For Us By Us: How young people in Nigeria are honouring the one-year anniversary of EndSARS

Posted on by The Native

On the night of October 20, 2020, Nigerians all over the world watched officers of the Nigerian military open fire on unarmed protesters railing against police brutality in Nigeria. In an instant, the biggest protest movement in Nigeria for years was cruelly snuffed out by a government more interested in maintaining the status quo than delivering any form of real justice.  

For young Nigerians especially, the ripple effect of that night continues to live long in the memory and it has been a sobering one year since 20/10/20. On the first anniversary of the killing, we invited some members of the wider NATIVE community to reflect on the protests, processing their grief, and what the future looks like for youth-led movements in the country. 

Below we spoke to some young members of our community who have been affected by police brutality including UX designer, Esesosa Belo-Osagie, culture writer, Nelson C.J, musician, SGaWD, activist, Omotayo Coker, and music writer, Otolorin Olabode, in conversation.

 

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Wale: How are we all feeling about the one-year anniversary of 20/10/20?

Eseosa: I’m dangerously close to a place where I genuinely don’t care anymore, but also I’m still angry. So, hopefully, anyone who feels like me in this space can vent and channel that anger so they don’t feel as angry anymore. 

Nelson: I’m definitely with Eseosa on this one, I feel really numb. I don’t really give a shit anymore. I also don’t have any fight in me because there doesn’t seem to be any hope that things can change. With everything that has happened, it’s really clear that this is just cruelty. It’s not a mistake, it’s really calculated cruelty and they are ready to kill anybody that opposes them. They are ready to do anything to ensure that they are not held accountable. I think it’s very important to take note of that because maybe we underestimated them and expected at the very least that they’d be humans or at least have some empathy. I’m mostly here so others can feel emboldened by other people being here. 

Olabode: It’s a monumental day because we get to think back to the happenings of last year. But what amazes me is that one year after, we are still back to that state, there hasn’t been any effective change that has happened in the system. Most of what we are fighting is still the same.  I read in an article that in other countries, these types of revolutions usually lead to some type of change but ours just felt like it was done by kids and it was just cast aside. But I feel like we created history and people can look back at this moment and know we advocated for change even if it was resisted by those in power. Who knows, in 10 years’ time something might happen and we’ll be able to get our change. 

Omotayo: I agree with Nelson’s point that the end of the protests was just pure wickedness. Most of us feel defeated but that is what they want and I feel like we shouldn’t give up yet. I know it’s tough and we still need time to process all that happened but we shouldn’t give up. Protesting was about demanding a better future for ourselves and I don’t see how any human should see that as a bad thing. It was peaceful and it’s so painful and unfortunate that they decided to pay us back by shooting at us and killing our brothers and sisters. 

For Omotayo, there was a video of you addressing the media that went viral last year, what prompted you to go out to protest?

Omotayo: The protests started on Monday but my first day was a Wednesday. I was actually going through a lot during that time so I had to hold back. I decided to go because I felt like we were all involved at the end of the day. It didn’t matter if I was not the one being directly involved but we I just wanted to go and do something. The day before I went, some people had been making fun of our efforts and I just felt like it wasn’t fair. I don’t like being bullied and I felt like that was what the government was doing to us because they knew they could get away with it and I just couldn’t stand aside.   

Wale: Obviously, the way the protests ended was crushing, but were there any positives to take away from it? 

Nelson: Before now, I was of the opinion that the protests were completely unsuccessful because we just ended and were reeling from everything. I felt very bad about the entire thing, but what it really provided to us as Nigerians is that it helped us gain perspective and understand how the mind of this administration works and how the mind of the Nigerian government machinery works and I think that’s a huge win because there’s no doubt in my mind that the Nigerian government will do anything to ensure that people are kept in line and that the government is not kept accountable. What this means could be death or blocking people’s accounts, they will do anything to ensure that we don’t even try to hold them accountable. When this all started, there was a lot of “We are taking this back” which was really admirable but really underestimated the extent to which the government will go to muffle people’s voices. Even if we don’t decide to protest because of the collective trauma of watching people die on Instagram, we have an understanding of what can happen and we are much aware of how this machinery has been designed to not accommodate any criticism or accountability. We know that they will do anything to muffle that voice and we are going to be more prepared. The most they can do — and I don’t want to insult the lives that were taken — is kill us and having this understanding in mind, for me, is a huge help. But speaking in terms of our demands and how protesters behaved to other marginalized people, it was really shameful and hurtful and those can obviously not be counted as successes in my opinion but overall the protests were helpful. 

Eseosa: I know we talk about how certain things could have been done better and that we could have sustained the protest longer but in retrospect, I think that the protest in itself was some kind of progress. For the first time, regardless of tribe or religion, maybe not sexuality yet, people agreed on something and it became something that went beyond just #EndSARS to talking about bigger issues that need to be addressed and answered. In retrospect, I think of the protest itself and how long it went on for and how determined people were. About having hope that something will happen, it’s a very tiny glimmer and I don’t pay too much attention to it because one year later nothing has changed. Somebody tweets, “Nigeria will not be the end of me,” and the day after, he’s murdered in cold blood. You think about the fact that protest at the Toll Gate and at 12P.M, the governor of the state comes to declare a curfew in a state where realistically speaking, even if you lived on the island you wouldn’t be in your house by 4 PM, you’ll still be on the road having to answer to the police. Everyone sitting at the Toll Gate is probably thinking that the worst thing that can happen is that there’ll be tear gas but the military gets there — and you’re probably still telling yourself that they are there for decorum even if you are asking why they need the military for decorum — and the next thing you’re hearing is people dying. I cannot get the image of those people out of my head.

 

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I think about the fact that I wouldn’t have known that anything was happening at Lekki Toll Gate if I wasn’t switched on to DJ Switch’s Live. I saw a guy die on her Instagram Live and, the next morning, the government comes on to say nothing happened. The number of us that saw someone die, that saw people try to save others by removing a bullet from their bodies were just taking part in some type of collective hallucination. Sanwo-Olu says there was nothing and comes back to say there was nothing after the army’s official Twitter account tells us to beware of people lying. They also backtrack and say that people actually shot. It’s just a thing where nothing is beyond the Nigerian government now, there’s nothing they won’t do. There are too many people who want the rot to go deeper because of the benefit they get from it. We can’t have that, the horror stories we heard about those Awkuzu SARS guys are too sad and not one person has been brought to book. Absolutely nothing has happened. The protest was a win but what do you do with that. The military has killed people, where do we go from here, that’s what’s always on my mind. Every time I think about change, I remember watching someone die on Live and I ask myself if there’s anywhere to go from there. It’s really bleak. 

Wale: SGaWD, I know you don’t have an institutional understanding of the Nigerian police, but in your opinion, do you think that they can be reformed?

SGaWD: I think I have been in Nigeria for a year and I have had enough run-ins with the Nigerian police to understand that they are bullies. The average Nigerian is a bully. All through this conversation we’ve talked about how the protests may not have yielded a lot and the reason why I think it came ro that was because not everyone was standing on a United front in the sense that a very small fraction of Nigeria actually supported the protest. Nigeria is made up of roughly 170/180 million people and on the day protests were happening around the country, very few people came out across the country; maybe because of one inconvenience or the other but we everyone had different agendas and we now had a problem with a Nigerian police force that saw us as disposable. I don’t understand the relationship between the Nigerian Police Force and the citizens but I do know that it is a very bully-like relationship and I don’t know if there can be any change just because the average Nigerian is also a bully that is looking for the opportunity to oppress others that they think they are more fortunate or educated than. I don’t think the Nigerian Police Force can be reformed, the rot is too deep and what you see is what you get. Just try as much as possible to not be in the same place as them or have any run-ins with them but I don’t think there can be any reforms. 

Wale: Omotayo, when Governor Sanwo-Olu announced the curfew, did you expect that the military would be brought in?

Omotayo: I knew they would bring the military but I didn’t know it’d get to that extent. I thought they’d bring the military to try and disperse the crowd or arrest a few people. The day it happened, I was so broken. I was wailing. It’s unfortunate that this is happening and it’s almost like we have to ask if there’s a future for us in this country. We’ve normalised things like “Welcome to a new dispensation” and you honestly can’t blame anyone for leaving Nigeria because people have tried and last year was just the breaking point for many people that had hope. Everyone is trying to move to countries that’d appreciate them because the Nigerian government is not doing that at all. We’ve been asking who gave the order for the shooting and no one has said anything. There’s no value for Nigerian lives.  

Wale: Music has played a key role in memorializing the protests, what did you make of it and have you enjoyed the music?

Olabode: I think Nigerian artists have long been involved in protest culture. In 2017, when there was a hike in food prices and everything, 2Face wanted to lead a protest and it would probably have sparked some change but that didn’t open and 2Face had to put out an apology for not leading the protest due to pressure from the government and police. This time, there was larger participation. We saw Wizkid tweeting, that’s someone with a huge fanbase that people look up to for different reasons. Even though Burna Boy’s response didn’t come fast, he also came through. We saw full participation from musicians and the music played a part. If you checked WhatsApp and Twitter, you’ll see loads of people sharing Burna Boy’s “20.10.20.” Him putting out that song encapsulated what had happened and when we look back in some years’ time, we’ll want to remember the occasion and all the things that happened in that period and you can do that through the music. I think musicians contributed a lot to Nigerians being vocal this time. People in Surulere would probably have seen his tweets and been encouraged to go out. Also, when he was in London, he came out to support the movement and that made more people involved. 

Wale: What do you think is the future of civic engagement with authority in Nigeria?

Nelson: I don’t see the possibility of us reasonably engaging with the government. I don’t see a world where they open the doors for us. People who have a genuine interest in change can’t be figureheads who have played a part in the harm we are experiencing now. For example, when they were having panels, the people they’d allow to be on there with other government officials were people like Segalink, people who have incredibly bad reputations and whose words and actions helped form the idea that the protests were very violent and uncoordinated. So, I don’t really see an opportunity where we can ever really get to speak with the government. What I do think is possible is a coordinated effort on our end to change government however we can, to clog it and start changing it.

Personally, I’m a member of Youth Party, I registered earlier this year, and it would be really interesting to see what it would look like if more Nigerians decided to register and be a part of that kind of formal coalition. I know PVCs are important but who are we going to use them to vote for if they’re still going to rinse out the same old people and bring them back to us then we’ll end up using our PVCs for these horrible people. The first step will have to be regrouping and forming a strong alliance by ourselves because it’s in that alliance that we can really find ways to clog the machinery, move forward, and figure out ways to govern ourselves because I don’t know what we can tell the government that they have not already heard. Going forward, there has to be a coordinated effort on our own end to use our machinery to clog the existing one and infiltrate. It doesn’t matter if we’re starting from the local government, we can move up from there, that’d be really helpful for the entire movement. I don’t see engagement with the government working but joining existing youth parties and working with them is really great. 

Omotayo: I agree with Nelson, I think we need to regroup. I don’t know how we can communicate with the government because if we have gone out to protest and their response was not to do better then I’m not sure how to go about the next phase of the engagement. 

“The first step will have to be regrouping and forming a strong alliance by ourselves because it’s in that alliance that we can really find ways to clog the machinery…”

Wale: Do you think you want to get involved in the electoral process?

Omotayo: If I had the opportunity to, I would definitely. But then again, politics in Nigeria is not for the faint-hearted. 

 

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Wale: do you believe that we can make some change via politics if there was a youth bloc?

Olabode: I feel like in the last elections there was some level of youth involvement. It was, perhaps, not youths per se but there were people on the fringe of being youths. There were people like the Quilox founder, Shina Peller. Akin Alabi as well who has always enjoyed a good rapport with the youths even if his views can be controversial. Then there was Desmond Elliot. In times past, we’ve had these people and not really seen change even if Akin Alabi was part of the contingent that filed the motion to disband SARS in the House of Representatives last year. What I feel like is that we need to question ourselves about the young people who have gotten there and done nothing.

There needs to be some form of accountability from whoever gets into power. In the last elections, Banky W went up against Obanikoro’s son and even though Obanikoro’s son won, I don’t think there’s been any change. The young people we elect next have to be accountable to us because there’ve been people who didn’t contribute to proceedings or sponsor any motions throughout their four years as representatives. People will probably re-elect Desmond Elliot in the next elections but going forward I want more youth participation and we need to evaluate our strategies. We need to support young people when they present themselves during the next elections and we need to be part of everything, from ensuring that our votes count to encouraging people to get their PVCs. With this, we can flood the system and start getting some changes. 

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The Nigerian police continued to show villainous side during EndSARS memorial protests

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

In November 1949, 21 Nigerian men were shot to death by the Nigerian police force. The men were miners at Enugu’s Iva Valley mines, Nigeria’s largest coal mine at the time, and were protesting their unfair treatment alongside their colleagues. Prior to the massacre, the miners had complained bitterly about inhumane working conditions and low wages, amongst other tangible reasons, adopting a go-slow method to their production as means of emphasising their grievances.

When the British colonial government at the time began laying off the miners en masse, they decided to carry out a sit-in protest, making it difficult for the mine to be closed and new workers to be hired. On November 18, led by Senior Superintendent F.S. Phillips (a Brit), officers of the Nigerian police began shooting at the protesting miners, after Phillips translated the miners’ camaraderie at the protests as menacing war dances. In addition to the 21 killed, at least 50 others were reportedly fatally injured in the massacre. Apart from Philips, the other policemen were reportedly Nigerian.

This story is perennially relevant when trying to understand the relationship between Nigerians and the Nigerian police force, a perfect framing for how the policing system in Nigeria has never been geared towards serving and protecting its citizens. The Nigerian police was formed as a unit to cater to colonial interests, and after independence, its allegiance shifted to the cruel leadership that replaced those colonial powers. Coupled with a severe failure to evolve its practices, and arbitrary abuse of power becoming a prominent part of its identity, it’s a system that will always resist the idea of reform, and see calls for change as a challenge.

During the EndSARS memorial event at the Lekki tollgate, honouring the passing of those massacred by the Nigerian army, a protester was ruffled and arrested while granting an interview. With a combative tone in his voice, one borne out of anger and that many Nigerians could easily identify with, he said something that stood out to me: “We have shown that the police have not learnt their lesson.” Even though last year’s EndSARS protests was one of the most vital civil rights moments in Nigerian history, our return to the streets served as a reminder that the Nigerian police weren’t built to learn any positive lessons. It was created to uphold the status quo, and that included brutalising Nigerians both at the behest of governing powers and for the officers’ own reasons.

