Our first impressions of Show Dem Camp’s ‘Palmwine Music 3’
Initial thoughts on the final entry in the 'Palmwine Music' trilogy
It took four years for Show Dem Camp to turn a marquee moment into the commercial pillar of their rap career. Released over five years ago, ‘Palmwine Music’ organically extended the highlife-indented influence and high-spirited feel of their biggest song till then—and maybe even till now—into a colourful, captivating and uniquely groovy body of work. The mini-album quickly drove up the rap duo’s profile, improving their appeal amongst older fans and newer listeners, serving as the foundation to their Palmwine Festival shows in Lagos and London, as well as a recent multi-city tour in the U.S.
These days, in addition to their reputation as barn-burning lyricists via the ‘Clone Wars’ series, the duo of Ghost and Tec are regarded as two of the most dynamic rap artists in Nigerian rap history, and that’s because of the wide appeal of the ‘Palwine Music’ series—and its 2019 offshoot, ‘The Palmwine Express’. For nearly a year, Show Dem Camp has been teasing the third edition of the project series, only making it tangible with a release date earlier this month.
Marked as the final entry in a trilogy, ‘Palmwine Music 3’ carries the hallmarks of its predecessors, in that it’s entirely produced by Spax and it’s loaded with an army of features. Clocking in at nearly an hour, the new project is the lengthiest in the series. Joining Show Dem Camp is a star-studded list of guests, including Tems, M.anifest, Tay Iwar, Oxlade, alongside Palmwine regulars BOJ, Ladipoe and Moelogo, newer voices like Bellah and Twelve XII, and more.
Being one of the most anticipated releases of the last few months, there’s bound to be instant verdicts of ‘Palmwine Music 3’ floating across timelines. From best song to best feature, here’s ours—The NATIVE editorial team’s first impression of the new Show Dem Camp project.
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Best Song
Wonu: This one is actually very tough right now. I don’t think I have a favourite song but I’m leaning towards “Head Over Heels” and “Live Life” with Victony and Tems, respectively. Tems’ delivery on “Live Life” is easily one of her best performances I’ve seen in a while, coupled with the SDC’s standout performance and the message of the record which speaks on living a soft and easy life, this will have to be my current favourite right now.
Israel: To be honest, the entire project is an excellent body of work and I can’t bring myself to decide on a favourite but I’m torn between “Freaky”, “Apollo”, “Mine Alone” and “WYW”. The features on those tracks were the standout performances on the entire album besides SDC, in my opinion.
Cynthia: For what it’s worth, this album is superb and makes it difficult to pick a best song or songs. Maybe in the future I would have a best song on the playlist.
What feature impressed you the most?
Emmanuel: Yo, every feature on here really does a great job. I think it’s no exaggeration to say that this is the most purposeful feature list on a Palmwine Music album. With that said, I was very impressed with the trio of Mannywellz, Oxlade and ToBi—especially the American-based Nigerian act ToBi who absolutely owned the “Rolling” song. Like everyone else’s, his rich vocals were focused on the theme of the record while flexing his own distinct strengths. Whereas the other features were unmistakably working towards the direction of SDC, the man ToBi resides at the record’s centre, and in a good way, in a way that exposes the intentionality behind every song of the album. You also have to credit Folu Storms and her charming, hilarious handling of the Palmwine Radio, which successfully embeds a conceptual thread onto the project.
Dennis: 1billion.1FM is my pick here. OG Show Dem Camp fans know the humorous significance of the fictional radio station to the ‘Clone Wars’ series, especially the second volume, and while it appeared very briefly on the first Palmwine tape, it’s a delight to hear it as an integral part of ‘Palmwine Music 3’. I hope SDC send Folu Storms a couple of palmwine gourds, and I’m super grateful that there’s an album in 2022 purposefully incorporating skits into its overall concept. More skits in Nigerian music, please!
Did any of the features surprise you?
Uzoma: I won’t lie, when I saw the tracklist, it was the names Oxlade, Victony, Lojay and Tay Iwar that caught my attention. Being their first outing on a ‘Palmwine Music’ project, I was excited about what they would bring to the table. After listening to the project, they didn’t disappoint. But it’s “WYW” with Bellah that surprised me the most, in a positive way. When I heard the chorus, I sat up immediately. She and Show Dem Camp synced on this track about the blame game that follows a broken relationship. Ghost’s verse, especially, is humorous yet thoughtful. This feature is one of the standouts of the project, in my opinion.
