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
Olamide | Zikoko!

Quizzes

Stacks

Shows

Podcasts

Newsletters

Naira Life

Love Life

Hustleprint

Love Currency

Sunken Ships

What She Said

My Bro

So You Don’t Have To

Interview With…

Zikoko Memes

Jollof Road

Cholera Outbreak Update

Follow our socials

  • Grammy 2024: Davido Bags First Nomination, Major Categories List

    The nomination list of the upcoming 2024 Grammy Awards dropped on November 10th, 2023, with a new category for African music called “Best African Music Performance.”

    Nigerian artists, Davido, Ayra Starr, Olamide, Asake, Bloody Civilian and Blessing Offor, all got their first Grammy nominations, joining the growing list of nominees that includes Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti and Tems.

    We bring you the list of categories and nominees you should care about.

    Record of the Year

    Worship – Jon Batiste

    Not Strong Enough – boygenius

    Flowers – Miley Cyrus

    What Was I Made For? (From Motion Picture Barbie) – Billie Eilish

    On My Mama – Victoria Monét

    Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo

    Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift

    Kill Bill – SZA

    Album of the Year

    World Music Radio – Jon Batiste

    the record – boygenius

    Endless Summer Vacation – Miley Cyrus

    Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd – Lana Del Rey

    The Age of Pleasure – Janelle Monáe

    GUTS – Olivia Rodrigo

    Midnights – Taylor Swift

    SOS – SZA

    Song of the Year

    A&W – Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey and Sam Drew

    Anti-Hero – Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift

    Butterfly – Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson

    Dance the Night (From Barbie The Album) – Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt

    Flowers – Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein and Michael Pollack

    Kill Bill – Rob Bisel, Carter Lang and Solána Rowe

    Vampire – Daniel Nigro, Olivia Rodrigo

    What Was I Made For? (From Motion Picture Barbie) – Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell

    Best New Artist

    Gracie Abrams

    Fred again..

    Jelly Roll

    Coco Jones

    Noah Kanan

    Victoria Monét

    The War and Treaty

    Producer of the Year (Non-Classical)

    Jack Antonoff

    Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II

    Hit-Boy

    Metro Boomin

    Daniel Nigro

    Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical)

    Edgar Barrera

    Jessie Jo Dilion

    Shane McAnally

    Theron Thomas

    Justin Tranter

    Best Pop Solo Performance

    Flowers – Miley Cyrus

    Paint The Town Red – Doja Cat

    What Was I Made For? (From The Motion Picture Barbie)

    Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo

    Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift

    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

    Thousand Miles – Miley Cyrus

    Candy Necklace – Lana Del Rey feat. Job Batiste

    Never Felt So Alone – Labrinth feat. Billie Eilish

    Karma – Taylor Swift feat. Ice Spice

    Ghost In The Machine – SZA feat. Phoebe Bridgers

    Best Pop Vocal Album

    Chemistry – Kelly Clarkson

    Endless Summer Vacation – Miley Cyrus

    GUTS – Olivia Rodrigo

    – (Subtract) – Ed Sheeran

    Midnights – Taylor Swift

    Best Dance/Electronic Recording

    Blackbox Life Recorder 21F – Aphex Twin

    Loading – James Blake

    Higher Than Ever Before – Disclosure

    Strong – Romy and Fred again..

    Rumble – Skrillex, Fred again.. and Flowdan

    Best Pop Dance Recording

    Baby Don’t Hurt Me – David Guetta, Anne-Marie and Coi Leray

    Miracle – Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding

    Padam Padam – Kylie Minogue

    One In A Million – Bebe Rexha and David Guetta

    Rush – Troye Sivan

    Best Dance/Electronic Music Album

    Playing Robots Into Heaven – James Blake

    For That Beautiful Feeling – The Chemical Brothers

    Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022) – Fred again..

    Kx5 – Kx5

    Quest For Fire – Skrillex

    Best Alternative Music Performance

    Belinda Says – Alvvays

    Body Paint – Arctic Monkeys

    Cool About It – boygenius

    A&W – Lana Del Rey

    This Is Why – Paramore

    Best Alternative Music Album

    The Car –Arctic Monkeys

    The Record – boygenius

    Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd – Lana Del Rey

    Cracker Island – Gorillaz

    I Inside The Old Year Dying – PJ Harvey

    Best R&B Performance

    Summer Too Hot – Chris Brown

    Back To Love – Robert Glasper feat. SiR and Alex Isley

    ICU – Coco Jones

    How Does It Make You Feel – Victoria Monét

    Kill Bill – SZA

    Best Traditional R&B Performance

    Simple – Babyface feat. Coco Jones

    Lucky – Kenyon Dixon

    Hollywood – Victoria Monét feat. Earth, Wind & Fire and Hazel Monét

    Good Morning – PJ Morton feat. Susan Carol

    Love Language – SZA

    Best R&B Song

    Angel – Halle Bailey, Theron Feemster and Coleridge Tillman

    Back To Love – Darryl Andrew Farris, Robert Glasper and Alexandra Isley

    ICU – Darhyl Camper Jr., Courtney Jones, Raymond Komba and Roy Keisha Rockette

    On My Mama – Dernst Emile II, Jeff Gitelman, Victoria Monét, Kyla Moscovich, Jamil Pierre and Charles Williams

    Snooze – Kenny B. Edmonds, Blair Ferguson, Khris Riddick-Tynes, Solána Rowe and Leon Thomas

    Best Progressive R&B Album

    Since I Have A Lover – 6LACK

    The Love Album Off The Grid – Diddy

    Nova – Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy

    The Age Of Pleasure – Janelle Monáe

    SOS – SZA

    Best R&B Album

    Girls Night Out – Babyface

    What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe) – Coco Jones

    Special Occasion – Emily King

    JAGUAR II – Victoria Monét

    CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP – Summer Walker

    Best Rap Performance

    The Hillbillies – Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar

    Love Letter – Black Thought

    Rich Flex – Drake & 21 Savage

    SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS – Killer Mike feat. André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane

    Players – Coi Leray

    Best Melodic Rap Performance

    Sittin’ On Top Of The World – Burna Boy feat. 21 Savage

    Attention – Doja Cat

    Spin Bout U – Drake & 21 Savage

    All My Life – Lil Durk feat. J. Cole

    Low – SZA

    Best Rap Song

    Attention – Rogét Chahayed and Amala 

    Barbie World (From Barbie The Album – Isis Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. & Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Featuring Aqua)

    Just Wanna Rock – Mohamad Camara, Symere Woods & Javier Mercado, songwriters (Lil Uzi Vert)

    Rich Flex – Brytavious Chambers, Isaac “Zac” De Boni, Aubrey Graham, J. Gwin, Anderson Hernandez, Michael “Finatik” Mule & Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, songwriters (Drake & 21 Savage)

    SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS – Andre Benjamin, Paul Beauregard, James Blake, Michael Render, Tim Moore & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane)

    Best Rap Album

    Her Loss – Drake & 21 Savage

    MICHAEL – Killer Mike

    HEROES & VILLIANS – Metro Boomin

    King’s Disease III – Nas

    UTOPIA – Travis Scott

    Best Spoken Word Poetry Album

    A-You’re Not Wrong B-They’re Not Either: The Fukc-It Pill Revisited – Queen Sheba

    For Your Consideration’24 -The Album – Prentice Powell and Shawn William

    Grocery Shopping With My Mother – Kevin Powell

    The Light Inside – J. Ivy

    When The Poems Do What They Do – Aja Monet

    Gospel and Contemporary Christian Music

    God Is Good – Stanley Brown Featuring Hezekiah Walker, Kierra Sheard & Karen Clark Sheard; Stanley Brown, Karen V Clark Sheard, Kaylah Jiavanni Harvey, Rodney Jerkins, Elyse Victoria Johnson, J Drew Sheard II, Kierra Valencia Sheard & Hezekiah Walker, songwriters

    Feel Alright (Blessed) – Erica Campbell; Erica Campbell, Warryn Campbell, William Weatherspoon, Juan Winans & Marvin L. Winans, songwriters

    Lord Do It For Me (Live) – Zacardi Cortez; Marcus Calyen, Zacardi Cortez & Kerry Douglas, songwriters

    God Is – Melvin Crispell III

    All Things – Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter

    Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

    Believe – Blessing Offor; Hank Bentley & Blessing Offor, songwriters

    Firm Foundation (He Won’t) [Live] – Cody Carnes

    Thank God I Do – Lauren Daigle; Lauren Daigle & Jason Ingram, songwriters

    Love Me Like I Am – for KING & COUNTRY feat. Jordin Sparks

    Your Power – Lecrae & Tasha Cobbs Leonard

    God Problems – Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine; Daniel Bashta, Chris Davenport, Ryan Ellis & Naomi Raine, songwriters

    Best Gospel Album

    I Love You – Erica Campbell

    Hymns (Live) – Tasha Cobbs Leonard

    The Maverick Way – Maverick City Music

    My Truth – Jonathan McReynolds

    All Things New: Live In Orlando – Tye Tribbett

    Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

    My Tribe – Blessing Offor

    Emanuel – Da’ T.R.U.T.H.

    Lauren Daigle – Lauren Daigle

    Church Clothes 4 – Lecrae

    I Believe – Phil Wickham

    Best Roots Gospel Album

    Tribute To The King – The Blackwood Brothers Quartet

    Echoes Of The South – Blind Boys Of Alabama

    Songs That Pulled Me Through The Tough Times – Becky Isaacs Bowman

    Meet Me At The Cross – Brian Free & Assurance

    Shine: The Darker The Night The Brighter The Light – Gaither Vocal Band

    Best Global Music Performance

    Shadow Forces – Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily

    Alone – Burna Boy

    FEEL – Davido

    Milagro Y Disastre -Silvana Estrada

    Abundance In Millets – Falu & Gaurav Shah (Featuring PM Narendra Modi)

    Pashto – Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia

    Todo Colores – Ibrahim Maalouf Featuring Cimafunk & Tank And The Bangas

    Best African Music Performance

    Amapiano – Asake & Olamide

    City Boys – Burna Boy

    UNAVAILABLE — Davido feat. Musa Keys

    Rush – Ayra Starr

    Water – Tyla

    Best Global Music Album

    Epifanías – Susana Baca

    History – Bokanté

    I Told Them… – Burna Boy

    Timeless – Davido

    This Moment – Shakti

    Best Reggae Album

    Born For Greatness – Buju Banton

    Simma – Beenie Man

    Cali Roots Riddim 2023 – Collie Buddz

    No Destroyer – Burning Spear

    Colors Of Royal – Julian Marley & Antaeus

    Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

    AURORA – (Daisy Jones & The Six)

    Barbie The Album – (Various Artists)

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From And Inspired By – (Various Artists)

    Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix, Vol. 3 – (Various Artists)

    Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Weird Al Yankovic

    Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television)

    Barbie – Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt (composers)

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Ludwig Göransson (composer)

    The Fabelmans – John Williams, (composer)

    Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
    – John Williams (composer)

    Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson, (composer)

    Best Song Written For Visual Media

    Barbie World (From Barbie The Album) – Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. and Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice feat. Aqua)

    Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album) – Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)

    I’m Just Ken (From Barbie The Album) – Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Ryan Gosling)

    Lift Me Up [From Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From And Inspired By) – Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Robyn Fenty and Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Rihanna)

    What Was I Made For? (From Barbie The Album) – Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

    Best Music Video

    I’m Only Sleeping – The Beatles 

    (Em Cooper, video director; Jonathan Clyde, Sophie Hilton, Sue Loughlin & Laura Thomas, video producers)

    In Your Love – Tyler Childers
    (Bryan Schlam, video director; Kacie Barton, Silas House, Nicholas Robespierre, Ian Thornton & Whitney Wolanin, video producers)

    What Was I Made For? – Billie Eilish
    (Billie Eilish, video director; Michelle An, Chelsea Dodson & David Moore, video producers)

    Count Me Out – Kendrick Lamar
    (Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar, video directors; Jason Baum & Jamie Rabineau, video producers)

    Rush – Troye Sivan
    (Gordon Von Steiner, video director; Kelly McGee, video producer)

    Find the full list here.