There’s a part of last year’s heart-rending massacre at the tollgate that doesn’t get enough attention. According to stories from survivors, after the army wreaked havoc on peaceful protesters who were unarmed, police officers came into the same grounds and began shooting unarmed citizens at point blank range. The army is definitely responsible for one of the darkest nights in Nigerian history, but we should never forget that the police are just as complicit.

 

Throughout last year’s protests, their cruelty matched the fervour with which the government brought in paid thugs to attack and disrupt peaceful protests. They shot live bullets at several of the protests, killing several protesters and even bystanders. They arrested and severely tortured many, and they’re still using the country’s inept judicial system to their sinister advantage—it’s reported that over 300 people are still in prisons from the EndSARS protests, in Lagos alone. In the aftermath of the massacre, hundreds of people were reportedly killed by the police, many of them in cold blood. All of that reinforced the fact that, to the Nigerian Police, the idea of positive reforms is an incendiary suggestion; they understand their role in keeping Nigeria’s exploitative and citizen-squeezing system in place.

On the first anniversary of the Lekki massacre, the Nigerian police reprised its role as expected. Police officers were geared to the teeth, as though it was a war zone and not a gathering of people honouring the memories of their tragically slain countrymen and demanding that they would like not to be brutalised, exploited and killed by the civil force meant to keep law and order. In the days leading up to the memorial protests, police officers had already been sighted at the tollgate, as a loud promise to continue their atrocious deeds during the Occupy Lekki tollgate protests earlier this year. In fact, the police commissioner in Lagos issued an unconstitutional statement warning against any physical protests at the tollgate.

Although heartbroken, the Nigerian youth came out in a procession of cars and people, even with the knowledge that the police would continue its violent and citizen-averse methods. Towards midday, teargas was thrown at protesters, at least four people were already known to be arrested by the police, and as the day wore on, the numbers increased. In one of the arrest videos that went viral, an Uber driver, Clement Adedotun, was picked, violently badgered and bundled into the police van, infamously known as the black Maria. More people were arrested and assaulted in a similar manner, and while social media projected the numbers hadn’t entered double figures due to the reports that made their way online, it turned out over 30 people were arrested at the Lekki tollgate.

Following the same community-based welfare approach as last year’s protests, spearheaded by members of the Feminist Coalition, legal services were provided for those who needed them. Already with that knowledge, it seems as though the police slightly modified its approach, tacitly arresting and assaulting protesters, as well as allegedly hiding the location of the stations’ people were being held for hours—that’s if they were even taken to a police station in those hours. Thankfully, over 30 people were released on bail towards midnight, a huge relief even though none of them should’ve been arrested in the first place.

While the focus was in Lagos, as expected, those who participated in memorial demonstrations across the country also faced the cowardly, intimidating methods of the police. In Abuja, where last year’s protests were subjected to unrelenting assault from the police, protesters were surrounded by armed policemen who sneered at them as a show of force. In Enugu, a coalition of the police and army combined to maltreat and arrest protesters, before they were released after interrogation. BBC reporter Ebere Ekeopara also stated that she and her cameraman were roughly handled while attempting to cover the protests.

During this year’s memorial events, the press seemed to be particularly targeted. In Osogbo, the capital of Osun state, Daily Post reporter Sikiru Obarayese was reportedly arrested despite identifying himself, during a police invasion that disrupted the peaceful protest. Back in Lagos, Legit TV journalist Abisola Alawode was picked up by the police earlier in the day and was finally released later on. In a viral clip, Arise TV reporter Oluwaseyitan Atigarin was seen fending off aggressive police officers while they tried to confiscate equipment being used to cover the protests.

 

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With their callous response to the memorial events of October 20, 2021, the Nigerian police once again reminded us of why they are villains to young Nigerians. At one point, the commanding officer at the Lekki tollgate read protesters the Riot Act—even though it was him and his officer perpetrating the violence—pledging his allegiance to the president, even though the police system is meant to be beholden to the country and work for the people. It was another snapshot of why the police have always been complicit in the tyrannical leadership that’s constantly plagued Nigeria.

Arbitrarily demeaning and killing Nigerians is deeply woven into the very fabric of policing in Nigeria. It’s a long shot to wonder if that would change anytime soon, but the first step is not just realising that the Nigerian Police is NOT (y)your friend, it’s realising the institutional, contextual and historical reasons why. The line runs from the Iva Valley massacre to the Lekki tollgate to the consistent brutality they mete to all of us, and the fear they will constantly elicit until the whole thing is revamped, not just reformed.

[Featured Image: Web/FIJ]

Dennis is a staff writer at the NATIVE.

FOR US BY US: HOW YOUNG PEOPLE IN NIGERIA ARE HONOURING THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF ENDSARS

How the #EndSARSMemorial is being marked across Nigeria

Posted on by Adewojumi Aderemi

Last year, the whole nation united in protest against police brutality, persisting insecurity and the woeful governance that propagates this neglect for the human rights of Nigeria’s people. Throughout the month of October, protests to EndSARS – the rogue security agency notorious for their indiscriminate harassment and killing of young Nigerians – ensued. Tragically, as we stood up for our right to life, many Nigerians in protest, and even those as bystanders, lost theirs, to the same police we were protesting in the first place.

Honouring the lives of our fallen kin, who were brave enough to put their bodies on the line in the name of justice for us, their people, today #EndSARS memorial services have sprung up all over the country, and in the diaspora too. In our minds forever, today marks a year since the devastating Lekki Massacre, in which security forces opened fire on peaceful protestors, who were occupying Lagos’ Lekki toll gate. Nigerians all over, in memory of those that were unlawfully killed at the toll gate, and throughout the EndSARS protests, mark today as the EndSARS memorial, and demonstrations have taken place all over the country this morning, with solemn processions scheduled for this evening.

Lagos and Oyo State

In Lagos this morning, a car procession moved through the Lekki Toll Gate, the site at which protestors in Lagos were killed by those sworn to protect them. A year later, petitions and panel hearings later, police brutality and abuses of power persist. Several demonstrators were injured and some arrested as the police presence at the toll gate, unsurprisingly, took a violent turn.

One of the first lives taken by police during the EndSARS protests last year was that of a young boy, Jimoh Isiaq, who was a bystander during protests in Oyo state. Following this distressing tragedy, as the EndSARS protests intensified, Governor Seyi Makinde ordered police not to engage with protestors and received praise for his actions to support the protests. This year, he seems to be on the same path. Reports from the Oyo State protests suggest non-violent police presence in Indian, where officers are supposedly escorting the protestors as they demonstrate through the street. The Oyo commissioner for Youth and Sports, Seun Fakorede is also said to have joined the protests this morning.

Abuja, Osun, Edo and more

In Benin City and at the Unity Fountain, Abuja crowds of Nigeria joined together to protest the injustices that occurred last year, the security and socio-economic failings of our state and to demand accountability from our leaders. Speaking at Unity Fountain human rights activist Omoyele Sowore condemned the incompetence and greed of the government, with police sirens blaring in the background as he implores us to “reject all their intimidation.”

Reported live by JEOTV, corroborated by tweets from the region, the morning demonstrations planned in Ilorin were seemingly deterred by a heavy police presence at the Post Office site, where the protests were to be held. There remains a candlelight procession to be held in memory of the fallen this evening at 7 pm. Similarly in Oshogbo, Osun, and Enugu the heavy presence of police seem to have preemptively thwarted plans for protest as well. Osun State is set to hold a candlelight procession at 4 pm and Enugu the same at 7 pm.

Abia, Port Harcourt and the wider diaspora

Protests were also planned for this morning in Aba, at the Abia State Polytechnic, a significant location in the fight against police brutality. Last month, Corporal Chinedu Nwachukwu was dismissed and found guilty of raping a female student at the university. Earlier this year, a Lagos-based businessman, Nnamdi Nwauzuo shared the story of how his sister was killed by security forces in their pursuit of EndSARS protesters.

In Port Harcourt demonstrations will begin at 3 pm, whilst in Jos, they will commence at 5:30 pm. Candlelight memorials are to be held all across the country, from Bayelsa to Ilorin, Oyo to Jos. Outside of Nigeria too, memorials in London, Long Beach, California, Toronto are all set to take place later today.

A year later, and Nigerians remain unified in our fight against corrupt and ineffective governance. Abusing their power and ignoring the plights of the people, our political leaders are facing a reckoning that will disrupt their corrupt systems. As we remain unrelenting in our protest, we keep the faith that the EndSARS movement and the political activism galvanised by the youth in this time will set our country on a brighter course.

ICYMI: What’s Going On Special: A year on from the End SARS protests, not much has changed

What’s Going On Special: A year on from the End SARS protests, not much has changed

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

I believe that Nigeria exists, amongst other things, to shock, baffle and break the hearts of the majority of its population. It’s a conundrum as old as the country’s creation itself, an amalgamated entity formed by colonial powers. The same description still applies over 60 years after the country’s independence, except the colonial powers have been replaced by consistently awful leaders, who continue to shock, baffle and break the hearts of successive generations of Nigerians with new depths of economic, political and social cruelty.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Nigerian soldiers shooting at hundreds of unarmed Nigerians at the Lekki tollgate and in other environs across Lagos including Mushin. Yes, it really happened. Young Nigerians were attacked with gunfire by Nigerian soldiers on their own soil, for committing the crime of protesting against police brutality and, by effect, the government’s indifference towards the suffering of its citizens. On the night of October 20, 2020, Nigerians at home and in the diaspora—and the entire world, even—watched with horror as young men and women fatally lost and struggled for their lives, the national anthem and green-with-green flag unable to act as capable shields against skin-breaking, blood-letting, life-taking bullets.

It was shocking, it was heart-breaking; it still remains shocking and heart-breaking, and the aftermath continues to be baffling. Hours after the massacre, the Lagos state governor pointed at “forces beyond our control,” and Nigeria’s president entirely omitted the killing of Nigerians on Nigerian soil by Nigerian soldiers in his national address, emblematic of his administration’s non-acknowledgment of the bloody event. Months later, the Nigerian military alternately lied and conflated the truth of what we already know, that their soldiers killed unarmed civilians at the Lekki tollgate on the night of October 20, 2020.

The reason I keep restating what happened on that Tuesday night is because of all the denials, silence and bald-faced lies by the alleged conspiratorial powers to erase one of the cruelest events in Nigeria’s fourth republic. It’s a tactic that’s worked on several occasions, where memories of atrocious happenings are pushed to the margins of history, only accessible to curious minds and those capable of holding a grudge through the injustice. Well, technological advancements and the internet are too democratised to keep pieces of evidence suppressed, and there are many young Nigerians who will continue to hold this particular grudge—because we defiantly asked to not be killed and fatally injured by the state.

For nearly three weeks in October 2020, millions of Nigerians walked the streets and motorways of the country in a demonstration against the special anti-robbery squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian police force infamous for casually and cruelly mistreating Nigerians. Initially created to tackle crimes such as robbery and kidnapping, the unit devolved into the sort of banditry it was meant to eradicate, wreaking havoc on the same people it was sworn to protect from harm. Generally, very few Nigerians can claim to count on a police force that has always been systematically inept at, and sometimes unwilling to, solve crimes and protect citizens, instead of using its power to harass and extort.

Within the first week of the EndSARS demonstrations, the Nigerian government and police responded in the same way it had a few times before, banning the bitterly complained about the unit, before officially dissolving it when they realised empty words would not be enough. At the same time, the promises to end state-supported brutality were being contradicted by their brutal response: live bullets were frequently shot at throngs of scampering bodies, people were arrested and (are still being) severely assaulted for demonstrating, and even armed thugs were ferried into attack peaceful protesters.

To be shocked and heartbroken, you have to be expectant, to be optimistic, and, to an extent, naïve even in a country like Nigeria. Despite all of the brutality meted out in our protest, we expected change to happen, and we were optimistic about our chances due to collective defiance. I remember marching, singing and chatting alongside new friends I’d made during a mini-Volleyball competition in Mushin, three days to the Lekki Massacre, trusting that our tenacity would count positively. But the thing is, defiance and tenacity for a humanitarian cause in Nigeria are rarely ever rewarded, and that is perhaps where our naivety showed, believing our generation would be the ones to effect change despite the past pointing to the contrary.

The Nigerian state has always shown a willingness to crush anything that’s critical of the status quo, and when intimidating moves did not work during the End SARS protests, it issued its crushing blows. The tragic ending of last year’s protests totally unravelled the true, gory and near-irredeemable face of Nigerian leadership to a new, younger generation. In fact, in the last year, the Nigerian government, led by former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari, has seemed to fully embrace its villainous side without any apparent care for the wellbeing of its citizens.

Living in Nigeria has always been a dangerous sport, but it’s arguably at its hardest and scariest these days. Yes, the police still profiles, harasses, extorts and kill the people it was sworn to protect, so much so that it’s okay to wonder if SARS ever left the streets in the first place. General and food inflation is currently far from kind, and addiction to horrible economic policies is squeezing more and more people into poverty. Nigeria’s South is being beset by armed herdsmen, kidnapping rates continue to increase, and state-sanctioned force is being used against aggrieved secessionists, especially in the south-east where the military is routinely involved in alleged attacks. The North is also being ravaged by insecurity, with ultra-religious terrorist groups stomping the eastern part of the region, and armed bandits terrorising its western part.

There are easy parallels between the government’s handling of last year’s protests and the continued, all-around systemic dysfunction we find ourselves. How do you expect a government to care about its citizens’ economic wellbeing and social welfare when basic amenities and palliatives were being hoarded during the trying times of the pandemic? Of course, a government whose response to civil dissent is censorship has no qualms extra-judicially banning a social media platform that fosters unbridled criticism. It’s fitting that a government that can’t commit to police reforms will refrain from condemning a cop fingered as an alleged key player in a cybercrime case. A government that prefers inaction, high-handedness, and will even mock civil rights demands will comfortably ignore striking doctors, while its president routinely seeks medical care abroad.

