Rolling Afropop / Afrobeats 2021

Digging this (Akay ft BM - Flexing):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIgnbmz92_Q

nice one - it’s that UK afro thing

here’s a hot one from Tanzania:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkroWpr7Bfg
Navy Kenzo • Nisogelee

nice one - it’s that UK afro thing

Oops, wrong thread, I guess. I couldn't find where the artists are based.

I'm curious, other than origin is there something distinctive about UK afro?

didn't mean anything thread-policey by that! I just like to specify tracks a bit, because Afropop/Afrobeats is not a country, so to speak. we've had several UK tracks in this thread already.

there is a UK-specific thread as well tho: UK afro - thread for discussing MoStack, J-Hus, Kojo Funds, Abra Cadabra, Belly Squad, Yxng Bane etc
some of it ends up in the rolling UK grime & rap threads, this is the current edition: Grime and UK rap 2021
...and let me plug J Hus and Pa Salieu while I'm at it:
j hus - dem boy paigon
Pa Salieu: Send Them to Coventry

Thanks for the links!

So I guess specifically for Afropop/Afrobeats there is this thread, the South Africa one, the Amapiano, and the UK afro? Anything I'm missing?

everything South African goes here this year:
MZANSI MUZIQ 2021 🇿🇦 Rolling South Africa thread

...unless it's artist-specific:
TRESOR, the Congolese-South African singer with the heavenly voiceAzana - Ingoma
THE HOUSE OF SUN-EL: Sun-El Musician, Simmy, Mlindo The Vocalist, and other related artists
🎹🎹PİANO! PİANO!🎹🎹 - a song appreciation thread for “eMcimbini” by Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa ft. Aymos, Samthing Soweto, Mas Musiq & Myztro

the Amapiano thread has technically been superseded by the Rolling Mzansi thread.

the second time around is better than the first time:

TRESOR, the Congolese-South African singer with the heavenly voice

Azana - Ingoma

replacing a broken YouTube link:Ethic Entertainment ft. Konshens • Figa (Remix)
(there seems to be a real effort going on to erase this track from all platforms)

Lots to explore! (I usually only check this thread)

Thanks again, breastcrawl

I finally made that Spotify playlist with (almost) everything posted in this thread, as well as afro(-adjacent) tracks posted in other threads this year. we’re at 74 tracks and counting (including a Canadian cuckoo’s egg):

ILM rolling AFRO🔹pop🔸beats🔻2021

South(ern) African sister playlist:

ILM rolling 🇿🇦 Mzansi MusiQ 2021 🇸🇿 🇳🇦

added two more:

1) an Angolan banger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IogfQFSymvo
Nerú Americano ft. Os Tik Tok & DJ Vado Poster • Salta na Areia

2) and this Nigerian master jam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhPOeKgO6LI
prettyboydo (or Prettyboy D-O) • Police N’ Teef

watch the video till the *very* end for a surprise appearance (first afropop claimed Justin B., and now...)

added two more:

1) an Angolan banger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IogfQFSymvo
Nerú Americano ft. Os Tik Tok & DJ Vado Poster • Salta na Areia

2) and this Nigerian master jam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhPOeKgO6LI
prettyboydo (or Prettyboy D-O) • Police N’ Teef

watch the video till the *very* end for a surprise appearance (first afropop claimed Justin B., and now...)

(and you're welcome, daavid. looking forward to checking out your Middle Eastern x Balkan x cetera beats thread!)

(sorry for adding ^one^ more too many)

one for rob's can't-play-this-out-loud-in-company playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhIqfu8l05o
Blaqbonez ft. Tiwa Savage • BBC (Remix)

Police N' Teef is excellent, and I like the nasal high-pitched voice. At first Amapiano was just copy-pasted into the beats, but now there are a lot of songs that have integrated it much more tightly and subtly.

Man, Martinique just quietly churns out dark, minimalist hip hop banger sand I'm here for it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Eehtz8NPQQ

Meryl x Akiyo - BB Compte

if I may redirect you to this, which is just the thread for it:
🀄️🀄️ Martinique to the world: 70 SHiiNE x Nacho • DOMINO 🀄️🀄️

Martinique c'est pas l'Afrique !

Good point, apologies. Completely forgot we had the Martinique thread

Sorry if this has been mentioned already but THERE IS A NEW TENI ALBUM OUT AND IT'S CALLED WONDALAND!!!!

