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  • As we all know by now, Alté isn’t just music, it never has been. It’s a mood, a movement, and the definition of main character energy. No one embodies Alté style better than Nigerian women artists who are turning stages, sidewalks, and IG feeds into full-blown fashion runways. 

    “Alté”, which is derived from the Nigerian term ‘alternative,’ symbolises the essence of freedom of expression across various artistic forms.”

    TeeZee

    Whether you’re into soft-girl sorcery or chaos-core layering, there’s an alté aesthetic for your vibe and a woman already nailing it. 

    Here are seven alternative artists, their Alté style, and how to dress like them.

    The Soft Witch

    Dreamy, soulful, and a little off-beat (in the best ways). Think flowy fabrics, velvet crop tops, alt makeup, and soft-girl energy with spooky undertones.

    Lady Donli's Alté Style
    The Guardian Nigeria

    Artist: Lady Donli 

    How can this list exist without her? How can we give accolades without laying her flowers first? The First Lady of Alté, our Pan African Rockstar! She walked so your favourite alté girl could strut in beaded sandals and glitter liner. 

    In a space still dominated by hypermasculine energy, Lady Donli leaned into softness as power. Her music talks about joy, desire, independence, and emotional growth, and she’s done all this while championing other women creatives and staying fully independent.

    Style: Beaded braids, witchy rings, vintage florals, crochets, and thrifted gems. Donli’s style is alté at its dreamiest. Think retrofits, oversized jackets, velvet, beaded jewellery, tinted glasses, and ethereal makeup. Her fashion tells stories, and often feels like a direct extension of the themes in her music.

    Alté Style Moodboard with Lady Donli

    Song: Cash

    Wear This If: You want to hex your ex with your eyeliner but still light a scented candle and forgive him in your journal.

    The Maximalist Chaos Queen

    Loud. Layered. Unapologetic. Think fishnets, chunky boots, PVC corsets, bright makeup, and chain belts.

    SGaWD's Alté Style
    WordPlay

    Artist: SGaWD 

    She’s all fury, fashion, and femme power. In a culture that often tries to shrink women by telling them they’re too loud, too sexual, too aggressive, SGaWD built an entire persona around being too much on purpose. Her lyrics are cocky, her visuals are chaotic, and her fashion is unmissable. She’s not packaging herself for anyone’s comfort, and that attitude has redefined what femininity in alté can look and sound like.

    Style: SGaWD dresses like she’s going to curse your ex and headline a warehouse party after. Her aesthetic pulls from punk, grunge, dominatrix streetwear, and Nigerian club girl culture. Fishnets. Metallics. Bold colours. Lots of skin, lots of attitude. She’s not trying to be palatable, she’s dressing for impact. 

    Alté Style Moodboard with SGawd

    Song: Pop Shit

    Wear This If: You’re ready to fight a stylist and a system at the same time.

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    The Effortless Art School Babe

    A little grunge, a little “I just threw this on,” always hot. Paint-stained denim, DIY details, and layering. She’s effortlessly stylish even when she’s tired.

    Ayra Starr's Alté Style
    The Guardian Nigeria

    Artist: Ayra Starr 

    Half her closet is thrifted, half is fast fashion, and she makes both look expensive. She doesn’t overdo it; she curates. It’s a studied nonchalance. She might sing about heartbreak, but she’s wearing asymmetric eyeliner while doing it. 

    Style: Ethereal brat meets futuristic it-girl. Think mesh tops, mini skirts, Y2K silhouettes, and body jewelry. She mixes teenage rebellion with rich auntie vibes. Ayra embodies cool with an edge. She made being a “sabi girl” an aesthetic: bold, stylish, soft when she wants, sharp when she needs to be. She’s the girl at the party you wish you were dressed like. She’s giving confidence without too much noise.

    Alté Style Moodboard with Ayra Starr

    Song: Bloody Samaritan

    Wear This If: You want to look like your life’s a short film and your ex is still watching.

    The Afrofuturist 

    Metallics, indoor sunglasses, and sculptural fashion: alien superstar, but I still buy gala.

