Because grime sounds antithetical to popular American music but afrobeats codes generally to the American mainstream as dancehall-adjacent and this stuff is basically afrobeats
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Monday, 21 August 2017 18:35 (six years ago) link
When I said "international" I didn't actually mean "American" but lol whatever. Guessing a lot of these guys could before too long head out to Nigeria or Ghana and start playing to big crowds. But the accents and slang are going to sound a lot less weird to a US market that's used to hearing Wizkid pop up all over the place. Additionally, attempts to fuse grime with other international rap genres have always been incredibly clunky but the barriers here are more porous, these guys could collaborate more freely while still making it sound natural.
― Matt DC, Monday, 21 August 2017 18:48 (six years ago) link
Imagine Young Thug collaborating with Kojo and then imagine him working with Skepta and tell me which one sounds more likely to work.
― Matt DC, Monday, 21 August 2017 18:50 (six years ago) link
I've no idea what's going on with US rap music tbh but yeah OK I guess it's closer to this stuff than grime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ruitsqQ34c
Yxng Bane does it again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkwdrQVd4fs
Donae'o has a go at afro bashment. Turns out he's quite good at it
― paolo, Tuesday, 19 September 2017 19:29 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l54_B0h_SAk
I'd like to hear more tracks that have a sort of moody downbeat vibe like this and Did You See, Rihanna etc. Having said that...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lab6OuaspuA
What a skanker! Making me feel all summery even though it's a chilly winter's night
― paolo, Thursday, 30 November 2017 19:33 (six years ago) link
Also Yxng Bane and Not3s are up for the BBC Sound of 2018
(Yxng Bane >>> Not3s btw)
― paolo, Thursday, 30 November 2017 19:36 (six years ago) link
For those compiling your year-end lists, this playlist includes all the available tracks on this thread, organized roughly chronologically in order of mention:
ILM's 2017 Rolling Afrotrap Thread Spotify Playlist
― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Thursday, 30 November 2017 21:38 (six years ago) link
Do you really call this stuff afro trap? I thought it's 'Afro-Swing' rather?
http://thelinkup.com/what-is-afro-swing-and-has-it-taken-over-uk-afrobeats/
― ahomka ginger, Saturday, 13 January 2018 00:40 (six years ago) link
In all honesty I thought Afro Trap was coined by French rapper MHD. He has made quite a few tracks with that name:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi1D0MKWHU0
― Frederik B, Saturday, 13 January 2018 00:47 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1YKFV45M18
― Windsor Davies, Saturday, 13 January 2018 00:50 (six years ago) link
I thought people were calling it afro bashment. Afro swing doesn't sound right to me for reasons I'm unsure of
― paolo, Sunday, 14 January 2018 11:55 (six years ago) link
Some say bashment, some say swing. Afro B has attempted to brand it afrowave. Some call it other things. The afro part is the only constant.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Sunday, 14 January 2018 15:17 (six years ago) link
I think Afro Swing was coined by Kojo Funds and his producer GA. But yeah, other people seem to talk about Afro Bashment. Some might call it UK Afrobeats (like the article below) but doesn't seem right to me.
Afro Trap to me is the sound that MHD is doing in France. The UK sound is quite different
http://mixmag.net/feature/uk-afrobeats-the-new-sound-reinventing-british-club-music
― ahomka ginger, Sunday, 14 January 2018 16:05 (six years ago) link
No one calls it afrotrap, it just seemed to make sense at the time. Afro bashment is a terrible name as well but what do you expect if people will outsource everything to the Spotify brand consultancy. I've just taken to saying UK afro.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 14 January 2018 16:06 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJTtiYMdMtk
I don't really get the hype about Not3s but this one's big. All about Mabel though
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7-z1XKK3BU
The beat on this one is wavey as. Was not aware that One Acen was a producer
― paolo, Friday, 2 February 2018 19:58 (six years ago) link
Loving the One Acen! “Fine Line” is nice too.
― breastcrawl, Saturday, 3 February 2018 11:55 (six years ago) link
vice versa beat is sick, similar video game vibe as this mist one (great video too). you can tell all these producers grew up on the playstation 2 lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihYWpi77csY
speaking of beats the hook and beat on this one is a monster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ43RbCtgIw
also can't believe octavian hasn't been mentioned here, this one got the drake cosign and everything. his delivery and voice is stunning, stopped me in my tracks the first time i heard it. hoping he goes far cause this is something else.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz7eyvAMOpA
― oiocha, Wednesday, 14 February 2018 20:09 (six years ago) link
not sure if this is the thread for it but the French-speaking world also has its own strain of afro-trap.
