AV Club: Charles is a ‘good’ guy after all guys, if OBFW Ep 7 is anything to go by

Posted on by The Native

We’re seven episodes in and we need a hail mary of an episode to rescue OBFW from its inability to give us any multidimensional characters.  Episode six ended with a cliffhanger that puts Onome (yet again) back in Charles’s orbit. It seems the perfect opportunity to humanize her and show that contrary to all the evidence we’ve seen so far, Charles can actually step up to the plate and act like a decent human being.

Or pigs will fly.

SPOILER ALERT

If you haven’t seen the episode you know what to do.

It’s morning after Onome’s dramatic appearance at Charles’s front door (let’s not forget she has only slept with him once and the second and third time they met, she threatened his job by giving him a bad review and then extorted him) but yeah, Charles is not the kind of guy to turn ANY woman away.

Onome definitely doesn’t seem like someone who got given a black eye and felt so terrified she ran to the random guy she had a one night stand with and proceeded to extort. Not one bit. Instead she’s all ‘flirty’ in bum shorts, tickling his nose with some thread and suggesting very strongly that she won’t mind if he tries to boink her. She then forms ‘I’m leaving’ and Charles predictably takes the bait and asks her to keep him company.

On the other end of town Jade has miraculously managed to tear Tunde away from his work long enough to go on a picnic date with her. Let the court note at this point that Oreka Godis has the most laid hurr in all the land. Tunde has news by the way, about work of course. Turns out the reason his startup has been taking so many hits is, his accountant and chief technicians have been siphoning valuable capital into their pockets. His ‘sexy’ assistant Tolu from the last episode was the one who found out, she ordered an independent audit and found the breach. At that point Tolu starts calling (again) and Jade has to seize Tolu’s phone to get him to focus on the date.

Knowing how wink-wink, nod-nod the show runners behind Our Best Friend’s Wedding have been about their plot twists, I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Tolu and Tunde have been boinking, or are boinking.

And Jesus, is everyone on this show except Charles and Promise Yoruba?

Charles and Onome on the other hand are bonding over their family histories. Turns out Charles can cook (+1) and was raised by a single mother (+1). All that is left to tip him firmly into ‘male feminist’ territory is a personal declaration that he respects women. Onome on the other hand cannot seem to relax cos her phone has been ringing non-stop. Our ‘good’ guy tries again to get Onome to open up about how she got her black eye and she asks him to give her one his secrets in exchange for her. It’s official folks, we’re back in high school. 

It is actually great that Jade is finally moving on from Charles, because over in Tunde land all the conversations are adult, if a little corny. They’ve spread out the meal for their date and over red wine drunk in blasphemous plastic wine glasses, they get into the nasty about their body counts. Turns out Charles has racked up an impressive 37 women in his knacking career (though we suspect the numbers are a lot higher). Of those 37, he says he’s only dated 5 and only been in love with one, and by one he means Jade.  Corny muthafucka.

Jade on the other hand says she’s only been with 12 men (the number is probably lower), dated 5 of that 12 (divide that by 3) and loved one (a.k.a. Charles). They get googley eyed at each other and a ‘moment’ passes between. Issa true love goyz.

Kemi on the other hand, Remember her? The sensible friend who exists to move the plot along? Yeah so they finally remembered her subplot about the absentee husband and they throw us a bone about him and his never ending trips. Still doesn’t say shit though.

Charles and Onome are trading secrets, and Mr good guy’s ‘secret’ is apparently that he bought a ring. Onome knows jack shit about him, how is that a secret? Appaz, Onome’s secret is that her boyfriend gave her the black eye. Charles (and I) were surprised that baby geh has a le boo and the money she hustled from him never comes up. Also this makes it three women with husbands and boyfriends that Charles has slept with. Charles WYD though?

Even worse, he’s actually supposed to meet up with Jade and Kemi for one of their reconnaissance meetings, and he’s ditching them to for this? Jade understandably is panicking that since the Friendzone boo and the ‘I’m too busy to have your time’ boo, Charles has started giving her the cold shoulder. Why wouldn’t he though, when he’s too busy using a battered girlfriend’s vulnerability to get box.

Yeah, Charles and Onome end the day with some good old casual sex.

And Promise, our show’s other plot device get an advancement of his own. Out of nowhere, Tega his drug dealer drops him a second package. You know what happens after that.

