As work resumed this new year, so did the music industry. The music release window has opened, and artists are back, pushing out fresh content. These songs are some of the best Afrobeats jams the first week of 2024 has to offer.
Bump this:
Better — Jaido P
Jaido P’s latest song, Better, went live as we crossed into 2024. No saviour is coming for him, Jaido commits to making his life his full responsibility. Regardless of his background, he’s motivated because he’s alive. There’s hope to do and become better. This is positive energy to start the year.
Look My Opps — Laxy-BBK
Abuja artist, Laxy-BBK, started the year with a drill tune and visuals titled Look My Opps. His energy is competitive but still sounds feel-good, keeping the bars loose enough to get the chicks jamming, party vibing and provide enough pump for the hustlers.
DON’T KNOW — Eniola Havoc
With a knack for clever punchlines and a combination of Yorùbá and English, Eniola Havoc takes strides in his music journey, not greeing for unbelievers and competition. DON’T KNOW is the most introspective and second track off his three-pack single, WITH LOVE, FROM BANDO.
James Bond — Jujuboy, Banx & Ranx and Harley
Aristokrat Records signee, Jujuboy, finds chemistry with Canadian production duo, Banx & Ranx, and Villeneuve-Saint-Georges-based artist, Harley, to flaunt their coolness and charisma. The sound on this track flirts with Afrobeats and rap — a fun anthem for fly guys.
Hustle — Sola
Patience drives Sola, but her eyes are glued on hustle — there’s money to get. Yet Hustle is a serenading Afrobeats jam about praying for grace, reminding us that cash rules everything.
EL Chapo — Reechdee ft. Ice Prince
Although El Chapo is a convicted criminal, his glorified, white-washed name pops up in too many lyrics and references. Burgeoning artist, Reechdee links with veteran rapper, Ice Prince, to floss about luxury and the rich guy lifestyle, drawing comparisons with Chapo. Hearing Ice Prince spit on this Afro-swing jam after he dropped his latest solo release, Woke, in December 2023, it seems he’s gearing up to become active in music again.
I Go Dey — Lyta ft. Moyo Payne
After dropping Correct, in December 2023, Lyta has put out another serenading love song that promises availability and commitment. It features fellow street-pop act, Moyo Payne, who closes the song.
Growing up in a Christian Nigerian home in the 90s to early 2000s meant you listened to certain gospel songs over and over again. We all sang along to these tunes during weekend chores, and danced choreographies to them in church or at end of the year parties.
Come, Let’s Praise the Lord — Panam Percy Paul
Panam Percy Paul released Bring Down the Glory 2 (God of War) in 1989, and its first song, Come, Let’s Praise the Lord, instantly became the go-to for choreography presentations in schools and churches. Once upon a time, at this time of the year, kids across Nigeria would be rehearsing their synchronised moves to the gospel worship song.
Akanchawa — Princess Njideka Okeke
Akanchawa is an Igbo gospel song that was popular across households in the South-East and Lagos. The title means “The hands that bring good things”, a reference to God’s hands. Akanchawa is the first track on Princess Njideka Okeke’s Ministration Worship Part 1 album. Almost every Nigerian mum had the audio CD and played it on Saturday mornings.
Apata Ayeraye — Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (Surulere District)
The Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church choir, Surulere, Lagos, released their Oke Mimo album in 1991. Apata Ayeraye which means “rock of ages” in Yoruba, was a standout hit for most families throughout the 90s. The worship song interpolates from the popular Yorùbá hymnof the same name.
Opelope Anointing — Dunni Olanrewaju
Every Sunday morning before rice and stew, this song was the tonic. If you grew up in a Christian Yorùbá home in the early 2000s, there’s no way you escaped this song. The titular track on Dunni Olanrewaju’s Opelope Anointing (2000) became a pop statement for gratitude and escaping adversity. The filling station closed immediately after they sold me fuel? Opelope anointing.
Chioma Jesus — Amaka Okwuoha
In 2003, Amaka Okwuoha released her hit song, Chioma Jesus, under New Jerusalem Music. She performed the song in Igbo with her iconic high-pitched vocals backed with heavy keyboard and drums. Chioma Jesus became such a hit that the singer is still referred to as “Chioma Jesus” today.
