Nasty C released his Sophomore album ‘Strings and Bling’ on the 6th of July and his very active following took to listening as early as they could and post reactions on social media. The 21-year-old from Durban did not hesitate to repost; I was swayed and gave it a listen. By my first listen I could tell it was something special. I was immediately moved to pen down the expressions I was able to realize through the sonics, Itemized in a track by track breakdown:
Blisters – is the intro, Nasty C eases into the song with calm lines that ask the listener to search for self-confidence to discover inner beauty. He raps ‘When I count my blisters I count my blessings’ looking at the scars he has now from falling, they have ultimately blessed him with the unique worldview he has.
Strings and bling – The second track is thematically around his personal struggles and how he uses vanity as a coping mechanism. Its first verse has some of the most melancholic lines on the album.
I tell my secrets to a bottle
I trusted over a couple people that I know
I tipped over I really got suicidal
I felt way too guilty so I read the bible
Not for forgiveness I did that shit for survival
Born in the system but bitch I broke out the cycle
I took off from the ditches but still got homies inside
Evil runs loose every day and night
Love only visits on your birthday night Can’t judge a torn soul till you felt it’s pain
Now heal me with all these chains
Even at the heights he is now, he is still not happy and is riddled with survivor’s guilt and suicidal tendencies. Expensive chains have become significant in the vein of distraction from pain.
Jungle – One of two tracks released as singles; Jungle a lively song touting the unbridled nature of Nasty C’s sexual life. He reminds us that it wasn’t always like this;
‘Masturbate addiction in the seventh grade [yeah]
Now I tell her make that booty levitate [levitate]’
Life is wild, it’s a jungle out here.
No respect – This minute-long track exhibits playfulness, which leads me to think it’s probably a freestyle. The drums and kicks in the beat are guaranteed to have you moving from side to side.
Legendary is an introspective bop that touches his personal life, friends, fans and rap status. Making a statement that he is legendary and anyone who thinks otherwise should do something more worthwhile with their breath.
Ape take care of one another
An ape don’t give a fuck about colour
Am I the GOAT or the BOAT I wonder?
How did I get here in London?
Ivyson grippin’ on bunions
Ivyson hanging with gunmen
You Played Yourself – This song spans across relationship advice, infidelity, and marriage as a failing institution today. A message to romantics not seeing all the things which are apparent, to learn from past mistakes.
Take this love you have devoted in a stranger and invest it equally in what you see when you imagine your greatest self yourself and what you see when you look in the mirror he 100% guarantees you will find gold
King – The second single that premiered on Ebro’s show on Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio. Nasty C did a great job of exhibiting the flair in his rap skills, still being the main attraction when paired with A$ap Ferg.
Do u digg – Here he brags about the power that comes with his status.
Gravy – This track rides a cool, somber, intoxicated tone. It seems like an ode to his journey, and the friend’s he’s lost, but right now he’s so high he wishes you could feel what he feels.
SMA – On a sample of Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’, Rowlene’s vocals put you in another atmosphere. Nasty C raps from two perspectives; firstly, complaints from a person whom he loves but still continues to hurt, and from his perspective and the things that hurt him too. Their relationship is complicated with scars they haven’t fully gotten over, but the love is still there, so they’ll try to work through it.
Another One down – An honest, solemn rendition from a loner, feeling alone and confused. Expressing that he’s not exactly the idea of him that everyone has.
Too many spirits within me. My personality is constantly shifting – I’m the most humble but act different next minute
It may also highlight anxiety & antisocial behavior, that have shaped him into the person he is now.
Everything – Sweet ballad describing a love that won, in its awkward and imperfect forms. Kaien Cruz’s ethereal voice is something to behold.
Casanova – Here he mulls over his journey with his friends, they started from the bottom now they’re here.
we got this off the floor we had No capital, its fucking magical
Mrs Me – Nasty C professes deep love, and intent to provide any form of care & affection to the woman he wishes would be his wife. He fucks up, but she sees beyond that and doesn’t judge him. He contemplates the beauty of what they have together and his shortcomings that constantly threaten its existence.