Moore: In the most positive way, several of the features surprised me. Every artist was clearly carefully selected to best go with the overall vibe of each song. The most surprising might have to be Victony on “Head Over Heels”, the first proper track on the project. His sections feel so integral to the DNA of the song that it feels strange to refer to him just as a featuring artist.
Dennis: Man, I don’t know how Tems manages to surprise me every single time she’s on a song with someone else. Ideally, I’d say Bellah, because I’ve only heard two songs from her via a friend’s loudspeaker, and her performance on “Wyw” is not only a delightful surprise, it’s a flat-out album highlight. But the way Tems just sounds casually authoritative on “Live Life” is absolutely gobsmacking. I thought I knew what to expect, but it turned out to be even much better.
What song(s) off ‘PM3’ do you think would become commercially huge?
Daniel: “Your Love” is the obvious track. A classic love song that has Lojay delivering his sonorous vocals. Everyone who’s ever loved will be in their feelings, connecting to the longing for an ultimate lover.
Maria: Easy. “Live Life” takes the cake for this. I say this because social media is currently crazy about the “soft life” and this song is centred around it. The guitar strings and mid tempo bass on it evoke a relaxing feeling, strong enough to make you put your feet up, head straight to the beach or book an impulsive flight to an island overseas. With lyrics like “Live life, no time,” a couple of lines are certain to start circling Instagram as captions on posts and I can already see people using the song for vlogs (me included lol). Asides from this, it also features Afropop’s IT girl, Tems. Her feature will boost its commercial run, as she has a cult-like following with fans who pay close attention and immediately listen to anything she features on. I see this doing extremely well, after all, we’re all yearning for a good, soft life.
Damilola: ‘Palmwine Music 3’ by Show Dem Camp is such a relaxing album and has so many interesting features that’s helping boost its popularity already. Show Dem Camp are already loved by the youth so this album is going to be played for a very long time. Although I have a lot of favourites off the album, the song that I believe will become commercially huge is “Mine Alone” featuring Oxlade. My reason is a bit funny but the song gives this “Radio check” vibe more than the others. By radio check, I mean the song that the radio would preferably pick to play for their listeners. I also feel the song appeals to the taste of many Africans and just can’t be called a mid song. Asides that, Oxlade is becoming a huge name in global Afropop chatter and his feature on the song will help in selling the song tremendously.
Thoughts on Spax’s production?
Wonu: Spax is THAT guy, honestly, and I believe he works extremely well with Show Dem Camp. Spax continues to outdo himself one project at a time. The all round production on the project can stand the test of time and this is thanks to Spax and his evergreen and vibrant production. The body of work ‘PalmWine Music 3’ will be on rotation for a while and not just for me, but for many others. Someone give Spax his flowers already.
Emmanuel: If you noticed, the production of ‘Clone Wars 5’ had the most colourful beats Spax had delivered for the duo on a ‘CW’ tape. On this one, he continues that ethos by significantly taking the sonic direction into the broader lens of the Palmwine sound. It’s a very chill vibe, a bit ‘Made In Lagos’-esque, which inspires really beautiful performances from the musicians. There’s no doubt Spax counts among the most ingenious producers working today and, for the lush beauty on display here, the man deserves every flower he’ll get when that conversation eventually comes up.
How would you rate ‘PM3’ as the trilogy closer of such a highly-regarded project series?
Tami: Everyone knows that good things come in threes. Destiny’s Childs, The Holy Trinity, and of course, ‘Palmwine Music’. For me, ‘Palmwine Music 3’ is a welcome closer to the musical trilogy, as the project is replete with stellar penmanship, enviable flows from Tec and Ghost, clever wordplay from their talented spate of close friends and collaborators, and alluring highlife melodies from one of the most prolific beatsmiths in the game, Spax. It’s clear that their time away has Show Dem Camp itching to display new tricks and offer intriguing variations to now-familiar themes without erasing what we’ve come to love from the Rap duo. With a deeper emotional palette than ever before, ‘PM3’ sounds like Show Dem Camp have learned that superstardom comes with the ability to set their own agenda. I’m welcoming this next phase in their well-oiled machine, both in front of, and behind the scenes.
