It’s less than a week until Valentine’s Day and dispatch riders are already shaking in anticipation of the stress they’ll face carrying flowers all over the place. With all the lovers scrambling through their PiggyVest looking for money to celebrate the day a lot of babies will be made, we decided to help in our little way with music suggestions to set the mood. But there’s a twist. This time, we’re looking at some of the best love song covers made by Nigerian artists.
Let’s get into it.
1. Hello — Omawunmi (Originally by Adele)
Remember when Adele dropped this song in 2015 and we all thought the world would end? Everyone we knew was out in the streets shouting, not singing (there’s a difference), “Hello from the other siiideeee”. While most of us were trying and failing shamelessly to hit Adele’s notes, Omawunmi came out of nowhere to remind us that she’s a badass vocalist. Her cover of the song was made even better by the addition of some reggae elements. It was an actual bop..
2. Please Forgive Me — Johnny Drille (Originally by Bryan Adams)
You know how you follow an artist for a long time, patiently waiting for the rest of the world to catch up to their insane talent? This has been our relationship with Johnny Drille. While his album Before We Fall Asleep has enough love songs to turn even the most anti-valentine spirit into a believer, his cover of Bryan Adams’ haunting and deeply sad Please Forgive Me is another song that deserves a spot on your love playlist.
3. Thinking Out Loud — Funbi (Originally by Ed Sheeran)
There’s a high chance that Ed Sheeran consulted with a babalawo before making this song because there’s no logical reason as to why it still slaps as it does after all these years. While we love Oluwasheeran’s version, there’s something about Funbi’s cover and his voice that just makes us swoon. Maybe it’s the Yoruba demon factor or just the fact that we want him to serenade (If you get it, you get it) us with this song. Either way, Funbi’s cover of Thinking Out Loud is an elite tune.
4. Sade — Adekunle Gold (Originally by One Direction)
Yes, we know it’s not an actual cover but that won’t stop us from adding it to this list? It’s pretty wild that a lot of Nigerians would probably listen to One Direction’s Story Of My Life today and start scratching their heads at how familiar it sounds. Why? Well, years ago, before Adekunle Gold became AG Baby, he recorded an afrobeat version of the One Direction song, changed the lyrics, but maintained the melody. Now that One Direction is no more, the chances of AG Baby performing this song with them are next to none and that is upsetting us and our homegirls.
5. Shape Of You — Waje (Originally by Ed Sheeran)
Another Ed Sheeran song, another cover by a badass Nigerian vocalist. Waje doesn’t play when it comes to this singing thing, and we know this. Taking everyone by surprise at the time, Waje dropped a cover of Ed Sheeran’s Shape Of You and honestly, it had us ready to declare our love and receive the airing of our lives. If you haven’t listened to this cover, then, omo, something is wrong.
Since popping up on our radar with the One Direction-inspired Sade, Adekunle Gold (AG, if you’re cool with him like we are) has grown and evolved into one of the biggest Nigerian music stars, maintaining an insane level of consistency, year after year. But it’s not just his music that has changed. AG also switched up from the cutesy “I want to take you for a walk” lover boy to “Let me put you in 70 positions in one minute” zaddy and we’re here for his style glow up as well. With a sick discography to his name, compiling a list of his best songs was hard AF. But you know what? We did it.
10. Beautiful Night (2016)
We know weddings are expensive AF, but something about this song makes us want to throw a big wedding just so we can dance to, “It’s a beautiful night. Let’s stay up all night, baby. Tomorrow can wait,” while our friends, families and enemies look on with love (and jealousy, of course). An underrated jam on AG’s first album, it reminds us of Sunny Nneji’s Oruka. Valentine is coming, who wants to get married abeg? No money o, just AG baby’s voice and vibes.
9. Jore featuring Kizz Daniel (2020)
AG dropped this banger with Kizz Daniel leading up to the release of his third album, Afropop Vol. 1. Even though Jore eventually got drowned out by his album that year, this song featuring two of our favourite Yoruba loverboys will always have a special place in our hearts.
