Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the wordpress-seo domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/bcm/src/dev/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121 Nigerian musicians | Zikoko!Nigerian musicians | Zikoko!
Davido recently faced backlash for launching a meme coin that plummeted just a day after its release. The crypto venture marks one of the singer’s many attempts to try his hands at something besides music. He’s not the only Nigerian music star exploring side hustles to varying levels of success.
From real estate to nightlife, here are eight top music stars and their side hustles:
Banky W
Banky successfully transitioned into Nollywood, starring in box office hits like The Wedding Party, UpNorth and Sugar Rush. And in 2018, the Yes or No singer went into politics, vying for a seat to represent the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency in Nigeria’s House of Representatives. He went again in 2023 and was unsuccessful on both occasions. He also co-founded Sooyah Bistro, a quick-service restaurant with branches across Lagos, in 2018.
Don Jazzy
When the music executive isn’t minting new talents, managing Mavin Headquarters as founder and CEO, he focuses on Jazzy’s Burger, a restaurant he launched in 2022 after he turned 40. Specialising in burgers, the restaurant has occasionally stirred controversy with its ₦10k starting price. Don Jazzy also ventured into skincare in 2023, launching his line of body soap, Drip Beauty.
Sheyman
The singer has taken a break from music completely. In 2021, he launched his exotic strip club, Secret Palace, in Lagos, attracting heavyweights like Burna Boy, Dbanj and Yhemo Lee. The Paper hitmaker also owns Folixx, a restaurant-style lounge operating on Lagos island.
Peter Okoye (P-Square)
When he’s not making music or performing his hits, the singer manages his lottery company, ZoomLifestyle, which he launched in 2019. In March 2024, he announced the launch of his logistics company, WYN, operating in Calabar, Uyo and Abuja.
[ad]
Mr Eazi
Before he got into music, the Leg Over hitmaker had a flair for business. In 2014, he pitched a tech platform he co-founded, Obiwezy, at the 440 Accelerator. In 2018, Mr Eazi established EmPawa Africa, a talent incubation enterprise, followed by Zagadat Capital in 2021, an investment firm focused on tech startups.
MC Galaxy
Popular for his hit, Sekem, MC is now more active in the culinary realm. In 2021, he launched Sekem Kitchen, an indigenous eatery in Lekki, frequented by celebrity patrons like Davido and Uti Nwachukwu. In 2024, he expanded his venture with a branch in Abuja.
Zlatan Ibile
When he’s not releasing street bangers or managing Zanku Records, the street-hop artist focuses on fashion. In May 2024, he unveiled his clothing line, Zanku To The Word (ZTTW), showcasing streetwear items like jerseys, tees and beanies.
Patoranking
Away from the studio and stage, Patoranking has a side gig as a social entrepreneur. In 2023, he launched The Patoranking Foundation to advance Africa through education and entrepreneurship, providing scholarships and business grants in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
We came into 2024 demanding for new sounds, a breakaway from Amapiano for good. And last week, a rising singer named taves went viral with his pop-alt singles Folake and Bodija, which people called a breath of fresh air in the Nigerian music space.
The clamour for more unconventional music set us into action to bring you some of the other new artists that aren’t on your radar.
Wapo
Wapo’s music sounds like a big, shiny disco ball in a large ballroom. One can clearly hear his experimentation with African rhythms, ‘80s pop and R&B on songs like No White Tees, Bleed and Walk on Water. Wapo’s music is similar to Runtown’s recent album, “Signs”. His latest, “Afraid of the Dark”, is heavy on synth and fearful emotions like he’s running through the dark woods. His music is an interesting and comfortable deviation from the formulaic logdrums the Afrobeats industry is plagued with.
Odenose
Are you looking for a genre mixologist? Odenose (formally OD) is the answer. From jazz to hip-hop to spoken word, neo-soul and afrobeats, the Abuja-based musician is capable of blending genres into a refreshing African music cocktail. Let her recent album “MissChief” lead you into endless flavours of Afro-fusion and live instruments.
Seanmichael Ike
It’s time to discard the family situation that turned the lights on Seanmichael Ike and shift the focus on his artistry. He’s a singer-songwriter making the chill Afropop of a shy and hopeless romantic with enough rizz to steal people’s babes. While we wait for his 2024 releases, his songs, Shy Shy and Stargirl, are good places to start.
Bagetti
Entering into 2024, Jonzing introduced its latest signee, Bagetti, with Hard Girl, and it’s now a viral TikTok jam. On March 12, she followed up with Dawn, the last single before her debut EP drops on March 15. Bagetti explores familiar territories like dancehall and Afropop, but her confident and non-conforming delivery make the difference.
Tega Ethan
Tega Ethan is an Ibadan-based singer-songwriter and guitarist making records about love, longing, hope and other fleeting emotions. If you’re looking for some delicious poetry and soundtracks that say a lot without saying too much, Tega’s music is where it’s at.
Modim
Modim has found a way to synthesise Afrobeats, African folklore and alternative rock into one electrifying performance. Complex guitar riffs, evocative vocals, thoughtful lyrics interspersed with local stories, and catchy hooks make his music wholesome. Songs like Eko Meji, Eni Aráyé and Emini Nii will light up any stage if given a moment.
Ayo Maff
Street-pop music constantly breaks the stereotype that its artists have to be rogues and good-for-nothings. Ayo Maff’s take on it goes far beyond the penchant for street upbringing and hustle life; he poignantly sings about his background, dreams, fears, deceased loved ones and the lives of ordinary men. Ayo Maff isn’t political, but he sounds very much like the “voice of the people”.
Growing up, you may have heard the story of a Nigerian artist who made rain fall with a song. Or the one whose song was inspired by a mermaid.
We can’t confirm if these are true or not, but we can research other songs which also had myths attached to them.
Guitar Boy — Sir Victor Uwaifo
Sir Victor Uwaifo made ‘Guitar Boy’ in 1966. The late artist stated in an interview that he once had an encounter with a mermaid at the Bar Beach on Victoria Island, Lagos. True or not, the story has gone far, and many people think the song title is “Mami Water” instead of Guitar Song.
Send Down the Rain — Majek Fashek
The legend of Majek Fashek is hugely attached to his 1987 hit ‘Send Down the Rain.’ A year after the song’s release, Nigeria recorded an average annual precipitation of 121.6cm, making it the second rainiest year in the 1980s. The heavy rainfall came at that time the song was at its peak, so many people considered the song prophetic.
Esubiribiri Ebomi — King Sunny Ade
This song was King Sunny Ade’s protest anthem when he had label issues with Bolarinwa Abioro in 1974. The legend says that each time King Sunny Ade touched the guitar, he was “struck by madness.” And then on the record, he chanted incantations that hinted at defiance.
If I Die — Da Grin
After the success of Da Grin’s first album CEO (2009), the rapper went mainstream. While preparing to release his sophomore album, he put out ‘If I Die’ — a song about death.
A few months after the song’s release, the rapper passed away in a car crash. His death made the public believe ‘If I Die’ was Da Grin’s premonition of his own demise.
Osondi Owendi Remake — MC Loph
In 2011, rapper MC Loph did a contemporary remake of ‘Osondi Owendi,’ originally made by highlife music legend Osita Osadebe. There was a rumour that Osita’s family forbade MC Loph from using the song, but he did anyway. Although the song shot the rapper into the limelight, it wasn’t for long. He died in a car accident later in 2011, and many remarked it was a consequence of going against the Osadebe family.
Tiwa Savage once dedicated a sexy song called ____ to Jesus?
What song sent down the rain anytime one Nigerian musician performed?
Who did you think 2Face dissed in “Only Me”?
Olamide was rumoured a member of Illuminati after he released a song titled ____
An artist saw a mermaid and made a song about it.
What song did Tems say it’s about Jesus teaching her to walk on water?
There was a rumour a Nigerian singer made a song called “Fall In Love” for one Nollywood actress
There is a myth that Da Grin predicted his own demise in a song
Which artist did you think Davido was addressing in his song, “FEM”?
There was a long-time rumoured that 9ice talked his ex-wife in a song
You got #{score}/#{total}
Whether these things are true or false, we can’t help but think of all the dreams you’ve been sold. Wake up, man.
You got #{score}/#{total}
You weren’t aware of these hearsays about these songs? Hmm. Stop being old or cosplaying a Gen Z, pleasee.
You got #{score}/#{total}
Now, what exciting lies will you tell your kids about songs of your time?
Hey! The third episode of our Valentine Special out. We brought back two best friends to share how their relationship has evolved in the last five years. Watch below:
2023 came with numerous album releases, from heavy hitters to upcoming acts. We expected some of our biggest stars to join the wagon, but instead, they gave us dust. Here’s a short list of artists who owe us a feast in 2024.
2Baba
It’s been four years since Warrior. But on January 3, the veteran singer took to Instagram to announce his 2024 plan to release a new album. Motivated by the vim and excellence of new-gen artists, 2Baba said, “Na so we no dey gree for anybody this year o.”
Tems
She dropped two singles towards the end of 2023, and it’s been over a month since she teased her album on X. Let’s have it, please.
Image source: Premium Times
Victony
This guy made noise in 2023 with bangers like My Darling, Angelus and Ohema. We heard him. Now, he needs to put his artistry into a full-length body of work. We’re ready for Victony.
Image source: BellaNaija
Tiwa Savage
Tiwa Savage may be killing features up and down, but she needs to drop a new album. Water & Garri, an EP, came out in 2021. That’s a long time to be stuck with only groceries. Maybe banga soup and starch-type albums this year?
Image source: Premium Times
Odunsi (the Engine)
The three-track SPORT EP he dropped in December 2023 was just a tease. We see he’s come out of ghost mode and has been appearing on his socials lately. He also produced Jazz Up off Pan African Rockstar (Lady Donli’s latest album) back in September 2023. We hope he’s back to feed us with another innovative album like rare. (2018).
Image source: GQ Middle East
Peruzzi
Peruzzi has shown himself to be a brilliant singer-songwriter and composer. With three albums in his catalogue and over 252 songwriter credits on hits like Nwa Baby, Risky and Unavailable, he’s defining himself as one of Afrobeats’ top writers. But it’s been over three years since Rum & Boogie, or is he not doing singing again?
Image source: Viberate
Ayra Starr
Sabi Girl had a successful 2023 taking her music around Africa, Australia and North America, and featuring on everything from Girl Next Door with Tyla to Big FU with David Guetta. We love these records, but a new album will bang differently.
It’s a travesty that Afrobeats doesn’t have a museum yet, but that’s where Zikoko comes in — to help us collectively fake it till we make it. To do this, we curated an Afrobeats museum with memorabilia of the music creators and executives who took Afrobeat and experimented with other African rhythms and Western sounds to form the modern Nigerian genre we know and love — Afrobeats
Relics from the founding fathers
Afrobeats is an offspring of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Tony Allen’s — the drummer who directed his band, Africa ‘70 for 11 years — 1970s Afrobeat.
A shrine of Fela’s favourite things
First of all, Fela’s iconic saxophones, pants and combs have to be in our museum — it was documented in Alex Gibney’s Finding Fela that he loved to spend time in front of the mirror, just combing and admiring his hair. Also, one of Fela’s favourite books, The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X, should be on a shelf somewhere.
Tony Allen’s drum sticks
Specifically, the ones he used on more than 30 Fela albums.
Afrobeats memorabilia
What Junior and Pretty wore in their album cover
The duo is considered one of the first to lay the foundation for an Afrobeats sound. On the artwork of the album, Tribute to Okechukwu Azike a.k.a “Junior” — which has their classic hit, Bolanle — they wore a Fulani attire that must be found and showcased in our museum.
Kennis Music’s Yellow Hummer
In the early 2000s, a Hummer was the top ride, and Kennis Music had one in yellow. Talk about iconic. It went on to become a video vixen for the many artists in the label’s roster.
2Face’s Lincoln Navigator
The car Kennis Music gifted 2Face after a successful debut album sale. This was also right after they bought their yellow Hummer. The Lincoln Navigator sparked controversy as many believed the artist who made the label so much money deserved his own Hummer. A Lincoln Navigator wasn’t a shit car sha.
DIGITAL CAMERA
Written history of Eedris Abdulkareem’s fight with 50 Cent
In 2004, 50 Cent headlined the Star Mega Jamz in Nigeria. At the concert, Eedris Abdulkareem felt local superstars were kicked to the curb for their foreign counterparts. He went at the American rapper, his crew and the show promoters about their seating arrangements, saying that local artists deserve the same special treatment.
When Eedris got on stage, he said, “50 Cent na oga for America. Me, I be oga for rap for Nigeria.” His actions changed how local artists were treated from then on. In 2023, Young Buck, rapper and longtime friend of 50 Cent, said he remembered a Nigerian dude who stood against their whole crew, and how scary it was.
Jaga Jaga music video
Eedris Abdulkareem was in the news a lot in the early 2000s. His hit song, Jaga Jaga, criticised the Nigerian government and was banned from radio by the then-president, Olusegun Obasanjo. The clubs never stopped playing it though, and Eedris is vindicated because Nigeria is still jaga jaga. The video should be on repeat at the museum.
The very-first Headies plaque
The Headies Awards is widely recognised as Nigeria’s biggest music award show today. The first version of the “headie” figurine was made of wood, and it should be on display right next to the current golden one, as an apt representation of how far the industry has come.
Zaaki Azzay’s torchlight and cap
The veteran rapper’s iconic silver torchlight and black and white skull cap have to make the cut.
DJ Jimmy Jatt’s turntable at Jimmy Jump Off
One of the pioneer disc jockeys in Nigeria, DJ Jimmy Jatt’s Jimmy Jump Off cypher was the launchpad for many Nigerian artists like Dagrin, Olamide, Burna Boy, Boogey and Laycon.
