XOE Shows Love To Hip-hop On ‘Tales: The Episode Before’

Posted on by The Native

It might feel that that the rap-sung genre has existed for an eternity but in reality it’s less than 30 years old and only began to gain recognition even later. This blend of styles has become the hallmark of great hip-hop collaborations and spawned many innovative collaborations. Daft Punk’s success and Kanye’s dabbling into the genre might have helped popularized Electronic Dance Music but in Nigeria, the following is still very much in it’s infancy.

https://twitter.com/TrillXoe/status/860216393605754882

Electronic sounds would catch on quicker if more familiar pop and hip-hop sounds gave them crossover poetential. Xoe had done that in previous released EP’s Tales and Tales 2, but while the beats had strains of hip-hop, it was still too purist for the average Jollof music loving Nigerian. Xoe’s latest EP, Tales: The Episode Before shows the Euphonic producer embracing the hip-hop scene more wholesomely.

The four track EP starts with “Constellations”, fusing in a bit of reggae with his Space Traveler aesthetic that carries on into “Switch Up”. He ditches his NASA announcements for “Mask On”, a direct sample of Future’s “Mask Off” beat but he left in vocal samples from the original “Prison Song” by Tommy Butler. Metro Booming’s beat got all sorts of hype from the Internet and we have to assume Xoe including his own version on Tales: The Episode Before will help with the publicity of the tape.

The closing song, “I’m Coming” features Psycho on a beat co produced by Tobay. The collaboration is the most hip-hop song adjacent song on the EP and the whole of Xoe’s discography. Thanks to Psycho’s rapid fire rap bars about all the things he supposedly has Xoe can finally claim to have a rap song and no long be relegated as a Fringe EDM artist.

Listen to Xoe’s “I’m Coming” featuring Psycho below.

Featured Image Credit: Soundcloud/euphonicworldwide

 

Listen to Xoe’s “Xoe’s Ode”

Reekado Banks and Vanessa Mdee Catch The Love Bug In “Move” Video

Posted on by The Native

How far would you go for love? Well Vanessa Mdee might not go as far as the moon but she has crossed political and label boundaries for Reekado Banks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT8VjEolr3q/?taken-by=reekadobanks&hl=en

The Mavins recording artist released a new single, “Move” with an accompanying video directed by Clarence Peters featuring Tanzanian pop singer, Vanessa Mdee. For those who didn’t know already, Reekado Banks shows that there’s more to East Africa than Kenya. With Victoria Kimani’s connection to Chocolate City, it’s easy to forget that other East Africa countries also have talents in their music industries unless Vanessa has something to say about it. Leaving her MTV VJ career behind, she has focused more on music and grown more acclaimed with last year’s “Cash Madame” blowing up outside Tanzania.

Produced by Altims, “Move” is a sultry club number featuring a cross-continental romance between Reekado Banks and Vanessa Mdee. Reekado Banks begins with his “gbedu wey dey burst brain” catchphrase declaring that “Move” would fit right into DJ mixes thanks to a similar drum arrangement with Vanessa’s “Never Ever”. The energetic yet oddly somber beat sees him play against Vanessa Mdee’s emotional vocalizing to effectively deliver the song’s message of wooing and  winning a lover’s affection.

Clarence Peters shot the video for “Money” with a storyline that brings to mind Rihanna’s “What’s My Name” featuring Drake. But the traditional African attires and dancers keep it legit.

Watch the video for Reekado Banks and Vanessa Mdee’s  “Money” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Reekado Banks

Watch Reekado Banks turn up with Ycee in video for “Link Up”

Wizkid holds the key to ending the Jollof Wars

Posted on by The Native

Words by Ehimenim Agweh

For your own sanity and safety, do not get involved in the Jollof Wars. But if you are in the mood to hear the most political answer to the question of the ages and probably, the last word on the subject, then head to Wizkid’s BBC 1Xtra interview last week.

Rocking a semi-international accent and a pair of quasi-diving goggles, he sat down with the show’s host, Ace to discuss his music, collaborations with Chris Brown and Drake and his rumored legendary beef with Davido. But the highlight of the question-and-answer session came when Ace broached the ‘Jollof question.’

Wizkid begins by delivering his customary smug grin before he launches into his ‘not here, not there’ answer. Giving an answer which can be summarised as ‘the taste changes depending on the location’, Wizkid gives a reply which quite possibly could be the best answer to the question which has torn Nigerian-Ghanaian friendships asunder. It is as political as a response can get: roundabout and on the fence. He does a good job of evading possible trolling and keeping his good standing with his loyalists across West Africa. Good show, Wizkid. Good show.

