakfast and positive music playing, all it takes to flip the day on its head is an innocent drive on the streets of Lagos. It’s ironic how the abundance of opportunities in Lagos is the same reason for the traffic that for most people is Lagos’ Achilles heel.

After Uber debuted in Lagos back in 2014, Lagos’ biggest issues seemed to be have been checkmated but boy were we wrong. Not only were the rides still affected by traffic, the rates were too and it just made for a very unpleasant ride, despite the apparent comfort of the vehicles. But Lagos citizens are too resourceful to just sit back and watch traffic continue to ruin their lives forever. Metro Africa Express’ “Max Go” just launched their Motorcycle transit app to take on the traffic challenge that yellow buses, taxis, BRTs and Uber services couldn’t.

While the motorcycle might not be the most comfortable ride, it’s a transport system that could be really useful because every Lagos road user knows that unless you can work from home, sometimes the fastest way to work isn’t the most convenient. Before bikes were banned on highways, they managed to navigate the maze of traffic jams. But armed with GPS technology, it’s easy to imagine Max Go will do an even better job of avoiding traffic.

Oh and get this, the drivers obviously go through a vetting session that begins with psychometric tests because safety comes first. So while your hair might not be in place when you get to your destination and take off your helmet, at least you’ll get there in one piece and on time.

Featured Image Credits: Twitter/maxdotng

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: Uber Vs Okada Vs Danfo: Where productivity meets convenience meets comfort

Listen to Duzzy’s “Call My Line” featuring Zilla Oaks and Ayuu

Posted on by The Native

The handy inventions of this era have made life easy for everybody. Discovery of new music is easier than ever before because of the internet and sometimes, it’s at next to no promotional cost from the artist. With this freedom, independent artist can attempt more niche genres and flex the range of their music’s influence by attempting multi-genre career paths. While this comes at the sacrifice of building any form of viable fan base that will push their releases into music charts, it has worked to expand the outer limits of what constitutes Nigerian music.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWVerYoAWI_/?taken-by=_duzzy&hl=pa

Duzzy may only have three singles available for listens on his Soundcloud, but he just as many genre tags with the latest, “Call My Line” categorized as “hip-hop & rap”. Zilla Oaks and Ayuu feature on the love-song (sort of) and their presence further emphasizes the genre blend as Zilla Oaks sings with a rap flow (or the other way around) and Duzzy follows suit with a similar flow. Ayuu verse is more conventional hip-hop style as he embraces the thumbing bass of the instrumentals.

“Call My Line” details the trials of being in a relationship with a girl whose attitude is tough to deal with. The apparent solution is one of the most useful inventions of this era, the cell phone(now smart phone). Now fixing misunderstandings is a breeze regardless of ego. With emojis, memes and several other conversation starters, make ups are just a dial away.

Listen to Duzzy, Zilla Oaks and Ayuu on “Call My Line” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/_duzzy

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: Ayuu’s “Murderer” is a dream pop experiment that soars

Olamide On Cleaning the Streets and Raising Awareness

Posted on by The Native

Asides entertaining fans and supporters by recording hit songs and performing at live shows, a lot of musicians also like to give back to society in whatever way they know how to. Chance the Rapper, for instance, is no stranger to philanthropy in his hometown in Chicago, JayZ (and Beyoncé) make charitable contributions in his hometown in New York as well, and similarly, over here in Lagos is (arguably) the state’s biggest rapper Olamide giving a free performance to extend his support to the STEM community.

Just a month after his endorsement as brand ambassador for Sterling (Bank’s) Environmental Makeover (STEM) series, Olamide is seen at Lagos state’s landmarks on Thursday, shooting a music video as part initiative to protect the environment and its people. He dons the neon orange overalls alongside mob dancers skating and performing stunts around him, while he sings and raps highlighting the mission and vision to keep Lagos clean.

Giving back to the society is a mutual thing for Olamide seeing as his career’s profit partly comes off rapping and singing about the streets. JayZ is very peculiar with greyscaled videos, but , “Empire State of Mind” his collaboration with Alicia keys’ is a classic that captures New York the same way Baddoo often tries to capture Lagos: the grand hustle city, for a grand master hustler like Olamide.