Image source: www.matriarca.com
A “groups and cliques” section
The Afrobeats museum will have to have a section just for photos and videos of our most iconic groups: Junior and Pretty, Trybesmen, The Remedies, Plantashun Bois, Styl-Plus, Kush, Port Harcourt’s Tuck Tyght and Specimen A, P-Square, the list is surprisingly endless.
Alaba distribution
A history lesson on how Alaba Market in Lagos State changed the Nigerian music distribution game, exploring how Eldee and 2Shotz where the first Afrobeats artists to distribute through that channel.
Image source: Ndani.tv
ModeNine’s first rhyme book
ModeNine is the most decorated Headies “Lyricist on the Roll” winner so far. Flipping the pages of the super emcee’s first rhyme book to see his very first bars would be a cool-ass experience.
NBC’s radio play law
In 2010, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission passed a law that made radio stations prioritise local music over the foreign ones that completely dominated the airwaves. The decision was a systemic way to prevent Nigerian music from taking a backseat in Nigeria. A physical copy of this law in a glass display case would be a great addition to the museum.
Don Jazzy’s walking stick from his Mo’Hits Era
He’s “Don” Jazzy for a reason. The music mogul moved like a Lagos Island mob boss with a walking stick during the Mo’Hits era. He had it with him every time. Back then, he never smiled, hardly spoke and only whispered if he had to speak. We wonder where he’s dumped that stick now.
Terry G’s first bell
Terry G, AKA King of Swagger, was known not only for his talent, face piercings or colourful dressing, but for ringing bells in his songs, videos and on stage. We want to see the bell that began his mission.
Naeto C’s Hausa caps
The rapper began a fashion trend when he arrived on the scene in t-shirts, jeans, sneakers and a Hausa cap. It was the ultimate cool swag of the late 2000s.
Image source: BellaNaija
Wizkid’s 2018 O2 tracksuit
In 2018, Wizkid became the first African act to sell out the O2 Arena hall with his Afrorepublik show, his first big London show. And he effortlessly dripped in a Dolce & Gabbana tracksuit.
Image source: PulseNg
Tiwa Savage’s “King Charles coronation” gown
Call it our coloniser’s ceremony, but it’s a big deal for Afrobeats to permeate the British royal house in this way. And who best to call to give them a stunning performance of African rhythm than Tiwa Savage, the Queen of Afrobeats herself. She did it gloriously in this emerald green asooke dress that belongs in a museum.
Image source: AriseNews
A collection of iconic debut albums
The most impactful first albums that contributed to the Afrobeats movement should be on display. From 2Face’s Grass2Grace to P-Square’s Get Squared, Asa’s self-titled debut, Wande Coal’s Mushin2Mo’Hits, Wizkid’s Superstar and Rema’s Rave & Roses.
Image source: Spotify
Legendary studios
Miniatures of the legendary Kennis Music studio (2Face, Eedris Abdulkareem, Tony Tetuila), ID Cabasa’s Coded Tunes studio (2Phat, 9ice, Lord of Ajasa, Olamide, Reminisce), Knighthouse, Mo Dogg’s studio and other places where the Afrobeats legends recorded their art.
Written history of the first labels to house Afrobeats
We broke this down in a six-minute read in 2023. An Afrobeats museum should have the history of early labels such as Storm Records, Trybe Records, Mo’Hits Records, Question Mark, Grafton Entertainment and Coded Tunes and their impact on the Nigerian music industry.
Image source: Spotify
Printed lyrics
The lyrics of legendary Afrobeats songs like The Remedies’ Shakomo, 2Face’s African Queen, Wizkid’s Ojuelegba, can be printed on the walls. They’re the Afrobeats gospels.
Books of Afrobeats history
All the important books on the history of Afrobeats should be available in the Afrobeats museum. Everything from “E File Fun Burna” by Jide Taiwo to “Fela: This Bitch of A Life” by Carlos Moore.
Image source: MoreBranches
Web3 digital gallery hall
As a movement that’s relevant in this hyper digital era, Afrobeats deserves a digital universe. Technology like this won’t only shift the paradigm for Afrobeats in the digital world, it’ll allow it to create, share and make profit.
On November 20, 2023, Victony posted a snippet of his new single, Ohema, along with interesting news: he worked with three music producers and featured 14 artists on the track.
While we all await Victony’s highly anticipated single, let’s travel back to the 2000s to highlight all the all-star songs we loved so much.
1,2,3 remix by DJ Neptune
The year was 2010 when three of the hottest rappers in the country took turns to drop bars on a DJ Neptune record. M.I Abaga, the song’s producer, opened up the remix, followed by Naeto C and the late Dagrin, who had arguably the best verse on it because of his strong Yorùbá delivery. While the 2011 Ako Mi Ti Poju remix gave us Naeto C and Dagrin, 1,2,3 remix is the only song to feature the three iconic rappers together.
My Pain (Tribute to Dagrin) by Sheyman
After Dagrin’s demise in 2010, veteran artist and sound engineer, Sheyman, orchestrated an emotional tribute to the memory of the late rapper. My Pain featured 20 artists including Omawumi, Reminisce, Durella, Kenny Saint-Brown, Waje, Banky W, Sasha, Jaywon, Jahbless, Tony Tetuila, Lord of Ajasa and more. We can’t talk about all-star records in Afrobeats without mentioning when artists came together to pay their last respects to a colleague.
Baddest Boy by E.M.E All-stars
In 2012, Banky W’s co-founded record company, Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E), released the album, Empire Mates State of Mind. The first single, Baddest Boy, features former E.M.E artists, Wizkid, Skales and Banky W. During this period, E.M.E owned the airwaves with a cool swag every young person wanted to have. And Baddest Boy had our attention with Wiz’s confident opening verse and infectious chorus, Skales’ braggadocious rap verse and Banky’s singy-rap delivery. Till today, when the Wizkid part, “Bí wón le, le, le” bursts out of any speaker, the crowd will respond with “I’m the baddest boy”. It was an anthem.
Made in Lagos by Naeto C
Way before Wizkid’s latest album Made In Lagos, Naeto C had a song of the same title. It’s the last song on his 2008 album, You Know My P, and features his fellow ex-Storm Records artists, Jazzman Olofin, GT tha Guitarman, Darey Art Alade, Sasha P and General Pype. This was the era when label artists constantly made possé cuts, and we miss it.
Born Champion remix by General Pype
Coming off the success of the original song, General Pype assembled Dagrin, Vector, Naeto C, Sasha P and GT tha Guitarman for a remix in 2010. This remix became the ghetto gospel, giving hope to young Nigerians stuck in the trenches. It’s still a sing-along that sparks nostalgia today.
Pere by Mo’Hits All-Stars
Off their Curriculum Vitae album, Mo’Hits All-Stars — Don Jazzy, D’Banj and Wande Coal — sang to woo their love interests. At the time, Mo’Hits had the music industry in a chokehold with their hit songs and superstar label roster. Pere‘s music video directed by DJ Tee upped its relevance with the iconic scene where Wande and D’Banj argued over who had the finest babe. Pere is still a jam that’s immediately recognisable from the beat drop.
We Are Africans (Naija remix) by JJC
Femi Kuti, Dagrin, eLDee, DJ Zeez, Kel, Ay.com, Ragga Remi and Moe Money featured on the Naija remix of JJC’s We Are Africans in 2010. One of those old-school Naija classics that’s a certified sing-along, the song was their way of promoting African unity and pride to the diaspora.
Represent by M.I. Abaga
Represent was the last song off MI 2: The Movie album, featuring Ice Prince, Jesse Jagz and Brymo. The song started with a lady saying the album can’t finish without a joint from the “Choc Boyz” — the Chocolate City labelmates. Their era as labelmates was a solid run, and their songs together are some of the best releases from Chocolate City.
Something is in the Edo water. The state keeps making the news rounds lately for the spectacular doings of its young talents. Rema closed out O2 for his London concert on November 15. Shallipopi released his debut album on November 10, and is one of the breakout artists of 2023.
While these two may be the current faces of Edo, there are seven other artists from the City of Bronze you should have on your listening radar.
Aiseh
Omosefe “Aiseh” Aisosa is a hip-hop artist whose music revolves around everyday Nigerian life, relationships and his Christian faith. Five years after dropping his debut album, GROWING (2018), Aiseh returned in 2023 with Heartbreak, Bars and Melodies. The project detailed his love life and showcased a versatile music maker who can sing and rap equally well, with each song connecting cohesively into the next.
thellO
thellO (Ethel Blessing Ngohonba Mote) is a Cameroonian-Nigerian singer and rapper based in Benin, Edo State. Attention first beamed on her during her stint in the 2022 Hennessy VS Class. She raps in English, Yorùbá and her native Cameroonian tongue, Bassa. She’s a battle-tested emcee, and her social pages are stacked with freestyles and song covers you should deep-dive into.
Layzee Ella
Onose Emmanuella Bagudu, PKA Layzee Ella, is an androgynous singer-songwriter best known for her soul-pop music. Her EPs When The Lights Go Off (2021) and Feel Everything (2022) are built around vulnerability and romantic experiences. Her most recent offering, Infinito, is a collaborative effort with Romanian music producer and DJ, Vanotek.
Caleb Clay
Based in Lagos, Caleb Clay (FKA BigC) has made his identity as an adept lyricist in the Naija underground rap scene. Asides from being a great storyteller who tells introspective, personal stories and Lagos city tales, Caleb walks with pockets of flow that endear listeners to every bar he spits. His rapper CV includes three EPs and a session at DJ Jimmy Jatt’s “Jimmy Jump Off” show. His new single Pressure had Port Harcourt rapper, Sknny, on as a feature.
Aisosa
Before Aisosa released his emotional At Night, You Floor My Thoughts with producer UndieJulius in March 2023, he showed his lyrical depth of love languages with releases like Abeg, All Time Low (2021), Strange Fire and Fools (2022). Aisosa, born Michael Timeyin Igbinosa is a burgeoning R&B and afro-fusion act whose vocals and lyrics will wash over you like tidal waves. Watch out for him.
Harry Carter
Harrison “Harry Carter” Ogedegbe is one of the most exciting artists from Benin. When he isn’t exploring trap and emo-trap, Carter is drilling or making afro-pop jams like Myself featuring Lil5ive. From braggadocious rhymes to chill vibes, Carter is an all-round artist. His catalogue is two EPs and several singles deep — his latest is Ovbere (“He has come again” in his native Edo tongue).
Billy the GOAT
Ihama Peter, popularly known as Billy the GOAT (BTG), is a non-stereotypical rap artist. He conveniently switches flows to fit into his fusion of pop and afrobeats, while maintaining his rap aura at the core. STOP PLAYING, his four-track sophomore EP, came out in August 2023.
https://youtu.be/3HWoUDHxRPI?si=W65JEIVEVbiaZ81V
Get into these young Edo stars through our playlist:
Nigerian artists might leave you waiting for a good 30 minutes to an hour before they start their shows, but they’ll definitely make the wait worth it. From their stage presence to the props and theatrics, these artists will give you a show of your lifetime.
Rema
At this point, we might have to change Rema’s name to Crowd Controller. Once Divine climbs that stage, he’ll have the crowd eating out the palm of his hands. Another thing is certain: He’ll do it with all the finesse in the world.
Ayra Starr
From her bad gyal fits to her vocals and audience engagement on stage, Ayra Starr has never been known not to give a show.
Davido
We knew Davido was in his live performance bag when he dropped out of the sky at his 2018 Eko Atlantic concert. Since then, it’s been back-to-back finishing for anyone that goes to see him perform. He’ll utilize every inch of his stage, and have all his friends and family come to perform, because after all, “We rise by lifting others”.
Burna Boy
Burna Boy has mastered the art of live performances. He might show up a couple hours late and spend the first 30 minutes on that stage going off on everyone. But once he starts his performance, all the anger that’s been building up in you will vanish, and you’ll be in awe.
Wizkid
They don’t call him Big Wiz for nothing: He’s shut down the 02 arena in London three times in a row. Best believe Ayodeji Wizkid Balogun is walking on that stage to giveyou a show. And he’ll bring out other people to join in on that show.
Asake
Asake had an insane run in 2022 and decided to take the insanity out of the studio and to the stage. He’ll perform live renditions of his songs, and they won’t sound the same as the studio recording. As long as he thinks it’ll make you have a good time, Mr. Money will deliver it.
Shallipopi
The president of Pluto might be new in the game, but he’ll certainly entertain you and leave you begging for more. He knows his audience can sing his entire discography word for word. He’s also very aware that his discography isn’t very long, so he’ll dance and hype the crowd up and have everyone screaming his song back at him. Shallipopi will have a good time on that stage and show his plutomanias are having a good time, too.
Many end-of-year music festivals and concerts will likely not happen this year because the promoters can no longer afford to book our afrobeats artists.
But that isn’t reason enough to give up on your December enjoyment. If you really want to be in party mode throughout your holidays, you can still have maximum fun these ways.
DJ and hypemen parties
Since artists are now too expensive to book, it’s the turn of the DJs and hype-men to take centre stage. No lip-syncing or waiting for an artist to come three hours after the show starts.
Indie shows
If an artist you like, whether they’re C or Z-list, has a show, go and enjoy watching them live. There are many independent musicians and upcoming acts throwing shows this December. You get to support them, and they get to make enough money to put back into their music to make more music you lowkey love.
Spend time in clubs
You already know you’ll enjoy loud music, alcohol and dance. You already know your favourite club gives you joy every other weekend. But it’ll be pro-max in December. You’ll get to party with invited celebrities and all the big ballers in your city for longer than the usual party hours because it’s the holidays.
Or go to the beach
Lagos beaches move like clubs, with their own celebrity DJs.
Throw your own parties
Gather your family, friends and loved ones and load up your favourite jams. Make it old-school, and everyone will be high on nostalgia, singing along till fuel finishes inside the generator (if you like, trust NEPA).
Street carnivals
If your street or estate has no plan to organise one, call a general meeting and give them the plan. Everyone will come together, have a good time and get to know that neighbour no one sees. You guys can even make estate merch to strengthen communal relationships.