Click the video below if you would like to see Wizkid’s interview.

Feature image credit: Youtube/BBC Radio 1xtra

Jay Z Enlists Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, Maleek berry & More for “Made in America” 2017

Hear two surprisingly good singles, “Story” and “Odoyewu” from Minz

Posted on by The Native

Producer artists are usually phenomenal with their individual careers. The cliche that the best producers are even better artists resonates both within and outside the Nigerian industry. Tekno’s production credit on Davido’s “If” and Don Jazzy’s fame as a producer who does just enough singing to make sure one of his talent doesn’t impair the quality of the other. Minz’s joins this privileged bunch as a producer/singer career with indications he is on the right path.

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“Story” taps into the fluid wave of Afropop that became prominent in the sub-genre after Tekno’s “Pana”. Minz produces an effortless cascade of synth piano and guitar riffs with enchanting wind instrument harmonies converging into a mirage of dream-pop purity. He displays candid awareness of his own rare gift by making it clear from the start of the song that he is responsible for all hard work that went into the song’s creation. Designed for dancefloors, “Story” is sparse on plot but Minz’s voice and ad-lib harmonies ensures the single maintains its highest peaks.

Minz gets production help from Mowizzy for “Odeyewu” but not enough to completely leave out his own name from the production credits. “Odeyewu” has the same love song narrative as “Story” but on a quicker tempo. The bass heavy instrumental is held together by poly-synth piano riffs that peak and drop at the sound of a brief flute harmony. Minz delivers lines that are meant to win the heart of a lover with laid back flows and a catchy beat.

Minz has been recording music for over a year, spending more time making beats. While producing good beats and writing good symphonies is a skill that eludes a lot of people, having a good voice that blends perfectly when sprinkled with a touch of auto-tune is a rarity for Afropop. Wande Coal and Wizkid amongst a few others may come to mind as you think of this but for Afropop, they are the exception not the rule. With a producer portfolio under his belt, Minz’s ability to do both is a gift that can really take him to heights that artist with similar gifts have reached.

Listen to “Story” and “Odeyewu” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/minznse

Check out this week’s best new music

Watch Yung L, Chocolate City’s latest signee, in video for his latest single “Cheers”

Posted on by The Native

Words by Fisayo Okare

Every celebrity isn’t always what he or she present their self to be in the spotlight and Yung L’s video explores that concept. On “Cheers” he takes us on a journey starring himself and a motley crew of diverse characters all somehow playing a role in Yung L’s journey to relevance.

The music video for “Cheers” begins with a woman, presumably Yung L’s mum dressed in the Celestial church of Christ white ceremonial dress as she prays in her sitting room for her child (Yung L),

“Oluwa bami gbe ga”.

This represents the typical Nigerian mother and the idea that the intercessions of mothers are integral to the success of their children, as they are the ones who do all the actual praying against all those “enemies” that artists always sing about.

“Cheers‘” acoustic leanings is highlighted with shots of two men hanging out. They are the instrumentalists who will play at Yung L’s party, while the girls that are shown are anticipating the weekend’s festivities. On the side, Yung L’s tailor takes his measurement for the poised outfit he is going to wear at his performance. All is quite calm and boring, but all roads seemingly lead to the weekend.

Artists often have uneventful, even outright boring private lives, every moment of which is geared towards those fleeting moments when the artist gets to slip into their stage personas and really live.

The video ends with shots showing the Choc Boi Nation (CBN) president, M.I Abaga, DJ Lambo and others. They sign out each, as if to show Yung L, their label’s latest signee, is now one with the team.

Check Out Yung L’s video for “Cheers” below.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/yunglmrmarley

Read up: Yung L’s “Cheers” Can Turn Your Monday To A Weekend

Nigerian knitwear label Bloke tackles existentialism with its A/W17 collection

Posted on by The Native

 

It takes some serious cojones to go into fashion in Nigeria. Considering the entire system of doing  business is stacked against the niche producer seeking a tiny but dedicated market. It takes even bigger ambition to start a bespoke men’s knitwear brand, considering our climate and our predisposition for light airy clothing. But Faith Oluwajimi has done just that with Bloke, his conceptual mens knitwear label and drawn the keen interest of local and international labels. His pieces and collection dip deeply into the abstract and require a lot of careful contemplation before they are attempted. But they are intriguing enough that in 2015 Oluwajimi’s label was chosen at one of the 200 emerging labels globally that are changing fashion by Vogue Italia.

