Rolling Afrobeats / Afropop 2016

We started last year's thread with a Phyno song so I thought we'd do the same for 2016. At his most sensitiv/spiritual this time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS5zBrEZg-A

Phyno - Connect

ILM's Rolling Afrobeat & Afropop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist
^ will be updated in early February

Lil Kesh has a new one out, Ibile, produced by Pheelz & Young John

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5BovB_l8aQ

Five plays in and already in love with "Ibile".

Two other fresh ones by Young John, of the low-profile kind, i.e. they're not YBNL releases:

ElemGee "Mukuna":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCoeatlwJs0

ZiCool "Kpankpangolo":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT3b2lHBHyA

Banging.

Silyvi ft. KS Drums & Dicklas One "Maleku":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giOUqn_IsBw&list=PL96FsgAV3E8GCU3YkQyVcUB8pv3S4m22G

Silyvi ft. Kanda & Dorivaldo Mix "Mbocote":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lriTrf4OnBw

From Angola.

We go back:

Rolling Afrobeats / Afropop 2015
Rolling Afrobeats 2014
Afrobeats 2013
Afrobeats (2012)

Not completely sold on the Tiwa Savage album yet. She always struck me as a very instinctual performer - going in and finding JUST the right groove on a track. But on this one she sounds a bit... uninspired? And the musicality of the production seems to be trying to take our attention off that fact? Idk. Maybe I need to listen more.

I like the Tiwa album fine. Find myself coming back to the Dr Sid duet the most:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb0icSGP7nI

Tiwa Savage ft. Dr Sid "If I Start To Talk"

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12510354_1094013080641206_6560921050425908673_n.jpg?oh=4e45da27083e33c028393309f08cb6b6&oe=5745632F

Village Voice Critics poll of nearly 500 critics on 2015--

Am hoping I missed some votes, but maybe I did not--

As for afropop, I cast the sole track vote for Nigerian Wizkid's "Ojuelegba " ...I haven't looked to see what other afropop cuts or albums made it

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, January 13, 2016 3:44 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

two votes for South African track-- Heavy K (ft. Tresor), Give Me Luv

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, January 13, 2016 3:50 PM (4

Wizkid jumped on Good Time:

https://soundcloud.com/afrobeat360/kiss-daniel-good-times-wizkid-version

This is pretty cool - Major League DJz feat. Riky Rick, Cassper Nyovesst & Danger - Zulu Girls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Blry0FHqo

Wizkid did his own version of (Jamie xx's) "Good Times" as well:
https://soundcloud.com/hwing_net/wizkid-good-times-remix

"Final (Baba Nla)" has him back at no 1 in Nigeria. Here's the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srwAd1iR5qI

(I want that white shirt with black/grey front he's wearing!)

The new Reekado Banks is very pretty: "Oluwa Ni (Wemi You)":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXS0Qag1j4o

More from Naija:

Good track: Jesse Jagz ft. Ice Prince "Jaga Love":
https://soundcloud.com/olaniyiericson/jesse-jagz-jaga-love-feat-ice-prince-officialjfkblogspotcom

Loving this one a lot:
https://soundcloud.com/bigklef/big-klef-x-meaku-x-eddy-kenzo-feel-it-prod-by-jopee
BigKlef ft. Meaku & Eddy Kenzo "Feel It".

Not new, but it's amazing (great video too): QDot ft. Olamide "Ibadan", produced by Antras.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRZNZZZ8d38

Anyone know more about this style? According to a YouTube commenter this is "a Yoruba penkele/faaji beat". Is there a connection to fuji music?

Also from 2014, and also produced by Antras: Jhybo Rapwoli ft. QDot "Baba Alaye":
https://soundcloud.com/lekanpizzazz/baba-alaye-classicnaija

QDot x Antras have some real jams: "Question (Ibere)":
https://soundcloud.com/nigerian-hip-hop/q-dot-question-prod-by-antras

Their (most?) recent collaboration, "Alhaji":
http://tooxclusive.com/downloadmp3/qdot-alhaji-prod-by-antras/

One of my new year's resolutions was to pay more attention to Ghana. So far, so good:

M3dal ft. EL "Krom Ay3 D3":
https://soundcloud.com/medal233/krom-ay3-d3-by-m3dal-ft-el

DJ Sawa ft. Ephraim, Nero X & Opanka "Blessings":
https://soundcloud.com/deejay-sawa/dj-sawa-blessings-ft-ephraim-nero-x-opanka-prod-by-eyoh-soundboy

Mr Eazi "Sample You" (love those synth strings!):
https://soundcloud.com/guilty-beatz/mr-eazi-sample-you-prod-by-guiltybeatz

DJ Breezy ft. Papa Kojo "Boys Dey Town (Boys Wo Krom)":
https://soundcloud.com/djbreezybeat/boys-dey-townprodby-dj-breezy

Atom ft. Jhunea "Y3 Wo Krom":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WogAoIFaDq4

Ghana, Sophomore City: two big new albums:

E.L has finally come up with a followup to 2012's Something Else, it's called E.L.O.M. He dropped several rap mixtapes in the meantime, but this is him in all-round entertainer mode again.

I like this one a lot: "Mi Na Bi Po":
https://open.spotify.com/track/6GGGf5X6JAwDVoG7tr8QRQ
https://soundcloud.com/elrepgh/mi-naa-bo-po-el

"Koko" has a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6KHY_QJQII

…and two years after ThanksGiving, highlife singer Bisa Kdei releases BreakThrough. (Its pretty short, just 10 tracks, compared to E.L's 19). Perfect reason to repost current smash "Brother Brother":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3BO-2b8IdQ

Loving these posts. Following the mainstream stuff is pretty easy thanks to shazam, africharts and the digital sales chart, but stuff like this easily flies beneath my radar.

Let's hear it for East Africa:

From Kenya: Bizy K ft. Susumila "Tam Utam":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQeZJ8yqAp0

This one's been around all last year, from Zambia: Roberto "Ama-Rulah":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBloeWs7N1I

Wizkid's Oje finally has a video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5ywBFBuJps

Wow! That feels like validation for this awesome jam. It was my favorite 2014 track, along with "Pooley" and "2 On", and I've never understood why Legendury Beatz and Wizkid squandered it the way they did.

As I wrote back then:
While we're on the Naija House tip: How is it even possible that Legendury Beatz & Wizkid's Oje (posted two months ago) has not blown up by now? Why did Wizkid give that track it away? It's better than all the new tracks on Ayo.
― breastcrawl, zaterdag 22 november 2014 19:10 (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

PS: They should go all the way now, and release a 6-minute extended version for it. Would be a long overdue first for Naija.

Gotta love the blurb, I think they used it back then too:

"Dance Music has been re-modified with an African Twist by the Kings of AFROBEAT: Legendury Beatz who have created the club anthem "Ojé (feat. Wizkid)." The collaborative effort between Wizkid and Legendury Beatz is always a Club Banger however The perfection and fusion of sound is beyond our ability to articulate in a way that does "Ojé" Justice. ''Oje" is here to take over the dance floors across the world."

It somehow true though, and I do hope it will take over those dancefloors.

btw, I tried to make a Young John playlist in spotify - if you see anything that's missing but available in spotify, please let me know.

Good idea! I've been actually keeping one myself. It has a handful more tracks (or is that a country-specific issue?), hard to see which ones they are at the moment (I only have access to Spotify mobile right now). Guess I should have made it public earlier, would have saved you the trouble, but here it is now: eez the other YOUNG JOHN d wicked producer playlist.

A lot of them were greyed out but I found a few I'd missed, so thanks!

It does look like it's gonna be a Young John 2016 too!

A star-studded remix for the 2015 hit that never was (#20 on my tracks ballot):
Sexy Steel ft. Olamide & Tekno "Sisi (Remix)"
http://tooxclusive.com/downloadmp3/sexy-steel-sisi-remix-ft-tekno-olamide/

But really it's all about this one - that bubbly bass! DJ Kentalky ft. Lil Kesh "Blessings":
https://soundcloud.com/olaniyiericson/dj-kentalky-officialjfkblogspotcom-ft-lil-kesh-blessings

you guys hear davido apparently just signed some huge deal w/ sony

Yeah I saw that -hope something good will come out of it.

This - Dj Maphorisa's Soweto Baby, was posted in late 2015 but since it just now got an official release and is available in Spotify I'm posting it again in here so forks can include it in this year's playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaYJbNkIrNk

Guessing it will become a hit somewhere in Africa this year.

Even more Young John - who even got to be in the video for this: Stringz' Grace feat Buckwylla. Love those harmonies!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR1KMN4oRv0

damn this thread is awesome. i wasn't expecting afrobeats / afropop to soundtrack my snowstorm 2016

been listening to these two from the tail end of 2015 a lot

SPHEctacula and DJ Naves ft Professor - KOTW ANTHEM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28XsElSWQxE

L'vovo Derrango ft. Mampintsha - Next Better Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtVUhSz9wCY

feel like kwaito got heavier in December 2015, and it sounds damn great to me.

also - breastcrawl that DJ Kentalky track you posted upthread is sick

Yeah the KOTW Anthem was posted in the last thread but it's such a fantastic track I'm glad it made it into this one as well. "Ya-y dis-co liiiiiiiights!" is just about the only thing I understand in there, but honestly, it's more than enough.

E.L UPDATE:

My actual favourite on the ELOM album is this glitterball of a track with Efya: "On And On":

YouTube link
Spotify link

…and a big Woof! to the L'vovo!

'soweto bb' was on my year end list

4 x New Naija, pt. 1:

Skuki promised us a Young John joint, but okay, Masterkraft will do for now: "Zero Competition":
https://soundcloud.com/skukiofficial/skuki-zero-competition

4 x New Naija, pt. 2:

Understated party track by Kiss Daniel label mate Sugarboy, "Hola Hola":
https://soundcloud.com/gworldwideent/sugarboy-hola-hola

4 x New Naija, pt. 3:

Is Naija's no 1 female rapper finally blowing up? Eva (Alordiah) ft. Phyno & Reminisce "Kanayo"…

…& her dog (track starts at 1:38):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTyWwNDjZ3o

full track: https://soundcloud.com/eva-alordiah/kanayo-eva-alordiah-ft-phyno-x-reminisce

4 x New Naija, pt. 4:

2Baba (=2Face Idibia) ft. Phyno & Chief Obi "Coded Tinz":
https://soundcloud.com/hypertek-digital/2baba-coded-tinz-ft-phyno-x-chief-obi

3 x Francophonique, part 1:

New Reniss: "La Sauce".
https://soundcloud.com/new-bell-music/reniss-la-sauce-prod-by-le-monstre

3 x Francophonique, part 2:

Los Grumos "Baa W33". Are they French-Ghanian?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKs4fuXDPzc

3 x Francophonique, part 3:

From last year's thread, now an actual hit in La France: Franko's "Coller la petite".

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

This is where Naija soaks up the Ghanian alkayida beat and starts doing its own things with it:

Phyno "Ezege (Wickedest)", as produced by Del B:
https://soundcloud.com/dj_kbs/phyno-ezege-wickedest-prod-delb

and, holy fuck!,...

Yemi Alade "Koffi Anan", as produced by PhilKeyz:
https://soundcloud.com/dj_kbs/yemi-alade-koffi-anan-prod-phil-keyz

Yeah! Been having Koffi Anan on repeat all day!

Fucking loved this last yr, just got a video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vSXgEQ-ou8

Pretty wild stuff:

Zoro ft. Flavour "Ogene" (produced by KezyKlef & Major Bangz):

https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/zoro-ogene-ft-flavourv

Really wild stuff!

Serge Beynaud "Mawa Naya":

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

the full dance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0INE56HQewg

Yemi Alade's "Johnny" is truly a joy! I feel that with the right push it could be an international hit, it's got the video for it too.

― breastcrawl, vrijdag 4 april 2014 23:10 (2 months ago)

I guess Yemi got that idea too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op6te9u2IFU

Not sure if Google Translate-ing your lyrics and not having anyone checking your pronunciation (I mean, "fakon" for "façon"?) is the way to go though…

― breastcrawl, Saturday, 7 June 2014 20:10 (1 year ago)

She's just released a Swahili version of "Na Gode" with a video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_7fy-UiHfM

Found via http://www.chickabouttown.com/kenya-gets-hat-tip-in-swahili-version-of-yemi-alade-na-gode/ , after I'd been mildly obsessed with Franko's "Coller la Petite" (heard it a bunch in Xiaobei clubs last year but never twigged the title) and found Biche's translations/annotations on the Camfranglais lyrics helpful: http://www.chickabouttown.com/franko-coller-la-petite-lyrics-with-english-translation/ ... oh, and despite Yemi's debut being a bit of a disappointment, Mama Africa's a promising title ...