So A Rejoinder.

Where is Mama Charley? For someone who is dying, Charles seems not to care at all about his mother’s well being. We shouldn’t be too surprised though, from how Charles treats women on the show, he doesn’t really care about any woman.

I pity whoever eventually marries Charley. I pirry her.

Third, Thirteen minutes is less than a coffee break. Give us proper episode or don’t bother at RED TV.

 

Watch episode 6 of OBFW

Celebrating Women In Art: A Tate Modern + Jenn Nkiru Film

Posted on by The Native

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The international art scene has been unfair in its representation of female artists over the years. Many have risen and sunk in obscurity, barely leaving evidence of their genius behind unlike the male counterparts who make up more than 90% artists on display in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The numbers even rank lower for female artists on display in The Louvre. In celebration of International Women’s Day, Nigerian filmmaker, Jenn Nkiru has created a short film for Tate Modern Gallery to showcase female contemporary artists and their work.

The clip also showcases artwork from Guerrilla Girls, a collective of anonymous female artists who have been working to expose sexual and racial discrimination in the art world. Since its inception in 1984, Guerrilla Girls began a poster campaign that targeted museums, dealers, curators, critics and artists who they felt were actively responsible for the discrimination minorities and female artists suffered. A few of their notable works, The Advantages Of Being A Woman Artist, Women In America Earn Only 2/3 Of What Men Do and a few other pieces prominently feature in the background while Zinzi Minott dances.

The soundtrack playing in the background is a cut from Sleater Kinney’s One Beat, a protest song very much like many songs from the all-girl indie rock band.

Check out the Jenn Nkiru’s short film below

Featured Image Credit: Jennnkiru/Instagram

AV Club: Bariga Sugar is a masterclass in subtlety

First Person Shooter Games We Are Excited About in 2017

Posted on by The Native

The first person shooter is a visual representation of reading a first person narrative story. Video gaming has come a long way since the days of arcade shooting on Tetris and the times of Contra because of the increase in attention to details. The improvements in graphics and story telling has lead to the birth of a new genre of video games that centers on a gun and projectile weapon-based combat through the eyes of the protagonist. It increases the involvement of the player in the game and makes the experience even more breath taking.

Over the years, the commercial appeal of the first person shooter narrative has heightened with the success of games like Halo and The Weeknd’s video for “False Alarm”. Here are some of the first person shooter games from 2017 that everyone is looking forward to.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands/ PC, PS4, X box One


Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands was released on the 7th of March this year. Its a first person shooter game that gives Ubisoft Paris it’s first open world tactical shooter video. It is the tenth installment in the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon franchise and is the first Ghost Recon game to feature an open world environment. The open world idea heightens the core concept of the first person narrative’s freedom to roam. The open world means players are more involved in the movements of their characters and don’t just follow the games story line mindlessly.

Battalion 1944 The Final Sprint/ PC, PS4, X Box One

 

This game builds off the nostalgia of popular first person games from our childhood like COD and Medal of Honor. While a lot of people might want to see more futuristic weapons in games, the Bulkhead Interactive franchise are taking us back to the 2nd world war era. Asides from being historically accurate with the locations, they are also focusing on a multiplayer platform which means you get to relive your Medal of Honor days with friends over the net. The game is expected to be released by May 2017.

 

Escape From Tarkov/ PC

Its a  wildly ambitious First person shooter game from Battlestate Games. Its based on surviving gun battle confrontations in a the Russian town of Tarkov. Escape from Tarkov is very engaging and promises an extensive attention on weapon accuracy and realism. Because the game leaves almost everything to the players discretion, there are all sorts of ways for your character to survive.

 

Residence Evil 7 Biohazard/ PC, PS 4, XBOX ONE

This is on our list because it’s in first person and you do actually shoot things but anyone who knows anything about the Residence evil franchise would tell you the draw of the game is more about the scare. Capcon took the path of first person shooter for Resident Evil 7 that came out 24th of January this year. Though the change has generated a lot of skepticism from the fans because it changes the vibe of the game and there is also the criticism that its copying The Walking Dead‘s game play, first person shooter does actually add to the trill of the scare. Its challenging as players take on the role of Ethan, a man whose search for his missing wife leads him to a derelict mansion, where he has to escape from the cannibalistic Baker family.

