rolling Afropop / Afrobeats / Afrodance 2019

I think it’s on Kizz, really. He’s been sexing up his image ever since “Sofa”, two years ago now. However, he could be setting a trend with the video for his recent smash “Madu”, which is very steamy for Nigerian standards. (it has some lyrical raunch as well).

(you’ll have to look up the video yourselves, all I can do is post the Spotify link.

It’s not nearly the best track on his album though, that would be the similarly titled “Maye”, even though that’s another golddigger-bashing song.

oh yeah I do remember "Sofa," I think I liked that one. Lol I forgot he called his album No Bad Songz. In defiance of that title, I didn't get very far into it the one time I tried to listen, but "Maye" bumps. ("Madu" is dull imo.)

But I relistened to "Fvck You" and I still can barely discern what he's singing about, so I think I'm okay with it--all praise to Young John most likely. Also, on the Kranium version he says he calls his dick "Jehovah Thickness", which is hilarious but I'm not sure his version is a lyrical safe haven :)

Especially like that it’s produced by Spanker, further proof of the upsurge of Dutch urban music.

btw, breastcrawl, could you expand on this? I don't know who Spanker is or what the Dutch connection is.

“Jehovah Thickness” is A+

“Fvck You” is about a girl he was seeing who turned out to be an ‘ashawo’ (=slut); the chorus is basically him listing all the colleagues (you might recognize some names) who fucked her apart from him. He feels betrayed, the poor thing.

It does look like Kranium paid a little work visit to Naija. He and Kizz are both on the track “Send Her Money” on the Olamide-supervised YBNL MaFia Family album that dropped late December, and Young John is affiliated with that label too, so it makes sense.

Spanker is one of the biggest producers within the Dutch urban scene, which has basically taken over the Dutch music industry in the past five years or so. Afro vibes are a non-negligible part of this.

I should add: some of these producers are making waves internationally too (this does include working with/for Diplo/Major Lazer). I’ve mentioned it elsewhere, but one of last year’s biggest latin hits, “X” by Nicky Jam and J Balvin, was produced by Dutch producer duo Afro Bros.

dang I kind of wish you hadn't spelled out those Kizz lyrics. I had noticed some famous names but didn't get why he was saying them--in fact it sounds more like he's dissing them if you don't know what's going on...oh well, 2016 already feels like a special moment in naija pop that I have nostalgia for, so I guess I can add "that was when Kiss Daniel wasn't a dickhead" to the list of reasons why.

interesting stuff about the Dutch scene, thanks!

Also, on further listens I really really like "LoLo." It's so airy and sprightly, it reminds me of "Ghana Bounce"...just don't tell me what it's about lol

There is, fyi, also a "clean version" of Fvck You on Spotify. I can't make out what he's saying there either, but I'll stick to it.

xp

Sorry about that, rob! Realized I should have added a spoiler alert after I posted it lol.

in fact it sounds more like he's dissing them if you don't know what's going on

As promised, some current faves - with their Spotify links, as I’m in a YouTube-less part of the world.

First up, seven smooth tracks with trademark Naija sweetness:

A) Fireboy DML • Jealous (an absolute beauty, originally on the YBNL MaFia Family album - and plugged in Olamide’s “Woske” video posted upthread) Spotify link

B) Tee Y Mix ft. Teni • Bilo (it’s Teni, baby, need I say more? Oh yeah: duet with Wizkid upcoming) Spotify link

C) Skiibii ft. Reekado Banks • Sensima (posted last year, but still in the mix, this song won’t quit!) Spotify link

D) Oxlade • Shugar (bringing that sweetness!) Spotify link

E) Reekado Banks • Maria (exquisite, produced by Young John) Spotify link

F) Iyanya ft. Duncan Mighty • Halle Spotify link

(Iyanya “celebrated” this (very good) sort-of comeback single by coming clean about his partnership with label boss Ubi Franklin. It’s yet another story of complete dysfunctionality in the Naija music industry.

G) Rema • Dumebi (new signing on Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records) Spotify link

Two more:

H) DJ Prince ft. Olamide & Phyno • Piom Piom (highlife pop alert!) Spotify link

I) IBK Spaceshipboi ft. Always Good (?), Waje & Praiz • Because Of You (possible Alté alert! loving this vibe) Spotify link

Legwork and other street and/or dancefloor stuff, times four:

J) Reminisce • Oja (produced by Sarz) Spotify link

K) Lil Kesh ft. Fireboy • Le Le Yi (another track of the YBNL MaFia Family album; can’t check, but this sounds like a Sarz production as well) Spotify link

L) Qdot • Koshi Danu (follow-up to “Gbese”, it’s another good one) Spotify link

M) DJ Xclusive ft. Zlatan Ibile • Gbomo Gbomo (another Rexxie joint) Spotify link

All of course to be found on this Spotify playlist: ILM rolling Afropop / Afrobeats / Afrodance 2019

epic post, breastcrawl, wow. To quickly clarify: I by no means think it's all been downhill since 2016--last year was huge!--it was just packed with personal favorites (some actually from 2015...really the whole "good year/bad year" thing is a little silly).

oh my god "Jealousy" is sooo good, thank you

sorry "Jealousy"

pretty obsessed
lil frosh / small doctor "firi yahoo"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4VFJDVywak

^^^ You found my Exhibit N!