Dennis: ‘Palmwine Music 3’ is a great closer, in terms of what it wants to achieve. Previous Palmwine projects were thrilling rollercoaster rides, more focused on the visceral effect of the groove and the brain-holding quality of the guest hooks. Not to say Tec and Ghost verses were only placeholders, but this project seems to slightly embolden the thematic nuances and technical ticks of their lyricism. It makes sense since this is the “last” entry into this series, Show Dem Camp would want to leave listeners with enough substance to muse while sipping that palmwine. In addition to all that thematic substance, the grooves are still there and the guest hooks are still wonderful.
Uzoma: In my piece that traced Show Dem Camp’s journey with the ‘Palmwine Music’ series, I wondered what direction they would head in with the project, most especially sonically. I have my answer now. Again, Show Dem Camp have proved that they are attuned to the sounds and artists of the present time and that is what ‘PM3’ captures. I also feel it’s closer to ‘The Palmwine Express’ sonically than the other projects in the series. Although ‘PM3’ is the series finale, I believe it’s not the end of Show Dem Camp’s experimentation with Afrobeats. There’s more palmwine music from where these came from—just won’t be housed under that name.
Listen to ‘Palmwine Music 3’ here.
ICYMI: AHEAD OF ‘PALMWINE MUSIC 3,’ SHOW DEM CAMP CONTINUE TO BLAZE THE TRAIL
Luwa.Mp4 Releases Riotous Debut Album, ‘punKstA*’
Across the album’s 12 tracks, Luwa.Mp4 continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock,...
Rising singer and rapper Luwa.Mp4 has released his debut album titled ‘punKstA*.’ The underground star who has been on a release spree all year long, announced the imminent arrival of his debut only a couple of days ago with a cryptic trailer video and an Instagram caption that simply read ‘PUNKSTA* MONDAY.’
Before the arrival of ‘punKstA*,’ the rising fusion star had been showcasing his diligence and talent with a consistent output that has seen him put out over a dozen songs since the start of the year. A string of singles led to a 6-pack titled ‘lore skooL,’ while a deluxe version that housed 5 new songs came just a month later.
His debut album’s lead single, “pUNK FANTASY,” arrived in late July, setting the stage for what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the underground star’s burgeoning career.
Across the album’s 12 tracks, the eclectic singer continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock, Afropop, Hyperpop, and Rap into something uniquely different. Tracks like “Pure Water,” which was previously teased on Cruel Santino’s Subaru Live Stream, the abrasive, Tecno-influenced “pROMISED NEVERLAND,” and the more laidback “pEEp MY RIDE” put on display the sort of varied, autotune-soaked approach that has set him apart and helped carve a growing niche.
While Luwa decided to go solo on his debut, credited as the only recording artist, the album was brought to life by a cast of talented producers like frequent collaborator TOPSY, Emyboi, JTRN, 3CB, FVKK.ANDI and Jeremy Cartier.
Listen to ‘punKstA*,’ here.
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Shekhinah Returns With Surprise Album, ‘Less Trouble’
The South African R&B star is at her most assertive on her first album in four years.
South African R&B and Pop singer Shekhinah has released a new surprise album titled ‘Less Trouble.’ The Durban star, who had been quiet for most of the year, took to social media shortly before midnight to share the new album’s cover, synopsis, and tracklist, simply stating, ‘If you’re seeing this my album LESS TROUBLE is out now at Midnight,’ in an Instagram caption.
The soulful singer first began teasing ‘Less Trouble,’ her first album in over four years, about a year ago when she released its lead single “Risk,” a bouncy Afropop-inspired collab with Ghanaian star MOLIY. A few months after the release of “Risk,” she put out “Steady,” a dreamy pop number that suggested that something bigger was on the horizon. But then it was largely radio silence about a project until its surprise arrival at midnight.
If 2021’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ represented a coming-of-age for Shekhinah, subsisting some of the dreamy, youthful exuberance of her debut album for more measured musings on themes like heartbreak and grief, ‘Less Trouble’ finds her at her most assertive, writing and singing with the acuity of someone who is grown, decisive and discerning. The delicate opener “Break Up Season” sets the tone for the rest of the album as she shows little tolerance for shady behaviour and toxic patterns.