In all of my twenty-plus years as a Nigerian who’s lived nearly all his life in Nigeria, I don’t think I’ve been more aware of the fact that the Nigerian government doesn’t care about me, about you, about us. Maybe it’s because as you grow older you have no other option than to be perceptive of your society and its governing powers, but it still baffles me without fail. I understand it—or at least I think I do from the opening paragraph—but the sting that comes with every headline that shows the Nigerian government’s competency at cruelty is always familiar but never stale.

Nigerian leaders are typically described as inept but even that identifier would be bestowing too much grace on them. To be inept, though, is for the results of your efforts to be far from satisfactory. Make no mistake, the Nigerian government under President Buhari fits this bill, but only if you’re looking at it solely from a citizen’s perspective. From the ongoing economic mess—see the dollar brouhaha—to the aggressive rent-seeking policies in Nigeria’s burgeoning tech space, to the consistent policing of the media, to the constant flouting of the rule of law, and other scenarios, there’s sinister intentionality at play.

“When you inherit institutions and they were extractive, it’s very easy to fall into the practices of the colonizer,” South African Human Rights lawyer Brian Currin says in the documentary, “How to Steal a Country.” Even though we’re operating a democratic system this quote pretty much applies to Nigeria, where the government has taken up the role of its British colonizers to extract value wherever it can, through whatever means, and demand servitude from its citizens regardless of civil disagreements. In the Buhari-led administration, we’re pretty much in a reprise of his dictatorship period back in the 1980s. The President is still blaming “middle men” for the effects of the same horrible economic policies he brought back, and he’s still flouting the rule of law as he pleases while generally waging war on everybody like he did many years ago before many of us were even born.

One of the moments that still baffles me when I recall the events of last year’s protests is the video of Buhari chuckling as the Lagos state governor presents the demands of protesters to him. To me, and to many, it was an open mockery against the collective voices demanding for change. He had the same baffling reaction earlier this year in a rare interview on Arise TV, when he was asked about the extrajudicial Twitter ban. Based on these two events, I often wonder if president Buhari believes his administration owes accountability to Nigerians because it feels like we’re subject to the unquestionable whims of an overlord rather than the ideal nation-building ethos of a democratically elected leader. If we were in the latter, the president wouldn’t have the option to keep the reason for the Twitter ban to himself, he wouldn’t openly mock calls for reforms, and the deaths of unarmed civilians from the gunshots of soldiers wouldn’t be muted.

I’ve heard several social commentators describe the Lekki massacre as a stain on the conscience of the nation. That’s a serious understatement. The night of October 20, 2020, is another indictment—in a long list of indictments—on the very soul of Nigeria, so much so that I often wonder if there’s any soul left for saving, or even if there was a soul to begin with. I firmly believe that night fundamentally shifted the relationship of many young Nigerians with the country, and one of its glaring effects is the massive exodus we’re currently witnessing. Many in this demography don’t believe Nigeria is capable of changing for the better anytime soon, and even if it does, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

If the discussions of the last few days and the planned events of today, in remembrance of last year’s protests, prove anything, it’s that cynicism doesn’t expressly translate into lack of care. Young Nigerians are weary of the happenings from last October, and are even more aware of how much the Nigerian government is working to their detriment, but the commitment to ensuring one of the most vital civil rights moments in Nigerian history isn’t erased is a sliver of light in a time where all the memories are bloodied.

In his classic prison memoir, The Man Dies, Nobel laureate and activist Wole Soyinka famously wrote, “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.” The truth is, what we all witnessed on the night of October 20, 2020 is nothing short of tyranny. The fact that we’ve refused to keep silent about it is brave. The common question after the Lekki massacre ended the protests was, “what next?” It’s a question that still applies till date, and while we’re still figuring that part out—getting a PVC and voting would go a long way—the fact that we’ve not been shocked, heart-broken and baffled into totally abandoning the cause is currently our greatest strength.

ICYMI: NIGERIA’S PRESIDENT INVOKES GENOCIDAL PAST TO THREATEN WAR

How to call for help throughout today’s EndSARS memorial events

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Today marks the first anniversary of the Lekki Massacre when Nigerian soldiers shot unarmed civilians at the Lekki tollgate as a crushing act to halt the EndSARS demonstrations against arbitrary police brutality. In remembrance of that bloody event, young Nigerians have chosen to honour the memories of those departed and the sacrifices of survivors with a series of planned processions around the country. At the tollgate itself, a procession of cars and people took place this morning as a preemptive measure against the chagrin of the Nigerian police.

Yesterday, the police released a statement that it would not be “allowing” any physical events at the tollgate, claiming that it was a decision made for security reasons. Despite its unconstitutionality, they issued a similar statement when protests against the reopening of the tollgate were scheduled earlier this year, arresting and assaulting those who came out. Today, they’re back at it again as expected. From news reports on the ground, the Nigerian police have arrested at least four people this morning at the tollgate during the EndSARS memorial procession: a young man named Okechukwu Peter, a journalist with news and gossip publication LegitNG, Abisola Alawode, a man who was forcefully arrested while granting an interview, and a lone protester in a white garment.

As of yesterday evening, fully geared members of the Nigerian police were sighted at the tollgate, as though they were getting set to meet a sect more sinister and dangerous than peaceful protesters. While the police have yet to remotely consider reforming its ways, all we clearly have is each other in the fight against police brutality and bad governance in Nigeria. That’s why there are helplines to navigate today’s memorial events and ensure the police don’t arbitrarily put any more peaceful protesters in jail. 

Those involved in, or have spotted, any trouble today during today’s events have been advised to use the hashtag “EndSARSHelp” on Twitter to call for assistance. Alternatively, you can call 09129452247 to report any incidents during any EndSARS memorial event throughout the country. Please keep this information close to you throughout today, and if you’re involved in any qualms or spot anything wrong happening to anyone, don’t hesitate to use them. Let’s all stay safe and look out for one another, remembering that we’re one community with the goal of eradicating police brutality in Nigeria.

NIGERIAN STUDENTS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES OF BRUTALITY AT THE HANDS OF SARS

Nigerian Police Arrest Protesters At End SARS Memorial in Lekki

Posted on by The Native

It’s been one year since soldiers of the Nigerian Army brazenly opened fire on unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Plaza. However, despite testimony from witnesses and experts, deep-dive reports into the events of that tragic night, and evidence suggesting the military’s presence, there has been no justice for those who lost their lives on that night.

To commemorate the tragic killing of young Nigerians, a driveby procession was scheduled to hold at the Lekki Toll Gate on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, but, predictably, this effort is already being stifled by members of the Nigerian Police Force who have maintained a heavy presence at the plaza since yesterday.

 

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Earlier today, many Nigerians turned up at the Lekki Toll Plaza to get involved in the drive-by protests yet while it largely went on without disruption, there have been incidents of indiscriminate arrests and harassment by the police. In videos that have gone viral on the micro-blogging platform, Twitter, protesters and bystanders are being rounded up by police officers and arrested for no discernible offences. In one of the videos, a middle-aged man, claiming to be a Canadian citizen, is addressing journalists at the Lekki Toll Plaza when he is arrested by police officers. 

Ironically, the man, dressed in a tracksuit, was lamenting the poor welfare afforded police officers when he was arrested. “The police are underpaid,” he said. Another protester named Okechukwu Peter had his placard snatched by police officers before he was led to their van where he urged those around to “remember those who were killed.”

Despite the intimidating tactics being employed by the police, efforts are already being made to ensure the prompt release of the protestors by members of the #EndSARSHelp team whose efforts are being coordinated by Ms. Modupe Odele. Already, a man named Achebe Okechukuwu has been detained and there are reports reaching social media that police have begun firing tear gas at those who remain at the site of last year’s massacre. We will not be intimidated. Our message remains clear: #EndPoliceBrutalityInNigeria.

 

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Nigerian Students share their experiences of brutality at the hands of SARS

Posted on by Otolorin Olabode

A recent graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Otolorin Olabode was one of the Nigerian Police Force’s many victims, as a student. Narrating his encounter with SARS officials, Olabode speaks to other Nigerians about the abuse, harassment, extortion and illegal detention they suffered at the hands of SARS, during their time in university. 

It was a Thursday. Exams had been concluded a week prior in the academic domes of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Scores of students had galloped off to their houses, in anticipation of a short holiday. Many, predominantly final year students were still trapped in school hurrying to wrap up their research studies in time for their project defense.

With exams over, came freedom and luxury of time. Post data seminars and defending my projects lay ahead for me, but I still had two weeks to kill before all of that. Most of my day was spent fondling with gamepads, hopping from one conversation to another on Twitter and staring at the TV screen in the common room of School’s hall of residence. A boring day.

 

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The whole Thursday was just going to waste away and since exams were over, I remembered I had made a promise to visit a friend who stayed off-campus. The environment breathed peace and serenity, which indicated that many residents had gone home. Bright yellow lights flustered out of the houses that lined up either side of the street. “Wow, there’s light”, I reasoned. Bimpe’s flat was a few meters away. A green painted house, just a stone throw from a newly-built mosque. But I was oblivious of the imminent trouble waiting for me. Under a tree close to where I was heading, three police officers had parked their van, stopping students and checking their phones. I didn’t know this as I was ruminating on if I would sleepover or not. As I strolled forward slowly, a bike sprinted past me and it was then I saw a police officer halting the bike, instructing the guy on the bike to disembark.

What? SARS? In a rush, my heart raced. What should I do? Turn back or proceed confidently? I had nothing to hide. I don’t engage in fraudulent activities but my mind brought back memories of innocent friends who were arrested for nothing and had to pay to be free. If I should turn back, my action would alert these people and who knows, I might be shot at in the process. I summoned courage. The guy who was stopped had submitted his phone and attention had been diverted to him. As my heart continued to produce the loud thuds, it dictated my walking pace. Carefully, I trudged forward, my eyes fixated on the greenhouse I was heading to, not peering at either side. No one called me. No “Stop there”. No “Hey You”. That was a close shave. And I indeed was, lucky.

But other students haven’t had it lucky. For Bolu, a 300 level student, his first experience with SARS officers was a nightmare. He wasn’t walking nor going to visit a friend, police officers came over to have a nice time with him.

“Around this time last year, I was In my room sleeping. Suddenly I heard someone knock on the door and norms, I thought it was one of my friends. On opening door, I was surprised with the sight of two police officers instructing me to hand over my phone. Not wanting trouble, I complied, handing over my device to one of them in Mufty. He checked my mail, gallery, apps, he found nothing.

So he asked me to unlock my WhatsApp, he went through all my chats, searched for some keywords like “cashapp”, “client” and many more.

And to be honest, no matter how wise you are, you would be involved in some group chats where things like this would be mentioned.

He saw almost all and next thing was a hot slap, omoooor, I wan cry

So he said we should be going to Harmony Police station, the school’s police station. Simultaneously, the second officer started beating me, they did not allow me to say anything, just because of WhatsApp chat

So they sha later said they will collect 25k, and I should not transfer, bro I later gave them 10 thousand naira sha.

So since then, no matter how important your chat is, I will joyfully delete it”

 

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For students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, their way of life has changed since EFCC operatives invaded off-campus residences in 2019.  Hostels were burgled. Students arrested. Cars and other possessions carted away. From then on, EFCC operatives have made it mandatory to make frequent trips to the school’s environs. Their raids are targeted at hostels that have Air Conditioners installed, students who own luxurious cars or exhibit a flashy lifestyle. Police officers have also compounded to this oppression.

It’s the lifestyle of a student that gives them joy. Seen wearing raggedy jeans or owning a car, is the key to massively extorting that certain student or fortunately if they appear as a group, there’s boundless joy in the heart of these officers. There’s always this suspicion of fraudulent activity if you tick any of these boxes: own a car, wear flashy clothes or live in expensive hostels. To them, only a fraudster can fund this lifestyle.

Abel, a student of Funaab had gone to get food at an eatery alongside two of his friends when they saw SARS officers heading towards them. He recounts of the experience.

“We had gone to get food at soupa, I came out of the building, trying to board a bike. We were 3 – 2 guys and 1 girl. They were coming from the police station  and as we were to hop on the bike to head home, they stopped us and told us to enter their car, I was reluctant at first and I asked what my offence was, point blank, with no proof whatsoever, they labeled me “A yahoo boy”. When we saw that it was serious, my friend and I handed over the food we bought to the girl with us  and told her to go home. They thought we told her to help us keep our stuff at home that we didn’t want them to see. So they told us to enter the car and go to our hostel.

We sha followed them, I kept asking what was my offence and what we’ve done and how do we look like yahoo boys?

Then we got to our place, they checked our rooms and didn’t find anything, they asked for the girl, I took them to my friend’s room, that was where the girl was, they sha checked and found a bitcoin app on my friend’s phone. They didn’t believe me and said I was hiding something and we need to go to their station. They had no evidence whatsoever. But they believed we were too clean and we were hiding something. So they carried us back to the station.

On the way to the station, they threatened us, saying I should confess that I’m a yahoo boy or else I would be reported to the VC and be expelled. At the station, they said as I was clean and nothing was found, they wanted me to pay 10k. For my guy, they demanded 50k. They threatened to detain us. I didn’t want the stress and I wanted to be free and not sleep in the station, so I paid the 10k. For my guy, we rallied around and pegged the money to be 35k. For doing nothing. Paying 45k for nothing.”

The mode of operation of these officers seem orchestrated. It’s like a memo had been passed to all SARS officers in every state on how they should operate. If an officer doesn’t find anything incriminating on the user’s device, he takes to threats of detaining the student. Stubborn and unflinching individuals might be beaten and ultimately remanded in the station for more than 24 hours. Students can only be released if “they can cooperate”. By ceding to their demands—settling them.

 

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Adeyinka, a 400 level student of Unilorin was subjected to this treatment. He said:

“On this day, it was on a Friday. We had this routine in my hostel in the morning where we hang out and discuss issues. This particular day, there was weed and booze, so we got high and all. I was already high so I went inside my room to sleep. Around 11am, the SARS people came. They came in plenty, going from one room to another in my hostel. They knocked my door and I rose to answer them. On seeing them, I asked for their ID cards, they showed me and went ahead to search the room. We were two in the room, and during their search, they saw a pepper spray can and a bulletproof kinda jacket my friend was putting on.

He was meant to perform at an event that day and when they saw it, they asked where he got it. He explained he bought it online and showed them the transaction between him and the seller. Now they said I’m holding chemicals in our room, and I told them that it belonged to my girlfriend, she forgot it when she came over and it’s a means of self-protection.

