PreGame is a NATIVE Original series which grants us an all-access pass to the lives of your favourite artists & icons, on their most important days. In our third episode, NSG take us on a tour of their home city, Lagos, Nigeria before hitting the stage at the Lagos arm of their ROOTS tour.

The blurring of lines between British and African culture that has taken place over the last decade and a half has left a profound effect on the dynamics of music, culture, and arts. No place better typifies that eternal hustle and bustle like London does. The British capital is at present home to a number of music scenes that take their vim and exuberance from the motherland but have uniquely adapted their mode of expression to mirror the realities of life in the western hemisphere. 

Six-man afro-swing group, NSG, is one of the biggest totems of our unique cultural moment, forever straddling the divide between the incandescent groove of west Africa and the organised frenzy of London that they call home. Last year, following the moment-heralding success of their debut mixtape, ‘Grown Up’, the group released an E.P titled ‘Headliner.’ The release of that project was to serve two purposes:  strengthen their bonds with the literal roots of the music that they channel as well as support a larger tour that brings their music to the people of Africa. 

One night last year, the NSG train touched Lagos and they brought the vibes to the Ultima Studios in Lekki where their unique melding of Rap, Afropop, and Soul music brought smiles and a sense of camaraderie to their audience. Following the pattern of our PreGame installations, we had conversations with the group hours before they touched the stage, discussing the concepts that inspire them, having amala, making ‘Roots,’ and their reasons for making the project. 

Watch PreGame with NSG below.