Rolling afrobeats thread 2014

Wande Coal - My Way
I could see this being a crossover hit, like 'Antenna' and 'Oliver Twist'. Produced by Maleek Berry who also did the fantastic 'Boogie Down' by Saeon. The first minute of the video is actually a different Wande Coal song entitled 'Plan B'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb-uI1-iSgY

Here are a few other tracks that i'm loving at the moment:

Skales - Take Care Of Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHxEFty3iUk

Omawumi - Somori (Feat. Remy Kayz)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B978auHSc8g

D-Black - Carry Go (Feat. Davido)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3MFR2f0Pnk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulb_RLmPEl0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr5YBFG1CGc

Saw poster advertising an Afrobeats performer playing London sometime in May near Elephant & Castle the other day but the bus drove on before I could ascertain either venue or performer! Anyone know specifics?

Also, what about this: http://www.afrobeatweekender.com/

high-level South African / Naija collab:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiHh2-6jmnU

Davido + Mafikizolo "Tchekele (Good Life)"

"Tchelete" obviously

Some more Ball J-produced alkayida: Kwaw Kese "Pressure Pump" (feat. Joey B):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th5o5zQTUak

"tchelete" is fucking amazing

also

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7N9wjgGpfg

the rolling piano >>>>>>>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhA2lm1_pVs

this is a bit of a banger too

TCHELETE. when everything drops out on "things that people do for money" >>>>>

http://www.youtube.com/v/iziTfxtaVMM&fs=1&hl=en

does anyone write about this stuff in a way that contextualizes it at all.

― rap steve gadd (D-40), Friday, 23 May 2014 22:40 (Yesterday) Permalink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiHh2-6jmnU

this jam actually makes me think of

The Ibadan Sound: Jerome Sydenham, Dennis Ferrer etc.

― rap steve gadd (D-40), Friday, 23 May 2014 22:45 (Yesterday) Permalink

Oops:
http://www.youtube.com/v/oiHh2-6jmnU&fs=1&hl=en

― rap steve gadd (D-40), Friday, 23 May 2014 22:45 (Yesterday) Permalink

http://www.youtube.com/v/U_Lv7PedBIU&fs=1&hl=en

Lil Bucie

― rap steve gadd (D-40), Saturday, 24 May 2014 01:33 (13 hours ago) Permalink

this dude Heavy K makes some jams, damn

http://www.youtube.com/v/WhD_c9O1L2s&fs=1&hl=en

― rap steve gadd (D-40), Saturday, 24 May 2014 01:35 (13 hours ago) Permalink

The Guardian's published a few decent pieces over the last couple of years:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/24/nigerias-afrobeats-redefining-the-sound-of-africa

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jan/19/the-rise-of-afrobeats

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/mar/13/nigeria-music-naeto-c-asa

Generally speaking the pieces I've read have been better at contextualizing it within the UK scene (and to a lesser extent the US) than they have within specific local scenes.

Werd. Are there any DJ mixes of this stuff? need to hear "jasi" in the mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecKx1Jmgi0o

this is fire btw
http://i.imgur.com/AplnybD.jpg

Two nice dance tracks by Skales, quite different, love them both:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klu1N073gkc

(Shake Body)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lttYD7TCzog

(Obi feat. Drey Beatz)

Naija rapper of the moment Phyno with his latest, "Alobam":

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

It's always Wizkid time. This track has been around since last year, but has never been posted. It has a video to go with it now as well. Still waiting for that second album!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnkVQg-5xuQ

(On Top Your Matter)

This is at least 18 months old but I can never work out how much time elapses between a track appearing on Youtube and actually getting a release. Either way I played this about five times on in a row the other morning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih0uVL5tc98

I was looking to cop the yoruba hits sampler but it seems to have been pulled from just about everywhere. Any suggestions as to where I might find it? Insight into why it's gone missing would be appreciated too.