Oga Eme — Rosemary Chukwu
In 2008 and 2009, you couldn’t travel from Lagos to the South-East for Christmas and back without hearing this jam. It was a favourite for bus drivers and Igbo mothers alike. Oga Eme is fast-tempo and full of traditional Igbo music elements.
Baba Mimo Mowa Sope — Tope Alabi
Baba Mimo Mowa Sope (2001) is one of Tope Alabi’s classics and most diverse records. The praise song has a Makossa sound that sampled Magic System’s 1er Gaou (1999). It wasn’t just a turn-up jam in Christian circles, it was the ultimate birthday party favourite. Back then, the best dancer to this song always got sweet and biscuit. What a period.
Igwe — Midnight Crew
The year was 2008 when a music quartet called Midnight Crew stormed the country with Igwe, their multi-lingual gospel hit. It was recognisable instantly from its beat drop — the perfect ringtone material. If Midnight Crew, made up of Patricia Uwaje-King, Odunayo Ojo-Onasanya, Mike Abdul and Gbenga Oyebola, put this out today, it’d be a TikTok bop.
Olori Oko — Infinity
Infinity arrived in the era when Nigerian Gospel music was experimenting with diverse genres to bridge creativity with spirituality. Although Olori Oko came out in 2006, it’s an evergreen gospel bop today.
Ijoba Orun — Lara George
Lara George’s 2008 debut album, Forever In My Heart, gave us the hit single, Ijoba Orun, which has since become the Nigerian church’s call-to-action for those seeking to become “born again”. Ijoba Orun is a mellow and soulful cut, and Lara did absolute justice to it with her skilled vocals.
Opomulero — Angel
As a kid, Opomulero (2009) by Angel signalled gospel music’s complete shift from the stereotype to elements of secular pop instrumentals and delivery. Opomulero didn’t just eat as a party jam, it was the go-to for choreography presentations across Nigerian primary and secondary schools.
Joy, Joy, Joy — Destined Kids
“Joy, joy, joy in my heart is ringing” was on the lips of every kid when it came out in 2008. The Iwueze siblings (Favour, Rejoice, Joshua, Best and Caleb) had everywhere in a chokehold when they debuted with Joy Joy Joy, the first volume of their gospel music installations.
One morning, toward the end of November, rising Nigerian artist, Vasa, woke up to find he was trending on TikTok. A video in which he performed his latest song, Treasure, had garnered over 300k likes on the popular platform.
Vasa — coined out of “versatility” — dropped the emotive song, Treasure, on November 10, 2023, in an attempt to stretch his bright beginning. Just four months before that, he’d dropped his two-single coming-of-age debut, which showed us a glimpse of his storytelling skills.
We look into his budding music career, how it all started, the viral TikTok moment and his upcoming EP.
Vasa
18-year-old Vasa, born Freedom Alli, was born in Benue State and raised in Lagos. Since age nine, he has gravitated toward the arts and creativity. He first expressed himself as a sketch artist then a creative writer whose friends paid him to tell them stories.
By age 14, he’d directed most of his creative energy into songwriting and music. In 2020, when Vasa turned 15, he started posting freestyles and covers on his Instagram page. His consistency positioned him in many people’s feeds and faces, including his dancer-friends, one of whom forwarded the posts to Ize Records in 2023. The label signed Vasa soon after.
In August, Vasa put out his official debut. The first, Bolanle, talked about young lovers who couldn’t let go of each other. The second, Teriza, had Vasa serenading listeners with an upbeat Afropop tune about his romantic desires and moments with his love interest. Next, he released a sped-up version of each song to optimise for TikTok.
Then came Treasure, a follow-up to Bolanle. Blending heartwarming vocals with moody mid-tempo R&B, Vasa’s writing abilities soar. Professing his steadfast desire for his love interest, his persona on the song showcases the sheer significance of vulnerability as a bonding tool in relationships. As he echoes her identity as his “treasure”, his gentle vocals soothe the listener’s tension and the percussion glides the song to a crescendo.
