Ladies, gents and non-binary friends, it’s another Friday. We won, guys; no capitalism for two whole days! Small victory, but a victory nonetheless. To celebrate this short break, here are some of the songs that popped on my radar this week that you should definitely add to your playlist.
Please don’t say I didn’t do anything for you.
Jaiye Foreign — Zinoleesky and Tiwa Savage
One of the best parts about Tiwa Savage’s career is her ability to serve range back to back. Are you looking for ballads? She’s got you with Olorun Mi. Are you down to get the party rocking? Best believe Koroba and Diet will be on your DJ’s setlist.
Teaming up with one of the hottest stars of the moment, Zinoleesky, for Jaiye Foreign, Tiwa shows that versatility yet again. Zinoleesky feels at home with that amapiano bassline in the background he’s known for, but Ms. Savage’s vocals steal the show for me.
Hey! — Aylø and Tera Kora
There’s nothing like knowing your sound as a musician, cultivating that sound and just killing it time after time. While Aylø might not be the most popular by-product of the alté crossover from SoundCloud to the music charts, his reggae-influenced sound and distinct tone have always gotten my attention.
On his latest single, Hey!, Aylø seems to be searching for answers, and like most Nigerians, he turns to prayer. His prayer might not be directed at any deity in particular, but his longing makes me pray they get answered soon.
If there’s one thing AV will do on a song, it’s give you a memorable opening line. On his 2021 breakout hit, Big Thug Boys, he started with, “If you get a woman, hold am tight o,” warning everyone that he’s not above scattering relationships. And on F.D.P with DJ Tunez, it’s, “How many kele man go fit knack oh?”
While AV doesn’t necessarily sing about anything new on F.D.P, it’s still about having women in different area codes, but his melodies over DJ Tunez and Kulboy’s mid-tempo beats provide the perfect party starter.
Selah — Morachi
I wasn’t the only one Morachi had in a chokehold when he dropped Hapuya Lyke That way back in 2007. Waists were whining, and backs were breaking on the dance floor — or at least in my room — every time the song came on.
However, on Selah, Morachi’s new single, we get to experience a different side of the artist. The beat has been slowed down to allow Morachi flex his loverboy muscles without distractions, and boy, does he eat up this song. I love a good rebrand or, in this case, evolution, so I’m totally here for this soft and romantic version of Morachi.
No Closure — Mannywellz
Please, if you’re the one that served Mannywellz’ breakfast, kindly step forward. Since dropping his 2020 EP, Mirage, Mannywellz has constantly sang about heartbreak, finally loving himself on A Million with Wale, and letting go of relationship baggage onPeace with Tems.
On No Closure, Mannywellz finds himself at the heartbreak bus stop one more time. While he sings about dancing to celebrate the end of a relationship, there’s a high chance he’ll be back singing about heartbreak again in a couple of weeks. Pele my dear.
When a record label decides to put out a collaboration with most of its artists, the song either becomes a massive hit, an underwhelming miss or just a chaotic mess. From rebranded labels like Mo’Hits to artist-led labels like DMW, we ranked some of the collaborations to come out of Nigerian record labels.
Booty Call — Mo Hits All Stars
Somebody needs to check on Wande Coal because it couldn’t have been easy carrying one of Mo Hits’ biggest hits on his vocal chords. Even though it’s been 15 years since Booty Call dropped, no other record label collaboration has been able to beat this iconic jam.
A part of me just wishes they’d been representation for small booties on this song. #LittleBootysMatter
Overloading — Mavin
Is Overloading high up my list because it’s new? Or is it high up because I still can’t get over Ayra Starr rhyming “Trips to L.A, taking photographs” with “If it’s signed by me, then it’s an autograph”? The truth is, you’ll never know.
Raba — G Worldwide
Kizz Daniel might be stealing the hearts of aunties and mummies all around the world right now, but before Buga and Barnabas, Kizz was a part of G-Worldwide alongside Sugarboy. Even though the label fallout was messy AF! Their joint hit Raba will always slap like party jollof.
