Rolling Afrobeats / Afropop 2016

(Popcaan is probably a thousand times better known than Davido or Wizkid)

idk if this has been posted or not but fans of afrobeats are likely to enjoy this interview with tony allen
it was interesting to hear him talk about the way his style evolved and he has a lot of quality life advice to boot
(i am not a shill, i just don't post to this thread regularly) http://www.thetrapset.net/052-tony-allen-fela-kuti-afrika-70-solo-artist-rocket-juice-and-the-moon-team/

xpost

True. Mostly because he made an album that somehow crossed over to people who aren't into dancehall though. The people who reviewed or bought his album are hardly checking for his new singles or riddim contributions.

But why isn't SA house bigger than it is? That's a pretty universal sound. It's big, has melodies and lyrics about love and hope and you can dance to it. Its obscurity puzzles me.

They're club tracks though. Their structure and length don't lend themselves well to the charts and to (mainstream) radio play. (Always felt that Busiswa's "Lahla" was just one Rihanna retweet away from blowing up worldwide though).

I believe someone like Prince Kaybee gets played a lot on the radio down there? Going to Cape Town in a couple of weeks so I guess I'll find out what sort of presence this music has down there.

Well yeah, but we were talking about its popularity here, right?

Do report from Cape Town, be interesting to hear!

Maybe you'll hear or see these guys (they're from Jo'burg, I believe):

BIG FKN GUN ft. Bhubesii "Amafilimu":
https://soundcloud.com/big-fkn-gun/amafilimu-featuring-bhubesii

Popcaan and vybez aren't household names but then again neither is Boosie. It's unlikely that any Naija artists are going to really turn into highly visible pop figures (maybe Wiz could have a couple Sean Paul-ish crossover hits), but what would be nice is a recognition that what's happening in Lagos and Accra etc is dynamic and deserves the same respect that dancehall has in most circles of musically woke consumers. Even hardcore record dudes I know who can list the most important dancehall or roots artists still ask me shit like "isn't that stuff just auto tuned dancehall knockoffs?" when I talk naijapop etc. I think it's partly about the intense cultural training we have to see Africa as backwards but that's another discussion. I mean even Fela was niche in his heyday

One of the things I loved about Lagos was how seamless the weaving in and out of trap and charted rap hits into the local fare that you'd hear in clubs and at bars. It felt very organic, and I do partly think there's more room for naijapop to make inroads into US club culture than dancehall. Popcaans record was good but Ayo was better, and much more suited to American club tastes imo.

Otoh maybe it's already happened and the media is just catching on now. Londons full of Afrobeats nights that draw huge crowds and from what I hear so is Brooklyn lately,

I'm a fan of dancehall but I feel like wande coal or Yemi (sometimes) or phyno music is way more exciting and sonically boundary pushing, might just be a preference based on living in its backyard for so long. Either way will be interesting to see if the hypebeast train catches wind and starts paying attention

US rap, R&B and dancehall were sonically a lot closer together during the period in which Sean Paul was blowing up and you literally had the Neptunes making beats for Beenie Man etc so it was all kind of interconnected in a way it isn't now. Other than when a Nigerian artist drops something with a hamfisted trap beat there isn't a great deal of crossover. And it's not like there are many dancehall artists having international hits right now.

I fully expect someone to eventually turn up from either Nigeria or Ghana and make a shitload of money but international sounds need to be aligned first - London club music can drift a lot closer to this stuff, and there's going to be a consistently large level of expat interest, especially in London. D'Banj was supposed to be that guy (like he was literally hanging out with Kanye West) but that obviously didn't happen. Fuse ODG came up from London and had genuine hits and consistent Radio 1 airplay but I don't think he was ever going to be a particularly durable pop star. Naija pop in particular is easier to turn into actual pop than dancehall is, it's far from impossible to imagine a particularly melodic song going supernova either by accident or design - if it's the latter then the right figure just needs to come along.

Three from London:

MoeLogo "Pénkéle"

Ezi Emela "Voicemail"

Mazi Chukz ft. Maleek Berry "Dem Hail"

Good! The Tiwa album tragically disappeared from spotify btw. Hope it returns soon.

Two DJ Coublon productions:

I like this new one: Li Joe "Never Leave U"

This 2014 hit was dusted off for a remix with Patoranking: Emma Nyra ft. Patoranking "For My Matter (Remix)". Tune!

More international exposure!

http://www.vogue.com/13402067/wizkid-interview-africa-nigeria-style/

love the MoeLogo song

you guys probably already know what i think, but afropop seems way, way more commercially viable to me than current dancehall stateside

US rap, R&B and dancehall were sonically a lot closer together during the period in which Sean Paul was blowing up and you literally had the Neptunes making beats for Beenie Man etc so it was all kind of interconnected in a way it isn't now. Other than when a Nigerian artist drops something with a hamfisted trap beat there isn't a great deal of crossover. And it's not like there are many dancehall artists having international hits right now.

― Matt DC, Friday, February 19, 2016 5:01 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the first thing i thought when i heard 'dami duro' was that this sounded completely at home among american R&B/pop/rap sounds coming out of Atlanta

In a perfect world Dexta Daps would be a household name, though. And one of the best things about the Tiwa album is that she's got Busy Signal on the Key To The City remix. Meaning... to me it's not either or. I just want more collaborations and crossovers in general. There's a sort of power line going from SA to Lagos to Kingston to Trini atm and I want to see it continue northwards. Shouldn't be impossible.