They didn’t even listen to our explanation and instructed us to enter the bus they came with. We obeyed and we were driven to F Division police station. Getting there, we were not even allowed to explain ourselves there and the DPO said we should be taken into the cell. Our phones were collected, not able to call, no statement written, we were remanded in the cell until the next day. They called us out the next day and asked us what happened. We explained, pleading innocence and not understanding what was going on. They threatened us, saying we were still going to sleep in the cell for two days before charging us to court on Monday. They labeled us thieves, saying my friend is in illegal possession of a bulletproof jacket, saying we rape people and residents had reported our hostel to the police station. I told them we were being detained illegally and the DPO replied with a slap, punching and kicking me in the process.

One woman came to our cell, pleading with us to bail ourselves and sway to their demands. They called me out again, requesting 20k for only me. I replied that I didn’t have money on me, they said I’m not ready and told me to go back to the cell.

I returned to them, seeing they were adamant and I didn’t want to pass another night in the cell. I told them that I only have 10,000 Naira with me. They agreed and I transferred the money to them. My guy was bailed with 19,000 Naira because that was the last money left in my account. Bro, it was a terrible experience”

Female students aren’t left out in this. While it’s always been perceived that females are rarely arrested and are let off, police officers can take to the extreme when there’s monetary value involved. It’s at this point another means of extortion is derived. Coming up with unscrupulous reasons for arresting individuals. Helen, a student of Funaab and an entrepreneur who sells hair products had gone to town to take delivery of her goods. Transiting back to school on a bike a few minutes away from her residence, the usual culprits—officers of Harmony Police station had stationed a roadblock. Explaining her goods came in late and had to fetch it that night fell to deaf ears. The officers demanded she followed them to the station.

”It was not even that late and even if it was late, I wasn’t supposed to sleep in the cell. Because there was no suspicious goods or items like firearm or knives. It was just my phone and my goods (wigs). They searched me and they said they suspect me and I had to follow them to the station. The bike man that carried me was also arrested. They detained me and the bikeman. When we got to the station, they told me to remove my earring, drop my phone and goods and everything that was with me, write a statement. I wasn’t even given the chance to call my friends or anybody. Even the bikeman, same thing and unfortunately for the man, he had so much money on him that day around the region of 100,000 Naira as cash with him. They collected all the money from him and took us to the cell.

The next morning, they called us out and trust me it was horrible. I had to stay in the cell for not doing anything. Mosquito bit me and urine was smelling everywhere in the cell. I was just crying.

The next day, they called me out, gave me my phone to call my friends to tell anybody that can bail us out. I was surprised because they didn’t even give me any chance to defend myself. I wasn’t allowed to explain because I did nothing. I called few of my friends to bail me out. My friends paid 10,000 Naira to bail me out.”

It might seem the regularly targeted individuals are students who wear expensive clothing or drive cars. Maybe a way to counter them and stay off their troubles will be to dress simple so as not to tip them off. Ahmed wished it worked for him. Wearing only a T-shirt and a pair of jeans trousers heading to Unilag for a lecture, he got stopped and had his phone searched.

“I was on my way to school, then they had not banned Oride, so I took Oride from Jibowu heading to Unilag gate. It was along that Abule-Oja road. The road that day had a danfo bus stationed with a group of policemen standing around with their guns. A policeman stopped the bike, and I was confused because I thought maybe he wanted to ask for the rider’s license. He then ordered me to come down. I was kinda scared because I was with my laptop. After he told me to come down, he checked what was in my bag, and when he saw that I had a laptop, he was like I’m a yahoo boy. He then told me I had to see his sergeant that it was the sergeant that would clear me and all. During the whole waiting phase, the policeman pushed me into the danfo bus. They took my phone, bag and my laptop. The sergeant wearing mufti came, was given my phone and he sat down and went through my emails, messages, WhatsApp and my other apps. He found nothing incriminating.

They were unable to switch on my laptop to see what was on it. Since they couldn’t check what was on it, they threatened to carry me to their police station, check what was on my laptop and probably detain me.

Long story short, they drove me away from that spot and started driving me around, threatening me that they would carry me to the station and handcuff me. And after the sergeant couldn’t find anything incriminating on my phone, the guy was like he doesn’t like carrying innocent people around, that I should drop something for them. I told them that I don’t have money in my account because I couldn’t just imagine dropping hard-earned money for being innocent. They eventually freed me, dropping me at a bus stop not far from Unilag gate.”

 

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With ASUU strike remanding students at home, there’s still a mole of fear in the hearts of many on if these incidences will linger on when the strike is called off. SARS may have been banned. But does that ban include the roadblocks and randy police officers who might still threaten arrest in exchange for few naira notes?

Students are helpless and the power Students’ Union Governments once wielded in the past has waned. Most times, they’re tools used by the School administrations to ensure peace and quell protests in schools. And who wants to be expelled if they’re at the forefront of a protest against police oppression in schools. Doing that is playing into the hands of the dreaded Students Disciplinary Committees in some of these institutions. If summoned and invited for questioning, students rarely emerge from these sittings unscathed.

The strike has dimmed these ugly occurrences from the public eye but there’s every guarantee these men in black outfits will continue with their past activities. Students want peace. They don’t want to foment trouble. And no individual wants to be detained. It’s what gives these officers the advantage. If there’s any evidence of the promise from the Nigerian Government that citizens have seen the end of SARS, it will be from Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Featured Image Credits: Al Jazeera

Note: Most of the men and women who appear as characters in the narrative have asked I shield their identities. Names have thus been changed to guard their privacy. However, everything else I describe about them and their experiences is factual and true.

ICYMI: FOR US BY US: YOUR VOICE (AND VOTES) MATTER

Songs Of The Day: New Music From Simi, Falana, Funbi & More

Posted on by Wonu Osikoya

As the year winds down, the sheer number of music we’re receiving is growing at an exponential rate. With live shows back in full swing and Afropop hits such as Wizkid’s “Essence” and CKay’s “Love Nwantiti” climbing the charts both home and abroad, there has never been a more exciting time than the present for the burgeoning sonic landscape. As such, it’s hard to sift through the chaff and find get to all the good music that hears us at pour base emotions.

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 week, we had soothing music from Nasty C, Badboytimz, visuals from Tiwa Savage x Brandy & many more. Today, we’re bringing you new music from Simi, Sarkodie, Timaya, Buju, Falana and more. Tap in.

Simi – “Woman”

Simi is known to be very experimental with her music. From singles to features, she’s always performing at the top of her game. On her most recent release “Woman”, she speaks to the importance of empowering women, particularly on the societal struggles we face as women on a day to day and the strength we portray as women. To open the track she sings “Woman don suffer, lowo everybody” simply stating that women suffer in the hands of both men and women. The uptempo production of the track makes the song catchy and fun but the message of the track is passed across seamlessly. 

Falana -” Energy” ft Sir Dauda

Falana is here with her sophomore EP ‘Rising’. The 7-tracker finds her speaking on self-growth, self-confidence, self-sufficiency and more. On the standout track “Energy”, she teams up with Sir Dauda to deliver the mid-tempo dancehall tune. Blending vocals melodiously over the beat, they sing on the hook of the track “I feel love, I feel free and this is something that you cannot takeaway from me”.

Timaya – “Cold Outside” ft. Buju

Timaya collaborates with Buju for a mid-tempo tune. On the track “Cold Outside”, both artists deliver a stellar performance over the Yung Willis- beat. Buju takes the lead as he delivers the first verse and the hook of the track. On the hook, he quips “Make nobody tell me nonsense my nigga streets is so cold my nigga/Ama pull through like the strings on my guitar ah”, speaking on past life experiences and how he may have adjusted to certain things now.  Timaya comes in shortly after and passes the same message in his own way.

Diamond Platnumz – “Gimmie” ft. Rema

Tanzanian singer and songwriter Diamond Platnumz teams up with Rema to deliver the hit single “Gimmie”. On the uptempo romantic number, both artists are found singing love lyrics to their respective muses. On the catchy call and response hook, he quips “Your love gimmie, all your body gimmie, your waist, gimmie. All your love gimmie”, addressing a love interest that he’s vying to get their attention.

 Sarkodie – “VIP” ft Zlatan & Rexxie

Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie is here with the new track “VIP”. On this track, he features Nigerian street pop artist Zlatan and Grammy award-winning producer Rexxie. The track successfully pulls Sarkodie into the street pop scene as he raps over the fast-paced production of the Rexxie beat. Known for his adlibs, Zlatan delivers a stellar performance on his verse as well as with the adlibs. Everyone seemed to have brought their A-game.

Funbi – “My Intentions”

Since the release of his debut EP ‘Serenade’ in 2018, Funbi took a break from releasing any solo material for a while. For his first single in such a long time, he is here with the melodic love tune “My Intentions”. The track finds the artist speaking to his muse about making his intentions for her clear. On the chorus of the track, he sings “let me tell you my intentions, to love and give you affection/not to mention, I never see this kind connection” over the smooth production of the track.

Prettyboy D-O – “Broke Boy FC” ft. MOJO AF

Prettyboy D-O is here with his sophomore album ‘Love Is War’, The 14 track LP is a combination of sonics and themes. On the standout track “Broke Boy FC”, D-O is joined by MOJO to deliver a heavy rap banger. Co-produced by Dare and Higo, the track finds both artists making braggadocious claims about being on top of their game as well as flaunting their wealth “I play for the chop life FC, I pledge to the chop life FC/Then me play for the broke boi FC, transfer go the chop life FC”.

Tim Lyre & Oscar Mbo – “REAL(OSCAR MBO REMIX)”

The Afro alternative vocalist Tim lyre has built a well enough fan base since the release of his EP, ‘Indigo’ which includes the likes of AYLØ and Mojo, and has gained millions of streams on various platforms. On this remix, we have Tim’s vocals on an upbeat house beat which is mixed by the house DJ and podcaster Oscar Mbo, which gives the track a foot-stomping and body-moving rhythm to it. This song drops for the anticipation of his debut album ‘Worry’.

Pa Salieu ft. Aitch – “BAD”

The Gambian British rapper has returned with another hit single “Bad” since the release of his EP ‘Afrikan Rebel’ but this time he taps his fellow hitmaker Aitch which will be their first collaboration ever. The song produced by Two Inch and Why Jay comes along with an eye-catching visual directed by KC Locke. “Girl your Body dey bad, Energy bad” is repeated in the hook speaking on the duo praising and highlighting a girl who they believe is the exact type of the kind of girl they want.

New World Ray – “Mars!” ft. Cruel Santino & Maison2500

British Nigerian rapper New World Ray has returned with the release of his new project ‘Light Speed: A Trip To Space’ and going with the theme of the whole project, it’s an intergalactic affair. Standout single “Mars!” featuring Nigerian artists Cruel Santino and Maison 2500 is one of the project’s most euphoric cuts as we emerge into the psychedelic world fuelled with the techno and electronic style beats. New World Ray’s songs have always been known to break the norms of music as his sound is a combination of trap, electronic alternative and hip hop mixed together that leaves feeling like you’re in a concert.

Featured image credits/Instagram

Best New Music: Bad Boy Timz makes an euphoric return on “Move”

Posted on by The Native

In many ways, Bad Boy Timz had the time of his life last year. After enjoying a star turn on “MJ,” the singer maximised the social currency he received by following it up with two remixes that cast two of Afropop’s biggest names namely Teni and Mayorkun respectively.

Through his string of radio-ready hits, the singer’s most compelling quality lay in how he effortlessly channeled the extemporaneousness of genres such as Fuji and Apala with the present of Nigerian pop. This was mainly courtesy of his knack for rhythmicity and stellar production; and the in midst of the gloom and insolation of 2020, his music served as a potent reminder of the time before lockdowns were a norm. 

 

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Later in 2020, Timz was a shining light on ‘Carpe Diem’, the expertly curated album that signaled Olamide’s rapprochement with the center of Nigerian pop. “Loading,” the Olamide and Timz collab off the album, was a standout that took on a life of its own almost immediately after the release of the album, introducing the rising singer to a whole new audience. By the end of February 2021, he had received a Headies award in the Rookie Of The Year category. Then Timz seemingly disappeared. 

Just at the moment, his career was projected to take off, legal issues with his label, Anonymous Music, threatened to disrupt his trajectory. Months passed without any words from Bad Boy Timz with only scant Insta stories updates occasionally popping up to remind fans that he had not indeed vanished off the face of the earth. Two weeks ago, the singer made a concerted return to social media, announcing that he was scheduled to put music out. “Move,” the song that he promised is packed with the free-wheeling boundlessness that drew many people to his music in the first place. 

Produced by Semzi, “Move” has a typically spurious edge, built around a concoction of piano chords, splattering drum patterns, and a rapid delivery flow from Timz. On the song, he is ready to head back into the club, crash the most exclusive events, and continue his money chase after all these months away. There is almost no time to be downcast about any disruptions to his career as he carries on with the no-frill approach that made him a household name in the first place.    

“I no like wahala o,” the singer says on occasion through the track as he lays bare the simple oleanders that motivate him with an earnest air that reflects his irrepressible energy. The template here bears some similarity to “Have Fun,” the denouement on his impressive 2020 that we heard from him before he seemingly faded from view. Hopefully, we don’t have to wait as long to hear more from the singer.

Featured image credits/Audiomack: BadBoyTimz

ICYMI: With Darkoo, You Always Get Twice As Much

NATIVE Exclusive: A sonic journey into Juls’ world

Posted on by Jason Kwame

It’s almost become comforting to hear a familiar yet still unknown soft-spoken lady mention “Juls Baby” at the beginning of an Afropop record. This was usually confirmation that the tune ahead would be an enjoyable number, soaked in a rich array of melodies and capable of provoking pensive thoughts and gathering listeners to the dancefloor in the same breath.

This famed producer tag belongs to none other than the British-Ghanaian beatsmith, Juls who has only evoked more levels of excitement as he’s mastered his skill. In Juls’ world, no skips are necessary. He is undoubtedly a household and worldwide name when it comes to this current era of Afrobeats, Afroswing – or just great music inspired by the African continent.