Oluwajimi is about change fashion some more with his new AW 17 collection “NOBODY KNOWS YOU” a project on how millennial while constantly connected to other through third party platforms often feel invisible. This invisibility pushes them to seek attention by increasing bizarre acts and gestures. It’s a treatise on existentialism, using the designer’s own life and experiences as a sample size for what is happening elsewhere with young Nigerians. The campaign images are monochromatic, which is sad, considering the clothes portrayed are actually in colour, but perhaps this speaks to the dourness of the lives of the millennials the collection seeks to represent. This is also Oluwajimi’s first time experimenting with actual fabric in his designs.

And it will be interesting to see the whole thing, sans the slight kitschy horror trope in the creative directing. There is some interesting lacing on the pieces and lace detailing that menswear, often hypermasculine and unflattering desperately needs.

Enjoy.

Photo Credits:

BRAND: BLOKE @bloke_ng

PHOTOGRAPHY: Kene Nwatu @kenenwatu

STYLING &ART DIRECTION: Daniel Obasi @iamdasidy

MODELS: Mannie Adesoyin @mannie_be  and  Oluwafemi James @oluwafemior

PR: Vr Creative Agency @vrcreativeagency

Bloke

Bloke

Bloke\

Daniel Obasi brings the antebellum to nigeria in ‘Embers of bloom’

Orinayo Ojo battles with Loss on “?”

Posted on by The Native

Words by Fisayo Okare

The cover art for Orinayo Ojo’s new single, “?” elicits many emotions. You are confused at the intent of the tiny pink balloon just floating in white space and how it relates to the song’s title, curiosity at the message behind its deliberate mystery.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT4yifdjE2e/?taken-by=orinayo_ojo

After listening to “?” and absorbing its context, Ojo’s genius becomes more obvious; from the album art cover to the song’s title, the beat, the tone of his voice and the lyrics, everything symbolizes loss. The theme of loss is evident in all the subtle metaphors.

Orinayo’s “?” has a minimalist balloon design for the cover art, one that has escaped his hold. The realization that it will never return to him triggers a very sinking, empty, and scary feeling– it’s lost into the wide white yonder, never to be seen or touched again. Orinayo’s voice as he croons is the sonic embodiment of his sadness. His voice seems distorted as you listen but it’s heavy with the sadness of heartbreak. So heavy, some of the words are even a bit difficult to comprehend. It’s as though he’s mumbling and hurting at the same time.

“I cannot tell you how I feel,” he says.

This is undeniably, a heartbreak song.

Long time collaborator Kamiti drops a verse on this new release, bringing the same verve he brought to Orinayo Ojo’s previous singles “Siesta” and “Revelations”. Kamiti raps the song’s last verse to tie up the narrative.

Take a moment to listen to question mark by Orinayo Ojo featuring Kamiti below.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/orinayo_Ojo

Straff Taps Orinayo Ojo For New Single “Hotel Tokyo”

FreshL’s Freestyle On Burna Boy’s “Soke” Is More Romantic Than Banky W’s Proposal

Posted on by The Native

As far as muses go in music creation, love takes first place; It stimulates emotions, makes expressing thoughts easier and is probably the most universal theme relateable to any listener.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTyxEKKlv0w/?taken-by=freshldrb

This sets a premise for how FreshL re-purposed Burna Boy’s “Soke” instrumental for a sub-romantic freestyle. Orbeat produced the original version for Burna Boy and also gets production credits for FreshL’s freestyle. The DRB rapper changes Burna Boy’s lyrics on the chorus but retains the same rhyme scheme, taking the the opportunity to show off his voice though assisted by vocoda edits. He also gushes over how much he likes his girl, borrowing lines from Frank Ocean’s “Thinking About”.

Usually, rappers struggle to stick to one subject when they freestyle but the short length of the “Soke Freestyle” makes it easy enough for FreshL’s metaphors to stay on topic.