Mind — DMW
Davido’s DMW really had their feet on our necks in 2018. After putting out David’s If and Fall, Mayorkun’s Mama and Peruzzi’s feature on 2Face’s Amaka, DMW established itself as the label to beat. If you need a little reminder, listen to Mind again and you’d understand why 2018 was the year of DMW.
You can’t talk about Burna Boy’s journey from outsider to African giant without talking about his incredible musical relationship with producer Leriq. Comment Tu T’apelle is a classic example of this relationship even though it has other scene stealers like Dammy Krane and Ozone.
Baddest Boy — EME Records
After the success of Wizkid’s Superstar in 2011, Banky W went into full record label mode with EME records, putting out the label’s official compilation album, Empire Mates of Mind. While most of the songs were mid, Baddest Boy seemed to be the only collaboration that actually carried weight.
Pere — Mo Hits All Stars
You know a song is special when Don Jazzy decides to bless us with his vocals. In unrelated gist, the video for Pere is very on brand for early 2000s Nigerian music videos, complete with South African scenery and light-skinned video vixens — oops, the light-skinned video vixen part hasn’t changed sha.
Soco — Starboy
Wizkid really sat down and sang “Soco-Soco” for four minutes, sixteen seconds and we didn’t riot or fight him? Ayodeji, Nigerians deserved better than this.
Aje — DMW
Another DMW song that still sets the club on fire every time it comes on.
Get Down Tonight — EME Records
Get Down Tonight was as unforgettable as most of the songs on the Empire Mates of Mind album. It’s also very sus that most of the collaborations featuring the label’s biggest acts at the time didn’t feature their leading lady, Niyola.
Janta Manta — Mavin
The fact that Janta Manta even exists is a big problem for me. While I’m tempted to drag everyone on this song, I’ll leave out Reekado Banks, Di’Ja and Korede Bello because they were kids. Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, D’Prince and Dr. Sid on the other hand need to pay for their crimes because what is this song? And worse, what is this video?
Shoro Niyen — YBNL All Stars
No one even remembers this song exists. That’s all I’m going to say about this. Thanks and God bless.
Fireboy DML is killing it right now. Since he popped up in 2019 with Jealous, Fireboy has refused to lift his feet off our neck — but we’re not complaining.
Born Adedamola Adefolahan, Fireboy DML has become one of the biggest stars leading a new school of Afrobeat hitmakers. But how did he get here? Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
2017: Damola finds his way to Lagos
Every artist has the moment they made that big move to follow their dreams. Before becoming Fireboy DML, Damola Adefolahan packed his bags right after finishing from Obafemi Awolowo University and made his way to the chaotic city of Lagos. Squatting with a friend, he wrote music for other artists for the 10 months that followed, selling them for ₦30,000 – ₦50,000.
2018: Meeting Baddosneh, picking a new name and YBNL’s Mafia Family
After hustling in Lagos for a while, Damola meets the one and only, Olamide, popularly known on the streets as “Baddo”. With stars like Adekunle Gold and Lil Kesh already signed to YBNL, Olamide mentioned he was done signing new artists when he met Damola. But something about this guy’s sound caught his attention, and he had to do the needful.
After being signed to YBNL, Damola rebranded as Fireboy DML. The DML came from his name, Damola, while Fireboy was a nickname his friend called him, nothing profound. Now, I’m curious to know how Joseph Akinwala Akinfenwa-Donus became Joeboy, but I digress.
Despite coming out the year before, Fireboy DML’s Jealous went under the radar until its video dropped in March 2019, making the song inescapable.
June — October 2019: Back-to-back hits and a cameo at Wizkid’s concert
After Jealous became a nationwide hit, Fireboy dropped back-to-back bangers with What If I Say in June and my personal fave, King, in September.
As he does every year now, Wizkid shut down the O2 Arena, London, with Starboy Fest where he brought out 2019 breakout stars like Naira Marley, Teni, Oxlade and of course, Fireboy DML, for his first UK show — this guy didn’t even have an album or EP at this time.
November — December 2019: Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps scatters everywhere, literally
From Need You Now to Wait and See, LTG became a no-skips album and a mega-hit for an album with ZERO features.