Do “Home Alone”
If you want to be by yourself, that’s cool too. Eat some home-cooked food, drink up and turn up the music. Somebody say, “Macaulay Caulkin, we wanna party.”
There’ll be music at our meat and grill festival in Lagos this Saturday. Get your ticket and enjoy the biggest meat cookout in Nigeria.
Another weekend to take a break (yinmu) from the dictates of capitalism and let your hair down while listening to some smooth music — you deserve it.
Kicking off today, once every week (till talent pools run dry, which is impossible), we’ll introduce you to a new R&B artist emerging across Africa.
We present to you Enaky from Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
As more people clamour for more women’s participation in music, rising star Enaye Igoniwari, better known as Enaky, is set to put her native Bayelsa state on the global map as she presents Family, her debut in Nigeria’s music scene.
Looking back on how far she’s come, Enaky traces her evolution in music, taciturn childhood, the inspiration behind her single, getting signed to a record label, new responsibility and what’s next for her career.
First off, congrats on inking your first record deal. Can we get a peep into your background?
I was born and raised in Ogbia local government in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. I had typical Bayelsan parents, and they were strict. So I was at home all the time, spending time with myself, watching TV or pressing my phone. I just wanted to learn as much as I could. It was during this learning phase I found myself exploring music.
That was very recreational for me. When I began taking my singing very serious, it wasn’t as easy, but I always felt like I could ride on till the end. Practice turned into a daily thing for me. I covered songs and did a lot of freestyles, many of them didn’t even make it to my socials. Throughout my uni days, it was me and YouTube beats.
How long have you been pushing independently before the record deal came along?
It’s funny, but my first studio recording was only two years ago.
No other experiences before that time?
I had been making freestyles and covers in my room, but didn’t get a chance to record an official studio track until 2021. That said, my involvement with music started since I was a kid. When I was 11, I joined the choir, even though I had stage fright. Then, I started writing poems in primary school and became serious with it when I entered junior secondary school.
I didn’t know I’d be doing music at the time; creative writing has helped me.
Fair. Let’s discuss Family, your first official single, under NSB Entertainment. How did it come together?
The song is about my personal experiences with people. A few years ago, my tolerance and trust were broken: I’ll share the full story when I’m ready, but this song came together from my craving for honesty and peace.
Family is the fastest song I have written so far. It was easy to pour out my pain points based on my experiences with people.
Yeah, it sounds a bit personal. It’s brilliant songwriting
Yeah. I have been a writer since my secondary school days.
Also, growing up, we didn’t stay in one place for long. I never spent more than a year in any secondary school except in university. So that also gave me some variety when I approach music.
Hey. Have you heard that the Burning Ram Meat Festival is happening in Lagos two weeks from now? Precisely on the 11th of November. Tickets are selling out. Get yours now.
What has changed since you got signed?
Everything has changed.
My daily activity has changed. Before, it was me in my room, singing something to lift my spirit. Now it’s all pro. It’s more practice, studio sessions, meetings and soaking up games from the smart people around me. Even the messages I received then and the ones I get now are different. People used to text me and be like, “Hey, I saw your freestyle video and liked it. You’re amazing. Keep it up.” Now it’s more stuff like, “Wow, omo, you don blow o.”
That shows me that people now see the effort of the team and I — the professionalism and the whole packaging are becoming glaring, and people are noticing.
Also, the idea of a musician I had in my head is entirely different from what it is now. I thought musicians write music, record, eat and, rest. I never thought about the responsibilities until I got to this phase. But now I understand it demands dedication, self-control, discipline, focus and drive — my craft is being invested in and it’s business more than ever. I have to be consistent with good music, my posts and my interactions. Even on days I feel down, I’m learning to pull myself back up. I have to keep getting better. Whether I like it or not, there are expectations I have to deliver on, and I cannot fuck up.
But I’m very aware I’m not an unsigned artist in my room anymore — a group of people share my visions and are ready to accomplish them with me, and I must make that easy for them.
What’s next for Enaky?
Growth, growth, growth. I want to keep creating music that stands the test of time. I want to make catalogues of emotive songs that people can always lean on. I always keep it honest and straight from the heart. Also, my first music project should be out in November — I’m very excited to share when it’s time.
A record label’s place and role in music can never be kicked to the curb. Especially in these times when you need a good platform to succeed, record labels that nurtured the Afrobeats movement deserve recognition.
At the dawn of Afrobeats in 1991, before anybody with a heavy purse (whether they know the business or not) could set up an office and say their record label was open, it was just a few heads running the operational side of the music around here. Before the indigenous labels that focused on contemporary pop music in Naija, Western labels held tight to the helm of the business throughout the 20th century. Independent labels were nonexistent until, at least, 1990.
A few music labels ran the Nigerian music scene from the ’60s till the tail end of the 1980s. One of them is Premier Records, which provided space for music journalist, Dean Disi to occupy leadership positions. Disi’s time as general manager ushered in Segun Arinze, Ras Kimono, Evi-Edna, Charly Boy, Edmund Spice, Junior & Pretty and more, into the Nigerian entertainment scene.
When Junior & Pretty emerged from Ajegunle with their funny style of Pidgin English rap, it was just young people making hip music in the most expressive way they could. The music wasn’t called “Afrobeats” yet. It was simply “Nigerian music”.
In 1991 Junior and Pretty was signed to kickstart Storm Records. After Obi Asika, its founder and chief executive officer, had gathered some expertise in DJing, radio programmes and events promotion, with valuable music business experience from his days at the University of Warwick, his move into the Nigerian music scene was inevitable.
Under him, Junior & Pretty made the Fufu Flavour album which included their popular hits Monica and Bolanle, years before Afrobeats became official.
If there’s an unpopular yet essential consensus we have to come to, Junior & Pretty is the very first Afrobeats act.
Storm Records, on the one hand, didn’t get a breakthrough until around 1998, when it evolved from just a clique movement into an actual music label, now known as Storm 360.
Lanre “eLDee” Dabiri’s Trybe Records arrived in 1998 too. It kicked off as Trybesmen, a movement of three rappers named eLDee, Freestyle tha Shogun and Kaboom. They met in Lagos in 1994 and put out their first album, L.A.G. Style, in 1999. Then they had hits like Trybal Marks and Shake Bodi. Primarily hip-hop in style and fashion, their approach blended smoothly with Afrobeats.
After the Trybesmen broke up in 2004, eLDee kept his label running while releasing solo projects. Trybe Records housed 23 artists between 1998 and 2011, including 2Shotz, Dr. Sid (pre-Mo’Hits Records), Niyola, Lequse, Sheyman, K9, Aramide, Eva Alordiah, Sojay, Sarz and Sasha P, who later signed to Storm Records.
The music Trybe Records put out laid the foundation for what we now recognise as the Afro Hip-Hop sound in Nigeria, making its mark in the development of Afrobeats before it was acquired by Iman Entertainment in 2011.
But back in 1998, Kehinde Ogungbe (Keke) and Dayo Adeneye (D1) returned from Hollywood to open Kennis Music, after hosting “AIT Jamz” on African Independent Television for some time. They signed The Remedies a year after — a trio of Eedris Abdulkareem, Eddy Montana and Tony Tetuila. Their 1999 debut hit single, Shakomo, is evergreen — a simple party single recorded on the instrumental of MC Lyte’s Keep On Keeping On.
Nigerian contemporary music was now called “Naija Music”.
One day in 2000, Tony Tetuila left the group, and the three men had a beef that dragged into 2002. They exchanged diss tracks like Tetuila’s Omode Meta N Sere, which became a hit and introduced us to Tuface. The two-man Remedies responded with Jealousy, featuring Pasuma. The beef later became focused on Tony and Eedris.
Tony went after Eedris in his monster hit, My Car. Not one to swallow insults and jabs, Eedris fired back with a smash hit, Oko Omoge, that had us screaming the line, “One leg up, one leg up”, a subtle diss at Tony, who limps while walking. All this happened while they were still signed to Kennis Music, who benefited from one of the most significant controversies in Nigerian music.
In 1999, a fellow label signee, Paul Play, released his first and second albums, Dairo Music Foundation Project 1 and Paul I.K. Dairo Project 2 before he left Kennis Music. The label’s roster boasted Blackface, Marvelous Benji, Rasqie, Azadus, Olu Maintain, Kelly Handsome and Joel Amadi, who put out the last album from Kennis Music in 2015.
Kennis Music remains the Nigerian music label with the most albums — 75.
An account of the labels that platformed Afrobeats in its early stage isn’t complete without Nelson Brown’s Dove Records, home to Plantashun Boiz and their debut album, Body and Soul, in 2000. The body of work gave us hits like You and I, Don’t You Know, Knoff Off and Ememma. 30+ people will see these song titles and jump for joy with hearty remembrance. Sold Out was the second album they put out before their first breakup in 2004. 2Face signed to Kennis and released his debut and sophomore albums. Three years later, a Plantashun Boiz reunion happened, and they released Plan B under Plantashun Entertainment Limited Management.
During Storm 360’s run, Darey Art-Alade made his classic ballad, Not the Girl, in 2009, and R&B music was pushed to the forefront. The radios regularly played songs by Storm artists like G.T. the Guitar Man, Ms Jaie, Tosin Martin and Jazzman Olofin (Mr. Funky). The label also created space for hybrid artists like 2Shotz, Sasha P, General Pype, Ikechukwu and LOS. Banky W too, before he moved on to start his own imprint.
Then there was Question Mark, operated by Kevin Luciano-Gabriel (ex-MTV staff) alongside Gbenga Shokefun (former manager of girl group, Kush). The record label launched in 2005 with Nnenna and Modenine, who had the classic cult song Cry together. Question Mark had Cobhams Asuquo as its in-house producer from 2005 to 2006. Asa was signed, released Eye Abada and left without giving them an album.
Q. Mark’s artist lineup also consisted of Street Monk, Silver Saddih, Harry Songz and Safarie. When the label put out the music video for its all-star anthem, Street Life, it was on the MTV Chart and set the standard for Nigerian music videos with great set, camera and overall production quality.
Mo’Hits Records was the rave of the moment from when it launched in 2005 till it crashed in 2012. After leaving JJC’s 419 Squad in the U.K., music duo Don Jazzy (producer) and D’Banj (singer), returned to Nigeria and founded Mo’Hits with funds from D’Banj’s mum. They released the No Long Thing album in 2005, and D’banj was named The Most Promising Male Act at the Kora Awards and given a Channel O Music Video Award for Tongolo. In 2006, he followed up with RunDown Funk U Up and the monster hit, Why Me.
As the label grew, signings surged, and in came Wande Coal, who changed Nigerian pop music forever with his hit-stacked Mushin 2 Mo’Hits debut album. Dr. SID joined them officially in 2007 and had hits like Something About You, Winchi Winchi and Over the Moon. D’Prince dropped a handful of popular songs like Omoba, Goodybag and Banana. And K-Switch brought the “Ajebutter that knows the street” sound.
From 2010 to 2013, guys like Wizkid, Ice Prince, Davido, Burna Boy and Yemi Alade were new hot kids on the block from record labels like Empire Mates Entertainment, Chocolate City, HKN Music, Aristokrat Records and Effizy Entertainment.
Around the end chapter of Mo’Hits, what used to be known as Naija music had become Afrobeats and gained global popularity. The label would soon morph into Mavin Records, currently one of the biggest in Nigeria. Mavin presented us with Tiwa Savage and a back-to-back line up of breakout stars — from Di’Ja, Reekado Banks and Korede Bello to Rema, Ayra Starr and most recently, Lifesize Teddy.
Since the 90s, Afrobeats has transcended into international music collaborations, foreign shows and awards, global festival stages, stadium performances and cultural diversity. We owe these laudable feats to the groundwork of the early pushers of Afrobeats, who built business models and laid down the structure for the sustenance and monetisation of Nigeria’s musical talents.
To celebrate this great legacy, Spotify Africa is throwing the hottest Afrobeats party in Lagos on October 13, 2023. And Zikoko will give away tickets at the end of the week!
Our favourite artists have distinctive voices but we recognise them just as easily by their styling. We look at those who’ve set themselves apart through their unique approaches to dressing up.
Topless Wiz
Burna Boy sang “Shirts off like I ain’t got no clothes / ’cause where I’m from, there ain’t no snow”, but Wizkid is the guy living it. If he can’t go somewhere topless with dangling chains and baggy trousers, it’s not for Wiz. Don’t forget the signature bend-to-the-side too.
Twitter
New Kcee
Ojapiano shot Kcee back to limelight, and we’ve seen him stomp everywhere branded in balaclava — full-face cover — in different designs and colours to match different outfits. You need to see his stage performances this year, it’s like masquerades playing “boju-boju” in high fashion.
PulseNg
Ayra’s belt
It’s highly likely Ayra Starr grew up on old Nollywood films and 90s music groups because it’s hard to unsee the massive influence these styles have had on her wardrobe. From crop-tops to thigh-high boots and her iconic belt-skirts, our Sabi Girl’s fashion is as distinct as ever in Nigeria today. But who’s surprised she eats these looks when she walked runways as a model since 16.
Pulse Ng
Asake 2-in-1
Asake is a lover of many fashion brands, but he never deviates from body-tight tops and large flared trousers. No one in our current music space rocks the style as hard as him. Recreate it, but don’t chase danfo in those pants, please.
Twitter
Lagbaja da mask
Lagbaja has always worn aso-ofi masks that match his clothes. On some days, he’d complete the style with “dejá” sandals made from car or truck tires. Since the 90s, no one’s ever tried to recreate Lagbaja’s look. A mystic artist like MF DOOM and billy woods, whether we know what Lagbaja looks like or not, the musician’s elusiveness is part of what makes him special.
Just in case you didn’t know, Ruger isn’t blind in one eye. According to him, his eyepatch is a symbol of his hard guy personality and a ratchet complement to his pink-dyed hair. Some 90s kids see Ruger and quickly get nostalgic about Baba Fryo. But it’s Ruger’s time now.
