Track By Track: Asa breaks down her new album, ‘V’

Posted on by Emmanuel Esomnofu

Today, after months of teasing the release of her fifth studio album with awe-inspiring singles such as “Mayana” and “Ocean,”  Asa’s ‘V’ is finally here. Together, Asa’s first four albums are a tour de force, exceedingly brilliant pieces in a magnetic whole.

Before the release of her self-titled debut album in 2007, Asa was little known in Nigeria. In the months to come, not only did Asa emerge among the year’s breakout stars, the strength of her album elevated her immediately into the pantheon of modern African pop greats. The journey since then has been quite well documented.

 

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Weaving tales of love, destruction, politics, money and everything in-between, Asa’s songs have the ability to provoke many emotions in their minimal run time. Her sound transverses forms and eras, dipping twinkly toes in genres such as R&B and Jazz, but with a textured feeling for spectacular music elsewhere, especially Yoruba folk. These qualities have elevated Asa into the rare pristine artist, a vessel through which diverse motivations can emerge into a powerful, singular presentation.

“Mayana” was her only song throughout 2021 and the Priime production hinted at a growing flair for sunny pop grooves. Lighthearted expressions, sparse songwriting and minimal production: all these were present, then and on “Ocean,” released only last weekend. ‘V’ is simply the fifth. There’s no underlying motivation behind the title other than Asa is who she is, and needs no introduction. Some days back, The NATIVE spoke to her over a Zoom call, and she broke down every song on ‘V’, how they came about and what they mean.

“MAYANA”

One afternoon, Priime and I were working with a blank slate, and I guess the first words that came out of my mouth was “nothing but I’ll love, nothing but I’ll love” and after that I went and wrote the song the next day. But the first thing were those words. Because it’s such a dreamy love song and it just puts you in a place and for me, that place is an island. And automatically, I felt it was going to be a love song cos the music inspired the story behind it.

“OCEAN”

This is also a love song, but it’s also about coming to one’s self, knowing oneself, knowing one’s self and not being afraid to express it. As a love song, I’m telling the other person, “Listen, you don’t lose; you can’t lose, I’m already for you, you have nothing to fear.” It’s about trust. “Ocean” goes beyond love between partners, it goes as far as love between friends. Anyone could be your ocean. And again, it’s the music. This thing about feeling the ocean; maybe it’s because I live in front of water, I don’t know. ‘Cos I was clearly writing the song there as well and I worked with WurlD on this song.

“IDG”

With Wizkid, you know we had met earlier–we met in Ghana already, we had drinks and just connected for the first time. I don’t think the song was born then. So I wrote the song, I thought ‘Listen, Wizkid would do great on this.’ I’ve always loved Wizkid’s melodies and always loved him as a very creative person. I sent to him, he loved it and did it. With Wizkid, as with other people that I worked with on this record, one thing that shines through—the album is just about vibes, good feeling, good times, friendship and love.

“NIKE”

“Nike” is about someone who’s shown you the world, shown you about another side of love you’ve never experienced and suddenly the relationship’s no longer happening, it’s done. In the song, I’m singing of this lost love and there’s a little bit of pain and a little bit of wanting to have revenge or something. Again, it’s very minimalistic music and that’s just [displaying versatility] and restraining, not wanting to put too much in the song so that the vocals and storyline could shine through.

“SHOW ME OFF”

This is just a story of “Yes, the relationship is here. This is the person I want to be with. Show me off; don’t be shy. Tell your friends, tell the world.” “Show Me Off”, like all the songs on the album, it again goes back to friendship. It’s about not being afraid to openly express because this is what it would be forever.

“MORNING MAN”

“Morning Man” is what it is. He’s an imaginary person but I hope that when I sing the songs, and you’re listening, you’ll find yourself in it. And “Morning Man” is just an easygoing morning song, when you wake up and quite lazy to get out of bed. There’s something rhumba, African, Island-ish about this. It’s a song you just hear and when you hear the sea in the background, everything is good and perfect.

“GOOD TIMES”

The thing with ‘V’ is that there’s a song for everybody; you pick the one that you love. The Cavemen are special to me, they are great guys, they are people who I love dearly. They inspire me. And you know, with me and Benjamin–I’m sure you’ve seen us on social media–we’re never up to no good, we’re always goofing around. “Good Times” is about friendship, it’s just about saying what sometimes you forget to say, just acknowledging friendship we see everyday and it’s become a background to our lives. Sometimes, stop and tell this person thank you, you’re a good friend.

And with The Cavemen, it reminds me of my roots, my beginning with the Asa (Asha) album, going back to that acoustic feel and there’s something about it that takes me to Paul Simon and the Ladysmith Mambazo–there’s this nostalgia about that song. Something about takes me back to childhood, those good times. I remember we were in the studio, we were just gathering around, one mic, singing this song. And it’s so good we finally have it, ready for you guys to listen to what we’ve been working on.

“BELIEVER”

Again, it’s just reaffirming that I’m loyal, I’m here for the long run. I know what I want, I know what I’m doing so don’t worry. Relax. Trust me. I’m here, I’m a believer. If you link that to “Ocean” as well, that coming to oneself and telling your lover, whoever it is, “I know my self.”

“ALL I EVER WANTED”

Originally, I wrote the song with Amaarae in mind. I wanted to give it to her. A friend came over to the house to have dinner and he put the phone to me, and Amaarae was online. That was our first connection. I’ve been listening to her songs and I thought she’s amazing, she’s in her own lane, she’s different. And this is what I do when I want to get out of the usual Asa; I’ll think of another artist and write for them. She listened to the song, she loved it and said “Why don’t we do it do it together?” And that’s how my voice got to stay on “All I Ever Wanted.” It’s actually one of my favourites on the album.

It’s a sarcastic song; Asa is always sarcastic. You can hear it in “Awe” and “Bimpé,” you know, I kind of brought a bit of that sarcasm into this song. It’s just telling the person, “Have you forgotten how we were?”

“LOVE ME OR GIVE ME RED WINE”

This song is me telling a lover, “Say what it is. If we’re not doing this, don’t just up and go.” I think “Love Me Or Give Me Red Wine” talks about emptiness, a void, the shock of not knowing when this person might go and not telling me why. Again, there’s sarcasm in this, a lot of playing around. This is what I like to do: I’ll say something serious and also be unserious about it.

Stream ‘V’ below.

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Marlian Music Singers, Zinoleesky and Mohbad have been detained by NDLEA Officials

Posted on by Chibuzo Emmanuel

In the early hours of this morning, disturbing reports began circulating social media about the detainment and harassment of Marlian Music singers, Zinoleesky and Mohbad. In a series of clips shared on Twitter, National Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) officers are seen grappling with the artists and their friends in an attempt to get them into their vehicles. This is not the first time that clips of this manner have made the rounds on our social media timelines, as late-night run-ins with law enforcement officials who barge into the private lodgings of Nigerians are common–and worse, expected.

In the now viral clip, the artists were also seen demanding for a warrant for their eventual detainment, however, it is unclear whether this request was honoured by the officers. According to reports from Punch Newspaper, the Marlian Music singers were arrested alongside four others on several alleged charges. Among this includes the possession of an unknown quality of cannabis and molly.

According to the NDLEA Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, a number of illegal drugs were recovered by the operatives, “Our men raided an area in Idado estate where Bịara Market boys stay. Some quantities of Cannabis sativa and Molly were recovered from their apartment and car.”

This has sparked public outrage about Nigeria’s pathological problem with unlawful arrests and police brutality and marks the second celebrity arrest in the past few months. Months back, a popular skit maker who goes by the moniker De General was arrested for the possession of cannabis. However, a high court ruled that the quantity of cannabis found in his possession was too small for a conviction and he was subsequently set free.

UPDATE – 25.02.2022

According to label boss, Naira Marley, Moh Bad has been released from NDLEA detention after he was physically assualted by the officers whose care he was entrusted in. In a series of tweets shared in the early hours of this morning, Naira Marley also informs the public that there is still no official warrant and four people remain in detention, including Zinoleesky, under extreme pressure and stress.

This is a developing story.

All the Nigerian actors in the Bel Air reboot

Posted on by Emmanuel Esomnofu

In the early noughties, ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ ran on American TV for six years, becoming one of the most beloved sitcoms representing the various lives of Black people. Centred on Will (played by Will Smith), a young high-schooler learning the motions of both private and public life, the original sitcom leaned on comic dramatisation to give insight into what it meant to be Black person in the nineties. Now, there’s a reboot of those classic scenes which are being reprised for a modern audience.

Conceived by executive producer/showrunner Morgan Cooper and former star Will Smith, ‘Bel-Air’ is now available to stream, and everyone’s already raving about the new Banks family. The arcs of some characters were tweaked to inspire a robust exploration of Blackness, especially taking into account the racial-charged events of the past 30 years. For some reviewers, it wasn’t quite a successful experiment while for some, there was a general sense of excitement at having this full-circle moment.

The series premiered on Peacock with four new episodes, following the journey of Will Smith (Jabari Banks) from the slummy areas of West Philadelphia to the opulence of Bel-Air’s gated communities. As confirmed by several characters of the series, each actor in the reboot was approved by Will, who wanted faces who carried the sitcom’s originality while repurposing their roles to embrace more complex contemporary concerns.

Of course, remakes of our favourite shows are usually frowned on—if anything, we desire to hold those delicate strands of our cherished memories. And yet, mining our past loves for a new feel has become a blooming section of Hollywood and there’s little to be done to stop the capitalist machinery from surging forwards.

You’d surely be more inclined to check out the series if we told you that two young actors of Nigerian descent feature in it. Here’s some information on them and the roles they play in this anticipated series.

OLLY SHOLOTAN — CARLTON BANKS

 

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The 24-year-old was born in Atlanta, Georgia and is a multifaceted artist, having dabbled in music and production in the past. In Bel-Air, he’s tasked with bringing the character of Carlton Banks to life. Originally played by Alfonso Riberio, Sholotan continues in the pivotal role as Will Smith’s cousin.

So far, a number of viewers have drawn distinctions between Riberio’s Carlton and that of Sholotan. The latter is overtly hostile towards his cousin who, coming into the Banks family, becomes a threat: Carlton imagines him falling out of love with his own folks as Will is increasingly welcomed into their warmth. Indeed a number of scenes featuring both co-stars are confrontational, leading viewers to speculate on the dynamics of their relationship as the series advances.

JIMMY AKINGBOLA — GEOFFREY

 

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Born James Olatokunbo Akingbola, 44-year-old Jimmy is one of the most accomplished actors on the cast of Bel-Air. His long career has seen him star on a number of films and the British-Nigerian is also the voice in computer games for electronic game brands like the EA, PlayStation and Disney.

