Wande Coal — Realms EP
If you’ve come here to read a glowing review, a pat in the back for Wande then I’m sorry to disappoint you, THIS IS A SCOLDING. I hate to throw around the word ‘disappointed’ but that is exactly what I’m and I can’t bring myself to sugarcoat that. What is Wande doing?! Why is he like this? When WC announced “Realm EP” we all lost it, my heart literally jumped out, like finally, a Wande Coal body of work. And then the track list dropped and I felt this anger, one that I never thought I’d feel towards Wande Coal. A 7-track EP with only 2 fresh tracks?! Again and Naughty Girl dropped earlier this year, Ode Lo Like and Vex dropped far back as 2019, then a Wale verse on “Again Remix”?! That’s it?! That’s what we waited for?! That’s definitely not what we deserve or expect from arguably the most talented act out of Nigeria. For someone that has all it takes to rule Africa, he’s doing so less. Lazy? Lackadaisical? Unbothered? Content with what he’s got? I can’t explain it
Olamide — Eru
Badoo is back in the booth, and he’s with the new school sound. One of Olamide’s biggest traits has to be his ability to evolve with the times and sound. For me, this is a Fireboy-influenced sound, fueled on by wonder kid P-Prime’s production and I absolutely love it. In my opinion, what Olamide has done is take this new sound, immerse it in his ‘local rapper’ flow. This record is 96% ‘singing Olamide’ and we all love ‘singing Olamide’.
Davido — Fem
Literally broke the internet. From all indications, this is a Burna Boy diss. As much as I would love to steer clear of any beef between these two, I can’t help but admit that this is a solid bop, the perfect diss. This growing feud started when Burna Boy subtly suggested that Davido only has all he’s got because of his wealthy background. Almost immediately, Davido recorded his reply, shared a snippet on socials and we all wanted to hear it so bad. To break his long absence from socials, “Baddest” decided to drop “FEM”. The record explains itself — a reply to ‘haters’ (aka Burna Boy). Hard to overlook the diss and focus on the quality of the music, but you gotta admit that this is a very solid record. The production, the delivery, the punchlines. If this is the mood Davido was on when he recorded “A Better Time” then I must say a bigger beast will be unleashed.
Mr Eazi, Major Lazer — Oh My Gawd ft Nicki Minaj, K4mo
Mr Eazi is a Don. Self-acclaimed but if we’re being honest, he really is a Don because this is a ‘Don-doing’. It is like man is in a competition with just himself, breaking new grounds, setting new standards. The Major Lazer-Mr Eazi tag started as far back as 2018 but he seems to have nurtured that into a full blown bromance. This new record with the group is so amazing in every way you might want to look at it. Featuring Nicki Minaj? Heavy. It is the perfect blend on Electronic Music and AfroBeats
Jinmi Abduls — Jowo ft Oxlade, Joeboy
How do you put these three on a song?! This record is what I love to call “A Battle of Melodies”. Three different artistes, three different vibe. Now that’s what you call a fire collab. Individually, these three have what it takes to produce the best melodies, the perfect song. I like this song a lot, it’s the type of record that you have to wait on the next verse. Still don’t know how they managed to still make this one less than 3 minutes!
Amaarae — Fancy
This Ghanaian goddess can do no wrong. In this new sultry Pop record, Amaarae, as always, flexes her very silky and unique voice. “Fancy” almost gives a nostalgic feel that feels like Punk, but is so urban like its Pop. The lyrics of this one have underlying proud, ballsy tone to it. The braggadocio and confidence radiates all over. It’s a record I love so much. Amaarae is on this new level of confidence, style and swagger that I love so much and I am hoping she takes this energy into her album.
Straffitti — Straff From Nigeria
Straffitti is on a quest to connect better with his Nigerian roots and this tape “Straff From Nigeria” is his way of doing that. On this project, Straff draws closer to the streets. He crosses genres seamlessly, moving from his traditional Hip-Hop/Afro Hip-Hop to traditional Nigerian genres like AfroBeats, AfroPop, AfroSoul. The music scene is now set up in a way that artistes can now experiment with different sounds (in a bid not to stay monotonous) and Straff’s experiment paid off so well. On SFN, Straff found a way to outdo the summer jam ‘Everything’ featuring Buju, with records like ‘Shanawole’, ‘Lepa’. ‘Aaliyah’ however is my song off this tape, sweet!
Ogranya — Lagbaja
Ogranya is the type of artiste that you just want to sit, pay attention to when they sing. His new single “Lagbaja” is the perfect soulful, traditional R&B song. It’s the kind of song that you play midnight while staring at the moon. Lyricism has always been a major part of Ogranya’s music and on “Lagbaja” the lyrics are solemn, thought-provoking and witty as well. The chorus starts out with witty lyrics “Let me hide myself, Lagbaja”. It is a song where he’s crying out for love. I love this song a lot. It’s been quite an eventful year for the singer, with two EPS out this year. He’s having a great year.
Sir Dauda — Love Ex Machina EP
To people that are familiar with Sir Dauda’s music, we know he’s got huge and amazing talent. It’s almost indescribable, his sound. His sound is so ‘Alte’, so different, so unique. For many, Sir Dauda is known as that guy you call for fire hooks. He has effortlessly delivered fire hooks for Falz, Blackmagic, Aramide, Show Dem Camp, LadiPoe amongst others. His new tape “Love Ex Machina” is an Afro-Fusion project laced with strong lyricism, a major part of Sir Dauda’s music. “Woman ft Simi” and “Logba Logba ft GoodGirl LA” are my favorites off this tape with the previously released “Landlord”
Joyce Olong — Outta Town
The wait for Joyce’s first official single in a long time was worth it. We’ve had to wait for a long time for “Outta Town” but now that it is here, it is everything Joyce is capable of and more. Joyce Olong is a very talented and unique singer. She has a very distinct sound, one that I can argue I’ve not heard from anyone else. She’s so talented that at times it scares me if the Nigerian audience will listen, but like they say “good music will always find its way”. Her new single “Outta Town” is a beautiful R&B record with a hook that is so captivating. I love this record a lot.