    Tomide Marv

    , , , , , , ,
  • 7 of Olamide’s Songs That’ll Have You Feeling Unruly

    Olamide just released his 10th studio album, “Unruly”. While we admit the album lives up to its name, this isn’t the first time Olamide’s made us feel unruly with his songs, and we have proof.

    Poverty Die

    The entire song was Olamide binding and casting poverty. Is it really a shock that it had the entire country binding and casting with him?

    Jinja

    Something about the beat and Olamide’s extra smooth vocals gingers everyone to get up and break their waist to this song.

    First of All

    This song had every Nigerian wrapped around its finger in 2012 and beyond. At some point, all you had to do was shout “First of all” in public, and everyone would belt out the rest of the song. 

    Wo!!

    From the beat to Olamide’s “Oya, wo” at the beginning of the song to “aunty shakira dance shakiti”, Olamide had us all willing and ready to lose what little home training we had the moment this song played.

    Kpe Paso 

    Every song Olamide so much as breathes on reminds us that he wants us to just have the best time. But this one? Olamide strutted all over the song, threw up gang signs and left us wondering WTF just happened.

    Science Student

    A song that had the streets in a chokehold and the government pressed? Olamide dropped Science Student and had everyone’s parents dropping think pieces about everything from the lyrics to the video.

    Who You Epp?

    It was compulsory to catch an attitude while singing this song. Who You Epp? dropped and became the unofficial response to anyone trying to do more than they should. 

    Chioma Munachi

    , ,
  • Olamide’s Albums Ranked By How Well They Catered to the Baddies

    Olamide announced on Threads that his latest album Unruly is only for baddies and men who love baddies, not for those looking for moral lessons. It’s out now, so we decided to rank all his albums according to their attention to baddies.

    Rapsodi

    Wrapped in hustle mode, his debut album had few women-centered tracks. Although Dirty Rock and Omo To Shan used to get the baddies throwing it  down, Rapsodi still gets last position on this particular ranking. It’s not hard to see that Olamide also had long talking stages that make you feel like a journalist doing an interview.

    Baddest Guy Ever Liveth

    Still deeply in love with the streets, Baddo painted tales of hustle and triumph. The popular hit, Durosoke, is the closest to “baddie”s music on the album. He had babes from top Nigerian universities on roll call, further solidifying especially “Babcock girls” (means the hottest babes) in the Nigerian pop culture.

    Eyan Mayweather

    This album is loaded with viral hits like Say Something, Lagos Boys, Melo Melo and Bobo. We broke our backs to Don’t Stop, but it failed to deliver for the bad bitches.

    The album was fully for the streets, and there’s no single woman in the crowd on the album art.

    The Glory

    His sixth album spread a messages of motivation with dashes of braggado, except Pepper Dem, which became the hottest slang for “slaying” at the time .

    Lagos Nawa!

    Also known as “Wobey Sound”, this album attempted to give the girls a dancehall tune with Bend It Over (featuring Timaya and Reminsice), but it just didn’t hit. Fine Fine Girls with Tiwa Savage tried to come for the waist beads too, but it wasn’t giving. The titular track, Lagos Nawa!, was the only track that made the baddies active for a while.

    YBNL (Yahoo Boy No Laptop)

    Baddo was still neck deep in the hustle, fully representing the streets on this album. But he still managed to deliver solid jams like Ewo Idi, Stupid Love and grabbed Dammy Krane for the fuji and EDM-infused Fuji House that made the girlies take off their heels.

    Street OT

    Olamide’s fourth studio album announced its business early. While it’s not his most enjoyable body of work, the highlight is his rawness on tracks like Up in the Club, Skelemba, Falila Ketan and Story for the Gods. “Monkey Tail” was in full effect that year.

    Carpe Diem

    Even on the album art, Baddo is pictured amongst four beautiful women all glammed up. The tracks covered themes of triumph, good life and spending money, but Green Light, Eru and Shilalo are about the fine women in his life. 

    UY Scuti

    UY Scuti came out in 2021 and followed the direction of Carpe Diem, leaning heavily towards sensual lyricism. From start to finish, UY Scuti gave sugar daddy vibes, telling babes to run away from broke niggas on Rock. On Pon Pon, he went rogue and said he wants to do his babe like Big Sean does Jhené Aiko.

    UNRULY

    He opened his latest album with Celebrate, reminiscing on his journey from Shaku Shaku to the top as a successful music executive and label owner. UNRULY is a fusion of afrobeats and log drums backing up his playful, raunchy lyrics and street yarns. With guest features from the new ladies’ men of afrobeats: CKay, Rema, Asake, Fireboy DML, etc., UNRULY makes Olamide’s most playable album in the strip club. The music is mature, lush, flirty and easy on the ears — all the elements that get the baddies’ attention.

    Tomide Marv

    , , , , , ,
  • “Unruly” Is Coming: Olamide’s Doors Are Open to Baddies Only

    This 2023, Olamide made his grand return to the music scene as a recording artist with singles Kpe Paso, Trumpet and New Religion. And two years after dropping his last album, UY Scuti, he announced via Album Talks HQ’s tweet that he’s releasing a new one on August 10, 2023.

    He’s spent the last few years supervising the success of his label signees, but it’s about time he fed his own fans. So here’s everything you should know ahead of the release.

    It’s titled UNRULY

    From Rapsodi to Baddest Guy Ever Liveth to Eyan Mayweather to UY Scuti, Olamide has the most unconventional album titles. But the common themes have always been street orientation, the hustle spirit and his confidence in his own supremacy. With UNRULY, are we getting a wilder version of Baddo? We hope so.

    New album release date

    Originally, he announced UNRULY would drop on July 12, 2023, but due to reasons unknown, he’s moved the release date. We’ll just have to trust Olamide’s process and timing.

    The tracklist

    Olamide hasn’t released a tracklist yet. So ignore the fake ones, like this one that’s been flying around Twitter as if it’s the gospel.

    Two snippets dropped today

    Two snippets connected to UNRULY are being circulated on the internet by The Upper Ent account. First snippet is a laid-back rap song.

    The other one, NATI, is pure Amapiano, produced by Asake’s go-to producer, Magicsticks. Olamide previewed it in August, 2022, but he’s been hoarding it. We hope it makes it to the UNRULY, the demand is high.

    The album cover is out

    In what appears like a framed picture, Olamide is in a suit, a cigar and looking like an Italian mob boss. The Unruly album art gives absolute unfuckwithable vibes.

    UNRULY is for baddies only

    In his Threads post — on the day the new social media app launched — Olamide warns critics that his album is only for bad bitches and those who love them. He called it strictly “bo pata” (“remove your pants”) music. Looks like he’s about to give double of what he served on Story For The Gods. Baddies stay winning.

    It’s his 10th studio album

    UNRULY will become Olamide’s tenth solo album when it drops in August. 13th, if we include his EP and collaborative projects. Olamide’s work-rate is insane. With every music release, he’s demonstrated dedication and consistency. But please, Baddo, let August 10 be August 10.

    Tomide Marv

    , , , , , ,
  • Bad Boy Timz Has Bad Days Too

    It’s difficult, almost impossible even, to look back at the tumultuous year that was 2020 and not acknowledge how strange it was for Nigerians and the global community at large. Riddled with fear of the unknown, and a daily surge of coronavirus cases, the world shut down. Navigating those confusing days was scary. However, for Olorunyomi Timilehin, 2020 was also the year the world got a massive introduction to his musical avatar, Bad Boy Timz. His breakout single, MJ, dropped just five days after the Nigerian government announced a nationwide lockdown, on April 4, 2020.

    “I was sad and happy at the same time,” the singer tells me at the tail end of 2022, over two years since the lockdown was lifted. “I saw my song climb the charts, but I was broke. I couldn’t perform or make money. It was a club song, but it peaked online. I wish it had dropped when we were all outside.” 

    Outside or not, MJ, Timz’s catchy tribute to the late king of pop, Michael Jackson, quickly became one of the biggest Nigerian songs of 2020, its infectious energy providing reprieve in uncertain times. The single was followed by two remixes, one with Mayorkun and the other with Teni.

    In an industry where lightning rarely strikes twice, much less thrice in a global pandemic, Timz’s tagline “Iyanu yen shock won ba kan”, which loosely translates to “The miracles will shock them”, became a reality. A star-making appearance on Olamide’s Carpe Diem standout, Loading, was soon followed by another feel-good anthem, Have Fun, and finally, the Headies’ Rookie of the Year award to close out 2020. But just when it seemed like the then-21-year-old had established himself as an act to look out for post-lockdown, he disappeared for a while. 

    Source: Courtesy of subject

    Bad Boy Timz’s introduction to music was unknowingly orchestrated by his father. Accompanying the accountant who moonlighted as a Tungba band member gave the future singer front-row seats to making and performing music. After years of covers and recording music unprofessionally in secondary school, Timz’s first brush with the spotlight happened when his freestyle to Davido’s If went viral in 2017. The freestyle caught the attention of rap icon, Olamide, who reposted the video and invited him to perform backup on Radio Lagos, off his Lagos Nawa! album that year. 

    In 2020, Olamide placed the singer front and centre in both the audio and visuals for Loading. “We recorded the song in 30 minutes,” Timz says. “I remember being in Ikorodu when he [Olamide] called me. Omo, I rushed to the island sharp-sharp, and he introduced me to P.Priime, the producer. I already had the melody in my head, so it was easy. Shoutout to Baddo. That’s my egbon right there.” 

    Loading changed Timz’s life. He admits to booking countless shows after the single was released. But things took a dramatic turn when a brewing rift between the artiste and the label he had previously signed to in 2019 forced him to take a break from releasing music after the Headies. “Winning the Headies came with mixed emotions as I’d already started having issues with my label at the time,” he confesses. “I expected MJ to win, but I also felt the heat from what was going on with my team. I couldn’t perform or release new music because I needed to leave that label. I was being acknowledged as one of the greats, but I couldn’t even enjoy the moment.” 

    ALSO READ: T.I Blaze is Not Just a Street Artiste, He Wants to Make Love Songs Too

    While Timz doesn’t go into details about his label drama, the whole thing played out publicly, with an arrest and lawsuit dominating headlines in the early months of 2021. By May 2021, Timz had founded his own record label, Shock Absorbers Music, with a distribution deal from Empire Label, which also handles distribution for the YBNL squad, Tyga and Snoop Dogg, allowing him to make a massive comeback with Move in October the same year.

