CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND – JUNE 18: (Editorial Use Only) Tion Wayne performs on the main stage at Strawberries & Creem festival at Childerley Orchard on June 18, 2022 in Cambridge, England. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
TionWayne who is one of the best drill rappers in the UK recently released the visuals to his new single “Healing“.
The song has a production that is very similar to most of his previous songs and sees him flow seamlessly.
Tion Wayne who is of Nigerian descent shot the visuals to Healing in the UK, India and Lagos, Nigeria.
The video which features scenes shot in location in Lagos, some action film views from India and a lot of big boy chilling scenes from the UK, sees the Ondo state indigene get hyped up by some Lagos area boys, who the rapper had initially gifted with some wears prior to shooting the video.
It’s no doubt Tion Wayne loves Nigeria, as he makes a minimum of two-three travels to the country yearly.
T-Wizzy as he is popularly referred to was also one of the artists that performed at the Davido Timeless concert in Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos on the 23rd of April.
You will surely enjoy the visuals of this beautiful record. Check it out below.
PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 23: Skepta attends the Dior Homme Menswear Spring/Summer 2019 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 23, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images)
Skepta is definitely one of the bridges that have consistently served the Nigerian-UK music crossover. The rapper has always shown love to the +234 whether on his songs or how done to earth he is around his Nigerian brothers.
Skepta whose government name is Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr, is a UK-born rapper of Nigerian descent. He is currently signed to Island Records and is a founding member of Boy Better Know, popularly referred to as BBK.
Asides from serving as a bridge to crossover the Afrobeat sound, he has also worked with quite a number of Nigerian stars, whether on his songs or as a guest artiste on theirs.
In this article, we will discuss the five times he has clearly delivered on his Nigerian collaborations.
5. BOJ – Like To Party Ft Skepta, Teezee
Like to Party was definitely one of the songs I had on repeat through 2018. Asides from having an infectious beat, BOJ’s vocals on the record were so amazing to listen to, in fact, I personally recommend he does more songs on that type of instrumental.
One of the major highlights however was the intro done by Skepta himself, he laid the first few lines of his verse on the intro and it bounced really well on the instrumental.
Overall, the record sees Skepta drop his bars with such hard-coming energy that can easily get you moving and bouncing really hard on the dancefloor.
Although not the most amazing Skepta verse, the beauty of collaboration is reflected throughout the song. And Teezee? He came in hard as well.
4. Wizkid – Wow Ft Naira Marley, Skepta
Can a Wizkid and Skepta collab ever go wrong? Well, this record surely doesn’t seem to show any proof of that. The two features delivered amazingly on the record.
Skepta as usual did his thing and left no crumbs. Although the instrumental definitely deserved better, especially because the record lacked proper sync, which makes it seem like the three superstars had their various recording sessions independently.
However, Skepta brought in his A-game and delivered his thing, probably the one who utilized the beat best. Wizkid delivered a proper hook as usual, but the musical coordination could have been better perfected.
3. Wizkid – Longtime
When you have these two on a song, you can’t expect anything short of excellence, on this record, the two stars sit more comfortably compared to their most recent collaboration.
The song has a clear purpose, which is to mesmerize a love interest into joining for a good time, without any sort of worrying involved.
Wizkid’s flows on this record were beautiful to the ears and well composed, Skepta’s delivery on the record was also amazing to listen to. The song although sounds very similar to what they both did on “Energy“.
2. Davido – U (Juju)
This song could have easily been considered an album filler, but the fact that it referenced IcePrince’s mega-hit single “Juju“, transformed it into being a lot of music lovers’ favourite record off the Timeless Album.
The record also highlights a more distinct aspect of Davido’s music catalogue, especially because it features the popular Afroswing instrumental commonly used in the UK by stars such as Not3s and BOJ.
Skepta’s delivery on the record, although very short was very expansive and well put together. It is also important to commend the overall lyrical content of the record.
