Femi Kuti: Afrobeat legend to perform live in Abuja

Four time Grammy Award nominee, Femi Kuti brings the recently ended Felabration vibe to Abuja this November.

  Femi Kuti Live In Abuja

Afrobeat legend, and four time Grammy Award nominee, Femi Kuti brings the recently ended Felabration vibe to Abuja this November.

The event which is being put together by Chocolate City Group, with support from Etisalat Nigeria, is targeted at consumers with a fine taste for live music experiences. Femi who has toured extensively throughout Europe, America and Africa, together with his Positive Force band, has performed in major cities of the world including Lagos, London, Paris, New York, Glasgow and Glastonbury.

He has also collaborated with major international acts such as Common, Macy Gray, D’Angelo, Wizkid, 2Baba, and Nile Rodgers.  

Born in London and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Femi began his musical career playing with his father, the renowned, Fela Kuti and his Egypt 80 band. In 1986, Femi started his own group, the Positive Force, and began establishing himself as an artist independent of his father'.

ABUJA ARE YOU READY?

Olamide Rapper's "The Glory" album will be a 'Hip-hop' project

Just like his past three albums, rap has never been absent from Olamide’s career, and his next album will still be a glowing addition to Hip-hop.

Olamide’s sixth studio album, " The Glory", will be released on December 26, 2016, and it will definitely have plenty of rap in it.

The Nigerian rapper who has released a studio album every year since his debut in 2011, is working on maintaining his figures and keeping his momentum going, by dropping a studio album in 2016.

The new album is titled " The Glory", which released in December, as songs on the album have already been recorded. It will feature hit song ‘Who you epp’, along with other singles. The official artwork has been released, and it looks like this:

This will be Olamide’s 7 album. In 2011, he launched his career with “Rapsodi”, and went further to release a string of albums every year including “YBNL” (2012), “Baddest Guy Ever Liveth” (2013), “Street OT” (2014), “2 Kings” (joint album with Phyno, 2015), and “Eyan Mayweather” (2015).

Olamide

2016 has been a big year for the rapper. Under his leadership and guidance, his record label, YBNL, has released an album (“YAGI”)  for rapper Lil Kesh, who have subsequently left the company, to found his personal imprint. It is currently still promoting Adekunle Gold’s “Gold” album. He has also began work on another of his signed rappers, Chinko Ekun, who is releasing singles.

After the release of “Eyan Mayweather”, Olamide has released 8 personal singles. See them below

‘Who you epp’

‘I love Lagos’

‘Abule sowo’

‘Konkobility’

‘Lies People Tell’ ft Maupheen, Dalis

‘Owo Blow’

‘Sere’ ft Lil Kesh

‘Orobo’

Olamide Badoo

Nobody knows how many of his singles since his last album will make the "The Glory". And although the rapper has kept up his work in the pop genre, he has always been sure to mix that with some Hip-hop tracks. This genre diversity has retained his credibility as a rapper, while also chasing the big bucks that comes from the pop sound.

Singles ‘Who you epp’, ‘Lies People Tell’, ‘Owo Blow’, and ‘Sere’ have all been rap singles which sits squarely at the center of the Hip-hop conversation. If ever there was an award for the most eye-catching and viral Hip-hop record for 2016, ‘Who you epp’ will be a shoo-in for the trophy. Olamide understands his roots in indigenous rap music, and how he earned his credentials by spitting for the streets. He embraces his past, and looks to the future with more of it.

Olamide performing at  UK concert

Pop music has been a menace to the Hip-hop genre, with the two types of music having found a way to move in together and cohabit a single space. Just as the marriage between R&B and Hip-hop in the US, our pop sounds have formed a natural alliance with rap music, and together they have grown. Olamide’s ‘Sere’ strides this fine line, and embodies what has been happening on the music scene for almost a decade. He is on the record with Lil Kesh, and together, they create music with elements of both worlds on display.