    Wavy's Alté Style
    The Guardian Nigeria

    Artist: Wavy The Creator 

    She’s the alien superstar. Bold silhouettes, cold tones, mirror-tinted glasses. Her fashion choices feel like an art installation: metallics, leather, latex, tech fabrics. They are mysterious but magnetic. You might not get them right away, but you’ll never forget the first time you saw her.

    Style: Space buns, silver chains, latex or leather outfits, and glow-in-the-dark nails. Androgynous, cyberpunk, experimental. Wavy doesn’t do “normal.” Their fits are abstract, oversized, and often genderless. A true fashion chameleon who dresses like the future came early.

    Alté

    Song: H. I. G.H.

    Wear This If: You want to dress like a post-colonial android who’s emotionally intelligent. 

    ALSO READ: #BumpThis: 15 Nigerian Women Share Their “Hot Babe” Anthems

    The Earthy Muse

    Rooted, introspective, and timeless. Embracing natural fabrics, earthy tones, and minimalist designs.

    Asa's Alté Style
    NotJustOk

    Artist: Aṣa 

    She’s a quiet blueprint. Though Lady Donli is considered the first lady of alté, before the genre was a vibe, Aṣa was out here dressing like herself, sounding like herself, living like herself. She gave space to softness, to solitude, to not always needing a full beat or five layers of irony. Her influence shows up in the quieter girls of alté who want to create without shouting.

    Style: Ankara pants with linen tops, aso-oke tunics, shell jewelry, headwraps, books tucked in totes. Natural fabrics. Loose-fitting dresses. Layered beads. Locs or twist-outs. Aṣa’s look is never trend-chasing; it’s timeless. She dresses how her music feels: raw, textured, poetic.

    Alté

    Song: Fire on the Mountain

    Wear This If: You find beauty in simplicity and draw inspiration from nature’s palette. You like fabric that breathes. You’re less “fashion girlie,” more “spiritual aunty in a linen set”, and you’re proud of it.

    The Dark Siren

    Gritty, introspective, and genre-defying. Her style blends oversized skater silhouettes with delicate, feminine pieces, reflecting a duality that’s both soft and confrontational.

    Bloody Civilian's Alté Style
    NativeMag

    Artist: Bloody Civilian 

    She’s moody, intentional, and emotionally layered. Bloody Civilian’s sound is textured and cinematic, and her aesthetic matches that energy. She’s not the most visibly “alté” in a loud, fishnets-and-neon kind of way. But in terms of tone, control, and offbeat intensity? She’s alté through and through, just on the darker, art school drop-out side of it.

    Style: Baggy pants, tight dresses, skater-inspired looks, layered dark streetwear, structured bustiers, oversized outerwear, bold hair choices, minimal jewellery. Minimalist but powerful, she leans into blacks, grays, muted tones, and brings a masculine-meets-elegant twist to everything she wears. Her fits aren’t loud, but they’re saying everything. She dresses like her music sounds: intentional, genre-free, and just a little dangerous.

    Alté

    Song: How To Kill A Man

    Wear This If: You’re channeling your inner rebel, ready to challenge norms while keeping your style enigmatic and bold. You want to dress like a quiet, angry genius who reads poetry at 2 a.m. and says “it’s fine” when it’s absolutely not. You’re soft, but you’re calculating. And you probably have a playlist called Revenge but Gentle.

    These Alté Nigerian Musicians Don’t Look Like Their Government Names

    The AfroFusion Alchemist

    Eclectic and soulful, merging Afrobeats with reggae, R&B, and dancehall. Her fashion is a tapestry of cultural influences, reflecting her genre-blending music.

    Kold AF's Alté Style
    Music In Africa

    Artist: Kold AF 

    Kold AF blends Afrobeats, R&B, reggae, soul, and dancehall, and her style reflects that fusion. It’s never doing too much, but it’s never basic. She’s warm and cold at once. Femme but not flimsy. Street but soulful. She represents the new era of alté-adjacent girls who are grounded in genre fluidity and cultural style fluency. She wears Nigeria, the diaspora, and a bit of Tumblr-era moodboard energy all at once, and somehow, it all feels authentic.

    Style: Baggy pants, minimal crop tops, stacked jewelry, protective styles (braids, locs), mixed textures (denim + silk, jersey + lace). Slouchy cargos with halter tops, oversized jerseys with gold hoops, corsets styled over T-shirts, Adire skirts with Nike slides. It’s streetwear softened by soul. She’s not dressing to shock, she’s dressing to vibe. 