Google
Odumodu cap
Since I started listening to OdumoduBlvck back in 2018, he’s rarely seen without his white, black and red woven Okpu Agu AKA leopard hat. It’s a traditional Igbo cap that represents bravery — the exact energy he reveals on his tracks.
Wikipedia
2Gorimapa
No hairstyling, stresses or shenanigans to protect any hairline (because there’s none). One can say 2Baba is a simple man whose simplicity can be found in his music. Even fellow artist, Joel Amadi, couldn’t escape the accusations that he jacked 2Baba’s looks.
When Afrobeats is playing, and people ask what’s in our stew, these are ingredients and condiments.
Beats
An easy way to distinguish Afrobeats is through its heavy percussion, which consists of a drum set and all types of local drums.The top streamed Afrobeats songs of all time on Spotify, like Burna Boy’s On the Low and Arya Starr’s Rush, are fantastic examples. There’s no definite time signature and speed for afrobeats. Although it usually applies a 3-2 or 2-3 rhythm known as clave or bpm of 80 to 100 — the tempo can get slower or faster, like Libianca’s People or Terry G’s Free Madness.
Themes
Afrobeats themes are about everyday experiences — celebratory music for joy, love, money, hustle and even grief.
On CKay’s Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah), which is now one of the most streamed Afrobeats songs of all time, the artist persuades a love interest to give her heart to him. Tiwa Savage hasn’t run out of enjoyment narratives and sex positivity while in the same breath reiterating she’s the number-one baddest babe in Africa. Burna Boy’s Last Last mourns the end of his relationship while craving booze and weed as an escape. An artist like Asake often celebrates escaping poverty and his newly-found wealth and success, while someone like Wizkid wants to live a stress-free life with gorgeous women around him. These Afrobeats artists have vital storytelling skills that make the music unique.
Language
From Lagos to Accra to London to New York or wherever afrobeats blasts out the speakers, the music blends local slang dialects with pidgin and accented English. This delivery is what listeners resonate with.
Samples
A now-prominent afrobeats element is sampling. Sampling is the reuse of a portion of a sound recording in another one. Like Rema sampled Jay-Z’s Dead Presidents on Alien in 2020 or Asake did Jason Heerah’s Mo Capitaine on Yoga. Even one of Spotify’s top exported Afrobeats songs, Last Last, by Burna Boy sampled Toni Braxton’s He Wasn’t Man Enough.
A well-infused sample adds freshness and a bit of fun to the music.
Fusion
Sampling shouldn’t be mistaken for genre fusion, another form that makes afrobeats unique. Afrobeats seamlessly infuses local sounds like juju, fuji, and apala and foreign genres like pop, hip-hop, highlife, RnB, reggae and dancehall. Though Burna may disagree, these elements form his self-created Afro-fusion genre.
You can come enjoy the best Afrobeats music with Spotify on 13 October 2023. Fave, Ruger and Bloody Civilian are some of the headliners. To win tickets, visit the Spotify Afrobeats website and learn some afrobeats trivia.
It didn’t take long for the music industry to join the girl math vs boy math trend. As women and men were opening up about the excessive and embarrassing things they do, the Naija music industry was giving its own accurate references.
We’ve compiled some of the most relatable music industry math” takes we saw on the X (formerly Twitter) app.
Top Acts only doing selective collaborations/remixes with anyone that is hot at the time for their own personal benefit, then turn around and claim ‘supporting the youngins’🤓 https://t.co/ISqvIVKMhI
We will act like we don't see you until you blow up…then we will come and tap into your buzz…making you feel like we are helping you.. Or worse, sign you so we can slowly end your career & blacklist you when you try to leave. https://t.co/xnirOMXIiR
"Remove tours, last last, on the low, ye, love Damini album, African giant album, Grammy awards, Burna is not that guy", remove it and put it where? 😂 https://t.co/5kPT1uq2T5
The artists owning the “afro-trenches” space of Nigerian street-pop music have created a template that’s uniquely theirs. In their native tongues, street lingo and code, they lay their personal experiences, frustrations and vices, religious affinities and narratives from their environment, cautionary or not, on their songs.
On today’s edition of #BumpThis, we present to you seven fire songs from seven lyricists evangelising the gospel of the trenches.
Believe — Dapop
With moody chords that slowly build into a solemn vibe, drawing out an uncanny level of honesty out of the artist, Dapop starts the song with the chorus and first verse. He reveals how he was a G-boy but has nothing to show for it. The second verse has the featured artist, Billirano, rapping about his dad’s unlawful imprisonment and the struggles his absence brought on the family. All in all, Believe expresses a yearning for breakthroughs to escape multi-dimensional, generational poverty.
Olisa — Zyno
One thing that’s very prominent on this drill jam is the gospel music samples, from church hymns beaming with organ-piano to Mercy Chinwo’s Excess Love. As Zyno and fellow South-Eastern artist, Jeriq the Hustler, seek God’s face for goodness and mercy, this song could easily pass for a special number in church.
Big Dreams — Billirano
The message is clear. Billiarano has big dreams, but his humble background won’t let things go smoothly for him, even though he’s steadily making moves in music. If he was born with a silver spoon, he’d be partying every day of the week. Big Dreams is a motivational song produced by LarryLanes.
G B H S — T DOLLAR
G B H S stands for Guided by Holy Spirit. In this song, the thick kick drum afro-pop production guides T DOLLAR’s vocals as he sings about shutting up haters when he begins to shine. Religious doctrine is ingrained in T DOLLAR. His lifestyle may be streets because he comes from it, but his faith always shines through.
Time (Remix) — Damo K
Damo K understands the concept of waiting one’s turn as he sings “Everything on God, yeah / ’cause my time no be your time / Make you buckle up, make you shine.” Bella Shmurda is a guest artist onthe remix, and he sonorously preaches that “Hustle no dey kill person / hustle to the top / hustle no dey wait person / me I no dey rush.” Whether you’re waiting for your turn or your turn has finally come, just remember that time is still an essence.
Problem — Heli Kush
The lyrics to this song read like a soliloquy, conversation between young hustlers motivating themselves or a street motivational sermon. Problem is the typical “Cut your coat according to your size” song, but the production leaves the ultimate impression. Trumpets blow to African percussion as guitar chords drag with it – giving lush palmwine sound.
LA — SAMGARD
This jam is about destiny — people are put on earth for different purposes, so it’s needless to envy others. “À ní mo ma là,” SAMGARD sings with the confidence that his success is inevitable; “LA” here means to break through. He and Diamond Jimma deliver the message in eloquent Yoruba and pidgin, through simple proverbs and idioms.
Every week, Zikoko will share the hustle stories of Nigerians making it big in and out of the country. With each story, we’ll ask one crucial question in several ways: “How you do am?”
Mo’Believe’s hustle story took us through how he built a music career and launched two albums as an independent artist. Now we know how he did it. If you also want to make a career out of your musical talent, this guide is for you.
Firstly, know your sound
You’re probably considering a music career because you have a knack for singing or songwriting. That’s great, but to make a career out of it, it’s important to figure out what music genre you excel at. Is it rap, alté or afrobeats?
This may involve a lot of trial and error, but it’s a crucial step in discovering your sound and building a brand as a musician.
Hone your skills
You know how people who have a natural talent for, say, art or solving mathematical problems still go to school to learn better techniques and turn their talent into marketable skills? That’s how it is for musicians too.
Perfecting your craft requires consistent practice and an open approach to constructive criticism. You can do this through regular voice training, writing songs as your creative spirit directs, and getting people to listen to your work and share their thoughts. Apart from external validation, perfecting your craft will boost your confidence in your skills as a musician, and that confidence is key for the next step.
Put yourself out there
The music industry in Nigeria is already saturated with artists hoping to blow, but you’re trying to enter the same industry and get people to know your name. How do you put yourself out there?
The choice of a producer is an important one: You can’t really call yourself a musician if you haven’t released a track, and that’s where music production comes in. Like Mo’Believe noted, music is made up of two important parts: songwriting and production. The production needs to convey the talent you already possess in a way that thrills the audience. The Nigerian audience tends to gravitate towards danceable music, but there’s still an audience for meaningful lyric-powerful music if that’s more your speed.
Brand and market yourself: If you don’t do it, who will? Social media is an advantage because everyone is already there. Share your work on social media, and interact with your fans/anyone who shows appreciation for your work. You could even have a mailing list where you share updates with your audience so they feel invested in your journey.
Don’t be shy to perform for free: Remember, the goal is putting yourself out there. New musicians aren’t always able to command as much performance fees as their well-known counterparts, but performance gives visibility. And visibility eventually leads to profitability.
You’ll need funds
Music is a career that’ll hold onto your resources like superglue. You’ll need money to record songs, network with others in the music industry, and promote your songs from time to time. So, for a musician just starting out in the industry, having a side gig or glucose guardian will be beneficial, something else that funds your music career before it becomes profitable.
So, how do you make money?
Musicians in Nigeria make money in a number of ways:
Music performances: This is pretty straightforward. Individuals or organisations may approach you to perform at their events for a fee. Upcoming musicians may also send proposals offering to perform at certain events for visibility or a small fee. Payment is usually determined by how much influence the musician wields.
Revenue from streaming music: While payments from streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music or Deezer are quite small, it tends to build up based on how many streams are accumulated on your song. For example, Spotify pays between $0.003 to $0.005 per stream.
Music shows or tours: Once you’ve gathered a reasonable fanbase, you can organise shows or tours and sell tickets.
Partnerships and endorsements: This is usually an option for the more well-known ones, but musicians also make money from brand deals and endorsement payments.
Record labels: Getting signed to a record label may be the goal for many young musicians, but you should take care to avoid falling into dubious record deals that leave the artist with little to no earnings. Before joining a record label, it’s best to do your research, preferably with a good entertainment lawyer.
The takeaway
Building a music career requires a lot of effort, passion and consistency. There’s no one way to “blow”, but consistency is definitely one of the ways.
These last three weeks on social media, we’ve seen an interesting back-and-forth between Nigerian street-pop musicians, Seyi Vibez and Portable, with Zinoleesky somewhere in the mix.
In these episodes, they get into a dick-measuring contest about who has the better music, biggest cars, most money and street credibility. You know, the usual beef topics; but do you know how it all started?
What started the fight?
2023 started hard, and it wasn’t hard to tell people were too frustrated for drama. But not for Portable, who anytime he turns his camera to himself, chooses “chaos”. On January 30, 2023, he posted some video on his IG page where he subtly called Seyi Vibez a beta version of Asake.
Using Seyi’s Chance music video as a point of comparison, Portable pointed out that it was an obvious play on Asake’s style. He didn’t stop there. He went ahead and accused the video director, TG Omori (director of most Asake MVs) of working with a copycat, then warned artists to leave music alone if they can’t be authentic.
In the aftermath, fans began to air their views about Seyi Vibez, supporting Portable, and even started a “who is better (Seyi vs Asake)?” poll.
While Seyi Vibez was giving Portablebaby the silent treatment, he was getting into a battle of words with Zinoleesky. How did that start? In December 2022, Zino posted his new house and two cars on IG. In May 2023, Seyi posted his own new crib and two rides too, sparking a debate among their fans, about who’s the better and richer musician. Before we knew it, the two artists were throwing subs.
Zino went off first:
Seyi Vibez called Zino a chained Django. This is Seyi’s way of saying he’s independent and has all his creative control unlike Zino who’s under a contract has to get his boss’ approval first before releasing a song.
And even reminded Zino that he doesn’t have chart-topping projects like his debut album, Billion Dollar Baby, its deluxe version and EP, Memory Card.
Then it turned into a snippet war.
Zinoleesky drops new snippet to continue sparring with Seyi Vibez. ⤵️
Zino said he’ll never have a number one record — then Seyi Vibez got his number one record with his single, Hat-trick, surpassing Young John’s Aquafina, Asake and Olamide’s Amapiano, and particularly, Zinoleesky’s A1.
Then, he dropped his first album of 2023: Vibez Till Thy Kingdom Come.
Two weeks after, Seyi Vibez released his second album of the year, Thy Kingdom Come.
On Flakky, the eighth track off the second album, he opened by talking about an artist’s car being pushed on the street just three days after purchase:
“G-Wagon, Brabus B
Ojo keta ni won pada ti Brabus B”
You know who has a Brabus B (even though he calls it a G-Wagon)?
“Your whole career is a debt,” Portable fired back.
2023 feels like it started two weeks ago, it’s been racing so fast like it can’t wait to complete its 52 week-cycle and be done with us.
Thankfully, music has accompanied us; from highly anticipated big-time projects to impressive debuts, this year has given us fire releases back-to-back.
Gangster Romantic — Lojay
After the success of his 2021 joint EP, LV N ATTN (Love and Attention), with producer Sarz, Lojay took his time to brew new music, then kicked off 2023 with sophomore solo project, Gangster Romantic. Its first track YAHWEH is far from being praise and worship. On songs like LEADER! and MOTO, Lojay sounds like he has gone through some character development induced by heartbreak. Although he won’t let himself get hurt, he still wears his heart on his sleeve.
Body & Soul — Joeboy
Joeboy has been on a smooth and interesting musical ride, with the well-curated rollout of his viral single, Sip (Alcohol) which became a TikTok fave; to the controversial Contour that swung veteran Asa into legal action; to his recently released album, Body & Soul. With strong productions from Tempoe, Big Fish, Kemena, and features from BNXN, Ludacris, Oxlade; Joeboy has made a very enjoyable album.
Top Boy — DJ Spinall
Spinall remains one of the most relevant DJs in Nigeria by serving us ridiculously good songs and collaborations. He delivered again on his latest album titled Top Boy. While packing features with the big guns like Olamide, Phyno, BNXN, and Summer Walker, he also has space for new names like Minz, Azanti, Tamera, and Kemuel to coexist. DJ Spinall never fails to keep a party hot.