Other standout cuts on the album like “Bare Minimum,” a sombre collab with fellow South African award-winning singer lordkez, the ethereal, in-your-face interlude “New Casanova,” and the percussive “What Are We,” where Shekhinah contemplates the nature of a relationship but ultimately demands all or nothing, all drive home a part of the album’s synopsis, which reads ‘A BOOK ON MORE HEARTBREAK BUT LESS HEARTACHE.’
Shekhinah invites a couple of new collaborators on ‘Less Trouble,’ featuring the aforementioned MOLIY and lordkez as well as multi-instrumentalist Mars Baby and Young Stunna across the album’s 11 tracks. Mpilo Shabangu handled the majority of the album’s production, while other producers like Michael Morare, her longtime collaborator, Mthintheki Mzizi, and Vuyo also contributed to the album.
Listen to ‘Less Trouble’ here.
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The NATIVE’s First Impressions Of Amaarae’s ‘Black Star’
‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for Amaarae, and The NATIVE team offer our thoughts after a...
Change has always been a constant theme in any discussion about the career of Ghanaian-American star, Amaarae. Since she emerged as a singular voice in the late 2010s, she has evolved from a sirenic Afropop-adjacent singer into a Punk-Pop firestarter with minimal fuss. ‘Fountain Baby,’ her 2023 sophomore album, was a sweeping departure from the lilting melodies and shapeshifing cadences of the hypnotic ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ emphasizing her commitment to charting new courses with her music.
In the lead-up to her new album, ‘Black Star,’ she has wholly embraced a Pop aesthetic and sheen that was reflected on the album’s promotional singles, “S.M.O.” and “Girlie-Pop!.” Now that the album has arrived, the singer has advised listeners not to go in expecting a continuation of the soundscape on ‘Fountain Baby.’ As keen followers of Amaarae’s career from its start, we are sure that ‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for her, and we offer our thoughts after a few listens.
WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF AMAARAE GOING INTO THIS ALBUM?
Kemnachi: I had zero doubts that she would impress me again. Amaarae always comes correct. She is audacious with her choices, taking creative risks most artists would not dare to imagine, and somehow rendering them seamless, deliberate, and effortless. Her music has a way of enveloping me: it’s fluid, slightly dangerous, and yet irresistibly sensual. Every project feels like an immersive world she has curated down to the finest detail. With ‘Black Star,’ I knew it was not going to be a mere collection of songs but another meticulously constructed realm.
Bamise: I expected something fun, genre-bending, and sonically diverse in the fashion that Amaarae’s music typically is. I may have taken the album title a bit too literally, though, because listening made me realise I had an eye out for some Pan-African statements or something to spark discourse on African identity, but I didn’t quite catch any of that.
Boluwatife: Amaarae has largely delivered throughout her career, so I knew she was going to come correct again. She’s one of those forward-thinking artists who take the kind of risks most others wouldn’t, but she always manages to make it work. She’s proven to be a musical omnivore who constantly meshes her wide-ranging influences into something new, fluid, icy, and more often than not, sensual. I knew ‘Black Star’ wasn’t going to be any different.
WHAT SONGS STOOD OUT ON THE FIRST LISTEN?
Wale: I liked “Girlie-Pop!.” I feel like it captures Amaarae’s vision of pushing Afropop into the future. She’s also really grown comfortable with music and lyricism and will not dumb down her message for anybody. The instrumental for “Girlie-Pop!” is also a wonder; it’s so dense, but there are pockets for Amaarae to be emotive about her feelings. Top song!
Daniel Akins: I need to hear “B2B” at the next rave I’m at. Amaarae is in her Dance era, and I’m here for it. Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” with PinkPantheress is the collaboration I knew I needed, and I’m glad they finally linked up. It’s a clear standout on the project; their ethereal style complements each other.
Shina: “B2B” was the one that did it for me. That is my favourite track on the project. The number of times I ran it back was unhealthy for a first listen. It was also really fun to catch the Don Toliver “Best You Had” sample. I need to hear this outside!
HOW WELL YOU THINK THE GUEST APPEARANCES ENHANCED THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE?