The album packed so much energy that during the 2019 NativeLand concert in December 2019, one of the stages collapsed while Fireboy DML was singing Scatter. It was giving poetry.
things didn’t exactly go right at NATIVELAND ‘19 but i’m glad we could still vibe and have fun — massive thanks to all of you that came out for me and quick recovery to those that got hurt at the stampede.
In an Instagram post during the lockdown, Fireboy DML revealed that he’d been stuck at home baking banana bread making new music. And in another post in June, he stylishly gave us the lyrics to Spell featuring Wande Coal.
August 2020: Fireboy DML, ma pa mi nau!
Less than ten months after hitting us with Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps, Fireboy DML dropped his second album, Apollo, with hits like Eli, Champion, New York City Girl and his sexiest song yet, Tattoo.
December 2020: Closing out the year with collaborations
Fireboy DML closed out the year with features on Sere with DJ Spinall and Southy Love with Peruzzi. Whew!
April 2021: From Abeokuta to Jimmy Fallon
Showing that he’s not anybody’s mate, Fireboy DML makes his first international TV show appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, performing Champion and Vibration.
July – December 2021: San Francisco jamming or San Francisco, Germany?
We first got a glimpse of Fireboy DML’s next hit, Peru, when he posted this picture in a recording studio in San Francisco. Rumour has it that this is an image from the actual day Peru was recorded.
After teasing us, Peru dropped on July 21, and we all collectively lost our shit.
Fireboy DML closed out 2021 with a remix to Peru featuring Ed Sheeran in his afrobeat bag in a not-so-surprising twist. The song became a big hit, climbing the UK Charts like soft work.
February — March 2022: A playboy meets the Queen of Pop
Fireboy DML and Madonna weren’t names I expected to see on one song, but it happened, so there was that.
Not one to take breaks, Fireboy DML dropped his first official single of the year, Playboy, and everyone started barking “Ooof”.
June 2022: Fireboy DML cries in London and makes history in LA
Making his first appearance in Wembley Stadium, London, Fireboy DML got emotional after performing Peru alongside Ed Sheeran. Awwwww.
That same month, he made history as the first Nigerian act to perform on the main stage at the BET Awards.
July 2022: Album announcement and Bandana
On July 6, after months of guessing, Fireboy DML finally revealed that his new album would be called, Playboy. He eventually followed the announcement with the album’s new single, Bandana, and a feature from our latest obsession, Asake.
Today, August 5 2022: From jealous lover to bandana-wearing playboy
Fireboy DML’s third album, Playboy, officially drops, and for the third time in four years, we’re losing our shit all over again.
Skales might be one of Afropop’s most enduring figures, but not many people know the Booty Language singer started as a gospel singer. While he may have popped up on our radars as the smooth-talking rap scene-stealer during Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment’s golden era, Skales grew up with a mum who sold Ron Kenolly and Don Moen cassettes from her shop in Kaduna.
“The first non-gospel song that got my attention was Aaliyah’s Try Again,” Skales tells me during our interview. “Because of the chorus, I could pass it off as a gospel song. It inspired me to want to write my own songs.”
Over the years, Skales, born Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, has written many hits, from Shake Body and Selese, to Temper and N2s (Nobody to Somebody). With each song, Skales has shown he’s not afraid to try new sounds, even though he says he sometimes struggles with sharing them with the world.
But now, Skales is back with a remix to his hit song, Say You Bad (with 1Da Banton) and the deluxe version of his album, Sweet Distractions on the way.
I caught up with Skales for an interesting conversation about his discography. This man has come a long way from sampling John 3:16 on the first song he wrote as a child.
First song you wrote
Wow! I can’t really remember the title or verse, but I know it had something like, “For God so loved the world,” because I sampled John 3:16.
I used to listen to a lot of gospel music growing up, so it just made sense for my first attempt at music to be something gospel-related.
The song that took the longest to make
It has to be Shake Body. I was trying out a new sound, so I was unsure of the song. I think I recorded a different chorus and about six verses before deciding on the one that went out. Even when the song was done, I was too shy to play it for anyone else because this sound was all so new to me.