    The highs, lows and complexities of Timz’ creative adventures converge on Igboro, the opening track of his long-awaited No Bad Boy, No Party debut album which came out in June, 2023. Giving insight into his journey from the ghetto, Bad Boy Timz reminisces about the past while acknowledging the poignant Nigerian dream of blowing regardless of where you come from. 

    The party part of the album goes into full gear after the first track and continues until the album closes with the BNXN-assisted Make Sense. With production from heavyweights like P.Priime and BeatsByTimmy, and appearances from Olamide, Zlatan and Shenseea, Timz successfully packaged a fun night out into a 30-minute LP. But as club-friendly and fun as this album sounds, there’s more to Bad Boy Timz than what the audience is getting right now, especially after 2022’s Big Money with its underlying social message. The best part? He agrees. 

    “I feel like the Nigerian audience is ready for artistes to be versatile,” he admits to me while discussing his decision to put out more experimental music. “I want them to say, ‘Ah, Bad Boy Timz, we love this lamba music, but we also love your R&B work.’ There will be reggae Bad Boy Timz, drill Bad Boy Timz and even trap Bad Boy Timz soon. I need my fans to get to the point where they love my music so much, they won’t even care what genre I’m doing.”

    Source: Courtesy of subject

    Timz’s new direction is inspired by another artiste. “I’m not saying Burna Boy is my role model,” he tells me. “But this guy has the kind of versatility that allows him to talk about social problems or heartbreak while making you dance.” He explains that while he wasn’t always bothered with messaging before, now, more than ever, there’s a need for music that connects with people’s souls instead of just helping them escape bad times. 

    As a singer whose music has become known for its resilient, positive energy, I’m curious to know if Timz is familiar with these bad times he talks about. Taking a minute to catch his breath, he reveals that, just like everyone else, he struggles with navigating life in Nigeria while dealing with the pressure of being in the spotlight. 

    “People think we’re not human beings with real emotions,” he says. “We are prone to make mistakes. I try to remember that if I don’t make myself happy, no one else will. I used to allow the craziness around me fuck me up mentally. But now, I understand that problem no dey finish. If I wait for my life to be perfect before I enjoy myself, I’ll wait till eternity.” 

    Source: Courtesy of subject

    Timz’s pursuit of happiness bled into his music first, and now, he has his sights set on new dreams — becoming a toymaker then a restaurateur. Yes, you read that right. The first is an attempt to reconnect with his childhood while growing a sustainable business that could see Nigerian toys become valuable collectables in the future. And the food part? Well, Timz is aware that no matter what, Nigerians will always need food. “Do you know how much Olaiya makes in a day?” he asks me, referencing one of Lagos’s most popular amala joints. 

    Singer, future toymaker and restaurateur, Bad Boy Timz has his hands full with present tasks and future aspirations. But in the face of everything, I want to know the ethos that drives the singer? 

    “I’m trying to make a statement,” he explains. “I want people to know I’m capable of much more than what they’ve come to expect from me. I won’t box my creativity to fit in.” 

    Listen to No Bad Boy, No Party here:

    ALSO READ: Seyi Vibez Misses the Trenches But Doesn’t Regret Leaving

    Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe

    ,
    , , , ,
  • 9 Artistes We’d Like to See on Davido’s New Album, “Timeless”

    Davido is back. I repeat, Davido is back. This is not a drill.  And all is well with the world again. 

    Coming back from a much-needed break, Davido recently broke the internet when he announced his new album, Timeless. Because we’ve not had a Davido album since 2020, everyone naturally started freaking out. What will the album sound like? Who else is going to be on it? 

    https://twitter.com/_itzgb/status/1638617368317313024?s=20

    Well, as someone who’s listened to all of Davido’s albums (more than twice), here’s a list of artistes we might see on the new one.

    Wizkid 

    Source: Channels Television

    Sorry to Burna, but this is the Wizkid collab everyone actually wants. No, but let’s take a second to imagine the impact a Davido and Wizkid collab would have on the industry. 

    I’d like to see this happen now that they’ve squashed their beef for the 100th time. And we wouldn’t even be able to diss the song if it was bad because who wants to risk fighting 30BG and Wizkid FC at the same time?

    Zinoleesky 

    Source: instagram/zinoleesky

    Davido is always on the pulse of who people are currently listening to, and if there’s one artiste that’s taken over the streets and playlists in Nigeria, it’s Zinoleesky. Borrowing from Davido’s strategic collabs with Naira Marley on A Good Time and CKay and Bella Shmurda on A Better Time, there’s a high chance Zinoleesky might make an appearance on Timeless. But no one should take it personally if he’s not on the album. 

    Chance the Rapper 

    Source: instagram/davido

    Davido has a thing for featuring American rappers on his album. A Good Time had Gunna and A Boogie with da Hoodie, while A Better Time had Nicki Minaj, Nas, Lil Baby, Young Thug and Hit-Boy. Since we have this picture of Chance and Davido recording something in Ghana, it’s safe to assume he might be 2023’s token American rapper, and I’m not mad at it. 

    Amaarae 

    Source: instagram/amaarae

    Remember when Davido looked into Summer Walker’s eyes and saw her snatched waist on D&G? Or the time he wanted to play Tanana with Tiwa Savage? We all love Davido’s sweet romantic duets.

    If Mr Adeleke plans to continue his romance streak on Timeless, Amaarae is the right woman for the job. She got Asa to sing about breaking backs, so I’m dying to see what she does with Davido. 

    Olamide 

    Source: instagram/olamide

    Nigerians are going through it right now. There’s fuel scarcity, BVAs are performing wonders, and POS agents are using our money to build houses in their villages. If there’s one thing I strongly believe can make everything right again, it’s an Olamide and Davido collaboration. Davido could also return the favour by appearing on Olamide’s upcoming and final album, Unruly. 

    RECOMMENDED: Shakespeare Has Nothing on Davido and We Have Receipts to Prove It

    Black Sherif

    Source: instagram/blacksherif_

    From joining an all-star line-up of artistes on Stormzy’s This Is What I Mean to providing the soundtrack for fights between Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors on Creed, Ghana’s Black Sherif is undoubtedly one of the most in-demand Afrobeats rappers of the moment. 

    Davido has shown interest in creating music with a wide range of African artistes before, working with Mugeez, Sho Madjozi and Sauti Sol on A Better Time. With Black Sherif’s star on the rise, I can bet he’s on Davido’s radar for another intercontinental banger. 

    Mayorkun 

    Source: instagram/iammayorkun

    This is one feature I’m willing to bet my salary on. Mayorkun and Davido gave us Bobo and Betty Butter. Let’s not forget Mayorkun had not one, but two features on A Better Time — The Best and I Got A Friend. There’s no way they’re not revisiting this magic for Timeless. 

    Libianca 

    Source: instagram/iamlibianca

    Before his break, Davido blessed us with Stand Strong, a beautifully written choir-assisted ballad about finding strength and resilience in the face of life’s many ups and downs. Probably one of his best songs yet, Stand Strong showed us a different, more sober Davido. 

    If there’s one singer who can help OBO reflect and tap into his emotions some more, it’s Libianca. Just like Stand Strong was, Libianca’s 2022 single, People, has become an emotional anthem. A Davido and Libianca collab will surely get us all in our feels. 

    T.I Blaze 

    Source: TI Blaze

    Sometimes, an Olamide co-sign is all you need to blow as an artiste — take Asake, for example. With a sound currently transitioning from the streets to mainstream attention, T.I Blaze is the kind of artiste Davido would be willing to hop on a track with for a similar way as Zinoleesky and Bella Shmurda. 

    ALSO READ: 8 Upcoming Albums That’ll Make 2023 Bang Like Today’s Bread

    Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe

    ,
    , , , , ,
  • QUIZ: Create a Song and We’ll Tell You if Olamide Will Sign You

    Olamide is always out discovering new talents, but do you deserve to be one of them? Take this quiz.

    Meyimi O.

    ,
    ,
  • Start Planning Your Wedding If You Remember These Nigerian Albums from 2013

    It’s easy to remember 2013 as the year Instagram became a thing, while Blackberry, Ama Kip Kip shirts and carrot jeans faded away. But can we take a second to big up the music that dropped that year? From Tiwa Savage to Burna Boy, the hits flowed like unlimited Abacha funds, and we all had a good time. Somebody, please, take me back. 

    Baddest Guy Ever Liveth — Olamide 

    Remember when Olamide gave us albums yearly, and they all slapped? Good times. Baddest Guy Ever Liveth was Baddo’s third album in three years, and omo, it had zero skips.

    Looking for owambe songs? Olamide gave us Eleda Mi O, Durosoke and Anifowose. Looking to scatter the club? There was Turn Up, Baddo Love and Yemi My Lover. This was one of the best albums of 2013 and one of Olamide’s best albums of all time. 

    Underrated song that should’ve been a hit: Dope Money with Phyno. Listening to two of Nigeria’s greatest rappers go back and forth on a sick beat will always do something for me. These two have such great chemistry it’s no surprise they’re still making songs together ten years later. 

    Leaving an Impact for Eternity (L.I.F.E.) — Burna Boy 

    If you think this Burna Boy’s African Giant thing started with Coachella, then you clearly haven’t listened to his debut album, L.I.F.E.

    After blowing up in 2012 with the smooth Like to Party and his round vintage glasses, Burna put his baby giant foot down with this album and hits like Run My Race, #YawaDey and Tonight. Even though he was just stepping into the spotlight, Burna moved with the confidence of an artiste who’d been doing this for over a decade. 

    Underrated song that should’ve been a hit: Jah’s Love is True with Wizkid. Forget BD’OR and Ginger. This is Burna and Wiz’s best collab. Argue with yourself, please. 

    Once Upon a Time — Tiwa Savage 

    No one was doing it like Tiwa Savage when Kele Kele Love dropped in 2010. The good sis came in, served us looks, vocals, choreography and ate everything up. No crumbs left.

    Going toe to toe with the guys in the industry at the time, Tiwa dropped Once Upon a Time, and this album was fire. From the controversial Wanted to the Don Jazzy-assisted Eminado, Tiwa gave us left, right and centre. We need to give Ms Savage her flowers, please. 

    Underrated song that should’ve been a hit: Folarin. This song gave us a glimpse of Tiwa’s IDGAF attitude popular on songs like Koroba, 49-99 and Tiwa’s Vibe. 

    Blackmagic Version 2.0 — Blackmagic 

    Talking about alté music without mentioning Blackmagic should be a crime in Nigeria. This man did not drop Rainbow in 2011 to be forgotten by the new generation. Not many people got Blackmagic’s style of music at the time, but everyone can agree Repete was pure magic. Other songs like Confam with Sasha P and Pass You By with Oritse Femi helped position Blackmagic Version 2.0 as one of the best albums of 2013, no cap. 

    Underrated song that should’ve been a hit: Amnesia with M.I. This song was popular-ish, but the truth is, it should’ve been massive. Come on, guys, Blackmagic and M.I dragging their real and imaginary haters for filth? Inject it into my veins.

    RECOMMENDED: These 10 Tiwa Savage Songs Are Also Gospel Songs, Let’s Explain

    R&BW — Banky W 

    By 2013, Banky W had already claimed his position as the king of baby-making R&B music with 2008’s Capable and 2009’s The Banky W Experience — I know y’all remember Strong Ting. But as the generous king he is, Banky gave us another classic album in 2013, aptly titled R&BW. Extending his reign, the album had bangers like Yes/No, To My Unborn Child and Good Good Loving. Whew, what a time. 