In November, Vasa gained much-needed visibility. More people are tuned into his music than ever, with his songs and music videos gaining traction on TV and radio. Treasure is currently on Apple Music’s East Africa Risers Shazam Top 200 and Viral Top 50 on Spotify.
Vasa
As he progresses, Vasa maintains an unwavering commitment to his love for music, focusing on recording his first full-length project. “It’s an EP I’ve been preparing for next year (2024). I can’t wait for people to hear that I’m versatile and good”.
The release could be a significant milestone in his career if it captivates listeners and further showcases his growth as an artist.
Afrobeats remains a global top boy with the closing of 2023. But as we head into 2024, it should take some things much more seriously if it wants to stay ahead.
Giving full credit
Nobody will go hungry if everyone involved in creating a song is fully credited for their contribution. In fact, everyone eats — from producer to songwriter to graphic designer. Let’s take metadata seriously from now on, please.
Owning our narrative
Nigerians may love grass-to-grace stories, but for how long will afrobeats musicians from privileged backgrounds keep up that facade? There’s no shame in having a billionaire dad or respected family name, beloved, nor is there shame in being a trust fund kid. So own it.
Leaving Amapiano for the owners
Shout out to Nigerians for borrowing the beautiful South African sound and making memorable, chart-climbing hits out of it. But it’s time to focus on our many sons of Afrobeats. Because TBH, we’re tired of log drums.
More unique looks
Not everytime locs. Sometimes, Tuface or Portable style.
Clear samples
There’s no gain in waiting until lawyers write you, or your song is taken down from streaming platforms, to pay up for illegal sampling. Get permission and clear samples before using copyrighted material in your music.
No to fake PR
People need to stop fake dying or pulling other unnecessary promotional stunts. Maybe get a creative director to do organic, professional work with you instead.
No more comparison
Pitting artists against each other will never be cool, nor will disrespecting your colleague’s work. Artists should just stay away from fan drama. Or address them to kill the flames of stan wars.
Seyi Vibez has put out three projects in 2023 alone: Vibe Till Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Kingdom Come and his latest, NAHAMciaga EP — which drops on the first anniversary of his Billion Dollar Baby 2.0 album.
On December 1, he released his new EP on Deezer and Tidal alone. Seven days later, he finally put the project on other streaming platforms, and I got to listen. I’ve now rinsed it over ten times even though it’s eleven minutes long.
Image source: BellaNaija
The culmination of his back-to-back releases has solidified that Seyi Vibez holds the secrets to street hits. In this write-up, we’ve taken notes to give you the clear-cut recipe.
Image source: BellaNaija
Before you pick up your pen and paper (or whatever you take notes with), you should know you need significant competence in your mother tongue. To be a voice of the streets, you must be in sync with the local audience.
Most of Seyi Vibez’s music is in Yorùbá. But don’t forget you need to spit in a few more languages. He spoke Xhulu on Hushpuppi. In Highlife Interlude featuring Phyno, he sang in Pidgin English, Yorùbá and Igbo!
Image source: Nairaland
Next, when you get in the booth, work with a music producer you’ve grown up as Siamese twins with. Seyi and Dibs Tunez created hits like Man of The Year, Hat-trick, Chance (Na Ham), Professor and more together. If you have their kind of synergy with your producer, nothing can box you. From Highlife to Apala, Fuji, Afropop, and Amapiano, Seyi has built a solid CV on the back of this relationship. Even Indian sounds aren’t left out; he executed them well on Psalm 23.
If people made you lead praise and worship whether you liked it or not as a kid, send them money today. According to his lyrics on Kingdom, Seyi was once in a Quranic school for nine years and he’s better for it. His Psalm 23 covers everything from BBLs and pleasing women to his singing skills, and at the core, his quest for divine protection. Apply your Bible or Quran knowledge to your music. Asides from hacking the substantial religious demography, this is a smooth way to convince your parents about your music dreams. They love God, and you love music; everyone is happy.
Image source: Bella Naija
Don’t forget choral effects and sonorous background vocalists like Nelly Baradi, who harmonises on Seyi’s songs.
