Teezee’s new single “Stamina” captures the effervescence of Brazil
"I want to create ambience music that’s like the soundtrack to your enjoyment"
Teezee knows the potential of culture. Striking out the scene in the 2000s with DRB Lasgidi, the artist has occupied many roles and worn many hats throughout the industry. Right now, Teezee is acclaimed in popular culture for his leadership role at the Def Jam-affiliated Native Records, whose flagship act ODUMODUBLVCK has been making memorable incursions into the mainstream domain, while courting a niche dedication in their fanbase, much like Teezee did all those years ago.
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Despite how far he’s come in the game, music remains a prime activity for Teezee. He’s an intentional creator, matching his vast sonic palette with narrative choices that brings his ideas to colourful light. Last year’s ‘ARRESTED BY LOVE’ was attended with an Old Nollywood-esque dramatism, placing the motions of his life under consideration on wax.
“Stamina” is the rapper and singer’s latest release. It’s a fun drop with exquisite polishes, right from the sound and down to the visuals. As he tells us in this exclusive, it’s a summery bop intended to settle the listener into a chill vibe and paint a picture of his time in Brazil.
Ahead of the official release of the visuals for “Stamina”, Teezee tells The NATIVE about how the record came together, its relationship with the beautiful game of football, visiting Brazil, and the ongoing experimentation going behind his sound.
NATIVE: You worked with frequent collaborator Sholz on this one. Did that play a role in how intimate and relaxed this song sounds?
Teezee: Yeah, Sholz is one of my oldest friends. We actually started making music together, like back in JSS1. He’s a co-founder of Native Records; working with him is always seamless and easy. We’re just in a search to create a new sound and really tap into this Afro-Dance element which kind of retracts elements of Amapiano, Afrobeats, Afrofusion, some pop, some Garage. Elements that we’ve kind of discovered and explored around the world. You know, this Afro-Dance is not a new idea to us; it’s something we’ve been trying to create since, with the inception of Native Sound System and the ‘NATIVEWORLD’ album—so we’re just developing on that sound to take it further.
The song is titled “Stamina” (which is a popular word to football fans) and you’re wearing a Brazil football jersey on set. Was that a coincidence or is there some narrative behind that choice?
Teezee: Wearing a Brazil jersey is very intentional. I think I probably have the most in-depth jersey collection in Nigeria. I don’t want to say Africa because some guys might have it more than me. You know, football is near and dear to my heart. Like that’s something that I use as an anecdote to many things in life. And especially Brazilian football—you know Brazilian footballers are really good, but people say they’re playful because they’re fun with it. They dribble a lot; they’re about having fun but they also win and I think that’s what we at Native Records represent. Like, we take this very seriously but it’s also fun. It’s also what we love doing. We love to dance, we love to score goals, we love to create assists.
You can check the track record, I’ve always worn classic football jerseys in most of my historic music videos. DRB Lasgidi “Necessary”, wore the Nigeria; one of 23 kits that came out in 1994; Odumodu’s “Declan Rice”, I wore the Zinedine Zidane jersey from Euro 2000. And for “Stamina” I’m wearing Ronaldinho, one of my icon’s Brazil jerseys from the 2002 World Cup. It’s really special for me.
“Stamina” is a feel-good song which sounds perfect for summer. How do seasons and moods contribute to the music you make?
Teezee: Seasons and moods completely contribute to that. I’m a summer baby, and I’m a water sign. So those two things really collaborate into making the type of music I want to hear when I’m outside, when I’m having fun, when I’m travelling with my friends, when I’m at the beach, when I’m swimming, when we’re about to go to the party, when I’m dressing about to get lit. You know, that’s the kind of music I want to create; I want to create ambience music that’s like the soundtrack to your enjoyment. And I think that’s the vibe I try to give to “Stamina.”
Stamina out at midnight guys !!! pic.twitter.com/jJSp31nGSo
— TEEZINHO (@TeezeeDRB) June 22, 2023
What was the most memorable experience from your trip to Brazil?
Teezee: My memorable experience from Brazil was definitely the carnival. That was a mind blowing experience. Just seeing the richness in cultures, how all those favelas are the ones that actually build up those mannequins that kind of walk through the whole stadium and you get to watch and just see a rich celebration of culture. Brazil also being a place where the culture is really immersed in diversity. It’s one of the most diverse places in the world; in fact, I read that Brazil has the most afro-diverse community outside of Africa in the world. So you understand when us as Africans go to Brazil, you feel an instant connection with the people and cultures.