 

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Deservedly so, Juls has been getting hip to the game since 2013 when he laid down the gentle and traditionally folklore-like approach to Afropop on Mr Eazi’s string of earlier releases including “Bankulize”. The pair’s catchy sound introduced a much more thoughtful approach to the fast, party-starting genre we were used to. Juls’ beats allowed for reflection, and for poignant storytelling, with a pace made for reading between the lines. It’s no surprise then, that years on, many emerging stars on the continent still use creations from the Eazi-Juls partnership such as “Bankulize”, “Skintight” and “Hollup”, as soundtracks for their traditional engagement and wedding love stories all over YouTube. A few days after the release of his debut album, on a Zoom conversation with me, he says of the musical pairing: “We had a good run…I feel like the sound we created shaped Afrobeats…the modern-day Afrobeats anyway”, Juls responds.

From Burna Boy to Wizkid and Wande Coal, artists still look to Juls for his Midas touch and hit-making assurance. Whether it’s mellow, romantic numbers such as Wizkid’s “True Love” featuring Tay Iwar and Projexx or Burna Boy’s urgent, bass-thumping “Rock Your Body,” Juls sets a vast tone for where he can go sonically. Now, the enigmatic, calm and collected producer – officially a solo artist – takes us on a sonic journey with his debut album ‘Sounds of My World’. A fitting title for the commingling of sounds that listeners are met with. Much of the sounds, instrumentals and languages Juls features pull from a variety of cultures and nationalities.

On here, listeners are comfortably transported to various parts of the world – no clashes, no turbulence. Laced with hints of Samba from Rio De Janeiro, to the traditional percussion instruments, shekere shakers and 3-click tone-setting rhythm of West Africa, and the soulful house-inspired Ampiano vibes of South Africa, there is something packed for every ear. With sound, he demonstrates how connected we actually all are, not just in theory. What’s more impressive is Juls wouldn’t have had to read up on all this – he’s heard it all before. It’s who he is. Like a lot of us who have migrated and travelled around the world, he was raised with this awareness of boundless interconnectedness between cultures. In turn, it’s gifted him with a well-rounded understanding of music.

Being a citizen of our culture, Juls is most definitely tapped into emerging sounds from around Africa. With the help of a new vanguard of Afropop hitmakers from Fireboy DML, to Niniola, newcomer Knucks, King Promise and of course Wizkid, it’s proven to be a defining showcase for his ability.

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

NATIVE: How would you describe your debut album, ‘Sounds of My World’?

Juls: Very spiritual and experimental. I experiment with a lot of things soundwise – whether its making beats or even mixing – when I’m setting the tone for that I just like it to be good vibes…very spiritual. Give the people good vibes, let them feel the music, that’s what I like to bring to my music since that’s what I like to bring to my world.

NATIVE: How much of your background would you say informs this title?

Juls: Being from London, I merge [a variety of sounds] to the African sounds pretty much embedded in me from when you’re a child. [Obviously] as a child growing up these are the records that your aunties, uncles, mum and dad are playing in the house. So you literally have the best of so many different worlds, and that’s pretty much my influence with regards to anything music-wise. I like to channel everything I hear around me.

NATIVE: With everything going on, I can imagine you had quite some time to work on the album. I believe you said a couple of years on IG. Tell us about that process?

Juls: I started working on it literally after dropping my mixtape Colour. Colour was a great mixtape, but I didn’t really enjoy the creative experience as much as I enjoyed making this album…and I was just making quite a lot of music in between. [This time] I purposefully got a studio and said “I’m gonna make music that I’m happy about”. Over those 2 years, I’ve just been learning, experiencing different things, building the brand. I definitely needed those 2 years to kinda understand and experience a lot more.

NATIVE: Since the album is a representation of who you are, how did you select the artists you wanted to help do that this time around?

Juls: It was more so a collaboration, we just connected in different moments and we were more fans of each other’s music. We just came together naturally, and they were intrigued with how experimental I was trying to be like Niniola, she said she’s never done a record like we did before, the same was said by Haile about Makossa Riddim as well.

NATIVE: Knucks is quite a new artist. Describe the process of working with him?

Juls: Well Knucks has become a friend now. He’s been doing his thing for quite a while now, it’s actually my brother in law who put me on. His sound is different to the usual commercial rap in the UK…and I like that. And I feel like that sound is a fresher, new breed. I definitely wanted to tap in and even learn from him [and the other upcoming artists featured] to a certain extent.

NATIVE: How would you say this is different to your past production? Would you say you’ve evolved or improved over time?

Juls: I don’t wanna compare it to other stuff, I think it’s just literally…again, it’s me being experimental. I’m used to creating certain vibes and now it’s like the end of an era and now I am trying to do something new. I was really eager to get this album out, and then re-group again and try new things from a creative perspective.

NATIVE: I hear global inspirations in this album: Amapiano from SA, some Brazilian and Latin American style beats. I can imagine you’re very well-travelled… Have you been able to spend time in those countries you take inspiration from?

Juls: I do a lot of travelling, man. For example, I went to South Africa just before the pandemic. I have relationships with most of the Amapiano producers and DJ’s. I’ve known DJ Maphorisa for a minute…got to chop it up with the twins over there and when they came to London too…Busiswa is a friend, we’ve worked together before, Moonchild…I linked up with the twins [Major League Djz]

Going to SA, they took me around to all the clubs…I went to Soweto to shoot the video for Soweto Blues ft. Busiswa and Jaz Karis. I got to see what Jo’burg and the townships were like, and you could tell that their [dancing and music] is a reflection of their feeling and pain…looking around you still see [effects of the] apartheid. [Yet still], they are happy people, they love their music and have fun. Then obviously, I go to Ghana and Nigeria frequently, so you know…so i’ve experienced these genres first-hand.

NATIVE: I saw that you said you wanted to spread love and good vibes? What other messages did you want to get across about yourself and as a whole?

Juls: I think we’re in a world where people love to judge people by the book. I think my music speaks for itself and it’s literally a reflection of my personality. If you meet me one on one, you’ll realise I’m the same person you hear in my music.

NATIVE: What are your expectations for the album?

Juls: People talk about charting and all of these things all the time, I don’t know…[more importantly] I want people to take it in…and I want longevity. I don’t want people talking about it for 2 weeks and that’s it…I want to be able to break the music down…also through visuals coming up…I want to travel and play the music to different people and different audiences…so, yeah, longevity.

NATIVE: It’s early but, have you thought ahead of this album? I can imagine you had a lot of time during the pandemic to create?

Juls: I’m already thinking about the next thing…to be honest…yeah. Whenever I can get it to the people.

Featured image credits/Courtesy of the artist

ICYMI: This is Lex Ash’s truth

Our first impressions of Prettyboy D-O’s debut LP, ‘Love is War’

Posted on by Damilola Animashaun

In the final quarter of 2018, Prettyboy D-O released his debut album, ‘Everything Pretty’, to critical acclaim. The year before, he captured ears with “Peter Piper,” the fun and lascivious single that effectively set the ball rolling on his career. Subsequent singles, “Footwork,” “Itty Bitty” and “Chop Elbow,” drew more people into his expansive musical approach and distinct identity, showcasing D-O as an artist who embodied both frivolous and socially conscious expression with the same level of conviction. It also helped that his blend of dancehall and rap cadences instantly sounded unique coming from him.

’Everything Pretty’ crystallised all of D-O’s tendencies, as well as an unyielding ethos, into an emphatic debut album. The music not only matched the antics that made him seem riotous, it enhanced that persona. These days, D-O’s artistic bonafides are undoubtable. His voice, which can shapeshift from guttural to pleasantly absurd, his genre-mashing style of music, and his zany fashion choices have afforded him a unique lane in the Afropop zeitgeist. Last year’s ’Wildfire’ built on the convincing display of its predecessor, subtly expanding the boundaries of D-O’s musical identity and reinforcing how much of an unrelenting force he is.

As he’s been teasing all year long, D-O has finally released his debut album, ‘Love is War’. He’s been clearing out space for the new LP with the release of “Living in Bondage,” “Police n Teef” and, more recently, the IAMDDB-assisted “Falling.” Considering his reputation from previous projects, expectations for the new D-O album are sky high. After our first listens, here’s the first impressions of ’Love is War’ by members of The NATIVE team.

 

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Best Song?

Wonu: Honourable mention for me would be “Police n Teef,” I feel like the song isn’t as big as it should be but then again it’s a banger.

Ada: Well this is a tough one, I wasn’t able to firmly pick a song as a favourite but a few songs do stand out for me: “Rodman Style,” “Kumbaye” and “Lord protect my steppings.”

Rahman: I don’t have a best song, but it’s between 3 songs: “Like me,” “Lord protect my steppings” and “Broke Boys FC,” it’s really hard to pick one song because the album is quite good.

Biggest surprise?

Moore: The biggest surprise for me was definitely the opener, “1996.” The guitar riff at the beginning is very unusual for a Nigerian song, the ending rant against the police was also unexpected and powerful.

Nwanneamaka: The biggest surprise was definitely “Like Me.” D-O really got Davido out here singing and harmonising. I loved it and I think it’s the perfect cut from a stellar project.

Best Verse?

Rahman: Pa Salieu and Mojo had great verses. It almost felt like I was in the studio while they were recording their verses. They had the best 2 verses on the tape.

Wonu: Mojo did really well on “Broke Boys FC,” I think he had the best verse on the album.

Biggest skip?

Dennis: Right now, the closest thing I have to a skip is “If They Send You,” which is odd because posturing D-O is my favourite D-O. It just doesn’t have the instant oomph of the other unruly, self-assured tracks I’ve heard from him, but I think it will grow on me with more listens.

Ada: This is a tough one but since I have to choose I’d say it’s the “If They Send You” track. The song wasn’t bad but as I kept listening to it I got a bit bored.

Overall first impression

Nwanneamaka: While I was a casual D-O listener, I began anticipating the album when he released “Living In Bondage” and “Falling” with IAMDDB. Listening to Love Is War, it surpassed my expectations, I’m not going to lie. I think his sound has really evolved from what it was on his debut, Everything Pretty, and I’m really liking this. On a first listen, “Hanky Panky” really stood out to me. Its groovy, rhythmic beat is guaranteed to get you in a good mood just like the rest of the project.

Dennis: Prettyboy D-O hasn’t surprised me since his debut album, and I mean that in the best way. Love is War might be his best project yet, that’s a bold remark based on one listen but it should hold up because it doubles down on everything that makes D-O, well, D-O: searing lyricism, colourfully brash beat selection, experimental flows, inventive melodic range and just D-O being generally convincing. The main difference between this album and his previous project is authority; he’s always moved with conviction, many times having to bruise his way towards making you believe it, but this time he’s just innately commanding. It’s in the way he rails against Nigeria’s socio-economic stagnancy on “1996,” the self-eulogising on “Rodman Style,” going blow-for-blow with Pa Salieu on “Lord Protect My Steppings,” and his unyielding sense of self on standard album closer, “Trust Issues.” I’m not surprised because D-O has had it all along, it’s only getting clearer to him—and probably to us.

Listen to Love is War here.

ICYMI: OUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAGIXX’S SELF-TITLED DEBUT EP

Jameson celebrates Nigeria’s 61st Independence Day with a special edition pack

Posted on by Damilola Animashaun

In partnership with Jameson NG

1st of October – This year, Nigeria celebrated her 61st Independence Day from colonial rule. While this year’s Independence Day passed by quietly, with many young Nigerians still reeling from the events of last October, alcohol brand Jameson spent the day bringing together many people from different tribes and places, for their annual Jameson Connects Independence Day event.

This year, the new generation of Afropop artists changing the game led the charge on the day of the event to incredible fanfare. Notable names such as Ayra Starr, BOJ, Ajebutter, Odunsi The Engine, Buju, Aye & DJ Camron graced the stage at Iddo Terminus in Lagos, Nigeria. The event was also attended by Jameson’s bearded brothers who make up a crucial part of the brand’s core.

As Jameson’s highly fashionable guests dined and celebrated with their favourite artists, they also enjoyed its smooth taste right from a new special Independence Day pack. Now entering its second year, this year’s Independence Day pack highlights elements that showcase and celebrate the freedom to be one’s authentic self. As a brand that prides itself on being a voice for the alternative, the special pack speaks volumes about Jameson’s longstanding future in the culture which can now be looked forward to every year through these packs.

This year, the newly unveiled Jameson design draws on the brand’s core identity which is rooted in a strong sense of community. Drawing inspiration from the diverse group of individuals who find freedom in being themselves and stay unchanged by the environment around them, the new pack adapts visual expressions from young Nigerians truly living freely despite all the odds.

Taking a strong departure from last year’s case which celebrated Nigeria’s cultural heritage, this year’s case casts its focus on freedom of expression and the importance of taking moments for pause and enjoyment in today’s hyperactive society. The pack is adorned with beautiful illustrations that speak to the many pleasures of young Nigerians including; music, love, community, fashion, and more. The images depict young people in happy settings enjoying music and good company while donning a mix of contemporary and traditional clothes that reveal their Nigerian pride and optimism for a better future. Some of the pack’s main highlights include:

Shuku Shuku Periwinkle

Meji.Meji’s founder and creative director, Tolu Coye’s Shuku Shuku Periwinkle, has a shining spot in this new case design. The young designer’s signature hairstyle is translated into the case as we see an image of a young woman donning the style while taking a selfie at a fashionable party.

 

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A post shared by Tolu Oye- Altè Aunty (@tolucoye)

Drums and instruments

Also depicted in the image are instruments and drums, strategically placed to show the importance of music to this young generation. Currently, the new vanguard of Afropop hitmakers are soaring higher than ever before and music and live show experiences have become more important in connecting us and our community than ever before. Jameson as a brand has positioned itself at the forefront of the alternative movement and these image depictions of live music further serve to buttress this company value.

Fashion

Fashion is one of the most visible modes of personal expression. In the new case design, Jameson represents the importance of fashion to young people in Nigeria by depicting sartorial choices that speak to their Nigerian heritage. Donning vibrant fabric in green, the clothes adorned are representative of the stylish pieces worn by members of Jameson’s community.

Fans can always count on Jameson for reliable smooth taste, however, the new pack which featured on the social media pages of Lagos’ alté scene now adds an extra incentive for new customers to buy the bottles. You don’t want to miss out on a chance to get the limited-edition package as you’d also be paying for the artwork which celebrates and champions freedom in a year of seismic change all around us.