The song you wish more people listened to
I’ll say I Dey Miss You from the Sweet Distractions album which came out in February. I made the song for my wife when we were still dating and going through this period where I felt her pulling away from me. This artist, Imanse, had brought I Dey Miss You to me for a guest feature, but after I recorded it, I knew I wanted to put out my own version because I connected to it on a deeper level. I just wanted my girl to know I missed her.
It’s one song that, when I was done, I felt really proud of myself because of how beautiful it turned out to be.
Your surprise hit song
There are two songs, Shaku Shaku and the original version of Temper. I was so shy after recording Shaku Shaku that I gave it to DJ Prince and became the featured artist. I did so because I thought, bad as e bad, if people don’t like it, na feature dem feature me. LOL.
While the remix of Temper with Burna Boy is more popular in Nigeria, the original version has more global streams than the remix. I’m still shocked because I expected the remix to be a bigger streaming hit.
Hardest feature to get
I can’t think of one. It’s all vibes, and I have a mobile studio in my car, so when I’m vibing with another artist randomly, I’m like, “Let’s make this jam.” For example, This Your Song with Davido happened because I played him the beat backstage at a show where we were booked to perform.
I did the same thing with Wande Coal for Make Love in the Morning. We were on a jet to Yola for a show, and I was like, “Yo, man, let’s make a song.” I set up something with my studio engineer on that flight, and Wande freestyled his part while we were up in the air.
The song you’d recommend to someone trying to get into Skales’ music
I’d play Booty Language with Sarkodie. The story behind the song is pretty random because I was hanging out with some of my friends, and I asked this chick with a big bum, “How do you say booty in your language?”
Krisbeatz, the producer, was there, and we joked about making a song using that line. The next thing I knew, he sent over a beat, and I drove all the way from Lekki to Gbagada that day to record the song. I laugh every time I think about the origin of that song.
By the way, Sarkodie got featured on the song by chance. We were in opposite rooms in the same hotel during the One Africa concert in London, and he heard me playing the song. He liked it, recorded a verse and sent it the next day. I’d already shot the video, but I had to do a new one with him last minute.
Speaking of “How do you say booty in your language?” What’s the wildest lyric you’ve come up with?
Emergency with Patoranking and Runtown. And it’s not even a line; it’s the whole verse. I was drunk when I recorded it and didn’t hear the song again until it was time to shoot the video. That day, I was just like, “Omo, how did I come up with this?”
The line where I said, “Shey your name na Genevieve? Come over here,” got me in serious trouble because people thought I said, “Commot for here.” I don’t know how it became such a big deal. Me, that I think Genevieve Nnaji is the queen of Nollywood. I even said, “My only competition na Dangote.” Omo!
What’s the best music video you’ve made?
It has to be the video for N2S (Nobody to Somebody). That video tells my story, and it’s special to me.
Favourite song to perform on stage
I Dey Miss You for sure. My manager has begged me to stop, but its soulful feeling gets me every time.
The song that makes you cringe
I have a lot, but I won’t mention their names. I’ll say they all contributed to the artist I am today.
The song you’ve grown to love
The original version of Temper. I wasn’t sure about it. I remember Burna seeing me outside Quilox and telling me he’d like to hop on the song. I sent the song to him, and he liked it so much that he asked if we could record another song. We made one more song, but it didn’t pop like Temper.
Your career-defining song
It’s annoying, but I’ll admit that my biggest song is Shake Body. People often forget I have other songs and just focus on Shake Body. But what can I do?
Best feature so far
There’s a song on my new album, As Always, featuring Kabusa Choir. I recorded the song at first and wanted a choir on it, so my friend suggested Kabusa Choir, a “group” famous for singing that Valentine is Coming song.
I remember the guy who I thought was the choir’s lead singer came into the studio, and I was like, “Where’s the rest of the choir?” and everyone else in the studio told me he’s the only one. There’s no choir, it’s just one guy who’s capable of singing in more than 60 different voices and keys. I was blown away.