8. Pick Up (2015)
Remember when AG used to sing about looking for funds and how Otedola has only one head? Yes, we do too. This was a major hustler’s anthem back in the day. Even though AG has moved on to bigger and better things, some of us still sing this every day because, omo, times are hard mehn. Excuse us while we load small credit and dial heaven again.
7. Something Different (2020)
While AG had been teasing an imminent dive into more afropop-oriented songs on his album About 30, this single confirmed the switch. Like we said before, very few artists can evolve genres without missing a beat and Something Different showed us that Adekunle Gold had what it takes. This song is pure flames and we still can’t shake it off nearly two years later.
6.Damn Delilah (2018)
It’s not every time “love and harmony”, sometimes, you just have to choose violence. Using Delilah from the bible as his lyrical target, AG drags a love that broke his heart to pieces. Pele, boo. The ironic thing is at the time, our guy didn’t even have hair like that, so him being Samson was just off. We still like the song though.
5. No Forget featuring Simi (2017)
Did you think we were going to forget to add this song? Come on! Before they became one of our favourite social media couples (You people should do and open this marriage, abeg), AG and Simi recorded their first duet together for his debut album, Gold. We’re glad they didn’t forget each other sha because this song wouldn’t have aged well.
4. Ire (2018)
Loverboy AG baby is fire but you see spiritual AG? Mehn, that AG is on another level. Ire reminds us of the chaotic beauty that is Sunday mornings. From waking to your mum ransacking the kitchen and complaining by 6 a.m. to dads starting the car and threatening to leave everyone behind, those days were special. This song was the perfect album opener for About 30 and a major moment of growth that showcased our fave’s vocals and penmanship.
3. It Is What It Is (2021)
Who can forget the time AG reminded us that some people are actually worse than a virus that stopped the world in its tracks? This is AG’s middle finger song and from the very first line, he lets you know he’s not in the mood for any rubbish. This song introduced us to a bolder, edgier AG — an artist willing to take risks not only in his music, but in his life as well. We stan a no-nonsense king.
2. High featuring Davido (2021)
While this collaboration may not immediately strike you as a good move on paper, we haven’t been able to get one day off from this song since it dropped. A perfect blend of amapiano and Afropop, they both ate and left no crumbs behind. We daresay this may be AG’s best collaboration to date.
1. Okay (2020)
You see this song? We’re convinced AG put crack in it because what? Another no-nonsense jam, AG reminded us that he’s not anybody’s mate. The best part was this song dropped right when we needed it as we were all super confused as a result of the 2020 pandemic. When he said, “Okay, okay. We go dey okay”, we felt it in our bones and we’re still feeling it now because after all is said and done, we go dey okay last last.
If you are younger than 25, don’t expect to smash this music quiz:
Ever listened to an artist and immediately thought, “They should totally collaborate with so and so?”. Some international collaborations come as a surprise, but there are some we could’ve seen coming from a mile away. With international collaborations and remixes flooding the streets like party jollof rice, we’ve compiled a list of mergers we saw coming from the start. We’re not claiming to be prophets or anything, but look at the material and connect the dots yourself.
1. Peru Remix — Fireboy DML and Ed Sheeran
When Fireboy DML announced Ed Sheeran would be on the remix of his hit song Peru, a lot of you were shocked, but not us. While the collaboration sounded a bit off on paper, true Fireboy stans could’ve seen this from a mile away. Apart from being resident musical lover boys, Need You, the opening track to Fireboy’s 2019 album Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps sounds almost exactly like Tenerife Sea.
We saw this thing coming since.