The visuals are quite colourful and striking in a cinematic way. How did those scenes come together?
Teezee: I just work with a beautiful creative team. Shoutout to Sawa, Rafa, Mowa, the whole crew. Just some young, dope, I’ll call them—you know, just people pushing subgenres out in Brazil. There’s people like us around the world and we found them and just made a masterpiece and I just really took stems from seeing what Brazil looks like when it was represented to us back in the day—from watching movies like ‘City of God’ or also watching what Pharell and Snoop Dogg did in “Beautiful”. I just wanted to recreate that, but in my own way, and in a very Teezee, natural, alte kind of version of that.
If you could play this song anywhere in the world, where would you play it?
Teezee: I’ll play this song…at the beach. When you’re meditating and you’re just trying to free your mind, just enjoying yourself. So I think the beach; Tarkwa Bay preferably.
ICYMI: A TRIP TO CUBA WITH TEEZEE, SKEPTA & STEPHEN TAYO
Maya Amolo Is Committed To Giving You The Sweetest Time
There’s undoubtedly more to come from the talented singer as she looks to solidify herself as one of the...
“Sweetest Time,” Maya Amolo’s latest single, is a soothing, lovesick confessional that mixes intimate, heartfelt lyricism with wistful production courtesy of Ugandan musician and producer SOULCHYD aka MAUIMØON. Alongside fellow Kenyan singer Ywaya Tajiri, the self-acclaimed sweetest girl delivers a lustrous duet that sees her soft vocals, which perfectly complement Tajiri’s more robust voice, skip and flit across moody synths, intensifying the spotlight on her wholehearted delivery. “I can feel you rushing through my system / Every single day it’s my religion,” she sings passionately halfway into the record. The whole thing sounds like the aural equivalent of a warm blanket; a truly affectionate record that immerses and envelopes its listeners in its warmth. This is the brand of vulnerable, understated R&B music that has been helping Amolo gain significant attention since she debuted in the pandemic year.
Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Amolo always had an affinity for music. The singer and producer, who took on piano and guitar lessons as a child, has previously credited acts like Brandy, Erykah Badu, Prince, and Kenyan musical icon Eric Wainaina as her early influences – and it’s easy to see how Amolo’s style draws from this strong lineage of musicians whose music is equally expansive, soothing and vulnerable. After years experimenting with different styles, recording covers to beats she ripped from YouTube and posting them on her Soundcloud page, Amolo released her debut project ‘Leave Me At The Pregame’ in 2020.
The EP, which quickly soared up the charts in Kenya, served as a brief but emphatic introduction to Amolo’s minimalistic take on R&B. Standouts like the emotive opener “Puddles,” “Lush Green”, and “Jokes” showcase her clever and poignant lyricism that reflects on themes of love, depression, and self-healing. Along with sparse, melancholic production and the icy sensuality of her voice, Amolo delivered a remarkable debut that made her one of the most promising figures in Nairobi’s alternative music scene. Two years after ‘Leave Me At The Pregame,’ the Kenyan rising star released her debut album, ‘Asali.’
‘Asali,’ which translates to “honey” in her native Kiswahili, showcased Amolo’s progression as both an artist and a human being, as she swapped out the sad-girl tunes that filled her debut EP for more vibrant and intricate records – thanks in part to Sir Bastien and Kenyan producer and rapper Lukorito – that explore themes of growth and the complexities and rich luster of love. The album’s lead singles, “Foundry” and the self-produced “Can’t Get Enough,” found relative success on streaming platforms, placing Amolo as one of the continent’s most exciting new R&B voices. About a year after the release of ‘Asali,’ Amolo updated the album with 8 new songs on a deluxe version that featured Kenyan stars like Bensoul, Xenia Manasseh and Zowie Kengocha.
In August 2024, a few months after she delivered a splendid Colors performance, Amolo released a new project titled ‘What a Feeling.’ The 5-track EP, which essentially serves as an ode to Amolo’s home city, Nairobi, sees her experimenting with an array of dance sub-genres without straying too far from her R&B roots. While the project still retains much of the melancholy and elegance that defined her earlier work, there’s a hypnotic and pulsating energy that courses through ‘What A Feeling,’ that highlights a shift in the singer’s sensibilities. Amolo’s honeyed vocals gently seep through subtle Dancehall, Electronic, R&B and House-inspired production and the accompanying visualizer, a mashup of camcorder footage of her and her friends in Nairobi, also adequately captures the charming and nocturnal vibe of the tape.