Just like his past three albums, rap has never been absent from Olamide’s career, and "The Glory"  album will still be a glowing addition to Hip-hop. The man can adapt and become Nigeria’s A-list pop star, but he finds new ways to still be a rap star too. December will be a good month for the glory of Nigerian rap music.

Olamide Rapper signs new artiste Davolee to YBNL label

The act joins the likes of Adekunle Gold, Chinko Ekun, DJ Enimoney, Temmie Ovwasa, alongside producers, Pheelz and Young John.

YBNL leadman Olamide has signed up a new act that goes by name Davolee.

The announcement was made via Olamide’s Facebook and Instagram accounts simultaneously.

“Artiste ‘Davolee’ new YBNL boy… new song… Festival Bar…Davolee Ileka,” Olamide wrote.

"Love to every ghetto kid out there trying to make it out of the hood. Iyanu mashele.. Eminidavolee God bless u bro. Gang gang get ready for the hate, the criticism, the madness , the love, the fame, the cameras, and the lights .. sharpen your sword soldier let's sling throats. We are all we have. Uprising of the ghetto youth dem! YBNL,"the rapper further wrote.

Baddosneh shares freestyle videos of the signee to show off his lyrical wit and skills.

The YBNL label during the course of the year announced the expiration of contract of Viktoh and Lil Kesh. However, the latter has gone on to float his own imprint Y.A.G. I (Young and Getting It). while still being affiliated with Olamide's YBNL. 

Davolee joins Adekunle Gold, new singer Temmie Ovwasa, DJ Enimoney, Chinko Ekun, as well as  producers Pheelz and Young Jonn on the YBNL team.

Alicia Keys has come out to declare her love for Wizkid’s music

Alicia Keys 'I love Wizkid,' singer says

The singer hints on a potential collaboration with Wizkid, speaking of the unique outcome such type of music collaborations produce.

This statement was made by the ‘Girl on fire’ singer during an interview with Oldman Ebro on Apple’s Beats 1 radio show.

Alicia Keys on Wizkid colaboration

On a potential collaboration with Wizkid, Keys says “We’re vibing on some stuff actually and it was dope. I think that’s what’s so incredible about music forever, whenever music cross-pollinates, blows in the wind, come all around and be influenced by different sonic and different sounds,” making reference to Fela Kuti being influenced by James Brown.

Wizkid.
(Instagram)

Speaking of her type of collaboration with Wizkid, the star singer further says that when such music comes together, she feels like the greatest music is made because there is no boundary of its definition or where it can live.

Alicia Keys dancing to Ojuelegba
(Instagram )

Alicia Keys was found online dancing to ‘Ojuelegba’ by Wizkid to show how much she was in tune with the Starboy singer’s sound.

Wizkid had earlier in the year mentioned that he and Alicia Keys were on to something in the studio, and describing their vibing together in studio as “making magic and real music”.

All the fans want now is to see this one-of-a-kind team up between the gifted pair manifest.

Adekunle Gold goes for a late win with 'My life'

With ‘My life’, Adekunle Gold has the song to finish on a high—and more different—than ever. It’s being a very amazing year, and he ends with at the same pace with which he did start.

Thanks to his “Gold” album, we’ve listened more of Adekunle Gold in 2016 than ever. His debut album is one of the top albums of the year which has impressively added to the Nigerian scene.

On top of the album’s success, the singer has aggressively promoted the work, with drawn out campaigns, performances and private concerts designed to generate value from the project. Another way in which he has kept things up is by the release of singles off the album.

His previous single ‘Ariwo oko’ was a suggestive hit, providing pop culture with the line "empty barrel lo ma pariwo, ariwo ko ni music oh”.

While things have recently been a bit quiet from the YBNL man, he is actively involved in multiple travels and private shows, grabbing as much revenue as befits one of the hottest artistes of 2016.

But when the buzz is slowly going cold, the eyeballs have begun to shift from the singer as the business end of 2016 draws near, he ups and gives us another loosie from the album. This time, it’s ‘My life’. The year is about to wrap itself up, and every artiste is struggling to finish strong and make the best of the festive season. Adekunle Gold started strong, and stayed strong all through the year. Now it’s time to go out with a bang.