I owe you a rose for every breath you take, I owe you all the love god invested in heaven and a necklace that says you come before second place, and make up for the empty space I left, my greatest mistake.
My Baby – An ode to sexy, confident women. The uplifting keys, a summer soundtrack on Instagram vibe.
Givenchy – Upbeat, high tempo, vulgar trap song. Expressing the tenets of his fast life. Unlocks a level of Travis Scott finesse, and is undoubtedly that song to Milly rock to, on the album.
Jiggy Jigga – Nasty C doing Nasty C things; tearing his beats into pieces.
In the early hours of July 3rd, much of the Nigerian millennial Twittersphere flooded with female users sharing incidences of sexual assault and rape perpetrated on them, what was different this time was that it signaled an air of action and conviction. Government names were called, usernames mentioned from personal accounts,risking all forms of responses positive and negative in the hope of getting their truths out.
Many used the opportunity to finally listen to these stories with an empathetic heart and applaud the bravery of these women; many also took to discrediting their stories, but I believe this is a smokescreen within a grander win for Nigerian society in the vein of more women feeling safe or free enough to expose their assaulters so we do not foster a culture of sexual abuse and silence.
Another thing that causes distress is that the heinous acts recounted in these stories are not farfetched in our society, in a perfect world, with their degree of vileness they should be, but this is neither a perfect world nor a perfect Nigeria.
Here are some of the highlights across the spectrum of this vehement discourse;
No one wants to say it but there was a year that some twin entertainers in Abuja were accused of gang rape… I’ve heard several stories of the same people. I’d like to beg victims, if there are any, to come out. It’s time. DM me if you want to. We are here for you.
Alamin Uwais. I know several people on my tl that know him. I know you guys by name because I went to school with You. You lot should not be quiet. Call. Him. Out. pic.twitter.com/KOBLLyyEHL
There’s 4 girls telling me different scenarios of how you have purposely gotten drunk and VANISHED to allow them get raped. Feel free to do “this” wherever you see me. You are also havil’s best friend so boom. pic.twitter.com/9ExWthtdcZ
I’m just so happy it’s a younger gen that’s spearheading this topic, go girls! So that the generation after you will be bolder and more fierce & definitely not ready to accept any bs from no man
Actually super proud of these young ‘uns. Expose every single one of these creeps. Ban them from all events this summer and going forward too. Some of these stories are sickening
— Neo-Yoruba Daddy (@TheHeadphones91) July 3, 2018
Calling out your rapist/assaulted doesn’t give you clout. Are you fucking mad? In this Nigeria?
Calling out your abuser comes with stigma and shame so everyone coming out to talk is SO FUCKING BRAVE. And we are here for you and we love you and you are not at fault
I hope one day we get to talk about creatives that will refuse to work with you or give you your work because you refused to be sexually involved with them.
An even younger generation of Nigerian women (15-23) are currently speaking up and openly naming their rapists, sex attackers and sex predators most of whom are in same age bracket and school mates.
This is great.
In a lawless patronage system, shame is a useful tool.
we need to have a national conversation about this
women of all states of nigeria, we are here to listen to you
yor experiences might have made you mute but speak out when you can
can i add that this goes for guys & girls. girls need to stop coercing guys to do things/touching them inappropriately because they’re guys and are meant to like it. no means no applies to guys too 🔊 https://t.co/TgzfkIYiaI
I don’t want stories that took so much courage to share to be just gist to y’all, if they out your friend he is sick and needs help take out time to properly educate them on consent, some of them are mad and relentless help them or the people they abused seek professional help.
Progressing in a conscious society, men cannot continue to do stupid shit and expect to live the rest of their lives without consequences for their actions. All society asks, is to live with an honorable level of decency.
The Challenge brought together stakeholders from Africa, Silicon Valley, and Europe to network and discuss trends, challenges and opportunities affecting markets across the continent, under the theme “The Year of the African Scaleup?”