2. Somebody’s Son — Tiwa Savage and Brandy
When it comes to vocals in Nigeria, Ms. Savage is in a lane of her own. Announcing Water & Garri, the follow-up EP to her 2020 album, Celia, a lot of people were excited about one name on the tracklist, Brandy. While Somebody’s Son has become quite the earworm, some of us saw this collaboration coming years ago. Remember when Brandy came to Nigeria in 2014 right after Tiwa dropped Once Upon A Time and mentioned that she’d like to work with her? Ehen.
3. Essence — Wizkid, Tems and Justin Bieber
Essence was the biggest Nigerian song of 2021, no cap. So when it became time to enlist another artist to hop on the remix, we weren’t surprised when Wizkid went with Justin Bieber. The parallels between both artists are obvious AF: Usher discovered Justin and turned him into a star, Banky W discovered Wizkid and turned him into a star. Both artists started pretty young, became household names, struggled with controversies and remained consistent with their music over the years.
Wizkid is Justin and Justin is Wizkid, periodt.
4. Every song Yemi Alade has with Angelique Kidjo
Over the past few years, Yemi Alade and Angelique Kidjo have collaborated on not just one, but two hit songs. Yemi featured Angelique on Shekere and the favour was returned when Yemi made an appearance on Angelique’s song, Dignity. These collaborations didn’t come to us as a surprise because they have the same vibe. While Yemi Alade might get a lot of backlash for her lyrics — or lack thereof — her songs are slapping in other African countries. They’ve slapped so hard, even Mummy Blue noticed.
These collaborations were definitely meant to be
5. Damn Remix — Omah Lay and 6lack
While the industry was heavily focused on breezy afrobeats and amapiano-influenced songs, Omah Lay came in with this cool kid R&B vibe at the height of the 2020 pandemic and took us all by surprise. Listening to his music, especially songs like Bad Influence and Damn, it’s easy to spot the Atlanta-style R&B influence of artists like Bryson Tiller, PartyNextDoor and of course, 6Lack. Did we know it was going to be 6Lack for sure on that remix? No. But at least he picked someone on our shortlist.
It’s crazy how time flies. One minute you’re enjoying free food from your parents and the next thing you know, you’ve signed your soul off to become a slave to capitalism *deep negro sigh* As we get settled into the new year, we thought it’d be fun to take a little nostalgic trip down memory lane. Here’s a list of 10 songs that made 2012 memorable.
1. Dami Duro — Davido
Can you believe it’s been over 10 years since we heard “On the beat is Davido” for the first time? Wow. We’re officially old? While Back When introduced us to the baby-faced superstar in 2011, it was Dami Duro that solidified his spot as a game-changer and future leader of the afrobeats movement.
2. First of All — Olamide
If there’s one thing Nigerians know how to do, it’s “borrowing” a genre and doing it so well you might forget its original owner. Before amapiano, Nigerians copied the Azonto style of dance and music from our brothers and sisters in Ghana. A dark time also marked by “My Money Grows Like Grass” shirts and carrot jeans, this Olamide song was a major moment in 2012. Over 10 albums later (and one or two amapiano songs to his name), Olamide remains one of the most consistent artists in the game.
3. Kukere — Iyanya
This song was a classic case of when it’s your time, it’s your time. Iyanya was the undisputed breakout star of 2012 and this song was so inescapable, there’s a high chance your grandma might know the words. While he hasn’t been able to top his massive breakout hit, we still spy shirtless Iyanya once in a while on social media and honestly, we can’t complain.
4. Like to Party — Burna Boy
Before the African Giant title, Outsiders fan base and Grammy Award, Burna Boy was just a cute guy in a colourful vintage shirt and round glasses looking to have a good time. If someone had told us the Like to Party guy would become one of the biggest stars out of Africa, we would have told them to jump into the lagoon. These days, when he’s not touring the world, our fave is constantly saying problematic shit on social media. God save us.
5. Ihe Neme — Tuface Idibia
Did we understand half of the lyrics in this song? No. Did we dance to it like our lives depended on it? Yes. Is Tuface Idibia an icon? Yes. Well, enough said.