Listen to FreshL’s “Soke Freestyle” below

https://soundcloud.com/freshldrb/freshl-soke-freestyle-prod-orbeat

Featured Image credits: Instagram/freshldrb

Freshl gears up for whistle blowers on “EFCC Nightmares”

Theblackboyjohn Freestyles Over Jidenna’s “Chief Don’t Run” Instrumental

Posted on by The Native

Jidenna’s diverse repertoire has carried him only so far in his career. Sure, “Classic Man” was very much an hit and it did even better after Kendrick Lamar blessed the remix with a verse. But Jidenna’s album, The Chief wasn’t era defining enough to be called a classic by any standards. Crippled by the absence of actual African features and his inability to stick to one genre, The Chief was only hinted at the greatness Jidenna could reach. “Chief Don’t Run” isn’t the first song to come to mind with that regard since he is more of a singer than a rapper, but Jidenna appears to spend more time writing rap lines and so has more character on his rap songs.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTnBuWVDGD0/?taken-by=theblackboyjohn

That being said, Jidenna’s “Chief Don’t Lie” did really well as a pop single. So much so,  rapper Theblackboyjohn’s took a sample of Jidenna’s beat and did a freestyle on it.

He released a freestyle on his Soundcloud account earlier this week following his performance at Fresh Rhymes Regional Hip-hop Showcase in Dallas. His better understanding of Hip-hop is displayed on the freestyle that retains the same message of being Afrocentric while also showing off his own take on hip-hop. He checks all the right boxes for a Nigerian narrative from his use of Hon. Patrick Obhiagbon’s speech as intro and outro to his lines in pidgin English. He also references everyday events that shows he’s in touch with Nigeria in ways that were obviously lacking Jidenna’s original version.

Listen to Theblackboyjohn’s freestyle on Jidenna’s “Chief Don’t Run” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/theblackboyjohn

Check out Jidenna’s debut album, ‘The Chief’

There’s A New Voice On The Street And He Has A Song With 9ice

Posted on by The Native

I used to wonder why some artists try so hard to affiliate themselves with the street, even when they have to fabricate tales of their street credibility. The insistence at being recognized as a street breed was lost on me till I discovered the subtle trend in the music industry. The bulk of Nigeria’s entertainment is hidden in the streets, waiting to be discovered. Every year, there is at least one new hit maker who manages to break out of street DJ playlists to radio and perhaps TV.

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Granted, not all the artists on the street are talented, but the gems are hidden in the works of those who stick with grit and grime of where they have come. In the past we’ve seen different installations of street artists bringing their own individual brand of street-pop into the mainstream. 9ice’s street-pop “Ganja Man”, Olamide’s “Eni Duro” are examples of two singles that were hot in the streets of Lagos before they gained commercial appeal. Small Doctor, Dotman and CDQ are artists who also similarly built their fanbases from ground-up with local support despite primarily serving a Yoruba target audience. Their post-release following is usually completely organic as well as sentimental. Very little promotion is required before the song becomes a hit and as a result, it could take a whole year before an official video is even released.

But as the artist grows in popularity, label offers, the need for a more marketable brand and so on, often forces them to strip away their street personas in a bid for so-called re-branding, often at the expense of originality. At least until a new street artist like Junior Boy comes along to revive their old selves with a feature.

Junior Boy released “Irapada”, an unofficial refix of DJ Maphorisa’s “Soweto Baby” since last year and it has gradually grown from the street to feature at the One Lagos Festival. “Irapada 2.0” is even better prepared, featuring 9ice’s gruff Fuji-pop vocals. This collaboration is the hottest song on the streets right now and if you haven’t heard it yet, well you’re welcome.

Usually, artists whose songs make it big from the street find it difficult to balance out their appeal between the streets and a more commercial audience. Junior Boy remixing “Irapada” is an easy way out of that conundrum but where does he go from here? Your guess is as good as mine.

Watch the video for “Irapada 2.0” below

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Swerve Innercity

These are the all the five songs that define Olamide’s career

Newly signed DMW artist, Yonda, brings Burna Boy along for “Las Vegas” remix

Posted on by The Native

Remixes for already good songs are tricky. Most remixes occur as a result of the popularity of an original song and the belief that the wave can get even bigger with a few adjustments and additions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTq13Qygann/?taken-by=yonda_music&hl=en

Yonda’s “Las Vegas” already had all the markings of an hit song. He had the beat down with melodies to match it’s dance-hall rhythm. All the newly signed DMW singer needed was an endorsement from an acclaimed artist and Burna Boy is more than a suitable beacon to draw attention to the singer.  The remix appears to be built for the express purpose of giving DJs an extra incentive to play “Las Vegas” because everyone knows Burna Boy song’s are fire on the dance-floor.