    Alté

    Song: Tension


    Wear This If: You’re the kind of girl who’ll pull up in cargos and a corset, with a playlist titled “healing, but make it hot.” You’re chill until you’re not.

    ALSO READ: Kill It at Any Alté Party With These 10 Fashion Tips

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  • If there’s one video that’ll remain iconic for years to come, it’s this interview video of the girl in the market who says, “Me on my own, I’m ashawo. Everybody on their own, ashawo,” when asked about women being slut-shamed. And honestly, where is the lie? With the way we’re wearing less and going out more, it’ll seem like we’ve fully entered an ashawo era of fashion, and I’m totally here for it. 

    Image credit: Nylon Magazine

    Nigeria’s relationship with Ashawo fashion back in the day

    Just like the world around us, fashion is constantly changing and evolving. Whether we like it or not, the clothes we wear are a tool to reflect or at least capture part of the conversation going on in a particular era. In the 1960s and 1970s, Nigerians tried to find an identity in a country that was finally independent of colonisers.

    But by the 1990s, we had finally settled on a trend that embodied the saying “go big or go home”. The geles were as wide as DStv dishes, and the baggy pants were baggying like no tomorrow. 

    In all these eras, Nigerians have always factored in “morals”, choosing to be covered up no matter what. Wearing a backless dress or showing your belly button was scandalous in the 1990s. I mean, anyone who grew up watching old Nollywood movies will tell you miniskirts were the trademark look of a wild girl whose over-sexualisation would eventually make her barren or single to stupor. 

    A Scene from The President’s Daughter (1998)

    The moral standard for fashion was so high that sometimes the sex workers in Nollywood films wore turtlenecks. 

    A scene from Domitilla (1996)

    With the 2000s came even skimpier outfits thanks to the MTV generation consuming Britney Spears and Janet Jackson. However, Nigeria’s adoption of this fashion trend (now fondly referred to as Y2K fashion) was restricted to the video vixens on screen or the bad girls in films like Abuja Connection, Sharon Stone or Girls Cot. 

    A scene from Girls Cot (2006)

    No matter how much fashion evolved or changed in the Western world, for Nigerians, it still remained a tool used to police women’s bodies — labelling them as either good or bad girls. 

    Alté scene brings back y2k fashion

    The first time I noticed Nigerians reclaiming the word “ashawo” and getting into our slut rhythm was in 2018, as alté culture became mainstream. Heavily influenced by the sluttiest era of all time, the late 1990s to early 2000s, alté acts came with a different sound and look. The boys had their hair dyed in crazy colours like pink and purple, while the girls rocked see-through tops and low-rise jeans. 

    RECOMMENDED:  These Old-school Fashion Trends Still Bang in 2022

    As usual, the first reaction was resistance: the alté boys were called gay, and the girls? Well, the worst insult Nigerians feel they can give a woman is ashawo/slut. Did the happening babe care? No. Over time, more mainstream acts tapped into this market and what once felt like a niche group on SoundCloud and a closed-up part of Instagram filtered down to regular folks. 

    Image credit: Alté Culture Fest

    I remember turning up to a concert in Lagos in 2019 and feeling like I’d been sucked into a 2000s music video. That same year, Hot Girl Summer became a thing thanks to Megan Thee Stallion, and Old Nollywood pages started popping up randomly on Instagram, romanticising the early 2000s and turning the bad girls from that era into fashion icons. These looks quickly moved from concerts and the gram, to parking lots and regular hangouts. 

    In 2022, what our parents frowned on has gotten a facelift and rebranded as Y2k-inspired looks. From Ayra Starr to Odunsi The Engine, the cut-outs are everywhere, and crop-tops have become baggy shirts at this point. 

    Did I forget to mention that the men are also in on the ashawo fit trend? Dying your hair pink or painting your nails are no longer signs that you might be queer. Now it just means you’re either a creative, someone on Twitter with interesting opinions, or a tech-bro.

    Men have also made ashawo shorts a thing — are you really a happening guy if your shorts are kissing your knees? Nah, bro. 