6. Chop My Money (Remix) — PSquare
The fact that we were singing this song knowing fully well that we had zero money to be consumed still cracks me up. Money? Where is it, dear? PSquare was in their bag when this song dropped. Back then, getting a feature with artists like Akon was like scoring a Grammy nomination. How times have changed. Even though they had a messy breakup, our fave twins are back together again. Mary Slessor would be proud.
7. Kako Bi Chicken — Reminisce
When Reminisce popped up on the scene, no one was doing it like him. Yes, we had Olamide and before that, we had Dagrin and Jazzman Olofin, but no one delivered with ginger and cockiness like Reminisce. While Reminisce might have transitioned into a Netflix baddie, Kako Bi Chicken remains a classic in our books.
8. Beat of Life — Sarz & Wizkid
10 years later and we’re not sure we know what “Samba” means. However, if there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that this song was and still is a bonafide hit. What is Sarz up to these days? Well, our fave is still dropping hits, left, right and centre (Monalisa, duh).
9. Kedike — Chidinma
Remember when Chidinma still sang “worldly” music? Good times. This song was such a hit, Chidinma changed her name to Miss Kedike, because why not? From project fame to the top of the chart to Nollywood and now whatever she’s doing next, it’s safe to say Chidinma has lived many lives.
10. Omo Pastor — Ajebutter22 & BOJ
Before the alté movement became a salient part of the musical conversation in Nigeria, artists like Ajebutter22 and BOJ were already shifting the narrative surrounding Nigerian music. We didn’t know what alté meant at the time, but we noticed that this song came with a different vibe. A decade later and songs like this are quickly becoming the norm. We love to see it.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We feel old too.
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.
Since amapiano became a thing last year, many Nigerian artists have tried their hands at it, either as originals or as guests on remixes. With 2021, showing an explosion of the genre on the Nigerian music scene, we decided to rank some of our favorite afrobeats-amapiano crossovers from the past year.
10. Too Sweet (O dun) – Niniola
Niniola has already shown us that deep down, she’s South African. Taking over the afro-house music scene, it made sense for her to take a stab at another South African genre. If we ever doubted her, Squander was staring us right in the face. Too Sweet has become the go-to “I came to slay” song on social media and honestly, we can’t stop listening.
9. 44 – Ayanfe
While Ayanfe’s name might not be popular, we have a strong feeling you’ve heard this song before. Off his recent All that Matters EP, this joint also features verses from other upcoming acts like Mystro and Jamopyper.
8. Stella Riddim – Wavy the Creator
Wavy the Creator is one of those artists you can’t put in a box. We doubt there’s a genre she hasn’t tried out (and done well, to be honest). Jumping on the amapiano train with some help from Ckay and Ghana’s Efya, Stella Riddim is a standout track from her new EP, PS: Thank you for waiting.
7. Mosafejo – Dunnie
With production credit on songs for Wande Coal, Yemi Alade, Niniola and Focalistic, singer Dunnie is not new to the music scene. While her work as a producer might grab your attention, it’s her amapiano inspired single, Mosafejo that will have you pulling out all the moves you’ve picked up from Instagram. If her single is this good, then we are ready for her upcoming album.
6. Come My Way – Wande Coal
You know it’s real when folks like Wande Coal decide to hop on a vibe. A match made in musical heaven for us, we got a chance to hear our Black Diamond flex his voice on one of the sickest amapiano beats of the year. Are we upset that Davido’s verse didn’t make the final song? Yes. But that doesn’t mean this version doesn’t slap, because omo, it does.
5. Ozumba Mbadiwe – Reekado Banks
If someone told us that after a string of major misses Reekado Banks would have one of the biggest songs of the year, we would have called the person a detty liar. This song came out in October and now just like the traffic on the road it’s named after, we can’t escape it. Major shout-out to Reekado for doing the needful by paying tribute to victims of the Lekki toll gate massacre of October 2020. We have a feeling that amapiano might be his true calling, who knows?
