rolling afro 2020

Joeboy started out as a Mr Eazi protégé. Some of that backstory here: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8541512/joeboy-mr-eazi-nigeria-new-ep-interview

As for their sound, both “Beginning” and “Kpalanga”, as well as Eazi’s earlier “Doyin”, were produced by Killertunes.

Joeboy is sort of a non-identical musical twin of Fireboy DML, similar timeline, similar style, similar appeal.

Speaking of which, there’s finally a video for “Vibration”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRhBfL3GEjQ

(Fireboy had been indulging his sappy side a bit too much for my liking with his previous video for the rob-vetoed “Need You”)

Big song in Nigeria right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGpwNm0A6gI
Sarz x WurlD • Mad

(Sarz and WurlD did a whole EP together, I Love Girls With Trobul.

I know this song is from last year (Brad championed it during the EOY) but it was never posted here, plus I had somehow never seen the video. Ooh child... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVEp-P2-rqY
Tems • Try Me

Both “Mad” and “Try Me” seem to me examples of Nigerian pop aligning (itself) more with the international global mainstream, if that makes sense.

They do it both in different ways, “Try Me” through r&b, and “Mad”, I don’t know, something about the melody - or is it just that WurlD’s voice seems tailor-made to be featured on a generic Armin van Buuren EDM-pop confection?

Super thread. I don't really follow this scene but some of my favourite tracks from last year's top 77 were from here so I should probably pay more attention.

Can I post UK afro tracks in here?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8fuOmRHnv8

NSG - Ourself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDd6ja7vLrc

Mostack - Staqdo

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

Snap Capone x Stardom x OMO Frenchie - Style & Pattern

hi paolo! welcome to the thread

Welcome, paolo! I’ve always found it somewhat surprising you never seemed to venture into Afropop territory (going by your EOY lists and such) when there is so much overlap with the UK scene.

I'm thinking of starting a night that covers this kind of thing locally but a lot of venues I'm approaching insist I bring in some sort of live or guest dj act. I'm trying to get more familiar with the UK and Europe scenes therefore

Hi folks! I just never got round to it I guess

hello, paolo -- glad to have you among us. Yes, we've been needing someone to post these and this is as good a place as any, I guess.

also... nice breakdown of the joeboy musical family tree, breastcrawl. Thanks!

This is from last year but it was only mentioned on the EOY Tracks thread. It's gobsmackingly good and I think with a bit more exposure it could have broken the 77

Skiibii, Falz, Teni, DJ Neptune - Daz How Star Do

https://youtu.be/ASM6AfzXMvc

I can confirm that the whole Pongo 'UWA' EP is bloody excellent

I love the new Kizz Daniel, back with DJ Coublon:

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

Kizz Daniel • Jaho

He's also good on Adekunle Gold's lovely "Jore":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU3d-LjKAE4

(produced by Major Bangz & Pheelz)

Here's something a bit different. Not sure if it quite belongs ITT but I'm really feeling Quem Manda No Mic by Angolan-Portuguese artist Pongo

― doorstep jetski (dog latin), maandag 10 februari 2020 12:57 bookmarkflaglink

dog latin is feeling Pongo so much that he started a thread about her, linking it here:

Who rules the mic? È A PONGO!

Posting this dancehall/alkaida/highlife hybrid from (where else?) Ghana especially for rob:

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

Kelvyn Boy ft. M.anifest • Yawa No Dey

It's floaty

Sarkodie's "Oofeetsɔ", posted on top of this thread, is such a banger.

Yes it is. I usually play it with Saara, which isn't quite as banging but still pretty good:

Sarkodie& Efya - Saara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCw5Tbdrahs

My favourite track on his Black Love album!

The guitar on that is so great. And so is Efya.

that Kelvyn Boy track is nice, thanks breastcrawl!
catching up on the past week or so and also really like the Buju, Adekunle Gold & Kizz, and uuuh a bunch of others I haven't sorted out the names of yet

Feeling this one as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIZ36dnW5xw

Ko-Jo Cue ft. Worlasi • Dzo

#theyearofghana #letsmakeithappen

my pleasure, rob!

been catching up with all the tunes in this thread. so much great stuff

Worlasi, who's all over "Dzo", is great by the way. His "Pawa" was one of my EOY tracks and he also dropped a very good album last year, Worla (The Man and the God), that maybe I should have nominated also.

too, also

Another one with a fantastic(ally) Ghanaian twist on dancehall for rob, and everyone else: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtHjltPs0fU
Larruso ft. Stonebwoy & Kwesi Arthur • Killy Killy (Remix)

And this one - I can’t even tell anymore if there’s any Caribbean in this. What a joyful sound. It’s brilliant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXjitxBJ_KE
Tulenkey ft. Taitan • Your Girlfriend

#ghanasghotitghoinghon

tons of great stuff here, thanks

tulenkey's "proud fuck boys" is crackin' me up, it's a good time! if a questionable reclaiming of the term!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haxVglf7yRs

unless it's a dis track to fuck boys and i'm not following the patois?

Yeah, “Proud Fvck Boys” is fun.

okay, 🇬🇭GHANA SPECIAL🇬🇭 it is:

Let’s start with a fun bit of attitude:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3GJxkj9z3s
MzVee • Who Are You

And some old school freshened up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8pJ9CLWl80
Mr. Drew x Krymi ft. Sarkodie • Dw3

Spoiler: More throwbacks coming up in a bit!

