Rumours of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim reboot of cult classic, Samurai Jack have been swirling across the internet since last year. Last night, the studio released an official trailer with Jack in a darker, apocalyptic future where mega-mystical archvillain Aku seems to have won a decisive victory over him. Jack has stopped aging and is facing down what looks like a final battle against a female villain sent by Aku.
Much of Samurai Jack’s art remains consistent with its earlier seasons, only the ideas seem to have shifted. The trailer gleans themes of eternity, mortality and the much-needed gore, a show about a badass sword wielding Samurai should have always had anyway.
The highly anticipated fifth season of Samurai Jack will premiere on March 11th on Adult Swim.
Becoming a pop culture icon in Nigeria is a slight between impossible and act of God.
Impossible because, many of the dominant subcultures in Nigeria are heavily influenced by foreign culture, so thought leaders never live long enough to become icons before they are erroded by younger generation trendspotters (and the cyle continues). Act of God because, occasionally you find rare exceptions like MoHits, a super-group that transformed and dominated the Afropop genre before disappearing after one acclaimed album, Curriculum Vitae.
Off that experimental project and peak of power for the now defunct MoHits crew is “Pere” the second single off the 2007 album. “Pere” loosely translates as “Once” or “One time” and it’s based off a simple instrumental concept; dancehall drum-kick-snare meets toungue drum taps, a piano baseline and Wande Coal’s breezy vocals on chorus.
On “Pere”, Mohits frontmen, Wande Coal and D’Banj unknowingly profess love to the same woman Don Jazzy has already scored. The woman’s perspective is obscured through the track, but it’s not unclear why she chose a visibly richer Don Jazzy over Wande Coal and D’Banj who both make bizzare promises, but also admit they would bail if her boyfriend crashed the party.
“Pere” comes from the same line of near classics that made up MoHits debut and only album, but its greatest highlight till date remains Wande Coal’s Fuji-inspired bridge and song closer. EDM may be doing it now, but in the past may Afropop club bangers did not come with heartfelt lyrics like Wande Coal creased on “Pere”. It’s nearly odd when it first kicks in, but Wande stays on beat, eventually easing out of the abruptness of his entry into an ultimate vocal finesse for an already fire song.
If you want to feel the nostalgia of the good old days when the sky was sunny and MoHits ruled, you should listen to the group at their creative peak on “Pere” below.
French Fashion hasn’t been exactly open to black creators, in fact European fashion as a whole hasn’t been very good to creators of colour. In the last decade only one high profile black designer, Olivier Rousteing of Balmain has helmed a major French fashion house. Save for him, Stella Jean and her eponymous label, Armando Cabral and his eponymous label and British Nigerian designer Duro Olowu, there are barely any black designers at the helm of European labels. But that seems poised to change now that Ghanaian American designer Virgil Abloh, creative director of Milan based high end designer label Off-White is in talks to take over at Givenchy.
Abloh is a creative success on par with Demna Gvasalia of Vetements and Balenciaga, starting his Milan based label only in 2014 and growing it from relative obscurity to one of the biggest alternative labels in the world. Combined with his work for Kanye West design label Yeezy and his work Kanye West and Jay-Z’s collaborative album Watch The Throne (which won him a grammy) and a nod from the internationally acclaimed Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) Prize for emerging designers, after only one year of running Off White. The last time a designer gained this much critical acclaim from design peers, it was Hedi Slimane at Dior, praised effusively by Karl Lagerfeld.
The opening at Givenchy comes as the label’s last creative director the inimitable Ricardo Tisci leaves, possibly to take over the reins at Italian design house Versace, which has been run for nearly two decades by Donatella Versace. Tisci’s shoes will be very hard to fill, but with Abloh’s defined aesthetic, he seems up to the task.
If Abloh is chosen he will become the second designer to head a Haute Couture Fashion house, and the first to do so without any formal training or apprenticeships under European designers. Raf Simons may have to eat some humble pie very soon.
Tinny Entertainment doesn’t play. Fresh off announcing that it has signed rapper Bella Alubo and afro-pop singer Dapo Tuburna, the label has put out the first video release for Tuburna’s single Nothing, the first off a yet unnamed EP. It is interesting that Tinny Entertainment is partnering with The Zone Agency, Tuburna’s previous agency to release the video. It stands to reason that this unlikely collaboration will extend to the rest of the EP, which was most likely recorded under T.Z.A.