Best Skales’s song ever
Right now, my best song has to be Pants on Fire with Blaqbonez on Sweet Distractions.
What will you tell an artist trying to achieve longevity in Nigeria’s music industry?
Man, you just have to keep going. You can’t stop. One thing my mum used to say: “If you are good at something and you keep doing it right, it’s going to work out.”
Nigerian singer, Tems has become the hottest thing after morning akara. With both national and international recognition, if Tems is not on your playlist, sorry, we don’t rate your taste in music.
Take this quiz to prove yourself.
It’s another Friday, and after soaking in Omah Lay’s Boy Aloneall week, we’re ready to get into some new music. From Jos legends, P-Square and M.I Abaga, making comebacks to a new song from BNXN and a remix with Ruger, these songs should be on your radar as you step into the weekend.
Jaiye (Ihe Geme) — P-Square
Mary Slessor must be feeling funky right now because our favourite twins are back and thriving! Five years after breaking hearts worldwide with their separation, Rudeboy and Mr P are back as P-Square and armed with an explosive new single, Jaiye (Ihe Geme).
Jaiye (Ihe Geme) gives us classic P-Square with traces of amapiano and the anthem-like chorus new school artists like Asake have made famous. A hyper party song that shows us our faves still have their magic touch, Jaiye (Ihe Geme) is a masterclass on how to evolve your sound as an artist and make a comeback people will not forget.
The Guy — M.I Abaga
When M.I Abaga wants to go hard, the short black boy from J-Town goes HAM! Hitting us with the title track to his long-awaited album, The Guy, M.I goes for necks and careers, reminding everyone he’s a “five-star general” in this rap thing.
Name dropping everyone from Vector to Tiwa Savage, and firing shady shots at Glo users, M.I’s flow on this track is crisp and confident. While social media back-and-forths may have created a dent in M.I’s iconic status, The Guy sounds like the redemption we’ve all been waiting for.
Since Feeling took over the summer of 2021, BNXN has done his best to ensure we don’t miss him for more than four weeks. From EPs and name changes to social media beef, he’s worked harder than the National Grid’s urge to collapse every two days.
Teaming up with Wande Coal for the mid-tempo earworm, Kenkele, BNXN may have struck gold again. Kenkele has vocals as smooth as butter and all the makings of a TikTok hit. We’re still waiting for a full album from him, but we’ll hold on to Kenkele for now.
Miniskirt Remix — Raebel and Ruger
Raebel’s Miniskirt is one of those songs that stops you in your tracks the first time you hear it. Singing about the familiar feeling of trying to convince someone you’re the right person for them, Miniskirt was already a niche hit.
Dropping gaslighting 101 lyrics like, “They say I’m not good for you, and they’re right”, Ruger is the toxic but perfect fit for a remix of Miniskirt. He might’ve elevated this song to another level, and we’re totally here for it.
Shaye — Magixx
After killing it with his debut single, Love Don’t Cost a Dime — and its remix with Ayra Starr — Mavin-signee, Magixx is back with Shaye to help us get the party started.
A perfect song to close out the week, Magixx sings about drinking Hennessy and lighting a blunt despite all the problems in our lives. After all, this life is one. Why spend all your time worrying about issues you’ll still meet on Monday, when you can Shaye today.
There’s a popular saying that goes, “The only constant thing in life is change,” and the music producers on this list embody this philosophy.
After making hits for some of our favourite singers behind the scenes, these producers have gone on to replicate the same (or almost the same) level of success for themselves as singers in their own rights.
But of all the producer-turned-singer transitions, which one shocked fans the most and which one made us go, “Oh, yeah, this makes sense”?
Young Jonn
Between 2014 and 2016, almost every Olamide song started with the lines, “It’s Young Jonn, the wicked producer.” He showed his “wickedness” producing songs like Story For The Gods,Bobo, Falila Keitan and Blood Money. But nothing prepared me for his 2022 EP, Love Is Not Enough or just how much I’d be obsessed with Dada, his single with Davido.