On ‘Bel-Air’, Jimmy plays the role of Geoffrey, one of the original show’s funniest characters, formerly played by Joseph Marcell. The Geoffrey of Jimmy’s execution is a bit different from Marcell’s, repurposed into the new show’s more serious outlook. As Jimmy himself said, the new Geoffrey’s “got a different kind of swagger. He’s street smart and book smart, he’s a chameleon, he’s a shape shifter, so he knows what it’s like on the streets and he knows what it’s like in high society mansions or the corporate rooms.”

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Hot Takes: Inventing Anna, Don’t Jealous Me, & Much Ado About Kanye

Posted on by Moore Wright

With March around the corner and the first quarter of the year drawing to a close, I have found myself being particularly opinionated on recent events. There are a lot of things to be opinionated on. Every day for the past couple of weeks it seems like there is a different story about the wild antics of a (certain) celebrity, a questionable decision from a politician or simply an exciting new show being released.

Thankfully, I have an outlet through which I can express these opinions that may have otherwise made me unbearably frustrated. Our Hot Takes column was designed to bring you all our unpopular takes on what’s going on in pop culture. From Netflix’s ‘Inventing Anna’ to Kanye West, I’m joined by Chibuzo this week to give you takes on everything from Kanye West’s everlasting drama to some significant breakthroughs made in HIV medication.

What I’m watching

Last week I binged the Shondaland true crime limited series ‘Inventing Anna’ on Netflix. It follows the story of Anna Delvey (actually Anna Sorokin) the infamous Soho grifter, a Russian woman who posed as a German heiress and infiltrated Manhattans elite. The literal definition of faking it til you make it! It all sounds very gaslight gate keep girl boss but unfortunately the show doesn’t seem sure if it wants to portray her this way.

Anna pulls off some pretty unbelievable scams. To make this understandable, she is clearly is meant to come off as this sort of alluring it girl, with a certain je ne sais quoi that drew people in and made them want to believe her. She is not performed with the necessary gravitas however, and it makes it hard to understand why anyone buys her bullshit and would put up with her past politely  socialising in a group setting. We are meant to be taken in by her and even sympathise with her the way many characters do.

An example of the degree of sympathy the character gets of this is through the depiction of  what may be the most famous incident in Annas case, she invites her friends to an extremely expensive hotel in Marrakech ($10,000 a night!) knowing that she had exhausted all her borrowed funds. After building pressure from the hotel, her middle class friend Rachel offers her cards instead for the hotel to hold while Anna sorts out her funds. Obviously, there is no money coming for Anna, and the hotel eventually charges the $62,000 expense to Rachel’s personal and work card.

She faces being fired from her job and losing her apartment. After months of pestering and begging Anna for the money, with promises from Anna that she’d sort it out tonight, or next week, or when she can get in contact with her bank, she eventually turns Anna in to the police. Rachel also makes significant money from an interview on the ordeal and ensuing book deals. She is treated as the spawn of satan for this. The characters and show treat it as some kind of unbelievable line crossed.

Now, Rachel is an extremely annoying character. She’s portrayed as a fake,  desperate kiss ass who is prone to taking advantage of her white woman’s tears. But how is any of her fakery different from what Anna does? Rachel at least only crosses this boundary when she is at her limit, whereas Anna goes out of her way to take advantage of people.

The show wants to portray Anna as some sort of folk hero but also a comedic villain, while also an misguided kid who bit off more than she could chew. The final episode has her lawyer and the journalist covering the story mulling over her sentence and how she had her life stolen from her. Even though the show also shows her as a remorseless scammer a lot of the time. This multi faceted portrayal could work but winds up coming across as fractured and desperate to find meaning, the same way the characters try to find meaning in the whole mess. To be fair, maybe that was the point, or maybe the show was just a mess.

What I’m listening to

Recently I’ve been listening to ‘Meant To Be Yours’ from the Heathers musical soundtrack. I heard a snippet of the unhinged rant of a song on TikTok, and I had to look it up, before realising out it was from the Heathers musical, based on a truly iconic 80s film that follows Veronica, a girl in a mean girl clique, who falls into a toxic romance with a charming outsider JD, who winds up murdering the Queen and Veronicas best friends, Heather Chandler.

There seems to be in a small collection of films for teens and young women that made it to broadway, like ‘Clueless,’ ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘Legally Blonde’. The song captures the essence of the film, but makes JD (the Christian Slater-played heartthrob for misguided teens) seem like more of an emotional wreck. I hope it hasn’t given him more fans to romanticise this kind of toxic behaviour. Regardless, the song has motivated me to give the musical, and the other teen movie musical adaptations a try.

Is Coachella setting a dangerous precedent?

The 2022 Coachella festival will be going back on its former COVID policy. The popular music festival will no longer require testing, masks or even proof of vaccination. This is a notable move from the organisers, as such a large festival is capable of setting a new standard for public events in 2022. This may be a sign that we are moving in to more of a “post COVID” mindset.

But is it a smart move? Music festivals are basically the ultimate super spreader, with thousands of people packed together, sweating and screaming at the top of their lungs. If the festival has even a fraction of its usual turnout, there could be a significant boom in COVID infections.  It feels a little irresponsible to not at least require proof of vaccination.

At the moment, most major public events still have restrictions but many organisations may find themselves unwilling to further lose money from people who have positive COVID tests or are either unable or unwilling to get the vaccine. If this move from Coachella proves effective financially, I fear that organisations  may follow in their footsteps. Whether Coachella will have an effect on events going forward is yet to be seen, but I for one hope that it there isn’t too much of a case of follow the leader.

Rediscovering Don’t Jealous Me

Viral comedian Tolu Ogunmefun, aka “Don’t Jealous Me” recently released the song Vogue featuring TimiBoi. A very notable comedian in the 2010s, he has had a significant impact on internet comedy, showing that Nigerians a place in that world. His career has been particularly colourful, with many acting credits under his belt, including a role in the Idris Elba directed film Yardie.

2021 marked a specific change from the musical parodies he was known for to original music. A lot of influencers in the 2020s have made a pivot into music. TikTokers like Addisson Rae and Lil Huddy have released singles, some to extreme criticism. It seems that their identities as media personalities has harmed them when it comes to critical responses.

The positive reviews towards DJMs music makes it seem like he has escaped this fate. He still posts comedic videos, and seems successful in a lot of fields simultaneously. It’s nice to see such a successful evolution, and his success proves that multitalented people do not have to put themselves in a box.

 

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Second POC (a WOC) to ever be cured of HIV

Last week, a breakthrough in medicine was achieved with the announcement of the third ever person to be cured of HIV. A mixed race 64 year old woman in New York was cured after two transplants, including from an umbilical cord. She is only the third ever person to be cured, with a man from Berlin and a man from London being the first and second respectively.

It is surprising that two people of colour make up two thirds the first people cured, with the “London patient”, Adam Castillejo being a Latino man. Healthcare is often not a friend to non white people. It is good that people of colour have been treated with such care in this case, although there could arguably be an unfortunate link between this fact and the fact that the treatments used have been very high risk and experimental.

People of colour have historically been used as guinea pigs when it comes to medicine. In the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis, in the Negro Male 399 African American American men with syphilis were never informed of their diagnosis and many were medicated with placebos instead of available treatment. 128 people died from syphilis-related complications by the time the study was called off.

The current HIV treatments do not have the same ethical concerns as the patients involved presumably were informed of the risks involved. It is just easy to be pessimistic about the fact that this seems to be a rare area of healthcare where people of colour have been prioritised. While there is always cause for concern when new medicines are being discovered and  a cure still seems a ways a way, this good news is still definitely cause for increased optimism.

Joe Biden promises to appoint a black woman to the Supreme Court

Joe Biden recently announced his intention to appoint a black woman to replace Stephen Breyer on the United States Supreme Court. Responses to this announcement have been divided to say the least. From the more conservative side, there is the expected reaction. Many are asking why the appoint is will not be purely based on merit, regardless of race. This assumes however, that a complete objectivity when it comes to decisions like this is possible.

People’s biases always affect the choices they make whether consciously or not. Sometimes, the only way that change will be achieved is if people actively try to go against their biases. This also ignore the fact that the most qualified candidate, depending on the qualifications considered, could easily be a black woman regardless. Others have also brought up the fact that there are other types of women, Asian women, Latina women who are underrepresented. But black women are arguably the most targeted. There is also the fact that appointing a Black woman doesn’t guarantee black people will be fought for as people who look like you do not always have your best interest at heart.

Amy Cohen Barrett is a woman that actively goes against women’s rights, often compared to the hypocritical Handmaid’s Tale character Serena Joy. But people may be more likely to at least empathise with others in their demographic. This is just one small step overall, and there needs to be effort put in to make sure. making sure they get a Black woman who will fight on behalf of other Black women.

KANYE WEST’S MANIA COULD WREAK HAVOC ON THOSE AROUND HIM

By Chibuzo Emmanuel

‘Crazy’, ‘Impulsive’, ‘Different’, ‘Problematic’, ‘Eccentric’—These are all adjectives that have been used to describe Ye over the years. But in past few months, following his separation from his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, his eccentricity has spiralled into a fully inflated ball of mania—public feuds with Kim over the Internet, Juvenile troll posts aimed against Kim’s new partner Pete Davidson, Buying a house opposite to Kim’s new residence, Cries on Instagram for Kim to reunite with him, disputes with everyone from Pete to Billie Eilish to his longtime close pal Kid Cudi.

While there are many layers to Ye and his public struggles with mental health, the latest turn of events sees the rapper call on his fans not to do anything physical to Pete Davidson. In the wake of this post, it becomes ironically lucid, the power that someone of the iconography of Kanye wields to both inspire fans and incite them to much worse, particularly to those around him.

 

Earlier this month, Kanye West took to Instagram to ask that his fans not “do anything physical to Pete Davidson, at the request of his estranged wife Kim Kardashian. Ye allegedly received a text from Kim which he put up on Instagram, it read “U are creating a dangerous and scary environment and someone will hurt Pete and this will all be your fault,” the text reads. He replied, casually saying would  “handle the situation myself” in the post, which included a screenshot of the text, along with a photo from the 2001 film Baby Boy. The comments section, as well as Twitter conversations on the matter, were filled with both insults and threats aimed at both Kim and Pete by a number of his loyalists.

It’s easy to think that these insults and threats are just dark jokes that have no effect outside the phantom of social media. But history says otherwise. Last year, fellow right-wing popular figure Donald Trump encouraged his followers to reject the US presidential election results after he lost to President Joe Biden. Initially, this sparked conversations and memes of an insurrection online. These conversations were seen as harmless juvenile wails from a few right-wing extremists, until the capitol building attack, which left the whole world shell-shocked on how something as unthinkable as an insurrection could happen in the world’s bastion of democracy.