Didier Drogba!

http://www.jewanda-magazine.com/2015/10/video-coller-la-petite-meme-didier-drogba-et-mokobe-ny-resistent-pas/

Sugarboy's vid for "Hola Hola" just dropped. Loving this sly banger more every day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYyk98g7UKo

Brand new video for Qdot's "Ibere (Question)" as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-qndheV038

some definite killer trax on here; i immediately gravitated to 'Koffi Anan' and 'Soweto Baby'

playlist updated, will check back in a month

Rolling Afrobeat & Afropop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

merci beaucoup, forks!

been loving Soweto Baby as well, great song.

just heard this one yesterday from Tanzanian (via Uganda), very sweet song, I like it a lot already

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

omg "koffi anan"

as an aside, I feel like a lot of new Kwaito is referencing Mandoza over Oskido & TKZee and others, which is a nice if only slightly different direction for the genre, which come to think perhaps is causing the GQOM reaction, but I'm not in Durban and couldn't really say.

but this old Mandoza track feels more current than it would have last year...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqkVq3u4_fY

Yes, it's him again! Eez Young John d wicked producer: Dammy Krane ft. Olamide "Solo":

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

Yes!

Miscellaneous Naija offerings:

Fun track, lots of great sounds in the mix: Skiibii "Sampu"

Real banger, and again, this track just SOUNDS so good: Mella ft. P-Square "Ginger"

New Patoranking "Another Level"

Humblesmith ft. Davido "Osinachi (Remix)". I posted the original (with Phyno) last year. Thanks to this remix it has now blown up big time.

Girl power: DJ Lambo ft. Cynthia Morgan, Seyi Shay & Eva "The Motion"

Indulge me while I post some Ghanaian alkayida variations:

Sherry Rose ft. Liwin & Flint Stone "Tumbin Giiwa"

Kwabena Kwabena "Tuamudaa"

Dobble "Otan Hunu"

Strongman ft. Kesse "Mene Woaa"

Trigmatic ft. Stonebwoy "Gbedu"

I cheated, those last two aren't alkayida, but they're very Ghanian and very good nonetheless.

And you know, feel free to discuss. People seem to think this thread is too quiet for them to participate in it. Then again, don't discuss too much, it might scare off people from participating in it. (my takeaway from the Rolling threads Spotify playlists discussion elsewhere)

Turns out I've been seriously sleeping on Simi's "Open And Close":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hk0MDGH0J8

Just popping in to mention that Tiwa's album is finally on spotify and Tidal. I'm enjoying it.

She's just released a Swahili version of "Na Gode" with a video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_7fy-UiHfM

Found via http://www.chickabouttown.com/kenya-gets-hat-tip-in-swahili-version-of-yemi-alade-na-gode/ , after I'd been mildly obsessed with Franko's "Coller la Petite" (heard it a bunch in Xiaobei clubs last year but never twigged the title) and found Biche's translations/annotations on the Camfranglais lyrics helpful: http://www.chickabouttown.com/franko-coller-la-petite-lyrics-with-english-translation/ ... oh, and despite Yemi's debut being a bit of a disappointment, Mama Africa's a promising title ...

― etc, Sunday, January 31, 2016 7:30 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I was in the room when she shot this video... she's just the coolest fuckin person, extremely humble and down to earth. i was shooting a little minidoc on Afrobeats/Naijapop and got the chance to spend a little time with her. the way she relates with journos is A+ ... very professional and warm. im rooting for her

spent a lot of time with Ice Prince, curious if people here are still interested in checking for dude or not, i wasn't a huge fan of Trash Can but 'mutumina' hits. I shot a great show he put on with the rest of Choc Boys, Timaya, and Sarkodie in Jos, looking forward to putting together a cut

I always felt like Ice Prince was one of the least interesting rappers qua rappers. He does have a few nice songs though.

agreed his pure rapping is not very good, but he's had some strong songs. 'whiskey' and 'gimme dat' are jams, and obv oleku is what it is

Def feel like this deserved more love than it got

http://youtu.be/jPNy1zE99rA

http://www.thefader.com/2016/02/18/davido-cover-story-interview

Wow.

really does feel like 2016s primed for a serious crossover to happen

"Mutumina" is okay, but Ice Prince doesn't do much for me in general. I mean, "Oleku" was one of the first Naija songs I fell in love with, it's a classic, but what makes it special is Brymo's hook. "Gimmie Dat" is a jam, and so is last year's "Boss", but I liked that one for its Tekno-ness first and foremost.
Unkyoka, how do you like Yemi's "Koffi Anan"? Is there a video for it in the works?

The Tiwa up on Spotify includes the bonus tracks, so I *finally* got to hear the track with Wizkid. It ain't half "bad", but as male/female Wizzy duets go, the best by far remains "Oh Baby" with Efya. Also possibly the only time he was out-hooked by a singing partner ever. Is this why he decided to leave it off the Ayo album?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKNC3zxz-Vw

Legendury Beatz ft. Efya & Wizkid "Oh Baby"

Oooh, just noticed that Davido post. Reading now.

Nothing afrobeats about it, but as an older guy, I found this quote amusing:

"There was no Snapchat, no Instagram. There was barely Twitter,” he says. “I just went off the radar.”

Wow at Davido and Wizkid's kiss-and-make-up performance, fucking amazing. Had totally missed that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsNC2qaCamw

Interesting piece. Just hope he will drop that album soon (the details in the article are vague), and that, with Sony's backing, he can make some serious waves. But: back in 2012, Sony signed a deal with D'banj as well, and basically nothing happened. Davido's ambition seems to be becoming the African alternative to Jeremih, and the Sony guy is looking at an African "Cheerleader". But this music deserves to be heard worldwide as more than just another novelty. I'm not getting my hopes up, it's very hard for any musical genre that's perceived as exotic to get a real foothold within the Western musical sphere, especially when its rhythms are so different - Jamaican music being the glorious exception obviously.

Not sure about the glorious bit. People like Vybz Kartel, Busy Signal and Popcaan are hardly the household names they should be.

Anyway, I've been playing Mella's Ginger a lot lately. Strong tune. I'm also enjoying this remix of LK Kuddy's With You, featuring Wizkid and Yung6ix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-Y1DKdomjA

Not sure about the glorious bit. People like Vybz Kartel, Busy Signal and Popcaan are hardly the household names they should be.

I couldn't agree more, but I'm talking about the permanent place Jamaican music in general (ska > reggae > dancehall) has acquired within the fabric of Western pop music over the past decades. It's still a very modest position, but something African music can only a dream of.

(Popcaan is probably a thousand times better known than Davido or Wizkid)

idk if this has been posted or not but fans of afrobeats are likely to enjoy this interview with tony allen
it was interesting to hear him talk about the way his style evolved and he has a lot of quality life advice to boot
(i am not a shill, i just don't post to this thread regularly) http://www.thetrapset.net/052-tony-allen-fela-kuti-afrika-70-solo-artist-rocket-juice-and-the-moon-team/

xpost

True. Mostly because he made an album that somehow crossed over to people who aren't into dancehall though. The people who reviewed or bought his album are hardly checking for his new singles or riddim contributions.

But why isn't SA house bigger than it is? That's a pretty universal sound. It's big, has melodies and lyrics about love and hope and you can dance to it. Its obscurity puzzles me.

They're club tracks though. Their structure and length don't lend themselves well to the charts and to (mainstream) radio play. (Always felt that Busiswa's "Lahla" was just one Rihanna retweet away from blowing up worldwide though).

I believe someone like Prince Kaybee gets played a lot on the radio down there? Going to Cape Town in a couple of weeks so I guess I'll find out what sort of presence this music has down there.

Well yeah, but we were talking about its popularity here, right?

Do report from Cape Town, be interesting to hear!

Maybe you'll hear or see these guys (they're from Jo'burg, I believe):

BIG FKN GUN ft. Bhubesii "Amafilimu":
https://soundcloud.com/big-fkn-gun/amafilimu-featuring-bhubesii

Popcaan and vybez aren't household names but then again neither is Boosie. It's unlikely that any Naija artists are going to really turn into highly visible pop figures (maybe Wiz could have a couple Sean Paul-ish crossover hits), but what would be nice is a recognition that what's happening in Lagos and Accra etc is dynamic and deserves the same respect that dancehall has in most circles of musically woke consumers. Even hardcore record dudes I know who can list the most important dancehall or roots artists still ask me shit like "isn't that stuff just auto tuned dancehall knockoffs?" when I talk naijapop etc. I think it's partly about the intense cultural training we have to see Africa as backwards but that's another discussion. I mean even Fela was niche in his heyday

One of the things I loved about Lagos was how seamless the weaving in and out of trap and charted rap hits into the local fare that you'd hear in clubs and at bars. It felt very organic, and I do partly think there's more room for naijapop to make inroads into US club culture than dancehall. Popcaans record was good but Ayo was better, and much more suited to American club tastes imo.

Otoh maybe it's already happened and the media is just catching on now. Londons full of Afrobeats nights that draw huge crowds and from what I hear so is Brooklyn lately,

I'm a fan of dancehall but I feel like wande coal or Yemi (sometimes) or phyno music is way more exciting and sonically boundary pushing, might just be a preference based on living in its backyard for so long. Either way will be interesting to see if the hypebeast train catches wind and starts paying attention

US rap, R&B and dancehall were sonically a lot closer together during the period in which Sean Paul was blowing up and you literally had the Neptunes making beats for Beenie Man etc so it was all kind of interconnected in a way it isn't now. Other than when a Nigerian artist drops something with a hamfisted trap beat there isn't a great deal of crossover. And it's not like there are many dancehall artists having international hits right now.

I fully expect someone to eventually turn up from either Nigeria or Ghana and make a shitload of money but international sounds need to be aligned first - London club music can drift a lot closer to this stuff, and there's going to be a consistently large level of expat interest, especially in London. D'Banj was supposed to be that guy (like he was literally hanging out with Kanye West) but that obviously didn't happen. Fuse ODG came up from London and had genuine hits and consistent Radio 1 airplay but I don't think he was ever going to be a particularly durable pop star. Naija pop in particular is easier to turn into actual pop than dancehall is, it's far from impossible to imagine a particularly melodic song going supernova either by accident or design - if it's the latter then the right figure just needs to come along.

Three from London:

MoeLogo "Pénkéle"

Ezi Emela "Voicemail"

Mazi Chukz ft. Maleek Berry "Dem Hail"

Good! The Tiwa album tragically disappeared from spotify btw. Hope it returns soon.

Two DJ Coublon productions:

I like this new one: Li Joe "Never Leave U"

This 2014 hit was dusted off for a remix with Patoranking: Emma Nyra ft. Patoranking "For My Matter (Remix)". Tune!

More international exposure!

http://www.vogue.com/13402067/wizkid-interview-africa-nigeria-style/

love the MoeLogo song

you guys probably already know what i think, but afropop seems way, way more commercially viable to me than current dancehall stateside

US rap, R&B and dancehall were sonically a lot closer together during the period in which Sean Paul was blowing up and you literally had the Neptunes making beats for Beenie Man etc so it was all kind of interconnected in a way it isn't now. Other than when a Nigerian artist drops something with a hamfisted trap beat there isn't a great deal of crossover. And it's not like there are many dancehall artists having international hits right now.

― Matt DC, Friday, February 19, 2016 5:01 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the first thing i thought when i heard 'dami duro' was that this sounded completely at home among american R&B/pop/rap sounds coming out of Atlanta

In a perfect world Dexta Daps would be a household name, though. And one of the best things about the Tiwa album is that she's got Busy Signal on the Key To The City remix. Meaning... to me it's not either or. I just want more collaborations and crossovers in general. There's a sort of power line going from SA to Lagos to Kingston to Trini atm and I want to see it continue northwards. Shouldn't be impossible.

So what do we think of Young John's apparent attempt to become a solo artist over other people's production?
https://soundcloud.com/dee-moss-374676760/dj-hol-up-feat-young-john-gbagbe-prod-mojarz

Hmmm, it's nice enough (though really nothing special), and I wish Young John all the success in the world, but I think he's already found his calling.

I hope so too, lol

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/24/africas-first-music-download-service-launches-in-senegal

I like the new Phyno - Ezege
https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/phyno-ezege

^^Yeah, it's good. I posted it last month, along with Yemi's "Koffi Anan", as an example of Naija alkayida.

Soooo… I finally got to see Wizkid last night, he did a show in Amsterdam! (He'd stood us up before, and I only found out about this one a few days in advance). Great show - with a live band, The Compozers from London. He is truly a starboy! Last song was "Final (Baba Nla)", so good he did it twice, and a third time. This Saturday, he'll be performing in Rotterdam as well, as the no-longer-mystery guest at an African club night.

I was reminded yet again of how strong Dutch urban (umbrella …ella …ella …ella) music is currently, holding its own in the dj set between the afropop, dancehall and trap tracks.
Case in point: Bollebof ft. Joyba "Kwasten":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIoOdeX9Czo

Thinking of starting a Dutchie thread...

Oh right, I thought I'd seen it in here before but couldn't find it. More Phyno-featured goodness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbVfP93myS4
Base One feat. Phyno & Olamide - Werey Re O (Remix)

Sorry if it's already been posted, lol

Don't think it has...