Enter new single ‘My life’. Produced by Seyi Keyz, and housed on the album as the second track, Adekunle Gold is bringing it forth as a single, and here’s why.

 “My life” starts off with a spacey, traditional set-up before everything speeds up half-way through with some aggressive drumming and horns. Adekunle Gold all the greats of local traditional celebrations, while combining melody with thematic consciousness and achieves this.

With ‘My life’, Adekunle Gold has the song to finish on a high—and more different—than ever. It’s being a very amazing year, and he ends with at the same pace with which he did start.

Mr Eazi The only Nigerian breakout star in 2016

Mr Eazi has trumped the rest in 2016 to become the only bona fide breakout star in Nigeria.

Mr Eazi

Life is Eazi for Nigerian entertainment right now. Mr Eazi, the singer who first had to conquer Ghana before returning to Nigeria his country of origin has had a phenomenal 2016.
He is Nigeria’s only breakout star for the year, with a handful of singles that have generated quite a storm and introduced a new sonic system to the Nigerian space.

If you know the music scene in Ghana, then the name Mr. Eazi shouldn't be new. Mr. Eazi who is a Nigerian by the name of Tosin Ajibade has been heating up the country with his hit tracks 'Bankulize', ‘Shitor’, ‘Skin tight’, ‘Anointing’ and more.

A graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah' University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, he also holds an MSc degree in Engr/Management from Coventry University.

Eazi started recording as a hobby in 2010 with a group called Code Red. The reception of their songs especially towards him made him dedicate more time recording and learning his craft while still in university.

Mr Eazi

From singles to features, he became a major force in the underground/upcoming game getting co-signs from EL, Fuse ODG and featuring on Sarkodie's song - 'Thank God', X.O Senavoe's 'Fever' and Stay Jay's 'Baby Lace'; adding the Naija flavour they needed to each song.

In 2013, he released his mixtape 'About to Blow' which had the songs 'Pipi Dance', 'Orobo' and 'Bankulize' as breakout singles. 'Pipi Dance' went on to be played on radio massively in Ghana.

In 2014 November, a new version of 'Bankulize' produced by DJ Juls (who produced the hit single 'Feel Alright' by Show Dem Camp) feat Pappy Kojo was released. By February, it was the number one song in Ghana according to iTunes. All of these had made the Nigerian, who had schooled and lived in Ghana, and made music for Ghanaians, using their influence and culture a star.

Mr Eazi
(Instagram)

But he wasn’t accepted by some section of the Ghanaians, who called him a Nigerian, and kept him away from VGMA in 2015, the biggest music honor in the land. The PRO for Charterhouse, the organizers of the annual prestigious Vodafone Ghana Music Awards disclosed that VGMAs board thought it wise not to include Mr. Eazi for the event because he is not a Ghanaian by heritage, and disregarded that he has been staying in Ghana, and creating content for Ghana.

“I’ve heard lots of talk about VGMAs not nominating Mr. Eazi in the various categories. But they should know that the reason why we deem it fit not to make him part and parcel of the award scheme is that he’s not a Ghanaian.” He said.

“Mr. Eazi is a Nigerian, and the only category he can compete for is the African Artiste of the Year category and with that one he didn’t qualify because his influence on the African map is nothing to talk home about as compared to the other artistes in that category.” He continued.

Mr Eazi has since seen his song ‘Skin tight’ penetrate the Nigerian market, where he has enjoyed tremendous acceptance. Interviews and press rounds have been carried out, as his profile has continued to grow. A UK tour has been held, and many more are lined up, planned and ready to execute. His latest song ‘Anointing’, which features rapper, Sarkodie, is gradually penetrating radio, racking up over 1.5 million Youtube.