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

Listening now. If there's anything half as catchy and lasting as "Shakeam" on this, it will be worthwhile

I give up

I haven't totally fucked it again have i breastcrawl? tell me i haven't

ah i can see it was mentioned upthread. late to the party as usual! I was trying to F5 "Teni" but it highlighted every instance of "lisTENIng" and I gave up

lol

please don't give up, breastcrawl - we need you

yes, breastcrawl is doing god's work across the various threads i'm steamrolling all over

new sound alert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20JVqt9Uqog
Zlatan ft. Davido & Mayorkun • Cho Cho

(not to mention the dance)

(P.Priime producing)

I posted "Door" from the (outstanding!) Joeboy album back in February, but it's now the new single, in a version with Ghana's Kwesi Arthur:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjzzE1v1RDk
Joeboy ft. Kwesi Arthur • Door (Remix)

video for "Too Correct", a song that is otfm:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRQsG8WKETg

My taste axis seems to be tilting more to South Africa this year, but I really liked Blaqbonez ft. Amaarae & Buju • Bling (still listening to the Amaarae album regularly). BBC remix was good too--maybe it's the obvs dancehall referencing? but the filthiness was less remarkable to me compared to the Naira

I'll need to check out the Joeboy album as I *really* like that "Door" (and "Lonely")

Rema is a total star, as soon as his bit starts I forget what Crayon even sounds like. Don't get me wrong though, that's a great track: it's still surprising me how good naijapiano can be

Burna is back from the G-hole

it's still surprising me how good naijapiano can be

never underestimate the power of the alchemists of the Naijapop machine!

Speaking of Rema, I think Dimension belongs in here even though it's not strictly Afro. One of the best songs out, imo.

JAE5, Rema & Skepta - Dimension
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QWCjiZSdGQ

“Dimension” is very good.
Rema is also on the new Justine Skye single, “Twisted Fantasy” (once again mirroring a Wizkid career move in the process)

(and one for the reggaeton fans: he’s also on Bad Gyal’s “44”, in Spanish!)

Yeah, he's quite obviously positioning himself to be *the next wizkid*. Which means he'll probably enjoy even more success than wiz internationally in the long run. It's all very exciting.

Rema is a total star, as soon as his bit starts I forget what Crayon even sounds like they should cut Skepta from that song...sorry, I realized recently he just doesn't work for me on afropop, always sounds stiff and awkward to my ears. Jae5 kills it though!

Angola:

sensational: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wp7NH0iBPw
Elenco Do Rangel • Rangel Já Não é o Mesmo

ever-delightful, ever-entertaining: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u7zcMg9sPA
Scró Q Cuia & Nerú Americano • 5 Milhões (produced by Crazy Baby & *Vado Poster*)

Mozambique:

mozampiano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTkmSCEG4ZQ
KK Angel ft. Macache DJz & Ana Flores • Sk'Ngidinga

two tracks from Malinese rapper Ami Yèrèwolo’s new album AY, which goes *hard*:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaweQdfiTMk
Ami Yèrèwolo • Je gère

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFj30weUzYk
Ami Yèrèwolo • I bamba

(Yerewolo was one of Lafawndah’s collaborators on the Ancestor Boy remix album and also part of the second edition of the Amazones d’Afrique project)

New guy out with a short album starring Mayorkun, Terri, Joeboy and Teni
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2P_vjYXisI
Laycon - Fall for me (feat. YKB)

Ami Yèrèwolo has great energy - wish the production was more my bag.

love the panning on the Laycon track!

oh hello!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSXIW_RuZ7U
Blaq Jerzee ft. Marioo & Eddy Kenzo • Sokoma

(another collaboration with East African artists, album in this vein on the way apparently)

speaking of (as for now imaginary) collaborations, how about Dawn Richard on that alté tip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1xF3iLeCeg
Le Mav ft. Tay Iwar • Supersonic

(you all know Tay Iwar, right? my days, when I'm not with you baby...)

some absolutely blinding posts over the last few days.

tell us more, dl!

(how did you like the Teni album btw?)

wow that Le Mav song is giving me LIFE

Gotta say I haven't properly let the Teni sink in, but it didn't sound like there was anythign immediately enjoyable as Shakeam or Case