We should get the full video recorded on Olamide for the STEM initiative outed soon. Meanwhile, peep the snippets beneath the #STEM2017 tag below.

https://twitter.com/lazywrita/status/885479162491940864

https://twitter.com/lazywrita/status/885447696911183872

https://twitter.com/lazywrita/status/885066350418415618

https://twitter.com/lazywrita/status/886149416343805954

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, Read Up: On Environmental Day, The Place of Celebrities and Climate Change

Ugandan singer, Bobi Wine wins a seat in parliament

Posted on by The Native

Words by Ehimenim Agweh

If you are an African millennial and have an interest in seeing more millennials in politics, look no further than Uganda. Reggae singer, Bobi Wine was recently elected into the parliament and officially stamped the place of millennials in shaping the future of Uganda.

https://twitter.com/mgsugSBReview/status/885373533404246016

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu a.k.a. Bobi Wine hit the news after news of his win broke. The singer who ran as an independent candidate first announced his intention to run in April 2017 and represent Kyaddondo East constituency in Wakiso District, in Uganda’s Central Region.His tenure as an elected official began on the 11th of July, 2017.

The 35-year old singer’s line up is not just limited to music and politics. He is also an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and philanthropist. His political journey so far has generated attention, both in his country and overseas and reviving an age old discussion about young people’s involvement in politics.

Congratulations Bobi Wine, please do more for your people and the culture than just winning at the polls

Featured Image Credit: AFP, trtworld.com

A journalist by training, Ehimenim is a lover of history, good books and Game of Thrones. For her, the real world is just another Westeros and everyone is a supporting character. Read and repeat is her motto. Give her a wave on Twitter @EAgweh.

ICYMI, Read Up: Livestock now acceptable means of economic trade in Zimbabwe

50 days abduction, 6 students, 50 days of watch dog silence

Posted on by The Native

Today marks the 50th since six high school students were kidnapped in Igbonla, a city on the fringes of Lagos, somewhere close to Epe. One would easily expect that an incident of such gravity (concerning the lives of young children) will herald excessive broadcast, but even a Google search of “6 kidnapped boys in Lagos” will leave you with out-dated news articles of the day they were abducted. One would also expect that News sites and stations give constant updates of the case’ happenings and demand the return of the poor kids but half the world is left with citizen journalists and active updates from twitter users to keep updated pending their release.

The six students were taken from their school’s vicinity, Lagos State Model College. Initially, they were 10 held captive till the kidnappers asked about their parents’ occupation. Those who told them they’re orphans, have no knowledge of their parents’ phone numbers, or that they have parents as farmers, were let loose, while the remaining 6 haven’t been heard from since May 25th. The Kidnappers remain silent as well.

As more people discover the insouciance from the government and the media, they’ve begun to publicly sympathize; the sympathy snowballing into the hashtag, #Igbonla

Below are some pleas, declaration and demands by twitter users:

https://twitter.com/poabaje/status/885758881317695488

One user even tweets to popular media outlets

A user highlights that the nonchalance results from them being children of the underprivileged in the society

We may have to agree with this last tweet. But then again, with news, the death of a thousand persons in a country only heralds equal effect to the death of 10 in a small locality.

For now, we beat on: Bring back #Igbonla school boys

Feature Image Credit: Twitter/@newsnigerianna

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: Find out what the ‘Streets’ really mean to its firebrands in the face of Injustice

Unused Art Covers Created for SFTOS shows Wizkid values simplicity in Art

Posted on by The Native

The official release of Wizkid’s SFTOS heralds a lot of things ranging from Twitter comments, to appraisals, criticisms, and the release of unreleased works under Wizkid’s internationally packed EP. Few weeks ago, it was Wizkid’s unreleased video for “Come Closer” that got fans talking, many seem to have preferred the lush colors and exuberancy of the unreleased video to the concept used in the official video. The same now applies to Wizkid’s Album art.

When Wizzy released his album art via Twitter and Instagram as a precursor to his SFTOS release, he got tongues waging about how plain the cover art for the most anticipated album of the year looks like. While others liked the art regardless and thought it legendary, comparing it with the head of  a coin.

Now, those who don’t like the official  album art even have more reason to rave.

Earlier today, vvx creative group released four unused art covers for RCArecords, which was created by artist, Koby Martin for Wizkids’s Sounds From The Other Side.