  Mr Eazi and Efya take selfie behind the scenes of "Skin Tight" music video
(Instagram)

What has made Mr Eazi so appealing to Nigeria? His sound. Mr Eazi’s partnership with Julz is currently one that is working. Grabbing inspiration from 80s and 90s Ghanaian Highlife melodies, Julz creates a modern fusion of these sounds, and hands it to Mr Eazi, who layers his pop verses over it. Thematic direction of the songs are all romance and love-based.

Just like the 70s and the 60’s when Ghanaian Highlife was appropriated by our Nigerian fathers, the sounds from Ghana have been mixed with a Naija delivery, and it has caught on. Mr Eazi’s reliance on a certain system of delivery and production has also been the driving force of his nascent career. There’s a uniqueness to his madness that has seen him produce his songs such as ‘Skintight’, ‘Hollup’, ‘Anointing’, and ‘Dance for me’.

For now Mr Eazi still prefers his Ghanaian home. “I prefer staying in Ghana – actually Kumasi because, I love the Ghanaian culture and things happen to be easy for me here in Ghana,” He says. “I love the people and the ‘Banku’. But he is becoming a force in Nigeria. One that has the potential to explode.

In 2016, Eazi has become Nigeria's breakout star. Where 2015 had Kiss Daniel and Tekno standing tall above the others as the best new acts, Mr Eazi has trumped the rest in 2016 to become the only bona fide breakout star in Nigeria.

Mr Eazi 'I'll be working with Wizkid on "Skin tight" remix' singer says on Beats 1

The rave singer also discusses collaborating with Eugy, and plans to work with some prominent UK artistes.

Mr Eazi talks music on beats 1 radio
(Beatsbydre.com)

Mr Eazi meets up with Julie Adenuga on Apple’s Beats 1 radio where he gets talking about working with Mr Eugy on ‘Dance for me’, and collaborating with some UK artistes such as Giggs, Rudimental.

The singer gets talking about his music, and how he's been getting a lot of love from fans, being called up for wedding gigs, which turned out to be some sort of a concert.

He lets in on his background, how he found his way to Ghana which has led him to where he is today.

On collaborating with Eugy on ‘Dance For Me’…

"Eugy had been trying to reach out to me for a long time and then he came via Juls, Juls has produced a lot of my work. Once the recommendation came from Juls of course, I just had to work on the record… I came to London for the first time in March and we recorded ‘Dance For Me’. We just put it out and it’s been crazy. It’s so funny, sometimes I go to some places and they call me Eugy!" the singer exclaimed.

On where he’s from…

"I was born in '91, Friday '91, July 19 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria - a rainy Friday night my mum tells me. In a military hospital. I stayed in Nigeria - I moved from Port Harcourt to Lagos until like end of high school and then my mum 'shipped' me over to Ghana.

I wanted to school in Canada to study Aeronautical Engineering, I didn’t know my mum and my sister and the rest of the family were low-key working on getting me admission to Ghana… the fees for Canada was like $16,000 while the fees for Ghana was like $5,900. My dad just - he didn’t want to say that he didn’t want to spend more money - so he was just like “Your mum thinks Ghana is close and there’s family there, just go to Ghana.” Next thing I know I’m in Kumasi! 

On his attitude to life…

" I feel like in life… I just follow the vibe, I just move like a nomad and I feel like everything will make sense at the end of the day," he says.

On working with big UK names…

I’ve been working with Rudimental, Anne-Marie, a great guy called Riton as well. Today I will be meeting Giggs. 

I was really shy the first time with Rudimental… I go on YouTube and the first thing I see is some record with Ed Sheeran and then I’m like, “Oh My God” so when I got to the studio I couldn’t even play my stuff… but the vibe was chill, they ordered food so once I ate I just calmed down.

On what’s next for him…

Eazi reveals he will be dropping a remix of ‘Skin tight’ with Wizkid before he has his mixtape out. He talked about getting a lot of DMs on Instagram from A-list artistes who expressed their love for his music and asked if they could jump on a remix of the ‘Skin tight’ hit song, but decided to settle for Wizkid.