    Ashawo fits have become a statement

    Taking men out of the equation, by reclaiming these ashawo clothes, women are finally controlling the narrative. If we unpack operation “cover yourself up”, it’s easy to see that it has nothing to do with women.

    Instead, it’s always been a tool to keep women in check and excuse men of sexual misconduct. That’s why the question, “What were you wearing?” pops up when sexual harassment or abuse cases come into the light. But if there’s one thing we know, it’s that covering up hasn’t stopped these cases from happening daily. 

    Alté fashion icon, Ashley Okoli

    These ashawo clothes are a way for women to say that their worth isn’t tied to their bodies. 

    With the way fashion has continued to evolve since 2018, it looks like our dress sense isn’t going to get less sluttier anytime soon. These clothes aren’t about sex or simple thirst traps; they’re about confidence and ownership. If you can’t pull it off, fine. But don’t hate on the people who can, because that’s just tacky. 

    QUIZ: How Fashionable Are You?

  • Names are important to artists and, in some ways, contribute to whether or not they blow. While music artists like Odunsi and Tems use their real names on stage, some others don’t. And that’s fine. However, it’s one thing not to use your name, and it’s another thing to look nothing like your government name. 

    If you think I’m playing, check out these 10 alté musicians. 

    Stage Name: Cruel Santino

    Real Name: Osayaba Andrew Ize-Iyamu 

    I honestly thought Cruel Santino would have a more gingered name like Isakaba or something. Mr. Subaru’s real name, Osayaba Andrew, feels like a big scam to me. 

    Stage Name: Lady Donli 

    Real Name: Zainab Elizabeth Donli 

    There’s nothing about this picture that screams, “I share the same name with the immortal Queen of England!” 

    Stage Name: Psycho YP 

    Real Name: Nicholas Ihua Maduenyi 

    I’m supposed to believe this man’s name is Nicholas? Say sike. 

    Stage Name: Obongjayar

    Real Name: Steven Umoh 

    Sir, your real name is not Obongjayar? You don’t mean it. I don’t know how to explain it, but he looks more like an Obongjayar than he does a Steven. 

    Stage Name: Wurld 

    Real Name: Sadiq Onifade 

    Something about a Sadiq singing about mad sex feels off. Why are you even having sex? 

    Stage Name: Omah Lay

    Real Name: Stanley Omah Didia

    Okay, let me not even lie, this guy looks like a Stanley. No wonder babes keep collecting his necklace pendant. Stanleys are always loverboys, no cap. 

    RECOMMENDED: 11 Nigerian Artists Who Look Nothing Like Their Real Names

    Stage Name: Wavy the Creator 

    Real Name: Jennifer Ejoke 

    Jenny baby, is this you? I never experred it. 

    Stage Name: Ignis Brothers

    Real Names: Edwin Madu and Ruth Zakari

    Why does their band name sound like the name of an all-white country band in Nashville, Tennessee? Also, if there’s a sister, why not just call it Ignis Brother and Sister? 

    Stage Name: Ajebutter 22

    Real Name: Akintoye Balogun 

    Akintoye sounds like an uncle’s name and not the name of a guy responsible for a song called Serenre. Then again, only millennials still use that word, so maybe it works? 

    Stage Name: Ayra Starr

    Real Name: Oyikansola Sarah Aderibigbe 

    Ayra Starr may not be the most alté artist on this list, but she sure as hell doesn’t look like a Sarah to me. Not Abraham’s wife being a bloody Samaritan. Love it!

    ALSO READ: The 7 Nigerian Singers Guaranteed to Give You a Hit Song in 2022

  • Alté hive, arise! Cruel Santino has rejoined the group chat. Three years after releasing Mandy & The Jungle, an album that cemented his position as a leading voice among a new group of Nigerian creatives pushing the musical thread, Cruel Santino — formerly Santi — has made a major comeback with his new 21-track album, Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN. For Love It/Hate It, we asked Nigerians what they think about the new album, and this is what they had to say. 