The video for Nothing directed by Avalon Okpe, doesnt stray too far from the effective but well worn trope of street anthems that showcase the artist in the grittier parts of Lagos, they even thrown in a live band just for kicks. Some animation keeps things interesting and Avalon Okpe is a genius with drone shots but ultimately thematically this a video we’ve seen a thousand times before. Dapo Tuburna needs not worry, Nothing will find it’s audience. But he needs to bring it for his next song.
Olawumi’s voice is the ice cold pitcher of water we need on hot summer afternoons, the blissful sigh of relief after traffic frees up. The Nigerian-American photographer-turned-R’n’B songstress recently released a bouncy new single “Alone” produced by NBHD Nate, her fellow New Jersey native.
On “Alone”, Olawumi sings about a lover she is ready to take it above and beyond with on a bed of bubbly synths and thumping bass. The total effect is a perfect seamless production that’s nothing short of amazing.
Oliver El-Khatib premiered Drake and Wizkid’s third collaboration on OVO Sound Radio last night. He also gave an update on Drake‘s forthcoming project More Life, assuring fans that “everything’s moving along nicely”, and we should all stay tuned for more”.
“Hush-Up The Silence” comes after Drake’s “One Dance”, Wizkid’s “Ojuelegba” remix and many months of speculation that the duo are sitting on unreleased joint material.
It’s unclear if this is the first song off Wizkid’s EP, “Sounds From The Other Side”, but the Starboy has been hinting working on new music for a while. The next few weeks should come with more details on any upcoming projects and if we’re lucky music. (Bless us Daddy Yo!)
Listen to “Hush Up The Silence” at the 60.15 mark:
You haven’t heard about Dami Oniru? Okay, you need to crawl out of that hole you’re under let us educate you. She put out her first official single Iyawo mi late 2015 quickly following it with a less played but more popular cover of Sam Smith’s Stay With Me. Since then her profile has grown, helped along by a string of other singles experimenting with different styles, all buoyed by Oniru’s vocal proficiency and mellifluous voice.
After a five months hiatus, Oniru is back with her first single of 2017 and a decidedly different song. Gone are the afro beats leanings and in is a stripped back sound allowing her vocals to stay the focus of the new project. FALLIN follows the tradition of all great R&B torch songs, simple metaphors, repetitive lines for emphasis and adlibs that take the place of instrumental solos. The riffs on Oniru’s new song FALLIN will immediately remind you of the chord progressions on Rihanna’s hit single Stay, but she makes it her own with a base of heavy trap-esque percussions.This might not be the song that Oniru wil break into the mainstream with, HassBass disappoints on the production side of things, the sound is grainy and electronic sounding, especially the piano synths which on a ballad like this, needs to be crisp and understated. But this sonic grittiness will find it’s audience anyway.
All we need to do now is pray that Dami Oniru finds a producer truly worthy of her talents. Then we’ll see magic.
If you believe the signs and the media, it is the end of the traditional record label. Streaming and subscription services like iTunes and Netflix has taken a lot of the power of producing and marketing an artist out of the hands of labels and put artists directly in charge of their revenues. Youtube and social media has also added to this phenomenon, allowing artists do their own PR and build their own brands without interference without a publicist hovering over their shoulders. Labels are finding out that they have to adapt to the times, abandon rigid but widely accepted methods of artist acquisition and management for flexible, tech influenced alternatives. That is why new Nigerian record label Olma Records‘ new project Push Good Music is very interesting to us.
The label is pushing out a collective EP pairing artists from multi-genres with different producers to create one of a kind music. The collective idea isn’t exactly new in Nigeria, Temi Dollface, Ikon, Funbi and Poe were all part of last year’s The Collectiv3 EP, easily one of the best pieces of music to come out of the country in a while. While the album was merely a press kit for the contributing singers/rappers and lacked any form of cohesion, it managed to introduce all the artists to the wider audience and Funbi and Poe have gone to become underground darlings. This might be what Olma Records is trying to recreate.