It is also worth noting that all these Instagram posts have now been taken down, only to be replaced by promotional posts for ‘DONDA 2,’ Ye’s deluxe album which is available exclusively on stem player.

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The Shuffle: Naeto C’s “Kini Big Deal” is another marker of Hip-Hop’s influence on Nigerian Pop Music

Posted on by Emmanuel Esomnofu

As seen on our timelines, many Nigerians loved the Super Bowl Half Time show which held last week Sunday. For most, the 70,000-capacity SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was geographically distant, but the performance of Dr Dre and his legendary friends couldn’t have hit closer to home. On our social media timelines, discussions opened into our favourite songs of the 2000s and how that diet was largely informed by American Rap music–a mainstay in popular culture at the time.

Emerging from the Bronx, New York, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Hip-Hop was readily adapted into the cultures of many diasporan nations. In the 2000s, America’s influence on the media rubbed off on many Nigerians, especially on musicians who began making music which sounded similar to some of our classical oratory. Bursting at the seams and innovated frequently, Hip-Hop was the commercial darling of popular music worldwide. Nigerian acts would usually be gleamed wearing sports fits and baggy jeans, sporting cornrows and sketching some grit into their images. Simply put, you needed to be hip to stand any chance at ‘blowing’ around these parts.

Few came as hip as Naeto C. The Houston-born rapper completed his secondary education in Lagos but returned to America to further his studies. During his MSc program at the George Washington University, he met the brothers Ikechukwu and Uzikwendu, developing a rapport which coalesced into the World Famous Academy. Part collective and part label (without any real sponsorship), the WFA released Ikechukwu’s 2006 debut album, ‘Son of the Soil’, while Naeto C worked on his own music that would go on to capture the ears and hearts of millions.

“Kini Big Deal” was released in 2008 to almost instant acclaim. The Hausa-inflected hook and the Yoruba-lined chorus of “kini big deal” were too Nigerian to ignore, but then the swag—an important factor in the song’s success—was obviously international. Naeto C rapped like he was too blessed to be stressed, running every syllable with the ease rappers like Snoop Dogg were famed for. The record’s production also glistened with party elements, evoking the feeling of standing in a large ball room with a tall glass of expensive champagne in hand.

The song’s brilliance cannot be understated. As a product marketed to a people’s sensibilities, its grand vision of opulence and city connections cannot be missed. Lyrically, it’s potent, taking shots at a rival and sweet-talking a lady at different points and, in the last line of its first verse (“one more thing, this is Las Gidi”), embracing the Hip Hop culture of “representing.” The slickness of his “Yes, Boss” adlibs also hinted at decades-old black tradition and crucially appealed him to a generation who grew up on stories of confidence.

Naeto C’s debut album ‘You Know My P’ went on to become a classic. Besides housing this undisputed pop classic, it spawned great records like “Lagos City Hustler” and the Wande Coal-featuring “One For Me” and became a schoolbook for cutting commercial success from rap’s generous textile. Both Naeto C and Ikechukwu wore classy suits reminiscent of The Notorious B.I.G and Puff Diddy whose Bad Boy Records created the 90s template for being hip in a way that transcends Hip-Hop. Naeto’s pairing of simple shirts with northern-styled hats would later become a totem of 2000s popular culture.

Over the years, from the “Kini Big Deal” era to that of “Ako Mi Ti Poju” and “Tony Montana”, Naeto C built a lifestyle associated with his music, going the necessary extra mile to immerse the audience in an experience that stays longer than a song’s last spin.

THE SHUFFLE: THE REMEDIES’ “SHAKOMO” IS A MARKER OF HIP-HOP’S INFLUENCE ON NIGERIAN MUSIC

What’s Going On: Fuel Scarcity in Nigeria, Taxation in Ghana & More

Posted on by Damilola Animashaun

“What’s Going On” Tallies Notable News Headlines From Across The Continent — The Good, The Bad, And The Horrible — As A Way Of Ensuring That We All Become A More Sagacious African Generation. With This Column, We’re Hoping To Disseminate The Latest Happenings In Our Socio-Political Climate From Across The Continent, Whilst Starting A Conversation About What’s Important For Us To All Discuss. From Political Affairs To Socio-Economic Issues, ‘What’s Going On’ Will Discuss Just That. 

Nigerian Government seeks patience amidst fuel scarcity

For decades, episodes of fuel scarcity have plagued Nigeria. Fortnightly, the country faces a new bout of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) scarcity, worsening the living conditions of citizens—as if that was already challenging. In the past few weeks, the scarcity of PMS, colloquially referred to as petrol or fuel, has effected long, gruelling queues at filling stations, arbitrary hikes in the price ranging from one fuelling station to the next, as well as accidents from purchasing adulterated fuel from the black market.

According to reports, the scarcity was caused due to the importation of bad PMS—contaminated with methanol—into the country, however, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) put out a statement claiming that the situation would be stabilised within a few days. Currently, though, access to petrol hasn’t been any easier, with ongoing presence of queues and price hikes. In addition to powering vehicular movement, petrol is used by many Nigerian households and businesses to power generators that serve as alternative means of electricity to the country’s everlasting, epileptic power supply. With general groans of the power situation being much worse during this bout of petrol scarcity, Nigerians are really going through it.

In a recent statement, the Federal government of Nigeria sympathized with its citizens and called for patience as they make moves to find an enduring solution to the problem. Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, made the plea on Sunday in an announcement by his Senior Adviser (Media & Communications), Horatius Egua. “In the last weeks, Nigerians have grappled with fuel scarcity not because of the absence of supply of products but due to inspection failure, which allowed adulterated products into the country. This is regrettable, and the Federal Government sympathizes with the citizenry over the unforeseen hardship, occasioned by the inevitable scarcity. Let me once again appeal to Nigerians to be patient with the government in finding lasting solutions to the crisis,” Sylva said.

Also, the NNPC recently stated that it is expecting 2.3 billion litres of PMS by the end of February, perhaps giving a clear path to the return of relative normalcy.

More taxes in Ghana

Last November, during its 2022 budget presentation, the Ghanaian federal government announced the impending introduction of an electronic transaction levy, charging 1.75 percent on all electronic transactions above GHs 100. The announcement immediately proved controversial, drawing backlash from many Ghanaians who are already weary of the economic woes and corruption allegations under Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration.

Last August, thousands took to the streets of Accra to protest the country’s uninspiring economic situation, which has been worsened by the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement clearly incensed many who feel the E-levy is a tone deaf measure by the federal government, citing its potential to worsen economic inequality, especially as it is yet to address concerns on corruption and misappropriation of public funds. The proposed tax hasn’t been passed into law yet, proving to be divisive in Ghana’s parliament, which broke out into a brawl last December while the deputy speaker stood to vote. While the tax hasn’t proved popular amongst the general populace and legislative arm, the federal government sees this as an avenue to improve revenue by leveraging on the increased popularity of mobile money over the last half-decade, projecting to rake in GHc 6.96 billion in 2022 alone.

As the debates on the E-levy continue, with the government even scaling back to 1.5 percent, the Ghanaian Revenue Authority (GRA) has laid its sights on making GHc 2.7 billion from imposing taxes on betting, gaming and e-commerce companies, this year. The commissioner for Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the GRA, Edward Appenteng Gyamerah stated that the GRA is rolling out a policy to enable it effectively receive a fair share of tax of companies that fall under this umbrella, both domestic and foreign entities with a presence in Ghana. This new tax policy should take effect from the second half of this year.

With an economy in desperate need of a boost, as well as a pile of external debt, the Ghanaian federal government clearly sees taxation as its best means of revenue. However, not only is this method increasing resentment among citizens, it might dampen Ghana’s reputation as the ideal location for foreign investment in West Africa. Also, without wholesome oversight and accountability, these taxes will only fuel the corruption that’s already allegedly rampant amongst public office holders.

Nigerian air strikes reportedly kills and injures children in Niger

Nigeria’s battle against insurgency has been a long drawn one. Since its first attack in 2009, Boko Haram has upended the stability in the country, especially in Northern Nigeria, killing thousands and leaving over 3 million people displaced from their homes. To this day the onslaught against insurgency still rages, and amidst all of this, civilians are also vulnerable to fire from the Nigerian military.

According to multiple sources, the Nigerian air force has killed and wounded several children in neighbouring Niger in an airstrike, possibly aimed at insurgent forces. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Chaibou Aboubakar, governor of Niger’s Maradi region said, “There was a mistake with the Nigerian strikes on the border that resulted in victims on our territory in the village of Nachade.” He estimated that the victims were 12 children, seven dead and five wounded. According to the governor, “the parents were attending a ceremony and the children were probably playing when the strikes” hit them. Four children died instantly and three others succumbed “to their injuries while being transported to hospital.”

The Nigerian military has neither confirmed nor denied the launching airstrike and causing these casualties, but a military spokesman has stated that a probe was underway.

French military exits Mali after almost a decade

In 2013, France sent 5,000 troops to Mali at the government’s request, following increased insurgent activities by al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in the country’s northern region. Last Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron announced his decision to withdraw French troops from Mali, following soured relationships with the current military government and the Malian populace. A linked European special forces task force, Takuba, will also withdraw from the country.

In its entrance nearly a decade ago, France’s government said it wanted to help in protecting the Malian populace and the 6,000 French citizens living there, however, the insurgency and armed rebellion has only worsened in that time period. Also, deteriorating relations with Mali’s military leaders, who seized power in a coup in 2020—the second coup in 8 years—catalysed France’s exit. The ruling junta had reneged on an agreement to organise democratic election in February, and proposed holding power till 2025, to the public disagreement of the French ambassador, Joel Meyer, who was given 72 hours to leave Mali after his comments.

President Macron has stated that the withdrawal of French troops and Takuba will take four to six months, during which time there would be fewer operations against jihadists. In its own retort, the Malian junta has demanded the immediate exit of French troops, instead of the drawn out plan. This was met with positive reactions from many Malians, who took to the streets celebrating the exit announcement with symbolic brooms. Currently, it is alleged that Mali has sought alliance with a Russian mercenary group in the fight against insurgency, a move that analysts claim will have profound effect on the anti-terrorism situation in the Sahel region, since the majority of French military support was focused in Mali.

[Featured Image Credits: BusinessdayNG]

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Songs Of The Day: New Music From Tekno, Skales, Olamide & More

Posted on by The Native

After the many wins forged by Afropop last year, the musical landscape has never looked more promising. As such the fast and furious pace of new music releases makes it hard to keep track of all the good music coming out of Africa. That’s where our Songs of the Day column comes in.