    “Ajebo agberos, rise! Don’t waste this album” — Josh  

    Cruel Santino is the only one that can unleash both the ajebutter and agbero side of Nigerians at the same time. You listen to him and you want to break bottles but you also want to talk to your girl about romance and anime. This album is peak culté. It’s insane because no one man should have all this power. Is this the best album I’ve listened to this year? Yes. People may say I’m capping, but my question is: and so fucking what? Is it your cap?

    “I see we’re back with this pretentious shit. Alright.” — Khadijah 

    Fake alté people will not allow us hear word for the next one week because of this very mid album. Their oga may have changed his name, but everything else is still faux-intellectual rave BS. I listened to it because, honestly, I want to like his music. I don’t know where the hype is coming from, but 21 songs where I couldn’t hear you properly on like 18? Oh wrong nau. Old Nollywood called, they need their aesthetic back. 

    RELATED: Love It/Hate It: Asa’s New Album, “V”

    “This is the type of album you release when rent is due. Inject it inna mi veins!” — Tobe

    Subaru Boys for life mehn! I don’t know how he does it, but Cruel Santino is way ahead of his time. My brain cells can only comprehend like three of the songs on this album, but that’s what you get when you listen to an artist who’s experimenting with his sound. Now I want to listen over and over again until I actually get it. This is what good music is about and I’m soaking it in. The man did a madness abeg. 

    “Werey will not touch me IJN (Amen)” — Lara 

    Why does Cruel Santino like to play with demonic spirits? It doesn’t sit right with me and my heavenly race. His music reminds me of the evil Mount Zion films preached against, but my coconut head will still listen, and I will be jumping up and down to the songs. Please and please, this album is elite. But as much as I love vibing to it, I’ll never shout, “Werey touch me,” because na from clap, dance dey start.  

    “Gorgeous gorgeous girls do usually listen to Cruel Santino” — Ashley

    Instagram stories and TikTok will ban me from using songs from this album before next week, let’s bet. I can’t believe he made us wait three whole years! This album was totally worth the wait because it’s the most cohesive album I’ve heard in a long time. Everything just blends and no song feels out of place. It’s easy to get bored listening to an album with 21 tracks, but this man had me in a chokehold and I lowkey liked it. Hey daddy!

    “Cruel Santino needs to push himself with collaborations” — Uchenna 

    In my opinion, no one makes alté music like Cruel Santino. He knows what works for him and he has mastered it. But at what point do you actually reach outside the box? This album is golden, but the collaborations are predictable. The guy needs to work with people with different sounds. Can you imagine how much a Cruel Santino and Zinolesky track would bang? Santi’s collaborations need to come out for air once in a while. 

    CONTINUE READING: The Year in Alté: 12 Songs That Got Us Through 2021

  • Despite being another variant of 2020, 2021 was still a pretty great year for Nigerian music. With major crossovers between the alternative and mainstream pop music scene, this was a very experimental year musically and we loved every bit. As we round up the year, we decided to look back at some of the alternative songs that popped up on our radar in 2021. 

    Selense – Cavemen 

    The Cavemen stole our hearts in 2020 with the release of their debut album ROOTS. Drowning us in nostalgia, palm wine and pure enjoyment, it comes as no surprise that their second album, Love & Highlife follows the same direction. As the loverboys that they are, on  Selense we find the brothers professing their undying love yet again. What would normally sound corny, ends up being so cute we can’t stop blushing. God save us from Igbo men. 

    Angel – Solis 

    While Angel is a sultry standout from Solis’ seductive new project Stairway to Heaven, SoundCloud babies like us have known this song for a while now. There’s something about Solis’ voice that makes us want to fall in love, cuddle and make babies, but omo, streets are tough right now. 

    Again – Tomi Thomas

    Tomi Thomas’ music makes us want to travel to an island somewhere, relax by the beach and just be taken care of. One of the OGs of the alté movement, his ability to creatively mix Nigerian and Island influences is something that should be studied in schools. No one is doing it like Tomi Thomas and we’re obsessed. 

    Searching – Lady Donli 

    One minute she’s asking you to enjoy your life and the next — and without skipping a beat — she’s forcing you to examine all the life decisions you’ve been making as you embark on a journey of self-discovery. This, right here, is the power of Lady Donli and also why Searching was one of the few songs that really moved us this year. 