This one (from last year's thread) was very big on the night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djfEaX2tA7M

Mr Eazi ft. Efya "Skintight (Remix)"

Also from Ghana: GeezzyBeatz "Banekudi (Gimme Money)".

as posted by curmudgeon on the Rolling Soca thread:

http://www.thefader.com/2016/02/25/afrosoca-trinidad-carnival-olatunji

thanking you all for this thread. i'm DJing at a 'silent disco' with an afro-beat theme tomorrow and was at a complete loss for what to play until i remembered ilx has a following for that kind of thing, and now i am feeling so ready... overprepared, even! can't wait to play all these tunes. heads ain't ready.

also, really enjoying the music itt. might start following this thread a lot more.

this is interesting on nigerian rap

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/feb/25/clicks-dips-and-double-consonants-dialectical-rap-makes-a-comeback

Good piece, lex. I've always found it comforting to know that even Nigerians don't understand all the lyrics to my favourite songs. As for the Fader piece I kind of feel like it's placing its emphasis somewhat wrong. Soca, after all, has always sucked up influences from elsewhere. That's how it started, fusing calypso with soul and funk. Would someone like Olatunji make it in Lagos, though? I certainly hope so but it's far more difficult to say. I have already spoken about the power line from SA to Nigeria to the Caribbean in this thread though, so he's obviously onto something.

Totally in love w this SA track atm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPU5dMC4y-M
Kwesta & Cassper Nyovest - Ngud'

Oh yeah, that is good! I see he's got an album out as well (which includes a Busiswa feature!).

…and a big summer smash in SA judging by the iTunes charts.

Playlist is updated with plenty of new additions since January. Fire it up!

ILM's Rolling Afrobeat & Afropop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Thanks, fo… ulysses!

I'm still totally in love with Sugarboy's "Hola Hola", best song of the year so far imo. Anybody else feeling that one?

Yeah that's one of my favs as well.

So many hooks.

deej sent me that kwesta track and it sounded hella familiar

@4:42:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQLnq3PsFZ8

Nice!

:re the Fader piece I think what I'm getting at is the way it kinda moves in the opposite direction of the piece lex posted. Fader piece says this is all coming together into a new super genre, just look at all the people who are collaborating. Guardian piece says look how all the local differences are coming into play right down to the dialects, bringing Nigeria together through celebrating the common space of the pop song AS a place where differences can thrive. I think the Guardian version is more precise. The genres are becoming more flexible and hospitable to each other's flavours, sure, but the local differences cannot (and should not) be erased.

"Hola Hola" and "Ngud'" my two favourites of the year so far.

that fader piece i didnt quite follow its thesis in the piece itself

This Bridget Kelly spotify playlist has a bit of afropop on it: https://open.spotify.com/user/bridgetkellymusic/playlist/7aH6uDQ5XqXgrPWEew0686
Incoming wave, obv.

omg @ the "camino del sol" sample on "ngud"!!!!!!

I know nothing about this but it's definitely right up my alley...

MissPru DJ & Jika Boys - Welele
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amh17tWOg2o

Also enjoying this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grq6YxCsKZ0
Mi Casa, Big Nuz & DJ Tira - Barman

Feeling this triumphant anthem today: "Nku" by Naija rapper IllBliss featuring not one but two singers, Stormrex and Flavour:

https://soundcloud.com/illbliss/nku-featuring-flavour-storm-rex

Whoaa at this whirlwind of a track:

Churchill ft. Small Doctor "Omo Ikoh".

Yeah I was just listening to that one - almost too intense!

I'm a bit behind but Kofi Annan is brilliant.

Slightly less relentless, but also very good is the previous Base One track, "Skon Skon".. Looovve how that bass goes into overdrive in the last 20 seconds.

Yemi's new album Mama Africa has *just now* been released on iTunes. Shockingly, "Kofi Annan" is only a bonus track. (She didn't mention it as one of the album's singles on her recent chat on DJ Neptizzle's show). I do hope she will put her full promotional weight behind it, video- and otherwise.

"Koffi Anan" even.

Guardian piece says look how all the local differences are coming into play right down to the dialects, bringing Nigeria together through celebrating the common space of the pop song AS a place where differences can thrive. I think the Guardian version is more precise.

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, February 26, 2016 11:08 PM (4 days ago)

100% agree on this. Noticed a kind of annoyance with the Fader thesis in Lagos, some of the savvier people mentioned how foreign coverage kind of lumps a lot of stuff in together that in Nigeria is seen as different lanes of music, right down to for example separate categories at the Headies. Burna Boy might collaborate with M.I. who might collaborate with Olamide but the music they make is pretty distinct in influences and sound etc, even if the overall effect is extremely danceable pop music with fairly similar subject material. i get that like you might compare kendrick's record with future's overall in the category of rap, but from a listener's pov they're extremely different sounds. the 'afrobeats' term itself seems pretty useless as a signifier of anything other than geography imo

Right. uMoya just got a video. God I love this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZiGDt76uTQ

The new Lil Kesh single took a bit of getting used to for me, but after jamming it loudly a few times I think I'm on board. Can definitely see this causing some trouble.

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

Lil Kesh & YC - Cause Trouble (prod. Pheelz)

haven't been listening to much new afropop so far this year but I was playing my old Bojo Mujo burned CDs the other day and had to post this song cause it is just awesome (I think it came out around 2002/2003 iirc

Bojo Mujo - Shiwelele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3PfcHiaVdg

Well, well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZB6iJiyqjM

DJ Fortee ft. Dindy "Naughty Dance"

btw, thanks for posting the Bojo Mujo, kruezer. Love hearing (of) some of the older stuff.

I'm in love with the new Kwamz & Flava, Takeover
https://soundcloud.com/kwamz-and-flava/take-over

Your Tekno update:

Performed by Tekno, produced by Selebobo, and his new single: "Where"

Performed by Bracket, produced by Tekno, and their follow-up to "Panya": "Shoe Size"

Performed by Subzilla, feature by Tekno (and Reminisce), and the remix of "Sisi Eko":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DENXbg96sPw

Early leader: "Shoe Size"

Yeah. Going with Shoe Size. Your favourite boy Tekno on the beat >*

There's also this (and I like it):

https://soundcloud.com/kanzy-722398686/owomipo-by-sohn-ft-tekno
Sohn feat. Tekno - Owo Mi Po

That's a fun track, yeah.

This is fun too, Ciara on her Lagos visit:

Practicing her moves on the street: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIQfXn6mb8Y

…and performing them on stage (as filmed from the audience).

Meant to post this longer version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMACvOXo-SU

…and performing them on stage (as filmed from the audience).

Korede Bello has a new one, Mungo Park, produced by Don Jazzy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il7vIMecTaI

And this Stonebwoy & Burna Boy is a lot of fun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z01CPC-YUBc

Speaking of Burna Boy I also like this DJ Dimplez song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Cp30tB2gw

I'm partial to this Burna Boy collab myself:

https://soundcloud.com/rahboy/chipmunk-x-burna-boy-reaching

Chip ft. Burna Boy "Reaching"

Brand new Serge Beynaud, Cote d'Ivoir's MVP: "Remanbélé". He's taking us on a crazy ride again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-t8EFoe1B4

From Cameroon:

DeeJae Vybz ft. FluriBoyz "Wadjo" (not brand new, from 2014 in fact):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnrRm5hYSH8

MHD "Afro Trap Part. 5 (Ngatie Abedi)":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y92XNTFOIj0

Guy is from Paris, he's been releasing monthly (video) installments of his "Afro Trap" series since September (up to Part. 6 now). The beats are definitely Afro - the first one was a freestyle on P-Square's "Shekini" - and otherwise more grimey than trap to be honest. French version of the J Hus phenomenon?

Oh, and this one from Mali: Iba One "Soukoramani"

https://soundcloud.com/ibaoneofficiel/soukoromani-iba-one

I am listening to a lotta MHD just lately; don't think he's done anything in US yet but curious to see if that changes soon...

So this is Yemi Alade's "real" new single, "Ferrari", produced by DJ Coublon. Guitarist Fiokee gets a credit too.
https://soundcloud.com/effyzziemusicgroup/yemi-alade-ferrari
Has anyone heard the album yet? I haven't. #slavetospotify

Song was posted last year, but as Ycee continues to blow up post-"Jagaban", here's the video for "Omo Alhaji".

New Olamide, produced by Pheelz: "Abule Sowo":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FIGjTF7yKw

Some more good Naija stuff:

I've sung producer Blaq Jerzee's praises before. Here's another beautiful track he did, Bular "Shamajo".

Two veterans with a strong track: Jaywon ft. 9ice "Jolly Muke":
https://soundcloud.com/snatchradio/jaywon-jolly-muke-ft-9ice

Yung6ix ft. Stonebwoy "For Example":
https://soundcloud.com/yung6ix/yung6ix-for-example-ft-stonebwoy

As Davido postpones his album yet again, saying he needs more time "to ensure the album carries global appeal" (oh dear), let's enjoy this track by Tilla he participated on: "Oni Reason".
https://soundcloud.com/afrobeatzzuk/tilla-x-davido-oni-reason-prod-kiddominant

Ceesky ft. Reminisce "Owo" (middle eight is weak, but the rest is fire)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcV3Nf17U_k

Seyi Shay ft. Phyno "Mary":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nex93oTE7Ps

And of course, Lil Kesh's debut album Y.A.G.I (Young And Getting It) has just dropped. Here's part 2 of current single "Cause Trouble", featuring Wale instead of Ycee:
https://soundcloud.com/afro-hits/lil-kesh-ft-wale-cause-trouble-pt-2

What *is* with the apparent sidelining of Young John at YBNL though? He gave Olamide the biggest hit of his career and Nigeria a new sound, but: no tracks on the recent Olamide album, and no singles since; Pheelz sharing production credits on two *very* Young John-sounding Lil Kesh singles, and now just two new YJ tracks on the Lil Kesh debut? Well, he got to release that solo single as a singer on YBNL, I guess…

Anyway, this is "Semilore", one of the new Young John-produced tracks on the album.
https://soundcloud.com/oluwa-mo/lil-kesh-semilore-mp3-udeytrymediacom

(Have to give it to Pheelz though, he produced what might be my fave track on the album, "Jabo".)

Good fresh non-YBNL Young John joints keep on coming though:

How about this one: Tundey "Kan Ma So".
http://notjustok.com/2016/03/18/tundey-kan-ma-so-prod-young-jonn/

And this one right here: UK-based Ghanaian artist Selecta Aff ft. Olamide "No Rush":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZExP-V08jE

Over in Ghana:

Fun collab between Fuse ODG and Shatta Wale: "Laugh Out Loud", produced by Killbeatz.

Ball J at it again:

Kwaw Kese ft. Eduwodzi "Dance"
https://soundcloud.com/vanmusicpromo/kwaw-kese-dance-ft-eduwodzi

And again:

Azay ft. Bisa Kdei "Ghana Mbaa"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9gcMx58DFo

Finally, from Tanzania:
Thanking TSJ for this one: Ay ft. Diamond Platnumz "Zigo (Remix)" (how much better is this remix than the original version?)

…and Côte d'Ivoire:
Yep, I posted it just two weeks ago, but Serge Beynaud just dropped his *official* video for "Remanbélé"!

Trusting longneck to give us an extensive South African update soon!

Thanks! Yeah, I'm back now - but I really just want to be in Cape Town from now on, lol. Such a wonderful place!

Identifying music I didn't already know turned out to be difficult since I couldn't shazam anything since the data rates through my provider back home were ridiculously high. Also, I travelled with my wife & kids so I didn't really get to go out at night, unfortunately.

But I did talk to a lot of people: uber drivers, hotel employees, waiters (one gave me a stack of SA gospel & jazz CDs as a gift), plus a guy who works at the University of the Western Cape and who tried to put in touch with some local rappers. I also bought a few CDs that I haven't had the time to listen through yet - mostly stuff I know and love but can't get elsewhere: the last Black Coffee album, The two Heavy-K albums, the newest Mafikizolo album, the Kwesta CD, but also some mix cds that I need to listen to.

Anyway, here are some notes:

- Hearing Shumaya blasted from passing cars was fantastic. It is probably the song I heard the most often out and about. Someone I talked to said it was categorized as "Kwaito 2.0" but seemed hesitant when I asked him if he thought kwaito was coming back. I got a strong sense that a new generation is taking over.

- None of the people that I talked to who were strongly into music mentioned Heavy-K when I asked them what they listened to. When I asked them why they told me that Heavy-K was "commercial" - his stuff got played so much on the radio that you didn't have to seek it out, and so it wasn't of much use to them - not cool enough. They preferred "deep house". When I pressed them on the difference between "deep" and "commercial" house they said that commercial house made you want to dance. With deep house you could keep talking to your friends with the music in the background. I prefer to dance, I guess.

Black Coffee was the name that came up the most often as the best deep house artist, especially his last album, Pieces of Me. When I asked the girl who presided over the house section at the Musica Megastore on Victoria Wharf to show me the five best/most important house albums atm she immediately went for that album and didn't even bother to point out the Heavy K album that stood next to it. The only guy who immediately mentioned Heavy-K was the waiter who gave me all the jazz and gospel cds - but he admitted that he didn't really follow house.

- There's a quite big scene for gospel and african jazz apparently. A lot of the zimbabwean drivers I had referenced gospel and in the african music store they only played jazz. Most white and colored people aren't really into the music scene, while most of the black people were very eager to discuss it. A few of my uber drivers were shocked to hear that house music isn't really a part of the mainstream in western countries.

- You can't really buy Nigerian music in Cape Town. They obviously know about it and apparently the Nigerian artists visit SA a lot for shows but you can't buy their CDs anywhere.