(Side note: does MOG (Beatz) produce like half of all Ghanaian hit tracks right now or what? The two Sarkodies upthread are his, and so are “Who Are You” and the one coming up next)

So Naija had three kiddos (Fboy, Jboy, and yes, Rema) blowing up last year, but remember the 3 Ghanaian Ks that came up in 2017?

Kidi’s after-the-fact debut album last year was a big disappointment, a literal overdose of Sugar, but this might be the first one of his I’ve liked since “Adiepena”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK7k8vKLGi4
Kidi • Enjoyment

Kuami Eugene keeps low-key coming up with nice stuff, like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK_Pa1ekb6Y
Kuami Eugene • Turn Up

Out of the three, only King Promise has firmly established himself as a major star. Here he employs Dutch rapper Chivv on the remix for last year’s “Commando”:

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

(too bad Chivv doesn’t rap in Dutch here like he normally does)

[insert glitter ball emojis] big wow at this hommage to 80s (Afro) cowbell disco (and Daddy Lumba) featuring man of the moment Bosom P-Yung:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMwWNHu86mY
Lord Paper ft. Bosom P-Yung • Asabone

(and party people, this video features actual 🎈🎈🎈!!!)

As posted on the Rolling non-US rap thread earlier - this /gh/emo/gh/rap track is what made BPY Ghana’s breakout star of the year so far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DB3oND8hVA
Bosom P-Yung • Attaa Adwoa

South African epilogue:

Desire Marea (half of queer duo FAKA) dropped an album last month with experimental art pop. There’s a video for “You Think I’m Horny”, but check out highlights like “Zibuyile Izimakade” and “Tavern Kween” as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZUefUADOXM
Desire Marea • You Think I’m Horny

Pitchfork reviewed it, favourably. There must be other suitable threads for this - not sure which ones though. It’s probably not clubby enough for Jordan’s (post-)Reconstructed Club Music thread. Anyone have any ideas?

Ending on a light note, Moonlight Sanelly also has an EP out, but I’m digging this recent stand-alone track - penis, penis, penis!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKRHW7xSN4A
Moonchild Sanelly • Where De Dee Kat?

asabone is great; you think i'm horny is nuts!

breastcrawl i dunno if you already answered this but where do you live and what do you do that you're so plugged into this scene?

^ I'm getting 95% of my afrobeats knowledge from this thread

Pi-ano! It’s a celebration:

🎹🎹PİANO! PİANO!🎹🎹 - a song appreciation thread for “eMcimbini” by Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa ft. Aymos, Samthing Soweto, Mas Musiq & Myztro

New album on Nyege Nyege Tapes: DJ Diaki - Balani Fou

Ah cool – will listen to it when its on Spotify.

So he’s from Mali, lots of footage from his sets on his YouTube account. He was in Europe very recently (Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Katowice…), but this was filmed in Mali itself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8bQu0drI-8

Great that this is happening, and I like Becky G a lot, but how do you improve on close-to-perfection?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYKWJ8gzZRU
Rema ft. Becky G • Dumebi (Remix)

Compare and contrast: this lovely Spanish cover version I posted six months ago is now on Spotify too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuQiQFHgzDM
Jthyago x Oscar el Ruso x Samueliyo Baby x Irrita el Indio • Dumebi (Spanish Version)

And this, just out, is another one for the non-existing Rolling EUfrican jams thread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsrW9pUa9FI
Jthyago x Oscar el Ruso x Irrita el Indio x Samueliyo Baby • Vete De Mi Vera

becky G remix is a total BOP

The real new Rema is here too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLha1-NuPzA
Rema ft. Rvssian • Beamer (Bad Boys)

Reminds me of Wizzy's first crossover attempt "Daddy Yo", also made with a dancehall producer, with that female chorus.

Pitchfork wrote about it - includes a link to an interview Zane Lowe did with him.

Oh, so he dropped TWO new tracks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k18yHoEdY7E
Rema • Rainbow

So... latin Rema and rap Rema, huh? Beamer makes the most sense after the Becky G remix, but it’s a bit... busy. Rainbow sound like the one they had to let him do to get him to sign off on the full latino onslaught. I suspect he still sees himself as a rapper first.

like beamer but not clicking with rainbow

as behind as usual, but wanted to note that Tulenkey ft. Taitan • Your Girlfriend is GREBT

speaking of remixes, here's a nice afro-soca crossover with Machel Montano doing his thing over a hit from last year

https://youtu.be/8XR-N4dccbU

From Angola, a spanking banger that slaps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE45E4wRp8Q
Zoca Zoca ft. Uami Ndongadas, Johnny Bravo & DJ Pzee Boy • O Pam

From South Africa, two companion pieces to some stuff I wrote on the “Emcimbini” thread:

Love how TNS keeps honing his sound, so many lovely touches in this production:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKvHPX4AQow
Dr Thulz ft. TNS • Believe In Love

mesmerising Limpopo Wave (think Master KG, Makhadzi, King Monada) from producer Airic, best known for his work with Manqonqo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYTOAINoOhQ
Airic ft. N.K.A • Ama 2000

Gorgeous new single by Dice Ailes. The trippy production is courtesy of Cracker Mallo, who did Fireboy DML's "Jealous":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiOnMB0JR44
Dice Ailes ft. Olamide • Pim Pim

Ma Chérie, Je m'appelle Beynaud, Je viens de la Côte d'Ivoire, Ce soir je m'installe au Congo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpXsd01idUs

Serge Beynaud - Lifuende