4. Yaba Buluku – DJ Tarico, Burna Boy and Nelson Tivane
Contrary to what you might think, this song isn’t even South African, it’s from Mozambique. This goes to show the rate at which amapiano has infiltrated not just the Nigerian music scene, but Africa as a whole. Leave it to Burna Boy to add his Jerusalema magic to the song for the rest of the world to catch up. Like most of the other crossover hits on this list, we don’t know what the lyrics mean. But who cares? We’ve already learnt the dance steps and that’s enough.
3. High – Adekunle Gold and Davido
Is it okay for us to admit that Adekunle Gold hasn’t missed all year? Because look at the receipts. Since dropping Afro Pop, Vol. 1 last year, he has been serving us hit after hit. When we heard about his collaboration with Davido, naturally, we knew it was going to bang but did we expect it to bang this hard? No. High is one of the best examples of taking amapiano and making it as Nigerian as possible without removing the sauce that made us fall in love with the genre. Maybe we’re pushing it at this point, but we wouldn’t mind a joint EP from these two.
2. Ke Star Remix – Focalistic, Davido and Virgo
Remixes work sometimes and other times they just end up being a hot pile of garbage. Already a massive hit when the original dropped in 2020, the Ke Star remix is a major example of a remix that works. With everyone constantly shouting OBO’s famous “E goes down when my gs connect”, we doubt anyone remembers the original. Do you?
1. Monalisa – Lojay and Sarz
When Lojay and Sarz dropped their joint EP LV N ATTN, our focus was immediately drawn to the title track featuring Wizkid and then, it eventually shifted to another hit on the album, Tonongo. While we were focusing on these two, Monalisa came out of nowhere and became one of the biggest songs of the year. This song proves yet again that there’s nothing Sarz can’t do. Is Lojay saying “Monalisa” or “Monalisan”? Well, hold on, let’s listen again, maybe we’ll figure it out this time.
As afrobeats continues to expand, artists of our generation are reaching back to pull inspiration from older artists and genres that rocked the Nigerian music scene back in the day. From Abas Akande Obesere to King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1), the influence of these iconic artists can be found in the songs we’re streaming today.
Here are six artists whose songs pull from the never-ending groove of fuji music:
Olamide – Anifowose
With over 10 albums to his name, Olamide is one of the most consistent hitmakers of his generation. On his 2013 album, Baddest Guy Ever Liveth, Nigeria’s number one baddo takes us on a trip down memory lane thanks to his lyricism and badass sample of KWAM 1’s fuji hit, Orin Abode Mecca Medley, which was released in the 1980s.
Naira Marley – Pxta and Opotoyi
While Burna Boy has made a name for himself as the King of Fela samples, Naira Marley is another artist that deserves a crown of his own, this time, for sampling some of our favourite fuji bangers. Tapping another musical rebel, two of the Marlian leader’s hits from 2019 sample songs from fuji legend, Obesere. On Pxta, there’s a clear sample of Obesere’s 2002 song, Obutun. And on Opotoyi, Naira Marley dips his hand into the Obesere bag to pull out Papa Worldwide.
Teni – Askamaya
Teni cemented her position as one of the most exciting stars to watch out for when she dropped this song in 2018. We couldn’t escape Askamaya because it was everywhere. Becoming a popular street and club anthem, it samples Adewale Ayuba’s old school fuji hit, Omoge Cinderella.
Wurld – Contagious
The song might not contain a direct sample of a pre-existing fuji song, but there’s no denying that Wurld’s 2019 song, Contagious contains, wait for it, a contagious fuji sound. An interesting bridge between the fuji sound and Nigeria’s booming alte scene, this song is definitely one of our favourites on the list.
DJ Tunez and Adekunle Gold – My Love
Right after the massive success that was Iskaba, DJ Tunez brought our favourite Zaddy (he wasn’t a zaddy at the time) onboard the song, My Love. Proving yet again to be one of afrobeats most in-demand lover boys, Adekunle Gold sings about happiness and love on a song that samples KWAM 1’s Can’t Just Stop Thinking about You.