Once you’ve added these ingredients, your music is set to blow and the street is yours. But if it still doesn’t work out, don’t panic. Check your swag. Fix a gold grill and add more XXL clothes to your wardrobe.
Portable, AKA Dr. Zeh, is one of the most talked about artist in the Nigerian music scene at the moment, after he made a random appearance at the British Fashion Awards 2023 with Skepta.
Since he burst into the industry in December 2021, he’s kept his name in the news and on people’s lips. Born Habeeb Okikiola, Portable is a controversial figure, but that’s exactly what feeds his continued relevance. To understand how he’s captivated a mainstream audience, this is a timeline of his journey.
December 2021: Sango Ota to Lagos
It was a different December for Portable in 2021. A social-media personality known as Don Blu posted a video of Portable singing ZaZoo Zehh, a freestyle, on Instagram and Snapchat. Many viewers found it funny and thought he was just another local artist looking for fame. But the freestyle made the rounds on the internet and reached popular street-dancer, PocoLee, who heard a potential end-of-year jam. Upon request, Don Blu facilitated the link-up between Portable and Poco Lee. Next thing, YBNL boss, Olamide, asked Portable to pull up to Lekki, Lagos.
On December 14, 2021, they dropped the audio (produced by P.Priime) and music video (directed by TG Omori). ZaZoo Zehh became one of the breakthrough Nigerian songs of 2021, and barely 72 hours later, Portable climbed the Livespot X stage to perform his hit with Olamide and PocoLee. Wizkid joined them on this stage to spray Portable with dollar bills. Four days after, Portable was dragging Poco Lee online for “ripping” him. He stated that he owns the song and should rightfully be credited as the primary artist instead of “PocoLee feat. Portable & Olamide”. Portable also claimed that Poco only gave him $600 out of the $3000 Wizkid sprayed.
Image source: X.com
Next thing, Kogbagidi (born Quadri Taored), a show promoter Portable used to call his “helper” sent him packing from his house. In the video Kogbagidi posted on his page, he called the “$3000” Poco Lee’s money and told Portable to return to his village in Sango Ota, Ogun State. As some guys packed Portable’s belongings out, Kogbagidi blamed them for not monitoring Portable in his absence.
The drama generated online sympathy from music lovers and artists like Slimcase, who took to Instagram to plead for Portable.
Portable apologised to Poco Lee, Kogbagidi and Olamide, asking them to forgive him for the earlier flare-up. Kogbagidi and Portable made up, but soon after, they had another clash about cars and contracts. In a video that surfaced online, Portable held a baseball bat, complaining about being cheated, while Kogbagidi begged him. They made up yet again. But on Jahbless’s “Original Intelligence” podcast in January 2022, Portable announced that the relationship ended.
January – April 2022: Billboard charts and U.K. debut
On January 5, 2022, ZaZoo Zehh debuted at number 14 on Billboard Top Triller Global Charts. On January 19, he released All Eyes On Me featuring Barry Jhay, and Neighbour with Small Doctor on the 29th. On February 11, Portable released his Zazuu Zeh EP and spent the next two months consistently putting out songs and features. In April, Portable performed at AY’s Easter show and went with socialite and 5-Star Records owner, E-Money, to the U.K. for shows in Peckham, Birmingham and Manchester.
May – July 2022: Zeh Nation is born and Headies drama
In May, Portable posted a certificate of incorporation for a new record label called Zeh Nation Limited on Instagram. The Headies 2022 nominee list came out on May 24, and Portable was in the Rookie of the Year category alongside Fave AV, Ugoccie and Magixx. He was also nominated for the Best Street-Hop category with Bella Shmurda, Mohbad, Naira Marley and Goya Menor.
On May 25th, Portable threatened to cause harm to other nominees if he didn’t win the awards. The Headies asked him to retract his statement and tender an apology. Instead, he offered a back-handed apology, claiming they knew his attitude before they nominated him.
On July 18, Portable called himself the founder of cult group, One Million Boys, and The Headies swiftly disqualified him from all categories.