While I couldn’t place a face to the name when he was producing, now I know what Young Jonn looks and sounds like when he’s singing. And let’s just say, I’m totally here for it.
Pheelz
I can’t recap 2022 without talking about how we were all shouting, “If I broke na my business!” at the top of our voices. It didn’t matter whether we were at the club or on a long queue for spicy rice at Chicken Republic, Pheelz and BNXN’s Finessehas been everywhere this year.
But before becoming a household name and badass performer (this video lives rent-free in my head), Pheelz was always behind the scenes and in his producer bag creating major hits like Durosoke for Olamide, Billionaire for Teni, Scatter for Fireboy DML and Pick Up for Adekunle Gold. No one was doing it like Pheelz as a producer and it looks like he’s moved that energy to his singing as well. Love it!
Kiddominant
What do Orezi’s Rihanna, Davido’s Fall, Mr Eazi and DJ Neptune’s Marry and Mayorkun’s Mama all have in common? Yes, you guessed right — it’s Kiddominant’s special touch. Even though he’d churned out major hits as a producer, I was still shocked to hear his voice singing the chorus on AKA’s Fela in Versace. Since then, Kiddominant has dropped an EP and changed the spelling of his name to KDDO.
Cutting his teeth behind the scenes as a UK-based producer creating bangers for Wizkid, Maleek Berry made a big shift becoming an artist with songs like Kontrol, Eko Miami and the unforgettable Juice with Ycee. You had to be there for his 2016 EP, Last Daze of Summer. Someone needs to bring Maleek back because the streets miss his vocals for real.
Don Jazzy
Technically, we heard Don Jazzy’s voice on D’banj’s Tongolo when it dropped back in in 2005. Even though some of us thought it would be a one-time thing, as producers sometimes make vocal cameos on their songs, Don Jazzy has become one of the most sought-after Nigerian singers. And he does this while running a massive record label, producing hits for everyone from Burna Boy to Ruger, and killing it as a social media influencer.
Does he have two heads, or are the rest of us just lazy? These are the questions.
Tekno
Many of us didn’t even know Tekno was a producer until his career blew up as a singer. From rhyming Lagbaja with Gwagwalada on Pana to calling out all the tribal female names he could find on Duro, we’ve all come to know Tekno as a big hitmaker. But while working as an upcoming musician, Tekno produced songs for Bracket, Victoria Kimani, Ice Prince. After he “blew”, he produced If for Davido in 2017.
Davido
Guys, his first hit as a producer was his own song, so it just makes sense that Davido is the least surprising producer-to-artist transition story on this list. While Davido had produced for Dammy Krane, everything changed when he dropped his debut single, Back When, and we all heard him say, “On the beat, it’s Davido.”
Breaking out as a producer and an artist simultaneously is a major feat. But if there was anyone who could pull it off, it had to be OBO himself.
Afrobeats is popping right now, but Nigerian music has been fresh since way back. If you danced yahooze and kolomental as a kid, come and prove it to us by taking this quiz.
Questions
This is a question
You got #{score}/#{total}
You’re sleeping on good music. Fix up!
You got #{score}/#{total}
Not too bad, but it looks like you’re from the last batch of the GenZ.
You got #{score}/#{total}
Best in throwback! You’ve been an OG since way back.
After spending almost 12 hours of my life watching Netflix’s new documentary, Afrobeats: The Backstory, I feel like a walking history textbook and no one can tell me otherwise. Looking to share my wealth of knowledge, here’s some of the hot gist you should know about Afrobeats and the major players behind its success.
Boy bands are the foundation of Afrobeats
Three gbosa for Nigerian boy bands! A major takeaway from Afrobeats: The Backstory is how instrumental early boy bands were in creating the sound we know as Afrobeats today. Bands like The Remedies (Eedris Abdulkareem, Eddy Remedy and Tony Tetuila), Plantashun Boiz (Tuface, Blackface and Faze) and The Trybesmen (Eldee, Kaboom and Freestyle).
