Throwback | Zikoko!

We Need These Female Nigerian Artists to Come Back with New Music ASAP!

The Nigerian music scene during the mid 2000s and into the early 2010s was truly a special moment in time. Gen Z’s might not get it, but women were dropping bops left, right and centre. To celebrate women’s history month, we decided to look at some of the women who dropped hit songs and left us wanting more. These female Nigerian artists need to make a comeback like yesterday.

1. Soty

Port Harcourt, stand up for your girl! If you say you don’t know Soty’s boppity bop, Malaria, You’re either GenZ or must have been living under a rock in 2006.. This girl was so down bad, she compared her man to an Anopheles mosquito. Girl! We can’t deny that the song was ahead of its time though, she’s actually the blueprint for women shooting their shots. Ladies, be like Soty; write mandem love letters — not every time, “Hey big head,” up and down.

2. J’odie

We can’t prove it — yet, but we strongly believe that streaming Kuchi Kuchi religiously three times a day like paracetamol, could lead to pregnancy. Back in 2010, J’odie had us considering diaper and creche money because of this hit song she dedicated to her baby. Kuchi Kuchi and Duduke will go down in history as the two greatest baby love songs of all time. Let’s bet on it.

3. Weird MC

Remember when Ijoya hit the streets? Someone needs to take us back to 2006 when the national grid was alive, fuel wasn’t this scarce and all we wanted to do was shake our booties to this iconic Weird MC song. Those were really good times and this song will remain for years to come.

RECOMMEND: 5 Nollywood Actors Who Actually Made Pretty Good Songs

4. Di’ja

Dorobucci, Jantamanta and Adaobi are certified hits, but when you really deep it, Di’ja showed us she was a true star when she dropped her one solo song: Awww. This mushy love song was so inescapable, it had Nigerians in a romantic chokehold. Are we the only ones who can’t get over how cute Ladipoe looks in the video as her love interest?

5. Niyola

Niyola has been around for a long time, but her best era was definitely Toh Bad. At the time when record labels were finally investing in their token female signees — Mavin had Tiwa Savage and Iyanya’s Made Men Music Group had Emma Nyra — Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) promoted this song like crazy and we can’t blame them, it was that good. While our girl was last seen battling Kunle Afolayan wigs in Swallow, we just want to remind her that we need new music.

6. Kween

Real music OG’s remember Kween, her massive kinky hair and her song, Jebele. Back before we had the slang IJGB, Kween was part of a clique of artists like Don Jazzy who moved back to Nigeria from the overseas in the mid-2000s. While some of her peers are still working today, Kween drooped this true “I don’t have time for men and their nonsense” feminist bop and decided to leave Nigeria behind. Do we blame her? No. The country is tough dear.

7. Kel

Do you remember Wa Wa Alright? Do you remember the female rapper that dropped it? Kel was a big part of the a female-led rap movement that also included Bouqui, Sasha, Blaise and Chemistry. Now that we think about it, how many female rappers do we have in Nigeria today? Kel, sis, do you maybe want to help us with an album or two?

ALSO READ: Thriving and Killing It: 12 Times Nigerian Women in Music Made History

Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe

March 23, 2022

Pop

afrobeats, music, nigerian music, Throwback
10 TV Shows Anyone Above 25yrs Old Definitely Watched

These tv shows introduced many of us above the age of 25 to the world of binging. Coming home to watch these shows, even though in hindsight, a lot of them were not for people our ages was a big part of our daily activities. If you watched any show on this list, you should either be in your matrimonial home or on your way.

1. I Need To Know

I Need To Know walked so Shuga could walk. This show was very good for HIV awareness and the show that introduced the beloved Funke Akindele to our screen. You missed on a lot of fashion and good storytelling if you didn’t watch this show.

2. This Life

This show was so wild because someone really needs to explain to us why trusting your parents was advertised to us as a bad thing. This Life should never have ended sha because this life is still actively very wild, very much like the show’s ad.

3. Binta and Friends

I used to fantasize about being Binta or one of her friends. Binta and Friends was an afternoon after school show and as the title implied, it walked us through the life of model child Binta.

4. Super Story

Super story was aired every Thursday evening and the stories were so crazy, you’d never want to miss them. This show was always the gift that kept giving, especially the Toyin Tomato character and the three-part film that was released as a spinoff of the show.

RELATED: 10 Of Our Favourite Indian Actors From Zee World!

5. When You Are Mine

Paloma and Diego were the hottest and in love TV show couple when this show aired. You can argue that you watched this show for the plot, but the plot was actually Sergio Basanez and Silvia Navvaro’s beautiful faces.

