Wizkid (aka Starboy)

I made a Spotify playlist out of my favorite wizkids this year.

It’s missing “For You” with Kizz, Kiddominant’s “Alright” and “Psycho” with Kcee - unless you don’t rate those of course.

I like them but still think they're all a notch below the ones I included on this one. I'll listen again if you think they're on the level though.

I have a more comprehensive playlist of wizzy's 2018 here.

“For You”>”Alright”>”Psycho”, and I’ll take all three over “Bella” in a heartbeat.

But it’s your playlist - as long as you don’t put this Stargate/Coldplay conconction on it I’m fine with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvoVjUE-FGg
If you don’t want to listen to it: Wizkid is relegated to hypeman status and Tiwa is supposed to be on it too.
(Meanwhile, Davido is featured on a track on the Clean Bandit album, but at least he’s allowed to recognizably be himself)

Also, this old footage of Wizkid is amazing:

http://thenativemag.com/music/legacy-wizkid-throws-down-legendary-freestyle-car/

I somehow never got into For You, but as it’s Kizz Daniel season I will give it another shot. He somehow kept it off his album, though?

Yes, that kind of surprised me too.

Hmm, a few things on longneck's list I don't think I've heard. Plus I forgot "Commando" was 2018--he really put out quite an oeuvre this year.

Glad to see Master Groove. It's kind of the perfect b-side to Fever but might be more palatable for some.

Could this where Wizkid’s 2019 begins for real?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5iLw28GzHg

Larry Gaaga ft. Wizkid • Low (produced by Blaq Jerzee)

A collaboration with Teni is forthcoming and he’s still teasing us with the Made in Lagos album.

There have been some activities on the Ghanian front though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIA1ok6bszY
R2bees ft. Wizkid • Straight From Mars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGQ1KAJQPQ0
King Promise ft. Wizkid • Tokyo

(Seriously though, what is Larry Gaaga’s story? I never paid attention before, but how does he get all those Nigerian superstars to do his records for him so he can sip drinks and smoke cigars in the videos?)

(Others have asked this very same question: https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/larry-gaaga-how-is-he-making-hits-without-actually-doing-anything/hql7n5p)

sounds like a dj khaled situation

both "low" and "baba nla" are great tho

Oh, this one dropped/leaked recently as well. Recorded with Ghanaian producer Killbeatz, probably in 2013 or thereabouts. Wizkid goes drum n bass!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhMW7MkEp48

Wizkid ft. Killbeatz • Jah Bless Me

“Low” is very good. I have to say though, the melody veers quite close to that of “Fever” at times.

Five generous minutes of goodness!

New song, nominally by Starboy Records signee DJ Tunez, Wizzy’s tour DJ (i.e. the same set-up as last December’s “Turn Up”):

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

DJ Tunez ft. Wizkid & (producer) BlaqJerzee • Gbese

Oh man, come on with that Made in Lagos album already. I mean, if you’ve got stuff like this to spare...

“Gbese” is exceptional - not just in that it’s a beautiful jam, but also quite literally. I can’t get over the five minutes thing. I guess it’s the natural consequence of Made in Lagos-make Wizzy’s vibe-mindedness, but at the same time it feels like a kind of breakthrough, a barrier being broken. You’re just not supposed to make 5-minute songs in present-day Naija pop, but BlaqJerzee and Wizzy (plus some musicians?) are just taking their sweet time with a close-to-2-minute coda.

Really nice! My only reservation is maybe not loving the drum sounds, but the last 2 minutes are very sweet

Some context.

love this

The BlaqJerzee-produced “Fibadi” with Chidokeyz is (by some distance) my favourite of the three Wizkid features that dropped in the past two weeks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpO67-MnS-U

Wizzy’s part on the remix of Soft’s awesome “Money” is good, but doesn’t add much of a new twist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f73VasaeafY
The original version will remain in heavy rotation - I will post it in the Rolling thread.

“Totori”, (producer) ID Casaba’s track with Olamide and Wizkid, is definitely enjoyable, but doesn’t sound very... current? It is the biggest hit of this bunch though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgzrVs2eilU

Meanwhile, we’re still Waiting for Joro.

Loving that "Fibadi"; "Money" is great too, though agreed on the superfluousness of Wizkid on the remix

Update: “Fibadi” now has a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6iNAHCWEO0

And so does DJ Tunez’s “Gbese”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu17dCsPElE

Remember that long coda? Well, Wizzy added a little something (from 4’05).