Odunsi the Engine – Fuji 5000
This Odunsi single is what happens when you take fuji music, mix it with an energy drink, and dye its hair bright blonde. On paper, it sounds crazy, but something about it works. I guess we just like chaotic music.
This Sunday, 19th of December, FUJI: A: OPERA presents FUJI Vibrations.
1 stage. 5 Fuji Stars.
Venue: Muri Okunola Park Victoria Island.
Time: 5pm
Click this link to register. Registration is free.
No one is doing it like Wizkid right now. With two Grammy nominations, sold-out shows across the world, and an inescapable global smash hit that cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and became the official song of the summer, Wizkid has had a pretty stellar year. While the rest of the world might be whining their waist and screaming “you don’t need no other body”, day ones like us who knew Ayodeji back when he wore carrot jeans, know that our boy’s discography is untouchable. Here’s a pretty accurate ranking of Big W’s best songs.
Note: It’s our list, if you don’t like it, you can catch us outside.
10. Beat of Life (Samba) with Sarz
We decided to start with the most gingered song on this list. While Sarz has proven that he’s not our mate, back in 2012, he was just the sweet-looking producer who successfully fused Afrobeats and EDM to create this massive banger that rocked our world. Did we know the meaning of “Samba”? No. But that didn’t stop us from popping our booties on the dance floor.
9. Anoti
When Wiz announced a deluxe version of Made in Lagos, some of us were scared he would ruin a near-perfect album with filler tracks, but alas, we were wrong. The standout track from this new version has become one of our favorite Wizkid songs. You know a song is a jam when it comes with a dance move. While Wizkid might have started the dance craze by chance, placing Anoti on this list was 100% intentional on our part.
8. Energy with Skepta
No one can tell you nonsense when this jam comes on. Looking back, this song and Fever gave us a taste of what to expect from Made in Lagos—cool, stress-free vibes. Energy does its best to remind us to just relazz and be taken kiaroff, because this life is one and we only deal with positive vibes.
7. Sweet Love
Sounds from the Otherside is undoubtedly one of Wizkid’s most underrated albums and a record way ahead of its time. The album’s opening track is also one of the hottest Wizkid tracks. Complete with saxophones reminiscent of Fela when he wasn’t dragging the government, Sweet Love deserved way better and we’re ready to fight anyone who disagrees.
6. Jaiye Jaiye with Femi Kuti
A combination of Afrobeat and afrobeats, Jaiye Jaiye is one of the best tracks off Wizkid’s self-titled album, Ayo. The Sarz-produced track finds Wizkid holding his own alongside powerhouse legend, Femi Kuti. This song also reminds us that any free money we get, we should use it for enjoyment and ball for two. When we’re talking about iconic Wizkid songs, this is one of the first songs that come to mind.
5. Pakurumo
It banged then and it still bangs now. We all danced and lost our home training as Wizkid listed all the female Yoruba names he could find. This song, complete with its video, gave us the ultimate party vibe. A piece of advice, if you go to an owambe and you don’t hear this song, omo, there’s a strong chance their jollof rice won’t slap. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
4. On Top Your Matter
Yoruba men are known for having “sweet mouths” and here, we find Wizkid tapping into his inner Yoruba playboy journal. He first offers his life to his lover like a pack of small chops and as if that’s not enough, he goes ahead to compare her beauty to the queen mothers of the sea. Well, it’s a jam and we’re still obsessed five years later.
3. No Lele
“Ojuelegba shita. Ask your sister. My music travel, no visa.” The opening line of this song says it all. Wizkid knows who he is and to be honest, he’s not wrong.
2. Essence with Tems
Yes, finally. We know you’ve been waiting for this moment. Breathe, you’ve won.