August 2022: Chief of Zeh Nation
On August 22, Oba Olabode Thomas-Fagbayi (Onitigbo of Tigbo-Ilu) conferred upon Portable the chieftaincy title, Amuludun of Tigbo, Aworiland, an area in Yewa Local Government, Ogun State. He posted videos of his coronation ceremony on Instagram, and days later, he signed his first artist, Olamzzy, to Zeh Nation.
September – December 2022: International shows, album drop and coffin entrance
Portable went from losing a South African gig due to his social media fights in September, to performing in Germany and Italy in October, where he claimed to have faced extortion and escaped death. On November 25, he released his album, Ika of Africa, a few days after he signed Youngy Duu to Zeh Nation. And on December 28, Portable arrived in a coffin to Portable Live In Concert at Fela’s Shrine, Lagos — his debut show as the main act.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyCvIcbhAgs\
April 2023: A prison-inspired hit
On March 30, police officers were at Portable’s Odogwu Bar in Sango Ota for unspecified reasons. The artist took to his IG story and claimed they came to assault him. The following day, he ended up in police custody. On April 3, the court granted bail after he met some conditions.
Four days after his release, he put out the viral hit, Am Not a Prisoner.
August 2023: Terry G link-up and U.S. tour
Portable and Terry G released Ogbafia on August 16, 2023, after their viral link-up. Soon after, Portable and his wife, Omobewaji, hosted a ceremony to celebrate the first anniversary of his chieftaincy title. He later announced his United States tour to run from September 8, 2023 to March 23, 2024.
November 2023: The sophomore album
Portable released his second studio album, Anikuleti Street Don Jazzy (meaning the Don Jazzy of Anikuleti Street), on November 24, 2023. Although there’s no noise around it, Dr. Zeh is still on his U.S. tour as of the date of publishing.
December 2023: Skepta link-up and Brit Fashion Award
It came as a surprise to many when Nigerian-British artist, Skepta, asked for Portable’s whereabouts on his IG story and X. On December 5, the rapper posted a photo of Portable’s reserved seat at the 2023 British Fashion Awards before they both pulled up to the function.
Image source: X.com
Knowing how Skepta moves, he ended up making a record titled “Tony Montana” with Portable. The music video was released on March 1st on YouTube.
In the Nigerian music industry, most copyright infringement cases go unpunished. But on November 22, 2023, the Nigerian proverb, “Everyone is a culprit. But the one caught on the day is a thief,” latched onto former NATIVE Records artist, Smada.
SMADA EH! vs Hamba Wena
In April 2023, Smada posted a video in which he was hanging with Poco Lee at Obi’s House. In October, the two made another video that went viral. In it, Poco and Smada sang along to a short but infectious “Smada eh, Smada ah” snippet.
Soon, the X timeline was filled with requests for them to release the song. But many South African and Nigerian listeners were furious at the snippet and remarked that it was a copy of Deep London’s Hamba Wena. Unconcerned, Smada released SMADA EH! featuring Poco Lee and producer-DJs, Smeez and Dean, on October 27th. Smada performed the still trending song in public for the first time on November 4, 2023, and on November 7, he kicked off a promo challenge that helped it gain even more traction.
The copyright infringement and imitation comments from South African and Nigerian music listeners too, while other Nigerians maintained that Amapiano “belongs to us now”. Even Nigerian producer, Killer Vybez, tweeted that Nigeria doesn’t recognise copyright.
On November 23, Deep London quoted one of Smada’s promo tweets with “Can you please at least respect South Africans?” In a subsequent quote, he promised to take legal steps against Smada. The following day, he posted a statement that included a suit against Smada for copyright infringement. On November 29, Deep London posted that SMADA EH! had been removed from all digital music platforms. As of December 4, Smada still performs the song.
To understand how copyright infringement works in the music industry, we spoke with Nigerian entertainment, intellectual property and data protection lawyer, Lola Oyedele. She explained the infringement in Smada’s case and what the situation means for the African music scene.
Good vs bad interpolation
Lola: Interpolation is when a song is re-recorded, note by note, copying the basic composition. Artists do this when they don’t have enough money to pay the owner to sample the original song. However, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay to interpolate it. It’s just a cheaper alternative. You still have to get a mechanical license, and you have to give credit.