6. Second Chance

Second chance had the wildest storyline and was definitely not a show for kids, but did we or did we not watch it? If you didn’t watch Second Chance, you missed out a lot and you’re probably younger than 25yrs old.

7. Catalina and Sebastian

Sergio Basanez and Silvia Navvaro teamed up once again to play a love story but with a more chaotic plot this time.

8. Glee

Adding this show because I was obsessed with it and I’ve done multiple rewatches since the show stopped airing. A lot of Glee song covers bodied the original songs and that’s how good and spectacular the show was. Big ups to Sue Sylvester, a proper villain.

9. The Vampire Diaries

FOMO made me watch vampire diaries because I honestly can’t remember a lot about it. I’m sure there are people out there like me who also watched it because everyone around them won’t stop talking about Klaus’s voice and Elena’s foolishness.

10. The KKB Show

If you’re above 25yrs old and you didn’t watch the KKB show, I think you should go back in time and be born again.

QUIZ: Which Nigerian TV Show Universe Do You Belong In?

Ibukun

March 6, 2022

Inside Life

Nostalgia, Throwback, Tv shows
QUIZ: Sorry, If You’re Under 25 There’s No Way You Can Pass This Object Quiz

This quiz will either trigger nostalgia or make you realize how old you are. Which will it be?

Take the quiz below to find out:

Hassan Yahaya

August 11, 2021

Generation Wars, Quizzes

80s, 90s, Fun, Nostalgia, quizzs, Throwback, trivia
QUIZ: Only Amebos Can Score 9/13 On This Celebrity Throwback Quiz

Some of these celebrity throwbacks will shock you while some aren’t very surprising.

Can you guess the celebrities in the pictures? Take this quiz to find out:

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

Which celebrity is this?

You got #{score} of #{total} right
You didn’t try at all.
You got #{score} of #{total} right
You tried small sha.
You got #{score} of #{total} right
You didn’t really kill it but you didn’t do bad either.
You got #{score} of #{total} right
You did amazing.
You got #{score} of #{total} right
See how you murdered this thing!

Miriam Onyemenam

June 15, 2021

Quizzes

Nigerian celebrities, Throwback, throwback pictures
QUIZ: If You Get 17/22, Your Firstborn Should Be In Primary 2

Are you old enough to have a child in primary school? Well, if you ate 17 or more of these snacks while growing up, then your firstborn should already be in primary 2.

N.B: Click Continue when you’re done choosing.

Go ahead:

Pick all the snacks you ate growing up:

You checked off #{score} out of #{total}
You are still a baby. Why are you even here?
You checked off #{score} out of #{total}
You still have small time. No need to start planning a naming ceremony just yet.
You checked off #{score} out of #{total}
You’re old oh. What’s the name of your first child and how are they enjoying school?

NerdEfiko

October 30, 2020

Quizzes

Quiz, snacks, Throwback
12 Things Young Nigerians Did Growing Up That Now Feel Outdated

If you grew up in the 2000s, then you did one or more of these things:

1) Using floppy disks.

I can’t even remember what we used it for. Lmao.

2) Manually looking up words in a dictionary.

Those small Oxford dictionaries suffered in my hands.

3) Waiting for Channels to show cartoons on Sunday.

Who else remembers watching Spider man on Channels?

4) Doing midnight calls on MTN.

Good times oh.

5) Eagerly waiting for the next episode of Super Story or Papa Ajasco.

Toyin Tomato and Suara.

6) Using flip phones.

There was no greater swag than closing this phone in anger.

7) Believing in witches and wizards.

It’s a pity that kids these days don’t have Mount Zion movies to scare them correct.

8) Listening to music on Walkman or MP3 players.

Who else remembers listening to Craig David’s “I’m walking away” on their Walkman?

9) Going to Cyber Cafes.

Thank God for affordable mobile data. The days of overnight browsing are well over.

10) Recording your ringtone from the radio.

Then begging everyone to be quiet while you recorded it.

11) Buying 100 in 1 DVD’s.

The very first “Netflix.” So many options to choose from.

12) Actually hating WhatsApp calls.

There was a time that WhatsApp calls were deemed a “broke” people thing. Thank God for growth.

Hassan Yahaya

August 24, 2020

Inside Life

growing up, Nostalgia, Throwback, youth
12 Toys Every Nigerian Boy Growing Up In The 90s Desperately Wanted

I remember a time where needs were simple. All I did was play with friends, watch cartoons, eat, and pray for my parents to buy me presents. For boys growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, here is a list of toys that made our day:

1) Water gun.

Police and thief was lit as hell.

2) Toy cars.

The ultimate childhood dream.