Kalash ft. Damso 'Mwaka Moon' is really popular in France I believe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPnMFUsKm8w
and speaking of Damso, a Congolese artist, his solo stuff is great too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGhKPm18E48
― Badgers (dog latin), Friday, 16 February 2018 15:47 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53T7iwn1nbw
xp yeah Octavian's good. He's one of those guys who's sort of on the borderline between rap and Afrobashment
― paolo, Saturday, 17 February 2018 17:43 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuHmOA_eaCc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGgCFBpgZgk
Couple of the drill lads getting in on the action
― paolo, Monday, 30 April 2018 20:33 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGQSAARiXqQ
Lady Leshurr also getting in on the action with this absolute belter
I heard a tune in this sort of style in a shop a few weeks ago, sort of a slowed down 110ish UK funky style beat with a hook that went something like 'you don't love me nah nah nah', singer sounded a bit like Mabel, anyone have any idea what this might be?
― paolo, Saturday, 19 May 2018 10:57 (five years ago) link
Not a fan of that Lady Leshurr track, I know she can't carry on doing the zing machine thing forever but that just sands all her personality away.I edited the thread title a while back but I'm glad afroswing is the term that's caught on. The whole sound feels much more about good vibes and less about dudes looking moody in estate stairwells than it did 18 months ago but pop ubiquity will do that I suppose.
― Matt DC, Saturday, 19 May 2018 11:14 (five years ago) link
meant to post this a few weeks ago, when i went to see Yemi Alade at her first UK gig. It was the middle of the Windrush shit, and, while the whole gig was really great, this had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up:
https://youtu.be/CSRHK4pK2EY
― Fizzles, Monday, 21 May 2018 19:58 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dR_igq1-_8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SqWenG1j2A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBvLgfdJkuo
This is basically garage
― paolo, Sunday, 26 August 2018 19:13 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCU5ljQaIN4
Dele Alli though :(
― paolo, Saturday, 15 September 2018 09:15 (five years ago) link
this stuff has largely passed me by but the kojo funds album is a lot of fun eh?
― ogmor, Sunday, 30 September 2018 11:36 (five years ago) link
thanks for the heads up, i hadn't realised it was out
very enjoyable
― ufo, Sunday, 30 September 2018 13:49 (five years ago) link
Listened to the opening stretch of it earlier today and it was both hugely enjoyable and completely shameless.
The opening track reminded me, weirdly, of Soon by My Bloody Valentine in a way that was I'm sure entirely unintentional, and within a few songs he's dropping Craig David and Snow references.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 30 September 2018 14:05 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luTT97VJpTE
This is more dancehall than afro bashment tbf but who know Idris Elba could rap? Man a big DJ ask Meghan and Harry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E34REPgVpXk
Jae5 is the best producer in UK urban music right now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtkbx1fdIa8
― paolo, Tuesday, 22 January 2019 18:28 (five years ago) link
Somehow forgot this thread existed, until paolo reminded me in the UK Rap/Grime thread.
Posting this as much for Latifah’s verse in Dutch as anything:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6g-wbOQwqA
Geko ft. Maleek Berry & Latifah • Hey Mama
― breastcrawl, Saturday, 13 July 2019 10:49 (four years ago) link
I've been really enjoying the route one lasciviousness of the Mostack album lately.
― Matt DC, Saturday, 13 July 2019 10:58 (four years ago) link
Haven’t heard the album, but “Stinking Rich” with J Hus and Dave is great:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPRKLQCQOws
― breastcrawl, Saturday, 13 July 2019 11:30 (four years ago) link
THE POLICE GOT THE VIDEO REMOVED TWICE...IT’S THURSDAY & IT CAME OUT ON MONDAY Enjoy 😉 @ST6IX7EVEN - FULL WASS pic.twitter.com/9VOSghfLPz— 67*6GOD* (@Scribz6ix7even) July 11, 2019
god knows if it belongs here but was listening to this last night and thought it banged.