A lot of these Nigerian compilations seem to disappear after a while (from Spotify, don't know about other sources). I'm assuming it's because they're not official releases.

Igbo Hits is still available but Yoruba is nowhere to be found.

I was looking to cop the yoruba hits sampler but it seems to have been pulled from just about everywhere. Any suggestions as to where I might find it? Insight into why it's gone missing would be appreciated too.

― longneck, Thursday, May 29, 2014 3:23 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=Bkijiueqii2hawx3a6uybqzs7ki&tid=song-Ttcn2wflxauvxz7ocuvrybeaeem

Excellent. Thanks.

Loving this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIHCscPpEB4

Yemi Alade's "Johnny" is truly a joy! I feel that with the right push it could be an international hit, it's got the video for it too.

― breastcrawl, vrijdag 4 april 2014 23:10 (2 months ago)

I guess Yemi got that idea too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op6te9u2IFU

Not sure if Google Translate-ing your lyrics and not having anyone checking your pronunciation (I mean, "fakon" for "façon"?) is the way to go though…

DJ Xclusive feat. Olamide "Ibebe"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsFqZ6wmcdE

(song starts at 1:55)

I'm just discovering Uhuru's My Father album (2013) and it's basically the best thing ever. How have we not been talking about this???

What am I not getting about Olamide? I've been checking some of his stuff lately but it just doesn't connect for some reason.

I don't rate Olamide the highest, but I do like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVLvMGzsHFk

That one's great. Thanks for reminding me.

Typically, I've started enjoying several Olamide songs since making that post.

Keche feat. Bisa Kdei "Diabetes"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARQ4Qg5i3co

(and good luck tonight, Black Stars!)

Brand new from Wizkid, featuring Phyno (who else?), "Bombay".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhXd0ZGLAx4

We're promised the album in July (one can only hope), and another video before that. That might very well be "Show Me The Money" - I have been tempted to post the Behind-the-Scenes-of-the-Video-Shoot video for that one, cause it sounds like such an amazing banger.

This one to take Ghana into the second half:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJx_C5m13aA

Nhyiraba Kojo, "Yaayi" (feat. Keche & One Joe)
(Ball J hits again!)

Does anyone know where I can find some useful info on how the Nigerian and Ghanese music scenes work (economy/infrastructure, etc.)?

Total summerjam btw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0giqlgCdl6o

Does anyone know where I can find some useful info on how the Nigerian and Ghanese music scenes work (economy/infrastructure, etc.)?

― longneck, Wednesday, 2 July 2014 11:09 (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol at infrastructure. The whole thing is so insanely diffuse, you're extremely unlikely unearth anything that looks like an economic model. The majority of artists are functionally independent or belong to small labels formed by and around other artists they came up with. Artists have found success via so many different avenues and the heavy involvement of diasporic elements muddies things further, with so many artists being from, or operating in The US and UK.

As you can imagine artists make the vast majority of their money on tours with bigger artists eating off endorsement deals but that's hardly unique in 2014. There are no regulatory imperatives or organisations worth talking about. The government in Nigeria has almost entirely failed to ensure that artists Nigeria receive anything like royalties for use of their songs and the Ghanaian government isn't much better. I know for a fact that the bulk of physical distribution in Nigeria is controlled by pirates running massive operations who ironically work in conjunction with the labels but at this point digital distribution (mostly illegal of course) is far and away the foremost promulgator.

There is a conspicuous trend that has been noted regarding the artists that achieve success.
The title of Davido's debut album translates as "Son of a Rich Man", which quite nicely illustrates the initial driving force behind a lot of these artists: Moderately wealthy to obscenely rich parents, to name a few:
Naeto C
Wande Coal
D'Banj
Lynxxx
Tiwa Savage
Falz
Dr SID
M.I.
May7ven
Jesse Jagz
Terry G
Timaya
Eldee
Tillaman
Banky W
Burna Boy
Phyno

Of course there are tons of exceptions to this; artists like Ice Prince, Sarkodie and Samklef making the grind from genuine poverty but the proportions are certainly out of whack. Then again the money has to come from somewhere...