There were winners from four regions vying for the prize of $50,000 investment, pitching their products to global executives and entrepreneurs. They included; Cowtribe from Ghana, Data Integrated from Kenya, Swift Vee from South Africa, with Accounteer from Nigeria leaving triumphant.
The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) plans to formally launch its next fully-fledged incubator in Nairobi, Kenya later this year, where entrepreneurs will be offered the same level of support, mentorship, network and access to resources as its other incubators.
The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology has invested over US$20 million in funding, to African companies since its launch in 2008. With portfolio companies going on to receive follow-on funding.
This was the first time the Summit has been held in Cape Town, following MEST’s expansion to South Africa in December, when it opened a new Cape Town incubator, as well as a new space in Lagos.
Lagos is a city that takes a lot from you, physically, mentally, financially, and it will swallow you whole if you let it. Simply, there’s stress and it needs to be relieved, so I’ve gone through the liberty of itemizing a few strains of weed in Lagos that are very much present. If your plug doesn’t have any of these, then he/she is in need of a plug.
Images are sourced from friends’ photo galleries & Leafly.com
As is common knowledge, Marijuana is used medically worldwide to treat or care for individuals suffering from various ailments which include but are not limited to; Epilepsy and seizure disorders, Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, Neurodegenerative diseases [Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, etc], pain, nausea, PTSD. Steps taken in humanizing marijuana have had a positive effect on individuals living with some of the aforementioned ailments, as opposed to subjecting them to elongated suffering.
Medical care & aid in Nigeria is not in great condition, to say the least, it is not egregious to say that alternative methods of treatment should be sought out. The government should be looking to improve the lives of the people firstly, as is the function of a democracy. But as with many things around here, the people are left to take matters into their own hands.
More Branches has previously elucidated its take on weed culture and is actively engaged in humanizing efforts through offline events, and I believe you should be too. So tell that aunty that has back pain [but keeps saying weed is exclusively for Satan and useless people] to find a prescription that works for her and make life a lot less hard to go through.
More recently, the longing to explore the African continent by Africans is propagating itself as a worthwhile cause of action, this became apparent to me in the first two pages of my google searches in research, ‘Countries Nigerians can travel to without a visa’, ’10 best visa-free countries for South Africans to visit’ and so on, it’s apparent that Africans are beginning to see the merit of interacting with ourselves to foster a more connected continent. The benefits of easing travel for Africans around Africa are far-reaching in terms of Identity, trade, mental emancipation through our shared realities, and all things bridging this fractured continent. The dream is for Africans to explore Africa with no visa
The African Union has proposed a common Visa policy, and among the goals is a common visa policy that includes visas on arrival [VOA] for all African nationals, and mandatory granting of a minimum 30-day visa for Africans visiting any country on the continent by the end of 2018. The AU has also pledged to introduce a single, continental passport allowing Africans to move freely between borders by 2020.
As we wait for the AU to take forever to implement these plans, here are a few destinations you can have an easy time getting acquainted with;
Seychelles – Visa not required.
In addition, you must be in possession of a return ticket, confirmed accommodation and enough funds to support your stay.
Seychelles
Rwanda – Visa on arrival.
East African Community [EAC] citizens are issued a visa upon arrival valid for six months without a fee
An entry visa only allows a person to enter for 30 days and if they wish to stay longer they must, after they have entered Rwanda, seek another class of residence permit.
Kigali
Comoros – Visa on Arrival
A return ticket is required, a visa fee of $60 for 45 days, $250 for a year, and $500 for 10 years.
Visa for minors [under 18]: free
Grand Comore, Comoros
Kenya – Visa on arrival
An applicant will still be able to get a visa at the port of entry on arrival. Visas acquired at Kenyan Embassies and High Commissions are also valid and will be honored at the port of entry. The Department has set up a workstation where they can apply for the transit visa at the port of entry in case of unexpected circumstances.