    Underrated song that should’ve been a hit: Lowkey. This slow seductive song will remind you of the time Pastor Banky was deep in the world like the rest of us. 

    Desire — Iyanya 

    Iyanya finally hacked the Nigerian music industry in 2013, five years after winning the first edition of Project Fame and trying to win us over with vocals and romantic grammar. Kukure had everyone and their grandma doing the etigi dance, but Desire fully revamped Iyanya’s career with songs like Flavour, Sexy Mama with Wizkid and Your Waist with Emma Nyra. 

    Underrated song that should’ve been a hit: Somebody with Tiwa Savage. These two are vocal powerhouses, and it shows in this song. Iyanya even stops Tiwa at some point while she’s singing her ass off to remind her that vocals don’t sell in Nigeria. 

    Take Over — KCee

    Considering how much I heard Limpopo in 2013, I’d be happy if I never listened to that song again. Kcee, the taller half of the early 2000s group, KC Presh, came back with a vengeance as a solo artist towards the end of 2012, and by 2013, he’d dropped an album, Take Over, and started his own label, with Harrysong as one of the artistes.

    While Take Over didn’t follow up with hits as big as Limpopo, we got to know what Kcee and Wizkid would sound like as road safety officers on Pullover. 

    Underrated song that should’ve been a hit: Give It to Me with Flavour. If Limpopo had you whining your waist in 2013, best believe this Flavour collab would break your waist in 2023. Godspeed. 

    Words Aren’t Just Enough — Waje 

    Words Aren’t Just Enough, Waje’s debut album, came in 2013. This was five years after her vocals helped P-Square turn Do Me into a major hit, and three years after she made her mark with For a Minute. Whether it’s doing vocal harmonies with Tiwa Savage on Onye or reminding us that men are trash on I Wish, Waje made an album that deserved a lot more than it got back then. 

    Underrated song that should’ve been a hit: Grind with Burna Boy. I didn’t see this collaboration coming, but somehow, they made it work thanks to Leriq’s sick production. Add this song to your sex playlist, and thank me later.

    ALSO READ: 8 Upcoming Albums That’ll Make 2023 Bang Like Today’s Bread

    Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe

    ,
    , , , ,
  • T.I Blaze is Not Just a Street Artiste, He Wants to Make Love Songs Too

    At just 22 years old, it’s safe to say T.I Blaze is living his best life. 

    When he dropped his breakout single, Sometimes, in August 2021, with lyrics like “Steady grindin wan tire me” and “When no one to ginger me, I ginger myself,” TI Blaze put into words what most Nigerians were feeling after a global pandemic, the #EndSARs protests and daily struggle to beat the weapon fashioned against us AKA Nigeria.

    Getting a remix with Olamide barely six months after the song’s release shot T.I Blaze into the stratosphere of fame. What followed was The Fresh Prince of Lagos EP and a couple of hit singles. 

    With the release of his debut album, El Major in November 2022, T.I Blaze is looking to cement his position as one of Nigeria’s biggest rising stars. He talks to Zikoko about going into music to impress a crush, meeting his idol and why he doesn’t see himself as just another street artist. 

    First off, congrats on the new album. But, bro, how did you run an EP and an album in the same year? 

    Bro, thanks man. I don’t think I’m the first to do this EP and album thing, though. Ayra Starr did it in 2021 when she came out. I’m always working, and it’s good to feed the fans with music back-to-back. Who am I singing for? I can’t let them rest. 

    Does it ever get tiring? 

    More than 80 per cent of my life is spent between the studio, interviews, shooting a video or a photoshoot — but it’s the life I wanted. I knew that’s what I was signing up for when I decided to become an entertainer. 

    Plus, I recorded some of these songs early last year. Alone was recorded in March, and then, I called Bella Shmurda to be on it. I just held on to the song. 

    How do you know it’s time to drop a song, EP or album? 

    I track streaming. For instance, let’s say a song used to get one million streams before, and now, it’s doing 25k, then I know it’s time to drop something new. 

    Serious monitoring spirit vibes. But before we get into the album, how did Akintunde Abiodun Timileyin become T.I Blaze? 

    If we’re starting from the beginning, then I’d say I had a very rough, no, mid childhood. I lived in a one-bedroom with my parents and younger brother in Agbado, Ogun State. My mum and grandma were choir mistresses, my dad played a lot of music in the house, and my older brother played instruments in church, so music was there, but no one took it seriously outside of the church. 

    It all started around 2014 when I was in secondary school. I wanted to be a rapper like Lil Kesh, but I didn’t get the chance to enter a studio until 2018 when one bros allowed me to record my first song, Asiko, in his studio. 

    What was that like? 

    Man, I was so happy. I didn’t even mind that I had no money and had to trek for two hours back home. That was the first song I played for my parents, and I remember my mum praying for me. Nothing serious happened until I moved out two years later, when I turned 20. 

    Moved out ke? To where and with what money? 

    It was 2020, and I didn’t have anything. I moved out and started crashing with one producer I knew. I couldn’t even ask my mum for money because she’d warned me about moving out, but I did it anyway because I wanted to be independent. I was recording and doing backup for artists who came to the producer’s studio. I even wrote songs and sold them without writer’s credit for quick cash because I needed to eat. 

    I lived like that until August 2021, when I met Shocker (producer for Small Doctor and Portable). This was the first time I was meeting a big-time producer, so I was nervous AF. We were freestyling when I sang that “Sometimes food no dey give man joy, but Canadian loud the feeling is different” line, and the studio went crazy. We recorded Sometimes that day, and even though they all thought it’d be a hit, I didn’t believe them. 

    Why? 

    I’d been recording songs, but nothing was happening. They were right sha because the song got like 300k streams in five days. But I was still on the streets looking rough until December that year, when I got to do some shows and earn enough money to support myself and family. 

    How did the remix with Baddo happen? 

    Mehn, I was on my own in January 2022, when my phone started blowing up that Olamide had posted my song on his story with a heart emoji. I actually started crying when I saw it. Even though I wasn’t verified, and he wasn’t following me, I got the ginger to DM him to say thank you. And as soon as he responded, I sent him one long message, begging him to be on the remix. 

    RECOMMENDED: Seyi Vibez Misses the Trenches But Doesn’t Regret Leaving

    LMAO. How long was this message? 

    It was long o. I was nervous, so I just kept typing. He responded, “Okay”. He then sent an address and number and asked me to come to his place the next day. 

    Just like that? 

    I thought I was dreaming. I almost fainted when I got there and saw him in person. I introduced myself, we gisted for a while about my career and the things  I wanted to do before entering his studio to record the remix. I asked him when we should drop it, and he was like, “Are you a joke? Omo, drop this thing tomorrow.” 

    That remix changed my life. 

    I have a feeling Akintunde from secondary school never saw this coming 

    I swear! I knew I had what it took, but I didn’t think I’d get this far. I thought I’d just blow on an “Omo Adugbo” level where people on my street or two streets after that know me. 

    Why didn’t you think it was possible? And when did it hit you that you had the talent? 

    Coming from the streets, I didn’t allow myself to dream too big. As for talent, I started singing because I had a crush on a girl when I got into SS1. I wrote a song for her called Long Time. 

    Okay, lover boy

    I remember the lyrics: “Long time, long time, ti mo ba e soro.” I sang it in front of the class, and they didn’t believe I wrote it. All my classmates kept saying the song sounded like it was already out. That was the moment I realised I had something. If these guys in my class thought it was a hit song, then maybe this is what I’m meant to do. 

    You have an album now, so I guess you were right. 

    LOL. 

    Talking about El Major, you have a couple of collaborations with Ladipoe, Bella Shmurda, Camidoh, Skibii, FAVE and Backroad Gee. But I’m curious to know which collab took the longest and why? 

    I would’ve said Omah Lay, but he had stuff going on and didn’t make the album in the end. Play with FAVE took a lot of time to set up because of scheduling. I love her music, and she was one of the first people to post my song on her socials and tag me. I wanted her on the album, so I’m happy we both got to work together with Rexxie. 

    Of all the 13 tracks, which is the most personal to you? 

    The second track, Benefit. I listen to it over and over again because it gingers even me, the artiste that sang it. But there’s also Alone, Far Away and Play. Don’t make me pick one, abeg. 

    Fair. Panic and Fire Down show a more romantic side of T.I Blaze. In a time when everyone is singing about “chasing the bag”, what inspired these songs? 

    Have you forgotten my first song was a love song for the girl in my class? Romance has always been a part of me. I love Burna Boy’s music and how he’s able to find that balance between singing about the craziness around him and how he feels. I’m not copying him, but I don’t want to box myself as a street artiste. I sing about my experiences and life — love is a part of my life. 

    I can’t be chasing the bag every time. 

    About love and the bag, Try and Lock Up talk about women who only love you when you have money or access. Is there a breakfast story here? 

    That crush from my secondary school ended up leaving me for my teacher.

    I’m dead. 

    That was my first breakfast. When a girl leaves you for another guy, it’ll pain you small. But a teacher? Haba. The teacher knew I liked her and kept using me as a scapegoat for everything, but I chested it. I managed from SS1 to SS3, and this teacher frustrated me throughout.

    That’s messed up. Do you and this girl still talk? 

    Bro, she texts me. I still have the same number I used before I blew, and I’m still on my secondary school’s WhatsApp group. We say hi once in a while. Nothing can happen between us. 

    But how is the relationship thing going now that you’re popular?

    I’m dating people, but I’m too young to be in a serious relationship. 

    That makes sense. So what did El Major teach you about yourself as a person and as an artist? 

    Making this album showed me how much I enjoy making music that ginger people. I want people to hear my stories and say, “Yeah, I can do it too.” I could make music about booty all day, but I want to talk about my life. 

    What’s next? 

    I don’t know what’s next. I need the album to have a significant impact, and from there, I’ll figure out where I’m going as an artist. 

    ALSO READ: Psycho YP Doesn’t Know How to Drop a Mid Song

    Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe

    ,
    , , ,
  • Ranked: Olamide’s Top Ten Features of All Time

    Olamide has proven to us that he’s a certified hitmaker and star-maker. He’s been in the music scene for over a decade and has constantly delivered hits of his own and with others. If there’s something we know without a doubt, having Olamide on your song almost automatically makes it a hit. 

    We ranked his top ten features in no particular order. 

    1. Omo Ope  —  Asake ft Olamide

    Asake on his own is a star and no one can dispute that. However, having Olamide on Omo Ope took it to levels Asake couldn’t have achieved on his own. Asake can do bad all by himself, but we’re grateful he let Olamide do Omo Ope with him.

    2. Sometimes (remix) — T.I BLAZE ft Olamide

    If you put Olamide on your remix, it’s simply because you know the power he possesses. You know he’s going to take your song from an 8/10 to a 20/10 and that’s what he did on Sometimes (remix). We already know that “Sometimes food no dey give man joy but Canadian loud, the feeling is different” and we’re still grateful for Olamide’s extra pizzazz.

    3. Vision 2020 remix  — Bella Shmurda ft Olamide

    Omo, 2020 didn’t really get the vision sha, but that’s not the point. The passion in Olamide’s part of this song is intense. Olamide is a really good storyteller and he does that so well when on his features. Sometimes thirty seconds or longer. 