The Push Good Music EP itself is quite impressive for a roster of emerging artists, the music zig-zagging wildly from contemporary Jazz to classic R&B to Nu wave Afropop and Fela heavy afrobeats. Celebrity producers like IBK Spaceship Boi (who has produced and toured with Bez Idakula), Charles Uko and AV Magik sprinkle magic on the tracks, drawing the best out of the singers. The songs are all sonically superior but Fizzy K’s Fela inspired tribute Woman Wrapper and Jable’s Eternal Valentine put them both as our clear cut favorites to gain a mainstream audience. Fizzy K especially, it is time we found another alternative singer to continue in the niche expanded by Simi and Yemi Alade. Tim Lyre’s Fake is speaks to his experience in the industry, a carefully crafted, self published, radio friendly hit. Mykle, Joyce Olong, Chidi, Paul B and Isah all have some growing to do as artists before they truly own their sounds, but they’re off to a good start.
Olma Records has a pretty interesting roster, and we’ll be watching to see how things turn out for them.
There aren’t many things you’d expect to come out of Spain; sweet red wine, Matadors and conquistadores and of course the Flamenco. What you wouldn’t expect is a Gospel inspired indie rock band with a Nigerian lead singer. Paradise Motel (or Motel Paradiso, not to be confused with the Australian band of the same name) is a new direction in Spain Basque region, traditionally associated with white-led Metalcore bands.
Nigerian born Spaniard Wekafore Jibril is Paradise Motel’s lead and songwriter, and together with Ruben Matoes and Sendoa Cardoso, he brings Negro Spirituals and classic sixties bop sounds to a new generation of listeners, following paths that black musicians have trod on their way to pop stardom for decades. Singers like Amy Winehouse and Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine have also grown a massive following from making choral style music accessible to pop audiences.
Their debut single “Holy Ghost” is heavily influenced by Gospel inspired music and it would be easy to pigeonhole the band as a gospel band but while Jibril’s music repeatedly references Christian iconography and imagery, the band asserts that they are an indie-rock band whose lyrics merely draw inspiration from personal struggles. Jibril’s voice reminds of Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, as he sings of despair and a pervasive darkness that he seeks escape from, a higher power to come change things. It’s definitely going on our playlist.
The band is releasing their debut EP, EgoSex,later in 2017.
Check out the music video here.
And a stellar acoustic version if that’s your thing.
‘Best New Music’ is a new column we will be publishing every Monday to bring you a review of our critics’ choice-pick.
Ahead of peaking levels of feverish anticipation for its February 10 release, Mr Eazi has released “Tilapia”, a third single off his upcoming Accra to Lagos mixtape.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP9m_LuAOiC/
To accentuate the cross-border theme of Accra to Lagos, “Tilapia” is a high-life inspired number featuring Ghanaian rapper Medikal and produced by Nigeria’s Del B.
“Tilapia” comes after the release of his debut set’s lead single, “Leg Over” late last year and “In The Morning” featuring Big Lean at the end of last month.
https://youtu.be/TE3HeZTPV30
Mr Eazi’s Accra to Lagos is now available for pre-orders via iTunes.
“Our Way of Living” is the literal translation of Modus Vivendii, and rarely has there been a more apt description of a line and brand as a whole. Over the last two years, Modus Vivendii has morphed from a clothing line that was seemingly just extensions of the larger than life characters of the three founders (Ola, Jimmy and Anthony), to a high-end streetwear brand with a clear demographic and an evolving identity.
Building on their militia-inspired previous collection, Modus Vivendii present: These Are My Church Clothes ’17. As the name of the collection suggests, the boys from Nigeria are looking invent their own Sunday’s Best. “These Are My Church Clothes came about in an effort to break away from a traditional mindset & not [to] allow convention to dictate mindset,” co-founder Jimmy Ayeni told The NATIVE via email. “It was chosen to represent the youth’s freedom of expression in a new age.”
Modus Vivendii are making significant strides to position themselves in a rapidly evolving African fashion market, and their youth-first approach will be sure to reap rewards if they remain consistent in quality.
Modus Vivendii’s latest collection, These Are My Church Clothes, is now available for purchase here.