We’re doing the work to stay on pulse with all the music coming out from across the continent and beyond, bringing you exciting songs of tomorrow: today. Last weekend, we brought you new releases from Töme, Olakira, Tion Wayne and more. This week, get into these new releases from Tekno, Skales, Laycon and more. Enjoy.

Tekno – “Mufasa” 

Afropop hit maker Tekno has been on a hiatus from releasing any solo music for over a year now. This month, he makes his return with the release of braggadocious new single “Mufasa.” The new single is release alongside an accompanying new video which lets fans know, without a doubt, that the reigning king of hits is back. Over the mid-tempo beat, he sings “call me Mufasa, not Mustapha/Girl your body is enough,” addressing his status in the game and the beautiful women he now has access to.

Olamide – “Hate Me” ft. Wande Coal

After weeks of teasing their latest release, Olamide and Wande Coal have teamed up for new P.Priime single titled “Hate Me.” The catchy new single finds both artists currently toasting to their current status in the industry, as some of the music’s biggest frontrunners. “Get money, get schmoney, I be flipping that/The swag they be ripping that,” quips Olamide on the song’s first verse, as he bigs up himself and his musical abilities.

Skales – “Pants On Fire” ft. Blaqbonez

Skales is back on the scene with the release of his latest album titled ‘Sweet Distraction’ and one of the fan favourites from the project is the Blaqbonez-assisted “Pants On Fire”. Blaqbonez has been all the rave in the music scene and his appearance on Skales’ new song is no different. Over the song’s catchy production, both artists address their love interests who seem to be leading them on and telling them lies about their relationship. “Guess who’s laughing now/Tables don turn round, your pants on fire,” Skales quips over the memorable hook, admonishing his lover for her infidelity.

Al Ghalib – “Shake The Room (Energy)”

Rapper Al Ghalib kicks off 2022 with the brand new single “Shake The Room (Energy)”. The high-energy new number finds the rapper firing off relatable lyrics over a catchy and propulsive beat. With lyrics that reflect on the need to show up as your true self and shake the tables, regardless of your background is an important message for listeners navigating the world today.

Wenny Brown – “Love Cosmic”

Nigerian singer and songwriter Wenny Brown re-emerges with a brand new single, “Love Comic” which comes right after his 2021 chart-topping number “Gbomo Gbomo”. The STG Tha Prodigy-produced track is a mid-tempo Afropop song that focuses on his love for his significant other.

Laycon – “Presidential Address 3”

Rapper and BBNaija winner Laycon has debuted his latest song titled “Presidential Address 3” which comes after his debut album ‘I am Laycon’. The Tytanium-produced single was released along with a lyrical video directed by Uchekush. On “Presidential Address 3,” the rapper leaves no stone unturned as he delivers clear and concise bars about the trails of success, the struggles he faces and how he’s able to rise above them through his faith in God.

Featured image credits/NATIVE

Essentials: Asake comes into his own with eponymous debut EP

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Asake scored his breakout with a song that was best suited to the carefree environments of sweaty shindigs. “Mr Money,” a hype track with robust chants slung over the unique bang of Juju-inspired percussion, landed at a time when social distance was a collective, essential chore, effectively reducing its impact on arrival. It was one of those songs, alongside other high octane, peak pandemic period hits like DJ Kaywise’s “W.T.O.D” and Patoranking’s “Abule,” that soundtracked risky, carefree gatherings under the looming cloud of doom, and consistently rang out of speakers on roadsides across the streets of Lagos mainland.

Under these circumstances, Asake had his first big song but wasn’t yet deemed as an upcoming star. Subsequent singles, including the Zlatan-assisted remix of his hit song, didn’t do much to improve his notoriety, leaving him in a middling position. If there’s any surefire stimulus for burgeoning street-pop artists, it’s an Olamide feature, which Asake secured on his biggest song yet, “Omo Ope.”

A euphoric jam that combines the breezy and visceral knock of contemporary street-pop with choral flourishes, “Omo Ope” touched down as one of the best songs of this early year, properly positioning Asake as an artist with the ability to organically retool the crudeness of street lingo into mainstream-ready songs. Craft-wise, that’s the central factor of his new debut EP, Ololade Asake, released under Olamide’s YBNL label imprint. As his first project, it’s an impressive introduction to an artist with a clear sense of musical direction, a logical evolution from previous singles where melodies took a backseat to catchy lyrical phrases.

Having significantly improved his focus on songwriting, Asake presents himself as a singer with veritable street sensibilities, spinning melodies that fit the aspirational and joyous tone on his eponymous EP. On the one hand, he’s elated to have risen from the throes of uncertainty, and on the other hand, there’s an acknowledgement of the journey towards impenetrable certainty. ‘Ololade Asake’ is a self-assured portrait of transition, with faith as his compass. It’s apparent in the complementary tenor of the first and fourth tracks.

Opener “Trabaye” is a statement of intent bolstered by the unwavering poise in a passage like, “Omo olope, no dey form bossy/You be boss, I be boss, who be condo?” (“Condo” as in conductors in Lagos’ patented yellow danfo buses.) Niphkeys-produced closer, “Baba God” brings a spiritual bent to his assurance, certain that his trajectory is being defined by a Higher Power. In between those two songs are “Sungba” and “Omo Ope,” both dance-ready cuts that lean into the tropes of street-pop, melding preppy melodies with vibrant production from key collaborator, Magicsticks.

Running at a brisk 11 minutes, ‘Ololade Asake’ is a project of highlight reels, smartly ensuring every listening second counts. It’s lean enough to encourage repeat plays and, nearly two years after a viral single put on the Nigerian pop music radar, quite substantial to finally validate Asake as an upcoming star.

Listen to ‘Ololade Asake’ here.

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Tokyo James & More Among This Year’s LVMH Prize Semi-Finalists

Posted on by The Native

Each year, the LVMH Prize awards the next generation of influential designers from across the globe. Hailing from a range of countries including South Africa, China, the United States, Japan, France and more, past winners have gone on to secure great leaps in the industry, off the gloss of the LVMH shine.

After South African designer Lukhanyo Mdingi was announced alongside Kidsuper and Rui Zhou, this year’s prize is more competitive than ever before.

 

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Among those announced as semi-finalists for the 2022 prize are Nigeria’s Tokyo James, founder of the eponymous menswear brand and Idris Balogun, who owns the fashion house, Winnie New York. Both are joined alongside a talented spate of new-gen designers including Maximilian Davis from London, Goomheo from South Korea, Amesh from Sri Lanka and many more.

The finals will happen on March 4th and 5th in an in-person showroom where the selected designers will showcase their collections, while the virtual showroom and the international experts of the prize will vote for their eight finalists. The LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designer winner will receive a €300,000 endowment and enjoy a year-long mentoring by a fully dedicated LVMH team. This year, the winners will also be awarded a €150,000 fund and a year-long mentoring by the best experts in the fashion industry. 

The public is encouraged to vote in their opinion; you can watch the live stream here. 

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Our First Impressions Of Blxckie’s ‘4 LUV’

Posted on by Wonu Osikoya

There has never been a time quite like the present for Hip-Hop/Rap in Africa. After innumerable efforts to put Rap on the map, the genre now seems to be firmly planted in the safe hands of a new vanguard of Afropop hitmakers. South African rapper BLXCKIE is one of such rappers, earning his stripes back in 2020 when he scored his breakout moment with the viral success of Lucasraps-assisted “Big Time Sh’lappa”.

After a successful run late last year, which also culminated in the release of his debut full-length project ‘B4NOW’, the South African mcee is back now with his third project titled ‘4 LUV.’ On the 6-track, the rap artist takes a more different approach to the music as he blends soft and subtle production with his heavy bars. The solo tape finds the artist singing over more melodious beats and he delivers a splendid 24-minute run as he juggles between ranges of emotions, from vulnerability to strength.

As one of the NATIVE’s Top 5 rappers in 2021, his latest project ‘4 LUV,’ is highly received as Blxckie continues to craft his world with sharp-clawed precision and finely-tuned ears. So, what’s the project’s best song? Biggest skip? The NATIVE have answered these questions as we deliver what we think are the standouts from the EP. Here are our first impressions of Blxckie’s ‘4 LUV’.

 

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BEST VERSE:

Shina: The first verse on the last track, “Your All” has to be the best. Blxckie’s cadence and lyrics sets the mood on this song. With lyrics like; “Hope we going far baby girl, ride or die dont put too much thought to it girl, start a lie,  Know you see the sparks baby lets start a fire, right here, right now” Blxckie accurately depicts the yearning of a lover making promises, painting pictures of how he sees their love together.  

Dennis: If you know me, you know I have a strong bias for the early 2000s Soulquarians period of music. It’s a big reason why I think the best verse here belongs to “Cry.” Writing wise, Blxckie does a great job of depicting himself as a repentant lover trying to be a safe haven for his partner. Delivery wise, his sung-rap flow over that jazzy neo-soul groove is impeccable, both as an emotional conduit and a technical show out.

Ada: The best verse is definitely from “Weep”, which is probably my favourite song on the project. The way he sings the lyrics “oh all the shit you’ve been through, oh i can not let you weep, want you to feel safe with me” is so crazy. His vocals on the beat hits so well you can’t help but sing along. 

BIGGEST POTENTIAL HIT:

Emmanuel: The melody on “Cry” is just beautiful. Compared to other songs on the tape, the production is stripped and melancholic, but it really bounces off the smoothness of Blxckie’s vocals. Many people right now feel like just bursting out in a cry and this song would surely be loved for its vulnerability. Hip Hop is sometimes perceived as a hard guy’s art but rappers like Blxckie find the appropriate middle ground where one’s MC skills and life hassles can be addressed in one breath. 

Chibuzo: It’s definitely “Cold”. It caught my attention from the first line, I had to lean back in my seat to capture its essence after the first few seconds of listening. The instrumentation is minimalist—a simple melody and stripped-down percussion. Blxckie’s voice cruises smoothly on the wave of the beat, he contorts his voice with fluid dexterity, allowing his emotions to communicate with incredible rawness. It’s the kind of song that resonates with a large number of people, I see it taking off. 

Wonu: Well, the biggest potential hit on this tape for me will be “Cold”. It sounds like it’ll definitely appeal to R&B lovers such as me and the honesty in the lyricism is certainly something people will relate to for sure, so I’d say “Cold”. Close second will have to be “Fortune Teller” and this is because this is basically the only feature on the tape. I can’t really say much but I’ll like to see how this grows on listeners and fans. 

BIGGEST SKIP:

Chibuzo: The level of sonical cohesiveness on this project is impressive. Each song flows seamlessly into the other, so it was really difficult making this pick, but I’d go with “Weep”. It’s not a bad song, it’s just super lacklustre. The lyrics are also cliche.