Nairobi, Kenya
Tanzania – Visa on Arrival
Stone town, Zanzibar city
Most visitors to Tanzania must obtain a visa from one of the Tanzanian diplomatic missions. However, a majority of nations can obtain a visitor visa at any port of entry land or air. Most SADC citizens or East African Community citizens do not need a visa for tourism purposes. 3-month tourist visas are available for $50 at all ports of entry [except US citizens, who must buy $100 1 year multiple entry visas].
Cape Verde– Visa on Arrival. [Visa-free for nationals of Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea,Hong Kong, Liberia, Macau, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Timor Leste, and Togo]
All visitors entering Cape Verde require a visa [cost: 40 euros] and a passport that is valid for at least another 6 months after the travel date. The visa allows you to stay for 90 days. You must enter the country within 180 days after the visa has been issued. Application forms can be submitted via the Internet, fax or mail and are available on the website of the Embassy of Cape Verde.
In respect to regions at large, regional communities in Africa have set up arrangements amongst their member states, here are some I could find [or all that exist]
ECOWAS
The Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS] is the pioneer when it comes to the freedom of movement of people. ECOWAS citizens can travel between countries using the ECOWAS passport. Its 15 member countries include Benin, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, The Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Togo, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Nigeria. This freedom is enshrined in the Protocol on Free Movement, Right of Residence and Establishment.
SADC [Southern African Development Community]
Although it is meant to facilitate travel among the 15 SADC countries, the vision is to allow fellow Africans to move freely without a visa in the future. Currently, it is easier for passport holders of developed countries to enter Africa without a visa compared to Africans.
Most nationals belonging to one of the 15 SADC countries can visit another country visa-free. However, there are some that still restrict the movement of people. South Africa, for example, tries to implement a visa-free policy for SADC members – however, there’s a catch on time limits. Citizens of Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe can enter without a visa and stay up to 90 days.
EAC
The East African Community (EAC) is composed of 6 partner countries, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. It is home to 150 million people. The citizens of each of these countries are free to enter any of the member nations without a visa. But, if you are a non-EAC resident, you can avail yourself of the EAC single visa for Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda.
Art is a depiction of the consciousness of a particular time and contemporarily evolves through the beautiful minds of that period. A plethora of beautiful minds exist right now in Africa and it’s an auspicious time and place to look, as the world is perpetually trying to discover unexplored forms. Young Africans’ approach to life and art have been uniquely shaped by a confluence of global influences in European curriculum, western media, and the internet. One young African creating at a high level is Thompson Ekong, a Nigerian photographer with many opinions in his depictions that vary from self-empowerment to love and mental health, He has exhibited work in Nigeria, England, and Ukraine, and featured on Nigerian and British publications.
I caught up with Thompson Ekong at his home to have a chat surrounding his documentation of a growing Nigerian millennial subculture, the experience of being a photographer in Nigeria, creating multidimensionally, and some venting.
No-1
Last year ushered the growth of a fresh breed of Nigerian millennials vying for a place in the local and international music industries. I observed you are credited for much of their visuals and promotional content, was there a specific direction you applied to your images of Lady Donli, Odunsitheengine, Tay Iwar, Santi, etc?
Thompson Ekong:
It was a different process for each of them because they have different vibes and energies through their music, Donli’s music doesn’t sound like Santi’s music, Odunsi, Zamir, Tay, GMK, all have distinct sounds and for me to shoot them I needed to understand them first as people behind their art.
I spent close to two weeks each time, immersing myself in their spaces and understanding how best they could be projected, and that was basically the whole process.
One could say you played the role of a documentary photographer?
Thompson Ekong:
You could put it like that… but also you can’t put it like that cause in and out, I wasn’t there as a documentary photographer or anything like that, it was just me loving the music and being like ‘Yo let’s shoot this, this is how this could be like and how we can do it’. The vibes of the music was the main energy not necessarily anyone, so it’s just like if I liked your music and vibed with your energy, I’d want to document that, not really me being a documentary photographer, it was more like moving around with my friends just trying to create something out of nothing.
Voyager
I use the word ‘Like’ a lot.
You dabble in Portraiture for artistes, Fashion, and Conceptual Photography, how have you managed to excel in all?