Israel: The guest features on Black Star aren’t mere flexes. They’re strategic, theatrical, and sometimes emotionally resonant. They enhance, yes, but they do so on Amaarae’s terms. A standout for me was PinkPantheress on “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” The tradeoff is that a few songs feel like dazzling cameos rather than an integrated conversation, yet overall they enhance the album’s drama, texture, and bravado with precision.
Daniel Banjoko: Everyone showed up and delivered, no weak links here. Instead of just guest spots, they felt like vital pieces of a bigger puzzle. Charlie Wilson on “Dream Scenario” nailed his part especially, making the track sound exactly like its name promises.
Moore: The guest appearances on ‘Black Star’ feel very intentional; each one enhances the album’s world without overshadowing Amaarae’s vision. PinkPantheress’s signature airy delivery meshes with Amaarae’s experimental pop sound. Naomi Campbell’s commanding voice on “ms60” is an unexpected but powerful addition, adding drama to the track. Each feature feels carefully chosen.
WHAT SONG IS THE BIGGEST SKIP?
Bamise: Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t get the PinkPantheress collab, “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” It feels like a PinkPantheress song with less pop in it, and just borrows the title of the iconic Soulja Boy song but has no other similarities. It’s between that and “ms60.” For me, the chorus of that sounds like something I’ve heard from Amaarae before, and I doubt its absence would have diminished the album.
Shina: I feel like biggest skip is a strong word for a solid project, but if I have to pick a song to skip, it’ll be “ms60.” I think it’s easily forgettable.
Wale: It’s hard to single out a song that stuck out to me, but hearing Naomi Campbell on “ms60” threw me off. It’s just too contrived to bear for me.
WHAT SONG HAS THE BIGGEST HIT POTENTIAL?
Boluwatife: My gut answer would probably be “She Is My Drug,” just because of how she beautifully reworks the melodies from Cher’s “Believe.” DJ remixes of this song could go crazy. But if I were to think a bit more logically, TikTok would probably lap up “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.”
Daniel Banjoko: “Kiss Me Thru the Phone pt 2” goes crazy. Amaarae and PinkPantheress are the perfect match. This collab feels like it was destined to happen, and it delivers in full. Honestly, I can’t believe it took this long, and now I just need more tracks from these two, ASAP.
Moore: “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” has the biggest hit potential on the album. The song has a nostalgic, sad party girl vibe that makes it appealing, and it’s also catchy and well-produced. PinkPantheress consistently performs well on platforms like TikTok, and her fanbase overlaps in a really interesting way with Amaarae’s. The collaboration feels organic and exciting, and will likely create a lot of buzz.
OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Wale: There is a very visceral quality to how Amaarae expresses desire that I don’t hear very often in a lot of music. It’s abstracted and warped in futuristic textures, but it’s very profoundly human, and it’s always great to hear that even as she advances the sonics of her delivery. I do, however, have an issue with the thematic scope of ‘Black Star.’ I thought there would be overt references to her experiences of navigating her Ghanaian identity, but those references are limited to samples and interpolations. It’s still an incisive listen and a triumph for finding ways to advance music from Africa.
Bamise: It’s Amaarae; she can never go wrong. But for me, this is the album that excites me the least from her catalogue. Other than how bass-heavy some songs on the album are, like “S.M.O.” and “She Is My Drug” among others, it feels similar to other projects I’ve heard from her in a way that’s not exactly refreshing or mind-bending. I may have gotten spoiled by how diverse and eclectic Amaarae’s music tends to be, but I wanted more from her. I expected more gangster, Hip-Hop Amaarae. Thematically, I didn’t get anything that gives the Black Star of Ghana, or black stars are ruling the world. Will I listen again and enjoy every bit of it still, though? Yes, I will.
Shina: So first off, this is a solid body of work. I love the fact that Amaarae stuck with the Dance, Electro-Pop route she was going with throughout the album. The features also played their part, adding their unique touches to each record. I would say, though, a feature I would’ve loved to hear on this project is 070Shake. I think she would have been perfect on “100DRUM,” but we don’t always get what we want, do we? Thematically, I think Amaarae could’ve leaned heavily on her Ghanaian heritage, seeing as the title and cover of the album are a nod to that. Maybe Amaarae just wants us to dance, and that’s what I’m just gonna do, and you should too.
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