In August, 2024, singer-producer CKay floated his management and publishing company, Boyfriend Music Ltd, in Lagos. It’s a full circle moment: from releasing his era-defining “Boyfriend” EP in 2021 to eventually turning it into a business. Not restricted to only local artists, Boyfriend Music Ltd opened a U.S. branch, Boyfrnd Music LLC, to extend its services to global artists, songwriters, and producers.
CKay and Joseph Solubi
Boyfriend Music Limited, co-founded by Chukwuma “CKay” Ekweani and Joseph Salubi, his childhood friend from Kaduna State, is a music company dedicated to pushing young and up-and-coming artists, songwriters, and producers forward career-wise. Boyfriend Music Ltd aims to facilitate rightful royalties with the music publishing arm. Its A&R services include discovering and nurturing talents to unlock their potential. The management part of Boyfriend Music Ltd will focus on personalised management services and action plans that guide young artists in their careers.
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According to CEO CKay, Boyfriend Music Ltd is “committed to creating a formidable and transparent environment where artists, songwriters, and producers can focus on their creativity while we handle the complexities of management and music publishing. Every true artist deserves a team that supports their vision without taking advantage of them.”
“Our shared history and passion for music have inspired us to build a company that truly supports creators in all aspects of their careers. At Boyfriend Music Ltd., we empower artists by ensuring they receive the royalties they are owed and by providing the resources and guidance necessary for creative success,” says Joseph Solubi, the company’s managing director.
CKay joins the list of artists like Olamide, TheWeeknd and Davido, who built their record labels and music companies to use as launchpads for artists to reach their full potential.
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‘Summer’ is a warm season of recreational time and enjoyment. Agreed that it’s non-existent in Nigeria (the rainy season is what we have), but that hasn’t stopped Nigerians from weaving it into our popular culture like music.
One can call that an effect of Afrobeats’ globalisation and as well tie it to foreign culture adoption like almost everything we import. Over the last decade, Nigerian artists have actively put out songs between June and September to also engage in summer raves. Some of these songs have crossed overseas, ruled airwaves, clubs and streets, and climbed the charts, and they still maintain relevance for newer summers. Here are 14 summer jams that reflect Nigeria in 2024.
Summer Body — Olamide (feat. Davido)
There’s no better summer song to kick off your summer than this one.
Ye — Burna Boy
On behalf of all Nigerians with aspirations to buy cars, and houses, turn up and enjoy existence, Ye is the national anthem you need right now.
Chance (Na Ham) — Seyi Vibez
Since Seyi Vibez released this song, his music output has increased, and so have his feats and popularity. It’s your reminder to remind the gatekeepers that 2024 is the rise of new players.
Essence — Wizkid (feat. Tems)
Don’t waste time. If it’s love you have to chase or money to get, time is of the essence. Especially that money part.
No Days Off — Teni Makanaki
In this economic state that we’ve found ourselves in, sleep is the cousin of death and the younger sibling of poverty. If you like, sleep.
The Money — Davido (featuring Olamide)
“Life is all about the money eh” is a universal truth that hits close to home Nigeria, the poverty capital of the world. Do what you will with this gospel.
Rush — Ayra Starr
When every day’s work, it’s hard to lose sight of things. As money bags and soft living keep falling on you, remember to count your blessings.
Squander — Falz (feat. Niniola)
As you ball this summer, the opposite of this song title is what I advise. Or hasn’t Nigeria taught you to save for rainy days?
UNAVAILABLE — Davido (feat. Musa Keys)
Be honest: If you called yourself in this current depressing state of the nation, would you pick up your call or drop your location?
Skintight — Mr Eazi (feat. Efya)
At every turn on X these days, it’s marriage proposals. It seems romance is up and the last person to marry in 2024 is a fool. Need a wedding vow? Keep Mr Eazi’s Skintight close.
Buga — Kizz Daniel (feat. Tekno)
As you work hard and make more money, make time for leisure too, and feel free to feel pompous.
Lonely At the Top — Asake
This is for everyone: the liquidly rich, perceptibly monied folks and those hungry for better days. Don’t forget that you may get all the cash and still feel incomplete. But chase the money sha, at least you won’t be completely by yourself.
Last Last — Burna Boy
If you like, break your neck and legs in a hundred places to keep anyone, they’ll do whatever they like still. Even the “Emi lo kan” loyalists are not safe from Tinubu’s Nigeria.