    4. Zazoo Zehh  —  Portable ft Olamide

    Portable needed Olamide on Zazoo the same way we need oxygen to survive. Olamide carried the song more than Twitter Ng is carrying the sanity of Nigerian youths. I often side-eye Olamide for being on that song, but I guess he did what had to be done. 

    5. Issa Goal  — Naira Marley ft Lil Kesh and Olamide

    This song came out during the 2018 World Cup and worked for morale. Ehyaa to Nigeria this year sha. Everyone and their mums knew this song when it came out because we were all interested in Nigeria’s performance at the World Cup. 

    RELATED: Olamide, the Musician Who Has Ruled the Streets for 5 Years Now

    6. Hate Me  —  Olamide ft Wande Coal

    Olamide had his decision on lock when he selected Black Diamond to be on this song with him. Michael Jackson has been mad quiet since Wande Coal bodied him in Hate Me. Wande Coal really said, “Michael who?” Inject it. 

    7. Jagaban (remix)  — Ycee ft Olamide

    Putting my personal dislike for the term “jagaban” aside to admit that this song slapped then and still slaps now. By the way, where’s this YCee? We need more of him.

    8. Bahd Baddo Baddest  —  Falz ft Olamide and Davido

    Asides from the fact that this song is bop, it also has all my faves on it. Bahd Baddo Baddest was a necessary evil back in the day and we still bop it till date.

    9. Believe (extended remix)  —  Ric Hassani ft Falz and Olamide

    My theory is that Ric Hassani extended the remix of this song to have Olamide on it. Olamide’s feature here once again proved how versatile he is as an artist. 

    10. Shoki (remix)  — Lil Kesh ft Olamide and Davido

    Everyone in Nigeria could do the Shoki — except me. This song was everywhere and will still make the crowd go crazy if it came on at a party or a concert… even for us girls who don’t know how to shoki.

    Bonus Point: Every song Olamide and Phyno have ever done together 

    Their bromance makes all their songs sound so good when they make music together and I’m glad they continue to tap into the power they have. Long may they reign.

    ALSO READ: Asake’s “Sungba” Is the Best Song in the World and Here’s Why

    Ibukun

    , ,
  • We Ranked the Best Nigerian Albums/EPs of the Year

    This year alone, we were met with an overnight Twitter ban and also threatened with another ban that almost prevented our fave IJGBs from spoiling us with foreign currency this Christmas. Through all of these things, music has held us up together in one piece, helping us think, connect or just whine our waists. From the artists we discovered by ourselves to those we stole from other people’s playlists, this has been a good year for Nigerian music. Looking back, we decided to rank some of the albums that gave us good vibes (some made us cry sha) this year. 

    20. SGaWD – Savage Bitch Juice EP

    The rap girls are making an entry into the scene and honestly, we’re here for it. Since she started popping up on our radar with features on songs with Dusten Truce and Sute Iwar, this fearless and unapologetic rapper has demanded our attention. Featuring Princess Mami and Somadina, on her debut EP, SGaWD reminds us that she’s the shit and the rest of us are just playing catch-up. 

    19. Buju – Sorry I’m Late 

    Buju is everywhere these days. Providing hooks for artists like Ladipoe, Blaqbonez, and Timaya, you can hardly go through a full day and not hear Buju’s voice somewhere. Buju released the EP Sorry I’m Late to a lot of anticipation. Does it match the energy we expected from the guy whose vocals carried the year? No. But we also can’t deny that this was quite an interesting record. 

    18. Kizz Daniel – Barnabas

    Kizz Daniel is a certified hitmaker at this point. Since Woju attained wedding anthem status, he has switched record labels and changed his name. But despite all these changes, Kizz Daniel has remained reliable, pushing out earworm after earworm. On Barnabas, he maintains the same relatability that has made his songs slap over the years. While we’d like for some artistic evolution, the project carries enough weight to land itself on this list. 

    17. Ajebo Hustlers – Kpos Lifestyle, Vol. 1

    If there was one song that soundtracked the #EndSARS protest of 2020, it’s Ajebo Hustler’s Barawo. Highlighting most of the issues young Nigerians were talking about in their demand for better, the song immediately catapulted this group to the top of the charts. But how do you follow up a song — no, a cultural movement — like that? The result is their debut album, Kpos Lifestyle, Vol.1, which sees the duo create standout moments while maintaining the same in-your-face Port Harcourt energy that made them popular in the first place. 

    16. Psycho YP – Euphoria EP 

    Psycho YP is in a league of his own when it comes to making trap and rap in Nigeria. Breaking out of the “Abuja-based” tagline to become a formidable force in his own right, Euphoria shows the artist at his best — hyper expressive, intense and confident AF. 

    15. Ladipoe – Providence EP

    After years of mind-blowing guest appearances and some standout solo moments, Providence EP introduces one of our favorite rappers to a new, larger audience. Songs like Love Essential and Law of Attraction are sure to make it to your bedroom playlist, but it’s on the title track, Providence that Ladipoe reminds us who’s boss. Is this the same Ladipoe that gave us Can’t Forget and the iconic rap verse on Show Dem Camp’s Victoria Island of Broken Dreams? No, but that’s okay, the change here is a welcome one. 

    14. Prettyboy D-O – Love is War

    Prettyboy D-O may just be to this generation what artists like Baba Fryo, Danfo Drivers and Daddy Showkey were to listeners during their time. Drawing from the late 1990s and early 2000s, Prettyboy’s influence goes beyond his multicolored hair and fashion choices; his music is brash and convoluted in a way that keeps you hungry for more. Love is War, his third album in four years, explores love (obviously) and what it means to be a young Nigerian navigating a country that keeps moving mad. 

    13. Show Dem Camp – Clone Wars Vol.5 – The Algorhythm 

    When discussing Nigeria’s rap or alternative scene, Show Dem Camp is sure to come up at some point. A decade after releasing their debut album, The Dreamer Project, Tec and Ghost have continued to remain relevant fixtures on both scenes. While their Palmwine series might bring them a lot of commercial attention, it’s the Clone Wars series that binds real SDC stans together. And in this installment, they don’t disappoint either. 

    12. Teni – Wondaland

    After making a major break into the industry with the fuji-inspired Askamaya in 2019, Teni finally put out her debut album this year, and it was worth the wait. Covering afropop, trap, highlife, R&B and yes, house music, Teni gave us bop after bop with songs like For You and Injure Me. But it’s songs like Hustle—which sounds a lot like Uyo Meyo—that remind us that our sugar mummy is an intentional storyteller. 

    11. Blaqbonez – Sex Over Love 

    Blaqbonez is to Nigeria what Lil Nas X is to American pop culture. Self-marketing his way into our playlists and hearts, Blaqbonez not only understands the power of the internet, he has also mastered the art of sharing authentic and relatable content. This same authenticity is evident on his album Sex Over Love. While a lot of questions have been raised about the strength of Nigeria’s rap scene, this album proves that rap doesn’t always have to be a monolith; it could be many things all at once. 

    10. Cavemen – Love and Highlife 

    In a year where GOATS like Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy and Davido all dropped albums, one album that stood out from the pack was Roots by The Cavemen. Continuing their two-man mission of introducing highlife to a new generation, Love and Highlife is an expansion on the story they started last year. Featuring appearances by Made Kuti and legendary producer Cobhams Asuquo, this album has “modern classic” written all over it. 

    9. Joeboy – Somewhere Between Beauty and Magic 

    You have to have been living under a rock not to have heard at least four or five songs off this album. Focus was a regular on TikTok and Instagram stories, while Show Me was playing literally every time we turned on the radio. If there’s something we’ve learnt this year, it’s that this is Joeboy’s world, and the rest of us are just squatting in it. 

    8. Tiwa Savage – Water and Garri EP

    When Tiwa Savage announced a new EP barely a year after dropping the best album of her decade-long career, we were shocked but excited. Water & Garri proves yet again that Tiwa is great at creating cohesive sounding EPs (Sugarcane, everybody?). While the album opens with Nas and features a collaboration with her vocal role model, Brandy, it’s the songs with alternative acts Amaarae and Tay Iwar that carry the heavy punches on this EP. 

    7. Tems – If Orange was a Place 

    From cracking the Billboard Hot 100 to securing a Grammy nomination and hanging out with Adele and Rihanna, there’s no denying that we all want to be Tems right now. If last year’s For Broken Ears found Tems asking existential questions while telling madmen not to call her phone, If Orange was a Place shows a more confident artist, one who finally understands, but still doesn’t buy into the hype around her.

    6. Femi and Made Kuti – Legacy +

    Does being a Kuti automatically translate to being super talented? We have a lot of questions about this because why did Femi and Made Kuti snap so hard on this cross-generational album? Already a Grammy contender, this album is a beautiful nod to the past and a clear sign that the Kuti clan can step into the future without losing the ethos of what made them iconic in the first place. 

    5. Lojay and Sarz – LV N ATTN EP

    Sarz has told us time and time again that he’s not our mate, and while we already believe him, every year, he drops something to make sure we don’t forget. LV N ATTN finds Sarz working with Lojay to create a record that soundtracks a wild night out in the city. From the strip club on Tonongo to the dancefloor on Monalisa, this EP is filled with bangers. We can’t stop listening, and to be honest, it’s not like we want to. 

    4. Tay Iwar – Love and Isolation 

    Inspired by the lockdown, Tay Iwar’s sixth project is an elite body of work that will make you want to give someone your mumu button, eat hot breakfast and still fall in love again like it’s jazz. Minimalistic and burning with intensity, we didn’t even know how much we needed this EP until we started listening to it. 

    3. Ayra Starr – 19 & Dangerous 

    This time last year, less than a handful of people outside the Mavin headquarters could identify the name “Ayra Starr”. Fast-forward to today and Ayra Starr has cemented her spot as Nigeria’s first teenage female pop star and one of the most in-demand artists of the moment. With confidence way beyond her years, Ayra owns every track on this album. Not all of us are 19, but we can totally relate to wanting to be a bad bitch every day. A rare no-skips project, 19 & Dangerous was one of our musical highlights of the year. 

    2. Olamide – UY Scuti 

    This is Olamide’s 11th album. Yes, not one, not two, but 11 whole albums, and we’re not disappointed. While Carpe Diem was filled with hits like Loading and Infinity, this album replaces crowd-pleasers to show an evolution in his lyricism and approach to story-telling. He also reminds us of the importance of fighting for our lives by avoiding broke niggas. Talk about life nuggets. 

    1. Wizkid – Made in Lagos (Deluxe Version) 

    Yes, we know the album originally came out in 2020 but was Anoti, Mood, or Steady on the old one? No. If Wiz drops deluxe plus next year, best believe it would make our end-of-the-year list again. Periodt. 

    Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe

    , , , , , , ,
  • #BumpThis: Timi Dakolo & Olamide’s “Take”

    There’s so much new music being released that it’s hard for even the most loyal fans to wade through the trash to find the gems. That’s why we’ve created #BumpThis – a Friday series that features new songs, by and featuring Nigerians, that you absolutely need to hear.

    Timi Dakolo — “Take” ft. Olamide

    With all the songs being released now, it’s pretty easy to miss some gems. That was almost the case with Timi Dakolo’s incredible new love song, “Take”, which features Olamide.