Dimension is the Nigerian record with the most Skepta originality. The song showcases Skepta’s originality both lyrically and flow-wise. He came in really hard and delivered on the JAE5-produced record.
This is undoubtedly the best Skepta featured track, where he shared the space with a Nigerian talent.
Rema also delivered a classic hook, with a very clear message. The record enjoyed massive airplay all through 2021 both locally and internationally.
The only record that will top this is Skepta’s Energy where he featured Nigerian Superstar Wizkid, however, for this list an original Skepta record is not considered.
We look forward to seeing more Skepta collaborations with his Nigerian brother.
Rapper Octopizzo is set to perform as the main act at the Europe Day concert this weekend. The day honors the political and economic integration initiation that achieved stability.
The event celebrates cooperation with people on the African continent.
Activities lined up include a skills exhibition featuring Virtual Reality, illustrated comics and DJ’ing. It will also feature creative writing and expert advice on opportunities to study in Europe.
The concert gathers creatives and fans to interact with industry experts and build networks. The Santuri deejays, Mackinelay Mutsembi and Nabalayo, will also stage performances.
The Europe day concert will go down tomorrow, 5th May, at the Great Court Nairobi University-Main Campus.
Xlimkid is another talented hiphop artist coming out of the Black Stars Nation of Ghana. Inspired by the current state of the youths and creative industry in Ghana, the young rapper just created his latest single Journey and it’s as real as it gets as he pours out his heart on the trials and challenges on the road to success and stardom as he chases his music dream.
This song is also to inspire every young creative to never give up on themselves because it cant always go the way we expecting buh we can always keep our head up through whatever pain till it’s up, everybody got their own journey
Xlimkid
The Young rapper has been at it for a while and he definitely has everything it takes to make a global Rapstar.
In a recent interview with BBC MOTD, England national team and West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice sent a shout out to Nigerian rapper Odumodublvck who released a song named after the Englishman on March 24th 2023, and the millions of Nigerian rap fans who keep chanting his name on the song.
”Odumodu [Odumodublvck] – he brought out a song; it’s called ‘Declan Rice.’ “It dropped, and I was just like, yeah mad. I think it was the fastest-streaming song in Nigerian history. Number 1. It had now like 15 million streams,” Rice told BBC.
”We’ve seen all these people singing my name. I’m getting all these Nigerian people commenting. But that’s what it’s about though. I’ve got a couple of boys that are like, ‘We listen to it in the car and we just keep rewinding it, we’re like, yeah rewind,” the three lions player also added.
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Durban native, Lucasraps last week announced the release date (Friday May 5th) and cover art of his upcoming single, his first release of the year, complete with a snippet of the single titled ‘UMuthi.’
YOG has been teasing the song for quite a while now, as far back as February 25, 2023, he performed the song on The Block by GROUNDUPCHALE. You can watch the performance below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvNBJeheumA
Give the song snippet a listen below, are you excited for new YOG music?
Tsibip has been quiet for quite a while after launching his Don Billiato liquor brand last year, only coming out to announce that he is working on a new album and it will be a classic, his best effort yet, and he would really like to take his time on it. Global beverage brand sprite, has been able to draw Nyovest out of album mode to do a collaboration with legendary singer and songwriter of the American band ‘One Republic.’
The song is for the second season of the ‘Sprite Limelight’ campaign which aims at giving budding young talents a platform to showcase their gifts and hone their skills.
Mufasa had taken to his socials to announce the that Tedder sent him a hook and they had started working together, and the official trailer for the campaign which features several other artists from different countries like Lexa, Lay Zhang, FEID from Brazil, China and Colombia respectively, suggests this claim.
Check out the ‘Sprite Limelight’ Season 2 trailer below.
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Nigerian veteran rapper, M.I Abaga is no doubt one of the most prolific Nigerian rappers to ever touch the mic. A status he did not only clinch but has consistently proved for decades.