- Soul Candi is the house label one should follow according to my informants. They're pretty much defining what's cool atm.

- DJ Tira's name gets mentioned a lot. Apparently he's always where it's at. Vinny Da Vinci's name came up a few times. As did Nastee Nev's. Also DJ Rocco, Oskido, DJ Micks, Ganyani, Mthiz Tokzen, DJ Sbu, DJ Cleo, DJ Fresh, Euphonik, DJ Kent, Culoe De Song, Black Motion, Duke Soul, Tonic HD, Da Capo, Ralf Gum, Quentin Harris, Monique Bingham, Chymamusique, Zonke, Lira, Revolution and Mi Casa. (I've got some others in my notes too but need to check them out to see what they're like.)

- The most surprising name that popped up a lot was The Layabouts, who seem to be huge in SA. This track is on the Soul Candi DJ Essentials Vol 2 triple CD that I bought:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_epXw9SSvA

- Most people told me I should go to Joburg if I was into music. Not much is happening in Cape Town. But Cape Town is much nicer and safer than Joburg, where you can't really move around freely. My wife was there for a few days before we met up in CT and told me that her hotel wouldn't even let her cross the road without a chauffeur - the chances of being mugged/attacked were just too great. So if someone invites me there and offers to show me around I'll go but otherwise I'll probably rather go back to lovely CT.

- Kwesta's album is a major hit, and . Top 10 on the Musica chart. But I didn't hear much hip hop in the city as I moved around - mostly mainstream pop or house.

- However, I did have some good rap discussions with people. Several of them brought up the point that nowadays people are on the same song using different languages as a good thing, indicating respect for different cultures. We also talked about the irony in Kendrick Lamar using SA and Mandela as major signifiers in his music while his influence can't really be heard in SA rap atm, since the rap scene is mostly emulating newer, commercial us sounds. Somehow the whole conscious rap scene seems to be associated with the apartheid era and so most of the new artists aren't really interested in going there. Reason is the one artist that gets mentioned a lot when it comes to "conscious" rap - apparently he was the first guy in SA to have picked up Kendrick too. But then again, he's been around for a while.

- Kwesta's album is interesting in that its cover is politically charged, using Rhodes Must Fall imagery overwritten by Kwesta himself, but also very "modern". I have no idea what he's saying though since he's rapping in zulu. I might try to get someone to translate Ngud for me, at the very least.

- My university guy, Q, told me that a few white rappers in Cape Town are trying to reclaim afrikaans as a language of the future - by redefining it. I think there's an interesting story in there somewhere but as long as there's no real hit it sounds like a tough sell atm.

- A lot of the people with interesting agendas seem to be stuck in slightly conservative modes of expression. Q recommended me the genderqueer Dope Saint Jude, who apparently started out in a group of crossdressing female rappers impersonating american stars. Apparently she was Lil Wayne. She's good but I'm not blown away:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdEURn4m4wk

I'll report back again as soon as I've listened some more to these CDs.

i deeply regret not having heard stunnah gee / davido 'dengeme' sooner than today. can't find it in search

The Yemi Alade album is out. I'm five tracks in and it sounds amazing.

Playlist is updated for March. 100 tracks in three months! This thread is poppin'.

ILM's Rolling Afrobeat & Afropop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Fifi Cooper & Emtee - Kuze Kuze
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqTOIcGyTCs

Was hoping for more Wizkid on the Drake single. More excited about Kiss Daniel over Young John tbh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlQjzcKvVJ0

I love the loose groove of the new Olamide and Phyno single, Who You Epp?, produced by Shizzi. Apparently there are a ton of versions and a competition but for the moment I'm more than fine with the chemistry between these two guys.

https://soundcloud.com/shizzi-1/olamide-ft-phyno-who-you-epp-freestyle-prod-shizzi

There's a deluxe version of Yemi Alade's Mama Africa and the new tracks are really good. Loving the title track and its remix and also Waka Waka with Bucie. I can't seem to find a non-spotify link though, sorry.

https://open.spotify.com/album/0oESaY0lS1Z98RNjX1B31q

Loving this SA rap tune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4K0dkDM-Yg

Nasty_C - Hell Naw

So apparently DJ Maphorisa co-produced One Dance? The world is getting smaller.

Heavy Burna Boy influence on this guy Kamo, lol. Great stuff though - and a natural progression from the J Hus breakthrough last year.

https://soundcloud.com/notchandbones/sets/cartunes

There's a new Skuki with Lil Kesh & Young John:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRTt-0TCeNs

Playlist is updated for April.

ILM's Rolling Afrobeat & Afropop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Free show with Davido and Antibalas at Lincoln Center - July 29 at 7:30
http://lcoutofdoors.org/events/okayafrica-afrobeat-x-afrobeats

been really outta touch with afropop this year, but been listening to this song a lot over of the last week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCd-pLW61tU

Vicmass Luodollar -Bank Otuch Remix Ft. OCTOPIZZO

Love that one, kruezer. Moving it over to the Summer Jams thread!

Wow, that one is great!

New Kid X & Kwesta has a nice little bounce to it:

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

A nice little convoluted bounce, even.

kiss daniel's album is officially out! Good Time, Laye & Woju are on all in plus more, have only just started listening but its sounding good so far

after a couple listens, really love this album, v solid front to back, I think my favourites are Kudi, Nothing Dey & of course Good Time. It even made me reconsider Woju and Laye, sounds much better in context.

this is just a great pop album, in a perfect world it would blow up globally

absolutely love "mama", looking fwd to the album

yemi alade also came through with her album ("marry me"!!!) + the SA house bonus tracks are essential

kiss daniel album is fire

apropos of nothing but i still hate the 'rolling spotify playlist' concept

pure culture vulturism imo

will need to listen to Yemi Alade next, really curious what the house bonus tracks are like.

speaking of SA House, this came up as I was catching up on it, Mr. Style used to work with Bojo Mujo back in the day, I like all of the twists this track takes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWo4EGlCugY

Mr. Style - Makhwapheni

apropos of nothing but i still hate the 'rolling spotify playlist' concept

pure culture vulturism imo

― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Friday, 20 May 2016 00:42 Bookmark

u keep feeding it content tho

I don't understand the concept of hating that concept. Making music easily available to others is... bad?

apropos of nothing but i still hate the 'rolling spotify playlist' concept

pure culture vulturism imo

― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Friday, 20 May 2016 00:42 (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

on the other hand, i've found it vital and want to thank ulysses for his amazing work.

More Nasty_C:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3t22MDsS_Y

Where are people hearing the Kiss Daniel? Could be I'm in the wrong region tho. Still making my way through the Yemi Alade.

Really like this piece on "Bank Otuch":
http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/showbiz/Bank-Otuch-Remix-by-Vicmass-Luodollar-ft-Octopizzo/-/1950810/3171608/-/15tlp24/-/index.html

It's on Spotify and all the major platforms now.

anyone here got any knowledge of Ugandan pop / beats?

without wanting to appear self-promoting, i put together a nice little afrobeats/afro-pop/soca/dancehall/house based mix the other day available to stream here: https://www.mixcloud.com/doglatin/money-lion - stream
http://bit.ly/1sNouPZ - download

anyone here got any knowledge of Ugandan pop / beats?

― TARANTINO! (dog latin), Saturday, May 21, 2016 9:42 AM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I wouldn't claim to be very knowledgeable, but I follow these three Ugandan artists...

Jose Chameleon - been releasing things since the 90s, kind of an elder statesmen at this point, his two former backup singers, Radio & Weasel (Weasel is Jose Chameleon's brother) co-founded the Goodlyfe crew in '08 or so. I haven't heard a tonne of his stuff from the early 2000s, but I like his 09 song Bayuda, the Shiru remix of it is really nice. His album Valu Valu is pretty great

Cindy Sanyu - started in the girl group Blu*3 back in the mid-2000s, I like her song Still Standing from this year, I like the song Nawewe off her first solo album back in 09.

Eddy Kenzo - I don't know that he is near as famous as the other two, but I like his jam Sitya Loss from a year or two ago now, he has a recent one called Freestyle with Okay Funky from last year that is nice as well.

thanks. the one I've heard of out of those is eddy kenzo in fact. I'll check the others out

also, for all of the Heavy-K fans out there, I very highly recommend the HK adjacent act Sdudla & Ma1000, they have a couple new ones out, their back catalog is awesome as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXz3ffXEXtY

Sdudla Noma1000 Feat. Mono T - Jikelele

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

Sdudla noMathousand Feat Dj SK - Impumelelo

of hating that concept. Making music easily available to others is... bad?

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 20 May 2016 08:12 (5 days ago) Permalink

Taking it out of context of conversation for ppl who don't contribute makes it a warped representation of the thread and removes what makes Ilx ostensibly unique: discussion of how these songs function. Theres no consideration for whether a songs presence adds to or subtracts from conversation? There's about a million reasons why it's bad but mainly it warps and flattens these threads into shitty recommendation engines

u keep feeding it content tho

― r|t|c, Friday, May 20, 2016 2:36 AM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

And this is relevant how

More like keeping track of all the songs we've discussed without having to dig through a long thread, no? Very unsure about how many non-ilxers there are that follows forks' playlists. If there are a couple, good for them, though. I imagine they'll be able to sift through it all just to see what they like.

ANYWAY what I came in here to say is yes, the Kiss Daniel album is amazing. I imagine it's the kind of thing Brymo might have done if he wasn't too busy being the Nigerian Sting and making albums called Klitoris.

*follow

I sympathise with Deej's position to an extent but it does rely on the assumption that people are *only* using it as a shitty recommendation engine. And even if they are what's wrong with just wanting to listen and read rather than contributing?

This is one thread - as opposed to the bobbins thread which really IS just a recommendation engine - where context really matters, and I couldn't imagine listening the playlist alone. But I'm never going to want to click on embed after embed and it's helpful to have them in one place for when I'm on the move or not at my computer (ie 99% of the time I'm listening to music).

Anyway we've done this argument to death and it's boring, but it's interesting to see how the people who are most militant about this are often the people for whom listening to music all day is a big part of their actual job. If I could afford to do that I'd be pissy about people not putting in the perceived necessary groundwork as well.

Bumping every thread every month to go 'hey, the playlist is updated!' is lame though.

It's just a billion times more convenient for me to be able to listen to the music on this thread via the Spotty playlists than going through each Youtube link one by one. I Don't want to discuss and dissect every track - there isn't always anything to say. I agree that sometimes these rolling threads can come across either as exclusivist or simply as a recommendations thread, but I don't think the Spotify playlists add or subtract to that. No one's forcing anyone to use them, but they are useful,.

If more people listened to the music I like, pitching pieces about that music to editors would be so much easier.

it warps and flattens these threads into shitty recommendation engines

So how would you guys rank the african albums we've seen so far this year? My favorite is probably the Yemi Alade one, with Kiss Daniel trailing behind but the Tiwa and Kesh are good too.

really enjoying the Tiwa Savage album.

I'd like to know where the best place to get hold of these in a good quality format might be... Amazon?

itunes or google play, perhaps?

I know this isn't 2016 but I just discovered Damily's "Very Aomby" from last year's thread and HOLY CRAP this is one of the most amazing guitar things I've ever heard.

And if this is relevant to the current sniping, I only discovered it because it's on the mega Spotify playlist, I wasn't actually reading this thread.

I'm listening to the Kiss Daniel album now and Give Into is so great.

the kiss daniel is my favorite of all these for sure

i didn't realize this but he wrote every song on the album

Fall 2015 but needs to be mentioned: DREAMTEAM - Ingoma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YQdvRbjkU8

"This is a song about... the girl who tried to run away from my love... I call her runaway love... keep running, girl... runaway love..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGD-iA2TKic

Orezi & Olamide - Under the blanket remix... is a jam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXNCPdI8QcU

http://www.barclayscenter.com/events/detail/one-africa-music-fest

July 22 at BK's Barclay's Center - Wizkid, Davido, Diamond Platnumz, Stonebwoy, Flavour, Tiwa Savage, Iyanya

Not working this one but if any of you are interested in contacting the promoter to inquire about doing press, ilxmail me and i'll connect the dots.

Did we post Lucy yet? She's on P-Squares record label and I like her single.

https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/lucy-special-driver

And this one, from Davido Music Worldwide (lol), is nice too:
https://soundcloud.com/avantepr/dmw-featuring-mayorkun-dremo-ichaba-davido-back-2-back

Okay so this one came on automatically and since a) it's a hit and b) includes the lyrics «Hasta la vista / Can I be friends with your sista» followed by rhymes on «mista» and «barista» it needs to be posted:

https://soundcloud.com/youths-digest/koker-kolewerk

Reunited and it feels so good: Olamide x Young John "Konkobility".
https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/olamide-konkobility

No attempts at emulating "Bobo", it seems very much informed by Kiss x Coublon's "Good Time".

Yeah it's interesting to me that so many artists seem to be gravitating towards the more specifically "african" sounds of DJ Coublon at the moment when they're finally getting some attention from the west - sounds that are far less suited for western dancefloors than azonto and the whole afrobeats wave of a few years ago when d'banj and don jazzy were on the verge of an international breakthrough.