 

Strafe / PC, PS 4

https://gaming.youtube.com/watch?v=uEmRkMQXRMI&feature=share

Strafe is an incredible looking faced paced, first person shooter inspired by a 1996 game with the same name. Its very violent and gory but the game is colorful enough to be fun because of how “relaxingly” low budget the graphic are. It is first game from newcomer game company, Pixel Titans. Strafeis a classic throw back to times when story lines weren’t so important for game play and it looks like they might just pull of a retro work of art with this game.

 

Star Wars Battlefront 2/ PC, PS4

The sequel to Star Wars Battlefront is expected to be released this year and fans of the Star Wars franchise can’t wait for them to redeem the errors from the first version of the game. The first installment from EA Dice and Electronic Arts lacked the first person and single player game play but Battlefront 2 promises to fix that with it’s first person shooter narrative. We are really looking forward to this new release considering they have all the lovable Star Wars franchise’s characters and in-game purchases.

 

Call of Duty 2017/ PC, PS4, X Box One

Because what’s a first person shooter list without the COD franchise. They have released a fresh mind blowing stories year after year  and we can’t wait to see what the Activision franchise has in store for us this year. Most fans aren’t too happy about the futuristic direction the game is taking with it’s Infinite Warfare universe but over the years we’ve learnt never to write off Call of Duty. Their first person shooter has a cult following very few games can rival. Call of Duty is expected for release and the tail end of the year

 

Featured Image Credits: Youtube/TheWeekndVevo

Seyi Shay lets out her inner trap queen on MTV Shuga’s ‘Down South’

Posted on by The Native

Seyi Shay, former British band girl and current ascendant to Nigeria’s Pop Queen throne has struggled to settle into a sound. Her debut album Seyi Vs Shay saw her fully explore the range of afrobeat, afro-pop and island inspired genres with mixed results. Her biggest hits on the album were collaborations with more visible male artists and many have wondered if Seyi Shay can really hold her own with help.

Her new song, an unexpected collaboration since she’s been on hiatus since the end of the Seyi Vs Shay era is for the South African production of MTV’s iteration of the phenomenally successful British teen drama ‘Skins’, MTV Shuga. The team behind MTV Shuga commission a soundtrack of original songs for the show each season and releases the soundtrack as a compilation album. Past albums have included work by Banky W, Tiwa Savage, Iyanya and P-Square so Seyi is in good company.

‘Down South’ is the lead single from the OST for the South African production and South African rappers Nasty-C and  Ma-E offer superior verses in line with the theme of the show. But Seyi Shay is the real surprise on “Down South” with a rapid fire trap delivery that immediately will draw comparisons with nu-soul acts like Tinashe and Jhene Aiko.

Is this the new era of Seyi Shay? If it is, we ain’t mad.

Meet Oscar Ekponimo The Nigerian Allievating Hunger With His App

Posted on by The Native

At 11, Oscar Ekponimo would stare down the empty fridge and pantry in his home, hoping for a meal to miraculously appear for him and his siblings. His father had lost his job after a debilitating stroke and his mum’s nursing job earned a paltry salary that could only  substantially feed the children once every other day. His only consolation then were his mother’s words telling him their predicament was temporary.

Now at 30, Oscar has created an app to prevent other children from suffering through the same problems he did at 11. His app Chowberry, a cloud-based application addresses the problem of food waste and hunger by linking stores to orphanages/NGOs. As food items near their expiration date, the app initiates discounts that grow larger as the items remain unsold and alerts local groups and NGOs to take advantage of the discount. The app also informs the users when supermarkets are giving away free food thus saving food that would have gone to the trash for orphanages and needy families.

In a recent interview, he revealed that his team of four completed a three-month pilot involving 20 retailers and fed around 150 orphans and vulnerable children. “Our system helped [orphanages] cut down on their spending by more than 70%,” he says. He also revealed his biggest challenge so far is the reluctance of get bigger stores to adapt his app due to red-tape policies.

Despite the challenges the app faces, Ekponimo revealed he can’t imagine a different life for himself. “I had several job offers from big [technology] companies over the past few years,” he says. “But Chowberry is what I am passionate about and find fulfilling. I want to see it grow and continue to benefit people’s lives.”

Interested individuals can volunteer for to work with Food Drive, another Chowberry-inspired initiative where he and other volunteers collect products within a week of expiry and distribute them to orphanages and homes for the elderly.

