Rolling Afrobeats / Afropop 2016

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.

"Koffi Anan" even.

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.

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, February 26, 2016 11:08 PM (4 days ago)

100% agree on this. Noticed a kind of annoyance with the Fader thesis in Lagos, some of the savvier people mentioned how foreign coverage kind of lumps a lot of stuff in together that in Nigeria is seen as different lanes of music, right down to for example separate categories at the Headies. Burna Boy might collaborate with M.I. who might collaborate with Olamide but the music they make is pretty distinct in influences and sound etc, even if the overall effect is extremely danceable pop music with fairly similar subject material. i get that like you might compare kendrick's record with future's overall in the category of rap, but from a listener's pov they're extremely different sounds. the 'afrobeats' term itself seems pretty useless as a signifier of anything other than geography imo

Right. uMoya just got a video. God I love this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZiGDt76uTQ

The new Lil Kesh single took a bit of getting used to for me, but after jamming it loudly a few times I think I'm on board. Can definitely see this causing some trouble.

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

Lil Kesh & YC - Cause Trouble (prod. Pheelz)

haven't been listening to much new afropop so far this year but I was playing my old Bojo Mujo burned CDs the other day and had to post this song cause it is just awesome (I think it came out around 2002/2003 iirc

Bojo Mujo - Shiwelele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3PfcHiaVdg

Well, well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZB6iJiyqjM

DJ Fortee ft. Dindy "Naughty Dance"

btw, thanks for posting the Bojo Mujo, kruezer. Love hearing (of) some of the older stuff.

I'm in love with the new Kwamz & Flava, Takeover
https://soundcloud.com/kwamz-and-flava/take-over

Your Tekno update:

Performed by Tekno, produced by Selebobo, and his new single: "Where"

Performed by Bracket, produced by Tekno, and their follow-up to "Panya": "Shoe Size"

Performed by Subzilla, feature by Tekno (and Reminisce), and the remix of "Sisi Eko":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DENXbg96sPw

Early leader: "Shoe Size"

Yeah. Going with Shoe Size. Your favourite boy Tekno on the beat >*

There's also this (and I like it):

https://soundcloud.com/kanzy-722398686/owomipo-by-sohn-ft-tekno
Sohn feat. Tekno - Owo Mi Po

That's a fun track, yeah.

This is fun too, Ciara on her Lagos visit:

Practicing her moves on the street: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIQfXn6mb8Y

…and performing them on stage (as filmed from the audience).

Meant to post this longer version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMACvOXo-SU

…and performing them on stage (as filmed from the audience).

Korede Bello has a new one, Mungo Park, produced by Don Jazzy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il7vIMecTaI

And this Stonebwoy & Burna Boy is a lot of fun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z01CPC-YUBc

Speaking of Burna Boy I also like this DJ Dimplez song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Cp30tB2gw

I'm partial to this Burna Boy collab myself:

https://soundcloud.com/rahboy/chipmunk-x-burna-boy-reaching

Chip ft. Burna Boy "Reaching"

Brand new Serge Beynaud, Cote d'Ivoir's MVP: "Remanbélé". He's taking us on a crazy ride again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-t8EFoe1B4

From Cameroon:

DeeJae Vybz ft. FluriBoyz "Wadjo" (not brand new, from 2014 in fact):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnrRm5hYSH8

MHD "Afro Trap Part. 5 (Ngatie Abedi)":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y92XNTFOIj0

Guy is from Paris, he's been releasing monthly (video) installments of his "Afro Trap" series since September (up to Part. 6 now). The beats are definitely Afro - the first one was a freestyle on P-Square's "Shekini" - and otherwise more grimey than trap to be honest. French version of the J Hus phenomenon?

Oh, and this one from Mali: Iba One "Soukoramani"

https://soundcloud.com/ibaoneofficiel/soukoromani-iba-one

I am listening to a lotta MHD just lately; don't think he's done anything in US yet but curious to see if that changes soon...

So this is Yemi Alade's "real" new single, "Ferrari", produced by DJ Coublon. Guitarist Fiokee gets a credit too.
https://soundcloud.com/effyzziemusicgroup/yemi-alade-ferrari
Has anyone heard the album yet? I haven't. #slavetospotify

Song was posted last year, but as Ycee continues to blow up post-"Jagaban", here's the video for "Omo Alhaji".

New Olamide, produced by Pheelz: "Abule Sowo":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FIGjTF7yKw

Some more good Naija stuff:

I've sung producer Blaq Jerzee's praises before. Here's another beautiful track he did, Bular "Shamajo".

Two veterans with a strong track: Jaywon ft. 9ice "Jolly Muke":
https://soundcloud.com/snatchradio/jaywon-jolly-muke-ft-9ice

Yung6ix ft. Stonebwoy "For Example":
https://soundcloud.com/yung6ix/yung6ix-for-example-ft-stonebwoy

As Davido postpones his album yet again, saying he needs more time "to ensure the album carries global appeal" (oh dear), let's enjoy this track by Tilla he participated on: "Oni Reason".
https://soundcloud.com/afrobeatzzuk/tilla-x-davido-oni-reason-prod-kiddominant

Ceesky ft. Reminisce "Owo" (middle eight is weak, but the rest is fire)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcV3Nf17U_k

Seyi Shay ft. Phyno "Mary":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nex93oTE7Ps

And of course, Lil Kesh's debut album Y.A.G.I (Young And Getting It) has just dropped. Here's part 2 of current single "Cause Trouble", featuring Wale instead of Ycee:
https://soundcloud.com/afro-hits/lil-kesh-ft-wale-cause-trouble-pt-2

What *is* with the apparent sidelining of Young John at YBNL though? He gave Olamide the biggest hit of his career and Nigeria a new sound, but: no tracks on the recent Olamide album, and no singles since; Pheelz sharing production credits on two *very* Young John-sounding Lil Kesh singles, and now just two new YJ tracks on the Lil Kesh debut? Well, he got to release that solo single as a singer on YBNL, I guess…

Anyway, this is "Semilore", one of the new Young John-produced tracks on the album.
https://soundcloud.com/oluwa-mo/lil-kesh-semilore-mp3-udeytrymediacom

(Have to give it to Pheelz though, he produced what might be my fave track on the album, "Jabo".)

Good fresh non-YBNL Young John joints keep on coming though:

How about this one: Tundey "Kan Ma So".
http://notjustok.com/2016/03/18/tundey-kan-ma-so-prod-young-jonn/

And this one right here: UK-based Ghanaian artist Selecta Aff ft. Olamide "No Rush":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZExP-V08jE

Over in Ghana:

Fun collab between Fuse ODG and Shatta Wale: "Laugh Out Loud", produced by Killbeatz.

Ball J at it again:

Kwaw Kese ft. Eduwodzi "Dance"
https://soundcloud.com/vanmusicpromo/kwaw-kese-dance-ft-eduwodzi

And again:

Azay ft. Bisa Kdei "Ghana Mbaa"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9gcMx58DFo