Reality shows have emerged as an increasingly viable avenue, with artists like Omawumi, Yemi Alade, Skales, D-Black and Iyanya getting their break that way.

Thank you for this. Wizkid has more of a middle class background, right? Also, I'm guessing the market is large enough that there's money to be made from touring? And there must be some money in iTunes, Google Play, etc? That actually reaches the artists I mean. Looking at the Shazam map, there should be enough smart phones in Nigeria to keep a scene running. Ghana is a total blank though.

Also, how do the clubs filter in? So much of this music seems to be club-oriented, so there must be some money in there for the artists somehow?

Thoughts on Simi?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Bscf074ks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuq8kOMU0zc

RE Wizkid, Probably but can't be certain, in an interview with Westwood he said his dad has three wives so he's certainly not broke.

The market is massive and that can't be overstated. Putting aside the 180 million in Nigeria, there are up to a million Nigerians in the UK alone. Sizable communities in the States, Maryland, Houston New York and Atlanta in particular and 20 million Nigerians living outside of Nigeria total.

Not to mention audiences across most other sub-Saharan African countries and their diaspora communities, (P-Square have a massive following in SA for reasons I don't understand) that have gravitated towards Nigerian and Ghanaian afrobeat in a big way. Wizkid and Davido and D'banj have sold out shows across Europe, Africa and the US so tons of money is definitely being made there.

Digital sales and streaming? I have no idea and haven't really paid much attention to it. Instinctively figured that it can't be much of a factor. Nigeriasn made 40% of all smartphone purchases in the whole of Africa last year, so there's certainly no shortage there but people in Nigeria aren't exactly conditioned to feel any type of way about not paying for things they can conveniently get for free.

Yeah, clubs would be another huge source of revenue and with low/nonexistent taxation and seemingly endless amounts of cash slushing around in Lagos, they're extremely profitable in their own right (think D'banj owns a few, not sure about anybody else). Promoters pay famous artists large sums sometimes just to turn up and then charge fees at the door and inside that would put some Vegas night-clubs to shame. There are probably a number of factors I'm overlooking. I'd imagine Nollywood is certainly a factor but frankly I don't have all that much interest in it and can't really say.

The first is cool the second is a straight rip of an 07 Timbaland beat lol

Nothing wrong with that, lol. There's definitely a huge Timbo element in Ball J's beats as well, even though he's definitely more original with it.

As for digital downloading it's pretty interesting to me that iTunes and google play seem to be the only way to get CDQ versions of most of these songs - and also tha no one bothers to upload those versions.

I'm loving this Tekno track from the new Triple MG album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOIKU3g33Tw

Rip Castro. If anyone could point me in the direction of his best work I'd be grateful. I only know him from the Adonai remix.

Very sad news. Without really knowing much about his career I enjoyed quite a few songs that he was involved with. Tbh, I wasn't even sure for a long time that "Castro" and "Castro [D']destroyer" were one and the same artist, because the name could be found both on wild Ball J productions and on more sentimental stuff, and he used his voice differently from one track to the next as well.

According to one Ghanaian website, these are his ten best songs.

The numbers one and two might be there because they're among his most recent, but they're both very good:

"Odo Pa" (feat. Baby Jet/Asamoah Gyan & Kofi Kinaata) - where he's really using *that* gorgeous voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3Gph2VfUIw

"Seihor" (feat. D-Black) - a party track released just two months ago, where he's not singing in *that* voice, but it's still great stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxD3GNltmV0

And then there's this personal favourite, a song from Bisa Kdei's debut album Thanks Giving: "Vamijo". Two of the most beautiful voices of Ghana singing together.