    On the Pheelz-produced track, Timi sings about giving everything he has to the woman he loves, whom he also credits with making him happier than he’s ever been.

    Olamide, who is always a welcome addition to any track, delivers one of his strongest guest verses in a while, helping make the already solid song that much better.

    NerdEfiko

    , ,
  • #BumpThis: Olamide’s “Wonma!”

    There’s so much new music being released that it’s hard for even the most loyal fans to wade through the trash to find the gems. That’s why we’ve created #BumpThis – a Friday series that features new songs, by and featuring Nigerians, that you absolutely need to hear.

    Olamide — “Wonma!”

    After Olamide went a whole year without dropping a project — an unprecedented move by the hard-working star — he’s finally come through with a new EP, 999.

    While the project leans more into Olamide’s hip-hop roots than anything he’s dropped in a long while, he still makes room for a radio-friendly banger, “Wonma!”.

    On the Cracker Mallo-produced track, Olamide sings about how difficult it is to satisfy a woman. Granted, it’s not the most thoughtful song on the EP, but it’s certainly the most fun.

    NerdEfiko

    , , ,
  • On ‘999’, Olamide Passes The Torch To A New Generation

    2019 was the first year in almost a decade that Olamide didn’t drop a project. He chose, instead, to focus his energy on pushing Fireboy DML — the breakout star we first met on the rapper’s 2018 mixtape.

    Now, with Fireboy’s position in the afropop scene solidified, Olamide has come through with a new EP, 999, which, like his last body of work, seems to be less about him and more about the rising stars he’s assembled.

    On the 9-track project, Olamide introduces his fans to a new generation of rap talent, two of which he simply discovered on his Instagram Explore Page (Sosa-E and Jackmillz on the fantastic “Dancing With The Devil”).

    The only other big-name star on 999 is Olamide’s frequent collaborator, Phyno, who is given a chance to flex alongside his gifted new signees, Rhatti and Cheque on the standout “Warlords”.

    The most exciting new discovery, however, is Jayboi, who Olamide met at a hotel in Abeokuta. After freestyling for hours, he earned himself a spot on the EP, and he quickly shows why on the sexually-charged “Mojo”.

    Bolstered by eclectic production work from Pheelz, Cracker Mallo and more, 999 solidly tackles themes around fame (“Rich & Famous”), generational wealth (“Billion Talk) and hustling (“No Time”).

    While a lot of the songs on the EP are really impressive, the track that feels destined to be the biggest is “Wonma”, a radio-friendly banger that allows Olamide to reach his one-hit-every-other-month quota.

    All in all, 999 is a solid and essential project from Olamide — one that serves double duty, both reminding us of his versatility as a rapper and his penchant for putting people on.

    Rating: 7.5/10

    NerdEfiko

    , ,
  • Five Nigerian Music Collaborations That Didn’t Need To Happen

    It should be obvious why collaborations are a big deal, especially on this side of the world. Every collab is a two-for-one deal. How many times have you fiddled with ideas of which of your faves would sound great on a song? (I still have fingers crossed for a Burna Boy and Tomi Thomas song.) When two A-list musicians join forces, the combination of styles can result in some truly evergreen music. Some may come to mind like King Sunny Ade and Onyeka Onwenu’s “Wait For Me” and MI’s “Nobody” with 2baba.

    Sometimes, though, we get assaulted with music that should never have left the studio it was created in. You see two big names on a cover, only for your expectations to be dashed by music that sounds like multiple road accidents.

    As a tribute to the times when Nigerian artistes have let their bad friends (“This one na jam, David”) get the better of them, here are 5 of such collaborations that no-one needed to know about.

    • Olamide & Davido – Summer Body

    Despite emerging with the celebrated class of 2010, Olamide never really reached the international acclaim that his peers, Davido, Burna Boy and Wizkid are currently enjoying. Some would say the language barrier is the reason. “Summer Body”, in retrospect may have been an attempt to rubbish those claims. Unfortunatly, Olamide reinforced them.

    Instead of creating the summer hit he was aiming for, Olamide reverted to his 12-year-old self and adapted a nursery rhyme for his hook. If you thought Davido would help, you thought wrong. Probably encouraged by Olamide’s (lack of) direction, Davido pretty much recorded what sounds like a loud conversation with himself, sent it as a verse and that was it.

    • D’Banj, Slimcase & Mr Real – Issa Banger

    Every time this song comes on, I can’t shake the feeling of someone reluctant to let go of their youth. Just as Slimcase and Mr Real were coming off the crest of the shaku-shaku wave, D’banj tapped both for this 2018 single. Whether he was trying to evoke his youth or he just thought a collab with an artiste who repeats verses over 3 songs was a good idea, we’ll never know. Issa Banger sounds like what happens when you invite your funky landlord over to hang out with your cousins from Agege. 2/10; absolutely do not recommend.

    • Olamide & Skepta – Sheevita Juice
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHPv0s4LYEs

    What better way to prove that you can hold your own as afrobeats continues its journey across the world than to tap a UK rapper who is evidently proud of his Yoruba roots? Right? Right? So why does Sheevita Juice, an otherwise smooth collab between two rappers who are essentially two sides of the same coin, sound like something they recorded to settle a fight?

    The song starts with the glee and abandon of a typical Olamide single. It continues until Skepta comes in with a verse that sounds bent out of its original shape. On some days, the bounce on “Sheevita Juice” is a strong enough distraction to get you nodding. But most times, you can’t help but notice how out of place Skepta sounds on the canvas Olamide created.

    • Wale, Davido & Olamide – Fine Girl

    Everyone gets what Wale meant to do by putting Davido and Olamide, his Naija brothers, on one of the main singles off his 2017 album, “SHINE”. What we don’t get is the series of bad decisions that made the song what it is. Despite having two of Afropop’s best hitmakers, Wale forces them to make sense of a generic reggae beat. You can’t blame them for giving him what he asked for. Olamide decides it is a good idea to suggest he’d like to apply his tongue to a woman’s rear end for no real reason. Davido’s verse is the song’s only saving grace, but by then the damage has already been done. Oh, and in the music video, Chief Obi makes an ill-advised stereotypical cameo in the first few seconds.

    • Yemi Alade & Rick Ross – “Oh My Gosh”

    Yemi Alade gets a lot of slack and a lot of it unwarranted. In the case of her collaboration with Rick Ross, it isn’t. Sure, she’s developed a massive fanbase in francophone Africa and she has the numbers to show. But festivals of monotony like the one she created on “Oh My Gosh” are weapons for her very active army of haters.

    “Oh My Gosh” starts with all the flash and luxury you’d expect when any artist, even P-Square, joins forces with a Miami rapper. But barely 10 seconds in, Yemi lifts the veil and shows you it’s a scam. This is just another typical tungba song from the one-dimensional ministry of Miss Alade. Even Rick Ross’ flossin can wipe the highlife off this song. If you’ve heard any Yemi Alade song since 2014, you’ve heard this one too.

    Did you enjoy this? You should sign up for our weekly pop culture newsletter, Poppin’. You’ll get to know what we’re up to before anyone else + insider gist, reviews, freebies and more. If it sounds like your deal, sign up here.

    Segun Akande

    , , , , , ,
  • #BumpThis: Olamide, Wizkid & ID Cabasa’s “Totori”

    There’s so much music out there that it’s hard for even the most loyal fans to stay up with their favourite artists or what’s new and hot right now. That’s why we’ve created #BumpThis – a daily series that features the one song you need to listen to, every day. Don’t say we never did anything for you.

    It was 2011 when Wizkid and Olamide – seemingly predestined to be Afropop’s next torchbearers – made “Omo To Shan”, a rap/sung collaboration that embodied the nuances of that year’s popular hit songs.

    Eight years later, the duo’s reunion on “Totori” – while not their first since the days when Wizkid slept and woke in snapbacks – is the perfect representation of just how much the sound they helped build on and export throughout their respective careers has evolved.

    “Totori” is not remarkable for the reasons that superstar collabs often are; instead, the two, now icons with the numbers and cultural impact to show for it, emphasise the traits that have given them their longevity.

    All Wizkid needs is a mid-tempo beat with the right pre-hook pause and he will have your body dancing while your mind works overtime trying to figure what he’s talking about. Olamide is deep in his pocket on this one – he’s always willing to vividly describe his antics with women, real or imagined.

    The real stars of the show are behind the scenes. ID Cabasa – the iconic producer who introduced Olamide to the world – delivers an evergreen, reggae-inspired beat that both artists find a home on, years after he did the same on “Omo To Shan”.

    In the music video for “Totori”, Director T. G Omori builds a restrained portrait of Nigerian street culture – complete with colours, references to style and scores of kids gathering for a night’s entertainment in front of a lone TV screen.

    Together, the four seem to capture 10 years worth of evolution in the space of three-odd minutes. Take it all in. It took a lot to get here.

    Segun Akande

    , , ,

  • There’s little to say about Olamide that hasn’t been said already.

    As the protege of a class of indigenous artists that defined the Coded Tunes era, Olamide was an outlier.

    But he picked up where 9ice left off by taking the music and culture of the streets to the mainstream.

    On his day, he is a trans-generational genius.

    Other days, he is stereotypical to the point of frustration – as the entirety of 2017 had us feeling.

    If there is one Nigerian artiste that stretches opinion across the spectrum, it’s Baddo Sneh, First of His Name.

    What better way then to gauge the dins and highs of Olamide’s long career than going through the main benchmarks of an artist’s career; their bodies of work.

    Here are Olamide’s albums, ranked from ‘least favourite’ to ‘absolute classic’.

    “Lagos Na Wa (Wobey Sound)” (2017)

    Lagos Na Wa Olamide

    We do not speak of this one – even though it’s easy to understand the motive for this project.

    After such a storied career, Olamide may have felt an understandable desire to capture the ethos of the city he represents. And fairly so.

    Blessed by the city’s elite and masses alike, Olamide has managed to make himself the poster boy for Africa’s cultural nucleus.

    But if his persona reflected the spirit of Lagos – grind, opportunity, hustle and connect, the album fell far short.

    Instead of drawing on multiple sources as most fans expected, Olamide created a self-contained project.

    There are lessons to be learned here in letting upstarts learn before throwing massive projects on them.

    There are also very few people who still listen to this album.

     

    Stand-Outs: “Wo”
    Should Never Have Happened: EVERYTHING ELSE.

    “The Glory” (2016)

    The Glory Olamide

    Somewhere between YBNL and Street OT, Olamide had decided that his calendar would be dominated by one thing; his annual late-in-the-year release.

    And while it would notably crash and burn on his tribute to Lagos, “The Glory” was where the folly of his approach began to show – and it was not for lack of inspiration.

    In the years since his rise, life had happened. His long-standing partner had their first child named Maximilliano or “Milli” for short. He had become the face of indigenous music in the mainstream – and stretched out helping hands to emerging talents in that sphere, most notably Phyno.

    He had become the spokesman for street culture, often recycling inner-city trends and watering them down for the mass audience. This sense of greater responsibility came through on the album in spurts.

    “Letter To Milli” is a honest letter to his son, written from the point of view of a father who wishes none of his struggles on his own. “Oluwa Loni Glory” is a typical acknowledgement of a higher power and his role in his success.

    But where the album reached for greater heights, it was pulled to earth by a slew of unfinished pop singles, hasty collaborations and songs that could have used a month or more of thought and effort.