Heaven Has Come — TY Bello
TY Bello’s music has always been all about praise and worship and in 2023 I can’t say no to it, especially with the events happening in Nigeria in the last six months. The singer-songwriter/photographer/philanthropist makes a comeback with Heaven Has Come, an album that’s sonically different from her 2022’s We Are Fire. With Heaven Has Come, the tempo is upbeat rather than taking a more solemn direction. Songs like He Fights For Me, That’s My Name, Ire and Torrents will make you do legwork anywhere because they always hit.
Davido’s return to social-media and the entertainment space with a brand new album, after months of silence, is definitely one of the biggest moments in the Nigerian entertainment scene in 2023. After giving us A Good Time and A Better Time, he completes the trilogy with his latest Timeless. Aside from big-hit features like Skepta, Angelique Kidjo, and Asake, Davido reintroduces his revamped DMW music label with two new artists, Morravey and Logos Olori who also appear on the album.
West African Goat — PayBac iBoro
Listening to PayBac iBoro feels like you’re watching a Tunde Kelani meets CJ “Fiery” Obasi movie. He puts his soul into his music, it feels like you could almost touch him just from his album covers. On West African Goat, PayBac talks about his defiance over depression on Sacrifice and Bury Me For Gold, the country’s corrupt system on Land of The Tiff and Monkey See Monkey Do, and his hunger for success on Oloun and Spirit. This album is a pure body of work because the listener can feel the raw emotions the artist put into it.
Anger Management — Bloody Civilian
Bloody Civilian started getting mainstream attention after her contribution to the new Black Panther album. This year, she released her debut body of work, Anger Management which she wrote, produced, mixed and mastered by herself. Bloody Civilian explores themes of relationships, girl power and a corrupt government. With her DIY method, unique voice, great songs and stage name, you might as well get familiar with the Bloody Civilian.
Work of Art — Asake
If you think Ololade Asake would be sleeping in his oasis after making the greatest debut in Nigerian music, you’re wrong. He’s back with Work of Art, barely a year after his debut album Mr. Money With the Vibes. Asake said no slowing down. With only one feature from his label boss Olamide, Asake proves again that he can go platinum without features.
Remixes come and go — and some go off point — but these ones prove there’s always something more to explore in any song.
King Kong — Vector ft. Reminisce, Phyno, ClassiQ, Uzi
A wazobia remix — Vector tha Viper brought Reminisce to spit in Yoruba, Phyno to rap in Igbo, ClassiQ in Hausa and Uzi with a blend of English, pidgin and Igbo — delivered with finesse.
We Are Africans — JJC ft. Femi Kuti, Dagrin, DJ Zeez, eLDee, Kel, Ay.com, Moe Money & Ragga Remi
In 2010, Nigerian veteran musician JJC made a remix of his song We Are Africans with the reigning champions of that period, giving it a native pride. We Are Africans remains an evergreen identity expression for Africans.
123 — DJ Neptune ft. Dagrin, Naeto C & M.I Abaga
When possé cuts were a popular thing in the music industry, DJ Neptune teamed up with the biggest rappers at that time to represent Nigerian Hip-Hop. This remix is a display of sharp lyricism ingrained in the industry’s timeline.
Girlie O — Patoranking ft. Tiwa Savage
This remix is a great improvement compared to the original version performed alone by Patoranking. Our “Number One African Bad Gyal” jumped on the first verse and ate this track without leaving crumbs. Dancehall hasn’t been this good in a while.
Oyi — Flavour ft. Tiwa Savage
This remix feels like a love confession of two inter-tribal lovers. Flavour serenades Tiwa Savage as she sings back. This is a contender for one of the most romantic Afrobeats songs of all time.
Rainbow — 2Face Idibia ft. T-Pain
In 2013, 2Face Idibia released the remix, an international collaboration, to his heart touching single, Rainbow. Featuring T-Pain, the harmonization of both voices will give you goosebumps. Send this song to your ex-lover and you might get them back.
Champion — General Pype ft. Dagrin, Vector, Naeto C, Sasha & GT the Guitarman
This remix makes the original song feel lacklustre. Dagrin opened up with smooth indigenous bars, Vector laid all speculation that said he sounded like Jay-Z to rest. Naeto C brought his fresh-boy effect to it. Sasha was on her abinibi steez and GT finished it with a beautiful R&B delivery. It’s forever an indisputable motivational record.
Soweto — Victony ft. Don Toliver, Rema & Tempoe
Don Toliver, unmistakable by his signature voice and style, rocks the first verse uniquely before Victony takes the sweet chorus and Rema brings it home.
Sometimes, nostalgia hits and you suddenly start missing your faves from the past. We were curious about these ones in particular, so we did a little digging to find out what they’re up to these days.
Tunde & Wunmi Obe
In the late 90s, you’d find Tunde with Wunmi, his wife, in perfectly tailored suits and hats and durags to match. Popularly known as T.W.O, this power couple were in the limelight as actors, hosts, entrepreneurs and musicians, dropping six whole albums. But since they dropped their last, T.W.O Plus, in 2014, the fashion-forward heartthrobs have gone quiet, focusing on other business ventures. You can catch them on TikTok, where they’re still active.
Styl Plus
https://youtu.be/fqdiULiEJG8
You probably didn’t know that this R&B music group from the late 90s was originally called STYL, an abbreviation of the founders’ first names (Shifi, Tunde, Yemi and Lanre). After Lanre’s demise in 1999 and Zeal’s entry into the group, “Plus” was added to the name. After three albums and hits like Olufunmi, Four Years, Runaway and Iya Basira, they dropped their last single, Alive featuring rapper, Sunky, and went under the radar. We thought they were back when Shifi and Zeal dropped Aso Ibora a day before Valentine’s Day 2017, but they’ve left us again to keep rinsing their classics.
Niyola
Toh Bad was the first single Niyola dropped under Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) in 2013. But if you grew up before the SoundcityTV era, you’d know she was affiliated with Trybe Records and Make-Sum Noise Entertainment when she put out her first and only self-titled album in 2008. She’s a coach on The Voice Nigeria 2023 and posts photos we love to like on social media. But are we getting a new song or video soon? We just might, based on this Instagram post she captioned “Time for MUSIC”.
K-Switch
Once upon a time, K-Switch was an enigmatic artist, who reigned in Mo’Hits Records. With a discography that included collaborations on Dr. Sid’s 2010 Over the Moon and Wande Coal’s 2009 iconic anthems, Who Born the Maga? and Booty Call, K-Switch captivated hearts and ears alike. No one knows why he chose to leave music, but once in a while, he posts lifestyle content on Instagram. At least, it’s better than nothing.
OzzyBee
If you’ve been asking where the former child-star, Ozzy Bosco — who dazzled us with his hit, Tinini featuring Olamide, in 2013 — has been, he’s now OzzyBee. Now a teenager, he still features Naija music heavyweights — Teni Makanaki was on his most recent single, Omah Baby (2021). As of 2023, he’s busy with school while constantly recording. We’ll get new music when he’s ready.
Flash
Flash has shown he can be one of the best afrobeats acts of his generation if he wants to. His unique songwriting skill and vocal dexterity brought him major attention after his feature on Sarz’s 2017 Get Up with DJ Tunez. These days, he’s either outside Naija or focused on school. We support artistes taking their time, but someone needs to lock Flash in a recording studio with badass producers for 40 days and nights.
Terry tha Rapman
Terry tha Rapman gained prominence in the Nigerian hip hop scene in the early 2000s. Regarded as the initiator of the popular Nigerian phrase, “Boys are not smiling”, Terry tha Rapman has released several singles, mixtapes and albums throughout his career, and is also known for frequent collaborations with artists like Mode9 and DJ Jimmy Jatt. Although in December 2022, Terry tha Rapman dropped a single named after viral TikToker, Bhadie Kelly, we’ve been waiting for him to fully grab the mic. And if his most recent IG post is to be believed, we might not have to wait too long for a new album.
Do you remember those Facebook pictures of man dem wearing a Mahmudi cap on T-shirt and jeans, with “#yesboss” somewhere in the caption? Naeto C pioneered that whole movement. 13 years since his popular single, Ten Over Ten, came out — and eight since Festival, his last album — Naeto C has gone on to focus on getting his master’s degree, raising his family and judging new talent on The Voice Nigeria. But 2022 seemed to be the comeback year for OG rappers, with M.I Abaga, Mode9 and Vector all dropping new albums. So if Naeto C isn’t too busy, maybe he could finally drop a new jam?
Infinity
When their classic Olori Oko came out, this gospel music collective gave us an unconventional experience, finding the common ground between art and spirituality. After their first album, two members — Kenny and David — went solo. The rest churned out three albums and then went on a hiatus, returning in 2021 with their most recent EP, Abiyamo. Since then, Sunny Steve — the group’s musical director and producer — has been a voice coach on Kids Voice Nigeria, while Joe juggles music with a career in sales. Though it’s hard to find Infinity on socials these days, they still get together to minister sometimes.
Blackmagic
Blackmagic’s 2013 single, Repete, off his critically acclaimed BlackMagic 2.0 album, will remain a staple on any serious Nigerian classic songs list for a long time. The rapper-singer has since serenaded us with alternative sounds like Pass You By featuring Oritse Femi (2013), Golden Girl and Africa remix (2014), consistently putting out bodies of work with undeniable quality.
Lynxxx
Lynxxx’s music was like a pot of deliciously spiced jollof rice that kept everyone coming back for more. And his record label, Syndik8 records, served as a launching pad for his extraordinary talent. But in 2014, Lynxxx announced that he’d experienced a profound encounter with God, and took a break from secular music. In 2022, we saw him in Nollywood’s Glamour Girls, but that isn’t enough for fans who’ve been hoping for new music. In his latest interview with Taymesan, he shared some tea about new businesses (a creative agency and crypto company) that have taken his focus.
It can’t be argued that some of the exceptional music talents of the Nigerian music scene are in the form of a duo. These artistes are either paired up by birth, friendship, partnership or alignment of dreams.
Here are some of the exceptional musical duos currently holding it down.
Show Dem Camp
Tec and Ghost have been incredibly consistent as one of the major frontiers of African Hip-Hop. For over a decade, they’ve been killing it with their series of Clone Wars and “Palmwine Music”. The former which caters to core Hip-Hop fans first came out in 2010, now in its fifth installment. “Palmwine Music” was introduced in 2017 and its fourth installment came out 2023. SDC, as they’re popularly known, is consistent in providing a platform to new and young artistes via their music projects. In case you’re wondering which Nigerian rappers are currently touring North America, “It’s the Show Dem Camp, omo yes indeed.”
The Cavemen.
Made up of siblings Benjamin James, a drummer and Kingsley Okorie, a bassist; the Cavemen are known for their fresh take of Highlife music. Their Headies-award winning debut album, “ROOTS” was released in 2020 and made fans out of many young Nigerians. The Cavemen’s sophomore album “Love and Highlife” came out in 2021. The album boasts of features from Made Kuti, Efuk Ubong, PC Lapez and Cobhams Asuquo.
Umu Obiligbo
Chukuemeka and Ifeanyuchukwu Obiligbo are also siblings making Highlife music. Their discography boasts of two recording albums and two EPs. Their traditional and cultural approach has gained them placements on Basketmouth’s “Yabasi” and Larry Gaaga’s “Rattlesnake” soundtrack albums. Umu Obiligbo toured the U.S this year, and concluded the European leg two months ago.
ATTENTION: tomorrow, all the hottest babes are partying at HERtitude 2023. Have you bought your ticket?
Ajebo Hustlers
Straight out of Port Harcourt, singer Piego and rapper Knowledge, known for their strong street poetry and rap-highlife fusion, began their musical journey in 2015. Five years later, they got the mainstream’s attention with their “Barawo Remix” that featured Davido— the song which originally addressed the gruesome killing of the ALUU 4, became the unofficial anthem during the End SARS protest. Ajebo Hustlers released their full length debut titled “Kpos Lifestyle Vol. 1” in 2021, the same year they became the first artistes and musical duo in Apple Music’s “Up Next” programme.
Though rappers Boogey and PayBac iBoro have their solo careers, through their super rap group “Lost & Found,” they’ve given us some of the most memorable lyrical sparring moments ever. “Face-Off”, their debut, came out in 2016. Their latest offering is the critically acclaimed “Alternate Ending” released in 2019. Boogey hasn’t released new music in a while, PayBac keeps pushing the envelope with his latest, “West African Goat”.
BOJ and Ajebutter22
These guys have had each other as guest artistes on their songs multiple times, but the first time they put out joint music in 2018— their EP, “Make E No Cause Fight”, their chemistry was so evident. The second installment of the EP included rapper Falz as primary artiste.
P-Square
Legendary! That’s the word for them. More than two decades they’ve championed the Nigerian and African music scene; dropped serial hits, inspired kids to dance and toured around Africa. After their public, messy break-up in 2017, the twin brothers, Paul and Peter Okoye, took to solo careers; though not as successful as their group career. After years of the feud, the brothers reunited in 2021. In the last 24 hours, news of their new album has been going around. We’re excited.
The Grey Area
Consists of singer-songwriters 3rty and Kid MARLEY. Although their solo careers are not taking back seats, they came together to become The Grey Area in 2015. They put out their self-titled joint album in 2018. With organic instruments, interesting perspective and strong storytelling, they’ve proved to be one of the best duos since Don Jazzy and D’Banj. In preparation for their next offering, they’ve started receiving beats.
Don Jazzy has been active in music for over two decades. He started in church like many other artists, then picked tungba music before pivoting into pop sounds with African leanings — which helped shape afrobeats.
Since his early days with the 419 Squad, Don Jazzy has hundreds of music production and vocal credits to his name, highlighting his insane ability to deliver infectious hooks and choruses. But Don Baba J has shown he’s the master of hook and choruses these 14 times in particular.