Fia — Davido
Fia is Davido’s way of separating from a one-sided love. In a larger context, it’s a national protest song. Citizens love Nigeria but it doesn’t love us back. So, why continue to serve what isn’t serving us? That’s something to pick up here for OBO.
High — Adekunle Gold (feat. Davido)
You might as well get high and forget the bones to pick with the economy, for a bit.
Happiness — Sarz (feat. Asake & Gunna)
Life can be stressful, but you can always find your happiness in whatever you do.
No one is serving bops like Ayra Starr right now. Our sabi girl has been steady giving us back-to-back hits since 2021, and now, she drops her sophomore album, The Year I Turned 21, in less than 24 hours.
Since AI likes to prove it knows shit, we decided to put it to the test and asked it to rank Ayra’s biggest songs since her debut single, Away.
Diamond in The Rough (DITR)
AI decided to start with the most soul-searching number on this list. Released in 2021 as one of the singles off her self-titled EP, Ayra described this song as “An Ode to Gen Z”. It’s the kind of vulnerable track you’ll put on if you’ve exhausted your “God abeg” bundle as a young person living in Nigeria.
Sare
If you ever loved Orere Elejigbo by the Lijadu sisters, then you’d have been among those who were stunned into wonderment when Ayra sampled the song and put her spin to it in Sare, another song off her debut EP. This song is so fire, and it gave us a taste of what Sabi Girl had planned for the future. In almighty 2024, we can’t complain that it has a spot on this list.
Fashion Killer
Have you ever seen a bad bitch who doesn’t burn you because of how dangerously hot she is? This bad bitch can’t relate, and this was exactly Ayra Starr’s message to the girlies in Fashion Killer. Off her debut EP, it remains an anthem in fashion shows across Africa. Ayra did that, and it appears AI realises the real by placing this song on this spot.
Beggie Beggie
Ayra has had many successful collabos since she blew up, but who can ever forget her insane run with C-Kay on Beggie Beggie? If Away was the “Men are trash” anthem, this track off Ayra’s 19 and Dangerous debut album was the reminder that women can in fact be desperate lovers who want all the TLC from a man. With over 10m YouTube views today, it definitely deserves to be on this list.
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Away
Is it us or is artificial intelligence actually doing a thing with this ranking? Away had a mad grip on the girlies in 2021, and was the sickest “Men are trash” anthem at the time. With rebellious lyrics like “You can never be the man I stan, You can never be the one for me. Take away your troubles. And leave me be,” Ayra ate so bad.
Away made Ayra one of the resident “landlords” of the Apple Music chart in Nigeria, butting heads with the big three. The song’s official music video currently has over 11 million YouTube views.
Rush
If there’s any Ayra Starr song that bangs with the same level of infectiousness when it dropped and now, it’ll have to be Rush. In arguably her biggest hit to date, Ayra reminds us that we should focus our energy on chasing that paper and forget the haters, with lines like “Me no getty time for the hate and the bad energy. Got my mind on my money” And boy, did we listen? Rush had such a successful run that it made history as the first solo song by a Nigerian female artist to hit 300 million views on YouTube.
Bloody Samaritan
We’ve all been waiting to see how Chat GPT will move for this spot, and it looks like it understood the assignment. Three years after Ayra blessed us with this, if Bloody Samaritan comes on right now, no one can look you in the eyes to yarn nonsense. With lines like “I’m a ticking dynamite” and “Them no fit kill my vibe”, it’s the self-empowerment anthem we didn’t know we needed.
The lead single off her 2021 debut album, 19 & Dangerous, shot Ayra into the global music space, with the iconic Kelly Rowland hopping on a remix. AI knows you can’t make a list of Ayra’s iconic songs and not include this one.
If we task Chat GPT in another year or two, Commas, Rhythm and Blues, and Sability all 2022 to 2024 songs, should better make the list.
On April 18, 2024, news broke that Nigerian singer Davido launched Nine+ Records, his new music label called in partnership with UnitedMasters. This news comes as a surprise as the Afrobeats star announced a restructured version of his Davido Music Worldwide label (AKA DWM 2.0) in March, 2023.
But new label operations have kicked off, and this is everything you should know about it.
What’s Nine+?
