After a long break, my weekly review of my personal Top Ten Pick from New Music Friday is back!
Badboy Timz — Have Fun
After setting the bar so high earlier this year with his smash hit single “MJ”, Badboy Timz is on a quest to find the perfect follow up single! And maybe it’s too early to call but I think he’s got that in this new single called ‘Have Fun’. One impressive thing for me is how he did not — consciously or unconsciously — rinse the ‘MJ’ template for this one. It shows the level of versatility he’s got in his arsenal. I like this particular record a lot, it’s bounce is infectious, the hook will easily roll off your tongue, in no time, you’ll find yourself echoing “50VSOP”. His talent is so undeniable and this record is a good statement for him. Replay heavy is too heavy on this one. It’s a solid jam all round.
Omah Lay — Damn Remix ft 6lack
‘Damn’ itself, when it dropped, sent us into fits! It was beautiful, it was new, it was exciting! Now he’s decided to make it a lot better with a remix with 6lack?! 6lack?! I am sure Omah’s plan is to kill us, for real. This remix is beautiful. Before I go into 6lack’s verse, I need to seriously commend the arrangement, it’s so thoughtful. I’ve seen many remixes get flawed because of the arrangement. Bridge-hook-6lack verse-bridge-hook-Omah verse and that’s it , perfect! Makes you want to listen to the entire thing on loop! Over and over again. Replay value. 6lack’s verse on this has to be one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard in months! The part when he went on Omah’s flow?! Nah, too beautiful! This is one remix that definitely wasn’t messed up.
Chike — 20:10:2020 (Wahala Dey)
Asides from being an unbelievable singer and vocalist, Chike is so intelligent! This drop is so intelligent, the message, the way it was conveyed, absolutely intelligent! The Nigerian space, in the past few months, has seen youths raise their voice against bad governance, police brutality. We’ve had to endure many tragedies in this period, chief of these ; The Lekki Massacre of 20:10:2020, the comments of Nigerian lawmakers like Desmond Elliot. Opening this record with the dumb comments makes this record inviting! Chike, with his melodies, took us through the happenings. It’s a thoughtful song and I absolutely love it. Desmond Elliot and Fashola in the mud.
Straffitti — Straff From Nigeria Deluxe
Releasing a Deluxe version for his EP ‘Straff From Nigeria’ is such a power move and it makes me so proud. The EP, that initially dropped in October, got fans talking. It was such good compilation, such display of versatility and dexterity. His interest in Pop became more evident on the tape and he further announced his style of music that is a blend of lyrical prowess, eccentricity and ‘jiggyness’. The Deluxe has three new songs ‘1Gyal ft London’, ‘Utaka ft Psycho YP, Kida Kudz’ and the previously released ‘Straff From Nigeria’ single. ‘Utaka’ definitely would be a fan’s favorite. The combination of artistes on it is so top notch, three artistes with similar music interests. The ‘jiggy vibe’ on the record is so heavy and inviting. I’m in love with Straffitti’s talent and ingenuity.
Barry Jhay — Muje
Okay, Barry is back. This record is more like it. Coming off the release of his ‘Barry Back’ album in February, Barry had to come back and I think this is the Barry-Back record. Barry’s style has always been ‘uplifting music’, music with that ‘prayer/sermon’ vibe and this record comes with a bit of other things too. It has a very good bounce, almost would sound like a club banger. The message is beautiful, it’s uplifting, it’s reality check. It’s a lot of words, however. Like I said it’s a ‘sermon’. Going forward, I’ll like to listen to a Barry Jhay sing-along record. The vibe is ever present, that bit of sing-along would do wonders. And yes, ‘Mykah’ deserves so much accolades for this production. The strings, the drums! Beautiful. The strings especially
Tomi Agape — Better
I’ve always been and always will be a Tomi Agape fan! She’s brilliant, she’s so talented. ‘Better’ is another beautiful record she’s put out. On a ‘Juls’ production, Tomi was always going to make magic. Song, from the lyrics to the beat, gives this wholesome tropical vibe that I so much love. Tomi’s style has always been laidback vibes and it always is so soothing. ‘Better’ is for me in the list of her best records.
King V.I.N — Hate What You See
Just like the title of this record says, I don’t hate what I see, rather, I love what I hear. I love great bounces on records and this one has a nice bounce. Listening to this and I can almost liken it to a typical UK Drill record, almost. The hook is so coarse and hard! It’s spitting with so much confidence, braggadocio on steroids. Not entirely the finished product, but the delivery is so bold and assured that it takes out any doubt you might have had before listening. I love this record a lot, it’s solid
Timaya — Gra Gra
As Papichulo is getting ready to put out his next album ‘Gratitude’, he’s serving us with a tune that can beat be described as nostalgic. This record reminds me of Timaya from a particular era, the era that birthed ‘Plantain Seller’. But this time around, it’s got that new school feel and bounce to it. It’s vintage Timaya. Hopefully we’re getting vintage Timaya on the album
Emo Grae, Zinoleesky — How Come
For me, these two are arguably the most talented artistes signed on to Marlian Music. When this collab was announced, I particularly was looking forward to the ‘exchange’ between these two and I’m glad they delivered. Particularly on the first verse, how they exchanged bars? It was like I was listening to R-Kelly and Usher go on “Same Girl” (maybe not quite but you get my drift). So breathtaking. The melodies and the flow from both of them really is something! This song is so beautiful, it’s that type of song that instantly registers with you when you listen. I mean Zinoleesky was dropping cheeky rapper lines! I hope to see a joint tape from these two.
Emmeno — Cover You ft Frescool
Frescool was flexing! Emmeno really got Frescool into his element with this fire production. This sort of record where a producer like Emmeno puts an artiste on a beat, is always best when they get the chemistry right. And that exactly is what happened on this joint. This is prime Ozil-Cristiano Ronaldo link up, Emmeno served it on a plate for Frescool. It’s a great tune. Frescool, who’s got quite the sound resemblance with Oxlade, thrived really well on this one. It’s a solid bop.