The artworks definitely make a statement creating vibrant atmosphere with its bright colors. It’s clear that with each of the art covers, the artist was intently seeking to tell an African or Afrocarribean story.

While each of the artworks are very detailed, Wizzy needed to make a statement with simplicity, and the official art chosen couldn’t have done it any better for him. Similarly, his official “Come Closer” video is less complex to the concept used in the unreleased video -albeit, still visually appealing.

Visual artists always try to tie in a narrative into commissioned artworks, it’s a clear channel what Koby Martins had going for SFTOS EP. While some may see it as a dogged intent to tell an African story, others see it as the perfect creative expression for the album’s lyricism.

Koby Martins also worked on Wizkid’s “Sweet Love” cover art, which is similarly inspired by all things African.

Feature Image Credit: koby Martins 

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, Read up: Twitter reacts to the first look at the art for Wizkid’s ‘Sounds From The Other Side’ album

Johnny Drille is letting go of loss on “Romeo and Juliet”

Posted on by The Native

After listening past the first 33 seconds of Johnny Drille’s new release, “Romeo and Juliet” you hear a throaty grunt as if to clear the throat, but production works under-bed continues as if to make up for setting up any air of distaste. The RnB Soul singer then continues singing “It’s the hand of God, na him bring you to me”  to a lover, seeking to win her affection when he entreats “would you be my Juliet and I’ll be your Romeo, my love”. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWhcwKTgJi5/?taken-by=johnnydrille

Johnny Drille has often sung about love. His past releases “My Beautiful Love” and “Wait for Me” are equally tied around the theme, with each of them having their own perspective. On his last release, “Wait for Me” Johnny Drille is left painfully heartbroken after he looses his longtime lover to a damned illness and we watched him in such happy beginnings with her, cry his heart out at the song’s end. It’s been 4 months since then and well, they say time heals pain; Johnny Drille has healed and he’s now moving-on on “Romeo and Juliet”. But keep in mind he practices empathy in his music too.

“Romeo and Juliet” kicks off with a little drumming before the guitar accustomed to all Johnny Drille’s music begins strumming. All he wants right now is his lover’s affection, and that’s about all the artist, who just aged 30, narrates on the track.

Released, under his record label, Mavin records, “Romeo and Juliet” is that track you can only get from the only person who does it under the label. This track will remind you of old-time music and in Don Jazzy’s words, “Take your feelings to another Level”

Enjoy!

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@Johnnydrille

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: Try not to cry after watching Johnny Drille’s gloomy video for “Wait For Me”

With a hot dog, SnapChat gave the world a meme and half

Posted on by The Native

Words by Ehimenim Agweh

SnapChat is quite the innovator. With self-destructing texts, funky filters and interactive yet creepy maps, the company seems to be doing alright for itself. Except one recent invention of theirs didn’t exactly go down well with the Twitterverse and was the butt of its jokes.

In a recent foray into augmented reality, SnapChat released a human-like hot dog for the entertainment of the apps users. Basically, it’s a hot dog with legs and arms and a pair of lettuce headphones. The gag is almost reminiscent of last year critical comedy success, Sausage Party. Also, it’s breakdancing. Something this quirky should get people tickled and eager to know more about Augmented Reality, right?

https://twitter.com/ErinZirpoli/status/884953301619531776

The dancing ‘dog which is activated via front camera was taken to be a silly joke as users played with the weird creature in different situations. It simply picks a flat surface and bops on it. Get a moving object near it and it gets carried away. Memes have risen from the hot dog’s antics but another side fears it is a display of a SnapChat that is losing investors and going off the rails. It’s a funny yet weird day for SnapChat and here are the memes to prove it.

https://twitter.com/SnapHotdog/status/884636382542671872

https://twitter.com/comedyandtruth/status/886082923945963524

Feature Image Credit: Jailvian

A journalist by training, Ehimenim is a lover of history, good books and Game of Thrones. For her, the real world is just another Westeros and everyone is a supporting character. Read and repeat is her motto. Give her a wave on Twitter @EAgweh.