    The Tree – Dwin, the Stoic and TiwaDara

    “Cos I came too far to let these naysayers get their laughs. They’re fine with the fruits, but I’m taking the tree”. On this song, we are serenaded by Dwin’s vocals as he takes us on a journey of understanding self worth, as we reclaim our time and give our haters the middle finger (but with panaché and class). This was our anthem in 2021 and there’s a strong possibility that we’re carrying it over into the new year. 

    Deeper – Ogranya and Brum3h

    Remember when R&B men used to profess their love while break dancing under the rain? Good ole days. While Ogranya and Brum3h haven’t dropped the visuals for this song, their vocals remind us of those classic baby making music we shouldn’t have been listening to when we were young. These men can sing sha. 

    Crazy Tings – Tems 

    It’s Tem’s world and we’re all just living in it. Taking over the charts and scoring a feature on Drake’s album, 2021 was the year of Tems and she honestly didn’t need no other body. The first single from her latest EP, Crazy Tings wasn’t love at first listen for us, but now we can’t stop listening to this earworm. By the way, we are still judging all of you that sing “happening” instead of “appuning”. Tems said what she said. 

    Peaking – Tay Iwar

    If there’s one thing Tay Iwar does well, it’s getting us deep in our feels. He could literally sing the phonebook and we’d lay down, stair into space, thinking about love and life. The Love and Isolation EP is Tay Iwar at his best — subtle, vulnerable and beautifully honest. Closing out the EP, Peaking might have inspired us to call our exes, but then again, YOLO. 

    Gone Girl – Obongjayar and Sarz

    Obongjayar appeared on our radar right before the pandemic thanks to his incredible EP Which Way is Forward? After providing a soulful soundtrack for the lockdown, Obongjayar teamed up with superstar producer Sarz for a record that helped soundtrack our nights back on the streets in 2021. Sweetness, the EP is a fun ride, but Gone Girl is the song that gets us to our destination. 

    Civil War – Isah the Prince featuring Efe Oraka, Nvthy and Kabasii

    2020 was a tough year for young Nigerians. Following the events of the #EndSARS protests and the serious gaslighting that followed, there was an undeniable feeling of hopelessness and confusion in the air. And while it’s still hard to be gingered about Nigeria at the moment, something about this song seems to have activated our last two brain cells to fight not just for our country, but our lives as well. With a diverse group of talents, this is one song that helped us deal with the gbas gbos Nigeria kept throwing our way. 

    Tycoon – Show Dem Camp

    No one is touching Show Dem Camp when it comes to this rap thing. This song is just four minutes of Ghost, Tec and their guest stars flexing on us and to be honest, they’ve earned the rights. While we love their palmwine love music, we all know Show Dem Camp truly shines when they’re being disrespectful AF with hard truths and confidence on their Clone Wars series. 

    Jaded – Yinka Bernie 

    In a time where beats seem to be the driving force of most of the songs we consume, Yinka Bernie stands out with a voice that seduces and questions you at the same time. After a long hiatus, he makes a grand return with Jaded and trust us, it was all worth the wait. 

  • What does it mean to be a man? Surely, it’s not one thing. It’s a series of little moments that add up. Man Like is a weekly Zikoko series documenting these moments to see how it adds up. It’s a series for men by men, talking about men’s issues. We try to understand what it means to “be a man” from the perspective of the subject of the week.

    Today’s Man Like is Yinka Bernie, a singer, producer and all-around creative whose work has been a crucial part of Nigeria’s alté scene since its SoundCloud days. He is also the producer behind the viral Amaarae song, Sad Girlz Luv Money. Over the years, he has also worked with other artists Lady Donli and Ogranya. 

    In this episode of Man Like, he talks about being a problem child, pivoting from music to tech, the relationship that changed his life and whether or not he’d ever consider coming back to music full time. 

    When would you say you had your “man now” moment? 

    I’ll say about two years ago when I turned 22 and started paying my brother’s allowance. 

    You started paying someone’s allowance at 22? 

    Yes. LOL. So I had just started to work and earn money when my parents got on my case to start taking financial responsibilities. After thinking about it for a while, I decided I’d start paying my younger brother’s allowance. Although it wasn’t life-changing money, my parents knew I was making a lot of money for my age and I could afford it. 

    You told your parents how much you were earning? Can never be me. 