Jameson is a triple distilled Irish Whiskey; distilled, matured and bottled in Ireland. Jameson should be enjoyed responsibly by people over 18.

Featured image credits/Jameson Nigeria

Daily Paper & Wekafore celebrate West African culture with new collection

Posted on by The Native

Amsterdam-based streetwear brand, Daily Paper has teamed up with Nigerian fashion brand Wekafore to release a first time ever capsule collection. Entitled “THE SPIRIT DON’T DIE,” the collection celebrates the life and times of Nigerian music icon and Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Kuti. This is another one of the brand’s attempts to celebrate the African heritage and spotlight new cutting-edge designers, and what better brand to tap in order to bring this vision to life than Wekafore.                                                                                                   

WEKAFORE was founded by a Lagos-born Nigerian designer Wekafore Maniu Jibri, which finds him reflecting on the work of his grandfather who passed away without fulfilling his dreams. He found a way to bring his grandad’s work back to life as some form of reincarnation for the whole world to witness the brilliance. The designs are the epitome of modern African styles and aesthetics with a hint of American culture which finds beauty in androgyny by mixing both feminine and masculine styles.

 

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The genius in Fela Kuti as the muse for the execution of the collection is outstanding. The musical legend and icon has paved the way politically, musically and even sartorially, which was very much an essential part of his innovative artistry. “Like Fela, the pieces are very pink, very psychedelic and very African at the same time. And that represents 100%. And I think being able to speak that way through a platform like daily paper is a testament to contemporary African consciousness,” says Wekafore Maniu Jibril of the newly released collection.

Daily Paper and Wekafore have grown from humble beginnings to where they are now with a lot of love and support from the community. Both have a certain message they aim to share with their audience through their designs, which has then brought them together for this collection as they celebrate Africa culture and heritage. Every piece found in the collection represents or is an interpretation of, West African culture from the Lasered-on Denim, Kalakutu Queens Print to the Red Acid-Wash.

The Daily Paper x Wekafore Collection is set to be available for purchase globally online and in-store across all Flagship stores on Friday, October 15th.

ICYMI: “FINDING FELA” & THE IMPORTANCE OF WHOLESOMELY DOCUMENTING AFRICAN MUSIC’S HEROES

A track-by-track run-through of Hanu Jay’s ‘Wow’ 

Posted on by The Native

In the years since emerging unto the corridors of the music industry with Vibez, his euphonious collection of eight songs about the finer things of life and living in the moment, Warri-born singer, Han Jay, has kept up with his prolific streak, regularly serving timed update of his state of mind via loosies and well-worked singles that have seen him line up with everybody from Mayorkun to Zlatan over the last two years. But where the starkest evidence of his voracious aptitude for music and knack for curation has presented itself has always been projects where neo-soul sounds are often layered over hypnotic Afropop grooves. 

2019’s Let’s Smoke and Fuck was a racy trip through the mind of a creator indelibly memorialising the thrills of the hedonistic with highlights like the soothing highlife leanings of “L.O.V.E” and the sprightly flamenco thrums of “Vibration.” The nonchalance of Let’s Smoke and Fuck blunts out on its canonical follow-up, the four-track EP, Lagos Taught Me, where the singer ponders graft, loyalty, and self-assuredness over featherlight beats that his voice dances over. The propulsive energy of all this undertaking has led to Wow, his latest project where his quest for happiness collides with some of the best times of his life being captured on wax. It is his most forward-facing project as he moves into a new phase of his career. 

Below, Hanu Jay talks to the NATIVE through the process that inspired the records on Wow track-by-track. 

“Happy”

We made the entire EP in about two months late last year.  I always knew I wanted something with a very great feeling to start to project, something that had a choir too, and “Happy” was that song. There was one day when we weren’t even really recording, I was just chilling with my producer and he started playing some chords on the piano. As he was playing it, the chorus for “Happy” came to my head. I already had the “pursuit of happiness” line in my head because I knew I wanted to use it. My producer kept playing the piano and I was singing the chorus. We did a rough sketch that day but I knew that it would be completed when I was with a choir. I already knew how I wanted everything to be arranged. 

“Alright”

“Alright” was one of the songs we already had from a while back but we didn’t have the right choir vocals on it. When we originally made it, we did it up to sixty percent and tried out the choir thing but we weren’t sure if it was going to be nice; it was just an idea in my head.  Because of the kicks on the song, I wanted it to have a Micheal Jackson type of feeling to it. If you listen to it, the words are not very clear because in my mind, I was singing it like MJ used to sing his songs and put ad-libs at the end of it. I was basically trying to replicate that. At the end of the song, you’ll hear a wrestling sample. I’m a big fan of wrestling and Shawn Micheals’ theme song is one of my best ones so dug out one specific match where he was winning to complete the song. The screams of the audience and his song playing made it important for me. 

“Party on the Moon”

This is one of those songs that came after we felt we were done with the EP in our minds but we knew we could still do a little extra. My producer was about to travel to Abuja and we knew we wouldn’t be able to work for a while. We wanted to take you out of this world, to a place where it would feel like you were having a party on Mars and were chilling with aliens. We were aiming to do something futuristic and that’s how we stumbled on making “Party on the Moon.”

“Rhythm & Soul”

This one almost didn’t make the project. I didn’t really like this one at the time we made it but my brother walked into the studio and went made for the song. The next day, my gym instructor came over and was asking what song this was. So, it ended up getting on the project. It was us trying to rework old-school konto vibes, spice it with some R&B, and just add some ragga elements as well. But at the same time, we didn’t want the beat to be complicated, just bouncy enough to get people moving. 

“Wassup (Champions League)”

This is probably the most personal song for me on the project because it is directly talking about where I grew up in Warri. And it’s not just where I grew up, I mean my actual street, the house, and the places we used to watch football at. The whole vibes around “Wassup” is really personal because I was also talking about some things in my family. How I used to chill outside my grandfather’s house with my guys. There was a carpentry workshop outside my grandfather’s house and we were always there talking about football and all of that. I just talked about all those things because, at one point in our lives, football was the major thing, supporting Arsenal or Manchester United was huge.  It’s a really heavy song. 

“Wavy”

We did “Wavy” way back to. I was chilling with four other people who were my friends and also musicians. We went to Eko Atlantic for a while and just recorded a lot of songs. “Wavy” was just one of those songs, we were just having fun and it came up. 

“Damola’s Interlude”

Damola is my cousin. There was a guy I really liked a lot and he dropped his album. There was a skit on the album and it inspired this one. It’s a little different because he was talking about something else but I just wanted something on my project where someone was talking about creativity and all. I told my cousin to record those things and she did. 

“Wow (Can I Blow Your Mind)”

At that point, you should have been blown away but in case that did not happen and there was like 20% left to go, this song is meant to do the work. It carries the whole sense of the full EP.  It’s the song that represents everything I wanted to do with the project. 

Featured image credits/Courtesy of the artist

Prettyboy D-O’s debut LP, ‘Love is War’, is finally here

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Around this time two years ago, Prettyboy D-O had already motioned towards his sophomore album, getting the hype train running less than a year after his well-received debut LP. The album was to be titled Pretty World, and it’s lead single was the unruly and infectious banger, “Dey Go Hear Wehh.” As we all know by now, that album didn’t materialize—at least not in the form we expected. Last year, though, D-O released Wildfire, an impressive EP that consolidated on the rap plus dancehall, and everything in between, genre-mashing antics of his debut album and happened to be one of last year’s best projects.

 

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After this long and fulfilling detour, though, Prettyboy D-O’s sophomore full-length has finally arrived, on schedule with recent announcements. Titled Love is War, D-O described the new album as a declaration of peace in a recent interview, and he’s still very much invested in self-portraiture through his music. “I’m just telling the story of a n***a in Nigeria,” he says. Love is War was preceded by live listening/performance sessions in several major cities around the world, an indicator of the fanbase he’s amassed over the years and indicators of his expansive intentions for the album’s acceptance.

It’s also reflected in the tracklist, which features Nigerian pop superstar Davido, UK rap star Pa Salieu, and American experimental singer IAMDDB. D-O is also joined on the album by Nigerian singer Nissi, as well as rapper and close collaborator MOJO. Including pre-released singles, “Police n Teef” and “Falling,” Love is War comprises fourteen tracks and clocks in at a relatively brisk 41-minute runtime.

Listen to the album here.

[Featured Image Credits: Web/Dazed]

@dennisadepeter is a staff writer at the NATIVE.

BEST NEW MUSIC: ZINOLEESKY’S “GONE FAR” IS A WELL-EARNED VICTORY LAP

Hot Takes: Revenge Porn, Adele & Fatphobia, BBLU & More

Posted on by Damilola Animashaun

In a blink of an eye, the final quarter of 2021 is here and we’re worse for wear. It’s October again in the city and while this month is typically viewed as a placeholder for the frivolous Detty December season, this year, it carries more weight and trauma than ever before. A year ago today, young Nigerians took to the streets to protest a rough anti-robbery unit SARS which carried out extra-judicial killings on unarmed citizens.

With one voice and under one accord, we marched in streets and roads across the country, and even in the diaspora, chanting and calling for the end to several injustices that have plagued us as people. As we mourned the labours of our heroes past and looked to the future of a better Nigeria, we were once again reminded that as young people are voices and our votes are not regarded by the very people charged to protect and provide for us.

October is a bittersweet month for several reasons but for this writer specifically, it has come to signify endings and seismic change, unlike that many of us are used to. With that in mind, we will never forget the atrocities that took place on October 20th, 2020 and neither will we let the lives of our fallen peers be in vain. To lighten your load this October, I’ll be taking the reins on our Hot Takes column with my nearest and dearest, Damilola to dish about all the wackiest cultural moments out there. It’s not much but it’s guaranteed to take your mind off the heavy news cycle and provide a bit of balance in your hot October days. So sit back & enjoy!

BBLU: Tems and Amaarae

After the seismic change caused to the music industry last year, we’re coming into times where things are returning to the status quo. All around the world, live musical experiences are making a come back and we’re seeing our favourite artists on stages and festival lineups. One of the better-enjoyed parts of this is watching this new vanguard of Afropop stars, who’ve long been talented enough to perform on the world stage, receive their current career-defining milestones. It’s mostly especially heartwarming to see these young stars support and uplift each other through this moment particularly Tems and Amaarae who’ve both recently been seen at each other’s shows in the US, offering moral support and a bit of liquid luck. My take on this is that there’s never been a more nurturing and supportive moment for women in Afropop than there currently is. From Tiwa Savage and Amaarae teaming up on her most recent album ‘Water and Garri’ to SGaWD and Somadina coming together for “Pop Shit,” a bouncy cut where they both talk their shit and share affirmations for women just like them.

 

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Adele, fatphobia, new music, great life

When Tami and I decided to take on Hot Takes this week, I picked this Hot Take thinking I would be weighing in to give a detailed and light drag for people who refuse to be challenged when confronted with their fatphobia. In between Adele’s virility this week from the discussion about society’s engrained fatphobia, and the promise of new music (who else has been playing the preview every time it pops up on Instagram?), I sat with a cup of tea and read her interviews with Vogue to gain context for my light drag, and I was amazed by what I came across. First of all, Adele seems like a joy to interview. From her quotes and the candour both interviewers describe in their pieces, it feels like she actually wants to talk to us and let us into her world. While the Twitter timeline has been arguing about the difference in Adele’s public reverence since her ‘surprise’ weight loss, Adele reveals in both interviews for Vogue and British Vogue that she lost weight because she was working out multiple times a day to fight her anxiety. If you spend all day fighting the thoughts in your head (and those mofos have hands) it makes sense to channel it into something physical. This made me think season 2 of ‘Sex Education’, when Jackson was under a lot of pressure from his mum about being a swimming champion, but he didn’t want to swim anymore, and so to get her off his back, he had an ‘accident’ in the gym which prevented him from swimming. While Jackson doing that bought him some temporary relief, it wasn’t particularly useful for his long term healing and until he confronted the issue, he didn’t find actual relief. Adele working out to quieten her anxiety seems like the opposite of Jackson in some ways, and the result of that is she’s spent some time in her head and turned it into new music. She’s dropping an album soon, (which the British Vogue interviewer got to listen to btw, God when?) and she said that she’s addressing herself in this music, rather than the people who have done her dirty in the past and that’s a stage of growth I’ve been very interested in for a while. That face Adele pulled in that IG Live when someone asked her what her body count told me she’s either an A1 troll or she genuinely has no parts in that baseless conversation in 2021, either way, that’s my kind of energy and I’m more than ready for her to drop this album.

Revenge porn

Over the weekend, Tiwa Savage appeared on the Power 205.1 station in New York City, following her performance at the Lost In Riddim festival. While she was meant to be promoting the release of her latest EP and the standout Brandy-assisted single “Somebody’s Son” which recently caught the attention of the internet, the singer’s visit to the station was marred by the shocking tale of revenge pornography. The Nigerian singer revealed that she was being blackmailed over some intimate footage with her current partner. The blackmailer was requesting a sum of money to avoid the release of this tape which was unknowingly downloaded when Savage’s partner accidentally uploaded his video to his Snapchat account. Though the situation is clearly distressing, Savage shared with Angie Martinez that she was not going to give into the threats as the tape was an intimate moment shared between two consenting adults. The singer said she would not be blackmailed for something that is natural and we wholly support that statement. In 2021, it’s needless to keep harping the same tune about women’s autonomy and the need to respect women’s privacy but in this world, women aren’t allowed to exist as sexual beings in their own rights. Savage has especially borne the brunt of this maligned view as she’s hardly ever been given the space to exist as a mother and a woman capable of making her own choices. She’s typically been slut-shamed and berated for her actions, lyrics and even outfit choices and this situation just takes the cake. It is welcoming to see that Savage is now disarming the power that this attacker has over her by not giving in to their threats for an action that is hers to make and not anyone else’s.

Yvonne Orji and the heat of Ogbono

My least favourite brand of Nigerians are the Jesus and Jollof kinds, and I don’t really think I need to say much about why that’s the case. We’ve all lived through the shift in paradigm over the past few years, that has seen repatriation of sorts for loads of first-gen kids in the diaspora and so many good things have been born from that – like Wizkid & Tems in the Top 10 of Billboard Hot 100 (whut?!) and Burna Boy & my second favourite rapper at the moment, Polo G, on a song together. A constant problem that has arisen from this cultural exchange, however, are things like podcasts called Jesus and Jollof. Which has now graduated to being the ‘sweetness of chin chin and puff puff mixed with the heat of Ogbono’. I can’t. First of all, let’s reel it back in all the way to say that this very tired trend of people in the diaspora using those exaggerated ‘Nigerian’ accents for comedy is just not funny. The accent is not funny, the content is not funny, and I think it should stop.This Hot Take, was to unpack that Instagram post for Independence Day, you know the one. Let’s get into it.