ICYMI, Read Up: Soundcloud shuts down two offices and reduces staff by near half

Renaissance Hotel Ikeja is hosting all your fave new acts live this summer

Posted on by The Native

At the Native, we can’t emphasize the importance of providing Nigerian performing arts the space and opportunity to hone their performances skills through live sets. The majority of successful artists currently killing it on stage have either had a background in music (2Face) or risen up through the church ranks (Yemi Alade), cutting their teeth as part of choirs.While this is great, it really doesn’t bode well for the new Gen-Y, DIY artists who create the bulk of their work electronically and rarely factor in concessions for live performances. This is why they need spaces to open their doors to them for music residencies and incubator programmes where they can perform for audiences and try out live techniques.

The Renaissance Hotel Ikeja, is joining the fray early with its three month residency it’s calling Rhythm Wedenesdays for new artists. The new roster will have artists perform every wednesday from 6 – 8pm in the performance space at its executive lounge. The line-up of artists include Mich Straaw, Jazz Atta, Idris King, Soul Scrolls, Tey Chaplin, Kid Marley Yinka Bernie, Barley Any Hook, TMXO, Naya Nnenn and 3rty. It seems the line up was chosen abritarily because the artists come from all genres and at a nice cover charge of N5,000 per person each wednesday, all the artists are involved will get decent commissions if the residency takes off.

So guys, put your money where your mouth is and go out and see these guys do their thing at The Renaissance Hotel Ikeja, all the way to the end of September.

Jojo Abot’s EP just dropped and it is unapologetically black

Posted on by The Native

When Ghanaian alternative singer and multi-disciplinary artist Jojo Abot first gained the attention of mainstream music with her EP FYFYA WOTO , no one was literally prepared for an artist like her. Inspired by Ghanaian traditional music and American neo-soul, unafraid to experiment with sound and often relaying emotion and tone with onomatopoeia and otherworldly chants, Abot’s music came across at once intensely fascinating but also forbiddingly sacred, as though one had stumbled on some ancient ritual and could only watch from afar, granted the rare privilege of observing but never really allowed to participate. For a debut EP, FYFYA WOTO  was a carefully thought out concept album that focused on some seriously heavy topics, including the legacy of slavery, love and misogyny in black relationships and identity both in temporal and physical ways. Her music was so intriguing, she was offered a residency at the New Museum incubator programme to develop her ideas and expand on them.

However a visit to South Africa in 2017 was the unexpected jolt Abot needed to return to the studio and record a follow up EP. As a Ghanaian who’d spent consderable time in countries that had somewhat distanced themselves from the brutality of colonialism and segregation, immersing herself in South Africa’s newly de-segregated post-apartheid country was at times overwhelming for her. Music was the lens through which she could sieve her emotions on the subject and distill a narrative that helped her make sense of these new experiences. The new EP, NGIWUNKULUNKUL  preaches individuality and resistance in the face of terrible racial oppression and is heavily inspired by South Africa’s slum townships. To promote the EP Abot has released a twofer music video for “Gods among men” and “Marching” off the EP, featuring a Abot in futuristic make up and township garb.

This new era of Jojo Abot might be more universal than FYFYA WOTO but it is no less transcendental. And we are impressed as fuck.

Watch “Gods among men/marching“ here.

Eugy’s video for “Prize” will get you grooving all weekend long

Posted on by The Native

If you begin counting the number of music videos that have relied on the party theme, we’ll probably get no where. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing when you think of how much their fans seem to enjoy them. Off Eugy’s debut Ep released in May is “Prize”, which he has now released party themed visuals to. The video would be the second he’s releasing after “Hold Tight”, the EP’s lead single.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWcR5KRh_yl/?taken-by=eugyofficial

“Prize” plays up all the expected romantic tropes and is produced on a dancehall beat by Team Salut, who uses siren noises and DJ scratch accents to underscore the whole party vibe of the pop song. Eugy sings for the most part on “Prize” but switches to a brief Jamaican style rap flow on the third verse.

“Prize” has already been on our playlist since the British-Ghanaian producer-artist put out his Flavourz Ep and this visuals to it just makes it more of a definitive track.

Check Out the official video to Eugy’s “Prize” below.

Featured Image Credit: Youtube/EugyTv “Prize”

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: Read Native’s comprehensive take on Eugy’s Debut Project, ‘Flavourz’

4:44, XXXtentacion and New Rules: all the videos you should see this week

Posted on by The Native

Dua Lipa – New Rules

Already being called the most original video of 2017, pop newbie Dua Lipa’s video treatment for her hit single “New Rules” takes all the tropes of the post break up girl pow-wow and turns them on their head, the colour gradients, the choreography, the diverse models in the video, what’s not to love about this?