Featured Image Credit: Farmer’s Weekly

Two Nigerian Women Just Built An App To Help Freelance Writers Get Paid

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

Posted on by The Native

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Singer-songwriter Johnny Drille, has come a long way from his days on MTN’s project fame to bagging a record deal with The Supreme Mavins Dynasty. “Wait For Me” , a pre-signing single he released last year has now been turned into a debut official music video for Johnny Drille.

“Wait For Me” is an alternative folk-inspired song that speaks of lovers in a long distant relationship. Johnny Drille’s accompanying video tells the sad story of a couple who are torn apart by the circumstances beyond human control. Johnny Drille sets off to war in the most typical romantic-drama manner, while his lover waits for him to return.  But things don’t exactly turn out like you’d expect.

Don Jazzy’s imprint SMD once again shows wiliness to allow artists take creative risks. “Wait For Me” is set through a melancholic emo filter and a dark ending that sees Drille bawling over the death of his lover.  The narrative of a solider coming home to meet devastation is an inversion of the “dead solider lover at war” theme,  common in love stories. The video builds on Johnny Drille’s  flirtation with the  soft rock groups like Passengers and Coldplay have made popular over the years.

Watch Johnny Drille’s “Wait For Me” directed by Mex Ossai (Mex Filmz) below

Featured Image Credits: Youtube/MavinRecords

Mavins dynasty gets a facelift with new signings

Listen To “Hold On” by Iyanya

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Don Jazzy’s signing of Iyanya last year earmarked the producer’s expansion efforts for the Supreme Mavin Dynasty. Many may have questioned Iyanya’s decision to ignore a potential indie entree and remain under a label after his MMMG debacle with Ubi Franklin, but the Project Fame alumnus seems to be settling in just fine at his new management and creative head quarters. Last year he tapped Don Jazzy and labelmate Dr Sid, for “Up 2 Something” , a musky slow-grind-worthy single hinting fierce comeback. On Iyanya’s latest single “Hold On”, the singer returns with his usual brand of edgy Afropop, sprinkled with the right amount of vague sensuality and crooning melody.

Listen to “Hold On” below:

Featured Image Credit: Youtube

Supreme Mavin Dynasty unveils three new artists

Watch Brenda Adigwe’s Debut Music video ‘Stand!’

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Brenda Adigwe didn’t make it past the final four on last year’s first season of The Voice Nigeria, but the vocalist inked a record deal with Universal Music Group and released a debut single, “Stand!” anyway.

The accompanying video for the newcomer’s single was directed by Matt Maxx who matched the vibrant energy of Brenda’s “Stand!” frame for frame. Brenda herself comes to life in her video as she dances with reckless abandon. If the 21 year old’s textures and colours are indicators of anything, Brenda may evolve into a vessel for the kind of good bubblegum Afropop we all expect Di’Ja or Yemi Alade to make.

Featured Image Credits: Youtube/BrendaAdigweVEVO

 

Watch captivating Asa’s captivating performance for rape victims

Praiz features Wizkid and Kenny Lattimore on two new remixes

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To celebrate his birthday, Praiz’s label X3M music has released two remixes of his pre-released singles, “Body Hot” and “Heartbeat” featuring Wizkid and American singer and songwriter, Kenny Lattimore respectively.

The original “Body Hot” is an Afropop detour from Praiz’ usual RnB, featuring rapper Jesse Jagz and dancehall singer, Stonebwoy. For the remix, Wizkid takes on the beat with confidence and expert fluidity that comes from years and years of honing his skill. This is a second collaboration since both artists collaborated on, “Sisi” , off Praiz’ Rich and Famous double album.

Listen to “Body Hot” remix featuring Wizkid here

And “Heartbeat” remix featuring Kenny Lattimore

Featured Image Credit/ Instagram: @officialpraiz

Listen to Riton’s “Money” featuring Davido, Mr Eazi and Kahlo

Here’s What You Should Know About The International Women’s Day Global Strike

Posted on by The Native

This year, women across the world are celebrating International Women’s Day with a day-long strike, to protest inequality and woman rights amongst other core gender issues.

Sarah Leonard, spokesperson for the strike says the strike tagged “A Day Without a Woman”, will focus on “broadening the definition of violence against women”. In addition to protesting domestic, sexual and physical violence against women today’s strike is also focused on rejecting the “systemic violence of an economic system that is rapidly leaving women behind.”