M.I. is one of those stars that can Write, Sing, Rap, produce, Freestyle and even Executiveproduce for other talents. For years he ran the affairs of the biggest African independent Hip-hop label and continued to make it grow even bigger and better.
M.I’s consistency is without a doubt at the top across any genre of music across Africa, he seats at the top of the consistency table with the likes of Khaligraph Jones, Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Fally Ipupa, Donjazzy, 2Baba and the P Square brother.
M.I. has been in the game for 19 years, delivered 5 albums, 4 mixtapes, and 2 EPs and has featured in one compilation album since he kickstarted his career fully.
M.I. has won numerous awards, including bagging a BET award sometimes in 2010. The rapper who has showcased how iconic he is, has played major roles in the careers of stars like Brymo, IcePrince, JesseJaggz, Blaqbonez, AQ and a lot of others.
Throughout his career, he has also been involved in quite several controversies, from feuding with KellyHansome over his lyrics on “fastmoney, fastcars.”
He also got dissed in a song by IcebergSlim, which led to M.I. releasing “Somebody Wants to Die” with his label mate, IcePrince which led to IceBerg releasing a more direct song he called “Assassination“. M.I. has also been involved in a feud with the king of Lafiaji himself, Vector.
M.I. “THE MOVIE” ALBUM
2010 saw M.I. release one of his most discussed albums to date. The prolific rapper released “THE MOVIE”, an album that was one of the most highly anticipated Projects of that year.
The album had every blow element from production to lyrical capacity and even the choice of features. M.I. was without any iota of doubt the biggest dawg in the game then, he could easily get any African superstar to jump on his record.
TOP SONGS ON THE MOVIE ALBUM
The Movie without any doubt has a lot of dope songs, however, these are some of the top songs on the project.
M.I Abaga – Number One FT Flavour
Number one was one of the most talked about tracks from the album. The song although boisterous, was well composed and put together.
Looking back 13 years later to what the song did for the culture and how many accolades the song received upon release, it is okay to agree that M.I. was number one.
On NumberOne where he featured eastern Nigerian Highlife superstar Flavour, the chorus which was delivered by Flavour himself depicts M.I as the number one rapper in Africa, what else do you expect from a rapper who will later take home a total of 5 highly coveted awards home.
M.I Abaga – Nobody FT TuFace
In 2010 having a record with 2baba was like having a record with JayZ of the American Hip-hop industry.
The Benue State descent singer had everything from fanbase, swag down to being friends with every top politician in the country.
Nobody was prolific for many reasons, one being the level of star presence it held. The song also featured classic instrumentation and had a clear message.
Nigerian rapper, Dremo will later revisit the song in 2019 while recording a remake of his Reminisce Original song titled “Ajigijaga“.
M.I Abaga – Action Film Ft Brymo
ActionFilm is probably the song with the most resonating beat on the project. Brymo’s voice on the hook is easily the swiftest flow of delivery on the album. M.I. came in hard delivering his verses with a formula that can only be done better by LilWayne.
The song showcases how big he has come from being down to make it to the top of the Nigerian Hip-Hop assembly and almost becoming the one to control the food chain.
You should check out this song today.
M.I Abaga Beef
Beef is where M.I. adorns all his opps with a well-put-together response. He calls out everyone from Iceberg Slim to KellyHansome. The prolific rapper will later dismiss reports about him beefing with these rappers, by saying they were just trying to make the rap scene pop.
M.I Abaga – Undisputed
Undisputed is our 5th pick on the project. On the record, M.I. adorns himself with praises. While rapping over a hook that sternly acclaims that nobody can do rap like him or deliver flows like him. M.I. is a huge fan of self-praise, as he flowed with a clear cadence while delivering on this record.
CONCLUSION
Without a doubt the whole “The Movie” album slaps, however, M.I. has probably not made an album like this one since releasing this in 2010. Although he has a better project, the level of self he puts into this project probably repeated itself when he released his Judah Ep in 2020.