As in... even Yemi Alade's album seems kind of old fashioned when you put it next to Kiss Daniel or even Kesh and Tiwa Savage, as if the sound has moved on and become less westernized than it used to be. Most of the tracks on the Yemi Alade you could blend into a «western» sets and it would come off as a bit of spice but the coublons and the young johns will often sound unfamiliar in a pop/club context. Something like Good Time would obviously work anyway but mainly because it reaches back to even earlier paradigms.

I'm very open to objections here, btw. So please bring them on.

The Yemi Alade album is interesting in that Ferrari, to me, is one of the least impressive tracks - I like it but I rarely find myself thinking about it. And yet it's the DJ Coublon track and so it's the single. I remember we had this conversation when Woju and Laye first arrived and I didn't "get" it at first. Well now what I didn't get seems to be the standard. And that's not a bad thing - I appreciate this new sound but it seems evident that something has shifted and it's also interesting that THIS sound, which maybe perhaps doesn't have much crossover potential dominates Nigeria at a moment when the potential for crossover is very much a thing.

Good Time is basically more afrobeat than afrobeats.

Konkobility is going to rule my summer, btw.

Ycee's Su Mi just suddenly clicked into place for me.

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

(xposts)
Not sure I agree about afropop becoming more "African" (and/or western-dancefloor-unfriendly) just recently (since "Woju"?). Go back another year and the big Naija hit is "Dorobucci", for instance, no chance of a crossover there either (and that's a Don Jazzy joint!). Afropop by definition heavily features African beats and styles along with elements from dancehall, hiphop and what have you. Azonto was not just Fuse ODG and "You Go Kill Me" but also "Sorkode" and "Lapaz Toyota", the D'banj/Don Jazzy international almost-breakthrough consisted solely of the totally unrepresentative "Oliver Twist", and P-Square have been there through everything. But if you're (also) saying that afropop is in a constant flux and artists and producers are not slowing down their pace for "the West" to catch up with their sounds and styles, then well, yeah, I would agree with that. (Keeping my fingers crossed that not every song from Nigeria for the next two years will sound like "One Dance" though - much as I enjoy that one).

Afrobeat is obviously a big influence on DJ Coublon 2.0-tracks like "Good Time", (Yemi's "Ferrari" is definitely Coublon 1.0 - more highlife than afrobeat), and on "Konkobility" as well. I'm guessing it's not coincidental that Olamide is singing about a girl who's "fine like Diana Ross". A 1970s themed video might be in the works.

Reekado Banks wants in on this particular action too (horns: check, fuzzy guitar: check) His new one, "Standard", is scorching hot.
https://soundcloud.com/mavinrecords/reekado-banks-standard

As for Young John, he's diversifying his sound in other directions too.
Empathy's "Kondo" sees him trying out alkayida, for instance.

But if it's that classic Young John sound you crave, please redirect to Pheelz. Check out DiDi ft. MayorKun "Gat Me":
https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/didi-ft-mayorkun-gat-me

(Second mention of MayorKun by the way. He is Davido's protege and his debut single "Eleko" is a big hit. I quite like it, but I'm not blown away)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQTE2vWk7RE

And there's a new Wizkid out, "Like This", that's not actually THE new Wizkid. It's credited to (Dutch-Ghanaian) DJ Henry X.
https://soundcloud.com/starboymusic/dj-henry-x-ft-wizkid-like-this

The actual real first post-"One Dance" single, which may or may not be called "Sweet Love", is apparently imminent too. Wonder if (and how) he's going to try and promote it worldwide. "Like This" was premiered on Drake's OVO Sound Radio, so he might have something planned.

Wizkid recently signed Ghanian acts R2Bees, Mr Eazi (who is Nigerian but based in Ghana) and Efya (all of which he has worked with before) to his Starboy Worldwide label.
Efya released her second album "Janesis" earlier this year (before this deal). It's a mixed bag - I'm not a fan of the kind of ballads she does - , but "Decepticon" is undeniable:
https://open.spotify.com/track/0eu5qys2jnY6wbHYAsWtiy

I phrased it a bit harshly but I think we agree, mostly. My point is more that there have been two main currents for a while now - one drawing heavily on traditional african sounds and not likely to cross over to western audiences - stuff like Dorobucci, Young John at his densest and also Coublon drawing on highlife and afrobeat - and one that's within arm's reach of western dancefloors - most of Wizkid's material would fit in here. I'm mainly speaking from experience here - you can play Skales or Wizkid or Yemi Alade's Johnny for white people and they will dance to it. Drop Mama or Dorobucci or Ferrari and the floor is cleared - it comes across as "ethnic" or something, I guess. A lot of the Nigerian stuff is smack deep in the middle - I often reference the stuff Don Jazzy did with D'Banj as Roc-A-Fela-Kuti when explaining it to "outsiders" and I'll stand by that description: The signifiers are pretty obvious and you can choose which ones you want to focus on.

What I'm getting at is that it seems like Nigeria's current vogue is for the stuff that's less likely to cross over into the western markets - Phyno's Alobam would go down easier than Fada Fada (Ghetto Gospel), for instance. And that's perfectly fine with me - I do think Fada Fada is probably the better song. But it will be interesting to see what - if anything - finally makes it out. Why did Ojuelegba kind of cross over, while Ojé still hasn't, for instance?

Or rather, stuff like Good Time or even Ojuelegba could cross over because it fits into a narrative where afrobeat kinda seamlessly morphs into afrobeats. That doesn't feel quite right either. Idk.

The wizkid/Dj Henry track seems weak to me. Standard is great though!

I guess what I'm trying to understand is the question of when cultural differences become productive and when they just function as stop signs. One Dance does it very neatly by pulling all sorts of specific references to the US, Nigeria, SA, Jamaica and England together and somehow subsuming them all to Drake. It opens a door to Africa but not just any door - it's got to be done right if the door's to stay open.

Don Jazzy is an interesting case, imo. Since Dorobucci most of the stuff he has made has had an explicitly african populist edge, often bordering on the downright corny - Oga Thomas, Mungo Park, Adaobi, etc. His young artists, like Korede Bello, Di'Ja and Reekado Banks all seem to be pulling towards a PG rated version of afropop, often with great results (Oluwa Ni is in my top 5 or so this year), but also distancing themselves from the more edgy Wizkid, Davido, Olamide, Kesh, etc, where in particular Wizkid seems hellbent on becoming Africa's Chris Brown and Davido is flirting with hip hop tropes in what I guess is an attempt to cross over to the US, while the YBNL guys are making street music, mostly. What's refreshing about Kiss Daniel is that he has found a way of making «mature» afropop, light on the pangolo,but still fun, and never boring or self-conscious, thus creating a new centre of gravity, I guess.

I've listened a bit to the Tiwa Savage album lately and it's so good - but I keep wondering if the female subjectivity she's projecting will ever work in Europe or the US. She's no rebel, no child-woman and her sexuality is very much kept in check. She can be the good wife, the suffering wife, the woman who is so much better at what she does than anyone else that she always gets the work done - and that also goes for her guest appearances. She's never half-hearted but burns with a certain very compelling, yet always respectable intensity. It speaks to me, but I get the feeling that it might be a tough sell here because of a certain Nigerian... perspective, I guess. In comparison, Yemi Alade's "african-ness" seems a lot more suited for western consumption because it offers itself up as a bunch of familiar, external signifiers - "Mama Africa" - while her persona as the tough girl never gets as culture specific as Tiwa's does - not to my notice, at least. It's mostly *like* western pop, but with a bit of african spice. If "Johnny" had dropped right now, it could very well have been *that* moment in a way that If I Start To Talk or even African Waist almost certainly won't be.

And yet, these things don't always turn out as one thinks they might. As noted above, Ojuelegba made waves where Show Me The Money did not, and maybe it simply did so because it's the better song of the two. I still feel like there are some other factors here to think through though. So any comments would be appreciated.

There's a new Ball J EP btw. He still raps like Jay Z.

https://open.spotify.com/album/51mZL9xTZHtCJzZZ8NxKrz

Poolside Jam seems to be the only keeper, at a skim

I don't really see the point in looking at this country's output entirely thru this binary of whether or not it appeals to outsiders, like the whole reason this stuff is interesting is because it's playing with that tension and you're out here trying to reduce every song to one of two categories when it's way more interesting to look at in terms of the mess of internal and external pressures that shape each individual song

It feels like you're over-determining everything, like this is not how the music functions for its creators really

It's more me looking at what's been charting in Nigeria lately and trying to understand what might actually work outside of an african context and why (not) - but okay, if all you can see is a stupid binary then let's leave it at that.

The binary I'm operating with is quite simply that what works in Nigerian markets won't necessarily work elsewhere. That what won't necessarily work elsewhere might in fact be better than what will is a given - and I have no problem with liking stuff that a Nigerian listener would turn their nose up at: the Pulse album review of the Yemi Alade album explicitly states that "Koffi Annan’ freestyle is a disservice to this LP." And well, I guess it might be, but I still love it.

But that "the mess of internal and external pressures that shape each individual song" also includes the pressures that at least a couple of the Nigerian stars are feeling at the moment to break through outside of Africa is also pretty undeniable, I would think. It's at least partly why Wizkid and Davido haven't dropped their new albums yet, right? My dichotomous point: right now it feels like the artists who seem the least interested in crossing over are flourishing the most.

My perspective here is simple and pragmatic: how do you "sell" the current state of affairs to listeners who are not already familiar with the scene - without skewing what's actually going on? That should be a legitimate concern to non-Nigerian fans, djs and critics, shouldn't it? Even as recently as a year ago picking a handful of great Nigerian hit songs that would totally work on the radio or in a club setting wasn't quite as hard as it is now. As in, Tekno's Dance is still an easier sell than Wash or Duro. And Kcee's Pullover is still an easier sell than, say, (Harrysong's) Reggae Blues. The crossover-friendly songs definitely exist but it takes a bit more work to find them.

So whether you agree with me or not, I'd appreciate some help in singling out some fairly recent songs - preferably legitimate hits - that you would use if you were to put some n00bs onto this stuff.
I'd probably put Good Time up front, then maybe Koffi Annan, If I Start To Talk, Konkobility, I Like The Way, The Money and Romantic - perhaps also Romantic and Oluwa Ni? Mr. Eazi's Dance For Me, and maybe Skin Tight too?

Please add on - or subtract.

Adding Soweto Baby to that list.

I'd say "bad" by tiwa savage but I don't think they realize how much "badder than bad you know" sounds like "better than vaginal"

lol

In other news, I'm stuck on this one today. The Mr Eazi sound makes so much sense in the sun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv5sDMYP_eY

So did Fela actually mentor D'Banj in any real way or did he just grow up listening to a lot of Fela? I'm trying to find a legit source for the mentorship but all the stupid websites are just quoting each other so I'm starting to think it's the latter.

Just some good new music:

Sarkodie, "Wofa Kwame"
https://soundcloud.com/sarkodie-290419681/sarkodie-wofa-kwame-prod-by-gafacci

The Ezi Emela x Omeiza partnership keeps on giving: "No Lele"
https://soundcloud.com/eziemelamusic

I could almost hear (or wish that I could!) Ciara singing this. (The Ezi obv.)

i interviewed yemi alade recently and she basically said that when making her new album, mastering a pan-african sound that could appeal to the continent as a whole was more of a priority than catering to western markets, not that she's averse to the idea of crossing over there

Yeah that's what I was getting at, basically. In the Fader Davido piece he's worrying about whether there will be room for two african crossover artists - him and Wizkid - and explicitly says that he's trying to find an ojuelegba. So at that level we have maybe two artists thinking they have a chance to be "that african guy" american artists call when they want a hook, and a whole range of artists that aren't even trying to look in that direction. And as much as I love Wizkid and Davido, the most interesting stuff musically seems to be happening among the people who are mostly looking inwards or toward a pan-african market. Also, the Davido article stated that he had paid Meek Mill $200 000 for the Fans Mi feature, which seems... weird to say the least. I understand that the stakes are high for these guys but still...

The Fans Mi crossover moment was quite literally thwarted by the Meek/Drake beef, which left Meek and his collabos decidedly uncool there for a while. And then Wizkid comes up with... Drake? It's both funny and sad.

So at that level we have maybe two artists thinking they have a chance to be "that african guy" american artists call when they want a hook, and a whole range of artists that aren't even trying to look in that direction.

this seems like a pretty big leap

Well yeah, perhaps. How would you put it then?

Someone like Olamide is obviously not looking to cross over into the western markets yet, but he's still affected by the gravitational pull that started with Ojuelegba and deepened with Good Time. And what Olamide does still seems to dictate what's going on on the «ground level» of Nigerian music. As for Tiwa Savage, I'm curious about how they're going to try to present her outside of Africa if that's indeed what the Roc Nation signing means.

i dont think ojuelegba or good time were written with western markets in mind

They weren't. But the crossover success of Ojuelegba clearly tilted the market in favor of afrobeat-flavoured hits. Hence Good Time and now Konkobility.

Wizkid didn't pay Tyga to jump on Ojuelegba, he wanted him on Show Me The Money. That didn't really work and Ojuelegba became the biggest song on the album - even outside Africa. So the dynamic changed.

Ojuelegba is afrobeat? Good Time follows from Ojuelegba? You make some good points, but this: no.