As it has been established, Nine+ is Davido’s new music label. According to David Adeyemi, a member of Davido’s PR team, the name was culled from the lyrics of Davido’s 2022 song Stand Strong: “OBO elemi nine plus,” meaning “OBO has more than nine lives.” If not for its idiomatic interpretation and mystique, the name possibly alludes to being an “old cat” or part of the “Big 3” in the industry.
Why is UnitedMaster in this?
UnitedMasters, an American music distribution company, expanded its operations into Nigeria in December 2023. Its founder, American music executive Steve Stoute said he met Davido while in Nigeria last year and they talked about the possibilities of working together. It sounded like a great idea to the business-minded Davido. So, here we are.
OBO is now a music executive
Davido’s role at Nine+ starts his career as a music executive. He’ll take on many of the same responsibilities he held at DMW, but with a key difference: shared leadership.
According to his manager and lawyer Bobo F. Ajuda, “Davido will collaborate with Steve Stoute to identify and develop talent. Their respective teams from Nine+ Records and UnitedMasters will work together to support these artists. This includes everything from artist development and branding to securing market opportunities.”
Why now?
This is the right time to expand, considering his superstar status at home and abroad. His music and relationships with global brands like Puma, Martell and now UnitedMasters are easy keys to open doors worldwide for the youngins in the industry back home.
Nine+ will absorb DWM
If you’re wondering if the birth of Nine+ means the end of DMW, you may be up to something. Although Bobo confirmed earlier that DWM will continue its independent operations and maintain its roster as a record label and Nine+ will focus on its global journey, Davido tweeted last night that he’s moving all his DMW artists to Nine+ Records. In a press release signed by UnitedMasters, the new label will announce more artists and partners in the future.
Nine+ is more than Afrobeats
The mission of this new music company is to sign and work with global talents. Nine+ will not only work with Afrobeats, but also with Hip-Hop, R&B, Latino sounds, etc. It’s OBO for all.
What this venture means for him and Afrobeats
Think of this as a career upgrade and portfolio diversification. Stepping into a new position as a label executive comes with responsibilities and an additional stream of income. It was stated that Nine+ Record Ventures is an additional channel and opportunity for the local industry to connect with the global audience and market.
There are icons in every field. For football, we have Lionel Messi. When we speak of meals, nothing is touching yam. When it comes to music, there is no other diva as iconic as Madame Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter. This woman has consistently put out amazing music for over two decades, and the best of her work yet is Act II: Cowboy Carter.
Highly controversial, heavily resisted, constantly understated yet undeniably innovative is who Beyoncé is. And if you’re not tuned in to Cowboy Carter yet, here are five reasons you should rinse your ears and get into the album.
Cowboy Carter saved country music
Your faves can attest to this. For such a long time, although the CMA and the larger part of White America disagree, country music has been gated. Artists of colour were rarely given the spotlight and had to settle for being sidelined. This racial bias was very evident at the CMAs where Beyoncé and Dixie Chicks had an unwelcoming experience during and after their performance of Daddy Lessons. The crowd visibly did not approve of Beyoncé singing country and although the performance was the most watched that year, the CMA took it off their platforms. While this moment birthed Cowboy Carter and we are grateful, it also means hundreds of black artists get this treatment regularly. The bias was very evident upon the release of Texas Hold’em and 16 Carriages which features a heavy country production, yodelling and an undeniable country twang. For such releases that were pure country, a lot of negative uproar still surfaced.
However, since the release of the full-length album, the whole world is now listening to a new side of country music and black artists are basking in the spotlight. Black country artists like Linda Martell, Shaboozey, Willie Jones, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Rhiannon Giddens and Willie Nelson got to be a part of such a revolutionary move. That’s icon shit!
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Cowboy Carter made an artistic statement
You can find country pop, bluegrass, country RnB, Country Hip/Hop, Opera, Latin and Flamenco all in one album. If that isn’t peak artistry, then I don’t know what is. We know Beyoncé already said it was going to be a “Beyoncé” album and not just country, but no one was ready for that. She managed to blend so many genres, techniques and layers of history and yet it is undeniably country. From Blackbird, Jolene, Spaghetti, Tyrant, Daughter, Just For Fun down to Riverdance. The whole album is just full of wonderful twists and turns.