    I didn’t tell them, they could see it. I switched up my lifestyle and they could tell I was making money. I was buying a lot of stuff, leaving the house a lot and I wasn’t asking them for allowance. 

    Not asking for money is where you messed up.

    Right? But I also remember they had stopped sending me allowance in university too. After I sold my first beat and told my father how much I made, the next thing I knew, my allowance started coming late and over time it just stopped completely. I was about 20 years old at the time. 

    Did you ask them or did you just chest it? 

    I asked, but they were like, “You’re making money. What do you need our money for?” This didn’t mean that they didn’t give me money when I was very broke. But yes, they stopped the allowance because they knew I was making money. 

    All this money talk has me thinking you might be the first child. 

    You’re very correct. 

    Ah. Now I get it. So what were you like as the leader of the pack? 

    Mehn, being the first, I don’t think I was a good example to my siblings when we were growing up. I’ve grown and unlearnt some things and now I’m decent, but if we check two or three years ago, it wasn’t the same. 

    How?

    I was doing random shit like fighting my parents a lot, not coming back home, etc. And even growing up, I was the problem child spoiling everything in my path. I remember the time I just jumped on the center table in our living room and broke it. All my siblings were jumping on the cushion but I chose that table and broke it. I chopped beating that day and rightfully so. 

    You clearly chose violence. What’s your relationship with your parents like? 

    As you can imagine, it wasn’t good back then because I was very mischievous. However, as I’ve gotten older, we’ve become really cool. They’re like my guys now. 

    Mad!

    But I had to change it for them and set clear boundaries before they could finally understand and accept me as a grown adult. It took a lot of conflict and arguments to get to this point. I don’t think people realise the importance of setting boundaries with your parents. It’s always parents setting rules we should follow. I had to be firm and now they know not to call me at certain times or ask me really personal questions. 

    But how did you enforce these boundaries? 

    We had a lot of back and forth. They’d raise their voices and I’d raise mine too. In the end, everyone will calm down and look at the situation. Other parents might have thrown their kids out, but my parents knew that threat wouldn’t work on me because I could afford a place if I wanted to. Somehow, we reached a meeting point after I got them to understand that our generations are different and things have changed. 

    With some parents still being sceptical about music as a career choice, I’m curious as to whether that came up in your many conversations? 

    Obviously! So I studied Computer Technology in university and they wanted me to pursue it career-wise because the music wouldn’t be sustainable. I got where they were coming from because I had gauged the situation myself and chasing music alone wouldn’t have worked out well financially. Although my heart was still in music, I took a break in 2018, learnt how to code and started exploring other options. I eventually got a tech job in July 2019 and I liked it. 

    What was it like switching to tech? 

    It was seamless and fun for me. I didn’t have to dress “corporate”. Plus, it was a creative design job so it wasn’t boring at all. 

    Are you still there? 

    Oh it was an internship, but now I’m with Flutterwave.

    Unicorn status? You’re a proper tech bro o

    LOL 

    I know you’ve started making music again, how do you combine it with your job? 

    I started producing when I was about 16 or 17 so I can confidently say I’ve mastered how to work well and fast. It’s not difficult for me. I just open my laptop; make a beat or record vocals depending on what I’m working on. Taking out time away from music in 2018, I was able to find my footing and now I can afford to do music properly. 

    Found your footing how? 

    During the period I was away, I found a system that works for me. This time around, I’ve learnt how to delegate. I know I can do everything myself, but I don’t have to. I’m delegating so I don’t start to stress out. 

    Will you ever do music full-time again? 

    Yes. I plan on retiring from nine to five soon. It’s been great gaining experience from these cool tech companies, but in time, I’ll pick something less time-consuming so I can go back to music. Music has brought me this far and I know it’ll take me farther. I’m still young, so I have time to explore anything I want to do. 

    Talking about your music, a lot of it revolves around navigating relationships. Can you tell me about one relationship that left a major impression on you? 

    I haven’t really dated that much. 