Let me just quote this piece on Ojuelegba from Allafrica.com (july 2015) for you:

"In the lyrics, Wizkid recounts the episodes of his painstaking effort at promoting his music, from one studio to another, with different producers in that axis. He expresses his appreciation for his mother’s support through the years in this feel-good song.
Technically, the song has a cross-over appeal with the easy flowing Afrobeat rhythm; one that could make put it on replay while driving through traffic with your grandparents and young cousins in the backseats. There’s no Fela fan who would not be reminded of “Confusion Break Bone” when Wizkid’s chants his “Ojuelegba” chorus over an Afrobeat instrumental.

While Fela’s reference to Ojuelegba was to expose social-economic depravity, Wizkid’s intervention is in congruence with the overall theme of his album, dedicated to his undying passion to succeed in music. Unlike Fela, Wizkid gives room for praising God for his mileage in music in most of his tracks including “Jaiye Jaiye” which was highly influenced by the legendary musician’s Afrobeat.
In it, he sings, “Are you feeling good tonight?/This thing got me thanking God for life/ I can’t explain..”. “Ojuelegba” has a sample of electronic instrumental from Dr Dre’s collaborative track with Snoop Doggy Dogg titled, “Nothing But A ‘G’ Thang” from the master producer’s debut solo album, “The Chronic”, which was released in 1992, two years after Wizkid was born."

http://allafrica.com/stories/201507200223.html

ojuelgba blew up internationally because the biggest rapper in the world hopped on it, not bc of some inherent quality of its sound

you know what was always interesting to me was how nothin but a g thing was actually sampled on this record before ojuelegba

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGhs8S4UZw

I know. That song is really slept on. And OF COURSE it blew up because Drake jumped on it. My argument is more along the lines of a) why did Drake jump on that song and not another one, and b) what could you emulate about Ojuelegba given that most people won't get Drake to jump on their song.

Would be interested in hearing how breastcrawl would classify Ojuelegba musically though. It does strike me as different from other Wizkid / Legendury Beatz collabos.

I like the new Legendury Beatz single btw, even if it probably would be better with the real Wizkid instead of this understudy:

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

To my ears, at least, even something like Cobham Asuquo's Boosit seems to lean ever so slightly towards afrobeat in a way that it maybe wouldn't have done just a year ago. There's a lot of R&B in there as well, of course - i'm speaking about vibe here, mostly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMBM-MbFj-c

The afrobeat component is there in "Ojuelegba", that was a gross oversight on my part - I guess it's because don't have the Fela Kuti engrained in me. But it's just that, a component. Is that gentle beat really out of the afrobeat book? The strings and the g-funk synth certainly aren't. It definitely has an old skool vibe, but I'd say in a not specific way. It's very much its own thing. In fact, I wouldn't know of any other track in this style. Certainly not recent afrobeat-influenced songs like Burna's "Soke" and Moe Logo's "Penkele" that wear their Felaisms on their sleeve. Did they come out with those tracks because of "Ojuelegba"? Maybe, but I'm not convinced. There were popular Fela tributes before it too, like LNC's "Ko Sere" and Oritse Femi's "Double Wahala", and of course the biggest of them all in recent memory, Wizkid's own "Jaiye Jaiye", also mentioned in the article you linked to. As for "Good Time", I see it primarily as Coublon further honing his sound. The horns (notably absent from "Ojuelegba"!), were already introduced in Tekno's "Duro", for instance, and then he went full-on with "Good Time". Influenced by "Ojuelegba"? Again, who knows. But then why hasn't anybody tried to recreate/copy the actual way "Ojuelegba" sounds, if they feel that's the way to go? Or have they and did I miss something?

(Perhaps Bular's gorgeous "Shamajo", produced by Blaq Jerzee, that I posted back in March? But no, the focus is very much on the horns again - and besides, it wasn't a hit.)

Meanwhile, Kiss Daniel's buddy Sugarboy has just released the followup to "Hola Hola", called "Double".

https://soundcloud.com/gworldwideent/sugarboy-double

Hey, I've recently come across a few "Afro Trap" compilations. They look potentially dubious, and mostly consist of songs by artists about which I can't find much information. Anybody know anything about them?

https://open.spotify.com/user/glennpmcdonald/playlist/25juWkTqXuMm0HdiROhMbt

Afro Trap, Afro Pop & Afrobeat Hits, Vol. 1 (Remastered) [ CD Run Presents ]
Afro Trap [ Sushiraw ]
Afro Trap X Kizomba [ Sushiraw ]
Afro Trap Infinity [ Sushiraw ]
Afro Trap Session [ Sushiraw ]
Afro Pop & Trap (African Rythm & Beat) [ Melynga ]

I really like the stuff on them, and want to find more of it! Whatever it is.

The afrobeat component is there in "Ojuelegba", that was a gross oversight on my part - I guess it's because don't have the Fela Kuti engrained in me. But it's just that, a component. Is that gentle beat really out of the afrobeat book? The strings and the g-funk synth certainly aren't. It definitely has an old skool vibe, but I'd say in a not specific way. It's very much its own thing. In fact, I wouldn't know of any other track in this style. Certainly not recent afrobeat-influenced songs like Burna's "Soke" and Moe Logo's "Penkele" that wear their Felaisms on their sleeve. Did they come out with those tracks because of "Ojuelegba"? Maybe, but I'm not convinced. There were popular Fela tributes before it too, like LNC's "Ko Sere" and Oritse Femi's "Double Wahala", and of course the biggest of them all in recent memory, Wizkid's own "Jaiye Jaiye", also mentioned in the article you linked to. As for "Good Time", I see it primarily as Coublon further honing his sound. The horns (notably absent from "Ojuelegba"!), were already introduced in Tekno's "Duro", for instance, and then he went full-on with "Good Time". Influenced by "Ojuelegba"? Again, who knows. But then why hasn't anybody tried to recreate/copy the actual way "Ojuelegba" sounds, if they feel that's the way to go? Or have they and did I miss something?

(Perhaps Bular's gorgeous "Shamajo", produced by Blaq Jerzee, that I posted back in March? But no, the focus is very much on the horns again - and besides, it wasn't a hit.)

― breastcrawl, Wednesday, June 15, 2016 8:15 PM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

When I talk about "influence" I mean it in the subtlest way you can imagine. The afrobeat influence on Good Time and Konkobility strikes me as way closer to the afrobeat component of Ojuelegba than that of the full blown Jaiye Jaiye, for instance - and mainly because of the gentleness. That gentleness suggests a new, more subtle approach that I think maybe, perhaps goes back to the success of Ojuelegba more than anything else: suddenly an understated song/beat became the biggest of them all. Maybe there's even a trace of the Ojuelegba beat's gentleness in the loose groove of Who You Epp? I don't know but it seems at the very least possible that the massive success of an atypical song like Ojuelegba - which I believe only sort of became a single after most fans and critics singled it out as Ayo's saving grace: it doesn't even have its own single cover in iTunes - impacted the sonics of nigerian afropop in ways that will probably become more evident to us as time goes on.

As in "the difference between Show You The Money/Fans Mi and Who You Epp is effectively Ojuelegba. This is all speculative, but hey, let's speculate.

So it's not merely a question of direct influence - as in "horns" - but a question about which songs/styles are pushed or decided on as singles

So, my two cents as a complete outsider and a lurker in these threads for a few years now. I can sort of hear where the appeal of stuff like Dorobucci and Story For the Gods comes from since they remind me of some Balkan hits I'd have a hard time explaining to "foreigners". But yeah, I don't really feel it. I don't like Kiss Daniel either. He sounds like a crossover version of this stuff and just feels generic. On the other hand, I LOVE shit like Tchelete and Soweto Baby. Could someone describe what makes those distinctive? They are obviously more "western" but I prefer them to any r'n'b or pop from the last few years.

They're driven by south african pop-house rhythms as opposed to traditional highlife-infused nigerian rhythms, would be the short answer. I'd be interested in hearing what you thought about stuff like Olamide and Lil Kesh though?

Thanks! That makes sense. But what south african pop-house rhythms? How long is that history? Any recommendations? Olamide fits the highlife current, which I respect but don't enjoy fully. I'd probably like Lil Kesh more if I understood any of the slang.

as an outsider to the Nigerian/ghanian scene, my biggest question is always what is the influence of non-Fela Afrobeat (and other west-African music Juju, etc) on the modern stuff? I feel like everyone just talks about the Fela influence when selling people from NA on it since that is the name everyone knows but who are the big 90s/early 00s Nigerians & Ghanians? I stumble across them at times, but really have no idea the progression of things before D'Banj started blowing up, surely the current generation listened to a lot of that shit (plus of course Euro & NA stuff) too right?

So... apparently it's gonna be the summer of Wizkid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktu5j-VVRLM

and Simmel, Olamide has a lot of styles. From your answer I'm guessing your problem mostly has to do with unfamiliarity with this stuff. It kind of neatly illustrates what I was trying to discuss above, namely that some african styles seem to cross over more easily than others and that maybe perhaps what's hot in Nigeria atm won't necessarily do it for relative newcomers. But there's really just one solution and that is to immerse yourself in all of it, even the stuff you don't really get at first. You probably won't regret it.

Yes, definitely. I liked you distinctions farther up and commented so you could maybe expand on them. I would appreciate any sort of recommendations.

I wrote about the history of it in the fader piece I did on this stuff

I also recently spoke w ayo jay and he identified wande coal's stuff from the Late 00s as the real year zero for the most recent movement, more than dbanj

As in "the difference between Show You The Money/Fans Mi and Who You Epp is effectively Ojuelegba. This is all speculative, but hey, let's speculate.

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, June 15, 2016 2:48 PM (4 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Idk some of the speculation going on here feels overdetermined to me. Like there are so many more dynamics going on here than just "success in the west" and again it's how these tensions play out in the music that makes this stuff interesting, but not in this flattened authentic/"pop" way imo

I don't like Kiss Daniel either. He sounds like a crossover version of this stuff and just feels generic.

Like cmon this is insane

Don't these guys play to crowds of tens of thousands of people? It seems very obvious why they would be more interested in reaching African listeners rather than Western audiences where the best you can hope for is maybe selling out the Indigo2 or wherever.

Idk some of the speculation going on here feels overdetermined to me. Like there are so many more dynamics going on here than just "success in the west" and again it's how these tensions play out in the music that makes this stuff interesting, but not in this flattened authentic/"pop" way imo

― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Sunday, June 19, 2016 12:26 PM (50 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Part of this is informed bythe time I reached out to sarz on twitter asking for a cdq of Sound It so that I could play it out and he hit me back through dm thanking for the support, then adding "More edm infused vibes coming……wait on it" - and I couldn't help thinking that he probably thought that I, as a Westerner, wanted was more "edm" when of course I was not. So the speculation goes that maybe Ojuelegba changed that mentality a bit. That is how I'm interpreting Wizkid's accelerating Fela infatuation, at the very least. Yes, there was Jaiye Jaiye already, but after Ojuelegba we got Expensive Shit, the Fela tattoo and him sharing concert footage of Fela concerts on FB. I'm not saying that's the ONLY dynamic going on atm, but I do think it's there.

EDM vibes have always been a potentially interesting direction for them imo, beat of life is p EDM ish
But then current EDM doesn't sound like EDM

Absolutely. What got to me was the way he singled out edm as THE ingredient that would keep me interested.

Don't these guys play to crowds of tens of thousands of people?

fader profile on davido earlier this year seemed to suggest this wasn't the case in nigeria at least:

In Nigeria, concerns about security, a lack of concert venues, and deep income disparity mean there are few large, ticketed events; aside from a handful of public concerts, private shows like these are the norm.

I don't like Kiss Daniel either. He sounds like a crossover version of this stuff and just feels generic.

Like cmon this is insane

I meant in a specific sort of "80's world music pop crossover" way. Not sure how you could not notice that vibe in Kiss Daniel.

My wife said pretty much the same thing when I played Mama the other day. That it felt less modern than what I usually played and gave her Sting vibes.

I think you guys are bringing a lot of external baggage to this that doesn't really map out on this music the same way. To me kiss Daniel sounds very modern (particularly in terms of its rhythms) tho obv there's some throwback element at play (cf the horns in "good time"). But regardless this is a very different context and there are lots of different tensions going on, I'd encourage appreciating it more holistically

I guess what I'm saying is I'm getting this sense u guys are like, "this is great but what if it was even more like stuff I already like" when what I really love about it is that its rules are so completely different that it makes you reconsider the aesthetic rules we take for granted....maybe uh 80s sting vibes were over-hated, or whatever... "Leave the cool parts" (c. Chance the rapper) feels like a boring way to approach the most populous African country's sound nm "Afrobeats" as a whole

yeah wait kiss daniel is great cuz it sounds like an album drake & paul simon could enjoy equally

That Kiss Daniel song is pretty; yawn @ "authenticity"

Went back to the first entry and looked for music since posted and added like thirty tracks, so the playlist is up to date. Found a lot of great songs. Good looking out!