The project produced standout tracks like the sensual “Let It Flow,” the title track and “Take It,” which later got remixed by Ugandan singer Soundlykbb and rapper SGawD. With Amolo’s latest release, “Sweetest Girl,” the Kenyan rising star continues her intricate exploration of R&B music, merging it with varying styles to produce her own distinct and refreshing variant. There’s no telling what Amolo might do next, but with only a handful of releases to her name so far, there’s undoubtedly more to come from the talented singer as she looks to solidify herself as one of the genre’s most prominent faces across the continent.
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T.I Blaze Updates ‘Shakur’ EP With Deluxe Version
Following the success of “Trenches Luv,” the street-pop star is back with seven new songs on the deluxe...
Over the last few years, street-pop, a guttural version of afropop, has surged to mainstream popularity, birthing stars like Asake, Seyi Vibez, and Shallipopi. On the homefront, a generation of younger stars also put unique spins on the sound. Singer, T.I Blaze, has been a notable star in the sub-genre since his 2021 single, “Sometimes,” and a subsequent remix with icon, Olamide, launched him into a different stratosphere.
Since “Sometimes,” Blaze has established his profile as a reliable source for songs that reflect the pulse of the streets while archiving his come-up story across a debut album (‘El Major’) and three extended plays like ‘The Fresh Prince Of Lagos’ and ‘Dangerous Wavy Baby.’ His 2024 EP, ‘Shakur,’ further underscored his evolution as an artist, featuring slippery numbers about escapism, his thoughts on life in the fast lane, and brotherhood with features from rising stars like Tml Vibez and BhadBoi Oml.
In 2025, the singer has picked up where he left off last year, releasing “Trenches Luv,” a balmy February release that examines the dynamics of romance from his point of view as a young adult moulded by the hard realities of life on the street. The success of “Trenches Luv” has led to a deluxe version of ‘Shakur’ with the singer adding seven new songs to the original version of the project. Impressively, on the new version of the project, TI Blaze taps up Ayo Maff and Ghanaian star Arathejay on “My Brother” and “Mario Remix,” respectively.
Led by a galala-inflected opener, “Track 1,” ‘Shakur (Deluxe)’ is both raw and complex with the singer sounding refreshed on songs like “My Brother,” “Dodge,” and “Introduction.” In many ways, this project is an invitation for listeners to explore the many facets of T.I Blaze’s artistry as well as a portent to celebrate his roots and offer a glimpse at his evolution.
Listen to ‘Shakur (Deluxe)’ here.
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NATIVE PREMIERE: Rigo Kamp Runs Ahead Of The Pack With The Visuals For “Marathon”
Rigo Kamp’s Marathon video is an intimate Afro-juju revival that pays homage to Sir Shina Peters and stamps...
Last Friday, Rigo Kamp, a NATIVE uNder alum and one of the architects of an equal parts nostalgic and refreshing sound released his self-titled debut EP, delivering a propulsive fusion of Alte, R&B, Funk, and Soul-infused rhythms.
Featuring previously released singles “Morning Sun” and “Summer”, the six-track eponymous EP executively produced by Odunsi The Engine sees Rigo lean heavily into his element as a sonic alchemist, jumping from silky falsettos to gritty grooves without losing an ounce of cohesion, and ultimately stamping the Abuja-born, Lagos-based singer-songwriter as a mad scientist of sound.
Just last November, Apple Music named Rigo Kamp as its Up Next artist, an acknowledgment that underscored his potential and confirmed what the tastemakers and underground scene already knew. Weeks later, he delivered an exhilarating live set for Spotify Fresh Finds in Lagos, proving he’s just as compelling live as he is in the studio.
On “Marathon”, the refreshing opener to the Rigo Kamp EP, Rigo borrows the bounce and swagger of Afro-Juju legend, Sir Shina Peters’ golden-era, fusing nostalgia with re-imagination to birth a vintage performance that feels like a private party for two, where it’s just Rigo, and you.
Get an exclusive first look at the video for Marathon here:
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