The Movie album should be one of the starter packs for anyone looking to get into the Nigerian Hip-hop sound.
Tennessee based Zambian gospel rapper Linga TheBoss is making a name for herself in Christian rap. She recently just released her EP “One Of The Few”, this project features some of the best women in Christian Hip Hop and together they produce a sound that cannot be recovered from. On an interview with our gospel Editor James Uwe here are some of things she had to say.
So here’s Linga TheBoss. for the uninitiated.
Q: So for those who don’t know about you, and are hearing your name for the first time, who is Linga TheBoss., and what is the passion that drives you to music?
A: I am a Christian rapper, based in Nashville, Tennessee! I’ve been an artist for the last 10 years and I love creating hip hop that is hype and energetic, and strive to write impactful lyrics with a motivational, positive message!
Q: You recently just released your EP “One Of The Few”. What does “One Of The Few” mean and what led to the birth of this project?
A: My project, One Of The Few is based on the verse Matthew 7:13-14 which says “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and they way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few”.
I want to empower people to live lives marked by holiness and righteousness. I want to champion a generation that we CAN take the path that requires work— refinement and perseverance are necessary processes we need to go through to accomplish the things we are called to do. We don’t have to take the easy way; we can do hard things! So many people are focused on following the crowd, or following trends, and setting aside their standards in pursuit of platforms and influence. Not us. We are willing to rebel against the status quo. We defy conformity in pursuit of what matters most: the things of God. Many are taking the wide and easy way… The path that leads to destruction. But this EP is for anyone who is willing to be one of the few; that takes the path that leads to life.
Q: Why does the project “One Of The Few” have an all female future and do you think it has achieved its purpose thus far?
A: My project, One Of The Few, has all female features because, especially in light of women’s history month, I wanted to intentionally collaborate with the talented women in the Christian Hip Hop space who often get passed over or counted out. All my life I’ve been surrounded by incredible women who’ve inspired me and invested in me and I wanted to do the same with my debut EP. The women featured on my project are talented, and I believe the project will make waves, but more than that; I hope that the project will set an example to the men in our space that opportunities often go to first. I hope it reminds them we’re talented, we’re here, and we need them to make room for us.
Q: What lessons have you learnt during the process of putting together this project?
A: I have learned to trust the vision that God has given me, even if others don’t understand. I’ve also learned to fight for my sound and advocate for myself when working with producers and designers— even when they have incredible expertise, I still get to voice my concerns and make sure that my artistic vision is being correctly depicted because at the end of the day, I have to be committed to the vision that God gave me.
Q: What’s your favorite song of the EP and why?
A: My favorite song on the EP is “STILL STANDING”. The song was written after a super difficult season of my life that many people were convinced was going to break me or “take me out of the game” but God is faithful and he carried me through, and the song feels like a victory lap.
Q: What are your expectations of this project and what do you hope it’ll achieve?
A: I want it to put Zambia on the map; being from Zambia, I know that it can sometimes seem like we can’t “make it out” of Zambia, let alone accomplish the things we dream of. I want every Zambian kid to see this project and realize; they can do anything! I want my project to spread hope! I want it to reach countries all over the world. I want my project to encourage people to trust their process and stay committed to the dreams and goals they’ve set out to accomplish; knowing that God will carry them through.
Q: Is there a specific moment in your life so far that made you say, “I’m meant for this? I’m going to chase this music dream?”
A: I used to serve at a youth camp every summer where thousands of youth and young adults would come to encounter God, and I was always asked to perform at the camps, and people used to think we were just jumping around having fun and having a party but that I wasn’t impacting anyone — but week after week hundred of students would come and tell me they felt inspired by me, or impacted by the lyrics of my songs, or felt like they were motivated to follow God more passionately because of something I said on stage. I realized then; it’s not just hype— hip hop, when used correctly, can be a powerful force for good!
Q: What’s the best part about being a young female artist?