ILM's Rolling Afrobeat & Afropop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Except I'm not my wife and really love the Kiss Daniel album and Mama in particular. It's more that I've been listening to so much of this stuff over the past four years or so that I'm curious about how new listeners are hearing this.

xpost to deej, of course

I didn't want to drop the Sting bomb but yeah, that's how I hear Kiss Daniel. I respect that you guys can get into it, but I'd rather get a sense of where Soweto Baby comes from and get more of that. I'm boring I guess. I've read some Ayo Jay interviews and got more context. Wande Coal seems like a way to go.

Junior and pretty are the real start of this lineage back in the early 90s. Then groups like trybsemen & plantashun boys. The modern version starts w the wande coal/dbanj/don jazzy album "curriculum vitae"

Thanks!

Actually, early Wande Coal is very interesting since it's fairly obvious that's where Wizkid got his style from, more or less. The 2008 Mushin 2 Mohits album is out of print so I'll risk uploading it for you:
http://www93.zippyshare.com/v/BLiEI3eW/file.html

i.e.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LElmPMNaCU4

Some new stuff.

Lil Kesh just dropped a new video from his album, the mummy-loving Ishe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZMaPZTQay4

And here's the official video for Konkobility. No Diana Ross 70s vibes, I'm afraid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMG3Hz7pOHY

Mr. Eazi is increasingly providing the soundtrack of my summer. Here's Anointing with Sarkodie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5cY8jKVdRk

Actually, early Wande Coal is very interesting since it's fairly obvious that's where Wizkid got his style from, more or less. The 2008 Mushin 2 Mohits album is out of print so I'll risk uploading it for you:
http://www93.zippyshare.com/v/BLiEI3eW/file.html

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, June 20, 2016 1:35 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

do you happen to have curriculum vitae?

I think have a low bitrate rip on this computer but it's also in itunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/currliculum-vitae/id321264519

glenn mcdonald - cheers for that 'afro-trap' playlist. don't detect any trap in there, but most of what i heard sounds like it's from Cote d'Ivoire

Returning to the Uk Funky - "afrobeats" link there's a DJ Spinall & Ice Prince version of the new Donae'O single but since the beat is the same and Ice Prince doesn't add much I'm posting the original in here lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNBm2eVxzpw

Hmmm, just discovered that the song is a year old even if the video is new. I guess these things happen.

Was it known itt that "one dance" was a wizkid song ?

I saw that but apparently it wasn't.

https://www.bellanaija.com/2016/06/seyi-shay-says-one-dance-was-wizkids-song-wizkid-responds-she-lied/

Don't these guys play to crowds of tens of thousands of people?

fader profile on davido earlier this year seemed to suggest this wasn't the case in nigeria at least:

In Nigeria, concerns about security, a lack of concert venues, and deep income disparity mean there are few large, ticketed events; aside from a handful of public concerts, private shows like these are the norm.

not true imo. there are private events - extremely expensive ones - but when i was there, it was a ton of public shows. i think that was bc it was like the christmas holiday season but there was like a show every day

femi kuti was super funny when i interviewed him about jaiye jaiye and afropop in general. he was totally like "that shits garbo, these dudes cant play an instrument, they're all going to be hooked on drugs and useless in 5 years" lol

No shock there. "Serious musicians" tend to think that about pop artists.

Koffi Anan has a video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoU3tUldZ9w

:re the wizkid/seyi shay controversy, notjustok seems to think maybe she was right after all.

http://notjustok.com/2016/06/21/wizkid-seyi-shay-dilemma-decoded-bolaji-oyegunle/

Two big new ones:

Lil Kesh has parted ways with YBNL, but hey, I guess it counts as a Young John record, right? "Bend Down Select"

https://soundcloud.com/djsuperstunner/bend-down-select

And one year after "My Woman My Everything", Patoranking turns to Ghana for inspiration again. "No Kissing" features Sarkodie; GospelOnDeBeatz provides the alkayida-ish beat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T-GeoXlEBg

Note to Spotify users: the Young John track is listed there under the moniker "Youngjonn".

playlist is updated.

couple nice new kwaito songs climbing the SA dance charts lately, really like Wololo

Babes Wodumo ft Mampintsha - Wololo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlkybvVEQ4g

DJ Tira ft Black Motion & Drumetic Boyz - Sfuna Abo Chomi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axyaytKP4UI

Wiz Kid collaborated with and bowed down to Nigerian juju music legend King Sunny Ade in 2013 I see on Youtube (for those tracing back historic influences)

Kiss Daniel is now on a North American tour. He's gonna be in a club outside Washington DC Saturday. Based on my experience with that club, he will probably come onstage around 2am and be singing over tracks.

Two killer Naija tracks (plus bonus jams):

Boybreed "Tumbo Tumbo", produced by Omeiza (see the Ezi Emela above):
https://soundcloud.com/boybreed/tumbo-tumbo

(It's also on Spotify, search for "Boy Breed")

Flavour ft. Phyno & Zoro "Gbo Gan Gbom (Une Soul):
https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/flavour-ft-phyno-zoro-gbo-gan-gbom-une-soul

Produced by Kezyklef, who also produced Zoro's fantastic "Ogene" (ft. Flavour). That track was posted earlier this year, but not the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTWYQnbqN8I)

(There's also a remix out that adds Lil Kesh and Ycee)

…as well as Phyno's brand new track "E Sure For Me (Olisa Doo)":
https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/phyno-e-sure-for-me-olisa-doo

I just lurk, thanks for a great thread! I have been listen to this a lot lately and didn't see it posted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxeJ3PPhYaM
Konshen - Bruk Off Mi Back

That would go in the dancehall thread! It's the biggest tube from the Moskato riddim, which is still ruling everything. Great song.

lmao, sorry!

No problem! (*tube = tune btw, lol)
Konshens is in fact on a good new afropop tune, Shabba (not the wizkid one), so you just gave me an excused to post it:

https://youtu.be/bhx1kxqPFZ8

Your irregular Tekno update:

His new single, "Pana", a sort-of-ballad:
https://soundcloud.com/triplemg-music/pana-tekno-prod-by-krizbeatz

With Capital Vibez on "Abasi", GospelOnDeBeatz producing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoiUn1RhA1U

And especially with Yung Muse (from Liberia) on "Danze". This one's for bangin':
https://soundcloud.com/yungmuse/yung-muse-ft-teckno-miles-danze

Mr Eazi continues his conquest of his native Nigeria, guesting on DJ Neptune's "Marry" (a Kiddominant production):
https://soundcloud.com/afro-songz/dj-neptune-marry-ft-mr-eazi

Seyi Shay teams up with the wonderful Niniola on "Juba (Bow Down)", GospelOnDeBeatz producing this one as well:
https://soundcloud.com/seyi-shay/juba-ft-niniola

Two new ones from Young John:

…one a bit disappointing: Lil Kesh "Kojo":
https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/lil-kesh-kojo-prod-by-young-jonn

…the other one a lot of fun: Viktoh ft. Ycee "Mad Jam":
https://soundcloud.com/sterlingsoundz/viktoh-ft-ycee-mad-jam-prod-young-john

Finally caught up on this thread (to a degree anyway) a few weeks ago and am now completely obsessed with this stuff again--currently being blown away that there's an entire album of Kiss Daniel and so far it is all up to the standard of Mama and Good Time.

I don't think "Raba" by DJ Shabsy x Kiss Daniel & Sugarboy has been posted; the bassline on this is beautiful:

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

Pana is my joint.

yeah Pana is rad, love the percussion, it's like analogue trap at times

Classixx got Young John to remix one of their songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir2nF3K4nhw

nothing special compared to most of this thread but kind of interesting data point

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/is-this-the-year-that-african-music-conquers-the-us/2016/08/17/561c8e5e-60a8-11e6-9d2f-b1a3564181a1_story.html

Andy Beta article. The answer to the headline is still probably no.

Olamide has two strong new singles, both produced by Major Bangz:

Sere with Lil Kesh:
https://soundcloud.com/afro-songz/olamide-sere-ghetto-story-ft-lil-kesh

Owo Blow:
https://soundcloud.com/afro-songz/olamide-owo-blow

Today I'm in love with this Masterkraft produced song from a girl group that has totally gone under my radar. Great name though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NhtEmoZmpI
Shiikane - Loke

Playlist is updated.

New Timaya makes me happy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tx-HzZnr34

Hope you all aren't sleeping on the new A Pass album, Nva Kampala. Soft reggae/dancehall from Uganda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SBTh4h-ElY

This is the openning track, Wuuyo

https://www.buzzfeed.com/reggieugwu/afrobeats-invasion

https://www.buzzfeed.com/reggieugwu/afrobeats-invasion

― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Friday, September 9, 2016 7:20 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Like the sounds of this song, nice to see its gonna cross over

I think this is my favourite SA song of the summer, as mentioned in the youtube comments, has some serious bojo mujo circa 2005 vibes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_b-g3PjFws

I like the new Banky W. The Video is cool too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vol9JQE9oTM

Playlist is updated.

There's a new Babes Wodumo and I really like it:
https://open.spotify.com/track/2mkMQIi4gGXiPCbv4nLN17

just found out that Nyashinksi came back to Kenyan music this year, his new songs are a joy

Nyashinski - Mungu Pekee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfPb88GD1Tc

Nyashinski - Now You Know
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnbg0l6sRkA

he was a part of Kleptomaniax back in the early 2000s, who put out this great song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3phE35z8q1w

which couldn't sound more like exactly what Nairobi radio was back then, when things were more kapuka (poppier) focused & genge had't taken over

poppier is probably wrong, it was more of a classic commercial vs. authentic debate

that babes wodumo song is great longneck, kwaito this year has come from her IMO

*best kwaito

https://www.instagram.com/p/BL0O2Q8DrWP/

new drumboss album potentially out this year, new single is cool, not his best work or anything but an interesting on where he might go with this one (however slight a difference really, don't think he's gonna re-invent anything anytime soon but it always work so who cares)

Yeah I haven't heard anything really mindblowing from drumboss since his last album.

This Mayorkun and Eazi collabo is good. Does it mean that Davido and Wizkid are getting along nowadays, though?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn67uUebBBk

Also,Shiikane's Loke got a video. I love this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r9FvdNMSSU

R2Bees, Wizkid and Legendury Beatz come together:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcQSo0mrjBo

There is now a Babes Wodumo album and it kicks ass:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2qo3hg3iZ6Pm55qaR3U7fT

Also, Heavy-K is back with more gorgeous Heavy-K-ness:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nase4xEjhhU

(my wife is back in Cape Town and I'm trying hard to cope with it all, lol)

Okay so I played the Babes Wodumo album while kneading pizza dough and it was a life changing moment. AOTY for me.

yeah! just listened to wodumo's album, great shit. I like how you can hear the collabs but they really don't take away from her sound at all, like the two Tira tracks you can definitely hear his work but its thru her voice. definitely the best straight though kwaito (i guess GQOM but i am old and can't handle genre change) album this year.

yeah, i'm a bit confused about the whole genre marker thing. I will say though that this is one of a very few new albums I've heard in 2016 that felt thoroughly modern, but I do realize that there are probably a lot of deep kwaito references I do not get. If anyone could tell me more about the transition from kwaito to gqom, I'd appreciate it. To me, at least, it sounds as if the phrases are shorter and more staccato?

playlist is updated.

I like how you can hear the collabs but they really don't take away from her sound at all, like the two Tira tracks you can definitely hear his work but its thru her voice.

― kruezer2, 4. desember 2016 03:02 (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This is very intriguing to me since I don't really know what to listen for. Care to elaborate?

This is very intriguing to me since I don't really know what to listen for. Care to elaborate?

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, December 5, 2016 9:39 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

They don't really (speaking in terms of the whole GQOM/Kwaito relationship thing) have a very close relationship in general I don't think. GQOM is for taking ecstacy and dancing and Kwaito is for getting drunk by the pool.

The Wodumo record is kind of the first real moment for merging Kwaito and GQOM sensibilities in any real way I think. It makes sense that it comes from her and Mampintsha (who are potentially engaged for real at this point) since Mampintsha is a long time part of Durban's Kwaito scene w/ Big Nuz for Afrotainment. As an aside I think Tira's most noticeable signifiers are higher BPM and tighter, heavier basslines.

That said, its interesting to listen to something like this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF460058UkA

then this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JjW6sjwS_0

and finally Wololo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Me4LvzdZHE

First, I can't believe how current Kaffir still sounds, but that said, I feel like you can really hear the merging of the styles in Wololo. I think Babes herself is a major impact, having a consistent vocalist is certainly not something done in GQOM (though I am not in the clubs in Durban, could be they have people on top of the track while they are mixing I don't know) but most of the GQOM songs I hear have sample or at least modified vocals.

That said, I think the biggest difference in GQOM is ditching 4/4, most kwaito remains in 4/4 because its pop music afterall. Changing the beat structure is the thing about Wodumo's record that shows her break with classic Kwaito the most. Though on the flip side she has a lot more melody to her songs than most GQOM, which is yeah, staccato & full of breakbeats so it sounds a lot colder than Kwaito.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I hear in this too. Maphintsa is obviously a key player here, fusing the old and the new. Interesting point about the lack of traditional 4/4s. It kinda propels the harder parts of the clave drums to the fore, no?

had SUCH a fun time at the Davido gig last night :)))

Please tell us more, lex!