Legendury Beatz made its first move this year, dropping a joint single with rave of the moment, Mr Eazi titled “Heartbeat” a few days ago. The Producer-Songwriter duo behind Wizkid’s globally acclaimed “Ojuelegba” also announced a new project Afropop 101 and this single might be a lead off the project.
Mr Eazi sings about cheating girlfriends and salutes girls who stay strong with their man over Legendury Beatz’s EDM-Afropop earworm and creates the perfect balance for this new Summer-inspired jam.
So far so good, we’re looking forward to more collaborations between Eazi and Legendury Beatz. Hopefully, there will be more of Eazi on Afropop 101.
Edit: The 9-Track project, a vibrant mix of different sounds, from hip hop, to electro-house featuring Simi, Wizkid, Timaya and Niniola is out now. Listen.
Okay, first off I’m about to kick someone’s ass. Who the hell at OBFW is responsible for that cliff hanger ending in Episode one? Because that person is a scammer who lives for drama. Had us all totally scammed.
In hindsight, I should have known there was no chance in hell that Charles, the web show’s protagonist would get run over by a car at the end of the first episode, especially when the episodes are like 15 minutes long maximum. But I was kind of expecting it to be some kind of plot device to justify just how much time it would take the show’s main characters to settle into themselves. Congratulations y’all, you deserve to join Donald Trump’s cabinet.
SPOILER ALERT
If you haven’t seen episode two, do it here, and if you don’t, continue at your own peril.
Episode two starts off where it left off, with hunka-hunk Charles in ‘exercise’ gear. He gets run over (my chest) and wakes up in bed, revealing to us, the scammed, that it was just a nightmare. Pretty ordinary scene, except that bros Charles is wearing an expensive leather watch when he gets out of bed. Who wears an expensive leather watch to sleep. Continuity people at OBFW, WYD?
After the fantastic opening montage (someone please find me who sang that song) we see Charles at work, Mac at hand, looking as crim-crim as he does in spandex. Jade hits him up to remind him that they still have to meet and discuss his list of potential wives and after he gets a skype call from a work colleague, informing him that his boss is looking for him. When he does track the boss down, turns out his boss is a total tool who without barely looking at him, informs him another colleague’s been fired and Charles is taking over the accounts he oversees. As a colossal asshole, he informs Charles he has a briefing in an hour and insinuates he’s going to get sanctioned if he doesn’t close the contract. Worst part, the thing Mr Boss is so busy doing that he can’t even bother to look Charles in the face is virtual Chess.
DA FUCK?!
Me drinking so I don’t have to reach into my television and kick someone’s ass.
Charles is sha a big boy so he better be able to handle himself.
Jade on the other hand needs a lot of help. She calls Kemi to complain that Tunde, the mythical guy from Episode one who Kemi was trying to hook her up with somehow got her number and called her. Kemi’s already had it up to her with Jade’s forming and disregards her completely. Her complaint done, Jade turns to the real reason she called. She needs a favour from Kemi’s husband; discounted tickets from his airline. Turns out Kemi hasn’t heard from her bae since he last flew for his company which she chalks up to his ‘work’.
Okay gurl.
They sha get into Charles infamous list, and while Jade has a dozen names on her list, Kemi only has two; Tara and Jade *wink, wink*. Charles on the other hand is at his meeting pitch, the folks at his client like the pitch they just need the entire team to agree on things. And guess who is part of the team?
Yup, that one. The one who Charles slept with and kicked out of his house the morning after. He tracks her down to the staff kitchen and tries to smooth things out with her, but she isn’t having any of it AT ALL. If this is how Charles treats all the women he sleeps with, he is in big shit, because aunty Onome completely obliterates Charles’s pitch, potentially losing him the job.
After work, Charles go over to Jade’s to discuss the list. Together over shots of Courvoisier, the three of them come up with 8 names, a master list of 8 women that Charles could possibly marry. Kemi and Jade lay out the ground rules; one date per girl, no sex, no going back to each other’s houses and most importantly, no telling anyone he is looking to settle down. Sounds simple right?
This gon be good.