Inspired by two strikes last October, one that successfully quashed a Polish parliament bill banning abortion, the other a protest condemning violence against women and girls in Argentina. Organizers in more than 50 countries have coordinated the day with a variant of strategies including strikes, rallies and other gatherings that parley with the cause.

As a result of criticism that the previous Women’s March marginalised non-white minorities, the strike’s organisers have created guidelines for women in solidarity who might not be able to take time off by not shopping today. However if shopping is totally unavoidable, supporters should only shop at “small, women- and minority-owned businesses” and wear red in solidarity.

Not many Nigerian women have touted their support for the International Women Strike and in a patriarchal society like Nigeria, its not very unsurprising. Funnily though, the global event takes me back to Government class in high school, particularly the infamous Aba Women’s riot of 1929 and how history will do well not to subvert the stories of women who stood for something and inspired others to do the same. Ultimately, the win for this strike will be how history will re-tell their efforts in ensuring a fair and just world for women.

Rivisit Milck’s Woman March Anthem “We Won’t Keep Quiet” below

Featured Image Credit: Oxfam.org

Check Out The Highlights of The Past Women’s March Here

Klu’s ‘Triple Threat 2’ EP just dropped and it’s an impressive showcase

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KCMG rapper King Klu’s been one of the more prolific artists on the label releasing music approximately every other week in 2017. With his laid back flow with understated punchlines that hit you after the last note has played and an preternatural ability to body any genre, it is a mystery that Kings Capital Music Group (KCMG) his home label hasn’t put the money into a proper LP with all the works. But at least they’re rectifying that with a series of EP’s featuring the artist.

You’re So Beautiful, his first 18 track EP dropped in January  and while it has so many great singles, 18 songs is just too much music to put out without any promotion, and many of the songs never made it off Soundcloud rotation into the mainstream. KCMG is retracing their steps and doing things right this time around with a second EP Triple Threat 2. Right off the bat you can tell that a lot more thought went into the conceptualization of this EP, Triple Threat 2 only has three singles, each a completely different genre from the last.

Promises produced by ClassixsBeats rides on the current Afro-trap wave artists like Wizkid and Davido have brought to the mainstream, he is a juggernaut, riding the beat with the experience of veterans. Trails and Vultures produced by RoboDruma takes on afro-futurist Neo soul with a persistent bass riff like a spine that grounds a wandering island melody. Klu gives us his best Drake-esque sung rap, occasionally dipping into pidgin and twi when English doesn’t quite convey the emotions he needs to pass on. RoboDruma also lends his production chops to Wait No More, the last of the album’s trifecta that pays homage to classic 90’s hip-hop with a simple piano melody and stripped down percussion. Klu is at his most earnest here and his earnestness is infectious. The song ends with you motivated as fuck.

The world is ready for a King Klu album, we’ll settle for the Triple Threat 2 ep for now, but KCMG need not waste a good thing.

Listen to Triple Threat 2 here.

Listen to Klu’s ithinktheboyisgreat, our new swag anthem

KCMG assembles an impressive roster for ‘More Shit’

Posted on by The Native

Ghana new rap movement has distinguished itself by its willingness to collaborate, to meld minds and produce work that is more than the sum of it’s parts. This insistence on community instead of the petty rivalries that is normally associated with hip-hop is a welcome direction and Ghana’s acts have always been forebears for African music. Ghanaian label Kings Capital Music Group (KCMG) is at the heart of Ghana’s hip-hop movement and they’ve assembled the most impressive roster of hungry mc’s for their new single more shit.

The line up includes King Klu (who’s made more than one appearance on our site), Jean Feier (who single we featured here), Abladzo Kwadme, Too Fresh, Jae Ghost, Bebelino and Kwame Jhosef with word play that covers the gamut from indigenous rap to chi-town rapid fire punchline ala Andre 3000. The accumulations of 16 bars racks up an impressive 7 minutes in total and every second of it is fire. Jean Feier’s verse is something to watch out for, she truly holds her own in all that testosterone with a punchline that lull into a sense of complacency before they hit you with an unexpected punch to the gut.

If this isn’t a case fro more rap collectives, we don’t know what is.

Listen to ‘More Shit’ here.