Bisa Kdei – Vamijo (feat. Castro) (Spotify link)

Btw, his 2004 debut album Toffee is on Spotify as well. Boy, Ghanaian pop music has gone through some changes! And horns as well! Have their been any azonto tracks with horns?

That Spotify link again:
Bisa Kdei -Vamijo (feat. Castro)

Thanks. A couple of questions stay with me. First of all, if most of these artists are millionaires, why are they making music? Are they the only ones who can afford it? Or is there a sort of prodigal son paradigm underlying it? And if so, what does that tell us about Nigerian society? All the major influences of the afrobeats major musical movements (reggae, hiphop, disco, house, etc.) have had important political meanings at different times and in different ways. So what are the political aspects of the afrobeats movement?

Sorry if my questions sound naive, I'm just trying to figure this out.

*"all of afrobeats' major musical influences (reggae, hiphop, disco, house (not to mention afrobeat itself) )have had..." Sorry, typing on my phone here.

Well, slight correction they're not millionaires, their parents are and while no matter where you are in the world, that distinction isn't likely to mean much in terms of quality of life/prospects and nepotism remains a key factor in all facets of Nigerian life, simply free-loading for a lifetime isn't really tolerated by Nigerian parents.

Of course the question remains, why music? Surely there are tons of avenues available to those of the silver spoon, especially considering that most of the artists I listed above graduated or at least attended university. The question itself illuminates a difference in respectability politics that I hadn't fully considered until now.

In Nigeria professional musicians, are held in far higher regard than in the West regardless of fame or success. Of course most parents would prefer their children become doctors lawyers etc. but your child becoming a musician is very unlikely to be seen as a cause for shame or derision. You'll find some exceptions but generally there isn't much of a gap to bridge between generations regarding the performative function of music in 'Nigerian culture'* and its centrality.

Wizkid's 'Pakurumo' remains one of the songs I cherish the most largely because its underlying conceit illustrates syncretic and cross-generational ties so accurately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S4S-2sMS5w
The video plays up the divide perfectly with the Pasuma/Wizkid mixup, the initial confused reactions of the older guests and the faux-hysterical outrage of the hostess (played by Funke Akindele, who would probably have been the most popular actress in Nollywood at the time the video was released and is notable for her cross-generational appeal).

The song calls back to traditional fuji singers who historically sang Islamic call to prayer. Over decades it has evolved into what has been the most prevalent form of party music amongst older generations across Nigeria for a while now, and elements of it are regularly found in modern Afrobeat songs (Pasuma from the video is a widely known fuji singer). When fuji singers perform at parties or events, they typically incorporate the names of important guests/dignitaries into their improvised songs, as Wizkid alludes to in the chorus:
'Funke','Tolani', 'Folake', 'Alimo' all Nigerian girls names first 3 being Yoruba, last being Hausa.
'Pakurumo ko jo dada' basically = "have a good time and dance well"
and the outro albeit in a more traditional fuji fashion:
'Alhaji M.O Balogun', 'Governor Fashola' (current and much revered governor of Lagos), 'Mrs. J.M Balogun', 'Mr Wellington'
'A kin yi o' = we welcome you
'Mo rin yi o' = I see you
'E na mi lowo' = spray the money on me (refers to a traditional wedding custom that you see being done at 5.48 in the video)

Sorry bit of a wild digression there :/

The question regarding Nigerian society is harder to parse because it only really makes sense if you disregard the through line between afrobeat of the past and present and the historical narrative that goes with that, which is unfortunately pretty easy to do because there is a tendency to treat the new stuff like it sprang up from nowhere in 2005. There's a huge digression in there that I unfortunately don't have time to make but taking the question at face value? As far as I'm aware there is no political element to current Nigerian afrobeat, largely because people don't go to clubs, parties and weddings to listen to songs about how corrupt their government is. The depoliticization of afrobeat is a book that I'd very much love to read but unfortunately it hasn't materialised yet.