The combination of 90’s high-life crooning and of-the-moment drum programming is a great way for the new comer to announce himself into the industry. Yonda does as much singing as pop-hip-hop and he stacks a jumble of questionable metaphors together in a  fluent mixture of Yoruba and English. This might be a flaw elsewhere but Yonda displays a canny understanding of his strengths on “Las Vegas”.

Listen on the remix of “Las Vegas” below featuring Burna Boy.

https://soundcloud.com/africanscangossip/yonda-las-vegas-remixft-burna-boy

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/yonda_music

7 Burna Boy songs you have to get high to

The man who gave us two of the biggest songs of the last 12 months back to back is not who you think

Posted on by The Native

Words by Fisayo Okare

If you’ve become familiar with the light drum and synth patterns on the instrumentation of Tekno’s “Pana” and Davido’s “If”, then you should recognize it as soon as you hit play on Krizbeatz’s produced single “Erima”. And it’s no surprise that these three songs seem to be a rendition of the same beats, as it’s the music producer who began it all that’s produced this new release.

Krizbeatz first created the wave with Tekno’s hit single “Pana”, which Tekno later recreated the same wave for Davido’s “If”. On “Erima” Krizbeatz brings both artists on board to maximize, for full effects, what already seems to be a defining Afro pop sound. It is also noteworthy that Selebobo’s “Waka Waka” shares a lot of similarity with Tekno’s “Pana” and Davido’s “If”. To avoid languishing the un-credited uncelebrated place, where many Nigerian producers go to die, Krizbeats is riding his own wave. Tekno and Davido are along for the ride but it’s hard to ignore they are on a song with the man who crafted two of the biggest songs in the last 12 months, back to back. Oft-times, Krizbeatz has tagged himself the ‘Kingofnewwave’, but hey, who hasn’t?

Check out Krizbeatz’s “Erima” featuring Davido & Tekno below.

Feature Image Credit: Instagram/Krizbeatz

Davido to tour Nigeria with New material

The Shuffle: Before there was trap music made for twerking, Lagbaja had “Konko Below”

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Odd balls are common for any music scene in world and Nigeria has a fair share of its own. From Fela’s harem of many wives to Charlie Boy’s goth-punk androgyny, Nigerian entertainers have managed over the years to both be eccentric and mysterious in their ways. One artist who took his penchant for mystery even further is Lagbaja, Nigerian’s own masked non-superhero who did not only cover his face with a physical mask but also experimented with a wide range of unusual ideas and sound shifts.

In 2001, Lagbaja topped the charts with “Konko Below” off his We before Me album. Musically, “Konko Below” is a wonder-work of acoustics, African drums and layered vocals from Ego Ogbaro, all perfectly primed for Lagbaja’s peculiar Afro-Jazz. Between that epic drum breakdown—everyone born in the 90s would probably mime beat-for-beat—and Ego’s sultry interlude, there is really no need to emphasise how good a song “Konko Below” is. The everlasting relevance for Lagbabja’s timeless classic however, is the accompanying dance move of the same name, involving the gyration of the hips and lower back while in a low squatting stance. More or less, a sexually tame variation of twerking.

Of course, this not to say Lagbaja started the twerk movement that eventually became an internet-wide trend in the age of Instagram. Research into similar dance moves however, reveals twerking has West African origins. Pre-colonial Ivorian women have always danced the ‘mapouka’ and in Senegal it was called the ‘leumbeul’. In fact, similar dance moves where the buttocks is isolated from whining hips all bear African and Afro-Latino origins. The first evidence of twerking in popular music was noted in 1993 by American rapper, DJ Jubilee. Twerking has risen in popularity since then, from strip poles to social media.

Its safe to say therefore that twerking is another part of our African culture that has been appropriated by the rest of the world. And despite the sexual undertones of “Konko Below” , Lagbaja was really just celebrating how our foremothers liked to get down.

Agreed, Lagbaja may not have originally blessed us with the twerk, but he honoured our African ancestors by Nigerian-izing it as “Konko Below” and we are grateful for this

Revisit Lagbaja’s “Konko Below” via Apple Music here

Juls’ “Early” feat. Maleek Berry and Nonso Amadi is named Best new music for this week and here’s why

David Oyelowo to star in another true-life drama after Selma, “Arc of Justice”

Posted on by The Native

Words by Fisayo Okare

David Oyelowo is a busy actor and producer. Within the past 12 months, he has starred in 3 major feature films: “Five Nights in Maine”, “Queen of Katwe” and “A United Kingdom”. In the months to come, he is to star in “Only You”, (which he is also co-executive producing), “God particle” ( the next film set in the “Cloverfield” universe) and as just recently announced, he is poised to star in “Arc of Justice”, a film about a court room trial involving race, murder and civil rights.