     

    Standouts: “Oluwa Loni Glory”, “Letter To Milli”.
    Should Never Have Happened: The Burna Boy collabs.

    “Rapsodi” (2011)

    Rapsodi Olamide

    To understand the impact of Rapsodi, one needs to appreciate the song that is “Eni Duro”. With an exercise in chest-bumping and a nifty music video, Olamide managed to put himself on everyone’s radar.

    The song’s success carried it the impression of Olamide as an artist coming to appreciate his ability as much as we were, and Olamide delivered in the same vein on his album.

    Made under the guidance of his mentor, ID Cabasa, the album followed a template that 9ice had created for indigenous music on ‘Gongo Also’. It was confident in its identity and the core influence of indigenous street culture – but it also touched other bases.

    Songs like “Apa Ti Jabo” assured us of who Olamide was while others – particularly “Omo To Shan” left crumbs of what he would go on to become.

     

    Standouts: “Eni Duro”, “Responsibility”, “Omo To Shan” w/ Wizkid

    Should Never Have Happened: “Dirty Rock”

    Eyan Mayweather (2015)

    Eyan Mayweather by Olamide

    By 2015, Olamide had made it to elder statesman status. With an entire team of rabid musicians in his army and a city on his back, Baddo had all he could have imagined when he made Rapsodi.

    That ethos was represented almost perfectly in the cover for his sixth album. The album itself was reflective of someone who had little left to prove.

    While his peers approached a new benchmark by scoring points on an international level, Olamide had spent his year strengthening his hold on the local market.

    Hits like “Bobo”, “Melo Melo” and “Lagos Boys” were the core of the album.

    They were surrounded by songs by pop fillers that had become his bread and butter in the years before. The man had little to prove and it showed.

     

    Standouts: “Bobo”, “Melo Melo”, “Lagos Boys”.

    Should Never Have Happened:  “Akara”

    YBNL (2012)

    Olamide YBNL
    Olamide’s sophomore album offered the first signs of his growth. Much of his career has been embellished in the years since, but if you’re interested in listening to Olamide’s most basic stumblings – YBNL is the place to be.
    In the months before, he had popularised the phrase “Yahoo Boy, No Laptop” – thus beginning a subtle affiliation with internet fraud that follows him till this day. Besides that, YBNL is where Olamide perfected the urgency and energy that has since defined his sound and put him on the throne of indigenous rap.
    As one would expect, after overcoming the jitters of a debut album in the pre-DIY era, Olamide was eager to try out new sounds and collaborations. YBNL is one of his more feature-heavy albums, with Davido, Tiwa Savage, Kayswitch and Dammy Krane.
    But what stands out the most about YBNL is perhaps “Stupid Love”, a drunken studio session with Samklef that would become his first dance hit. By the time YBNL was done, we knew exactly who we could expect Olamide would become.
    Standouts – “VOTS”, “Ilefo Illuminati”, “Stupid Love”.
    Should Never Have Happened  – “Street Love” w/ Minus 2.

    “Baddest Guy Ever Liveth” (2013)

    Baddest Guy Ever Liveth
    If all’s well at home, the typical successful artiste’s trajectory goes something like this – the debut album which introduces the artiste and makes a case for where he’s coming from. The second album offers the first signs of growth and experimentation. The third, however, is the artist’s true form.
    To be fair, even the greats have rubbished that pattern (See: MI Abaga’s polarising third album, Wizkid’s SFTOS). For Olamide though, third time was the charm. After rummaging for the best form of himself on his two previous projects, “Baddest Guy Ever Liveth” was Olamide at his most confident as shown in its rollout – one of the most elaborate of the era.
    Who can forget the gunman pose – a random photo pose that took on a life larger than the man’s music. Or better still, the music video for “Sitting on The Throne” – a delightful masterpiece created by Kemi Adetiba.
    Perhaps the most important song on the project though is “Anifowose” – where Olamide explained his fear of failure and poverty, all to a sample of a classic by Wasiu Ayinde Marshall.
    BGEL also elevated Olamide to true pop star status with songs like “Durosoke” and “Turnup” – both with music videos that saw Badoo in new territory.
    Standouts: “Durosoke”, “Anifowose”, “Dope Money”.
    Should Never Have Happened: “Position Yourself”

    Street OT (2014)

    Street OT
    If Olamide ever made a classic, it’s this one. There is nothing imperfect about this album, despite the best efforts of Pepenazi and an overeager Chinko Ekun. In the year leading up to its release, Olamide had made himself into a genuine label-head to reckon with, thanks to deals signed w/ Viktoh and Lil Kesh. Powerful, renowned and with a loyal fanbase eager to see what was next, Olamide made us a masterclass in street knowledge. Arguably no other project of his is as true to its theme and title as Street OT. From “Oga Nla” made with Fuji icon Pasuma to “Eni Suun”, Olamide captured what it takes to survive in the city of contrived excellence. He had company as well and they didn’t disappoint. Viktoh delivered one of the best hooks of his career on “100 to Million” while “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect” w/ Reminisce is as statesmanly as Olamide will ever get as he offers tips and advice to his peers and successors alike. But no song quite matches up to “Zero Joy”  – raw, exciting and menacing. Olamide had set out to capture the streets in one body of work and he did.
    Standouts – “Zero Joy”, “Usain Bolt P”, “Goons Mi”
    Should Never Have Happened – “Ya Wa”, “Story For The Gods”.

    Segun Akande

    , , , , , , ,
  • The World Cup starts tomorrow and while we are praying and hoping it’s not only fine aso-ebi we have to offer, we’ve come up with the perfect playlist to get you ready.

    Road 2 Russia (Dem go hear am) – Olamide & Phyno

    Our official 2018 world cup song

    Ballerz – Wande Coal

    We are stepping into Russia like

    Issa Goal – Naira Marley (feat. Olamide & Lil Kesh)

    For everytime we score a goal.

    Power of Naija – 2Face (feat. Cobhams & Omawunmi)

    Even though we are playing Portugal we still have hope

    Super Eagles Carry Go – Austin Milado

    We are readyyy!!!

    Osinachi – Humblesmith (feat. Davido)

    After we collect the cup from Germany.

    Super Eagles- Solidstar

    Croatia go clear road!

    Nigeria Go Survive – Veno Marioghae

    Even though we are playing Argentina, fear not.

    Penalty – Small Doctor

    We have a small prayer for Iceland – won ti gba penalty lo throwing

    Ole ole ole – The Fans

    For when we carry the cup

    Wavin Flag – K’Naan

    You can’t leave this classic off your World Cup playlist

    Oh Africa – Akon

    A win for Nigeria is a win for Africa.

    Waka waka – Shakira

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdojnHySFGk
    Did we leave any songs off the list?

    Toketemu Ohwovoriole

    , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • YBNL’s Newest Act Is Taking Yoruba Rap To The Next Level With ‘Festival Bar’
    If you love Olamide’s music and treasure the bars of late Yoruba rapper, DaGrin, you’ll love Davolee. Born Oluwasegun David Shokoya, Davolee was signed to Olamide’s YBNL record in November 2016. He hit the limelight after his ‘Panda’ cover went viral. Now, he’s back with a fire Yoruba rap song with an interesting story line. No metaphors, no complicated Yoruba adages, just pure rap telling the stories of Segun himself working in ‘Festival Bar’, (a drinking parlour in Ikotun, Lagos) with his smart-ass colleague Salewa and their abusive boss, Mama Gee. Check it out!

    Warning: Fire Yoruba Rap Ahead!

    https://youtu.be/JCsRhDsSxRU
    If that sounded like total gibberish to you, we feel you. These guys have translated the song into English for your pleasure.

    Isn’t this fantastic storytelling? More of this, please!

    Shola

    , , ,

  • 1. Odun Yii – Jaywon

    If you believe say AMEN!

    2. New Year – Asa

    Asa will help you realise 2016 is done and dusted.

    3. Eleda Mi – Olamide

    Because only good things are coming your way this year.

    4. Osinachi

    5. Wish Me Well – Timi Dakolo

    For everyone that’s taking major steps this year, we wish you the very best!

    6. Ojuelegba – Wizkid

    May your glow-up this year be much more amazing than this.

    7. Pray For Me – Darey Art Alade

    The journey may not be easy, but there is definitely reward for those who persevere.

    8. One Day – eLDee

    Nigeria will be a winner this year!

    Shola

    , , , ,
  • QUIZ: Which YBNL Artist Are You?

    YBNL AKA Yahoo Boy No Laptop are one of the hottest music crews in Nigeria right now. The individual artists have dropped hits after hits and are not even taking breaks.

    Take this quiz to find out which YBNL you are.

    Maryam

    , , ,
  • Wale’s Response To An American Fan Who Dissed Olamide is Beyond Epic!

    Despite having African origins, some African Americans appear to lack basic knowledge of African culture and more specifically, Nigerian culture.

    The most elaborate wedding of January 2016 i.e #Tsquared2016 happened on the 30th of the month and the pomp and fair shook Lagos.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BBI3v0cJ_Si/?taken-by=nigerianwedding

    Coincidentally, Wale came into the country around the time of the wedding.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BBIqnwENO4J/
    Are you pondering what we’re pondering?

    But of course, he made an appearance at the wedding and even took pictures with his Nigerian musician friends, Olamide and Wizkid.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BBNII4sNO_A/?taken-by=wale
    We forgive him for doing Mogbo Moya sha.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BBMTIIgNO2w/?taken-by=wale

    But because people don’t mind their business and like to criticise what doesn’t appear normal to them, an American follower dissed Olamide’s shoes on Wale’s Instagram page.

    Being the true Nigerian that he is, he didn’t mince words and dished it right back.

    We are so proud!

    People of different cultures have their various ways of dressing and that should be respected regardless of wherever they may be from.

    Let us know your opinion.

    [zkk_poll post=17355 poll=content_block_standard_format_8]

    Maryam

    , , , , , , , , ,
  • What the Hell Was Rihanna Thinking?

    Yesterday, Rihanna posted a picture on her Twitter apparently listening to her eagerly-awaited album ANTI.

    We promise we’re not throwing shade but Rihanna looks like she has questions…

    1. Why doesn’t Rihanna look impressed? Did the album not tap?

    2. Is she asking herself if she should have asked Adele to feature on one track?

    3. Or maybe she’s asking herself if she was truly invited to Toolz’s wedding.

    4. Perhaps she’s asking herself if she can get into the headphone business and clean out like Dr Dre.

    5. Maybe, just maybe, she’s asking herself how her Nigerian fans will afford her album at N300 to the Dollar.

    6. Could Donald Trump actually become the President of America?”. If so, will she be deported?

    7. Or could she be wondering if Arsene Wenger will EVER buy a striker?

    8. It’s possible she’s wondering if Lil’ Kesh should actually have won the Next Rated award at the Headies.

    9. Or could it be that she’s wondering if she got some of Dasuki’s money by mistake?

    Whatever it is sha, we’re eagerly awaiting this album. Hopefully, it’s amazing.

    So what do you think Rihanna is asking herself in this picture?

    Damilola

    , , , , , , , , ,
  • All The Times Nigerian Songs Got Serious International Exposure

    Nigerians and Africans in general are Kings of dance and groovy music. Here are 7 times Nigerian music gained note worthy international exposure:

    1. When D’banj showed the world that Nigerian music can be jammed to, by any and everybody, with his Oliver Twist song.

    The song topped UK music charts in 2012 and is still relevant till date.