Sampling is taking an original composition and using it as is in an entirely new song.
Smada interpolated both the beat and melody of Hamba Wena in his song, SMADA EH!. Anyone who doesn’t know who Smada is will hear “Smada ah, Smada eh” and assume Deep London and Boohle made a remix of Hamba Wena.
But none of the money earned off SMADA EH! goes to the South Africans who created the original composition.
Copyright infringement
Lola: What Smada did on his song is copyright infringement because he copied someone’s work without permission. The moment you use and commercialise someone’s creation, it’s an infringement. The only exception in the Nigerian Copyright Act 2023 is in cases of fair use — writing your thesis or news articles with footnotes, you don’t need express permission to do so.
If Smada didn’t get express permission to use the musical composition, there’s no reason why the matter should be taken lightly. That’s somebody’s intellectual property, so he needs to pay.
How Smada could’ve avoided legal drama
Lola: When you plan to use someone else’s work in your music, you should write to them first. They may charge a fee or ask for credit as the original owner of the song. Some also demand a percentage of the music sales.
When it gets legal
Lola: Most unestablished artists use copyrighted work without authorisation because they don’t expect that their songs would exceed five or ten cities, so the original creator may never hear about the used composition.
As a lawyer working with an established artist whose music has been used without permission, I’d write to the unestablished artist saying, “I know your probably didn’t think the song would have a huge traction or reach, but here we are now. What do you want to do about it?” If my legal team decides not to take “sorry”, the next thing to do is pull down the song. But the drama doesn’t end there. My legal team would state which part of our client’s copyright suffered infringement. Smada is earning from the stolen music. “Smada, eh, Smada, ah” is all over on the internet, and he’s getting paid; it doesn’t matter if it’s just a naira or two.
I’m not sure how it’ll go in Smada’s case, but ideally, he should pay the original creators a percentage of every dime he’s earned from the song. As the infringed artist’s lawyer, I wouldn’t take a one-time fee. People are even using the catchphrase as a joke.
The song will be on the internet forever.
If negotiations don’t work, the last resort is to go to court. Court proceedings would happen in the defendant’s jurisdiction or where the infringement occurred. So, in Lagos, Nigeria, where Smada made his record. This case is a civil suit because it’s a matter of intellectual property (IP). The consideration and ruling rests finally on the judge, and the new Nigerian copyright law (2022) is stricter than ever. If Smada’s team can prove they didn’t infringe, no problem. But a case like this can drag, depending on the infringed artist’s label or whichever company might own the original musical composition. The company will institute the action against Smada.
What to do when you’re about to sample or interpolate a song you like
Lola: Don’t incorporate what isn’t yours into your work. It’s alright for inspiration, but learn to get credit. Reach out to the artist, no matter how established they are. There are many internet-savvy entertainment lawyers like Foza Fawehinmi you can also approach.
I work with Teni. Some artists from different places have reached out to use her song, and we gave them out Pro Bono.
What this means for the African creative industry moving forward
Lola: Some artists may find it harder to clear songs, and it may mean tighter copyright laws depending on the location.
Whether 2023 has been your year or it’s nothing like you wished for, you’ve tried what you can and you’re still standing as a new year approaches.
As we prepare to round up the year and welcome the holidays, take time to reflect and big-up yourself with these celebratory Nigerian songs that popped up on the radar in 2023.
Man of the Year — Seyi Vibez
Seyi Vibez is one of the most talked about artists in Nigeria this year due to his incredible three-project run this year. Thy Kingdom Come, the last of the projects, opened with Man of the Year. As Seyi throws his usual worship style on the song and lays claims at having the best year, he states the sky is enough for everyone to fly. This jam is for you to boastfully say you’re the man of the year while you motivate others they can be the men of the year too.
OVER DEM — Davido
“If dem wan turn Goliath, I be David for life,” Davido sings as he declares his dominion over haters. Not to sound like an opp, but this can also be a prayer point against Nigeria. The country can be the weapon fashioned against its people.