Cowboy Carter changed history
If I asked you how it feels to be the first black woman to top the country charts, you would have no idea, but Beyoncé does. Not only has Cowboy Carter charted in countries across the world, but it also helped the featured artists secure their first chartings and massive increases in their streaming. We call it the Yonce effect. The album also became the most streamed album on Spotify within just a day of its release. Who runs the world? Beyoncé does.
The Production is tea
The way Amen and American Requiem flow into each other is just ridiculous. Then let’s talk about the harmonies, cadences and adlibs. Beyoncé pulled out her full range. The vocals are so tightly locked and on point. You get to feel everything in it. Especially on Spaghetti where Shaboozey sang like it was his last song. Somehow the artist collaborations, writers, producers and even the horse used in her cover art were intentional and purposeful. All to showcase country music’s black roots.
Cowboy Carter saved Fashion
Let’s be for real: Beyoncé ate with the cowboy looks. She served cunt. From the hats to the jeans, to the platinum hair, down to the leather and iron buckle. Every look was giving slayonce. No other artist could eat like that. With Renaissance, it was a silver/chrome movement, and with cowboy Carter, everyone is getting their hats and boots ready. Who knows? Maybe the tour will be held in the stables? We can’t put anything past Beyoncé.
Cowboy Carter is a wormhole
The album is woven in such a way that each song tells a story that leads into the other, and you won’t want to miss out on one part of the story. It has 27 tracks, and if you start at the top, somehow, you’ll end up at the bottom. Cowboy Carter truly is Beyoncé’s best work, and that’s a lot considering she has Renaissance, Lemonade, 4, Beyoncé and Dangerously in Love as parts of her catalogue. With Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé has shown us once again, what it means to reinvent oneself and remain Queen of Music.
To catch up with other artists like Zoro, click here.
Zoro’s 042 music video was playing on Soundcity. I watched him rap across Coal City, recreating rapper gestures to match his rhymes. It wasn’t the most captivating music video, but I admired his swag. It was 2014, and I was an SS3 student trying to rap and look fly like Zoro appeared back then.
Zoro’s entry into the popular Nigerian music scene was promising. Not only did I find his music accessible, but I also believed he was primed to be South East’s next rap superstar after N.I.G.G.A. Raw, ILLBliss, Phyno. He dropped a series of notable singles, like Ogene featuring Flavour (2016), and received a Next Rated nomination at the 2018 Headies Awards. A debut album seemed the natural progression. But we got more singles instead.
I talked to Zoro, born Owoh Chimaobi Chrismathner, about getting into music as a teenager, his admiration for local culture and all the hard lessons his experience in the music industry has taught him.
First, I have to ask. Why “Zoro”?
Around 2007, I rapped for vibes and went by Zoro Machine Gun Perenre. I got Zoro from the popular “Zorro” movie franchise. The “Machine Gun” part was me just being quirky. I wasn’t sure music would be a full-blown thing for me, but my friends encouraged me to write more rhymes.
When did it become a full-blown thing for you?
The first time I recorded a rap. I went from Onitsha to Enugu to record two verses, one in Igbo, the other in English. My friends liked both, but particularly the Igbo version.
Three months later, the late DJ Real, the engineer who recorded that studio session, told me he played the song for Wizboyy, and the man wanted to work with me. His song was supposed to feature N.I.G.G.A. Raw, but he wasn’t around, and Wizboyy needed to submit it to his management ASAP. I wasted no time and travelled to Enugu to record a feature on Owu Sa Gi off his 2008 “New Face of My Story” album.
I was 16 years old, and that was my second time in a recording studio. It’s a special moment I look back on whenever I second guess whether I’m in the right profession.
What was it like in the studio with Wizboyy?
I was nervous, but he acknowledged my recording was nice and kept it moving. He already had hits like Screensaver, but our jam did better and sealed his street credibility. After that, I became his backup artist and hype man.
Owu Sa Gi gave me a soft landing in the music industry. Without it, it’d have been more challenging.
How soft?
Well, I moved to Lagos in 2014 to live with Wizboyy and get closer to the music industry. Then a guy signed me on a five-year record deal, and I moved in with him. My focus shifted from balancing music with everything from marketing to content creation to fully recording music. He and the rest of the team handled the business side.
My name and music entered the mainstream through cosigns from Flavour and Phyno. That would’ve been the best time to make a debut album. But I parted ways with the label after a year and went back to dropping songs on my own.