Thompson Ekong:
I create multidimensionally, it’s just me visualizing some stuff that I want to see in the world. Like if I want to see Fanta green, something that has never been made, I’ll make the Fanta green man cause that’s what I want to see, in terms of the conceptual aspect, it’s me bringing all my ideas to life and all my dreams to reality, or me saying ‘This is what I want to do and I have to do this thing cause I’ve said I have to do this thing’.
For the music, the multidimension is wanting to create based on stuff that I’ve seen now but I want to make ten years ahead. If the music is very futuristic, I can have a lot of fun creating multidimensionally, at the end of the day it all boils down to the music and the artiste.
The fashion thing in Lagos is just a meow p… It’s only if you know what you want, or you know the kind of vibe you want to give everyone through the clothing and you do it. I distanced myself from the fashion scene here because I couldn’t find solace there. It felt like people trying to be on the same cruise, sometimes the same designs, other times it’s not, although all ideas are free. If I really want to have a fashion shoot I’ll have it because I know I’m good at it, it’s angles and what you wanna portray through the fabrics or the color, or the skin tone, or whatever you choose to focus on. It’s basically how you choose to finesse it. It also depends on the fashion house itself, whether it’s clear about its direction and if they want your distinct input, they’ll reach out to you.
Of all those forms, which is your favorite?
Thompson Ekong:
Multidimensional.
Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will. We take photos of people we want the world to learn from. Do not just create things out of routine. Study the world around you, then build the plugins that make your world more lively.
Your notoriety amongst Nigerian Millennials is a whisker short of folklore, what is it like holding this superstar status amongst creatives, the chosen one, in a manner of speaking?
Thompson Ekong:
I don’t like to look at it as a status thing, It’s just me creating what I see cause most people don’t gauge and I just want to be more advanced than everyday people, to be far ahead of the curve, me being the chosen one, is just… it is what it is, I’ve put in the work, I’ve done everything I have so far. I still have to finesse it, and I haven’t done enough, I’ve barely even started really, but to people, it’s like ‘oh, you’ve done a lot’ but I haven’t done what I want to do. So I don’t think about the whole status thing so much, and I don’t gauge it that way, I just gauge it as the chosen one to help people get their dreams to come true, visually or anyway else and just trying to connect everyone and be like the head servant.
How has self-promotion helped push your brand and better your craft in the age of social media?
Thompson Ekong:
If you don’t hype yourself no one will hype for you and you have to keep reminding yourself that you’re one of the greatest, stand by it no matter what anyone tells you and I just like putting my work out there because I don’t know what someone may be going through and what my work can do for somebody, they might be about to commit suicide and just see one image they connect to and they’re just like ‘Damn there’s more to life, there’s still hope’. It’s also me putting work out there cause you shouldn’t pile work up for yourself, you won’t be able to create more because you haven’t let those ones go. It’s needed for a clear head so you approach new stuff from ground zero again.
What does it take for a young photographer in Nigeria to not be broke?
Thompson Ekong:
As a young photographer in this country, you’ll still be broke every now and again, unless everyone’s mentality can change, and it’s only a few that value photography and have the capacity to pay you (when it’s not about free work or portfolio building). In terms of financing your photography, it’s difficult because they’re a lot of photographers… a lot of guys with cameras, so if you say 150k (Naira), and the next person they call say 60k, they’ll go for that 60k, unless they know that your work is worth 150k, which may still be a devaluation of your work. So If you’re a young photographer you just have to keep creating because your work keeps evolving and keeps going and people keep seeing it and it’s not meow work, it’s not the same thing, you can just keep finessing it, but in terms of people paying certain amounts of money, it’s really hard.
How do you feel about the evolution of photography among millennials in recent years?
Thompson Ekong:
Yeah, it’s definitely evolved from the norms to like the new stuff everyone is doing now and yeah it has evolved cause, once you inspire people and people see dope shit, and believe that this can be created and definitely they know that there’s hope and we don’t have to shoot the same way the older generation of photographers did and there’s a chance to break the simulation.