Wind Am Well
Don Jazzy was so mesmerised by booty on Ikechukwu’s street banger back in 2009 that he told the babe to “wind am well” more than 30 times. When he finally found words to say, they were, “Na she start from head to toe, even if popsy call, I no go o.” His charismatic delivery elevated Ikechukwu’s verses and made the song unforgettable.
Now Is the Time
Ikechukwu, AKA Killz, linked up with Don Jazzy again on a track off his debut album, The Alliance Reconstructed. It was all red cap chief energy on that hook as he boasted, “Now, it’s time to know who gat the money.”
Collabo
“I go sing for you, you go sing for me, collabo,” Don Jazzy sings about his desire to be with his love interest on this P-Square hit from 2014, dropping some Portuguese lines and referencing lines from Tiwa Savage’s Eminado.
Adaobi
Also in 2014, his Mavin crew released Adaobi. On this one, Don Jazzy took the chorus and emphatically eulogised Adaobi, a pretty Igbo babe he was eyeing. And once again, he showed he understands the formula to making love songs hit.
Looku Looku
Don Jazzy and his former Mavin artists — Reekado Banks, Dr. Sid, Korede Bello, Tiwa Savage, Di’Ja and D’Prince — addressed haters with memorable vibes.
Jantamanta
This 2015 song has a four-line chorus.
“Jatanmanta, kill and die, kabakaba ah
Eh, jantamanta, kabakaba.”
These first two lines though, are so infectious, yet most people have no clue what language Don Jazzy was speaking. However, further research showed he read from a Professor Peller book.
Gift
Iyanya was one of the hottest Afrobeats singers in 2015, the year Gift came out. Still, it had to be Don Jazzy on the chorus. Who else could’ve delivered that sexy baritone?
Up to Something
The old Supreme Mavin Dynasty boss started this 2017 jam by telling us to check his melody and not sleep on it. Then made bold statements about his bank account — the type that puts investigators on your tail.
My Dear
Another Jazzy chorus masterclass. On this DJ Big N song that also featured Kizz Daniel, the Don expressed his affinity for women. The jam will have you throwing your behind unashamedly while one rich man sprays you money.
And in case you didn’t know, it’s two days to the biggest party for hot babes in Nigeria. Get your ticket now.
All Is in Order
This one will serenade you while Don Jazzy sings that money isn’t a problem and everything has been taken care of. This is what victory over life’s struggles sounded like in 2019. All Is In Order also heralded the coming of Rema and Crayon, who just joined the Mavin crew.
African Waist
If Don Jazzy was a hype man, he’d still have a successful career. In this Tiwa Savage cut from 2015, Don Jazzy exclaimed about the African waist and begged to see it shake in five different dance styles.Jazzy walked so Toby Shang and co. could fly.
Some More
Modenine’s 2014 album, Above Ground Level was packed with heavyweight features, including Don Jazzy. As a serial woman lover, Jazzy turned the chorus into an ad about his sexual prowess that’d keep women coming back for more. Modenine complemented his sultry bars.
Safe
At the peak of COVID-19 in 2020, Don Jazzy and Falz united for social awareness, preaching that people should come together and fight the pandemic.
Blessings
Don Baba J channelled his Cherubim and Seraphim roots and took us straight to church when he featured alongside Olamide on Phyno’s Blessings in 2019. It’s advised to wave your white handkerchiefs when dancing to this.
It’s easy to believe Nigerian music just started making waves with the rise of Afrobeats. But these music legends will remind you that our music has been heavenly since way back.
Sir Victor Uwaifo
Joromi will forever be a classic, and you should definitely play it at your wedding.
Onyeka Onwenu
She’s the musical legend that gave us Iyogogo, One Love and You and I, and we really need to appreciate her more.
Christy Essien Igbokwe
The next time you’re jamming to the evergreen Seun Rere song, this is the face you should remember.
Chief Osita Osadebe
RIP to the legend who gave us Osendi Owendi.
Victor Olaiya
You might know him for Tuface’s remix of his popular song Baby Jowo a few years ago, but he’s been a musical force for decades before that.
Prince Nico Mbarga
If you’ve ever sung along to “Sweet mother, I no go forget you”, then you have this man to thank for such a timeless song.
King Sunny Ade
He’s a living legend.
Fela Anikulapo Kuti
He pretty much laid the groundwork for the Afrobeats sound we love today. He’s gone, but forever a legend.
I’m a musician. I’m also an overthinker, constantly analysing things and forming smart or deep. I used to like reading a lot, but that’s changed because I can’t focus on anything for more than five seconds. I must have undiagnosed ADHD. I blame TikTok for reducing my attention span, but will I stop using the app? No.
Will you ever get a proper diagnosis?
I hate going to the hospital and taking drugs, so I won’t get one. I like to give my immune system a chance to fight since that’s what it’s there for. My friend has been trying to get me to get checked for a while now, but I’m just waiting it out and eating vegetables. I don’t want meds to ruin my life. That’s what I do, run away from hospitals and make music. I was in medical lab science. Then I got bored in my finals and had a panic attack, so I quit.
Wait, rewind. How? What did you tell your parents?
They didn’t bring me up. Of course, I lived in their house, but they didn’t have any time for me. I was the last, and I think they were tired of raising kids. They never really made any decision for me.
I created rules and laws for my life. And I always paid the price on my own. One time, I got into big trouble with the police, and I called my dad. He was like, “I didn’t send you there”. It’s messed up sometimes, but I live through it. When you know nobody will be there for you when you fall, you’ll be more careful with your decisions.
I guess their opinion wasn’t necessary when you went into music either?
Nope. It was just me and my best friend, Teddy. He learnt how to produce music and we made my first song together just like that. I was 14 at the time. We later got into uni together at 16. I was in medical lab science, and he was in medicine. We made covers, saved up for studio equipment, rented a room and created a studio in school.
How does a 16-year-old save up for studio equipment?
I had to start making money fast because my pocket money was ₦5k a month. If not, there was only death by starvation at the end of the light. I’ve always been smart and calculative. My dad made sure I understood math, which helped me with money. I also used to do side jobs, like getting paid by real estate agents to broadcast their hostels around school, and I was very popular in school.
What made you popular?
I was popular for being an idiot. Many people liked talking to me because I never took anything too serious. I never had enemies, and I was small and fine, so there was no reason to hate me. I was already loved before I dropped my first cover, so my second cover went viral. It was a cover of Burna Boy’s On the Low in 2018.
When did you start making your own music, and how was it received?
My first song was Sober. I dropped it in January 2020. Back then, I didn’t even have money for the promo, but it did really well. I’d been rapping on my IG for a while, so nobody knew I could sing when I dropped it. People were shocked by my voice. I got a lot of love and support.
How did you come up with your name?
It was a nickname from secondary school. We had five Ellas in my class. There was tomboy Ella, tall Ella, short Ella, and I was the one who created a space in the roof to hide and avoid work. But I wasn’t lazy. I just didn’t like physical work.
How did you get signed?
I got picked by Kimani, the CEO of my company, and it just happened. She was obsessed with my song, Body On Me. Before we started any business talk or whatever, she really just wanted to tell me how much she loved my music. It felt so good.
When I made it, I didn’t like it that much. It was the last song I made on When the Lights Go Off. I made it without a beat, inspired by Burna Boy. Then I gave it to Teddy, and his beat made it so sick. It worked well because Teddy and I are usually in the same headspace. But now, he’s focused on finishing school.
Which of your songs do you actually like?
Deep Into You from my last project, Chemical and Put It On Me. I prefer my music when I’m going extra hard. So if it sounds like anything I might’ve heard before, I don’t feel special listening to it.
Does the company make you create certain types of songs?
Because of the way I was brought up, I don’t handle being controlled well. So it helps that my CEO and I trust each other’s work. We’re always sharing ideas, and we take each other seriously. But sometimes, when they play a beat, you never really know what you’re creating until it’s done and you listen to it again.
I’m still amused a 14-year-old woke up one day and said, “Yeah, let’s do music”. At 14, I was sleeping during night prep
I was in the choir as a child. I’d been into music since I was four or five. My brother would make me try to hit some notes and sing Beyonce’s songs. That boy was 13 to my five, but if I sang the wrong note, he’d slap me. So I picked up rapping instead because I knew he couldn’t rap.
Who were your rap influences?
There was DeJ Loaf, Eminem, Baby Keem and Young Thug. I loved Young Thug. His flows are fire. He’s funny, and I imagine him on Afrobeats sometimes. Outside rap, there’s Koffee, Harry Styles recently and Post Malone.
How about Nigerians? Anyone you want to work with?
Fireboy. We’ve collaborated before, and that was one of my favourite sessions ever. I want a song with Rema. I’m curious how we would sound, but it’s not really my priority to work with anyone. I don’t give a fuck about anything but the listeners and numbers because, obviously, that’s how you know people care about your craft.
It must feel good to have people support your music
Of course I does. I created something, so I like knowing it touched people. I don’t even care if I get awarded for it. I love it when I get texts from my listeners telling me they love my music or they’re thinking of me. I know how I feel when I listen to an artist I love; it’s almost like I’m connected to the artist. So for somebody to fall in love with whatever I created in the past; it always feels so fucking good.
What’s your creative process?
It changes all the time. I’ve been going through this creative block for the past three months. It’s gone now, and I know I’ve become a new person, but I’m still too lazy to record.
I wrote my first song, Sober, without a beat. I was in love then, so the person was giving me rhythm. For the second one, I locked myself up for about a month or two, creating with Teddy. I heard the inspiration for the beat of Chemical by mistake and wrote it in 20 minutes. It was like God gave it to me.
God? Chemical that sounds like sexual tension itself? What were you going through?
That’s crazy because I was in my third month of celibacy when I wrote Chemical. I wanted to put all my pent-up sexual passion in a song. I’m a very sexual person, so if I’m not having sex, the sexual energy has to go somewhere else. If you listen to Put It On Me, you’d hear the sexual tension too.
Interesting. Has anyone ever told you they added Chemical to their sex playlist?
I see titles like “Spread them Cheeks”, “Mine” and “Contraband” on my Spotify for Artists. Just looking through now, I can see its on about 44 playlist on Spotify alone. It’s funny because we were trying to push Hypnotise, but Chemical just sold on its own. My friend, Steph, kept hyping it then people started making videos, and that gave me the ginger to promote it.
Are you currently making money from music?
Well, I’m signed, so I get paid for every project I drop. It’s in thousands of dollars, that’s all I can say.
But what’s the least you’ve made since you started?
I only made about $300 – 400 from Sober. You get paid a certain amount per stream, and Sober did about 100k streams.
How about performing? Do you make any money from it?
I almost never perform. I’ve performed on stage thrice. I don’t really rate it because they’ve not started paying me big money for it yet.
What’s your favourite song to perform?
Right now, Chemical, but before, it was Somebody. They both have a bounce that keeps your waist moving.
Has anyone ever thrown something at you while you were performing?
Jesus, no. I would just cry.
I mean things like their shirts
No, not yet. But I’m performing at Blaqbonez’s show today, so let’s see if someone throws their bra at me when I perform Chemical.
Do you think you’re at the peak of your career?
At all. Sometimes, when you create and don’t get the energy you want, it kills your ginger. But there’s more to come. I’m already thinking of my follow up so people know I’m not a one-hit wonder. It’s all about the rollout. I’m creating content around this song while working on the next because the next song is done already. It’s a different vibe but still as sexy as Chemical. I almost never make the same type of song twice except one is an upgraded version of the other.
And your plan for the coming years?
I don’t know. I’ll let God and the world decide because you can make plans but you can never tell what the results would be. There are plans for some features and joint projects with big producers, but the results of those are all in the hands of God.
My name is Tega. I’m a musician who recently starred in the Netflix drama, All Na Vibes. I moved to Ibadan when I was nine. I moved around a lot because my parents were clergy people. And yes, I turned out the way you’d expect a pastor’s kid to: free, happy and living with nature. I like eating, playing games and watching squirrels walk around.
Mobolaji Johnson 2022
When did you start making music?
I started early. As a kid, I used to make choruses for my brother for fun. I was a big fan of Eminem and used to rap all his lyrics, even the ones I couldn’t hear. Back then, the only way to get lyrics was to wait ten minutes for the A-Z lyrics to load, or you listen, pause and write down each line on paper. The second process subconsciously helped me understand the way lyrics are put together, the syntax of a song.
Down the line, I tried to be a petroleum engineer then a computer scientist because I wanted to make money. You know you just want to make money when you’re a kid.
Isn’t Nigeria just catching up on the money-making side of computer science?
Yeah, that’s the cool thing. I got in early. I really liked computers and programming. At 15, I’d already imagined having my own tech company. I had this book where I drew and designed the uniforms my company staff would wear. I was also a big fan of Steve Jobs.
But then?
You know music. It comes out and tells you to say goodbye to all your other dreams. I started singing covers and posting on social media when I was in secondary school. Then I quit university in 2017. I was 17 and attending Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Delta State. I only stayed there two weeks before I left for Ibadan to stay with my brother who was at the UI, studying theatre and performing arts. I applied there and got admitted, but I didn’t accept the admission because I wanted to focus on music.
It was around that time I got a gig to play at Freedom Park, Lagos. Someone had gone through my Instagram and loved my covers. I was 18. It made me realise I really wanted to make a name for myself doing music on the road like the artists I admired. Fun fact: the road is bad; it’s full of traffic and potholes.
What did you do while you were at UI though?
I started performing. I even busked in public places for voluntary donations. People gathered, and some said I sounded so well. My best experience was playing my guitar somewhere around the student union building, when an old lady, one of the cooks, came out and was like, “I thought it was the radio.”
Were your parents okay with you quitting school?
When I quit the first time, it was to enrol in UI, so my parents were kinda cool with it. When I didn’t end up attending UI, it was strange because I thought they’d say no. In fact, I was willing to fight them. I already had my speech planned. But they just asked, “Is that what you want to do?” I said yes. They said, ok. I was a bit pissed by their response. It was almost like they didn’t give a fuck.