Moore: It is a high compliment to the EP that it is so difficult for me to decide. All the songs have their own merits and would be a good listen depending on my mood. Cold is the one I’d probably be most likely to fast forward though. It is a little too mellow and uncomplicated compared to the rest of the project. It’s unlikely that I’d be in the mood for it if I pulled up the EP.

Shina: It took me a while to decide on this because every song on the EP sound like they fit perfectly but if i have to choose I’ll go with “Weep”. It’s pretty much the most forgettable song on the EP because of how dragged out it sounds halfway through when Blxckie switches up to a more melancholic number. 

OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSION:

Dennis: A lot of people focused on the bravado of Blxckie’s debut album, paying less attention to the more introspective and emotionally-driven stuff which, I think, gave that tape its wholesome allure. On ‘4Luv’, there’s far more heart than brawn, and it emphasises an aspect of the rap artist’s skill-set that hasn’t gotten its just due. Blxckie broke out with bass-tearing trap bangers, but this new EP further emboldens another side to his artistry—which he’s been showcasing with songs like “Sika” and “Kwenzekile”. It doesn’t break new ground on the most broached topic in all of music, but there’s a narrative attached to the EP—boy dropping the lothario act to become the dream boyfriend for a girl he really likes—and the craft is excellent enough to hold its own as a brilliant addition to the artist’s growing canon of projects.

Emmanuel: It’s a totally enjoyable tape. At times I felt the subjects were kind of similar but the EP’s title just spells out Blxckie’s intent. Complementing the obvious brilliance of its trap-leaning production, I loved the texture of Blxckie’s voice and how he just flows off the energy, rather than forcing bars into the set soundscape. His tendency to also deliver some bars in Zulu (especially on “umoya”) was also appealing. I hadn’t listened to much of Blxckie’s music before now but it’s obvious why he’s a talent to watch. His technical skills are impressive, but he’s also aware of emotional nuances, making him the sort of rapper to listen to, for perspective. 

Moore:  The best word to describe this EP is comforting . It feels very loving. It’s the kind of thing you’d want to send to someone that you have a crush on, or at least listen to while thinking about them. I do wish that there were more featured artists to contrast with Blxckie’s vocals and add some depth to the songs. It is still very effective for what it is.

Chibuzo: It’s not sonically inventive, it’s not going to be a groundbreaking tape, nothing special really happens on it. But overall, it’s an enjoyable tape. The sonical and thematic consistency across the EP is also laudable. 

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6 Young Nigerians On How Growing Older Affected Their Perception Of Love

Posted on by The Native

Regardless of the hyper-commercialisation of Valentine’s Day that has occurred over the last decade due to humanity’s ongoing pivot to digital tools of communication and amplification, it is hard to escape the sentiment behind the day whether it is being celebrated in the context of agape, eros, ludus, or philia love. Some might even say that humans are made – and socialised –  to love in certain ways whether it is the love of self, longstanding love, or a deep love for family. 

Part of growing up is learning the patterns that define our lives and seeing what type of love we are expressing in our day-to-day life; similarly, growing up Valentine 2022 is as good a time as any to cast minds back and look at the different ways that our understanding and interactions with love has evolved. To get some answers, we had a little chat with members of The NATIVE team as well as members of our wider community. 

How did you understand love growing up?

Judith: I understood love growing up as a deep feeling that should be cherished between two people and to keep it sacred as long as it should between couples.  Love so far is not a feeling, but something that should be built on and should be afforded the attention and other ingredients that makes it worthwhile.

Emmanuel: A lot of the love we felt growing up as young Nigerians was couched in provision. If you had everything you needed, you were loved. This is mostly how I understand it. There were few emotional touchstones, but I also grew up in a large family so everything just rubbed off somehow. Sometimes there was warmth.  

Chibuzo: As a young child my opinions on love were shaped by teachings in Sunday School,  my parents and a smattering of Disney animations. I understood love as the warmth I felt inside when someone showed care or when I cared deeply about someone. When I was eight years old, I remember one afternoon when my brother (he’s three years older) came home crying, someone had hit him—a neighbour. I remember asking him with so much anger “Who hit you, just tell me”. The dude who hit him was like 14 years old, I remember bursting out of the room, racing to ‘go get’ the dude who hit him. When I got to the guy, I was taken aback by his height, he was like twice my height, after threatening and raining curses on the dude, he just burst into laughter and apologised—That’s how I used to be with those I loved. What I felt inside used to move me to do the unthinkable. 

Levi: Growing up, the word LOVE in my opinion was overused, even till now I think. Over time, I’ve come to understand that love isn’t just about butterflies or whatever people say – it’s a feeling, a feeling of deep understanding and utmost care and affection for someone or a thing. 

Enioluwafe: Love to me, was what I saw between my parents. I always felt the genuine love they had for each other and for us (the children) through the laughter and care they exhibited. Also, I was exposed to a lot of Disney movies growing up so I had that Disney definition of love where it was cute and happy and joyous. It was all very surface level though. I don’t think I fully understood the concept, just the idea of it.

Wonu: Growing up, I got to understand a lot of things early as I grew up with a single mother and my grandparents. Love was always about being with family and being there for family at every given opportunity and this shaped me in such a way that when I love, I love with everything. 

Eniola: I mostly thought about love in a familial and religious context. I never thought too deeply about it because I thought it was expected of me to love my family and God.

 

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Has that perception changed? If so, how?

Judith: NO, the perception hasn’t changed so far. But what I would say is LOVE in now in our present times has been watered down into something that isn’t real, just a fiction of the mind telling you how it should be. Traditionally speaking, it’s just how it should be that’s why my perception hasn’t changed. 

Emmanuel: As I grow, I learn that love could be ‘cheap’. It doesn’t just provide but cares. And throughout my relationships, I try to keep a certain degree of sensitivity. To be thoughtful about stuff. 

Chibuzo: I’m twenty-one now and all I can say is “Life and love have shown me pepper”. Maybe I’m just being too extra because to be fair, I haven’t experienced a lot of heartbreaks so far. But I think I’m more circumspect, I understand the difference between love, lust, and infatuation. I also understand that love doesn’t isn’t a two-way switch, it exists on a proverbial analog scale—There are levels to love—you know how the level of heat a pressing iron produces is determined by an analog rotating dial? That’s how I understand love to be now—the degree of love people have towards someone or something varies. Sometimes I understand that someone loves me but that they don’t love me to the extent that maybe I want at the time and that often determines my willingness to commit to a relationship. I find this profound because people often ask “Do you love me” but almost no one asks “How much do you love me”.

Levi: I would say it has really, growing up and being in a committed relationship for five years now has given me a different perspective to love. And to be honest, love is cheap – but, to love honestly and be loved wholeheartedly. nothing in the world beats that, well except a shit load of money. 

Enioluwafe: I think the word I’d use is deepened. I definitely have a better understanding of what love is. From relationships with my friends (which to me has been the purest exhibition of love) to romantic relationships and familial relationships. It is still joyous and happy and is about care. The world has not done enough damage to me not to be optimistic about love. (Christ, I sound like a proper romantic; ew.)

Wonu: Not really, to be honest, now I just love but with more boundaries. I grew up understanding love because of how my mum and grandma taught me to love but I’m also more intentional with how I love anyone or anything. I’ve grown to understand the concept of love and day in day out, I seem to understand it even more.

Eniola: Yes, my understanding of love has broadened quite a bit. I love people that aren’t my family and I’m mostly indifferent about god. I love and appreciate my parents more now, I think most of the ”love” I had for them before was simply because they provided for me but as I got older, I started to see them as individuals just trying their best like everyone else.

What sort of love appeals to you now?

Emmanuel: Soft, intentional, playful love. Love that sees through the fake smiles and asks, “What’s wrong?” Love that can be immersed in play and abandon, that doesn’t care much for what other people think. It’s a bit hard coming by this love in contemporary Nigeria but I’m utterly convinced it’s out there. Somehow, we’ll find it. 

Judith: Intentional love, honest actions and words, and love that’s about me (obviously reciprocated) that shows me that is all I need. I have known myself to be needy and set aside insecurities and all but that has shown me love that is worth every attention. Also, when both parties are open to each other about their secrets and all. My type of love to be honest is the “Bonnie and Clyde” love, to always do things together, conspire, sleuth, and above all to be honest to each other, the type that seduces you to be committed completely. 

Chibuzo: I don’t think I have a particular type of love that appeals to me now, I just really like it when I know someone has my back. 

Levi: I really don’t have a way love appeals to me, I feel that the more intentional you are about things and how honest you can be in whatever relationship it is you’re in can propagate your relationship you don’t have to love me back for me to love you. I try to be kind because everyone is fighting one hard battle or the other. 

Enioluwafe: Honest, intentional love I think. I don’t want to think too much about what I say or who I am around you if we love each other. Ease, companionship, and like I said before, a friend. I think we underrate the importance of having a friend you can talk to any time, no matter the season or topic. So yeah, these are definitely things I unintentionally look for in a partner.

Wonu: Right now, intentional love. The kind of love that you don’t need to labor for, it’s just right. The kind of love that makes you warm and safe, yeah, there’s nothing that matters to me more than intentional love, being with someone that you can refer to as your better half; a companion. 

Eniola: Something soft, sweet, and affectionate without secrets and judgment. I’ve been very guarded in my relationships and I didn’t even know I could be affectionate until recently and it felt freeing, I’d like to explore that. Life is hard and having your person makes it less daunting sometimes. 

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TurnTable Top 50: Rema’s “Calm Down” Debuts At No. 4

Posted on by Wonu Osikoya

In preparation for the debut album ‘Rave & Roses’, Afrorave singer and songwriter Rema released his second official single off the forthcoming project titled “Calm Down”.

A week after its release, the track has made its entrance on the TurnTable Top 50 charts, debuting at no. 4. Within just a week, the record has 38.1 million in radio reach and 2.21million equivalent streams respectively, earning Rema his 5th Top 10 entry on the chart. It joins his other singles, “Peace of Mind” which debuted at No. 7, “Bounce” at No. 4, “Soundgasm” at No. 3 and JAE5’s “Dimension” which debuted at No. 9. 

Currently sitting at the No. 1 spot this week and for the 4th week in a row is the Davido-assisted “Baddest Boy (Remix)”, as the record becomes the third song to spend four weeks at No. 1. The track tailed 5million equivalent streams, 13.7 million in TV reach and 41.8 million in radio reach.