Charles goes on his first date with Tara, of whom the episode is named. Tara definitely earns the problematic ‘thirsty’ title because homegirl is more turned on than a Jamaican dagger party. Every single word that comes out of her mouth is unabashed flirtation and they’ve barely spent a minute on the date before she’s already whispering into Charles’s ear and pushing her boobs in his face. He breaks rule number one almost immediately and breaks number two when she suggests she wants to fuck him. She grabs his face and stuff her tongue into mouth before he can drop to his knees and propose and then they’re knacking like there’s no tomorrow.
Thirsty Tara waits till uncle Charles has passed out from post-coital knacks before she packs her load and slips out. Not before she makes a detour to his living room and drops him a special present.
An invitation to her wedding.
Episode 3 better be fayah.
By the way, I’ve always wanted to see Tay Iwar’s Fores (only the most decadent song ever) used properly as a soundtrack. Fucking decadent. Thank you OBFW.
Pop music in Africa has predominantly come from Nigeria for the better part of a decade, and this does not seem to be changing any time soon. From 2Face to Davido, P-Square to Yemi Alade, Nigeria has produced the biggest mainstream stars on the continent consistently. Despite the stronghold the country has had on the music of the masses, there has been a historically difficult transition from the halls of the underground to the green rooms of the mainstream. In an industry paralysed by payola and old heads, we have seen exciting underground artists pander to widespread appeal through watered down songs and evidently forced collaborations. However, something changed last year. 2016 was the year that the Nigerian underground stopped politely knocking on the door of the mainstream, but instead did it their own way, taking with them the most important people in music: the fans. Instead of playing up to traditional industry figures, artists like Nonso Amadi flipped the script and grew his fanbase organically, all the while not compromising on his music.
When we first spoke to Nonso Amadi at the end of 2016, everything seemed to be taking shape perfectly. His breakout track “Tonight” was growing past Soundcloud plays, he was in the studio with Mr. Eazi and Juls, and he was already making plans to release his second EP to capitalise on his growing buzz. In the short time since then however, his meteoric rise to the top of everyone’s “Next Up” lists has been nothing short of remarkable. “Tonight” has become a dancefloor staple, while the Beats1 x Ebro premiered “Radio” is taking on a life of its own.
In early December we spoke to Nonso over the phone shortly after he shot the video for “Tonight”. We spoke about his influences, who he sees himself working with in the future, and the muse behind his music. Check out the video below (directed by UAX) and our chat with him before the hype.
The Native: It’s been over a year since the release of your EP ‘Alone’ Tell us about the past year…
Nonso Amadi: It’s kind of been a phase where I’ve grown musically, because I don’t want to be in a hurry to put out anything. I’ve taken the time out to reflect on how far I’ve come, the pros and cons worked out what I can do better. It’s been a time to connect with other people who can actually help me and my sound in general. The wait hasn’t really been a waste for me per say, I’ve just been doing things actively to improve myself.
Did you have a specific mindset when approaching the EP?
I actually thought people would figure it out, but to break it down, it revolves around heartbreak. It’s about an experience I had with a girl while I was in the UK – I don’t wanna go into too much detail but it was revolving around heart ache and like…sort of depression? There’s a phase where you go through these things and I was just speaking out, expressing myself and emotions based on that experience.
Do you find it challenging, or daunting to be so open in your music?
Definitely. If I was just singing anything it wouldn’t matter that much, it wouldn’t matter at all where the music goes, but I’m actually sharing parts of my life, as you said. It’s kind of scary, especially reading the comments and reviews on what people think about you and your personality. It’s definitely a scary thing to go through. Somehow enjoy it, so I’ll keep doing it.
I know you’re set to release a new EP, but have had a couple of setbacks. Will your new EP be a continuation from your last?
Yeah, the point is to tell a story throughout my career and it’s hard to at times, especially when the person that broke your heart before, you’re really cool with right now. So you need them to break your heart again, so you can do the same thing [laughs]. But I have to definitely move on so I’ve picked out little phases of other things I have seen. It’s not necessarily my personal experience, but it’s definitely something related and I feel like other people can relate, too.
What would you say has been the biggest challenge you’ve had working on a full length project?
The biggest challenge? That’s a tough question. I’ve faced a lot of challenges but the one that sticks with me, is the fact that I don’t know how to make everything flow in a very smooth way. It was easier on the previous EP (Alone). The songs all have the same theme, but I don’t know how to make them connect yet. Until I can make ends meet and make everything connect properly, I’m going to just have to push it.