2017 XXL Freshman Cypher

Every rap fan knows their faves aren’t shit till they’ve proven themselves at XXL’s annual cypher. Much like in the NBA where new player are given a chance to start their careers with an all star “Rookie Showcase”, new artists are broken into teams for a freestyle session on the hip-hop magazine’s cypher. This year’s edition features Kyle, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Amine, XxxTentacion, Playboi Carti, MadeinTYO, Ugly God, PnB Rock, Kamaiyah, and Kap G who have all released hit tracks this year. Though XXL has only put out the videos for two of the three teams, the fan debates have already begun and the singing rappers appear to be winning while XxxTentacion is the vibe killer.

Jay Z – 4:44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjFL_OMbZGo

JAY-Z albums always sell platinum one way or the other. Whether it’s as a result of his massive following, or he sells a chunk of it off to Samsung or he just gets introspective as he did on his latest album, 4:44; Jay Z releases always get the attention he wants. The album’s title track has also gotten a complimentary video in the form of a short film filled with an array of images, interviews, and phone-filmed clips that depict love, joy, anger, fun, and violence.

El’Vee – Wild Thoughts Afrobeats Version

A mesmerizing gif of Rihanna’s break shaking while she danced in the video for “Wild Thoughts” may be responsible for this video by Nigerian twin singers, El’Vee. The gif surfaced online following Dj Khaled’s release of the Caribbean dance number that samples harmonies from Santana’s “Maria Maria” and it has in turn inspired the Afropop duo to refix it for an “Afrobeat” single. The video is shot on a beach where the sisters dance, piling on the sex appeal and a model attempts to salsa. Could have been better, but it works.

Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth – “See You Again”

Everyone has already seen this video but this week, it broke the record for the most viewed video on YouTube. Park Jae-sang, better known as PSY, has finally gotten kicked off the top of the chart, five years after his “Gangnam Style” single was uploaded on the site. Though it still holds the position for being the first to hit the one billion views mark, Wizk khalifa and Charlie Puth’s Paul Walker dedicated soundtrack for Fast And Furious 6, “See You Again” has ousted it.

Trailer – What Lies Within

Expected to be available in cinemas from September, Tope Tedela, Paul Utomi and Vanessa Nzediegwu have put together a film that reportedly chronicles twenty-four hours in the life of two women; Fiona and Ireti who got mixed up in a situation that adversely affects their loved ones, family and friends. The trailer shows that the film set in Lagos will feature Michelle Dede, Ebele Okaro, Okey Uzoeshi, and Kiki Omeili, Paul Utomi, Ken Erics, Odenike, Tope Tedela and a cameo appearance by Steve Onu (Yaw). Provocative imagery of sex, drug abuse and violence also feature in the one minute long trailer.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Dua Lipa

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 Eugy’s “Prize” video that’s guaranteed to keep you grooving all week and maybe all summer

Jean Feier’s all about the rapid fire bars on “XXX”

Posted on by The Native

There have been way more unexplainable reasons behind a release date but Ghanaian rapper Jean Feier used the auspicious occasion of her birthday to bless us with some new tunes and we are not complaining. Feier’s “Recipe” featuring King Klu was one of the raddest bars dropped by a female rapper in English West Africa and the new single “XXX” proves that shit was no fluke.

“XXX” earns its title with a lot more expletive content than we’ve come to expect from Feier.  She is more confident, as expressed by a new trash talking persona has a brazenness that works, even though it shouldn’t. Feier is already a unicorn, sticking to the classic rap style that most of the new generation rapper seem desperate to ditch or adapt into something more trendy. It is on the back of that loyalty to the original style that Feier boasts, occasionally slips into Ghanaian pidgin calling out all the other rappers who’s flopped in the last year in spite of all the trend chasing, and boasts about her sex appeal, lyricism and the childish niggas that orbit around her, unsure whether to come at as rivals or suitors. She tells us she takes it all in her strides cos of course ‘the sauce ain’t free’.

Looking out for that mixtape; Jean Feier, surprise us maybe?