It is followed by Fireboy DML’s “Peru Remix” with 21 Savage & Blxst. According to TTC data, the No. 2 entry of “Peru” accounts for all four versions of the song; the original, the remix with Ed Sheeran, the remix with 21 Savage & Blxst and the acoustic version. Asake’s “Omo Ope” with Olamide retains its No. 3 spot this week, tallying 25.7 million in radio reach, 2.89 million equivalent streams and 1.25 million in TV reach.

Holding down the 5th and final spot in the top 5 this week is Lil Kesh and Zinoleesky’s “Don’t Call Me”. Kizz Daniel’s “Pour Me Water” stays at No. 6 for another week while Reekado Banks’ “Ozumba Mbadiwe (Remix)” with Fireboy DML moves down 3 spots to No. 7 this week. This makes TI Blaze’s “Sometimes (Remix)” with Olamide slip down one spot down to No. 8. Rounding up this week’s top ten is Kizz Daniel’s “Eh God (Barnabas)” at No. 9 and Mayorkun & Victony’s “Holy Father” at No.10.

You can view the full breakdown of the charts here.

Songs Of The Day: New Music From Töme, Olakira, Tion Wayne & More

Posted on by The Native

After the many wins forged by Afropop last year, the musical landscape has never looked more promising. As such the fast and furious pace of new music releases makes it hard to keep track of all the good music coming out of Africa. That’s where our Songs of the Day column comes in.

We’re doing the work to stay on pulse with all the music coming out from across the continent and beyond, bringing you exciting songs of tomorrow: today. Last weekend, we brought you new releases from Simi, Mohbad, Black Sherif, Tesh Carter and more. To begin the new week and celebrate Valentine’s day, get into these new releases from Töme, Olakira, Tion Wayne and more. Enjoy.

Töme – “Nobody Else”

Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Töme is ready to start off the year with a bang as she releases her first single, “Nobody Else”, in anticipation of her forthcoming album ‘Löv’, which means love over vanity. On this track, Töme digs into her romantic feelings for a love interest as she talks us through a scenario where she experiences hurt or heartbreak. She repeats “I want nobody else”, representing her level of affection towards her love interest, although he has broken her heart. Töme’s album is only a few days away as its slated for a 24 February release date.

Olakira – “Fall”

Olakira kicks off the new year with his latest single “Fall”. Over the Amapiano-inspired beat produced by Tim Jay, Olakira is about to sound off his romantic affections for a love interest. He provides smooth vocals and love induced lyrics that are perfect for any playlist. “Fall” comes after the success from his smash hit song “Maserati”.

Tion Wayne & M24 – “Knock Knock”

North London rapper Tion Wayne reconnects with rapper M24 on the latest single dubbed “Knock Knock”, which is released alongside an accompanying video shot in London. Produced by Frank Ampomah & Andy Broski, the track is filled with catchy trim lines like “wanna roll with the big boys” and signature ad-libs we’ve all gotten used to from the duo. Both rappers first worked together on the single “London” two years ago.

Uche Malik – “Rizza”

Nigerian-American singer, rapper and songwriter debuted his latest single, “Rizza”, his first single of the year. Over the song’s catchy production, he sings about a love interest who he can’t get off his mind. “Take me to your tomb, I’m your raider/She dey phone, the phone no fit enter,” he sings, expressing his feelings and serenading his love.

Jaysynths, Teni & DGT – “Mad Thing”

Singer and composer Jaysyth’s new single “Mad thing” features Nigerian hitmaker Teni and DTG, a follow up from his most recent release titled, “Nobody”. The Afro-pop song is incredibly catchy, especially with Teni’s vocal ability and signature sound which perfectly compliments the song’s infectious production and DTG’s catchy lyrics.

Eli De Great ft Buju & Kinsolo – “Ton Ton”

Fast-rising producer Eli De Great released his debut EP titled ‘Love Is Drug’, which features the standout track “Ton Ton”, featuring Buju, now recognised as BNXN and Kinsolo. “Ton Ton” is a romantic and sensual number that will have you swaying your body its propulsive rhythm. Armed with catchy and quotable lyrics, the songs sets the bar for where Eli De Great can go sonically.

Jay Teazer – “Taste Like”

Singer and songwriter Jay Teazer recently released his latest single titled “Taste Like”. Over the tracks’s upbeat rhythm, Jay Teazer repeats “Gimme that love wey dey taste like Hmmm” on the chorus, lacing poetic words together to represent the love he craves from his love interest.

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Best New Music: Asa explores the motions of self-love on “Ocean”

Posted on by Emmanuel Esomnofu

It took Asa 12 months to release her first (and only) song of 2021, but this year’s been off to a glorious start already. With her forthcoming album ‘V’ slated for this Friday, the iconic musician shared its second single over the weekend.

“Ocean” flows in the Pop-infusing direction of “Mayana” and is produced by P.Priime, the wunderkid who is chopping beats for some of the biggest artists in the game right now. His sparse production centres the luscious quality of Asa’s vocals, permeating every second of this blissful record. At just over three minutes, its relatively quick run time is complemented by the memorable quality of its songwriting.

 

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Asa is known for dipping in the complex waters of our emotional existence but here she rides on simpler currents. “I hope I’m not too much for you, I know where I wanna be/ why won’t you just let me be?” she sings, letting her hair down and just being free in her existence. As an artist who broke out as a prodigy, there’s the tendency for Asa to be perceived within the confines of her accomplished artistry. I’m human, she seems to say, channeling the ancient symbol of the ocean as a metaphor for maintaining her fresh perspective to living.

Since last year, speculations have been emerging on the kind of music Asa was creating, as she was increasingly letting fans into parts of her private life, showing the humorous and goofy sides to her. If anything, “Ocean” hints at her updating the folk/R&B sensibilities of her early sound, pairing its affecting lyricism with sunny elements from contemporary Pop.

She also teamed up with Meji Alabi for the song’s visuals. Packing a number of colourful scenes filled with joyful activity, the video mirrors the intimacy of the song and places the Black body in cinematic contrast against the blue of the ocean. Shot around a beach, there’s a slow quality to Alabi’s camera, following the movements of the on-screen characters with focus and rhythm. The result is a video every bit as exciting as the song, complementing what is already a delectable offering from one of the continent’s greatest musical talents.

With Friday just around the corner, we’re breathlessly on the wait for what Asa has got planned for us. Going by the brilliance of her previous pair of singles, there’s every chance we just might be clicking play on a contender for album of the year, regardless of the fact we’re still a long way off December. This is Asa we’re talking about after all.

Stream “Ocean” below.

Featured image credits/Courtesy of the artist

Music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards passes away at 31

Posted on by Wonu Osikoya

Over the weekend, news of the passing of legendary Black British author, broadcaster and DJ, Jamal Edwards took the world by surprise. The family of the late music entrepreneur had shared the news on social media, referring to his passing as a tragic loss due to unforeseen circumstances. He was 31 years at the time of his passing. 

Best known for his invaluable work in setting up SBTV in 2006 at age 16, Edward’s influence on Black UK culture is palpable through all he has worked with. SB.TV or SmokeyBarz (SBTV) is now a leading media platform which champions the music and experiences of young people, particularly in genres such as Hip-Hop and Grime. Over the years, the influence of SBTV has become undeniable, as it has been at the forefront of the careers of many artists and producers including Dave, Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and more.

Before he was the mastermind behind the media outfit, SBTV, Edwards was already building a long-standing career in the music and entertainment scene. In 2013, he became the first Youtuber to release an e-book and interactive game, ‘Self Belief: The Vision’ which swiftly became a best seller and led up to the release of hardcopies. Over the years, he’s lent his hand to a number of ventures aimed at giving Black British creatives and entrepreneurs the chance to get their foot in the door, by providing a platform for them to showcase their talent. Edwards was given an MBE in 2014 for services to music and was an ambassador for Prince Charles’ charity, the Prince’s Trust.

Edwards influence on the culture extends far beyond just SBTV. He’s also been instrumental in merging sounds from his home city, London with emerging acts from around the African continent. Recently, in an interview with Elton John on his Apple music show “Elton John’s Rocket Hour’, British singer, songwriter and performer Ed Sheeran stated that the Jamal Edwards had sent him Fireboy’s hit single “Peru” and mentioned that Fireboy would love to have a guest verse from him on it.

Tributes from have been paid in by celebrities and other public figures such as Dave, AJ Tracey, George The Poet and many more.

May his soul rest in peace.

Here are some of the tributes:

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NATIVE Exclusive: Sipho Is Challenging Hyper Masculinity With His Music

Posted on by The Native

Zimbabwean British singer and songwriter Sipho captured the heart and ears of audiences with his powerful and captivating voice since his first EP in 2016, and has followed this up across the years with a string of steady releases including the 2021 self-produced EP titled ‘AND GOD SAID’.

With awe-inspiring singles such as “Bodies”, “We Ain’t”, and two-part single “Moonlight Pt1/2”, Sipho has showcased a unique mixture of vulnerability and honesty on his views of a range of coming-of-age topics including organised religion, faith and his identity as a Black man. Through his inquiry into his own complex wiring, listeners are able to see and hear their experiences represented and in turn, the singer has carved out a lane for himself.

Besides his vocal ability and unapologetic style, a key component of Sipho’s music, that sets him apart is the thought-provoking subject matter he uses as inspiration for his music releases and projects. In ‘She Might Bleed’, Sipho explores the issue of hyper masculinity in his generation and the ways in which it directly affects the women in his life. These thoughts began after he was robbed and nearly lost his life, a terrifying experience for anyone, especially for a young adult like Sipho.

Following this, Sipho began to open his mind and see the bigger picture. Instead of harbouring anger towards his attackers, Sipho instead confronts these feelings he’s facing head on. He questions what life circumstances could drive someone to pick up a knife or a gun and hurt another human being. Speaking about this, Sipho shares that “we see bits of it in ourselves as young men, less potent but still present.” 

“At first, it was mainly about hyper masculinity, the violence and greed, the self-centred nature of it all, but it kinda comes down to how it impacts the women in our life. Whether father, son, brother, it all tends to affect the women in our life. I feel like that is one of the relished and acknowledged ways we could be as young men.” 

‘She Might Bleed’ took Sipho eight months to record, write and produce, just in time for this defining moment. Sipho is always known to write his music and is very hands-on with his work. This trait isn’t any different with ‘She Might Bleed,’ as he and Joseph Rogers worked together in completing the EP. “It’s good to have that extra ear to say yes and no and give new ideas and different ways to look at things”, says Sipho, as he doesn’t shy away from creative input from others.

Sipho strategically picked songs he felt invoked the exact feeling and message he aimed to share with his listeners from a long list of songs. This is because he is firm believer that the best creatives are also the best curators and can help portray the message that he intends to. Sipho’s love for music began with his curiosity for writing and putting out music from age 11. At that young age, he was inspired by the authenticity in the music from Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, Solange, James Blake, Sampha. By the age of 15, he began working on his music, putting it on SoundCloud and garnering an audience. At the age of 18, during his A-Levels, he made the decision to pursue music fulltime and hasn’t looked back ever since.