The movie is an adaptation of a 2005 book, “Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age”, by Kevin Boyle, an author and historian. The book, which is a true story, won Kevin Boyle the National Award for non-fiction in 2004.

Accordingly, the book tells the true story of a racial incident in 1925 Detroit that put the black man and doctor, Ossian Sweet on the stand for murder. Ossian Sweet had just bought a new home in a white neighbourhood in America before desegregation was mandated by law. A white mob tried to force him out of his home, and he fought back, leading to the unintended death of one of the whites threatening his family’s lives and home. In the end, Sweet, his family and friends who helped in the defense of his home, were all acquitted by an all-white jury of murder charges, in what came to be known as “the Sweet Trials”.

His defense was funded by the nascent National Association for the Advancement of Coloured people (NAACP) and was led by legendary lawyer, Clarence Darrow. All this happened in 1925, with the rise of the right-wing extremist movement, KKK.

David Oyelowo has signed on to star in the movie adaptation as the lead character, Ossian Sweet. But information is still kept under wraps as to if it’s Ossain sweet’s life that will be emphasized or Clarence Darrow’s, who took on Sweet’s case and transformed him into a controversial symbol of equality. Perhaps, it’ll focus on both as lead characters.

The Mark Gordon Company is set to finance the movie, José Padilha will direct and the scripting is by Max Borenstein. While the release date for Arc of Justice isn’t announced yet, David Oyelowo’s feature on “God particle” is out this October.

Featured Image Credit: “Selma” 

23 year old Nigerian American writer, Tomi Adeyemi earns a deal with Fox 2000 and Macmillan for her debut novel “Children of Blood and Bone”

Watch video for Burna Boy’s Spiritual Single, “Hallelujah”

Posted on by The Native

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQQax79BS6B/?taken-by=burnaboygram&hl=en

After peaking fan anticipation for a project was met with a low-profile, Redemption EP last year, Burna is back in the UK on tour and re-energized towards future prospects.

“Hallelujah”, is Burna’s first single of the year. Burna grateful for his achievements on this pseudo-spiritual track, he details his struggles and challenges and thanks God for overcoming them.

Burna’s Redemption EP and return to the UK, set him on a new somber path since last year.  Some of this solemness is reflected in the accompanying video for “Hallelujah” with shots of Burna in white overalls on the mountain high. The shots are criss-crossed with him in church and surrounded nature, alongside other symbolisms of holiness and reaching for heaven.

There are no upcoming project in sight for Burna, but the singer seems to have found a new inner peace that has reflected in the mellow feel of his latest releases. Whatever version of Burna Boy we are getting on his next full length album, will either be a Burna we have always known, or someone entirely different. Either way, we can’t wait.

Check out Burna Boy’s “Hallelujah” below.

NB: This is an updated version of the original post made solely for Burna Boy’s “Hallelujah” single.

Watch Burna boy in wonleto by P.R.E

Dusten Truce just went social justice warrior on us on “Pablo Dieziani 1.0”

Posted on by The Native

So here at the Native, we believe that it isn’t enough for artists to make good music, find fan bases and ‘blow’ as it were. If they want to truly find longevity, they cannot ignore the socio-political climate that directly or indirectly influences their ability to make music. But it also isn’t enough to ape the artists who have come before you, and blindly replicate their ideas hoping to gain the socio-political traction they did. You have to find your own way and make music that comes form you. Perhaps someone is listening because rapper Dusten Truce just went all social justice warrior on us, dropping his two cents on the pervasive corruption that defines our continued existence as a nation.

“Pablo Dieziani”off Dusten Truce’s new EP 23 to Life, is an amalgam of Mexican drug lord Pablo Escobar and former Nigerian minister of petroleum resources and accused money launderer Alison Dieziani Madueke. Both came to control obscene amounts of wealth by fraudulent means and publicly bragged about their wealth before they were either arrested or had their wealth frozen/confiscated. The instrumental is discreet enough to not struggle for prominence with Truce, only a skeletal bass Midi drum loop, a hokey piano solo and Dusten Truce’s voice. He references the abysmal state of public infrastructure in the country, the widespread corruption that starts at the very apex of the government and trickles down to NEPA staff. He even references the recent Whistle blower policy with which the government is currently fighting corruption and uses it as a metaphor for how tempted he (and most of us to be honest) are to either join in the carnage or seek to profit from it.