Now, I’m doing a music diploma, a songwriting thing in London. I’ll be back in Nigeria in September and probably get more juicy gigs.
In All Na Vibes, your character said he didn’t want to make dance music, but music his parents would be proud of. Can you relate to that?
Oh, that was just the director and the producer. It felt weird when they brought up that line because I don’t actually care about that. But I made it sound convincing.
Since you started making music full time, what has the journey been like?
It’s been insane. It started with that gig in Lagos. Mind you, I wasn’t even paid for it. I was young, so I didn’t really care. I thought it was just one of many, and that others would pay. But the industry doesn’t work that way. If you keep dishing out free gigs, you’ll keep getting free gigs. The older I got, the more I started to feel insane like I was wasting my time. The industry is fraught with people who want to take advantage of you, trying to get you to sign shitty contracts. I never did sign anything. I even got into a big fight with a guy who wanted to be my manager. I went from a scared, stressed-out kid to realising the industry is hectic, but it’s business.
But I did many things on the way, like starting a doughnut business with my brother in 2019. Before Krispy Kreme came to Nigeria, we attempted something like It in Ibadan, which I’m very proud of. I left the business because my music started doing fine.
Sounds like the industry showed you shege
There were moments when I felt like I’m almost there, I’m about to blow, like when I opened for Johnny Drille in 2019. That was the biggest crowd I’d ever played for. I thought all the hard work was just about to pay off, but the moment passed. That was when I understood I needed to have a plan and just stick to it, not caring when the big break would come but just enjoying the process.
I’m building something, and everything I do adds to the things I’ve already done. I’ve also since realised people love sincerity. People like to feel seen and heard when they listen to music, which is what I’ve been trying to do with mine. You’re telling people stories, so the least you can do is tell people what matters.
What does “blowing” mean to you?
I used to say I wanted to be famous, but now, I don’t even know. What a lot of artists struggle with when they become famous is maintaining a connection with fans on a personal level. Even a little fame would make you unable to respond to most of the feedback you get from fans. For me, blowing up is a long-run thing. It’s not about making one viral song. It’s about building something that inspires and outlives you, a legacy.
How did you go from putting all your eggs in your music career to being the lead character in All Na Vibes?
It was random. Remember I mentioned my brother studied theatre arts? He started a theatre group with a vision to change the industry. I cameoed as a random musician in one of the group director’s movies in Ibadan. He called me later, during COVID, and asked if I’d like to be in a movie. I wasn’t doing anything besides learning to produce music, so I said, let’s do this. I thought it’d just be a Youtube thing. I really don’t know what gave them the idea that I’d be good, but they trusted me with their project. Now, I’m a Netflix actor.
Will you continue acting, or is it a one-time thing?
I can’t really say. I’m not sure. I’m so nervous that I haven’t even seen All Na Vibes. I tried to watch the movie the night it came out, but as soon as I saw my face, I shut down the computer. First of all, I go very hard on myself, which I think I need to do less because, you know, everyone is allowed to grow. There’s that, and there’s the thing about other actors confirming that they also feel uncomfortable watching themselves in movies.
How alike are you and Abiola, the character you played?
He believes in a lot of conspiracy theories, and I wouldn’t say I believe them too, but I like asking many questions. You’ll find me in a wormhole of books, Wikipedia pages and Youtube, researching one topic because I want to know the truth. We’re quite alike in a lot of other things. We both make music. We’re chill people. He doesn’t have my charm, but he’s calmer. We’re different creatures at the core.
In the spirit of talking about conspiracies, do you have a super controversial take on music?
I feel like music you can download and play on your phone could and should be free. People should pay if they want to, but it should be available at zero cost. Many of the songs that inspired me when I was a kid, I don’t remember how I got them. They came to my phone by the power of the almighty. People shouldn’t be denied the chance to listen to music because they can’t pay for it. Digital music should be free.
Then how would you get paid as a musician?
You perform. There are a lot of other ways to make money from your music. If you go to my website, all my songs are there and downloadable for free. It’s how it’s always going to be unless I get signed to a label that controls everything, which I don’t want to do. Music should be free.
Mobolaji Johnson 2022
Interesting. Who do you make music for?
I write for people who are going through it, people who sometimes sit down to evaluate their life then feel grateful or pissed off about it. Basically, people who are aware of their humanity.
When I’m going through something, I make music to explain myself to myself. The emotions get so heavy that the only way to get them off my chest would be to write about them. For some people, when they feel something, they go punch a wall. For me, I just write, even if I never release the music. I might eventually make money from it, and people may feel so connected that they’d be willing to pay for it, but in the beginning, I write to explain myself.
Do you have a favourite song you’ve written?
I have many. But one of my favourites is To Be Missed, a song I did for All Na Vibes. The whole concept is me realising in 2018 or 2019 that we’re all designed to want to be remembered, especially when we’re not in a place anymore. It’s okay to feel a bit lost, or like someone who wanted you before doesn’t anymore. It’s human nature to feel that way.
It sounds like a heartbreak song. How many have you written when you were heartbroken?
Between 2018 and 2020, almost all the songs I wrote were about heartbreak, and I wrote many good songs then. Most musicians would agree that some of the best songs have come from heartbreak.
What are your fave heartbreak songs you didn’t write?
Sunburn by Ed Sheeran. I wish I was the one who wrote it. I likeLast Last. That’s a proper sad song. And you can make it even sadder if you sing it acoustically. But it’s a vibe. You know Nigerians will always make it a vibe, even if it’s sad.
Who or what influences your music?
Two of my biggest influences are Ed Sheeran and Passenger. But in recent times, it’s been places. The more time I spend in Ibadan, the more I fall in love with the place. I interact with it in a way that it starts to feel like a person and begins to inspire me. Nigeria inspired me to make angry songs like Gossip, from my old EP.
What does it feel like performing on stage to an audience holding on to every word?
No matter how many times it happens — though it doesn’t happen many times — it makes me feel like the world should just end. It’s just so consuming, it kind of makes you feel small. Or maybe it’s just me wanting to feel small in that moment. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s beautiful. I just want to embrace the moment and live in it in a way that’s not intrusive, and I can’t get too used to it so that it continues to feel special every time.
What’s the least or most you’ve been paid, whether in music or acting?
Today’s prices are not really like 2022’s. Last year it was in six digits. And I may not play in any show until September, when I’m back in Nigeria.
How fulfilled do you feel?
Very fulfilled. I’ve learnt to abide in everything I do, however great or small. I used to compare myself with others, but I have learnt that it doesn’t matter. Right now, I feel very fulfilled, doing exactly what I want and how I want it. I write and perform music, get paid for it, and I have songs people listen to. My 16-year-old self would be mindblown. I think that’s enough fulfilment for me.
What sort of legacy do you want to create?
Make albums of the highest quality. Do concept projects. I have onee coming out that I’ve been working on for a long time now. It’ll be out when I return to Nigeria. I don’t want it to be a collection of random stuff. There are stories behind it, and everything just works together to create this really cool, sweetcake album.
I also want to work on the performance scene in Lagos and Ibadan. One of my dreams is to have it more structured and easier for artists coming after me to find places to perform. Right now, I’m focused on putting out quality projects and collaborating with artists. When I return, I want to work with more people even outside my space.
Which Nigerian artists would you like to work with?
Lagbaja. Asa — she’s been at the top of my list since I was a kid. 2Baba, interestingly. His music isn’t the same again, but I plan to tap into 2Face of the 2000s. I want to work with Obongjayar too.
What are the struggles you face as an artist?
Making music regularly while always being online. It’s a lot to juggle as an artist.
What are you currently working on?
An EP, which will be out soon. Expect a minimum of four songs.
You’ve heard “she tell me say” too many times but did you really know that Wizkid was actually talking about what the price of fuel was telling him? If only we had listened.
Take this quiz to see if you know what these artists were really talking about on their songs.
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.”
Life is so unpredictable. One minute you’re living a life of bliss and enjoyment, and the next thing you know, your friend has released a song because they woke up and decided that rap is where their destiny lies. As a good friend, you have to do the needful and support this garbage. God, why?
Inspired by personal experiences, these are sure ways to help your friend’s career and hopefully overcome these dark times.
1. Lie to them
As a good friend, you can’t make your friend feel bad. Their happiness is riding on this supposed banger, so it is your job to hype them up and tell them that it slaps. Even if you hate it, lie, smile and bop your head from side to side.
2. Lie to yourself
Now that you’ve convinced them that you fuck with the song, it’s time to convince yourself that you actually like it. Do whatever you can to make this happen because you can only pretend for so long. If you have to try hypnosis, do it. Anything for your friend.
3. Clean out your ears
When was the last time you cleaned your ears? Think about it, what if the song is good and you’re the problem? Clean your ears to make sure.
4. Take their picture to the nearest Babalawo
You have to cross a line for the people you love, and this just happens to be one of those times. Visit a Babalawo, consult with the spirits and do whatever crazy ritual they ask you to do. Do all of this while singing the lyrics to your friend’s song. If all fails, at least the Babalawo will know the song because of you. One more fan.
5. Go on the internet and support the hell out of that song
The internet is where everybody blows these days, ask Ayra Starr and Joeboy. So if you’re really a ride or die friend, you must be willing to risk your online credibility for your friend. If anyone bashes their music online, don’t hesitate to go to the comment section to fight and insult their generation. You have to be brutal — like a cross between the Beyhive and Wizkid FC.
6. Learn the lyrics of the song
You must be a joker if you’ve been doing all this gragra and didn’t even learn the song’s lyrics. As a matter of fact, buy a 2A notebook and write the lyrics over and over again till you memorise them. You have to really commit to this thing dear
7. Make a cameo in their music video (if they can afford one)
It’s time to dust off your dancing shoes and shake what your mama gave you. If your friend needs a video vixen, be ready to wear your shortest gown or ashawo shorts and rub some baby oil. You have to be the most active person in the video. Please twerk upside down if you have to. T for tenks.
8. Link them up with Don Jazzy
Don Jazzy has made stars like Wande Coal and Rema, and there’s no way these artists didn’t leave some of their talent on the mic before leaving his studio. Save all your money, book a session with Don Baba J, and watch your friend shoot up to Rookie of the Year at the next Headies Award.
Oluwatobiloba Daniel Anidugbe, popularly known as Kizz Daniel, is one Nigerian musician we can bank on to produce hit songs with every release. When Kizz Daniel titled his second album “No Bad Songz”, he was correct and confident. Here are ten songs that prove Kizz Daniel has no bad music.
Mama
Mama was released in 2016 and still slaps today. It’s a beautiful romantic song with an unmistakable message. This song is a party rocker, a proposal jam, and a wedding banger. We stan a versatile bop.
Madu
Before we get into Madu, can we talk about how hot the video is? Madu itself is a hot song and should be on your sex playlist. It’s a song about the countless things a man wants to do to your body (with your consent, of course)
One Ticket
Two of my faves on one song? Yasss gurl. Let’s be very honest, the babes hurt Kizz and Davido in One Ticket, but we support women’s wrongs as much as we support women’s rights. Geddit girl.
Ello Baby
Kizz Daniel’s ability to make a love song into a party song is one of our favourite things about him. He’s toasting you with the music while making you dance and smile from ear to ear. Shakespeare is shaking.
Eh God (Barnabas)
LOL. Eh God is the song you listen to every morning before starting your day. It’s like a prayer, but not really.
Men LIE! Don’t believe any man who says he’s not lying to you. Lie is the song you hear blasting through your man’s speakers right after he lies to you.
Poko
Ok, at this point, we should give Kizz an award for singing the songs women want to hear. Whew, he makes music for baddies and probably doesn’t realise it.
Sofa
Kizz was giving us some rasta influence in Sofa. I want to chill on the sofa, doing cute stuff with someone.
Currently
Currently could have been titled “Currency” to avoid confusion, but that’s not the point. Kizz Daniel nailed the features on Currently.
Buga
Buga is a jam that can also serve as alarm clock music. I mean, “Gbe’ra, gbe’ra
gbe’ra, go get that mullah (wake up). Mo ni ko kala. Kala gb’owo yẹn o” sounds like something you should hear first thing in the morning.
Grammy award winner, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, is one of Nigeria’s biggest performing artists. He’s sold out numerous concert venues like the O2 in the UK, and most recently, The Madison Square Garden in the US. In Burna Boy’s 11 years in the music industry, he’s put out seven albums, and he recently announced the coming of his eighth studio album titled Love, Damini. We’ve ranked Burna Boy’s top fifteen songs of all time.
*Songs are ranked per album, from the oldest to the most recent.
15 — Run My Race
Right off Burna’s Leaving an Impact For Eternity (L.I.F.E) album, OluwaBurna already knew he was clear. He’d been in the industry for two years when he told everyone to run their own race and not compete with him. It’s been nine years since Run My Race and the message is still valid.
14 — Like To Party
Burna and LeriQ were deep in their element every time they made songs together. You can’t speak about Burna Boy and leave out Like To Party. Like To Party was released in 2012 and it’s still a party starter now.
13 — Soke
By the time Soke was released, Burna’s impact on Nigerian music was already stamped. Soke was fresh and way ahead of its time.
In Pree me, we were introduced to a vulnerable Burna Boy. He admitted to his “wrongdoings” but resolved not to change much about what brought him so far. A personal fave.
11 — Boshe Nlo
If you have a playlist of your favourite songs by Burna Boy and you don’t have Boshe Nlo on that playlist, you need to update it. Listen below.
Burna Boy’s Outside was an album filled with top tier songs, so it was always going to be difficult to pick a fave But Devil in California is one of the more outstanding songs on the album. Devil in Calfornia, like the other songs on Outside was an introduction to a different type of sound from Burna and proof of how multifaceted an artist he is.
9 — Calm Down
On Calm Down we got more of vulnerable Burna Boy. Calm down is a song you listen to when you really need to calm down and reflect on all the stuff going on around you. Yeah, some of the calmness in the song may have been drug-induced, but that’s not the point.