Now, off the excellent reception from his last EP and single releases, Birmingham-based singer Sipho is giving us exclusive access to the world around his sophomore EP, ‘She Might Bleed’. Following its release last Friday, we caught up with the singer to talk about his inspiration, background, his other interests and the future of his music career.

The conversation which follows below has been lightly edited for clarity.

 

NATIVE: Hi Sipho, how are you doing? It’s so good to have you on call today. Congratulations on the EP ‘She Might Bleed’. How does this moment feel to you? 

SIPHO: It’s nice to be putting out music. It’s a blessing. The time to get the chance to speak about things on record for a living and I guess take away all the different experiences that come with it. I’m super grateful 

NATIVE: How would you describe your songwriting and creation process? 

SIPHO: It comes from anywhere. It could be a movie , a conversation and taking all that information on Board. If I like it and it’s something I wanna work with 

NATIVE: When you make music, who do you make it for? Are you just creating what you want or do you have an audience in mind? 

SIPHO: I picture a lot of people. It’s mainly for whoever wants to listen but naturally you just absorb the things you see. I feel like the people I’m around and things I see are all reflected in my music. Being part of Gen-Z we are really weird and bizarre in the way we do things and being around these people it’s all gonna leak into the music. 

NATIVE: Your chose to centre your EP around hyper-masculinity in society. What fed into that decision?

SIPHO: I feel it’s something that needs to be considered and talked about more cause it’s not. It’s not always my job to know why because I see myself as a vessel and I’m blessed with creativity but I get that kind of information from a higher place. I think it’s something that just has to be looked into more so we can affect some kind of change.

NATIVE: You’ve released “Occasion” & “Beady Eyes”, what do each of these track have to say about the overall message of the project?

SIPHO:  In the EP I talk about “Occasion” first and with the way I wrote the EP, it was like a narrative. “Occasion” establishes the position of whoever it is that we are writing about and their struggle when it comes to love and their love interest. What I noticed in our generation is that we have an interesting struggle with love and with how on and off we can be with people we care about. It made me realise that although it’s in my generation we have to go further to everyone else really.

Although with how back and forth we are, there is still passion. Just the difficulty with accepting who you are and trying to figure out who you are. “Beady Eyes” is more of the uncomfortable side of things when it comes to figuring out things for yourself as an individual and managing other people’s expectations and what that can do in your head. But the music can be applied anyhow you want cause once this song goes out it’s not mine anymore 

NATIVE: When putting together ‘She Might Bleed’ did you face any challenges or setbacks?

SIPHO: The whole EP has challenged me with the subject matter because I got to dive into something new and stretch myself even further, especially in the project’s final track. That’s where I found it the most challenging. It’s not the best I can do, but it’s pushed me in a good direction in terms of providing information and lyrics in a different way.

 

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NATIVE: Which artists do you see yourself working with and would merge seamlessly with your sound?

SIPHO: I have people that will be really cool but I don’t know if it will connect. I’d love to work with Bougie, the producer, Desire who is representing a whole new thing. I wanna get in a room with The Alchemist. Instead of just similarity in sounds I think philosophy attracts me more, what feels good, the way we make music and the creative process attracts me more. Let’s make a predictable and really good song or I could try something new and stretch my mind even further. 

NATIVE: Have you faced any challenges being a young black man in the music industry 

SIPHO: I may have but I don’t look at it that way. I’m blessed to be who I am in this industry because people are curious and thirsty for new perspectives. When I look at me, where I’ve been and where I’ve come from it will be an interesting aspect for people. The main challenge will be people mislabelling the genre of my music based on how I look. Like with beady eyes, that has been categorised as an R&B song but it’s more of  a rock song and little R&B but would have been dodgers if someone else sang it. It’s more of me observing rather than a challenge for me. As long as I’m in the conversation people will understand and try to discern way better. 

NATIVE: How do you see your music and musical career evolving in the next couple of years?

SIPHO: I see myself building a community. I want the experience of my music to go beyond just me and what it is to be something shared among themselves. In the next couple years I wanna be blessed to be able to do that asides from performing in shows and making more music. Just being able to engage with people that are for me and about me and that’s the least I can ask for. Just being able to make an impact on people. I have nothing to complain about. 

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Day In The Life: Anthony Iban and Michael Amusan, DLT Brunch Co-Founders

Posted on by Wonu Osikoya

DLT Brunch is one of the most attended events in London for young Black people. Founded by four friends Michael ‘MK’ Amusan, Bosun Apata, Ife Awosika and Anthony Iban, Days Like This (DLT), a UK based event outfit with a quest to fill a vaccum: curating and providing quality entertainment for Black people, who looked just like them.

Now, six years since their first event in London, DLT Brunch has expanded into a cross-continental affair, bringing wonderous party experiences to Black people in cities such as Lagos, Accra, Ibiza, Malta and more.

In an interview with the NATIVE late last year, co founder MK mentioned “I think we started to learn that we were a staple within the London party culture. What it made us do is help us realise we weren’t always intentional for what we were doing for Africans and Caribbeans in London, because that’s who we were appealing to,” explaining the important role DLT Brunch plays in the UK, and it’s importance on the Black culture. 

With this in mind, we sat down with 2/4 of the DLT Brunch crew and got to learn about how they run their ship, across different regions and countries. To get a sense of how they pull it all off, we spoke with co-founders Anthony Iban and Michael Amusan about their daily schedules.

From spending time at meetings, listening to new music and discussing potential signings, to ending the day with thirty minutes to an hour of video games, here’s a quick deep dive into what a day in the life of DLT brunch’s co-founders looks like. 

A Day In The Life Of Anthony:

8.30am – I wake up after having a late night. I try to avoid looking at my phone within the first hour of waking up so I have time to myself. I prepare myself for my job as an A&R Partnerships Senior Manager at a music publishing company.

9.30am – After I’ve showered and gotten ready I drive to North Greenwich station. I switch between listening to new music and the Rory and Mal podcast while driving as it’s easier to take in music/podcasts without distractions of texts. This particular episode I enjoyed because they discussed how underrated Sisqo was. Who I rate highly. On the train, I listen to ‘CKay The First’ album and repeat my favourite song Oliver Kahn featuring BOJ. 

11:00am – Go to an A&R meeting at work where we play each other new music and discuss prospective signings. I enjoy these meetings as I get to hear some songs that I wouldn’t normally listen to. It gives me a wide breadth of music knowledge. 

 

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12:30pm – Have a marketing call with MK and an external marketing agency about potentially working with DLT for a new activation. Never done this before so we are being cautious and asking a lot of questions before and after the call. In between a lot of these activities MK and I stay in constant communication via WhatsApp so we can stay on top of everything that’s happening with DLT. 

1:30pm – Met an artist lawyer for lunch at Dishoom. He represents a lot of the artists that I like so thought it’d be great to put a face to the name. We both discuss our excitement about going to Ghana during the Christmas period. 

3:00pm – Back to my office to respond to emails to set up artist sessions and them working with potential brands. Throughout the day I check my DLT emails/WhatsApp groups on the go, making offers for artists to perform at DLT. As well as making sure things are going smoothly for our upcoming Ghana projects. 

6:00pm – Met with MK to meet the CEO of Pollen, we are discussing business ideas for DLT and working with each other.

8:00pm – Return home. When I get home, I normally chill and watch something or play video games.

A Day In The Life Of MK 

7:30am – I wake up, check my 3 mailboxes. My work mailbox, a personal one and my DLT one. After reading a few emails and messaging a few WhatsApp groups re DLT stuff, I get myself ready to go to the office for my day job as a Trade and Transaction reporting lead for PGIE. The hardest part of my day is getting up, I usually struggle in the mornings so I tend to set my alarm 30mins before I’m due to get up to have some downtime in bed. My morning routine usually consists of me playing music, today’s song choice is Darrell Cole – “My Bruddah.” 

8:00am – Quick catch up with the DLT Digital/Social team on WhatsApp whilst on my commute to update them on what’s to come this week. We have 2 events to announce this week in Ghana. All of us are excited about going back, it’s the first time since what we did in 2019 and we’re keen to ensure it wasn’t a one-off.

8:55am – I am in the office with a mocha from Pret and catching up with yesterday&#39;s emails for the next few hours until lunchtime. I have a governance meeting at 2pm which I need to create the presentation for and have it approved before the call. I enjoy putting decks and stats together, but my manager can be particular in how he wants things, I essentially have to give myself time to go over things before the call which adds to the pressure of getting things done in a timely manner.

12:00pm – Working lunch… I am catching up with the guys at Polo Beach Club about our collaboration as we plan to announce things this week. The call with the guys goes really well, they have some production ideas which will blow everyone’s mind. I left the call feeling excited.

 

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12:30pm – Meeting with Anthony and a marketing agency on potentially working with DLT on an activation. This is somewhat new territory for us, as it’s not a music activation. They made us sign an NDA so I can’t disclose who it is, but if it comes to life people will be pretty impressed. I’m excited about it.

2:00pm – I head up my trade and transaction reporting governance call, so I have to switch from speaking about all things events to all things financial conduct. The call runs smoothly, as usual with loads of actions off the back of it. I aim to catch up with these tomorrow.

3:00pm – Daily reconciliation checks and trade and transaction reports. 

4:30pm – I leave work a tad bit early to get to studio 338 with Ife to run through the ideas for our Anti NYE party in London. We want to make sure our last London party goes off with a bang, so we are pushing the limits in terms of what we can add to the experience. 

6:00pm – Meet up with Anthony and Pollen CEO to discuss 2022 plans. I’m really excited about this as we have been talking for nearly 2 years about doing something internationally… but this time feels like it could happen.

8:00pm – I am home, after a long day I want to switch off all things work and DLT so I decide to play my PlayStation for an hour to switch off before preparing for bed.

Featured image credits/Courtesy of DLT

Tobi Kyere’s ÓWÀMBÉ explores Nigerian hall party culture

Posted on by Damilola Animashaun

Tobi Kyeremateng, the award-winning producer and writer from South London has just released her debut documentary titled ‘Ówàmbé.’ Kyeremateng who was one of the lucky 10 recipients of Netflix‘s inaugural documentary talent fund, used the funding to kickstart her passion project inspired by her Nigerian roots.

Although Tobi Kyeremateng has a successful portfolio, replete with her film and audio projects along the years, the ‘ÓWÀMBÉ’ documentary will be her directorial debut in the film industry. ‘ÓWÀMBÉ’ is a film that beautifully showcases the culture of hall parties, more specifically in the UK scene.