Anyway, I'm doing so research and it seems like this Bhizer song is tipped as the next gqom tune to bubble over:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaQug_4IeHk

New Mr. Eazi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9QHZG_PYjY

And new Tekno:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onhyeCsinK4

I'm loving the melodies in a lot of this stuff, but it seems like there's so much less low-end than either American or UK r&b/pop. Am I just clicking on the wrong tracks and missing some chest-rattlers or is it just a treble-heavy genre?

sounds like maybe its how you're consuming it, there are tracks w/ more subtle kick drums but plenty that are harder than that

yeah, it's mostly a lot more subtle than a huge blanket of bass, mostly because of the clave rhythms and the fact that there's a lot of air. That being said, a lot of these tracks are mixed poorly or with lots of treble. That's the one thing I don't love about the Kiss Daniel album, for instance. It sounds a bit thin.

But, I mean, stuff like this has enough low end for me, at least in the non-youtube version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fD-L3GxSnA
Wande Coal & DJ Tunez - Iskaba

anyone seen any dece year end lists yet?

Not really, but I expect Pana will come out on top of most of them. What are your favorites this year, deej?
I feel like we've all been a bit lazy with this thread, as there's lots of stuff I play regularly that haven't been posted. At the same time thereare whole albums, like Phyno's that I haven't had the chance to check yet. The Heavy-K album is good, btw, but I haven't found any truly sublime highlights on it, like Umoya or Give Me Love.

here's the tracks I listened to the most I think:

dj henry x & wizkid - like this
ayo jay - call your number
yemi alade - gucci ferragamo
classixx - whatever I want (young john da wicked producer rmx)
MHD - afro trap pt.5
olatunji - oh yay
kiss daniel - give into
kiss daniel & wizkid - good time (remix)

Yeah, that's pretty much what I hear in this too. Maphintsa is obviously a key player here, fusing the old and the new. Interesting point about the lack of traditional 4/4s. It kinda propels the harder parts of the clave drums to the fore, no?

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, December 5, 2016 4:30 PM (five days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

just needed to say, yea, you are totally right on this

forgot maleek berry - "kontrol"

From Jon Caramanica's top song list in the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/arts/music/best-songs.html?action=click&contentCollection=Music&module=RelatedCoverage®ion=EndOfArticle&pgtype=article

6. Ayo Jay “Your Number” (One Nation/RCA) This Nigerian-raised singer had the song of the summer that wasn’t.

afropop.org had one item in their year-end stocking stuffers list -- Tiwa Savage, R.E.D. (Mavin)

quite like this Bisa Kdei & Patoranking track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9a7yDxLpO0

is the Break Through album good? I haven't listened to anything Kdei since "Azonto Ghost"

also this new Runtown song is nicely languid:

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

I also enjoyed reading the outraged comments for Davido's new "trap" song

Bisa Kdei has had a good year. I play Brother Brother and Jwe a lot.

ty longneck
also the Runtown I meant to post was this one: https://youtu.be/Tb4X1BWNO5k

only just realised there was an eva alordiah album this year! loved "kanayo", gonna go in

love babes wodumo's sound but like the heavy-k album (and lots of house-adjacent genres) it's not really an albums thing - every track is worthwhile but listening to them as an album isn't the best way to do it

what are ppl's afropop lists of this year? (also, what are we calling it? both davido and yemi alade seemed to veer away from "afrobeats" when i talked to them, in part precisely because of the confusion with afrobeat; davido calls it afrofusion, yemi calls it afropolitan)

the djs ive talked to prefer 'afropop' which makes the most sense to me...separates it from like south african house qua house while accepting that as an influence directed more toward 3-4 min pop songs

everyone ive talked to say afrobeats was a way of selling it in the uk & also tends to lump together very difft genres as if they were one genre... i think maybe afrobeats could be seen as synonymous with a bigger umbrella around 'modern african music all-inclusive' where afropop is pop songs derived from older genres (dancehall, house, highlife or w/e). I think this thread tends to center around afropop while often incorporating records that are outside that (south african house for ex) but typically in relation to afropop as a center

@lex

Actually, I play them both as albums and it works just fine. However, my wife got me the Babes CD in SA and it seems as though Amatsegetsege is really the bonus track and not the opening track, as it seems to be on streaming services.

Anyway, when i was in Cape Town in March, the SA people I spoke with seemed to think Black Coffe was (deep) house while Heavy-K was afropop and Shumaya was kwaito 2.0, so it all seems to be a bit relative. I think afropop covers most of it, for the reasons given by deej, mostly.

Here's a list. Choosing Diana over Pana seems weird as hell to me, but what do I know?
http://pulse.ng/buzz/pulse-list-2016-top-20-nigerian-songs-of-2016-id5889409.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=Autofeed#link_time=1481653517

I always just stick with afropop (i don't write about music or anything so not like i am doing this in any way other than conversation), but like the DJs D-40 mentioned, unless i am talking about the specifics of a genre i always just call it Afropop. Kinda like the idea of Afropolitan though.

otoh, i think these are my favourites from this year, in no real order, sure i am missing a bunch though as this is just off the top of my head (and searching this thread)...

DJ Kentalky ft. Lil Kesh - Blessings
Navy Kenzo - Kamatia
Vicmass Luodollar - Bank Otuch (Remix Ft. OCTOPIZZO)
Nonini ft Jegede - HiiNiYA
Babes Wodumo - Wololo
King Monada - Ska Bhora Moreki
Nyashinski - Mungu Pekee

To me, at least, the defining grace of afropop is the «pop» component, suggesting that this is music that both is and *should* be widely popular, whereas the -beats label kinda sorta suggests that this is a club-centred, more marginal phenomenon. To us that might be where the house component seems to fit in, but I'm guessing Wololo has been blasted from Ubers for months now, and even Davido went with the house drums for his big crossover attempt with Tinashe.

nah i don't think beats is just the marginal stuff, i think '-beats' is basically any contemporary african music regardless of genre or origin

So Davido's output this year basically sucked right?

was also not super impressed w/ burna boy's tape

Pree Me is good. I also liked three of the songs on Davido's EP. None of them are better than The Money, but not much is.

The thing is... I've never heard of afrobeats as a genre marker outside of in a Nigerian/West African context. If you say Afrobeats in SA, they'll just look at you funny. Afropop, they can live with. I'm guessing the same goes for Kenya or any other African country where they make modern sounding popular music.

i think its different between South Africa and the other countries of Africa, Afrobeats & Afropop were used fairly generically when i was in Kenya (granted that was years ago now). But I think that SA has always kinda distanced its musical traditions from the rest of the continent, at least post-apartheid, and stick with there own genre markers because of it. But their pop music gets labelled afropop (for obvious naming convention reasons) so they to live with it.

SA has (obviously) had a different sort of history compared to the other nations of sub-saharan africa and i think their music is one reflection of that.

also i agree on Davido, he was on a steep decline this year.

I should adjust the last line of my earlier post to 'post-colonial history'

Pree Me is good. I also liked three of the songs on Davido's EP. None of them are better than The Money, but not much is.

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, December 15, 2016 3:04 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

'the money' is like his 9th best single or something though.

I don't disagree with that.

it's funny that the two afropop artists really getting the western push - davido and wizkid - mostly spent 2016 failing to get long-awaited albums out

but something i've always said about genres or scenes is that their health can be measured in how good the b-tier artists are, not the auteurs and stars and a-listers.

I guess the main reason for them not getting albums out is their attempt to breach the western markets and not quite figuring out how. Your point still stands though. .

davido got a project out and it was bad

wizkid spent part of the year appearing on the year's most streamed record. i think they're just being strategic w/ rolling him out, not 'failing'.

Wizkid did try to crossover on his own, though. Remember this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-EUPC7SGaw

It went exactly nowhere.

The weird thing to me is that the crossover moments on Davido's EP, the Tinashe song and the ATL trap joint were the songs I liked the best on it. I had to overcome a bit of initial resistance with regards to the Tinashe joint but it's really pretty good. She overdoes it in the video though.

he released one records where he was a bit player along w/ two singers and a rapper, i don't think that qualifies as an effort to 'cross over.' that wasn't pushed to radio, it didn't get a video

labels monetize 'artist development' now, i'm sure that's all that's happening here

the Davido ep is fine, not bad

the Eva Alordiah album is excellent throughout, dare I say the best afrobeats album of the year that I heard?

Judging from what's been nominated so far we're in for a repeat of no afropop songs placing in the ilx poll because everyone likes different ones; here are mine I guess

1. Mazi Chukz ft. Maleek Berry - Dem Hail
2. Yemi Alade - Koffi Anan
3. Kiss Daniel - Mama
4. Krishane ft. Patoranking - Inconsiderate
5. Tekno - Pana
6. ShiiKane - Loke
7. Kwamz & Flava - Take Over
8. Eva Alordiah ft. Phyno & Reminisce - Kanayo
9. Babes Wodumo ft. Mampintsha - Wololo
10. Young John ft. Lil Kesh - Bend Down Select
11. Mella ft. P-Square - Ginger
12. Serge Beynaud - Remanbélé
13. AY ft. Diamond Platnumz - Zigo (Remix)
14. Stunnah Gee ft. Davido - Dengeme
15. Reniss - La Sauce

yeah, i don't know there was any one song to rally around this year, will probably vote Wololo higher than any other afropop. that said, maybe the Kiss Daniel album in the album poll? I will be voting that one really high, seemed well loved earlier.

kiss daniel is one of my favs this year for sure album wise

kontrol is prob my highest individual song

classixx - whatever I want (young john da wicked producer rmx)

this is so fuckin' good and accesses the actual good song i was certain was buried in the og

i luv "mama," "kontrol," "inconsiderate," "oh yay," sugarboy's "hola hola"

didn't really discuss Uhuru in this thread at all this year, they remained consistent in their appearances though

Jah Prayzah ft Uhuru - Tenge Doro Mdhara Vachauya ---This is a great song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbPpQmfWdmg

Mzee & Rafiki ft Uhuru - Domba ----this is pretty run of the mill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0OtFOI9AIQ

Vee Mampeezy ft Uhuru, DJ Buckz, Mapho ---not amazing but a nice tune, attempts a Y-tjukutja style break at the end, just not as great
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir4oXnXl0Bg

also been listening to this non-uhuru song alot over the last week, pretty love song

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

discovered iray mvmt's soundcloud - seems like a good hub for a lot of the afrobeats stuff emerging in the uk

https://soundcloud.com/iraymvmt

also this ep from a year ago is great!

https://soundcloud.com/dj-pmontana/sets/p-montana-loves-afrobeats

"Mama", "Kofi Anan," & Tiwa Savage "If I Start to Talk" are 3 of my faves

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/the-review/from-wizkid-to-shiikane-the-gunpowder-mix-of-afrobeats-is-catching-fire

Nice Lex overview

Dope piece, lex! The Shiikane sisters are actually London based. I recently discovered that we have mutual friends.

Nice piece, Lex, a really good introduction/overview indeed. One tiny correction though: Although Tekno is a very able producer, he has never (so far) produced any of his own singles.  He has only produced songs for other artists (and then often guests on vocals as well) - think Victoria Kimani's "Show", Bracket's "Panya" and Rima's "Feeling You". "Pana" was in fact produced by Krizbeatz, "the Drummer Boy". 

On that note, and with high hopes for 2017:
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7633323/rb-hip-hop-artists-to-watch-in-2017

(You need to scroll down quite a bit, but it's worth it.)

just seen this thread, glad you guys liked the piece. i haven't written much about afrobeats in general bc i think i'm so far from an authority but i had to really cram artists and tracks into that, and excise a lot of others, so i'm going to try to change this in 2017.

any reason tekno hasn't produced his own stuff?

Not sure why Tekno doesn't produce any of his own stuff. Not confident enough? Label policy (DJ Coublon and Selebobo are his labelmates)? Or is he just being smart by keeping things separate? It's rare enough for Nigerian singers to be producers as well to begin with, but Tekno's position seems pretty much unique. Now that he's made it into the big league and an album is in the works it will be interesting to see if there are any self-produced tracks on it.

Our favourite boy's most recent production job:

Stonebwoy ft. Tekno, "Last Station"
https://soundcloud.com/afro-songz/stonebwoy-last-station-ft-tekno

There's a new thread for 2017: rolling afropop / afrobeats 2017

Late but hopefully welcome: playlist for the thread for the year is finalized and closed.

ILM's Rolling Afrobeat & Afropop Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

It's always welcome, forks. Thanks for the good work!

http://media.giphy.com/media/gFwZfXIqD0eNW/giphy.gif

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5rMfLJKwIE

Although many locals refer to all the new pop in Nigeria as “hip-hop”—even though much of it is not really hip-hop as we know it—the term the local industry folks prefer is “Naija pop.” “Afrobeats” is also used by some, but Ade judges it a term imposed from the outside—a kind of appropriation—and also far too general to have much meaning. Seun Kuti sees a different appropriation here, the adding of an “s” to his father’s genre coinage of the 1970s, and in that, Seun senses a certain “insecurity” among those producing and marketing the new music; he predicts the term Afrobeats will not last long.

http://www.afropop.org/34229/dispatch-from-nigeria-3/

With your permission, let me re-post this on the 2017 thread:
rolling afropop / afrobeats 2017