Nigeria made me, America raised me. I am the daughter of an Igbo Chief, and the granddaughter of an Ogbuefi.  – This didn’t annoy me as much, I just rolled my eyes halfway when I saw it cause, first of all, this Independence Day was not a thing of pride.

Then it got bad.

I am the spice of pepper soup and the force of kolanut – O Lord.

I am the sweetness of chin chin and puff puff mixed with the heat of Ogbono. –Ogbono isn’t made to be spicy, I’ve never eaten a spicy ogbono before, so what kind of heat? Is it hot from being cooked? Or hot spicy? Cause if it’s the first, then it saying doesn’t make sense, and if it’s the second, again, it still doesn’t any make sense. I also don’t know why anyone would ever mix chin chin or puff puff with Ogbono so it just didn’t bang.

I am the party starter like Naija Jollof – Jollof Rice is not a party starter. Isn’t it like music or people who are party starters? Food does not start a party.  It might have landed better if it said ‘I am hot like party jollof’ or something like that, but again. I also don’t believe that in 2021 anyone should still be saying ‘Naija’, we left that before the turn of the LAST decade, nobody should still be talking like its 2007. But then again… 80’s millennial.

I have withstood the madness of Lagos traffic and the chaos of Balogun Market – Deeeep sigh. Why? Out of everything, this is what offended me the most because Balogun Market isn’t the best example for what she was trying to achieve and doesn’t really speak to how ‘rugged’ Lagos is. I’d like to see her withstand the chaos in the middle of Oshodi Market or  Mile 12, or better still, just not try and win comedy points with things like this.

I know I’ve been harsh, but this column is the only space on The NATIVE where there’s absolute unencumbered speech welcome, so I’m open to continuing this dialogue, tweet me your thoughts

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Words by Tami Makinde and Damilola Animashaun

Music streams on Boomplay will now count on Billboard charts

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Boomplay is a dominant part of Africa’s steadily growing music streaming market, boasting over 59 million active users as at May 2021. The freemium streaming service, developed by Transsnet Music Limited, has been working hard to both improve its market share on the continent and provide value for the African music terrain. In addition to signing licensing agreements with international record labels to improve its on-demand catalogue, it also very recently partnered with Nigeria’s pioneering TurnTable charts, sharing its data with the local chart publication to better reflect music consumption within the country.

Taking a huge step further, Boomplay’s streaming numbers will now be added to the data that informs the Billboard charts. The marquee announcement was made earlier today, with the statement reporting that the streaming platform’s data will be reflected on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Billboard 200 albums chart, and the other global charts. While the Hot 100 and album chart solely reflect music listening numbers in the U.S, the global charts will take into account listening numbers from around the world, and Africa will now be better reflected since Boomplay is one of the leading streaming services on the continent.

In the announcing statement, Boomplay’s Director of Content & Strategy, Phil Choi described Boomplay’s addition to the Billboard charts as “a significant step in ensuring African artistes on the platform are fairly and equally represented where it matters and that they have access to similar opportunities available to their international counterparts. While this might have seemed far-fetched in the past, we now have one foot in the door already following our partnership with Billboard Charts.” Within MRC Data’s Music Connect platform, Boomplay streams will be included in the ‘Others’ data bucket under Audio On-Demand with data visible on October 12, 2021 for streams beginning on October 8, 2021.

Afropop has been having a delightful year on the global stage, with two songs currently rising on the Hot 100 charts. Boomplay’s partnership with Billboard will only embolden that growing global dominance, opening the gates to even more achievements in the near future.

@dennisadepeter is a staff writer at the NATIVE.

AFROPOP ON THE RISE: WE’RE TRULY GLOBAL

Nigeria’s female basketball team is being owed money and respect

Posted on by Dennis Ade Peter

Nigeria’s shoddy sports administration system has made it a consistent duty to fail athletes representing the country. In the lead-up to this year’s summer Olympics, Nigeria made history as the first African country to qualify for both the male and female basketball events at the games. Unfortunately, in the midst of the pre-Olympics excitement, it came to light that the Nigerian government and its sports ministry wasn’t putting their entire weight behind the basketball teams. The lack of adequate support was thankfully augmented by a GoFundMe campaign and donations from a coalition of local banks.

As it turns out, the latter donations have allegedly been misappropriated, with players and coaching officials being owed allowances from participating in the Olympics and the FIBA Afrobasket competition shortly after. In a now-viral video, members of the female basketball team, D’Tigress, decried their treatment by the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) and the sports ministry, listing out important grievances, from monies owed to general disregard despite representing the country on a consistently applaudable basis. This year, D’Tigress made history as the first team to win the FIBA Afrobasket competition on three consecutive occasions.

 

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“We are owed $73,118 by the NBBF, $24,000 by the Ministry for the Tokyo grant, and $100,000 donation from three banks in Nigeria,” team member Ify Ibekwe outlined in the video. In what seems like a statement sequentially read by the entire team, they demanded accountability for the money they were being owed and better general treatment befitting of their status as the best basketball team on the continent. They also stated their resolve to boycott all training camps in the near future until their demands are met, threatening to boycott the World Cup qualifiers scheduled for late September next year if warranted.

In a statement signed by permanent secretary Ismaila Abubakar, the sports ministry has claimed that the monies are intact and have not been diverted, and they’re currently being held by the NBBF bank account with the CBN pending disbursement. The ministry also claimed some of the players have yet to provide their account details, and will start sending the money as soon as compiling is finished. In a retorting statement, published on the D’Tigress Instagram page, they’ve rejected the ministry’s explanations and any measures that involve part-payments, while reiterating their three demands: Payment of total amount owed, improved travel conditions for camps and competition, and the hiring of a competition general manager.

Usually, the sports ministry and Nigerian government are not used to being fearlessly challenged by national athletes, and part of that is because most members of D’Tigress are playing professionally in countries with better functioning sports administration systems. It remains to be seen if these demands are wholly and urgently treated, but it’s invigorating to Nigeria’s female basketball team pushing for the respect they well and truly deserve.

 

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@dennisadepeter is a staff writer at the NATIVE.

ICYMI:DJ POIZON IVY ON HER TIME AS MUSIC COORDINATOR FOR THE 2021 BAL

How leaks are helping to power South Africa’s Dance music scene

Posted on by Madzadza Miya

Days before its official October 1 release, pioneering Amapiano producer/DJ De Mthuda announced the impending arrival of “Wamuhle,” a collaborative effort headlined by singers Boohle and Njelic. Shortly after, the comment section of that Instagram post was flooded by fans who blamed him for not releasing the song much earlier. These criticisms weren’t induced by anticipation, they were the opposite. For those in the know, “Wamuhle” had already been available for public listening months prior to its official drop. Initially released through Boohle’s former management and making multiple streaming playlists before being pulled, the song was illegally uploaded to several YouTube pages—one upload dating back to eight months ago—inspiring an uncommissioned music video, and has inevitably made its way to music piracy sites for free download.

This isn’t the first time De Mthuda is being affected by this sort of widespread leak. “Emlanjeni” and “Jola,” two songs recently released in the lead-up to his coming album The Landlord, were available to illegally stream on YouTube, months before they would officially end up on DSPs. This trend is not limited to De Mthuda, though. In the past year, leaks have become hugely prominent in South African Dance music. Many Amapiano, Gqom, Afro-house and Afro-tech songs have leaked onto the internet, with a significant portion becoming hits in the streets, on dance floors and social media, before properly making their way onto streaming services, radio and TV.

We live in an era of instant gratification, where fans demand constant access to new music, a craving that intensifies once they know the music is ready. South African Dance music is being profoundly affected by this trend, especially with many prominent artists premiering songs on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and several other digital platforms as part of their rollout—or just a way to consistently engage their audience. While this tactic, in practice, dates back to the early days of the respective genres, last year’s coronavirus-effected lockdown—and artists having excess leisure time—has led to a ubiquity of the gambit. 

The lockdown’s hindrance on public events heightened the use of social media platforms to play music, or any other digital spaces that helped with live streams. Take Major League Djz’ Balcony Mix, which started as a pre-COVID showcase of the twin brothers and producer DJ’s skills and latest Amapiano tunes, for instance. The Mix series is currently on its third season and has seen twin-duo play back-to-back with the fellow ‘Piano heavyweights including DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small, Mr JazziQ, and DBN Gogo. Having ballooned in popularity during the period we were cut off from dancefloors, the Balcony Mix has become a go-to place for producers and artists to promote their already released music and tease unreleased ones.

Now, while these DJ/performance live streams have ensured that artists remain sharp during this period and have helped soothe fans’ lockdown blues, they’ve inadvertently contributed to the growth of leaks. Playing, performing and previewing new and/or unreleased music (affectionately known as “exclusives”) is constant with many producers and vocalists. In addition to market sampling, a popular habit of sharing unreleased songs amongst DJs, tenacious and savvy enthusiasts find ways to access music that’s not been scheduled for release, and even share them with a perennially anticipating audience. 

At the turn of the millennium, the global music industry had to reckon with the growing ubiquity of the computer as a ripping tool, the internet as an archival library and downloading device, and the continued ease of file sharing as the years rolled by. In the aftermath of the booming CD era of the ‘90s, artists and record companies had to deal with online music piracy, which was partly fuelled by the rampant nature of leaks. While the finer details are quite different, the same trajectory applies to the African music terrain. Where streaming has significantly stemmed the tide of illegal downloads and the hunt for leaks, the low to moderate adoption of streaming as the primary means of music consumption on the continent means we’ve not fully shed the hallmarks of the blog era.

Internationally, unfinished demos and reference tracks occasionally find themselves on the web, with little to no consequences or care from the artists. (A Kanye West album leaked a few years ago, parts of Drake’s latest LP made its way to the internet before officially dropping, a portion of the internet comprises hundreds of leaked Young Thug songs, and many more examples.) In South Africa, however, it has become regular for mixed and mastered versions of songs to make their way onto people’s speakers, before their intended dates. Most leakers rip the songs from mixes or otherwise manage to get their hands on exclusives, which they then share with the public. For many years, popular local blog Fakaza has been the biggest culprit, and the many other leakers have re-uploaded content that the site initially shared.

“I don’t care how many followers they have and how much they help in pushing and making sure the music is out there. If something is illegal then it is illegal,” Amapiano superstar Lady Du declares. “You can’t take my song and release it before I want to release it because you have an application that can do that. If we as artists do not fight that certain platform, then who is going to fight it? They are the ones that are making us struggle. If we didn’t have those platforms, we wouldn’t be worried about COVID-19 lockdown implications. If those platforms were not there, then we would be making more money. The reason a lot of people are not making money is that we allow such things. We don’t speak against it and come together to figure out who is the owner of this thing. “ 

Historically, leaks have always been without the consent and sometimes knowledge of the artists. Once a song leaks, most musicians would rather rework it, or scrap it entirely, but with most Amapiano/Gqom/Afro-house songs, what fans get to hear prematurely is ultimately the final version. With this, and the added pitfalls of expensive data prices to legally access music, illegal download sites still have a significant market share. Fakaza and file-sharing sites like datafilehost are thriving. In fact, many artists use these sites to release music. DJ Maphorisa, acclaimed producer and one half of Scorpion Kings alongside Kabza De Small, infamously and deliberately used these channels to release several projects from his label in 2020, sometimes a week or two before they were available on DSPs.

While there are financial impacts and lost royalties attached to leaks and copyright-infringing uploads, a handful of artists don’t seem to be bothered, as most of their immediate revenue comes from performance and DJ gigs. They believe that if they have enough freely available music, then more shows will come their way and they will remain relevant in the much-saturated scene.

 

Amapiano is the most affected genre. So many unreleased ‘Piano songs are just YouTube search away. The YouTube channels that upload these songs, without clearance from the artists, have millions of combined views and thousands of subscribers. One such channel, with over 152K subscribers, is the aptly named The King Of Amapiano. “My inspiration for my channel were popular channels that were already on YouTube,” shares the administrator, who asked to remain anonymous. “Channels like Masnic Entertainment, Worldwide News, Maravha Shaka, House Sanctuary and Mr Luu De Stylist’s channel. I could see that those channels were consistently growing, especially with Amapiano content.”

After initial organic attempts to grow his YouTube channel proved to be unsuccessful. He decided to name it after Kabza De Small because “Kabza’s own channel was not active”. “I was only focusing on songs that Kabza was on. For the first two months it was not growing, then I uploaded “Woza” by Mr JazziQ, Lady Du, Boohle and Kabza De Small, which got a lot of views. From there my channel took off.” The track is currently the most viewed on the channel, followed closely by Tyler ICU and DJ Maphorisa’s “Banyana” and Mellow & Sleazy’s “Bopha,” with these songs having been uploaded onto the channel before their official release dates. “The sole purpose is to promote the music and grow my channel as huge as it can be,” continues The King Of Amapiano channel admin.  “It is an important role because music which is uploaded in our channels reaches more people and the artists also benefit financially.”

While these YouTube user-generated content (UGCs) and illegal websites play a major role in these leaks, artists have aided them by just previewing the music. It has become the norm for ‘Piano artists (mostly) to give fans a front-row seat into studio sessions or previews of unreleased music, mainly via Instagram Live. Many artists test out new music at shows and take into account the crowd’s reactions to particular songs. Most venues-clubs in the townships are known as the hotspots for exclusives.

SNK, a club in Soweto, which has branded itself as the “house of the exclusive yanos”, hosts “Exclusive Thursdays”—where billed DJs are expected to debut new, unreleased music. Depending on the audience, newer music usually gets more love. A DJ that spins older songs is sometimes looked down upon. And because of this judgement, most DJs then strive to get their hands on exclusives. Before its release, a couple of DJs had Cassper Nyovest’s eventual smash hit “Siyathandana,” and they would include it on their sets. The appetite for the song grew so much that Cassper had to drop it earlier than planned. The song has gone on to be one of the superstar rapper’s most successful singles in his decade-long career and his first number one song on national radio.