I’m becoming ever so slightly addicted to this slice of Angolan kizombo myself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL5z4_xFEBE

Yudi Fox • Baixinhas

By the way, did anyone catch Mr Eazi (& GuiltyBeatz) and/or Burna Boy (streaming) live at Coachella (on Friday and Saturday respectively)?

I guess not...

Two big East African smash hits from the House of Wasafi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teejx562wxg
Harmonize ft. Burna Boy & Diamond Platnumz • Kainama

(video features Burna in a bathtub)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6pCgzHMJY8
Rayvanny ft. Diamond Platnumz • Tetema

Video for Niniola’s “Designer”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib7YN4jK-oM

She also has a cute song with Mr. P:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe5KxFF4n8w

Mr. P ft. Niniola • One More Night

Designer is very good. Her and Sarz are such a great team.

New DJ Sumbody:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7kIa3OXsdU

DJ Sumbody ft. Kwesta, Thebe, Vettys & Vaal Nation • Ngwana Daddy

More from South Africa:

KayGee DaKing & Bizizi ft. Killa Kau • Kokota https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Qj7HwJCws

Boss track.

*Killer Kau

Wizkid getting grief on twitter from North American based fans for being a live appearance no-show a lot. Read elsewhere a guess that Wizkid’s band had visa issues, but it’s not clear why he missed 2 DC area gigs & Coachella (both weekends). The afternoon DC gig was a big rap/ r'n'b stadium fest w/ Childish Gambino & Lil Wayne where Wizkid was scheduled to be the sole Afrobeats act; the evening DC bill in a 5,000 seater was all afrobeats I think

I'm really digging that Yudi Fox track and pretty much all the "Introduçao" album

“Moça Louca” off that album is an all-time kizombo classic.

This is spectacularly delightful:

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

Manqonqo ft. DJ Tira & Airic • Ngibambe

Is this the first track to be informed by the “Inhliziyo Yami Ithi Hey“ beat?
And man, those synths!

Manqonqo - whose big hit “Eyadini” I momentarily forgot has a similar beat (must be all those current AmaPiano hits confusing me) - is also on this amazing track from the recent-ish (and very good) Dbn Nyts album, SeXtion 3:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fbIF3eoL6g

Dbn Nyts ft. Manqonqo & Cueber • Bawele

G) Rema • Dumebi (new signing on Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records) Spotify link

― breastcrawl, Saturday, April 6, 2019 4:07 AM (one month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hey this song is pretty sweet and seems to be blowing up a little? There's a cute video now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUU1bIWpH5c

thank you to all of you posting this stuff. i'm really having a great afternoon listening to all of it and going down youtube rabbit holes related to it, etc.

sincerely, thanks!!

Good to hear! What are some of your favourites, whether from this thread or from the rabbit holes you fell into?

Dumebi is officially the jam.

So how do you (all) rate the new Wizkid?

You can find it here, on the designated Starboy thread.

breastcrawl, the DBN NYTS stuff is undoubtedly my favorite of the recent stuff you've posted. "Bawele," "Shumaya," "Gqom User," they're all pretty dope!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAg2iLMEf-Y

I’m behind on just about everything but the new Wizkid is good and Jealous(y) is excellent.

not too sure about what is exactly being said here. it's been described as "prayerful," but i do like this a lot, the chorus is hype.

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

Some background on the “prayerfulness” of Zlatan’s “This Year”:

https://thenativemag.com/music/zlatan-shares-inspirational-prayerful-new-single-year

(props to producer Rexxie for making his highly recognizable sound still sound so fresh here)

finally caught up on the last two months or so of this thread and I really like "Designer"! a lot of the gqom posted lately has been really nice too

Runtown has an EP out, called Tradition. This is the Spellz-produced single: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwVAm41vHng
Runtown • Emotions

Patoranking is playing it quite safe on his second album Wilmer, trying to cover as many African markets as he can. I like the DJ Coublon-produced “Nakupenda” with Kenyan singer Nyashinski: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nkEWbUGIFA

But the biggest album in Naija right now is Mandy & The Jungle by Santi. A similar hype to Odunsi surrounds him, but he’s the more interesting Alté artist, I think.

Santi • Sparky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpc-qsVY-BA
He’s also on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD1Ce3Xft7s
prettyboyDO ft. Santi • Pull Up

As for Rema: yes, “Dumebi” is the jam and it’s most certainly “blowing up a little”. It’s been the biggest song in Naija practically from the day it dropped (so that’s two months and counting), and “Corny” (another goodie) off his EP is doing very well also. The song is also big in Ghana and crossing over to other African countries as we speak.

I liked this profile on him: https://thenativemag.com/featured/meet-rema-kid-benin-world-feet

This single with mentor D’Prince is also good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGIwGyW6X14

D’Prince ft. Rema • Lavida

love that first Santi track, thought it really does sound like he's saying "i'm a lawyer" during the bridges? am i hearing things?

i've started following the Native more closely because of this thread!!

love "Lavida," too. good stuff.

am i hearing things?

ohhh sparki is awesome

xpost to breastcrawl: god, i'm such an idiot, i should've figured that.

Maybe these love jams can lift your spirit?

Both from Ghana (with some Nigerian input in one case):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXoWrKHp9f8

Amaarae ft. Wande Coal • Spend Some Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I5898XrWlg

T’neeya ft. Kwesi Arthur, B4bonah & TimiBOI • Bend It