Listen to jean feier’s Recipe

Look Out For Eme Ikwuakor In Upcoming TV Series ‘Marvel’s Inhumans’

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The classic Marvel comic series, Marvel’s Inhumans will premiere later this year on ABC and among the actors with key roles in the film is Eme Ikwuakor, who will play the role of Gorgon. His character was described on Marvel’s site as Black Bolt’s cousin, member of the Royal family, and leader of Attilan’s military. Gorgon is described as a fighter who would rather use his fists (and hooves) than talk to solve his problems.

The Nigerian-born actor will join the previously announced Anson Mount, who will play Black Bolt, Iwan Rheon, who will play Maximus the Mad, Serinda Swan, who will play Medusa, and Ken Leung, who will play Karnak.

On Marvel’s official statement, the head of television Jeph Loeb Showrunner stated “We’re thrilled with this cast. Eme, Isabelle, Mike, Sonya and Ellen round out an incredible array of talent that will finally bring the Royal Family of the Inhumans to IMAX and ABC”.

Eme has played other roles in the past on Concussion, the American sports drama and Halle Berry’s sci-fi thriller Extant.

Marvel previously announced the first 2 episodes of The Inhumans will screen in IMAX theaters on September 1, with the show set to continue on ABC on September 26.

Featured Image Credit: Empire Online

Luvvie Ajayi’s “I’m Judging You” Set To Become Shondaland’s First Comedy Series

Listen To L.A.X Synth-Heavy Afropop Love Song “Stay With Me

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BRTryhKgnOv/?hl=en

The true test of an artist’s ability is linked to versatility and over time, L.A.X has explored a variety of sounds within the Afropop sub-genre. Earlier this year, he released “Big Daddy” a braggy synth-based Afrowave song. On his most recent release “Stay With Me”, producer, Lekka’s wavy synthesised strings are layered over drums and cymbals.

Though he’s yet to release his debut project, L.A.X is experimenting with genres and finding a niche for his sound.  “Stay With Me”, attempts to balance sensuality with his childish candour as he alternates between declarations of love to loud brags typical of his Yoruba-influenced brand of Afropop.

L.A.X announced this “Stay With Me” with a caption suggesting it had the wherewithal to improve sexual performance. You can confirm this fact or delusion by yourself by listening to the song below

Featured Image Credit: Izzlax/Intagram

Listen to L.A.X’s New Single, ‘Big Daddy’

Watch a Spell Binding Performance Of Asa’s Survivor Anthem, “Moving On”

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Though unstated, Asa celebrated the first day of international women’s week yesterday with the release of a video for her performance with a 60 piece orchestra at the Simphiwe Dana Symphony Experience last November. There is no doubt that Asa performed a full set but asides from her spell binding rendition, the choice to upload this cut from her set is directly linked to the song’s core subject matter.

“Moving on” is the fifth track from Asa’s bed of stone album. On the song, Asa sings of a dark event that causes her to run and hide but she also details how she’s moving past the trauma of it all. It’s vague, but Asa’s metaphors unmistakably fits the description of rape and abuse, and a survivor’s attempt at forging on with a semblance of a normal life.

The imagery of the performance stays true to the song. The all black Orchestra playing behind Asa who strolls the stage in a white flowing dress conveys the message of hope in spite of pain from the past. The world’s cold reaction to the theme of rape and suffering is also expressed through the blue lights illuminating the entire stage.

Asa addresses a core woman struggle in our patriarchal society in the most poetic way she knows. The performance was effortlessly graceful and builds the narrative for women all over the world trying to make the best of their situations.

Watch Asa’s performance of “Moving On” below.

 

Featured Image Credits: Youtube/Asa Official

 

Celebrate women’s week with Native

Watch Wande Coal’s Fantasy Gangster Video For “Ballerz”

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After a long awaited album that failed to meet public expectation, Wande Coal is looking to redeem his past glory. Late in 2016, he released “Iskaba” and “Ballerz” two singles produced by DJ Tunes and Maleek Berry respectively. His most recent effort is the release of the video for “Ballerz” a glossy 50s styled gangster video, set in a private bar where money speaks volumes.

Though his pimp daddy persona might be a tad problematic given how it subtly implies sexual exploitation, great costumes and chrome lights give the video a cinematic tone, perfect for the Nigerian pop and R’n’B don narrative, Wande Coal has pushed since the release of his Wanted album in 2015.