You’re also a producer and sound engineer. Which artists are you looking to work with and who have you worked with to date?
They aren’t really huge artists yet but I’ve worked with people like Odunsi already. I haven’t worked with a lot of people, because most of the artists want the regular commercial stuff and I’m trying to go in a different direction, so it’s hard to work with a lot of people. Hopefully, a lot of music will come out where I’ll be collaborating with people who I’ve found and are willing to do the type of music that’ll change things.
Focusing on your music, what genre would you classify your stuff as?
For now, I can’t say. Maybe because I’m also trying to discover what it is and what it’s under but there’s a lot of things I’ve played around with. Mostly when I’ve put out songs on Soundcloud, I literally just call it “abstract music”, because I don’t know what the genre is. My music; it’s a story, it’s slow sometimes, the lyrics are deep, the beat is not necessarily commercial. So I couldn’t tell you a specific genre as of yet.
Your music is generally considered different to what’s coming out of Nigeria right now, or with Nigerian artists overall. How have Nigerians responded to your music?
I wouldn’t say I necessarily have a lot of Nigerians in Nigeria listening to the songs right now, like I was saying before, it’s not particularly commercial, so my market based on surveys and streams I’ve seen is mainly the U.K., Canada and the US. Nigerians are like 5th or 6th on the list! I think that is something that I still need to work on, just trying to grab the attention of Nigerians in Nigeria, because they matter a lot. They have a huge say in where I perform and in helping me expand the sound to different places, I need to figure out how to still meddle with the sound a bit.
Do you think they’ll eventually be accepting of your sound?
I don’t know, I’ve met with a lot of music heads and I’ve asked the same question. And they say “yeah, just keep doing what you’re doing!” That’s what I expect for them to say and not necessarily the truth. So I don’t know really.
Which artists were particularly influential on you growing up?
I think for every Nigerian kid, Michael Jackson would be one of the people definitely. Chris Brown, Wizkid, definitely. There’s surely more, but those are the ones I know that had the most impact.
What are some of the things you hope for listeners to take away from your music when they listen to it?
I really just want people to relate to it, it’s just like talking to a friend about something you went through. And you want them to just nod their head and they agree with your pain and stuff. The reaction I’d expect would be approval of the things I’m saying. Online, when someone tweets me saying, “this part of the lyrics really got me,” that’s the kind of thing that really keeps me going. The fact people can connect to it is really all I want from them.
It’s just February and the IJGB’s are braving the thick of winter while we try to survive the economic depression so anything that lifts our spirits is more than welcome. And what better to lift your spirits and get you ready for a lit summer than Nigerian designer Andrea Iyamah. Helmed by Dumebi Iyamah (sister of hot actress Somkhele Idhlama) Andrea Iyamah has become world famous for its swimwear line which has been worn by everyone from Draya to Angela Simmons and continues to get international acclaim.
Andrea Iyamah debuted her Spring Summer 17 collection at a private pool party (three words you always want to hear) in collaboration with Absolut Vodka (which was killer and I’m kicking myself for not going) and showed a collection of edgy fashion forward swimwear pieces. Now she wants the rest of us to join the fun by releasing an editorial campaign hotter than the Sahara. Several 2017 trends like the off shoulder and contrast prints make the collection, as well as Andrea Iyamah staples like high cut swim trunks and exposed bra frames. And the model Zanana, Whoo lord! She is the stuff of melanin laced dreams.
The first thing you think of when you hear Tenatenpo’s strain of Latinx inspired Reggaeton is sex. Slow, languid sex, ecstatic couples slow whining in a dimly lit room. The instrumentation is sparse, a single saxophone riffing like a backup singer adlibbing behind Tenatenpo’s languid sung-rap. His cadence is perfect, his delivery seductive, switching from unhurried to frantic, keeping you on your toes. It’s almost too hard to imagine that the person behind this is Nigerian but he is and that only makes this even better. Expect to hear him everywhere as the year progresses.
A new generation of African spoken word poets are finally leaving dingy open mic events and finding new audiences on the web, taking their messages with them. It was only a matter of time, international artists like Bassey Ikpi already proved that there was an audience for performed poetry and that young Africans are looking for themselves in new mediums.