8 — Heaven’s Gate
The first time I heard Heaven’s Gate, my first thought was, “Why is Burna Boy making Bollywood music and nailing it?” Heaven’s Gate sure has some Bollywood infused in the reggae and hip hop bop, but the fusion of multiple genres is a world-beater any day.
7 — Dangote
If Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, still wants more money, then who am I not to want money too? Dangote is the song you listen to when you know you need to get your ass up and get to work.
6 — Killin Dem
Killin Dem is workout music and that’s why it’s on this list. It’s appropriate when you need to get to work at the gym or pick up those dumbbells in your house and work on your muscle. Something about hearing “gbese!” makes you want to get your heart rate up.
5 — Gumbody
We’ve been talking about the different faces of Burna and we can’t leave out romantic Burna. Gumbody is a peculiar kind of love song about uncertain love.
4 — Destiny
Our favourite Burna is the Burna who’s aware of the G.O.A.T that he is. Self-aware Burna Boy who knows he’s untouchable. Destiny is the song you listen to when you want to remind yourself of your potential.
3 — 23
When Twice as Tall first came out, one of my mutuals described 23 as a song you listen to when you go on a long drive in the night with your friends. To this day, I haven’t heard a better description of the song. It’s such an earworm
2 — Bank on It
It’s not a worship song, but it might as well be. Easily one of the most remarkable outros to any album ever, you can bank on Bank on It
1 — Time Flies
Burna Boy and Sauti Sol made a modern classic when they recorded Time Flies. Time Flies is as a song is going to transcend multiple eras. Best in collab.
What if all your faves were in one musical group like Styl Plus or Plantashun Boiz? Wouldn’t that be lit AF? Well, we recently sat down, looked at some of the coolest Nigerian musicians popping right now and decided to arrange them into groups, inter-house sports-style.
1. Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy
They’d fight every day, but from that violence, they’d make music that slaps. Think about it: we’ve gotten four Wizkid and Burna collaborations so far, and they were all bangers. Now, imagine if Davido popped in to drop one or two philosophical lines? Their album would be a certified worldwide hit. But we wouldn’t see them perform because Burna Boy might attack Wizkid for not dancing during the show.
2. Obongjayar, Lojay and Wurld
Since Sarz decided to make EPs with each of Wurld, Lojay and Obongjayar, our minds have been circling the possibility of what a song — or songs — with all three of them would sound like. Imagine EGO, Monalisa and Gone Girl as one song. Omo, our heads are on fire and our waists are ready for maximum gbedu.
3. Tay Iwar, Ladipoe and Seyi Shay
This is the group that will increase Nigeria’s population. Just imagine the pure R&B baby-making-music these three would put out. Tay Iwar has proven himself as the king of seductive vocals on songs like Peaking and True Love. Ladipoe’s rhymes have internet babes looking for his wife to talk, woman to woman, while songs like Right Now and Gimme Love show that Seyi Shay truly shines when excess beats are stripped away. If these three came together, the fornication rate in Nigeria might reach an all-time high.
4. Blaqbonez, Ayra Starr and Rema
While there’s a certain level of confidence that comes with years spent in the music industry, Blaqbonez, Ayra Starr and Rema are three artists that came with this level of confidence right out of the gate. From the very beginning, these three knew they were the shit; they just needed the rest of us to catch up and we eventually did. Something about three of them making music and doing TikTok videos together just makes us happy. Don Jazzy and Audu Makori, how far?
5. Zinolesky, Lady Donli and Bad Boy Timz
We know what you’re thinking: “What is Lady Donli doing there?” On paper, Bad Boy Timz and Zinolesky work, as they’re two artists who currently have the streets in a major chokehold. But let’s not forget that Lady Donli is Nigeria’s first unofficial female president with her personal currency, Donlars. Who better to add some cash madam flavor and nostalgia to Zino and Timz’ sounds? Fink about it.
6. Dwin The Stoic, Susu and Speed Darlington
You see this one, we just like chaos to be honest. Then again, who knows? It might actually work. Susu and Dwin on vocals, while Speed comes out like Bangdadadang to drop some melodious nuggets of wisdom. Truth is, we never know these things until we try.
7. BNXN, Oxlade and Ckay
This group is on every Gen Z’s wish list. The three most wanted Nigerian musicians of their generation? TikTok and Reels are about to be in shambles based on all the challenges this trio would inspire. Since Buju has changed his name (BNXN), he should also consider joining a group.Do it for awon fans: it’s what we want.
8. Chike, The Cavemen and Phyno
Be prepared to dance to this imaginary album at every Igbo wedding you find yourself. These three have given Yoruba demons a run for their money with their sweet mouths and lyrics that have us confused and ready to abandon our hopes and dreams for man. To be honest, we’re not even sure we’d want this group because it might be too much heat. But do too many good cooks spoil the broth?
9. Tomi Thomas, Asa and Falz
Tomi started in a band (LOS);. Falz showed he was open to joint albums when he made one with Simi and now Asa is also telling us she’s open to more collaborations. If this isn’t a sign that the stars have aligned for this group to happen, we don’t know what is. Tomi and Asa are experts at dissecting love and loss, and Falz’ ability to make anything funny will make for a perfect break-up album. We’d be shedding hot tears and laughing at the same time.
10. Lagbaja, Made Kuti and Niniola
First of all, have any of you finally seen Lagbaja’s face? Maybe if he decides to join our little group, he’d be inspired to take off his mask and take a selfie with us, who knows? But until then, there’s something about these three on a song that just gives us imaginary eargasms. Made killing it on the saxophones, Niniola telling us to shake what our mama gave us and Lagbaja reminding us to have small shame — a perfect trio, if you ask us.
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.
Every December, we beat our chests and say we’ve had enough of Nigerian artists taking us as mugs by showing up late to their concerts. We said this in 2018, 2019, skipped 2020 because of Miss Rona and now, we’re saying it again in 2021. Our frustrations forced us to do some digging as to why artists always show up late for shows. These are some of the reasons we found.
They’re fornicating
Ever wondered why artists come on stage with zero energy to perform? Well, it’s probably because they’ve been busy with another performance behind closed doors. While the rest of us were out there squeezed like sardines in a tight space, our faves were getting some tender loving care. After all, body no be firewood.
Smoking igbeaux
This is the best explanation for why most artists jump up and down on stage like a yoyo. Sometimes they even forget their lyrics, forcing us to sing their songs out loud. Please, dear, we paid to watch you perform, not the other way around. Why am I the one singing? Let’s be careful.
Attending prayer meeting
It’s important to commit everything to a higher power, but please why are you going for a prayer meeting while the rest of us are outside waiting to whine our waist to your music? My friend, you better drop that anointing oil and hop on stage. You can go back to praying for your enemies to die by fire tomorrow. For now, we need premium enjoyment.
Boiling beans
The concert is meant to start at 6 p.m and yet you decided to start boiling brown beans by 5:55 p.m? At this point, it’s safe to assume that most of our fave artists are just wicked, because why? It’s almost like they looked at their fans and thought, “fans are important, but hot beans is importanter.”
Fighting imaginary haters online
Before you can shout watimagbo, Nigerian artists will drop five songs about how their haters are waiting for them to fail. The funny thing is, half of the time, these haters are a pure figment of their imagination. To be honest, no one cares. So, instead of spending time cussing out imaginary haters, we could all just have a good time twerking and sweating.
Relaxing their beard
We all love vanity, but this is where we draw the line. Have some shame.
Stealing amapiano beats
Everyone is making amapiano music now. While we can’t say we’re mad at it, we doubt stealing your producer’s hard drive is an activity that should be done while the rest of us are queuing to watch you perform. This is a classic case of doing the right thing at the wrong time.
Sleeping
The heart of man is desperately wicked. This is the only logical explanation as to why an artist would be asleep while their fans are fighting through large crowds to be close to the stage. This happens all the time and one day, they will wake up, come to the venue and perform for ghosts because we would have had enough.
Waiting for the fans to die of frustration because suffering builds character
Dear Nigerian artists, the evil you have done is enough. We have had enough. Thank you.
Being able to sing and act is not easy. While actors trying their hands at music haven’t always worked out well, some musicians have successfully convinced us that they might be a double threat. Here are some musicians whose acting sort of worked out for us.
Toni Tones
If there’s one thing you should know about Ms. Tones, is that this woman has done it all. If this list focused on photographers turned musicians turned actors, she’d also come out tops. While Tones’ acting career might have started out shaky with supporting roles on shows like Rumour Has It and the film, It’s Her Day. Her chilling turn in Kemi Adetiba’s King of Boys (KOB) as young Eniola Salami had us shook to the core. Even though most of you aired her recent EP. She has become a fixture on Netflix thanks to other projects like Smart Money Woman and The King of Boys series.
Falz
When Falz asked, “Which musician do you know is having AMVCA?” on his 2016 hit song Bad, Baddo, Baddest, he had just won said award for his role on the wildly popular Jenifa Diaries. Now, five years later, the rapper has become one of the hottest commodities in Nollywood, scoring bags left, right and centre with roles in New Money, Quam’s Money and the overcrowded Chief Daddy. We are still holding out hope that the self-proclaimed leader of the Sweet Boys Association will take on more challenging roles that differ from his alter ego. But for now, we’ll take the laughs.
Banky W
Mr. Capable made a grand entry into Nollywood in one of the highest-grossing Nigerian films of all time, The Wedding Party. Starting out as a leading man is not beans at all, but Banky managed to pull it off. Since his debut, he has played everything from an NYSC student in Tope Oshin’s Up North to a juju-bullet-proof mafia lord in Kayode Kasum’s Sugar Rush. Talk about range! Fun fact: All of Banky’s films have either been directed or produced by women.
Seyi Shay
Almost a decade after breaking into the scene with Loving Your Way, we are all still doing our best to figure out Seyi Shay and her sound. So far, she has lived different sonic lives – some worked out, others, not so much. When the trailer for Biola Alabi’s Lara and the Beat dropped, we weren’t sure what to expect with Seyi Shay leading a cast boasting of talents like Somkele Inyamah and Deyemi Okanlawon, but in the end, we were pleasantly surprised. Maybe playing the role of a singer in a musical made it easier for her to shine, but the truth is, while her acting was a little bit off, we couldn’t take our eyes off the singer each time she came on screen. She held our attention throughout and not many Nollywood actors have this going for them.
Reminisce
We’ve all grown to love Reminisce as one of the hardest rappers in the game. But nothing prepared us for his role as Makanaki in Kemi Adetiba’s King of Boys. After dropping mad singles like Ka Ko Bi Chicken for the streets, he wowed us with his performance as the ruthless gang leader and we’ve been hooked since then.
Nollywood is in a constant state of evolution. Over the past few years, the industry has found its way out of the ghetto. We bade adieu to bad wigs with no frontals and ghosts that obey traffic signs, and quickly said hello to that one bridge that never misses a project and an array of actors with accents we just can’t trace. All in all, we’ll take what we can get and call it progress.
Izu Ojukwu’s Amina is currently showing on Netflix. The film is one of the few Nollywood offerings that take us away from the overly milked Lekki-Ikoyi set “Why can’t I find a man” romcoms that come out every Eke market day. Chronicling the life of Northern icon and the original Khalessi, Queen Amina, the film had us thinking about some other badass (some are just downright bad) Nigerian historical figures that deserve biopics of their own.
Welcome to history class.
Fela and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
What better way to kick off our class than with the man Burna Boy so desperately wants to be like. Arguably the most famous Nigerian musician of all time, Fela has been sampled by everyone from Beyonce and Missy Elliot to Skales and Wizkid. While Fela has two plays based on his life with one showing on Broadway, seeing the story of the man who dared military leaders for breakfast on a big screen would slap real hard!
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a renowned feminist leader, and mother to Fela is another figure who deserves a Nollywood biopic of her own. Before she was thrown out from a second-story window by the military in 1977, the original badass Kuti had her foot on the necks of the British and the Nigerian military. She was known to lead marches, revolting against unfair taxation. She’s also famous for being the first woman to drive, a feat some of us have failed to achieve years later
General Sani Abacha
Uganda has The Last King of Scotland, Britain has all the adaptations of Henry VIII, so it’s only right we get a full feature film about the military dictator who “allegedly” met his death eating a ₦100 green apple. General Sani Abacha who ruled Nigeria like Game of Thrones’ Jeoffery is by far one of the most brutal leaders this country has ever seen. His reign of terror lasted from 1993 – 1998. The man was offing people left, right, and center. However, these days, Abacha randomly gifts Nigerians a couple of millions from all the money he looted during his tenure. Where does this money go? Well, tomorrow is another day.
Samuel Ajayi-Crowther
We all know The Oscars love a good slave story. Well, Samuel Ajayi-Crowther is our shot at the gold naked man. Slave turned linguist, turned the first African Anglican Bishop, Crowther served us some serious range! Our good bishop was praised for his contribution to education and religion in the country. Years later, he was eventually pressured out of his position. Why? well, two European missionaries accused African pastors of fraud, ignorance, and immorality – smells like racism. Imagine a Nollywood biopic about this? The drama! The tea!
Nnamdi Azikiwe
It’s not easy being the face on ₦500. When you’re big, you’re actually big! Popularly known as Zik, Nnamdi Azikwe was famous for forming a temporary government alongside another iconic figure, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. He received the largely honorary posts of President of the Senate, Governor-general, and, finally, first President of Nigeria from 1963 – 1966. A controversial figure during the Biafran War, his biopic will be sure to feature long monologues and enough political backstabbing to have us at the edge of our seats.
Kanu Nwankwo
Kanu Nwankwo, also known as Papilo is one of the most famous Nigerian footballers of all time. Scoring two last-minute goals that saw Nigeria beat Brazil, he led the country to victory at the 1996 Olympics. He is also famous for that one milk ad that we all couldn’t escape growing up. Whether or not we’ve made our parents proud is still up for debate. We are sure that a Nollywood biopic, aptly titled Papilo, will have Nigerian cinemas in a chokehold.