Watch Wande Coal’s video for Ballerz here

Featured Image Credit: Youtube

Revisit Wizkid and Wande Coal’s Sinfully Underrated “For Me”

Watch Runtown’s Live medley on The Compozers’ Encore Studio Sessions

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Runtown was invited to perform on The Compozers’ latest Encore Session, a live recording usually done for instrumental covers and reworks of pre-released singles. Their attention over the years has moved from hip-hop to the Nigerian Afrop-pop genre with re-fixes of “Surulere”, “Soke”, “Woju” amongst others. Runtown brought his energy for a live rendition of “Lagos to Kampala”, “Pain Killer” and late 2016 summer hit single, “Mad Over You”.

Runtown’s presence in the studio gave the performance life and The Compozers’ deft touch on the instruments gave a dynamic feel to all the fan favorites re-worked during the jam.

Watch The Compozers’ first Encore session of the year featuring Runtown here.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/@Runtown

 

Listen to TMXO’s refix of Jon Bellion’s “All Time Low”

The Shuffle: Justina’s “Omo Too Sexy” has aged like fine wine

Posted on by The Native

The mid 2000’s had more than its share of musical one hit wonders. Perhaps it was because the industry was in the middle of it’s second incarnation, the quantum shift from the rebel-tinged music of the Plantashun Boiz and the Remedies, artists so surprised that they could pull Nigerian audiences that they never really stopped being underdogs long enough to become legends and the commercially driven jollof music superstars of the 2010’s.

The casualties of this move were mostly female pop stars inspired by Beyonce and Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga and looking to replicate their success here. While most of the music these starlets made were very much of their time, a few have proven well ahead of their time. None, however, have been as prophetic of our contemporary sound as Justina’s “Omo You Too Sexy”.

Justina made her name as the second runner-up in 2006’s Nokia First Chance reality singing contest. She worked on music, releasing “Omo You Too Sexy” in 2008 and a video for the song in early 2009. “Omo You Too Sexy” ticked a number of firsts; it was the first overtly sensual Afro-pop songs by a female singer, long before Tiwa Savage released Kele-Kele Love and changed everything. She was also the first female Afro-pop startlet to subvert the male gaze, actively pursuing the subject of her desire. Then there is the sound. Before Justina, Nigerian pop starlets tended to sing entirely or largely in accented english. She was the first to properly embrace pidgin as a medium in her music, a trope the male artists had all but adopted by 2009 when the song was released.

“Omo You Too Sexy” was instant hit, and though Justina tried to replicate the success of the song with follow up singles The Morning After, Radio DJ and So Tempting. It has stayed the biggest hit of her career.

Listen to “Omo You Too Sexy” Here.

The Shuffle: Revisit Shank’s Julie

AV Club: Bariga Sugar is a masterclass in subtlety

Posted on by The Native

“My mummy has plenty friends… but me I don’t have any friends.”

Many kinds of women have been portrayed in Nigerian cinema but none has been more poorly treated than the sex worker. In a deeply religious country like ours, with its influence spread across all spheres of existence, including creative ones, sex work is villified. Classic films like Domitilla defined sex work as the exclusive preserve of the greedy and the wayward, and sex workers as ungodly. In the years since, sex work has become a plot point, a twist thrown in to give a flailing film some edginess, a trump card filmmakers rarely touch unless they can use it as a contrast to purity. The complexities that define sex work and the realities that sex workers have to live through to survive are rarely told with empathy, grace or even distance from personal prejudices and predispositions.

While sex work is misrepresented in Nigerian cinema, the sex worker at least is represented. This representation sadly doesn’t extend to the people directly affected by sex work, the partners and children of sex workers. It is on this premise that filmmaker Ifeoma Chukwuogo and writer Ikenna Edmund Okah build their film Bariga Sugar. 

Ese, the ten year old daughter of sex worker Tina lives in the ghetto Brothel Bariga Sugar. Played by Halimat Olarenwaju with skill that you’d expect from someone far older, she brings Ese to life. Ese navigates the world with an avian curiosity, tempered with a weariness that comes from persistent rejection. As the pre-adolescent child of sex worker living a brothel, she is old enough to understand that her mother Tina is a pariah by virtue of her work, but young to be traumatized by the rejection she receives because of her affiliation to her. She is withdrawn, content to spend her days sitting outside her mother’s room, passing the days while her mother ‘entertains’.