Listen to “XXX” here.

Soar with Kyrian Asher and his goth-trap musings at “30,000 ft”

Posted on by The Native

Kyrian Asher’s has never been one to shy away from melodrama. Probably because of his obsession with history and classic Greco-Roman art and mythology which is crawling full of vengeful goddesses, petty gods, scandalous betrayals and love children scurried away in dark corners of the earth. Inspired by a helpful dose of Kanye West’s gothic inspired electronica and a need to unfurl reams of emotion other artists would rather hide away under a veneer of street coolness. Asher has become an avatar for the Nigerian emo-rapper, gifted as fuck, in-touch with his feelings and speaking into life the dark things we’d much rather avoid.

Asher’s been pretty silent in 2017, we suspect as a result of a reorientation of his career trajectory (he’s hinted at this a lot on his personal twitter), but the music that has come from him this year, has doubled down on that gothic-larger than life sound, replete with swelling violins and guttural synths trilling through our bones. “30,000 ft” his new single seems to riff off the myth of Icarus and Daedalus, the boy who wore wings of wax and soared too close to the sun. Except that this sun is a forbidden love, intense enough that it burns, metamorphosing into something that is sinister the more vulnerable Kyrian Asher’s protagonist becomes to it. There is no hope for a soft landing, and the song’s final notes, softer and less sinister speak of a disastrous ending.

Update your heartbreak playlists, this summer’s going to be a rough one.

Listen to “30,000 ft” here.

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

Listen: Kyrian Ahser’s “Land of a thousand spires” is a requiem for fear

Q-Dot dissects the aspiration Yahoo Yahoo culture in “Apala New Skool”

Posted on by The Native

As with every generation of music, what is considered fringe and street eventually makes its way into the mainstream, ‘polluting’ it at first, then subsuming to become the new respectable sound. Artists are cashing in on their street credibility, as they have always done, alluring a bourgeoisie tired of their sheltered lives and gilded cages. 9ice who some may call the instigator of this street conscious music once again started a trend with “Living Things” released last year. After he broke down the average street kid’s perception of Nigeria’s Yahoo Yahoo culture without any form of metaphorical filters or hold backs, various other artists such as Junior Boy and Small Doctor have followed in his footstep but Q-Dot’s “Apala New Skool” is more revealing than most.

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

The single was released back in March and while it was instant fire on the street, it didn’t quite catch on in the mainstream. But thanks to Falz’s questioning of the trend that many perceived as a shade to 9ice, “Apala New Skool” was brought to light and Q-Dot has finally released a video to maximize the spotlight.

Given how melodious his iteration of Apala music is, the single goes beyond merely promoting the Yahoo culture, he’s also promoting the Yoruba culture. The Yorubad Boi Music act dissects the reality of people on the street who are tired of their hardship and are determined to earn their living with a Machiavellian attitude. Similar to 9ice’s name dropping on “Living Things”, Q-Dot ends “Apala New Skool” giving a roll call of wealthy people from the street but it doesn’t sound out of place because it’s typical of indigenous genres to hail the rich.

HG2 directs the video for “Apala New Skool” with the ingenuous theme of the life of a performing artist. Retro outfits and props help emphasize the song’s message of the new trend of artist’s affluence using their talent. Watch the video below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/QdotOfficialVEVO

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: Falz calls out your favorite artists for promoting the Yahoo Culture

Where are the Top 8 from The Voice Nigeria 2016

Posted on by The Native

Riding on the waves of nostalgia and television success is the first season of The Voice Nigeria. After 17 episodes and 16 contestants, it has returned to our screens, ready to glean new talent and fresh stars. But before we get fully invested in the new talent of the second season of the Voice Nigeria; we should catch up with the brightest stars from season one.

Words by Ehimenim Agweh

Locked down somewhere in fame and fortune are our faves from season 1. After undergoing rigorous training at the hands of the celebrity judges, Waje, Timi, Tuface and Patoranking, most of them branched out to pursue careers in music and acting. They even recorded a song together. The hearty ringing voices of the top 8 are very much at work and prepping for more greatness. Here’s the joint promotional single for season two.