3) Health and felele balls.

Oh simple things, where have you gone?

4) Plastic figures.

Who remembers buying them inside chin-chin?

5) More guns.

With these guns, I felt invisible.

6) Yoyo.

For all the OG’s out there.

7) Brick games.

What a time to be alive!

8) SEGA mega drive.

He shoots! He shoots! – blocked shot.

9) Game boy color.

Pokemon hear am that year.

10) “Christmas” shoes.

The ultimate sign that you had arrived. You’d march extra hard on assembly ground so everyone could notice your shoes.

11) Lego.

What did we not try to build with this thing?

12) Calculator watch.

I miss the simplicity of childhood.

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments section!

Hassan Yahaya

August 20, 2020

Inside Life, Man Dem

90s, boys, Nostalgia, Throwback
QUIZ: Only Nigerians Above 23 Can Get 9/13 On This Candy Quiz

If you’re below 23, you should be able to answer a few general candy questions, but there’s no way you’re getting up to 9 right. The rest of you, this is your chance to flex your sweet tooth.

Go ahead:

NerdEfiko

July 30, 2020

Quizzes

candy, Quiz, Throwback
15 Fashion Trends From 2010 All Nigerian Men Secretly Regret

Granted, a lot of us were super impressionable at the time — peer pressure was no respecter of person — but I still don’t understand how Nigerian men collectively let these atrocious looks fly?

1. Those infamous spinning dollar belt buckles:

You had to spin it before entering a room.

2. Those painfully tacky LED belts:

It was the ultimate swag that time sha.

3. Studded belts. *Holds in vomit*

Dark times.

4. That time there were more Ama Kip Kip shirts in Nigeria than actual Nigerians.

Kai! They were EVERYWHERE.

5. See ehn, if you ever owned this shirt, only God can adequately judge you.

Tueh!

6. Remember when everyone was wearing Ed Hardy?

Still gives me nightmares.

7. Those G Unit singlets that Ice Prince never let rest.

Did he have a contract with them, abi what?

8. Satan clearly invented harem pants. You can’t tell me otherwise.

They were just the ugliest things.

9. Let’s not even talk about carrot jeans.

No words.

10. SUPRA, you will not be missed.

Reminds us of those extra-skinny jeans days.

11. These scarves paired with ridiculously tight white shirts.

I’m shaking just remembering it.

12. NOPE! NAH! JUST NO!

Bandanas, BYE!

13. Kanye has committed many sins, but this one is still top 3.

The struggle.

14. All those N200 Jesus pieces where the ‘Jesus’ will be looking like Ayuba.

They did not try.

15. Nigerian babes would ALWAYS find a way to obtain your shambala.

In retrospect, they were probably doing you a favour.

NerdEfiko

June 11, 2020

Inside Life

Dead, Fashion, Nigeria, Throwback, trends
7 Songs Children Had No Business Dancing To In The Early 2000s

1. Kelis – Milkshake

Kelis once said in an interview that the title of the song means “the thing that makes women special. It’s what gives us our confidence and what makes us exciting.” Well, I call bullshit because ‘Milkshake’ is obviously as a euphemism for boobs.

2. Tony Matterhorn – Dutty Wine

This smash riddim dance track found its way into the playlists at Nigerian KIDS PARTIES due to the fact that its dirty lyrics were disguised in an accent difficult to understand for those not familiar with it. Here are a few lines from the song’s second verse:

It reads like he’s describing a particularly violent game of Twister.

3. Nelly – Hot in Here

I wonder what my parents would’ve done if they knew I was at my primary school end of the year party bumping to a song that was clearly about a house party that turns into an orgy because of global warming.

4. Aqua – Barbie Girl

The iconic ode to Barbie (and her partner, Ken) was riddled with so much sexual innuendo that the group was sued by Mattel, the makers of the Barbie doll, for violating their trademark and turning the children’s toy into a sex object.

And you danced to it at your church’s bazaar while your parents cheered you on.

5. Rupee – Tempted To Touch

The song is from the POV of a guy waxing on about a sexy girl on the dancefloor he’s tempted to touch and hold tight because he has a raging boner for her. Enough said.

6. Destiny’s Child – Lose My Breath

This song starts with a woman’s voice that screams “HIT ME!” and then segues into a 3 minute and 33-second long shaming session where Beyonce, Kelly, and Michelle berate their lovers for not being able to keep up with them sexually. None of this mattered though because we were too busy grinding to it at birthday dancing competitions.

7) Kevin Lyttle -Turn Me On

The name of the song alone.

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Astor George

June 9, 2020

Pop

2000s, Nostalgia, songs, Throwback