If there’s one song that defined 2021, it’s Wizkid’s Essence. This song is an earworm so wormy, it almost borders on annoying. But you know what? Try as we might, we can’t deny how much this song hits our brains and waists. With Tems providing the sonic heartbeat for this song, Essence has undoubtedly changed the game for afrobeats and we couldn’t be happier.
1. Ojuelegba
Inspired by his humble beginnings, this is the song that shot Wizkid into the global music space. If there’s one thing we all relate to as Nigerians, it’s finding hope despite our struggles and no song captures this hope better than Ojuelegba. Famously remixed by Drake and Skepta way before One Dance and Energy, it would be hard to compile a list of iconic Nigerian songs without throwing this hit into the mix.
The first time Patrick Imohiosen saw a DJ, he felt like he was witnessing magic. “I didn’t even know what it was called at the time,” he tells Zikoko. “I thought this guy had to be some sort of magician, so I went home with that memory in mind and started asking questions.”
Years later, Imohiosen, better known as DJ Neptune, has become one of the biggest DJs out of Africa. Starting songs with his signature word, “Greatness”, Neptune’s sound has become a mainstay on the Nigerian music scene with a lengthy collaborator list that has earned him the moniker, “Africa’s DJ Khaled”. Transitioning from a party DJ to working at Ray Power FM, and then, creating records of his own, DJ Neptune has worn many hats and maintained relevance over the last two decades. His debut album, Greatness, lined up superstars like Burna Boy, Davido, Yemi Alade, Runtown and MI.
Now, almost three years later, DJ Neptune is back with his sophomore album, Greatness 2.0. With 27 features cutting across different parts of the continent, the award-winning DJ has created a truly pan-African LP.
You released your debut album Greatness in 2018 and now, three years later, we have Greatness 2.0. What’s up with the gap between the first and second records?
Honestly, this album was meant to come out last year, after I had taken out a year to work on it. But Covid happened and it forced me to go back to the drawing board to work on new songs with new artists, and just rethink the album. I may just release 3.0 next year.
You’ve already worked on a new album?
At least 20% is done. We resume work in January.
Mad! What’s up with “Greatness” though? Are we sticking to that title?
LOL. Yes! It means a lot to me. Being in the game for 20 years? There must be something great about what I do. I also believe in speaking things into existence.
This album has 27 features — I counted. How did you select the artists involved?
When you DJ, you get introduced to new sounds and artists every day. Mixing and changing tracks, I get ideas of who I’d like to work with and what would work for them. I try to work on collaborations that people don’t expect. It’s not easy landing these artists, but I’m willing to wait five years if I think someone is the right fit.
Has this happened before?
Ah. Yes, it has. Blood and Fire with Jesse Jagz and MI from my last album is an example. I recorded with Jesse in 2015 but didn’t get MI’s verse until 2018. I just sat on it for three years. A lot goes into these records and it’s always insane that some tracks end up not making the album.
Any such songs on this Greatness 2.0?
There’s a sick track with Zinolesky that didn’t make this one, and because I posted a snippet a long time ago, people are dragging me.
Why?
I felt the album was already choked up. These days, people have a short attention span so you must consider that when curating an album.
Fair. So how did you decide on the final 16 tracks?
Took me about six weeks of sending private links to people I trusted for their opinion on the best 10. After a while, I just said, “fuck it”, and put it out.
Interesting. You’ve got rapidly rising stars Lojay, Cheque, Blaqbonez and Omah Lay. What drew you to these guys?
Mehn, Cheque has been able to redefine trap in a way that’s super sexy and catchy. You just want to listen to Zoom over and over again. After working with Blaqbonez, I knew I wanted him on the album. For Lojay, I was in the club and they kept playing Monalisa. I eventually got the chance to work with both of them later. With Lojay, I recorded about four songs, but we decided on putting out Only Fans with Zlatan.