Eyes — Reminisce feat. Mayorkun
Reminisce grabbed Mayorkun for the opening chorus on his new album, Alaye Toh Se Gogo. Mayorkun starts by singing about the pressure he’s passed through to become somebody. Reminisce complimented this effort with two solid verses about determination and persistence. If 2023 has shown you a lot of shege, the song Eyes is the best recap of an interesting 2023.
Sunshine — Asake
“Sun gon’ shine on everything you do,” Asake sings on Sunshine, the fourth track on his sophomore Work of Art. As the choral vocals press against the log drums, the song hits on resilience and the promise of rest after work. So sit back and enjoy your 2023 wins. You’ve tried.
Sability — Arya Starr
Self-confidence is one of the best and most admirable qualities everyone should aspire to. Arya Starr knows this and turned it into an anthem.
City Boys — Burna Boy
When you finally realise your beauty, strengths and steeze, you see yourself bigger and better. From the J Hus’ intro speech to Burna Boy’s message about enjoying soft life, City Boys admonishes you to flex around your city this end of the year and live your life to the max.
Oloun — PayBac Boro feat. Payper Corleone
Even if you don’t get all you wished for, never stop fighting for them. In a painstaking but fired-up, passionate delivery, rappers PayBac and Payper Corleone swear that they must blow up and have the flyest things.
Keep optimism with you, fam.
BEZOS — BlaqBonez
With faith, Blaqbonez walks and believes that today may be challenging, but tomorrow, he may also be as rich as Jeff Bezos. This is the reality of life, and it can happen to anyone (who isn’t sitting down, lazy and entitled sha). Moreover, this is Nigeria, and the idea of waking up and blowing tomorrow morning is the delulu we need.
Holy Ghost — Omay Lay
First, let me say that I hope Omah Lay is doing alright wherever he is. Secondly, thanks to him for this emotional piece that kicks against inferiority complex. 2023 might shake your morale, but you can dance in 2024 with the assurance that the supernatural will boost your confidence. This song is consuming and uplifting.
Party No Dey Stop — Adekunle Gold feat. Zinoleesky
It’s the end of the year, and the title of this jam should be taken literally. Drink up and dance away. But don’t spend all you have on party o. 2024 is just a few weeks away, and saving will help you avoid the shege in the beginning of the year.
Press play.
It’s been three years since the veteran Nigerian Highlife musician Flavour put out a full-length project. But the album break is coming to an end with his forthcoming album, African Royalty.
Although Flavour announced the album on Friday, November 17th, he only just shared the album artwork and tracklist on his social media on November 23, 2023; his birthday.
This is everything we know about the upcoming album.
The early hints
In October, Flavour posted a clip of himself and The Cavemen in the studio, which he signaled “Album mode”. On November 2nd, he finally asked us with his chest if we were ready for his new album.
The ginger in my body this month eh! 😆 Are you people ready for album or I should wait small?
This upcoming album is Flavour’s eighth studio album, coming three years after Flavour of Africa. Aside from the gospel-like titles he has released including Uplifted (2010), Blessed (2012), Thankful (2014) and Divine (2018) — Flavour has always tilted towards indigenous themes. See N’abania (his debut in 2005) and Ijele the Traveller (2017). After several years of moderating traditional-inspired Igbo sound and Highlife music, there’s almost no doubt that African Royalty is a level-up on his previous works.
Artwork and tracklist
The African Royalty announcement was accompanied bythe official album artwork and tracklist. This new project has 12 tracks, his shortest album since N’abania (2005) and Divine (2018).
Features
African Royalty features just three acts including Ejyk Nwamba, a popular Ogene musician in South-East Nigeria. The Cavemen is on it too — we can call this the meet of Highlife maestros. The third guest artist on the album is Efya from Ghana . These features seem very intentional. Bring it on, Mr. Flavour.
Release date
African Royalty will be released on December 2, 2023. Just in time for the holidays.
Singles
I’m a bit surprised his latest hit, Ndi Ike didn’t make it to the album, but I think it has built enough anticipation. Flavour noted that the lead single of the album, Big Baller, willdrop on Friday, November 24, 2023. But I’m a little lost because Game Changer, a single he released on December 2, 2022 is also on the album. Anyway, the lead single is what the artist says it is.