What happened?
Some people wanted to invest in my music, but the founder/CEO who signed me didn’t like the deal. I didn’t present us as a team to the investors. Later, I realised I should’ve made it clear I was already signed. But I was young, impatient and carried away by the sway of the investors.
The problem I had with the label guy was he never shared his plans with me. I couldn’t sign with the investors because the label’s lawyers were after me. For the next three years, I fought the situation with the Holy Spirit, fasting and prayers, while my manager handled all future contracts. The whole thing gave me anxiety and PTSD.
What did you do after?
I dropped Ogene featuring Flavour (2016), and it became my first big song. Then I contacted the former label to see if we could take it from where we left off, but that conversation didn’t go far. He wanted a cut of my royalties for the rest of my career. I got the vibe that working with him again would be stressful, so I let it go.
Did you consider making an album after the success of “Ogene”?
No. I focused on putting out more singles to keep up the momentum. The second time I tried to make an album was in 2019, but I had another blocker. I started smoking, and it affected my vocals. When it was time to record, I had to do multiple takes. I went to an ENT (Ears, Nose & Throat) hospital, but the doctor said nothing was wrong. I went to see another health professional and paid for treatment but didn’t get better.
Ahh. What did you do in the end?
I had to be patient with my voice. I’d take a verse a couple of times, and if it wasn’t giving me what I wanted, I left it and did something else.
I’m curious how you became a smoker
One of my friends always wanted me to smoke with him, but I declined until one day in 2018. I had a flight to catch and needed to quickly figure out the intro for Stainless before heading to the airport. Nothing hit. The friend was there, and he persuaded me to smoke first. I took two puffs and recorded the thing sharply. It became a thing I did whenever I wanted to record.
But now, it’s a once-in-a-while recreational thing.
When were you able to get back on track?
By 2022, it hit me that I still didn’t have an album. I looked back at all my years in the game. No body of work, just singles.
I had to make an album, and it had to be something different. Most of my early songs are up-tempo and fast-paced. I decided to make calmer songs to show another part of myself, and the producers were in sync. Features from Mayorkun, Chike and Mohbad came easily, so it took two months to get the album ready.
My first album, Sound Check, dropped in 2023, 17 years after I entered the music scene. But I’m proud I could finally pull it off.
A few weeks after the album came out in 2023, someone heard Medicine After Death, which featured Mohbad, and commented that it was the last time we’d hear Mohbad. It was a sad and painful comment that hit me hard. So I announced a challenge to get music producers to drop their remixes. We compiled the best entries into an EP and released it in December.
A new listener may find the title intriguing, but it’s a love song. I wrote and recorded the hook first but didn’t like how it sounded, so I sent it to Mohbad. We’d been talking about creating together for a while. He liked it, and we recorded the song the same way I wrote it.
What’s happening in Ibadan? You’ve shot a lot of content there recently
Ibadan is one of the most respected cities in the Southwest. But I hadn’t been there before. I visited to connect with its people and get familiar with the city. And I realised I could be myself there the same way I’d be in the East. I was able to make content for a song called Gangan, a fusion of talking drum beats and amapiano. It’s coming soon.
You have an open closeness with fellow artists — Falz, Mayorkun — that’s rare among Nigerian musicians
I pay attention to personality. It’s easier to connect with genuine people that way. Getting close to Mayorkun took a while. He’s the type to take his time, but once he connects with you, he’s your guy 100%. I like Falz because he tries to be on the side of what’s right. Ephemerals like money and clout don’t have a hold on him. That’s a great thing.
When should we expect the next album?
My sophomore album is ready. I have three projects coming out this year: Pressure, Black Pink and Six Pack.
After that, I want to work on something more detailed and personal: a story about my origin and journey. I want to channel the same energy into my stagecraft. I want it to be as great as my songs, powerfully capturing their essence. I also plan to explore my fashion side with some merch in the works.
Which artists are you feeling right now?
Ratty, Kolaboy, Laxxy, Hugo P, Ugoccie, Paragon Qtm, BeePee and Bkay! I like Jeriq too. He makes himself available for meaningful collaborations and is always on the move. I respect that.
These guys have enjoyable flow and delivery. These are qualities those on the come-up can emulate. Not every listener understands your language, but they’ll connect to it based on how you present it. You have to be intentional.