POLL? (ah, don’t bother, it’s too hot)

Option 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAcXCdMiuEo
DJ Spinall ft. Wizkid & Tiwa Savage • Dis Love (produced by Spellz)

Option 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXrhqhW2kiU
Beyoncé ft. Wizkid, SAINt JHN* & Blue Ivy Carter • Brown Skin Girl (produced by P2J)
(Of note: no writing credit for Wizzy on this one, unlike SAINt JHN*. I was wondering why he* was even tagged)

Expecting “Joro” this Friday 🎈

A one-week delay, but here it is. First official single since “Fever”/“Master Groove” and the kickoff of the Made in Lagos campaign. “Joro” has become “Ghetto Love”, Killertunes producing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoxN3b0jmlY

Rema has been on his mind, that’s one thing I can say.

It wasn’t won over immediately but man, that beat, that flow. Killertunes, fuck it up!

I love that there doesn’t seem to be a whiff of crossover concern, just Wizzy going about his impeccable business.

Bodes extremely well for Made in Lagos, which according to Northboi will feature work by him, BlaqJerzee, Killertunes, Kel-P and P2J.

Killertunes, fuck it up!

the production is really nice, though yeah on first listen I'm not wowed by Wizzy. I could def see this growing on me though, and it would sound great slotted nearby Fever and Master Groove

Happy to see I’m not the only one left on ILM who cares about Wizzy!

well, relieved rather than happy, I guess.

I still care about Wizkid--frankly, it's ILM that I have less energy/attention for these days (not entirely the borad's fault...I started a phd program this fall)

Ah very cool - though it does feel to me ILM is becoming flimsier by the month

I'm still here, lol, just a bit overworked at the moment. Was a bit underwhelmed by Ghetto Love on the first listen, but it picked up serious steam on the second play.

hi longneck! I predict numerous even steamier replays in your near future

I'm here for it!

More ghetto lovin’, SA edition:

https://youtu.be/0XnQPK2FsF8
K.O ft. Wizkid & DJ Maphorisa • Ghetto Boyz

The way you make me Joro:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCUk7rIBBAE
Wizkid • Joro (produced by Northboi)

”There's still no word as to when his long anticipated album Made In Lagos is dropping, but the stream of new material seems to suggest something may be in the works.”
(per The Fader)

Ooh I like that...I gotta say, it would be so sweet if MiL came out the same year as African Giant

https://d3h6k4kfl8m9p0.cloudfront.net/stories/ETw1xM0X7HqdCa8rd7YrvA.jpg

New EP, SoundMan vol.1, out under the Starboy moniker.

say what?!

So the SoundMan, Vol. 1 EP is really good (quelle surprise!). It took more than a week, but two days ago I finally woke up with a track in my head. It happened to be “Cover Me”, produced by Kel-P, who’s got three tracks on this thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyXePlhf5Hg

“Electric”, my current favourite, is an A+ Wizzy love jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubCBPWEvoVY

And “Jam” with Chronixx, is just that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua5GjyLPlRE

(I could do without “Mine”, one of the weaker songs in his oeuvre imo)

I do have to say, nothing on the EP is as good as “Joro”. Surprised/disappointed that ILM has been sleeping on that one. It’s my song of the year. Only Wizkid can gel intimacy and exuberance like that. The way he comes in with “this kind love” after that silent beat is one of my favourite musical moments of the year.

the kel p songs on here are so lush hes got the magic sauce

producer of the year

this whole EP is excellent.

"Joro" is excellent. Listening to the EP now...great start, is Chronixx ever less than perfect as a guest?

oh wow the fiddle on "Blow" is heavenly

rob, I’m kinda curious how you feel about reggae-lite Wizkid/Kel P. Do you like “Mine” more than I do?

I can confirm that that video looks amazing on small and large screens. When Burna shows up in the rainbow sweater after all the beautiful earth-tones, it's a genuine shock

harder better faster stronger:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqPOXESGcJI
Reminisce ft. Wizkid • Eleniyan

(from 2013)

let's not forget it was produced by Sarz

one more time, from the very early Samklef days: this came out almost simultaneously with "Don't Dull", in december 2010:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUFDMWYEGjI
JayRu ft. Wizkid • Familiarity

the ultimate accolade?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjMts2i93-0
Justin Bieber ft. BEAM • Freedom

i do not know who this clown is but the real whiz kid is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaaqj9EQ6h8

^can we ban this prick already? adding "unprovoked hostility" to your "just youtubes" posting style was not a move in the right direction

seconding, these were my exact feelings as well. I hardly ever fp, but I made an exception for this.

haven't seen anyone post this dj tunez x wiz amapiano-flavored banger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut4uAVjRxns