The perfect intersection between the established acts across African music and brilliant underground acts you should be paying attention to!
Despite his embattled situation, writing Wizkid off is a bit premature, he still has a huge fanbase and the talent to command rave reviews from critics.
1 month ago
To open 5ive, the poet Alhanislam recites a spoken-word commentary on the album and the man behind it. It feels a little pretentious, rooted in the same idea that drives artists to label every new project their deepest and most personal work yet. Yet some of it does have grounding in real-life events. Alhanislam hails […]
2 months ago
Last weekend, the youngest of the Uzama brothers, Osahan Uzama, more known by his moniker, Famous Pluto, joined the ranks of his brothers—Shallipopi, and Zerry DL, both fierce advocates of Benin Street Pop—with the release of his feverishly anticipated single Na Scra. Before its official release, the song had been making the rounds on TikTok, […]
3 months ago
Fela remains the loudest figure against government oppression and corruption in our music history, but a lot of others have lent a voice to the struggles of Nigerians through the years. Daddy Showkey, an indigene of the backward Lagos slum of Ajegunle, pioneered Galala music, which often took aim at the government in power and detailed the poverty in his hometown.
3 months ago
Burna Boy’s eighth studio album is finally on the horizon. In the past few weeks, the album’s rollout has ramped up significantly. He has made appearances on the covers of magazines and teased the album on social media through cheeky puns and aphorisms. He has appeared on shows, letting viewers in on certain nuances of […]
3 months ago
In a way, this unspoken creed of non-violence in rap is a testament to Hip-Hop’s enculturation into Nigeria, and a marker of the contextual differences between the genre as practiced here and its American origins. It is also a function of the demographic that major Nigerian rappers have been culled from—older, university-educated men often converted from the 9-5 workforce or with demonstrable businesses on the side.
4 months ago
In an NPR interview, Yemi Alade described herself as a vessel for culture, effortlessly connecting with languages—even those she doesn’t fully understand. Throughout her career, she has proudly represented Africa through both her music and fashion, and the 2025 Grammy Awards were no exception. Nominated for Best African Music Performance for her single Tomorrow, Alade […]
4 months ago
What haven’t you heard of Diamond Platnumz? Since the third installment of Young, Famous & African premiered, his name has lingered ceaselessly on the lips of fans of the show. He’s been doted on and disparaged in equal measure. To his detractors, he’s a duplicitous, morally abhorrent, philandering character. His fans see him differently. To […]
4 months ago
In 2020, in an attempt to broaden the awards’ scope, The Recording Academy elected to overhaul the Best World Music Album category. The overhaul involved, amongst other things, changing the category’s name to Best Global Album. The motivations were to some degree cosmetic; the World Music tag had become mired in connotations of colonialism and […]
4 months ago
With each note and lyric, Morich invites listeners into his world, sharing raw emotion, personal stories, and universal truths.
4 months ago
His influence is evident in how fans and fellow artists emulate his signature cap, oversized suits, and even his sound, as seen in social media trends and discussions on platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
4 months ago
At the heart of human existence is the desire and tendency to form relationships, to establish human connection, to bask in the splendor of another human soul, with all its convolutions and complexities. This tendency is so primal, so foundational to the very notion of humanity, that it forms the basis upon which families are […]
5 months ago
WurlD, the genre-defying artist renowned for his distinct blend of Afropop, R&B, and electronic sounds, has released his latest single, Outside. With Outside, he delivers yet another masterpiece that showcases his brilliance and how soothing his voice is. Outside is a celebration of carefree living, connection, and the joy of being present in the moment. The […]
5 months ago