But ultimately Dusten Truce only cares about one thing, making sense of it all, and perhaps this helps him do that.

Listen to “Pablo Dieziani” here.

Best New Music: Juls make Maleek Berry and Nonso Amadi shimmer on “Early”

Deena Ade is crazy, sexy, cool on “I Miss You”

Posted on by The Native

It seems a cardinal sin that neo-soul singer Deena Ade isn’t already on your playlists. The British Nigerian Deena has been quietly racking up a retinue of songs with shoe-gaze inspired lyrics saturated with unrequited longing, jazzed up with tribal influenced instrumentation. Her catalog is familiar but original, literally heartbreak you can jive to.  She has been very busy this year, putting out two singles, January’s “Diggin’ Me”, and last month’s “I don’t”, and now a third, “I Miss You”

When I wrote I Miss You, I wanted to highlight the emotions I experience towards my ex after I’ve been out drinking. I miss you, but I miss you even more when I’m drunk.

Post-bender introspection is always a great way to explore emotions in music, and artists like Drake have elevated the form, so it really isn’t surprising to see Deena Ade take it on, using a rambling confessional style as a way to let us into her head. She slurs through the verse, exaggerating her vowels, emphasizing her desire, constantly tempered with regret. But the music isn’t always slow and languid, after the first verse, the song’s dream pop synths are shaken up by a decidedly afrobeats drum loop. This is the point where dance provides clarity, for her, and for us. She is more urgent in response to frenetic beats, we have no choice to follow, to dance away our need, our longing, our abandonment.

There are many women in “I Miss You” and Deena Ade embodies them all, she is crazy, sexy, cool, she is you.

Listen to “I Miss You” here.

These are our picks of essentials from juls’ “Leap of faith” EP

Best New Music: Juls lets Maleek Berry and Nonso Amadi shimmer on “Early”

Posted on by The Native

You ever sat in a room with African music playing in the background and suddenly caught off guard by a distinct voice or melody? Usually the next question you ask whoever owns the playlist is ‘Who is this?’ or perhaps more dramatically, ‘Why the hell is this the best thing since (Nigerian) Jollof?’. If this happened to you over the past few months, the song was probably sung by Maleek Berry or produced by Juls, or like our case-in-point, both.

It’s no longer news that producer only projects often sail under the radar, but since Juls announced his Leap of Faith EP, one of the major points of anticipation has been a tracklist featuring some of the most promising names of modern Afropop. Though a pre-announced Burna Boy feature on the cover art Juls shared last week failed to make the final cut, fans will not be disappointed with the eventual 9-track serving. Particularly with Juls lead single and Leap Of Faith crown jewel, “Early” featuring Maleek Berry and Native fave, Nonso Amadi.

Nonso Amadi’s gentle adlibs open “Early”, a tribal chant follows, then drums set in allowing Nonso sail on the rhythm with a series of questions about time of day to an unnamed lover. Maleek Berry has been on a  row in the past few months, but his role here is relegated to a slick second verse drenched in sexual references while maintaining his exotic Yoruba-Caribbean drawl. Once again, Juls avoids production overwrought with multi-layered instruments and auto-tune for the near-minimalist sound he carefully curated and mastered with Mr Eazi.

As Afropop continues to ease its way into the global mainstream, a few things have become apparent: vocals are great, songwriting is even better, but clean production wins it all. This is the greatest success Juls, Maleek Berry and Nonso Amadi achieve with ease on “Early” thanks to the crispness of British neo-Afropop and the ambient touch of Nonso Amadi’s sub-romantic melancholy.

Listen to “Early” our best new music for this week below

Featured Image: Instagram/@MaleekBerry

Burna Boy’s “Rock your body” was named Best New Music for last week

Kiss Daniel was the brightest thing about 2016’s music and now he’s about to do it again with “SOFA”

Posted on by The Native

Words by Fisayo Okare

It takes a lot to captivate people with music and I for one haven’t given much thought to Nigerian music only until recently. I can’t deny that Kiss Daniel receives quite a good reception. His song “Woju” is probably the only song I’m familiar with because it has been everywhere since it came out. More so, he bagged three major award at last year’s Headies, of which two were to reward his efforts off his New Era Album. Interestingly, his music transcends age barriers because while he has a good following on social media, aunties and mummies boogie down to his music too. You see, I have been quite indifferent but I don’t want to be left out this time and so I’m looking forward to be impressed by his next album. But while it’s uncertain when that would be released, Daniel has promised to release a new single on the 15th of May.