The influx of DIY distribution platforms and companies has also made it relatively easy for fans to spin and groove to their favourite jams, sometimes with incorrect metadata information. Mas Musiq’s latest singles “Uzozisola” and “Inhliziyo” lived on the internet as Kabza De Small’s songs for a while before they could be taken down. Surprisingly, Mas would still repost stories soundtracked by these songs on his IG page, even before their official release.

Despite the leaks and wide availability, many of these songs still do well upon release. Zakes Bantwini recently followed a similar route with his latest single, “Osama,” which became ubiquitous even before its official release. The song’s anticipation began brewing after being premiered by Afro-House producer-DJs Darque and Shimza on their livestream platform, KUNYE Live, reaching a fever peak when the artist himself performed it on KUNYE during his performance. Clips of Zakes Bantwini performing the song immediately went viral on social media; it became the number one song on the radio and there was even an Amapiano bootleg remix, all before it dropped officially. When “Osama” was finally released officially in early September, it immediately rocketed to the top of local Apple Music and iTunes charts.

South African Dance music is now firmly in the phase where artists have a better handle on leaks and can use them to their advantage. Weeks before it dropped, a promotional, in-studio video for the star-studded remix of Dlala Thukzin’s “Phuze” surfaced online, stoking anticipation for the song and inevitably making it to illegal upload pages before its proper drop. Previews and clips of Mellow & Sleazy’s “Bopha”—including one shared by DJ Maphorisa, a visualiser to his rap verse as Madumane—made the rounds on social media and were re-shared to other platforms. There are more examples of songs taking this route to hit success, and even though there’s still general derision for untimed leaks, many artists have chosen to adapt to the times. 

That said, YouTube channels like The King of Amapiano and sites like Fakaza will still figure out ways to deliver unofficial leaks to an audience that’s always willing to indulge. Debating whether that’s a good or bad thing is a moot argument. Not only have leaks become prevalent in the South African Dance music scene, but their impact is also undeniable at this point.

@madzadza is a South African freelance writer. He has contributed to reputable online publications, writing extensive pieces on popular African music and emerging scenes. As someone who has a wide musical taste and a keen interest in most genres, he keeps his ear to the ground and his writing and commentary is not limited to one specific sound.

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Songs Of The Day: New Music From BadBoyTimz, Tiwa Savage, Dax & More

Posted on by Wonu Osikoya

As the year winds down, the sheer number of music we’re receiving is growing at an exponential rate. With live shows back in full swing and Afropop hits such as Wizkid’s “Essence” and CKay’s “Love Nwantiti” climbing the charts both home and abroad, there has never been a more exciting time than the present for the burgeoning sonic landscape. As such, it’s hard to sift through the chaff and find get to all the good music that hears us at pour base emotions.

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 had soothing music from Flavour, MzVee, 9ice & many more. Today, we’re bringing you new music from Tiwa Savage, BadBoytimz, Dax, Nasty C and more. Tap in.

Tiwa Savage – “Somebody’s Son” ft. Brandy

Earlier in the year, Tiwa Savage released her highly anticipated 5-track EP ‘Water & Garri’. The Brandy-assisted standout track “Somebody’s Son” is an upbeat love tune that showcases both artists’ vocals. The track finds both artists singing about the love that they want and desire for themselves. Now, Tiwa Savage and Brandy have teamed up to release befitting visuals for the track. The Meji Alabi-directed video finds both artists singing to their respective muses, expressing what they want for themselves in detail. The video which goes hand in hand with the theme of the song is a playful yet captivating video that visually tells the story they may have tried to portray.

BadBoyTimz – “Move”

BadBoyTimz had a good run delivering hit tunes throughout the year 2020. After taking a short break from releasing music, he is here with his first official solo single of the year “Move”. The uptempo Afropop track is a very danceable catchy tune that gains your attention even on first listen. On the feel-good track, he sings “Move from side to side, bounce am back we go do all night”. This track is one that may take over the clubs soon enough.

Dax – “40 Days 40 Nights” ft. Nasty C

Dax collaborates with Nasty C for a Hip-Hop tune titled “40 Days 40 Nights”. Over the heavy production of the beat, Dax takes the front stage as he spits heavy bars over the mid-paced production of the track. He uses the track to speak about his standing in the scene and discuss how hard he has worked to get to where he currently is. “7 days without work makes one week, I ain’t weak I don’t break so I’m working through the weekends”, he quips in the song’s opening moments, setting the scene for what’s to come. 

PatricKxxLee – “Spirit Bomb”

Zambian-born South African singer and songwriter and producer PatricKxLee, first garnered attention from his SoundCloud days. On the release of his new since “Spirit Bomb”, he speaks on being unique, different, and in his own world. On the hook of the track, he quips “I can’t be me, in silence, I see the unseen, outside us, outside us outside us”, blending different melodies together.

Tochi Bedford – “Outside”

Founder of 44db producer collective Tochi Bedford is here with new single “Outside”. The self-produced track which happens to be the lead single off his forthcoming sophomore EP ‘After Eternity’, is an alternative tune that finds the artist speaking about the realities of his phases. On the hook, he quips “Yeah I’m standing outside so it’s fuck the world/Trying to reach out so i cover my face”.

Featured image credits/Instagram

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NATIVE Exclusive: Between photography & music, this is Lex Ash’s Truth

Posted on by The Native

There is a slight hint of tiredness in the blunt edge of Lex Ash’s voice when he logs in for our call one cool Friday evening in early September. “I’m sorry if I sound a bit tired,” he quietly offers. “I’ve been at a shoot all day.” While photoshoots are a fairly standard part of the celebrity pipeline that music revolves around, there is a slight tweak to the make-up of the shoot that he’s describing. Instead of being the subject of the photographer’s lenses, Lex Ash is the one behind the camera, calling the shots. 

Primarily known for his cool, elegiac style of photography that has seen him collaborate with stars like Simi, Zoro, and Ayra Starr, Lex has, over the last three years, been exploring other aspects of his creative leanings in films and videos, amongst a number of mediums. Of all of his explorations, music remains the most personal for Lex Ash, being a direct result of falling in love with the mix of gospel songs he grew up on and the elemental R&B songs from the late ’90s and early 2000s. 

Lex’s debut project, Truth, is cut from the same cloth as those old bleeding heart R&B bodies of work, built around romantic aspirations and candid self-awareness that leaves one both grounded and hyper-aware. “The project applies in so many different ways,” Lex Ash says. “It could easily be a romantic relationship kind of feeling or a self-appreciation type of EP in the sense that if you go deeper into the lyrics, there are aspects of it that feel like you’re having a conversation with yourself and just exploring a bunch of feelings that are grounded in you.”

Below, Lex Ash talks about his life and his journey into music.

NATIVE: Where did you grow up?

Lex Ash: I grew up here in Lagos. I was born in Surulere but grew up in Ijegun. I’m the second of four children, sort of a middle child. I started singing in the children’s choir, then progressed to my secondary school’s choir, and then to the university choir. I attended Covenant University. My first time ever recording in a studio was during my youth service, I was working with a radio station called We FM. The studio manager at the time knew I could sing so he invited me to freestyle over something he did and that’s the first time I ever recorded anything. After finishing my youth service in Abuja, a friend of mine who was a producer invited me to his studio to help out other people that were recording there and I did that until I got a job in April of 2015.

NATIVE: Would you say your upbringing inclined you into music? Or played a part in you loving the arts?

I don’t think my upbringing had a huge part in introducing me to the arts because yes, I was in the children’s choir in church but it wasn’t a serious thing. It was more like every time they wanted to have a special event, I’d join. I think it began to show that this was something I could really do during secondary school. Also, I was really good in the art class: I could paint and do a lot of other things when it comes to the arts. 

NATIVE: What was the music of your childhood?

I grew up in a Christian home so I listened a lot to Don Moen and all those types of songs. Even with their choreography, I was deeply invested in it. So, it was mostly Christian songs but there were others that we got to know through Music Africa, I was listening to Styl Plus, P Square during the Get Squared and “Temptation” era. I also really liked Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson. With Micheal, it felt like he pushed the boundaries of everything and that was just inspiring to me. I would watch documentaries and shows he did just to pick up certain things. As I grew up, I was exposed to other singers like Ne-Yo and John Legend. I also discovered that R&B was what I really enjoyed and it’s just a combination of all those things. 

NATIVE: When did you start photography?

The first time I picked up photography was 2012. I was in my semi-final year and I was just taking pictures of things around campus. I would borrow the camera from a friend because I liked that feeling and I always liked playing with electronic stuff.  I had started with graphic design in my first year because there weren’t a lot of pictures of black people that we could use for all our photo manipulation and stuff. I realised that I could actually use the pictures I was taking for posters or tech week stuff in school. With time, I started taking pictures that people were willing to use for all those things. By 2013, I realised that it was something I could do and I started taking it more seriously but I was also doing my 9-5 along with it. I worked at Unilever for a few months before going on service and people would pay me money here and there to take pictures of them. I quit my job to focus on photography full-time in 2017. 

NATIVE: At this point in your life, what was your relationship with music like?

All this while, I was still in the choir and I could sing. After school, I joined the NYSC choir during camp. I also joined a RCCG choir in my service year, so it was something that was still a part of me. I never thought that it was something that I would do seriously. I just felt that perhaps in the future I could consider it. At that time, my top priority was photography. In 2019, I felt like I was in a good place with my photography and decided to explore my other gifts. I started doing more fashion films and videos and also started recording music. Starting out with music, I told myself that I was doing it because I loved it, not because I was trying to sell it or anything, but over time I realised that one of the things I loved the most was how people felt when they heard my stuff. I started feeling like I wanted more people to hear it, so I was necessarily just doing it for fun anymore. I wanted to do it to a level where people around the world could listen to me and feel the way I feel or have their own takes and interpret their own experiences one way or the other. 

NATIVE: Being a photographer is a whole different manner of expression than making music, how did you make the transition?

For me, I don’t necessarily think there’s that much of a difference in the sense that with my photography and music and how I express myself through them, it’s just a huge part of me and my identity. So, it’s just expressing how I feel in different ways. With my photography, I take a piece of paper, draw up ideas, speak with people, then come up with concepts. After all this, I take pictures and edit them to suit the way I’m feeling. It’s the same way I think about music: I come up with the melody, write lyrics based on how I’m feeling, and get it ready. It’s just different modes of expression. But if it’s the case of time management and juggling both careers, right now I don’t think it’s gotten to a point where it is so much of a hassle to combine both. I plan everything I do to the letter when it comes to my calendar. I know if I’m going to record on a specific evening I have to be home and ready and rested for that activity. Most of my photography gigs are planned for late morning to afternoon.  I just always try to plan everything adequately. 

NATIVE: Are there ways your background as a photographer has helped you navigate your music career?

Yes! Thankfully, I’ve been doing photography for a while and I’ve been blessed to be able to accomplish a few things in my photography career. I’ve gotten to meet and work with a lot of incredible artists and observe their process behind the scenes. It just feels like it’s something I’ve seen being done before and I’m able to manage that. Also, it mean that I have a certain level of access to these musicians. I was able to do a song with Zoro on my EP partly because I’ve done a lot of work with him that he’s used for his album art and stuff like that. When I told him I was going into music, he was so supportive and it was a matter of getting something that worked for him and he jumped on board. There are more collaborations like this that are in the works for my future projects. 

NATIVE: A lot of your songs have a soul essence and R&B influence, what inspires your process? 

R&B is what I really love. I can listen to anything but at the end of the day I’ll come back to something chill. So I always end up listening to soul and R&B. My playlists are multiple versions of R&B and soul or acoustic versions of popular songs. Because of that, when I write or come up with melodies, they have a tendency to be influenced by my music leanings. I love the way the piano and acoustic guitar sounds, they fit within my Zen state. If you chcek my pictures too, there’s a certain softness to them, it’s a huge representative of who I am. My process usually starts with the melody or lyrics but most times its the melody. I could be about to go to bed or in the shower and something just comes to my head and I try to record it on my phone. From there, I go to my producer and we build the beat together. We go back and forth thinking of the instruments to use and what will fit. Thankfully, I’ve gotten to work with some incredible producers that have listened to me and worked with me to build the music up together. Most of my recordings are around 30 minutes as long as I have the beat and the lyrics ready to go. 

NATIVE: When did you start making Truth and how did you approach making it?

The first song I wrote on the project was “Sleep (Wake Up).” I wrote and recorded it in 2019 when I was finding it difficult to sleep and I was going through a really down period. I have a tendency to not be in very good spirits during some months and I’d try to sleep but I’d still be awake by 3 A.M and that how the theme of the song came about. I decided to change it into a heartbreak song following the last song I did which was “Love Don’t Live Here.” It was just to follow the story. Most of the other songs were recorded in 2020, during and after the lockdown. At one point I was just recording songs and I sort of fell into a pattern. At another point, I decided that I didn’t want to do just heartbreak songs, I wanted to tell the story of love lost and regained. I knew there were emotions that help with those transitions and that’s how I built the EP from there. 

NATIVE: What do you feel is something people should take away from listening to this EP? 

I think it depends on the person. The project applies in so many different ways. It could easily be a romantic relationship kind of feeling or a self-appreciation type of EP in the sense that if you go deeper into the lyrics, there are aspects of it that feel like you’re having a conversation with yourself and just exploring a bunch of feelings that are grounded in you.  For examples, “Right My Wrongs,” the song with Zoro, has a prayerful vibe because there’s a part of scripture where Paul says he finds himself doing the thing he doesn’t want to and not doing what he wants to, so that song was, in a way, about seeking redemption for one’s self. If you listen to Zoro’s part, he talks about his vices and the hope that they are taken away from him. The last song also has a Christian undertone because it takes inspiration from that I’ll never leave you or forsake you message of Jesus before he ascended. I recorded “By My Side” deep into last year’s lockdown when things were going nuts and it was a way of reassuring myself and other people that’d be listening that we are not alone in this. It might seem dark and gloomy but I’ll be by your side. At the end of the day, knowing that there’s someone going through what you’re going through might make it bearable. 

Listen to Lex Ash’s Truth here.

@walenchi Is A Lagos-Based Writer Interested In The Intersection Of Popular Culture, Music, And Youth Lifestyle.

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