“It’s all about exploring Nigerian hall parties in London and witnessing how this tradition has evolved over the last 25 years”. 

According to Tobi Kyere, this documentary is a way to call to action Nigerians, especially the young ones living in the UK, to keep this fantastic culture alive despite their first-generation parents and family now turning older.

The film also informs people of all ages and ethnicities who aren’t familiar with these parties because it is clear we don’t try to talk about it as much as we should. So with these visuals, people are getting a full-on insight into the world of the party hall life. So they understand why people enjoy it and what it is all about. Premiering on Netflix on Sunday, the 20th of February, it will be part of a season called ‘Britain Is Not Boring’ alongside documentaries by other filmmakers. 

To celebrate this remarkable feat, Tobi Kyere tells us more about the documentary and it all came to life.

Our conversation which follows below has been lightly edited for clarity.

NATIVE: Hello Tobi, Lovely speaking to you. How does it feel to know your work is premiering on Netflix ?

KYERE:  It’s very scary because it’s my first film as a director but I’m really excited for a lot of people to get to see it. 

NATIVE: How did the idea for this documentary come about ?

KYERE: So with the documentary I wrote an essay last year for a publication called Black joy that was published by Penguin and it was a collection of essays around joy and what that means to black people in Britain specifically. So for that I wrote about hall parties and I interviewed my uncle who is the first man you see in the yellow because he used to throw hall parties all the time. so this opportunity came up where Netflix launched this documentary fund for new filmmakers, established filmmakers to make a new documentary and I was like I’ve written an essay about it. I have never seen a documentary about hall parties mainly in the UK and it will be cool to make a documentary on it but I didn’t expect it to get anywhere. There were a series of processes, there was a mood board and the synopsis and we presented it to the panel.

NATIVE: How long did it take to complete the documentary ?

KYERE: It took us a couple of months and we started filming in October last year and then we did the final filming in December. In the documentary you see that we go to some churches and some parties so we had to wait for those things to happen. We started pre production in the spring, started editing in December and we submitted at the end of January 

NATIVE: How was it like working with your team to bring your idea to life?

KYERE: We had a large production team from costume designers, researchers, DOP to make up artists and archive producers etc. We had a full team and they were amazing and this being my first film, they carried me through the project. I was really trying to do justice to the parties I used to go to as a child so I was very nervous but  just having a team that was so creative, open with their Ideas and understood the culture as well made the process so good. 

NATIVE: How were you able to gather a lot of the footage you used in the documentary?

KYERE: There is a lot of archive in it and it was important we got archives in it because we are talking about something so specific and I feel like people don’t really know much about hall parties unless you know a lot Nigerian people or you’ve been to one and so we had to show people what we were really talking about. There isn’t really much archive stock footage online on Nigerian hall parties and so we had to basically get contributors. Some of the footage was from my uncle and we also went to people’s houses to scan their images, videos and DVD’s. So we had a collection of archives that no one has really seen and the contributors haven’t even seen these images in so long cause it’s been in their lost collective. It’s a mixture of archives and things that we shot. 

NATIVE: Did you face any adversities while creating the film ?

KYERE: I think the main issue we had was that we shot this at the peak of Covid and when we wanted to go out and capture parties and churches we found it hard because things were being shut down. Trying to make a film about bringing people together was kinda hard in a time when you couldn’t, it was really difficult, that’s why it took us so long but we persisted. That’s why we got what we got. 

NATIVE: What can we expect when watching OWAMBE?

KYERE: If you’re Nigerian you can expect a lot of  nostalgia from hall parties you used to go to. You can expect a lot of laughter, there were a lot of characters especially with the people we interviewed and Some people were very joyful and funny. A lot of pride as well because it is really colourful and flamboyant and just energetic and everything I associate with being Nigerian. 

NATIVE: Now that you’re done with the film, what is next for you ?

KYERE: I’m still producing so I’m working on a couple of short films that will come out later this year so I’m excited. It’s mainly about black communities in London. 

Featured image credits/Netflix

Songs Of The Day: New Music From Simi, Minz, Blaqbonez & More

Posted on by Emmanuel Esomnofu

After the many wins forged by Afropop last year, the musical landscape has never looked more promising. As such the fast and furious pace of new music releases makes it hard to keep track of all the good music coming out of Africa. That’s where our Songs of the Day column comes in.

We’re doing the work to stay on pulse with all the music coming out from across the continent and beyond, bringing you exciting songs of tomorrow: today. Earlier this week, we brought you new releases from Kidi, Ria Sean, Popcaan & more. To ease you into the weekend, enjoy these new releases from Simi, Mohbad, Black Sherif, Tesh Carter and more. Enjoy.

SIMI – “SÁRÉ”

Simi’s new song packs her trademark groove into lighthearted lyrics, coasting over bright percussions. Her songwriting flits between romantic excitement and the general positivity of one who’s living her best life. “I’m getting money, I’m getting lucky/I hear you calling, you’re up to something” she sings on the pre-hook, taking into the innuendo into the song’s chant-esque hook.

TESH CARTER – “REBEL” FT. BLAQBONEZ

Tesh is usually one of the sickest singers around with a voice of gold. On her latest single, she opts for a pop vibe on “Rebel.” Tinctured with a Caribbean bounce, feature Blaqbonez joins her in talking up their grit and journey in the game. “I don’t fear anybody, I’m bad I’m not humble/you know I’m a rebel,” she sings.

OBT – “OH NO” FT. KILLERTUNES

OBT’s new record “Oh No” adopts the self-referential gaze of many afro pop songs. Over warm percussions and alongside revered producer Killertunes who turns in a scintillating verse, the artist takes stock of his wins and the haters who’d want to fumble his bag. To them he gracefully sings, “as my life dey mess with your conscience, I no mind.”

JAYLON & MINZ – “NAYA’S RIDDIM”

Last year, Jaylon racked up credits on projects by Mr. Eazi and Psycho YP. Said to be currently working with DJ Tunez, the producer is in demand and “Naya’s Riddim” demonstrates why. Crafting a sweet, textured groove on the record, he collaborates with emerging act Minz, who adds his accomplished vocals and catchy adlibs. In all, you get a romantic bop dripping with sensuality and intent.

BLACK SHERIF & BURNA BOY – “SECOND SERMON (REMIX)”

Not long ago footage emerged of Burna Boy performing the “Second Sermon (Remix)” on stage, effortlessly taking both his and Sherif’s verses. It’s obvious he loves the song and why wouldn’t he? It’s a thrilling sound which appeals to different audiences; since last year, the “asem ebo” phrase has been hot on everyone’s lips, regardless of whether they knew its meaning or not. Now, a video has been released to represent the record’s evergreen energy. Cinematic in vision, it’s shot in Ghana and shows Sherif being chased through some buildings and being caught, before Big Brother Burna Boy shows up, bossed-up in an all-black ensemble as he delivers his verse.

DJ TUNEZ – “MMM” FT. MOHBAD & REXXIE

Rexxie and Mohbad have never missed on a song together and for their latest, joining Starboy’s DJ Tunez, the chemistry is again channeled. The production is trademark Rexxie, thumping drums and adrenaline-lined keys. The aspirational quality of “Feel Good” is again present in Mohbad’s lamba, confidently delivered in a mix of Yoruba pidgin English speak. The song just pulls you in till you lose control, dancing wildly. Who doesn’t want more money?

OCHOFOREIGN – “LOVE CYCLE” FT. JESS ETA

The title track off OchoForeign’s three-track release, “Love Cycle” is a slow burner, suffused with lovelorn voices reminiscing of the better days in love. “We go together like stew and rice,” sings Ocho in his chorus, making the point of why the romantic interest should stay with him, regardless of whatever pops off in the future.

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Teezee’s New EP ‘Arrested By Love’ Is Finally Here

Posted on by Wonu Osikoya

After months of anticipation, Teezee’s debut solo project ‘Arrested By Love,’ is finally here. Following the release of catchy promotional singles, “GUALA,” the Davido-assisted “BADI” and “New Government” with Kofi Mole and Prettyboy D-O, it is clear the project hasn’t disappointed, delivering on everything it promised and more–as listeners and core fans are invited to witness the different sides to Teezee, the entertainer and mogul.

 

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Arriving today, the 9-tracker ‘Arrested By Love’, is a body of work that gives a 360-lens view into Teezee’s world. The artist features many of his artist friends on the EP such as Deto Black, Lancey Fauxx, Backroad Gee, Midas The Jagaban, Davido and a few others, who heighten the listening experience of the project.

Earlier in the week, Teezee shared with the NATIVE: “I’m going to explore my new sound because I feel like I have discovered myself sonically right now so it is exciting for me to show the world what I have been working on”, stating that he found his sound and has been able to redefine himself over the past few years.  His sonical evolution is one that has been evident in the past year with the release of each new track. 

On the tape, he merges different themes and genres, creating a commingling of pleasurable sounds that embrace sprawling tangents and further furnish Teezee’s non-judgemental view of the world. On the distinct EP opener, the Adey-produced “FREE ME”, Teezee gives an insight into what you may be expecting on the tape. He is found hyping himself as well as making it clear that he’s ready to make a statement with this tape and make a mark in Afropop. It’s clear that Teezee has secured a great win for himself.

Listen to ‘Arrested By Love’ here

Featured image credits/Teezee

Asa shares new single, “Ocean” ahead of her forthcoming album

Posted on by The Native

Nigerian singer, Asa re-emerges with the release of her latest single titled “Ocean” following last year’s P.prime produced single “Mayana”. Both set to feature on her upcoming album titled ‘V,’ Asa draws listeners deeper into her world with soul-stirring vocals and emotion-baring writing.

 

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Once again teaming up with the exciting Nigerian producer Priime and seeing her taking cues from Pop, Afropop, R&B and Soul sounds, “Ocean” sees Asa drawing on the mesmerising marriage of rhythmic, hip-shaking percussion and Asa’s sultry, laid-back vocals. Speaking about the new single, the singer shares:

“Ocean is liberating and confident yet subtle. The power in knowing who I am, loving how I want, doing what I want and revelling in the drop-dead ecstatic that God created.” 

In the accompanying music video, Asa reconnects with the director to the stars, Meji Alabi, who is known to work with the top artists in the music and entertainment industry to bring to life the vision for her latest single. Asa’s album ‘V’ is birthed through a last-minute despising her return to Nigeria as her European tour ended due to the effects and aftermath of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Asa is also set to bring her contagious energy and music to the stress of London with a live performance show at the Iconic Royal Albert Hall on May 3rd and to a home concert in Lagos, Nigeria on May 11. 

Pre-save ‘V’ below.

Featured image credits/Courtesy of the artist