Banky W’s Ebute Metta was inspired by 50 Cent, not Rihanna
Even though Banky’s Ebute Metta was sung over the beat of Rihanna’s 2007 song, Umbrella, Mr Etomi revealed it was 50 Cent who actually inspired the song. Taking a page from the American rapper known for using popular beats to hype his upcoming projects, Banky made a lot of songs that wayto hype his Mr. Capable album. But Ebute Metta blew up so much, he shelved the rest.
Da Trybe’s Oya was the first Nigerian music video to be banned… here’s why
In 2001, ten rappers decided to hop on a track, spitting bars for 30 seconds each. This track ended up being Da Trybe’s hit song, Oya, with verses from Eldee, Sasha, Kaboom, Freestyle, Dr Sid etc. Even though the music video was a game-changer (the first to be shot with a crane), it was banned because the backup dancers were twerking.
The people who banned it would probably have a heart attack watching music videos today.
KC’s Limpopo was initially supposed to feature these American artistes
2012 was the year we couldn’t escape Limpopo no matter how much we tried. Although the song marked a significant turning point in KC’s career, he explained in the documentary that he originally created it with a Chris Brown or Trey Songz feature in mind. I’m so glad that didn’t happen.
What do Dr Sid and Kaffy have in common?
Before giving us Over the Moon, Pop Champagne and Surulere, Dr Sid was a part of Da Trybe (an upgraded version of The Trybesmen). And before that, he was Da Trybe’s official choreographer and backup dancer.
He’s not the only one who switched, though. Dj Jimmy Jatt was originally a rapper, and Daddy Showkey used to be a, wait for it, military officer.
Banky helped Wizkid blow, but he didn’t discover him
There’s no denying Banky W’s role in creating the star we’ve come to know as Wizkid, or Big Wiz, if you’re nasty. But the late OJB Jezreel was the one Wizkid’s mum handed the young singer to for mentorship. Check out this hilarious story of Wizkid being a good boy, as told by OJB’s wife.
D1 and Keke Ogungbe were influencers before your IG faves
Before your favourite Instagram influencers started influencing fashion, Dayo “D1” Adeneye and Kenny “Keke” Ogungbe were helping brands like Phat Farm and FUBU sell out their baggy clothes just by wearing them on their show, AIT Jamz. All of this was before they even set up Kennis Music which kicked off the careers of Tony Tetuila, 2face and Eedris Abdulkareem. That’s some boss shit right there.
Fela himself cleared Weird MC’s Allen Avenue
While most people today know Weird MC for 2006’s Ijoya, her first album, Simply Weird, came out in 1997. The album’s lead single, Allen Avenue, was inspired by Fela Kuti, whose song, Look and Laugh is sampled on the rap track. The song was ahead of its time, but Fela saw the vision when he cleared her to use his song. How many people can say Fela approved of their music?
The real OGs of Yoruba and Igbo rap are not who you think they are
For the longest time, Dagrin has been credited as the first Yoruba rap artist who passed on the baton to Olamide. The same thing can be said of Big Lo handing over to Ill Bliss and Phyno. But the documentary shows that before Dagrin, there was Lord of Ajasa, and before Big Lo, Nigga Raw was killing things with Obodo. This is what we should be learning in History class.
The UK scene greatly influenced today’s Afrobeats
If there’s one thing Afrobeats: The Backstory showed us, it’s the influence of IJGBs on music culture in Nigeria. While Nigeria-based artists created the sounds, Nigerians returning from the diaspora helped organise and package it. Some of these Nigerians include Obi Asika of Storm Records, Keke and D1 of Kennis Music and even the documentary’s creator/director, Ayo Shonaiya, who managed artists like The Trybesmen and Kwam1.
Burna Boy rarely refers to his music as “Afrobeats”
Burna Boy’s Ye opened new doors for Afrobeats — all facts, no cap. However, it’s interesting to know that Odogwu calls his music Afro-Fusion, not Afrobeats. Why? According to A&R legend Bizzle Osikoya, Burna Boy believes anything Afrobeat (with or without the “s”) is for the Kuti family. While Fela Kuti is considered the grandfather of Afrobeats, Burna wants to start a legacy of his own with Afro-Fusion.
