Ahead of his debut album, Victony continues to rise to greater heights
A prodigious talent reaching across eras to make timeless music
In Nigeria’s burgeoning Afropop scene, Victony is one of the newer acts consolidating on the exploits of the veterans whilst laying the foundation for the sonic iterations of the genre for the future. He has curated a heady brew of Afrobeats, Hip-Hop and R&B, spiced with wit and candour about his experiences as a young Nigerian battling the vicissitudes of life. While 2021 proved to be a turbulent year for the rising star, he has maintained a zest that has added colour and ingenuity to his music, further raising his stock as one of Nigerian music’s leading lights.
Born Anthony Ebuka Victor, Victony got an early start in the music scene as a rapper, dropping freestyles and mixes. Inspired by Kendrick Lamar and Drake, Victony released a rap mixtape on SoundCloud; it featured covers of Nigerian and international hits including Burna Boy’s “On The Low,” Tems’ “Try Me,” Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA,” and Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow.” He followed that with the singles “Menace,” “2mins in Space” and “S.M.S (Sing My Song)” with Zichy. Admittedly, “S.M.S (Sing My Song)” bore Hip-Hop elements but it was an early sign of Victony’s experimentation with Afropop-inclined melodies. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and around the world, Victony put out the 2020 EP ‘Saturn,’ a display of his workings with Afrobeats.
Its title, ‘Saturn’ was an allusion to Victony’s ability to transport listeners with his music to different dimensions. While Victony found new Afropop delights with “More,” the Falz-assisted “Maria,” “Fasta” and “Jó Riddim,” he retained his love for rap with “Space & Time” and “87 Club.” Overall, the project was marinated in elements associated with Emo rap: moody, melancholic productions felt otherworldly. ‘Saturn’ was also our first encounter with Victony’s planetary alter ego Tredax. Throughout this period, Victony managed his music side by side with his academics as a student of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO).
On April 26, 2021, days after he dropped the single “Broken” and appeared on Hoodini’s “Euphoria,” tragedy knocked at Victony’s door. He and his friends were involved in a car crash, which left them severely injured and claimed the life of one of them. Victony, hospitalized, needed surgery. Prayers poured in from both fans and fellow artists. After surviving the crash, Victony’s only aid for movement was a wheelchair. In an incredible show of faith, Victony continued to make music, refusing to let the unfortunate situation keep him away from his passion. A few months after the accident, the two-track EP ‘Dark Times’ was born.
‘Dark Times’ was equal parts Victony’s place for mourning and a yearning for brighter days. He purged his emotions on “Pray,” shifting from feelings of grief to gratitude for the abundant love from family, friends and fans. On “Unfamiliar Realms,” he paints a picture of anguish, singing, “Don’t know myself/Another realm inside my head/Can’t tell me hell is not my residence/The devil’s here and then he plays with my intelligence.” ‘Dark Times’ garnered overwhelming positive reception and steered Victony onto the path of glory. He would go on to appear in other songs such as Savage’s “Rosemary,” Krizbeatz’s “Time & Place” with Terri, Mayorkun’s “Holy Father” and the two-song pack ‘Nataraja’ with Rexxie. “Holy Father” was the game changer, though; powered by his striking falsetto, Victony’s chorus fired the song into the minds and hearts of music listeners around the globe.
On Christmas Day of 2021, at Davido’s “A Decade of Davido” concert, Victony rose to his feet with the aid of Davido and Mayorkun to perform “Holy Father” to the loud cheers of the audience. That act, aside from showing that Victony’s recovery was accelerating, was a sign that Victony was being welcomed into the class of elite Nigerian music stars, courtesy—and strictly—of his prowess. Victony’s 2022 began on an excellent note: he featured on DJ Boat’s “Old School Love” and released the P.Priime-produced thumper “Apollo” and the contemplative tune “Kolomental”—all culminating in the brilliant ‘Outlaw’ EP. He also made an appearance on A Colors Show to perform the track “Many Man.” ‘Outlaw’ is Victony’s finest moment yet; on the project, he has a firm grip on his stylistics, gliding across a colourful range of production choices to euphoric results. From the EP, “Soweto,” with music producer Tempoe, would transform Victony into a bonafide star.
Tempoe is one of Nigeria’s current hitmakers. With “Soweto,” he added to his catalogue of chart-topping records, dating from CKay’s “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” to Omah Lay’s “Understand” to Joeboy’s “Sip (Alcohol).” The rhythms of Victony’s “Soweto” are as addictive as the elements that make them up: mid-tempo drums, percussion and flute melody. The song soared through music charts around the world, soundtracking parties and becoming a staple on TikTok. “We just caught a vibe and it just happened. It was not an intense session,” Victony told The Fader. “…it’s kind of like a learning experience for me to just try our new stuff because you never know what people would like.” “Soweto” has birthed African and international remixes with the likes of Rema, Omah Lay and Don Toliver hopping on the track.
Visually, Victony has adopted a more polished look, preferring retro-styled clothing that breathes class. It’s an intentionality that has always been present in all his creative processes. Nowhere does he make clear his latest trajectory than through the snippets he’s been sharing on social media for his forthcoming music. Snippets have become an effective marketing tool in contemporary Afropop and Victony, in preparation for what he has termed “Ebele Music,” has used them to capture the attention of his fans.
“Angelus” Friday
. Presave
https://t.co/9u38s07eXy https://t.co/LBg21Djsk5 pic.twitter.com/TJvXrDhKu0
— VICTONY (@vict0ny) June 19, 2023
He recently tweeted the names of Ebenezer Obey, Bright Chimezie, King Sunny Ade, Patty Obassey and Oliver De Coque, bookmarked by “LEGENDS NEVER DIE.” It is a perfect summation of the sound Victony has been teasing. The production is an intriguing collage of Highlife, Juju and Gospel music. The snippets also feature music acts Blaqbonez and ODUMODUBLVCK as well as online comedians Nasboi, Shank and Broda Shaggi. The forthcoming tracks “Angelus” and “My Darling” signal a new creative direction for Victony that is bound to yield dividends. The sound is instantly refreshing and harkens to the music of previous, time-tested generations. With these songs, Victony is serving as a conduit between the past and present to foretell the future.
Elsewhere, Victony’s global appeal received a further boost after he featured on Burna Boy’s Grammy-nominated album ‘Love, Damini.’ Since then, he has appeared on the remix of South African act Musa Keys’ “Selema (Po Po)” and UK-born act JayO’s “XO.” Coupled with the consistent rise of “Soweto” and the genre-merging attributes of his forthcoming music, Victony is staking his place to become one of the revered Afropop stars on the continent. Where once lived pain and grief, Victony has found beauty and strength, skyrocketing him to greater heights.
ICYMI: VICTONY & REXXIE BECOME MUSICAL KIN ON 2-SONG PACK, ‘NATARAJA’
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:
Listen to the Rigo Kamp EP:
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