Rolling Afropop / Afrobeats 2021

(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

Sk'Ngidinga has some awesome donking bass on it

Other highlights include the Ami Yerewolo and Scro Q Cuia tracks.

apols for posting before catching up (though I did listen to "Supersonic" and liked it), just wanted to post this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1Rs5Ew71FY

Ajebo Hustlers x Omah Lay - "Pronto"

ok just put "Supersonic" on again and it's wow good. I must have had the volume on too low the first time: there's a ton of wild stuff going on in the mix

for further listening: Le Mav and Tay Iwar made an 8-track mini album called Gold together in 2019 and it’s super smooth and wavy.

or should that be Mav-y?

revisiting Teni’s Wondaland and once again enjoying her particular blend of earnestness and fun

(it’s a naijapiano-free zone tho, in case you were wondering)

here's some Kenyapiano:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LrBiIPshog
Movaz Dance Kenya (Movaz Warombosaji Nation) • Nditni

their first track from late last year, "Danger Dinji", was straight amapiano, this follow-up has more of a gengetone inflection

(their name is kinda confusing: Spotify has both the artist and label as "Movaz Dance Kenya". the artwork and YouTube have the artist name as Movaz (Warombosaji Nation). think they originated as a dance crew called, yes... Movaz)

Just checking out Laycon's second album '...Shall We Begin...'

Very entertaining and diverse Naija-pop with a clear US hip-hop influence (or is that just the Kanye-esque 'God Body'?). Loads of guests on here too: Teni, Joeboy, Terri and others.

'Wagwan' is my favourite so far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li0iFFnb53I

Laycon - Wagwan

ALBUM: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/41isX0xSQygFx5clIpr3dT?si=b576dd5b8b454694

Actually the Teni track is really sweet and sad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJBi93xqs6c

What do you all think of this Juls x Projexx x Tay Iwer tune "Chance"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea7WUPHorp4

(video is the censored version, fyi)

I can't decide if this is lovely and lush or over-refrigerated, and there's a part where Iwer sounds like he's interpolating "Strawberry Letter 23" that I find distracting. Given the lineup it's kind of begging for a remix with Wizkid!

"Wagwan" is cool, sound a lot like the Ghanaian stuff I first heard on the board in 2011 or so (not a diss)

laycon album is good, thanks for sharing. the teni-featuring "want you back" has sweeping davido vibes

“Chance” is an obvious attempt to catch lightning in a bottle twice, but it totally lacks “True Love”s melodic glory - the “Strawberry Letter 23” interpolation only serves to highlight that.

yeah I think you're right, ultimately disappointing