Shizzi was Wizkid’s producer before he created magic with Davido
We were introduced to Shizzi when Davido shouted his name on Dami Duro. While they both went on to create an iconic producer-artist relationship with songs like Ekuro, Overseas, Gobe and Skelewu, Davido met Shizzi when he was working on Wizkid’s debut album, Superstar. If you didn’t know, Shizzi is also the brilliant mind behind Wizkid’s show-stopping, Love My Baby.
Is it me, or is 2022 running? Just yesterday, we were all shouting, “Happy New Year”, and now we’re in June looking through some of the albums that have gotten us through the year so far. From big comebacks to long-awaited debuts, this year has definitely given us incredible music (and small fuel scarcity too sha).
V — Asa
If someone had told me in 2021 that I’d be dancing to an Asa song in the club this year, I’d have called them a detty liar. But here we are. After creating a blueprint for many alternative artists we listen to today with her self-titled debut album, Asa decided to surprise us this year with a new sound on V. With features from Wizkid, The Cavemen and Amaarae, Asa shows us that she refuses to be boxed. We’re witnessing the evolution of Asa in real time, and we’re here for the ride.
Raves and Roses — Rema
Three years after he had the world (including former President Barack Obama) dancing to his debut self-titled EP, Rema kicked off 2022 with his debut album, Rave & Roses. On songs like Soundgasm and Dirty, Rema shows that he’s fully mastered how to make music for people who like sex but just haven’t had it yet. However, he truly shines when he lets go of the premature sex icon image on songs like Addicted, Divine and Are You There?.
Outlaw — Victony
Mayourkun’s Holy Father was one of the defining tracks of 2021, thanks to Victony’s smooth vocals. Stepping into the new year and on everybody’s radar as the artist to watch, Victony delivered again with his kickass EP, Outlaw. With songs like Apollo, Outlaw, Kolomental, Soweto, Jolene, and my favourite, Ole, aka “all power belong to your bumbum”, Victony has successfully created an EP with zero skips.
Catch Me If You Can — Adekunle Gold
If you thought Adekunle Gold’s rebrand ahead of Afropop Vol. 1 was a phase, then his new album, Catch Me If You Can, is what you need to remind you that AG Baby is here to stay. Pulling out the big guns (Fatoumata Diawara, Davido, Lucky Daye and Ty Dolla $ign) for this album, Adekunle solidifies his spot as one of the most exciting voices of new school Afrobeats.
Listening to Obongjayar feels like you’re reading someone’s diary. His music is personal, yet the themes and the stories he tells feel universal because we’ve all lived them. On Some Nights I Dream of Doors, he urges us to keep hustling in Try and Sugar, while also reminding us that we deserve better with Tinko Tinko (Don’t Play Me for a Fool). This album feels real because the artist behind it is honest with his emotions.
Bahd — Falz
Falz is all about being a baby boy in 2022 and I can’t even be mad at it. The rapper/actor/activist/all-the-other-things-he-does makes a comeback with Bahd, an album that sounds totally different from 2019’s Moral Instruction. With Bahd, Falz is more concerned with having a good time than telling you the difference between right and wrong. Songs like All Night, Another Me, Knee Down, Parampe and Inside will follow you everywhere because they’re just that good.
Riddim 5 — Fave
It’s hard to remember musical moments from 2021 and not think of Fave’s Baby Riddim. It was that song everyone sang till it became annoying. While Fave might not have been able to recreate the magic of Baby Riddim, her EP, Riddim 5, shows us that she’s here for the long haul, with compelling love songs like Obsessed and Mr. Man..
SUBARU WORLD: FINAL HEAVEN — Cruel Santino
Saying you know what to expect from a Cruel Santino record sets you up for disappointment. SUBARU WORLD: FINAL HEAVEN shows a side of Cruel Santino we didn’t get on Mandy & The Jungle (to be fair, even his name was different back then). This album is more daring, more cohesive and louder than anything he’s put out. But there’s one big problem, though, 21-tracks? Cruel, who has time for alladat?