    Okay, maybe I have. LOL. So I was in this relationship with some babe who was so dishonest, the relationship left me scarred. What started as me trying to empathise with a situation she was going through, ended up with us being in a relationship. There was a lot of manipulation and I just felt stuck most of the time. That relationship changed my perception of love and how it manifests. It taught me that you could love someone and still be in an unhealthy relationship. It was hard for me to trust any girl after that. When they talk, I assume they’re lying. But I’m working on my trust issues so I can allow my other relationships to flourish. 

    Wow. But how are you working on the trust thing? 

    The first step for me was acknowledging that I had a problem. I’m also trying to be optimistic in my relationships by giving people the benefit of a doubt when they speak. But last last, people are funny. I’ll just do my best to trust the process and let the relationship go in whatever direction it wants to go. I’m also conscious about being with someone who understands that it’s not about them, it’s just something I have to work on. 

    I feel you. Still on the music, your song It’s Ok to Cry reminded us about the importance of connecting to our feelings. What inspired the song and when was the last time you cried? 

    The ironic thing is I don’t express myself that much, so I don’t cry often. 

    So you scammed us? 

    LOL. No. I’m still trying to figure out how to connect to my emotions on that level, but I understand the concept sha. Whether or not I cry, I still feel like I’m just a medium sharing messages from a greater source (I don’t know who or what). I’m happy people can relate to the song. When I think about it, making the song was random. Although I was in a really happy place in my life mentally, I was still able to reflect on the darkness of the previous year (2019) where I was stuck while all my friends were making progress. 

    Stuck how? 

    It was when I took a break from music to focus on getting a job. Most of my friends who had left university with me were doing jobs they liked and being great at it. I was just there in one place, trying to figure my life out. It was really hard for me. 

    Damn. So since you’re not a crier, I’m curious to know how you handle these dark days?

    I talk to people a lot. I express my emotions by sharing what I’m going through. I talk to my sister and most of my friends. It’s just about talking to the people I trust. 

    Talking about dark places, what are some of the challenges you’ve observed when it comes to navigating masculinity in Nigeria? 

    There’s an information gap. We don’t really groom male children in Nigeria. There isn’t a lot of focus on developing men mentally and socially and that’s why we have so much violence. There isn’t a lot of information and people don’t know better. Our parents didn’t teach us a lot and now we have to rely on the internet. 

    What is something you’ve had to unlearn with the presence of new information?

    Over time, I’ve come to understand equality more. Growing up, I didn’t really notice the disparities in how men and women were treated by society. I’ve come to understand this gap better as I’ve gotten older. 

    Nice. So looking at your life now, what brings you joy? 

    My babe. Lol 

    Single people in the mud. 

    She gives me joy. 

    Congratulations o!

    Come watch Yinka Bernie perform at Z! Fest on the 26th of November 2022.

    Get your tickets!!

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  • There’s so much music out there that it’s hard for even the most loyal fans to stay up with their favourite artists or what’s new and hot right now. That’s why we’ve created #BumpThis – a daily series that features the one song you need to listen to, every day. Don’t say we never did anything for you.

    To most superfans and cultural commentators, AYLØ has been one of the unsung heroes of Nigeria’s alte scene for far too long. His 2016 EP, Honest Conversations and the follow-up, Insert Project Name showed off his incisive songwriting and taste for soulful production.

    In the past few months, AYLØ has gradually emerged from his reclusive state to tease his 2019 project, DNT DLT. “Sassy”, the second single from the project, shows off the singer’s strengths – his impressive vocal range, an ear for melody and his modern R&B-influenced approach to soul music.

    “Sassy” starts off as a moody celebration of an alluring, confident female. The song champions AYLØ’s love interest and women everywhere against a backdrop of neo-R&B that is smooth and consistent from start to finish. The subject matter is typical of much of his work – ambient music made from the perspective of a lover boy who genuinely appreciates femininity.

    Speaking on the release, AYLØ told Complex Magazine, “It is sort of an ode to feminine sass. The chase they make you chase. Knowing fully well that this is 2019 and we no longer condone intimacy, relationships, or the idea of marriage as a concept that renders a woman subservient and, in essence, a slave. God is a woman — in all her excesses.“

    Alte rappers, Psycho YP and Fasina deliver a more lustful appreciation of the love interest, but rather than distract from AYLØ’s more shrewd take, their verses give the song more vigour.

    DNT DLT can’t come soon enough.