 

FROM TEAM TIMI

Viveeyan  
After giving the performance of a lifetime at her blind audition, Viveeyan got a spot under Timi Dakolo. Despite not making it to the finals, she still came out a winner. Viveeyan is currently pursuing a career in music and songwriting with three singles to her name. Here’s a snippet from one of her singles.

Cornel

Cornel of the booming vocal chords was a fan and judge favourite last year. His blind audition rendition of R Kelly’s ‘When a woman loves’ is probably even better than the original. He made it to the top 4 and left the second runner up. Despite not being very active in music at the moment, Cornel has a single, Smile Again with an accompanying video.

TEAM WAJE

Dewe
After The Voice Nigeria, Dewe’s sort of fallen into obscurity. But in his time on the show, he managed to hold his audience captive and keep votes coming in. Unfortunately, he wasn’t finals material and got evicted. Nevertheless, he persisted in the outside world with a single, :Love No Be Beans” and a life as a performer. Here’s some Dewe to whet your appetite.

A’rese
Everyone’s favourite baby girl, A’rese is doing well for herself away from the stage where she gained her fame. The first winner of the show, she has gone on to star in a few TV shows including Africa Magic hit, Jemeji and has released a song, Uwe No to cement her place as a multi-directional New Age performer. There’s also her debut single “Uwe No” which features Ladi Poe, adventurous stuff, if you ask us.


Nonso Bassey
Dreamy eyed Nonso gave his fellows a run for their cash as he claimed song after song as his own. He was the sexiest of all the season one contestants, taking on the hallmarks of black sexuality and transforming himself into an alternative sex symbol. He didn’t win but he is doing alright as an actor in the series, Battleground and featured in long time collaborator VJ Adams’ 2016 single “My dream”. Watch it here.

FROM TEAM 2FACE

Brenda
The Meryl Streep of The Voice Nigeria season one was the hipster Brenda who gave her all every episode. Brenda of the Broadway-like perfomances and big gestures was a hit with viewers and judges. Away from the spotlight of The Voice, she has a recording contract with Universal Music Group and a song, ‘Stand.’

FROM TEAM PATORANKING

Patrick
The namesake of the judge whose team he was in, Patrick can ready to grow and learn his way through. His consistent progress from unsure to confident gave him a fanbase ready to support him at every turn. These days, he’s pursuing his music career and making his coin as an Airtel Ambassador.

Chike
The dash and gleam of Chike the heartthrob can never be forgotten or surpassed on The Voice. All through the show, his looks and voice dragged girls to their TVs and phone just to watch his performances. Although an audience favourite for winner, he was named the first runner up to A’rese. Today, he is an actor on Africa Magic soap opera Battleground and took a stab at Jollof afropop with “Fancy U”.

Your top faves guys, let’s see what season two brings.

Vitoria Kimani’s “March Along” video is a retelling of the grimness of child abuse

Posted on by The Native

The street is not the most ideal place for a child to grow up especially when their parents have chosen to result to a life of crime. In most of such communities, those who manage to make it out rely on sport or other entertainment industries to help make something out of their lives. But not everyone will be as fortunate as Jay Z or Wizkid or the beloved Papilo. And Victoria Kimani’s “March Along” has another solution to help kids off the streets. Her video celebrates education as a means for children to overcome pasts of trauma and abuse.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWaofGijF2y/?taken-by=victoriakimani&hl=en

Off her Safari album released last year, “March Along” addresses the struggles of a child forced to grow up too soon because of her exposure to prostitution through her mom and crime through her dad. The horn driven reggae number is the 5th track from the 15 track LP that features Phyno, former label mates, Jagz and Ice Prince as well as Sarkodie and Venessa Mdee for an album dedicated to young women in troubled environments.

The video shot by Iju Ishaga and directed by Joe and UJ Pro is layered with a black and white filter for the most part following the story of young girl who loses her mother to drug abuse and her father to police custody. Victoria Kimani features in a few frames sometime as a face on the TV screen as she sings solemnly. The video’s heroine is seen wearing her school uniform and after her mother’s burial is whisked away in a car leaving viewers to imagine what her future holds.

Victoria Kimani’s video for “March Along” is not particularly heartwarming considering her message of hope but then, it captures the struggles of kids on the street quite adequately.

Watch the video for “Victoria Kimani” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/VictoriaKimaniVEVO

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: The Native Review: What women have been up to for the first half of 2017