*Strictly speaking, there's no such thing but this notion rings true amongst the vast majority of groups in Nigeria.

The Fuse ODG album from a couple of years back (The Buzz) was quite a lot better than the album that ultimately emerged. I suspect it got removed from all the new places after he signed a major label deal but it's worth seeking out if you can, even if several of its best moments appear here*. A lot of the newer stuff isn't up to the same standard.

*Bucket Full Of Sunshine, Azonto, Antenna, Office Work, This Girl, maybe another one.

The new olamide album is pretty great!

Some hot dance tracks from Naija:

Oritse Femi feat. Davido - Sexy Ladies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6M-MEmNmE4

Omo Akin feat. Ice Prince - Surutete (aciiiiid! - but more about house later):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1X6_iKZ-vY

Slyde - Banana (this might have been posted before, but I couldn't find it - it's great):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYv9lPW5Agw

Anyway, there's a remix out now too: Slyde feat. Timaya - Banana (Remix):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwYkBBZu1Uk

W4 - Foreign Dance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olf3nJYcKfI

Iyanya - Finito (he's never come close to "Kukere" again, but this is good):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g6AL2Os9co

And then there's the brand new Davido, Owo Ni Koko:
https://soundcloud.com/africagroove/davido-owo-ni-koko

While we're on the Naija House tip: How is it even possible that Legendury Beatz & Wizkid's Oje (posted two months ago) has not blown up by now? Why did Wizkid give that track it away? It's better than all the new tracks on Ayo.
This has a similar vibe: 2Face Idibia & Wizkid - Dance Go:
https://soundcloud.com/cloud9tunees/2face-wizkid-dance-go-eau-de-vie

catching up a bit on these songs today...

don gorgon = ultimate jam

also love: jeje, johnny, show you the money, gallardo, shake body

'dance' been on repeat all year too

"banana" and "foreign dance" are ace.

that's basically my two favourite naija trends right there: uhuru/mafikizolo sounds on the one hand and freaky triplet shit on the other.

can someone identify this angolan song that starts at 00:50 ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=y_iIVH-azsY#t=49

Tee Blaq "Vasa Shiii"

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=tee%20blaq%20vasa%20shii

Produced by Jay Pizzle, the man behind "Shake Body" and "Banana".

I regret shelling out for the Brymo album without listening first. Way too coffeeshoppy for my tastes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTB4hZy4XNY

love this

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

Runtown and Uhuru unite for The Banger:

https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/runtown-ft-uhuru-the-banger

And this is Uhuru feat. Speedy with the remix for "Ungowami", now also featuring Wizkid. True loverman anthem!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8C-LayMFJM

…and not to forget Donald...

Perfect!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e5NUsylTVY

Nice write up, deej.

Ah, in Pitchfork.

are we talking about this? http://www.thefader.com/2014/08/01/say-yes-how-a-michelle-beyonce-and-kelly-gospel-record-points-to-pop-musics-nigerian-future/

ah i see: http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/603-the-most-essential-nigerian-afropop-tracks-of-2014/

thnx tbh the pfork piece is a lil 'throw together the big ones' without sacrificing the sonic breadth of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlhS5AZ_QqQ

'crazy' is crazy

and that new davido single is def making a quick run up my year-end list ... its delicate-ness is so ...woooo

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

the pfork piece *is an attempt to*

Yeah I could see that but it still worked I think. There are about 50 afrobeats selections in my top 20 this year so I feel your pain. Tchelete might have been the one I missed the most. Davido has had a hell of a year.

knew that would be a d40 article b4 i clicked

Holy fuck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd46jAe1ukU

Busiswa ft DJ Buckz & Uhuru "Lahla"

full version:
https://soundcloud.com/search?q=busiswa%20lahla

I finally gave in and bought a track from Spinlet. 123 kbps VBR. Lol.

Rolling Afrobeats / Afropop 2015 thread