When Hanatu, a new sex worker moves into the brothel with her ten year old son, Jamil (Tude Azeez). Ese suddenly finds herself the recipient of attention. It takes her a while to warm up to the bubbly Jamil, and never truly engages him till he is bullied and taunted by street children because of his mother’s sex work. It is only then that both children really find they share identical experiences and become inseparable. A misunderstanding between their mothers, threatens to end the children’s friendship and a tragedy reunites them, the price of which is almost too much to bear.

While the children are the real revelations of Bariga Sugar, the film really is more than the sum of its parts. Tina Mba’s stellar turn as the brothel madam, Madam Sugar helps ground the film in reality, proving yet again that the veterans of Nollywood still have a lot to give. Re Olunuga’s understated original score provides the fragility that reminds us, in spite of the harshness of the ghetto and the bleakness of the children’s reality, that these characters represent people with vast internal lives. Even the vintage radio advertisement that plays in the background in the first few minutes of the film, and the ambient sounds that follow help transport you to the decade in which the film is set and allows you  fully immerse yourself, staying with you long past the film’s 26 minutes.

When the Bariga Sugar’s big tragedy happens, you are simultaneously expectant and completely blindsided. It helps that there are no villains in the end, only women and children disadvantaged by a system that let’s them fall through the cracks. The lessons are subtle but they’re impossible to ignore.

At the end of the film Ese is where she was when it began but she is essentially changed. The viewer is too, which is all a filmmaker can ask for.

 

Watch Bariga Sugar here

Celebrate Women’s Week with The NATIVE

Posted on by The Native

On Wednesday March 8th, the world will unite in celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity, per IWD. Here at The NATIVE, we strongly believe that this is a conversation that needs to be had, especially surrounding women in the creative industries in Africa.

For far too long, the success of women in the African music industry has been downplayed by the presence of a male figure in their lives. From Sasha P in the Storm Records heyday, to the early 2010s pop dominance of Tiwa Savage, there seems to constantly be an overbearing patriarchal figure, quick to take far too much credit for doing a comparatively minuscule job. During this week, we aim to highlight the women in music, style and the communities that surround them, that are breaking ground and making up their own rules as they do so. Whilst it is somewhat easy to fall into the trap of elevating women simply to fulfil some sort of pseudo-moral criteria, it is pivotal that any artist is only championed because of their talent and message, regardless of their gender.

At The NATIVE, we are committed to accelerating gender parity, but not just in a obligatory box ticking way: there are numerous African women doing amazing things in the creative industries that need to be highlighted, and we are intent on doing so.

We Can’t Ignore What Happened Last Night on Big Brother Nigeria

Best New Music: Niniola’s cunning lover likes sex games on “Maradona”

Posted on by The Native

One of the tasks op-ed writers and editors covering Niniola will face in the coming years is how to properly classify her type of music, without skewering important facts or reducing her artistry to one trifling detail. Between her post-Project Fame debut “Ibadi” and last year’s sleeper hit, “Shabba”, Niniola has morphed through a range of African styles with EDM accents. Even now, her latest single is a mile apart from what we last heard from her on the Afro-juju-inspired first track off Legendury Beatz’s Afropop 101, “Kini” .

“Maradona” opens mellow, with Sarz’s signature multi-layered house music groove and a simple baseline. Nini comes in after a stop-and-snare with a loose metaphor about her lover’s slipperiness and multiple trysts with different women. She wants to be upset with him but it is impossible, even as she knows that he only comes to her at night time after a long day of philandering. The reason is obvious by the start of a sultry refrain vividly detailing her lover’s dominance in the bedroom, complete with subtle references to fellatio and violent orgasms. It sounds like the type of hazy conversation you have with that one person your body can’t say ‘no’ to, no matter how sound your mind, head and heart is.

“Maradona” is not an unusual song, it’s just an oddly composed one and in a good way. Sex is a taboo topic in Nigeria like many other African countries, and it is especially even worse for women who are expected to ascribe to certain moral values. Though Niniola obscures some of the details with a sly sublet of Yoruba language, she doesn’t shy away from the lewd directness and specificity that gives “Maradona” all of its intended risque and edginess.

Listen to Niniola’s “Maradona” below

Check out last week’s Best New Music “One Call Away” by Legendury Beatz and Maleek Berry