For Only Fans, I had a strategy. Zlatan would take it to the streets and Lojay would take it to the posh clubs. It was a thing where we could merge their fan bases. As much as I love making music, I still have to be a strategic businessman.
Brilliant. Your first-ever single was the rap hit, 123 with MI, Naeto C and Dagrin. You return to the rap scene with Ladipoe, Blaqbonez and Phyno on this album. How has rap changed since 123?
The sound and style of delivery have evolved. Rap is a bit softer and relatable, but it hasn’t alienated real Hip-hop heads. There’s an argument that Hip-Hop is dead, but I think otherwise. Rappers are evolving and trying new things.
I’m curious as to how a DJ creates a record, especially when they don’t sing or produce.
There are different ways to make music. If you can produce, that’s an added value. As DJs, our knowledge of music is broad and there are genres I’ve listened to that are still bubbling under. If you have all this knowledge, you can conceptualise how you want a record to sound, work with a producer to nail the beat in your head, and then curate the artists that work on it. It doesn’t matter who produces it; it’s your idea and vision.
Nice. How do you decide the pairing of artists on your records?
I’ll use Rise Up as an example. When I got the beat, I had an idea of making a motivational song, so I called Waje and explained my idea to her. We worked on a melody and laid the foundation. Meantime, I chased like two rappers who just didn’t get my vision until I met Laycon. He had just left the BBNaija house, so he could relate to the message. To strike a balance with hard-hitting rap, I brought on Ladipoe, but it still didn’t feel complete, so I thought of adding a little soul with the Kabusa Choir.
One artist seems to be your fave, appearing on all your albums and across multiple features. What is the deal between you and Mr. Eazi?
That’s my guy. We’re friends and business partners through Empawa. Asides from that, Eazi makes beautiful music. His sound just grows on you with its catchy sing-along tune.
How do you know a sound is popping and not just some random phase?
It’s really just instinct. I listen to a lot of music and I make sure my mind is open. When I made an amapiano version of Nobody last year, people didn’t get it at first. I remember people talking about it being just a phase, but look at us a year later. And it’s only going to get bigger now that the western world is catching up with it.
Nobody blew up when we were all locked up at home. How did it feel having a hit record you couldn’t perform outside or listen to in the club?
I think the lockdown made it more of the hit it is today. It was easier to concentrate and consume music because we were all looking for entertainment. Nobody ended up being the most used song on Triller in Africa and the third overall in the world. Imagine Janet Jackson, Ludacris and Terry Riley posting it on social media. I sent Janet a DM, thanking her for posting it, and she went on about how much she loved the record. Lockdown or no lockdown, the song did what it had to do.
What is the major difference between Greatness and Greatness 2.0?
This time around, I was in a space where I wanted to create a regional project bigger than Nigeria. I wanted an album that would capture Africa as a whole. Focalistic covered amapiano and South Africa; Harmonize and Angela covered East Africa, and there’s also Hip-Life with Stonebwoy from Ghana. Streaming has made it easier to reach a wider market, so as an artist, it’s important not to limit yourself.
As an artist and a DJ, what makes a song pop?
It’s a fusion of everything. But for me, I observe the production, the melody, hook and if there’s a catchy phrase that will get people’s attention. The rap and verse could be bland, but if the chorus is catchy, people will just wait for the chorus and ignore the rest.
You’ve been in the game for 20 years now; how have you been able to hack the tricky dynamics of the industry for so long?
Mehn, first of all, it’s God’s grace. Then there’s the passion and hunger that still drives me today. Even with the positive response to this album, I’m out there looking for how to make the third one better than this. The main goal for me is not just to be identified as that DJ from Nigeria; I want to be the African DJ that can sell out any venue. If South Africa’s Black Coffee can do it, then it’s possible.
Looking back on your career, what’s the proudest moment?
Winning the Headies award last year for Best Pop Single, and Song of the Year with Nobody. That was like writing history because it had never been won by a DJ before. Now I’m hungry to create more.