So what do we think of Young John's apparent attempt to become a solo artist over other people's production?
https://soundcloud.com/dee-moss-374676760/dj-hol-up-feat-young-john-gbagbe-prod-mojarz

Hmmm, it's nice enough (though really nothing special), and I wish Young John all the success in the world, but I think he's already found his calling.

I hope so too, lol

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/24/africas-first-music-download-service-launches-in-senegal

I like the new Phyno - Ezege
https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/phyno-ezege

^^Yeah, it's good. I posted it last month, along with Yemi's "Koffi Anan", as an example of Naija alkayida.

Soooo… I finally got to see Wizkid last night, he did a show in Amsterdam! (He'd stood us up before, and I only found out about this one a few days in advance). Great show - with a live band, The Compozers from London. He is truly a starboy! Last song was "Final (Baba Nla)", so good he did it twice, and a third time. This Saturday, he'll be performing in Rotterdam as well, as the no-longer-mystery guest at an African club night.

I was reminded yet again of how strong Dutch urban (umbrella …ella …ella …ella) music is currently, holding its own in the dj set between the afropop, dancehall and trap tracks.
Case in point: Bollebof ft. Joyba "Kwasten":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIoOdeX9Czo

Thinking of starting a Dutchie thread...

Oh right, I thought I'd seen it in here before but couldn't find it. More Phyno-featured goodness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbVfP93myS4
Base One feat. Phyno & Olamide - Werey Re O (Remix)

Sorry if it's already been posted, lol

Don't think it has...

This one (from last year's thread) was very big on the night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djfEaX2tA7M

Mr Eazi ft. Efya "Skintight (Remix)"

Also from Ghana: GeezzyBeatz "Banekudi (Gimme Money)".

as posted by curmudgeon on the Rolling Soca thread:

http://www.thefader.com/2016/02/25/afrosoca-trinidad-carnival-olatunji

thanking you all for this thread. i'm DJing at a 'silent disco' with an afro-beat theme tomorrow and was at a complete loss for what to play until i remembered ilx has a following for that kind of thing, and now i am feeling so ready... overprepared, even! can't wait to play all these tunes. heads ain't ready.

also, really enjoying the music itt. might start following this thread a lot more.

this is interesting on nigerian rap

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/feb/25/clicks-dips-and-double-consonants-dialectical-rap-makes-a-comeback

Good piece, lex. I've always found it comforting to know that even Nigerians don't understand all the lyrics to my favourite songs. As for the Fader piece I kind of feel like it's placing its emphasis somewhat wrong. Soca, after all, has always sucked up influences from elsewhere. That's how it started, fusing calypso with soul and funk. Would someone like Olatunji make it in Lagos, though? I certainly hope so but it's far more difficult to say. I have already spoken about the power line from SA to Nigeria to the Caribbean in this thread though, so he's obviously onto something.

Totally in love w this SA track atm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPU5dMC4y-M
Kwesta & Cassper Nyovest - Ngud'

Oh yeah, that is good! I see he's got an album out as well (which includes a Busiswa feature!).

…and a big summer smash in SA judging by the iTunes charts.

Playlist is updated with plenty of new additions since January. Fire it up!

ILM's Rolling Afrobeat & Afropop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Thanks, fo… ulysses!

I'm still totally in love with Sugarboy's "Hola Hola", best song of the year so far imo. Anybody else feeling that one?

Yeah that's one of my favs as well.

So many hooks.

deej sent me that kwesta track and it sounded hella familiar

@4:42:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQLnq3PsFZ8

Nice!

:re the Fader piece I think what I'm getting at is the way it kinda moves in the opposite direction of the piece lex posted. Fader piece says this is all coming together into a new super genre, just look at all the people who are collaborating. Guardian piece says look how all the local differences are coming into play right down to the dialects, bringing Nigeria together through celebrating the common space of the pop song AS a place where differences can thrive. I think the Guardian version is more precise. The genres are becoming more flexible and hospitable to each other's flavours, sure, but the local differences cannot (and should not) be erased.

"Hola Hola" and "Ngud'" my two favourites of the year so far.

that fader piece i didnt quite follow its thesis in the piece itself

This Bridget Kelly spotify playlist has a bit of afropop on it: https://open.spotify.com/user/bridgetkellymusic/playlist/7aH6uDQ5XqXgrPWEew0686
Incoming wave, obv.

omg @ the "camino del sol" sample on "ngud"!!!!!!

I know nothing about this but it's definitely right up my alley...

MissPru DJ & Jika Boys - Welele
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amh17tWOg2o

Also enjoying this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grq6YxCsKZ0
Mi Casa, Big Nuz & DJ Tira - Barman

Feeling this triumphant anthem today: "Nku" by Naija rapper IllBliss featuring not one but two singers, Stormrex and Flavour:

https://soundcloud.com/illbliss/nku-featuring-flavour-storm-rex

Whoaa at this whirlwind of a track:

Churchill ft. Small Doctor "Omo Ikoh".

Yeah I was just listening to that one - almost too intense!

I'm a bit behind but Kofi Annan is brilliant.

Slightly less relentless, but also very good is the previous Base One track, "Skon Skon".. Looovve how that bass goes into overdrive in the last 20 seconds.

Yemi's new album Mama Africa has *just now* been released on iTunes. Shockingly, "Kofi Annan" is only a bonus track. (She didn't mention it as one of the album's singles on her recent chat on DJ Neptizzle's show). I do hope she will put her full promotional weight behind it, video- and otherwise.