Vanessa Akua Medie’s half Liberian/half Ghanaian heritage is one of her major influences, as are her experiences as a woman of colour raised in Africa. She shares these insights through her stage name Dzyadzorm, first as part of the People Of Equal Thoughts & Spirits [P.O.E.T.S] society in 2010 and now as a individual poet. As part of Ghana’s feminist renaissance, Medie’s spoken word is helping bring awareness to women’s issues specific to a new generation of women.
The Wine Wrote This, is Dyzadzorm’s first spoken world album, a six track long lyrical album with draws musical influences from several genres including hip-life and jazz as current on which Medie explores intensely personal themes like loss and love, sexual and gender identities and the place of women in a world that seems stacked against them. Obaa Boni (possibly in homage to the Ghanaian feminist activist) is especially poignant, an anthemic taunt daring the patriarchy and bringing it to it’s knees. Dzyadorm’s EP only has one feature and my, she couldn’t have chosen better. Poetra Asantewa, who features on Love, Of course, is an internationally recognised feminist poet and 1 Beat 2016 Fellow.
It’s a gamble covering a popular song, especially if it is a song by someone as big as indigenous rapper Olamide. But if you do get it right, the magic that can ensue is definitely worth the risk. Afropop singer Kaline has been building her profile among Nigerian audiences since she returned to the country to pursue music by opening for a series of high powered musicians including Asa, Bez Idakula, Waje and Praise. That and a series of private concerts in mid 2016 and a performance for bespoke tailor Mai Atafo had everyone buzzing about her. She closed out the year with her Beetle Sessions, a series of performances where she put her bluesy spin on critically successful pop songs. Her cover of Olamide’s Shakitibobo is the one that really caught our eye.
The original lyrics and melody structure of the song is left intact, and all that Kaline tweaks is the instrumentation and production. The new decidedly nu-soul in the style of duos like Floetry and Les Nubians, Bass synthesizers beating staccato like a pulse under reams of single organ notes. Layered chorals come in to fill the spaces that Kaline leaves and she layers a backing track to create a subtle harmonious chorus. It is even more impressive that Kaline did the original arrangement herself, as well as mixing and producing the cut. It’s one of those rare covers that are on par, or even slightly better than the original.
Olamide needs to get on this, maybe release it as a remix. Shakitibobo deserves a second go at the charts.
Boogey’s last rite for 2016 was the release of his Incognito mixtape in the third quarter of the year. To put a spotlight on the tape, he has released visuals for “Matiasma”, a lead single off the project. “Matiasma” is produced by wunderkind Odunsi The Engine and veteran Beazy who also directed the video.
“Matiasma” references the ‘Evil Eye’, the malevolent glare from ill-wishers. The Evil Eye is a common superstition that appears in different incarnations in cultures across the world. The video starts off with a recording stating human nature is full of hate that can only be outweighed by fear.
Boogey comes in riding on the sample of“Twice The First Time” . He raps about being careful about people in general and not trusting their intentions.
“If you want to criticise, please talk small small, cos you no holy pass my brother”
– 2face, “U No Holly Pass”, Face2Face, 2006
The quote above, is a tight jab at our collective consciences and its potency is even more relevant now to the life and times of the man who voiced it.
Earlier last week, 2face called for Nigerians to protest against the government’s policies. This comes amidst public outrage over the crumbling Nigerian economy and a government that has done too little to help. The first media reactions mostly came with a sarcastic rhetoric, but with less than a week to the march, social media buzz and celebrity support indicate 2Baba may have finally activated his legend card.
As we all know, a slew of near-classic LPs does not forgive how Tuface has not been able to translate his impact on the culture in actual value. Add that with a couple of misfire albums and his inability to co-sign any new talent (If we never talk about Dammy Krane and Rocksteady, they never happened) and what you get is portrait of that guy with that one great song.
Still, redemption is for those who seek it and after floating a career simply based off general belief that there is no greater baba than TuBaba (somewhat metaphorically, mostly literally), he seems to be standing for something that could potentially go down in history.