― calzino, Sunday, 14 July 2019 08:09 (four years ago) link
That's drill. I'm happy that another ilxor is posting drill videos tbh. Big track by the way
― paolo, Sunday, 14 July 2019 10:18 (four years ago) link
― Matt DC, Saturday, July 13, 2019 6:58 AM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink
yeah this is really *fun* even when he's making dumb smutty jokes, he's v winning and the production is consistently pleasurable
― rob, Sunday, 14 July 2019 14:52 (four years ago) link
xp what's some other good UK drill stuff? If you don't mind an me asking paolo?
― calzino, Sunday, 14 July 2019 21:26 (four years ago) link
an lol fuck knows where my typing is at these days!
― calzino, Sunday, 14 July 2019 21:27 (four years ago) link
Check the grime and UK rap threads, which I spam up with drill videos on a regular basis
Digga DHeadie OneRussDigDatK TrapUnknown T (not really drill any more tbh)Skengdo and AM (not as good as they used to be)67 (same)Harlem Spartans/Loski (same)KOV9Nito NBOFB (esp Bando Kay, Double Lz, SJ)C1Sav and S1Zone 2 (not released much lately cos they're all in prison)T1 from Silwood Nation
― paolo, Monday, 15 July 2019 11:05 (four years ago) link
Here for it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meuzeaGCyFYKojo Funds ft. Wizkid • I Like
― breastcrawl, Friday, 9 August 2019 20:27 (four years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpCx3FIg8y8
Wiley's making pop music again. It's OK I guess
― paolo, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 09:39 (four years ago) link
Wiley is also on the new Kida Kudz, which is more or less a follow-up to Ms Banks’s “Snack” (posted in The Other Thread), again produced by GuiltyBeatz:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7UhUyXEQR8Kida Kudz ft. Wiley • Bounce
― breastcrawl, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 14:27 (four years ago) link
https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-53446263
“The Official UK Afrobeats Top 20 will be announced on BBC Radio 1Xtra on Sunday.“
― just sayin, Tuesday, 21 July 2020 08:33 (three years ago) link
Good development, although it’s too bad they stuck with the Afrobeats tag instead of Afropop. Curious as to what they are going to include on this chart, and what will be excluded, both for UK tracks and actual African tracks.I started listening to the NSG album but didn’t get all that far. I found the vocal interplay on some of the new tracks a bit messy and unfocussed, not like I remembered from the singles at all, they were real... bops. I should try again, maybe it was the wrong day.Loved this one tho:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeTmN9jb3ksNSG • MCMBonus point for being produced by Dutchman Yung Felix.
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 21 July 2020 11:39 (three years ago) link
Here’s that first UK Afrobeats top 20:https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/afrobeats-chart/5 UK tracks (6 if I include Juls), of which 3 are in the top 5, one French track, the rest are Nigerian (most of them) or Ghanaian.Looks like they’re sticking with the UK definition of Afrobeats as music of West African origin (whereas in the US it appears to be a catch-all term for all African pop music), since they chose not to include Master KG’s “Jerusalema”, not even in the remix version with Burna, even though it would have undoubtedly qualified sales-wise.So time to post another NSG track, because “Grandad” is the number one:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEPdfVZsd0U
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 28 July 2020 06:50 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcUq0DDt0Ro
surprised there's no chat about this tiktok smash w/ its many remixes (unless I'm looking in the wrong place) - seems right up ilm's alley
― rumpy riser (ogmor), Monday, 3 August 2020 11:05 (three years ago) link
i'm pretty out of touch with tiktok hits but i'm glad something as good as that is one
― ufo, Monday, 3 August 2020 11:57 (three years ago) link
think the new Headie One with international hitmakers Young T & Bugsey fits here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Px5l4mQ0H4Headie One ft. Young T & Bugsey • Princess Cuts
― Regard the timeless piano balladeeress! (breastcrawl), Friday, 9 October 2020 16:52 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSFgRsR5e20Midas The Jagaban • Party With A Jagaban
― Welcome to Nonrock (breastcrawl), Sunday, 11 October 2020 12:06 (three years ago) link
Her previous single, her debut (!) by the looks of it, is as *afro* as it gets as well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFI9SA1wSGIMidas The Jagaban • Come We Bill Ehh
― Welcome to Nonrock (breastcrawl), Sunday, 11 October 2020 12:16 (three years ago) link
does this count?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8Bp3E9UPtsEmeli Sandé ft. Stonebwoy & Nana Rogues • More of You
― Welcome to Nonrock (breastcrawl), Friday, 23 October 2020 12:46 (three years ago) link