The release date will mark a year since the release of New Era and Daniel has shown the cover art cover for “Sofa” on his Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTqf7RrjpWB/?taken-by=iamkissdaniel

“Sofa” will be Daniel’s first single since his widely successful album. The new single could be a feature on his sophomore album and the you can be sure the critics have set the bar a tab bit higher by now. Because truth is, your second album buys you a place in not just the hearts of more fans and supporters, but a place in history. Those first two albums of your music career are what will go on to be referenced each time your name is mentioned. So, I will be here sipping my tea and looking forward to what Daniel has to offer on  “Sofa”.

Feature Image Credit: iamkissdaniel

Read about how Kiss Daniel almost got cancelled because of the statement he made about booty twerking women

Yung L’s “Cheers” Can Turn Your Monday To A Weekend

Posted on by The Native

My favorite wise saying, “No reasonable person likes Mondays” is not popular. Well, mostly cause I just made it up but also because lately, it has gotten really attractive to be different. Really though, Mondays can be a cup of piss when weekends get really busy from a social calendar swamped with events and barely any breathing space. When you eventually get around to having fun, you sacrifice the time that should have been spent resting. And since it’s obviously not our fault, Monday gets the blame for our lack of rest through the weekend. But while we wait for a proper politician to come help us negotiate the length of the weekend, Yung L seems to have some adventurous ideas on the weekend.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT0rZnAAVFy/?taken-by=yunglmrmarley&hl=en

Music’s ability to set moods is amplified on Yung L’s latest release “Cheers”. TUC produces the lively Afropop beat with trumpets, piano riffs, synth sounds and a drum baseline. The theme of the song is easy enough to get from preppy synth sounds that give the song a turnt Caribbean atmosphere. Yung L uses this to preach the gospel that any day can be a weekend if the mood is right.

“We turn a weekday to a weekend. Pour the Henny in the cup. Put the Ciroc on the rocks, Put the Martel in the cup. Make we turn up in the spot”

While I won’t advise anyone to go ahead and follow his simple recipe for a good Monday, I can definitely get behind his message of making the most of every opportunity to have a good time. Also I don’t think the weekend gets the appreciation it deserves. “Cheers” is catchy and will feature at parties with the same vigor that Mo’hit’s “Pop Something” did.

Listen to Yung L’s “Cheers” below.

https://soundcloud.com/afro-songz/yung-l-cheers

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/yunglmrmarley

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Davido Live in Chicago 2017

Posted on by The Native

Words by Fisayo Okare

If you were wondering how big Davido’s “If” would get when he released it, well, wonder no more. His recent concert at the Harold Washington Cultural Center in Chicago had an impressive turn out. Special Ed, Davido’s official hype man was the concert opener and he spent the first few minutes making a whole show of introducing Davido and the rest of Davido’s set, ad-libbing and echoing Davido’s lines while he performed, supposedly to fill the dead air from the audience. Normally they have some chemistry but Special Ed was just too much, and his hyping often went from enhancing the concert to distracting the audience. But who knows, maybe that was the point. Thankfully, by the time the set list got to “If” the audience basically rendered him redundant.

Davido began with his set with past releases and features from “Dami Duro” to “Ekuro”, “All of You”, “Gobe”, “Tchelete”, “Shoki”, “Nek-Unek”, “Gallardo”, “Dodo”, “Osinachi”, “Bahd Baddo Baddest”, “Skelewu”, “Money”, “Aye” and then he closed out the set with “If”.

The energetic performance had some major distractions, which made the entire thing hard to watch. There was just way too much happening on the tiny stage. There were too many people just milling around, not quite doing anything we could discern. Then there was the reams and reams of exposed wiring that made the stage feel like it was half way being constructed before the show started. I for one don’t like to see photographers and videographers when watching a concert footage, because who then was officially commissioned if I can see more than one person on stage taking videos and pictures. In short, the commotion made the medium sized stage quite a sight to behold. ‘Boisterous’ is the word I’ll use to describe the concert.

It seems those who released the video for the live concert also didn’t do much to clean up the raw material. But hey, it’s still worth the watch.

Check out the Video for “Davido Live in Chicago 2017” concert below.

Feature Image Credit: Instagram/Davidoofficial

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