But the internet is the beginning and end of all sins and good deeds. It didn’t take long for his critics to come biting for varying reasons. The ideas ranged between how 2Baba stayed mute on Southern Kaduna killings. Or how he rubbed noses with deep pocketed politicians in the past. And the lowest hanging fruit, his baby mama drama(s). Someone even asked Tubaba to a game of thrones style public challenge.
Their arguments either questioned his character or asked how a man like him can infer order on society, against the backdrop of the chaos of his own life.
2face may have been pure of intent but fame is a bed of roses with thorns. He should’ve known better than to unleash cankerworms on a farm that may or, may have not fed him. In a market where nobody buys albums and live shows are rarity, even top shelf acts are forced to resort to corporate gigs and posh soirees at backyards of ranking public servants for cheques. But while it is easy to question the integrity of a man eating from the same pot many are starved from, 2face is a also a product of his society and that only validates his argument.
He is common man who became an insider by sheer luck of being a public figure on the fringes of the political class. 2face has gotten a whiff of how much wealth floats in the air in a country stricken with shocking levels of mass poverty.
In fairness to his critics, that 2face has protested the government in his music and participated in similarly motivated ‘Occupy Naija’, ‘Enough Is A Enough’ campaigns in the past, doesn’t completely dismiss the social nature to his patriot’s call. He is a man nearing the end of his career, leading a rebellion may be too lofty an ideal, but perhaps, sparking a fire will do.
But whatever the motive, lets take a cue from Obama, a generally great guy who was also a commander-in-chief that authorised drone assassinations at a wedding. Or the Clintons who super cool and liberal but are probably secretly racist. If the media focused attention on these shady aspects of their lives, the narrative will be skewered against the cause of the people they speak for.
If 2face’s message is dismissed because his motives and premise are dodgy, the possibility of the greater good that could come of his pseudo-activism will be buried at infancy.
WHo doesn’t like a little existentialism with their purp laced afro-trap? WundaB delivers a superb cut on For The WInter, an introspective tirade that even the king himself Kid Cudi would be proud of over one of the slickest trap beats we’ve seen out of Nigerian producers in a while. That becomes twice as impressive when you realise WundaB actually mastered and produced the song himself.
Don’t wait one more second, get into this right now.
(Lyrics)
Fix my eyes on the ceiling
What’s wrong with my feelings? Anxiety creeping.
I’m gone off the deep end. My words have no meaning
Might die with my secrets. They spy when I’m speaking
You guys don’t believe me (x2)
Verse:
I remember when my money was the only thing lower than my self esteem
When a nigga did anything just to help me live all my selfish dreams
Lord help me please. I aint tryna be where the devil be
Im thirsty for the money and the fame. Its a muthafucking shame
But I think I wanna be a new celebrity
Mehn these niggas is not my brothers
So I’m waiting till they show their true colors
See its all black and white. The truth is they lie
I keep it low-key but Im usually high
I don’t socialize. I don’t know these guys
Imma burn the blunt till they roaches tonight
And I ain’t even playing dawg Im coaching tonight
As I see this fly thang approaching me right right
Hook:
I want you to come through
So I could tell you things like I love you
But then you realize by the time we’re through
That I was telling lies but thats nothing new (with the winter)
Chorus:
I’ll be gone for the winter
Gone for the winter (x2)
Smoking strong with my niggas
That strong finna kill us.
Im gone for the winter
I got songs to deliver (x2)
Im gone for the winter
I got songs to deliver
I’ll be gone for the winter (gone for the winter)
Verse:
ohhh wow
I think you need to cool down
You really need to cool down
You’re acting like a fool now
Its that new feni nigga who this?
Imma turn your dream girl to my new chick
You know me nigga keep it cool as shit
So please don’t hit my line with the foolishness
Niggas wanna ask me bout my movements bitch
But I be steady focused on this music shit
Faridah, Khadija, Anita, Hadiza,
I know that I want ya
I think that I need ya
Niggas wanna ask me bout my movements bitch
But I be steady focused on this music shit
Hook
Chorus
Amazing production
Fix my eyes on the ceiling
What’s wrong with my feelings? Anxiety creeping.
I’m gone off the deep end. My words have no meaning
I’ll die with my secrets. They spy when I’m speaking
You guys don’t believe me (x2)