A: The opportunity to influence a generation positively! I get to be part of the change I want to see in the world.
Q: What’s the worst part about being a young female artist and what change do you hope to see?
A: Sometimes I’m automatically underestimated just because I’m a young woman- I wish that more people would believe in us from the jump and see our potential.
Q: What is your 5-year plan for music and artistry?
A: I want to continue to grow! I want to tour, release 2 more albums, and have a goal to put together a huge event/conference that is Christian Hip Hop focused and speaks to a generation in the language and music style that they understand best! I want to continue to release dope merch that is high fashion but also innovative and cool.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add or say?
A: If you haven’t heard my new EP- listen to it now! And check out the music video for FINISH ft. Kidd Lee on my youtube channel!
Q: Any advice or message for fellow artists?
A: Keep God first — keep your eyes focused on the vision God gave you, and invite trusted voices in, we can’t do life alone!
Rap music has transversed barriers to establish itself as one of the most popular genres in the world. This is attributed to its versatility and ability to inspire creative twists to the sound of artists dedicated to the craft.
As a culture, hip-hop has dramatically influenced the Kenyan music scene, giving birth to inventive sonic trends with a large young fanbase.
Shrap, a localization of Trap and drill, is one such trend that has been making waves on the scene. This vibrant part of Kenyan rap is driven by the rise of a new brand of creative artists representing the urban youth.
They intend to create a sound that resonates more with the local audience.
The pioneers, including Jovie Jovv, Musau and Boutross, describe the sound as a fusion of Swahili rap, trap and pop to represent Kenyan culture. It is designed to be blunt and hard-hitting with bravado and braggadocio while highlighting various aspects of Kenyan life equally.
Jovie is credited with coining the phrase shraplife, referring to the use of sheng, the local slang language in the delivery of bars. His release of the hit song Kiasi established him as a significant wave to reckon with. With his laidback delivery and clever punchlines, Jovie emerged as one of the top shrap artists and cemented his place on the scene.
He refers to himself as the “Shrap OG”, and deservedly so, considering his immense contribution to the sound.
Boutross Munene is another notable artist determined to carry the sound to greater heights. A pioneer who has elevated himself to become the face of shrap music.
He began rapping at a young age before breaking out with hit songs such as shrap over the rest, yea yea, yea and Angela, among others. He is credited with manoeuvering the industry gatekeepers to establish himself as shrap’s most successful story.
His aptitude for catchy hooks and engaging storytelling with an alluring delivery made him an integral cornerstone of the subgenre, topping his peers. He is commonly referred to as the “ShrapGod.”
Ladies are also not to be left behind with representation from Groovy Jo. She is a dynamic and outspoken rapper who commands respect with her lyrical precision and refusal to self-censor.
Groovy has blessed shrap with her infectious energy, a rich vocal timbre and measured, audacious bars capped with a fantastic catalogue.
The subgenre is growing as more and more artists begin to explore the sound. With a vast collaborative potential, these rap artists are able to work with other diverse artists.
The pioneering collective created an event dubbed the ‘shrapnite’, bringing together all fans, artists and enthusiasts to celebrate the culture. One of the major successes is collaborating with the “nyege nyege festival”, a unique East African-themed event, to create an amazing showcase.
Artist Boutross on stage entertaining fans at the Nyege Nyege Festival.
Shrap has yielded a culture of flamboyance and bravado that is centred on fashion and excellent rap. It, however, goes further to embed itself as a top voice in advocacy.
While themes of success, luxury and flashiness are consistently explored, the art goes further to speak on real issues facing the youth. It postures as a galvanising factor to bring young people together in addressing these issues.
The sound boasts of being authentic and homegrown with an appeal to the largest audience in the country, considering age. It has positively contributed to the country’s hip-hop culture, emerging from a crop of young artists eager to disrupt the industry’s setup.
It can be described as a way of life and expression for a majority of the young urban youth, making it a considerable force to reckon with in the country.
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