    2. In 2013, three African ladies, CEO dancers, took Nigerian dance to the UK at the Britain’s got talent competition.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blC90s8axy8

    3. When Alicia keys and Swizz Beatz grooved to Wizkid’s Ojuelegba in 2015.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/5-r_daSDPF/
    Cool vibes.

    4. When Wizkid and Chris Brown performed together in South Africa in 2015.

    Showing us serious awesomeness.

    5. When Jermaine Jackson commended P-Square for their Micheal Jackson tribute song, Personally.

    6. Missy Elliot really felt the Shoki dance and just had to do it in her comeback song of 2015.

    Ahh shoki!

    7. And when her dancers choreographed to Olamide’s Shakitibobo.

    We hope Nigerian artists get inspired and we look forward to more internationally exposed Nigerian songs.

    Maryam

    , , , , , , , , ,

  • TB Joshua is no doubt, one of the most popular and controversial religious clerics in Nigeria.

    The cleric is not just popular for his charitable deeds but also for his prophecies which, mysteriously, are only heard of AFTER the event. Many celebrities and African leaders count on him for spiritual guidance.

    How would he have reacted if he had witnessed The Headies saga between Olamide and Don Jazzy?

    When Olamide came to rant on stage.

    Thank you Lord for an already lit 2016.

    After Olamide threw his mic on the stage.

    Indeed, where has your chill gone , brethren?

    When Don Jazzy fired back at Olamide and asked him to come and collect the car.

    LMAO! I never experred it.

    Watching Di’ja’s little dance after Don Jazzy’s epic clap back…

    No seriously, what was actually doing her please?

    After reading Olamide’s twitter diss…

    Sir, you’re a very bad boy sir.

    When Olamide tweeted “leave trash for LAWMA”…

    Hay! Baddo Sneh!!!!

    And called Don Jazzy out for ruining Dbanj’s career…

    HAAAAAY GOD! D’banj sorry oh!

    When Twitter people came in droves for Di’ja…

    From all the angles of Nigerian twitter… and from the airspace.

    After the fighting duo reconciled and posted a cute picture on Instagram…

    Awww! Now I’m going to cry. Such good boys

    Maryam

    , , , , , ,
  • New Year’s Day Was Lit And Drama Gathered Round All Her Children For A Grand Performance.

    While Nigerians were chilling on the 1st of January, the recently concluded Headies awards became an Oshodi street fight between Don Jazzy and Olamide.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BADfTGYOBsT/?taken-by=thesmilinghat

    Before you start thinking only Nigerians like to fight on stage, Kanye West in 2009, snatched the mic from Taylor Swift at the Grammys. Why? He felt his darling little sister, Beyonce deserved the award instead.

    It wasn’t even his award or nomination. Sorry oh, elder Kanye.

    And because sequels are more interesting, Nicki Minaj went lower and called Miley Cyrus out at the VMAs in 2015.

    LMAO.

    On the very first day of 2016, during the Headies awards, drama and all her children came well prepared for their biggest performance yet.

    Wait for it!

    This time around, another passionate elder brother felt very pained his beloved little bro didn’t win the award he deserved.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Puh-FaBhM
    Olamide felt Lil Kesh of his record label YBNL deserved to win the award of Next rated artist that was presented to Reekado Banks of the Mavins crew.

    However, the daddy of the award winner caught the randomly flying shade and dealt a lower blow.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob6HZw4MiJY
    LOL!” Come and take the car”.

    Olamide then took matters to twitter and rained words of rage on Don Jazzy.

    During his angry rant, he launched the newest slang of 2016, “Leave trash for LAWMA”.

    The people of twitter weren’t kind to Di’ja for her little dance after Don Jazzy’s shade.

    https://twitter.com/s_yewande/status/683180666708738048

    Some took sides as expected.

    https://twitter.com/chuzzus/status/683112400405528576

    Some of them had really deep insights to the fight.

    They are anticipating a diss mixtape from both sides.

    https://twitter.com/thatsureboy/status/683112470538510338

    For creative people, the fight only opened brilliant marketing ideas.

    [zkk_poll post=14937 poll=content_block_standard_format_20]

    Maryam

    , , , , , , , , , ,
  • Olamide, The Musician Who Has Ruled The Streets For 5 Years Now


    There are very few musicians that have swept Nigeria up in a frenzy like Olamide has. Of course, that’s not to say we haven’t had great musicians in Nigeria. We have. But few of them have managed what Olamide has done. He made indigenous music mainstream. Over and over again.

    Just a little over four years into his career, Olamide is a household name and deservedly so. Many artists only dream of the kind of success that Olamide has achieved. He has had great years, but 2015 might very well be his best year so far.

    From ‘Shakitibobo’ to ‘Lagos Boys’ to ‘Story for the gods’, the young musician is known for back to back to back hits.

    Born 15th March, 1989 as Olamide Adedeji, He was raised in Bariga, Lagos.

    He completed his education, attending tertiary institution, Tai Solarin University of Education in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

    In the year 2000, Olamide decided to pursue a career in music.

    When asked why, he said “I found out I was gifted in it so I had to explore it, it’s my life, my hustle, my world”. He got introduced to Wizkid, who also was starting to find his footing in music.

    In 2010, Olamide had his first chance to perform on stage: The Hip Hop World Awards.

    And in 2011, he released his first studio album, Rapsodi, featuring hit tracks like ‘Eni Duro’ and ‘Apa ti jabo’.

    He was signed to ID Cabasa’s Coded Tunes record label and was managed by Toni Payne at the time. Olamide’s debut offering led to collaborations with numerous artists, including Wizkid, ID Cabasa, 9ice, Reminisce and D’banj.

    Coming off the success of Rapsodi, in 2012, he started his own record label YBNL Nation, releasing a follow up album named after his new record label.

    The album’s production was handled by Tyrone, Samklef, 2 Kriss, Pheelz and ID Cabasa. It featured guest appearances from Davido, Tiwa Savage, Kayswitch, Dammy Krane, Reminisce, Samklef, Buckwylla, Minus 2 and Base One. The album was supported by the singles “Ilefo Illuminati”, “First of All”, “Stupid Love” and “Voice of the Street”

    Olamide immediately became a household name in the music industry and was being recognized as a rising star.

    He continued to raise the bar as he released his third studio album Baddest Guy Ever Liveth in 2013. The album’s singles include “Durosoke” and “Yemi My Lover”.

    Olamide constantly takes control of the airwaves. He dropped Street OT [which had ‘story for the gods’] in 2014; and 2 Kings [which had ‘Ladi’], a collaborative album with Rapper, Phyno in 2015.

    And the singles ‘Bobo’ and ‘Lagos Boys’ in 2015 as well.

    His efforts did not go unnoticed. Olamide has been nominated for a whopping 33 awards across the Headies, Nigerian Music Video Awards, MTV Africa Music Awards, Channel O music video awards and others.

    He has also gotten endorsements: In July 2013, he became the first Nigerian to sign an endorsement deal with Cîroc, he signed a multi-million Naira deal with Guinness and in November 2013, he became an ambassador for Etisalat alongside Ice Prince.

    Naturally, he has friends in high places. Most notably, Former Governor of Lagos, Babatunde Fashola who attended his son’s christening earlier this year.

    olamide2

    International Nigerian entertainer, D’banj.

    American musician, Wale.

    And producer extraordinaire, Don Jazzy.

    He’s extraordinarily gifted. And he has the rewards to show for it.

    What’s next for Olamide? I don’t know. But I, sure as hell, am waiting to find out!

    Odunayo

    , , ,
  • QUIZ: Which Olamide Song Are You?


    Olamide needs no introductions; and neither does his music. He has given us back to back to back hits. And some of his songs are descriptive of some of our personalities.

    Seriously. We’re not making this up. Or maybe we are. What does it matter?

    Which Olamide song are you? Find out:

    Odunayo

    , , , , , , , ,

  • You never listen to mainstream Nigerian songs for the content. If you need content, find Asa or Bez.

    So get a banging beat and you’re good to go.  But the fact that we don’t listen to the lyrics doesn’t mean there’s no limit. Sometimes, try. We are begging.

     

    1. Check Up – DJ Mewsic POM ft. Skales, Vector, Hakym the Dream

    skales

    This sounds suspiciously like he got this line from Ice Prince.

    2. Export – MI ft Yung6ix

    6ix

    No. Ehn ehn. Nah.

    3. The Game – Olamide ft. Phenom

    phenom

    This is just disgusting.

    4. Icholiya – Phyno ft. Ice Prince & M.I

    MI_1

    I’m hungry.

    5. The Truth – Vector (Mode 9 Diss)

    vector

    Smelling rap. You can do better?

    6. RIP Drake & Meek Mill – Vic-O

    index

    Greatest. Rapper. Ever.

    7. Prick No Get Shoulder – Brymo

    brymo

    What?!

    8. Bullion Van – MI ft. Phyno and Runtown

    bullion van

    bullion 2

    Lyrical evangelist terrorist.

    9. Freestyle – Davido

    davido

    Well hello, Nigerian Iggy.

    10. Thank You – Ice Prince ft. Choc Boiz

    jesse

    Dear Jesse, this is sad.

    11. Kpansh – Yung6ix ft. MI

    pdtrq

    Now we know he can read the alphabet…wait!

    12. Elbow Room – Mode9

    mode9

    Why in the name of all that is good and evil will I be holding a lemon and a torch?

    13. The Infiltration Mixtape – Cyrus tha Virus

    cyrus

    STOP!

    14. 2Mussh – Reminisce ft. Sinzu & Ice Prince

    ice

    How dare you, Ice Prince? How dare you?!

    15. Comment Tu T’appelle – LeriQ ft. Burna Boy, Dammy Krane, Ozone, & Mojeed

    ozone

    Flying saucer ni.

    16. Ta Lo Sobe – Omo Akin ft. Dotstar, IcePrince, Jesse Jagz, Shadow D Don

    pduvb

    This. Is. Not. A. Good. Thing.

    17. Too Much Money – Iceberg Slim ft. Banky W

    iceberg

    That’s not even… Sigh…

    18. Eziokwu – Lynxxx ft. Various artistes

    lynx

    This is why Glo dropped him.

    19. Taxi Music – X.O Senavoe

    senavoe

    We didn’t want to get it.

    20. Ghostmode – Phyno ft. Olamide

    phyno

    Like a toolbox, I’ve got all your tools.

    21. Omo Naija Remix – Reminisce

    pdvkl

    Baba Hafusa, what is spastic?

    22. Back When – Davido ft. NaetoC

    naeto

    Are you done with that Masters yet? We hope not.

    23. Anamachikwanu – Ill Bliss

    ill

    The horror!

    24. Naija Delta Money – Pryse

    pryse

    Just as well there’s no balcony. I would have pushed you off for this.

    25. In My bed – Wizkid

    wizkid

    LMAO!!!! What??? How???

    IMG_6010

    Look at all these lines. Just see.

    IMG_5966

    Just stop. Please.

    So seriously, what are the worst Nigerian raps/lyrics you’ve heard?

    Odunayo

    , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • This is What Happens When The DJ Plays Shakiti Bobo in the Club

    Daniel Orubo

    ,