Can you recount a tale of your struggles encountered growing as a young photographer in Nigeria?
Thompson Ekong:
Don’t wanna go too deep. I would say, trying to get your balance from a client.
What are your long-term goals? And how do you envision the bigger picture of photography in coming generations in Nigeria, Africa at large
Thompson Ekong:
Long term goals… I’m not going to be a photographer for a very long time but it’ll be in my name, so I will stop at some point. But before that, I want to create a lifetime of photography that’ll keep inspiring people no matter what year you’re in, no matter what zone you’re in, if my work keeps inspiring people that’s all that matters. And it helps the country too because the pictures are products.
Photography will evolve because as artists you have to keep evolving and now everyone is being woke, and I don’t think anyone wants to stay in the same place anymore.
The future is important, the future isn’t something we just enter, we make it, from now.
Who are your greatest influences?
Thompson Ekong:
(Kanye) West, (Steve) Jobs, Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli). The three of them created products that helped the world, Jobs made Apple, Ye made Yeezy’s, through his music through his clothes, through his art, through his ranting. Miyazaki made a whole wonderland for me with Studio Ghibli, and he was a type of person that reasoned like me because he wanted to see the stuff he saw in his head in reality and the only way for him to bring it out was by sketching them into animations. Most of the stuff in his animations are the things he saw when he took walks in Japan, and that’s exactly how I try to approach my photography. Yes! and Adenuga (Skepta) can’t believe I forgot that. So those are the four guys Jobs, West, Miyazaki, and Adenuga.
Skepta influenced me in so many ways, going through his life from him being a roadman, him being himself, him carrying his family and his guys as a unit, as one, him taking a stand for the things he believes in, he’s always plotting and keeps believing, and even when he’s still being a roadman he’s clean and knows what to do at every turn, it’s very inspiring.
Trapped Soul; A series addressing depression and mental illness. Exhibited 2016 at Digital Decade in London.
Still, on Skepta, you’ve worked closely with him on the last two occasions he was in Nigeria, you’ve had very candid photos of him, how was that, having Skepta as a subject?
Thompson Ekong:
Most of the key photos I took of him, he wasn’t aware at the moment I took them, and even though he’s my idol, I never behave like a fan around him, I’m just calm, I’m just the guy he sees every time with a camera, and he’s just like “yo, wagwan” he might even pass me the zoot (laughs) and he just tells me stuff like ‘bro, you need to do more stuff, you’re the great one” galvanizing words. Most of the Images are candids, he’s always moving so when I’m moving with him he’s hardly aware. I think candids are the best.
Skepta performing in Lagos; March 2018.
You reference ‘the kids’ often in your work, how integral do you think these kids will be to a new Nigeria?
Thompson Ekong:
That depends on us, literally, because our parents were brought into a world that was like paper mâché, or a cracked Pokemon ball, the world for them was just not together, but then they had to have kids and be the superheroes or the cleaners that would sweep away a lot of the corruption and the negativity, they tried their best but those things are still here, and we have to finish off from where they left off and be the superheroes of now so we need to finesse this generation so the kids that are coming in next won’t have the same issues that we suffer in this generation. The previous generation it was mostly money and the the likes, but now we suffer from mental health anxiety, drug use, and abuse, so we need to understand the kids, everyone needs to know that if we’re coming no one is playing, let’s get get everything together, let’s create the future, let’s do a lot of dope things, they need to know that because it’s for the kids man, it’s for the next generation, and after the next generation it’s the next generation, if you’re doing something for the world, and if you’re doing it with your heart, you want to drop a product that has so much meaning that even when you die, from generation to generation it keeps going. So basically that’s why I keep saying for the kids, the kids with the ideas never die, and even when they do, their ideas never die, that’s what it means.
There’s an ongoing conversation amongst Nigerian millennials predominantly on social media, it’s about the new age, or the new generation, or the new school as many have different ways of interpreting it. To some, it’s likened to what you said about creating for this next generation. How relevant do you think this new age is to African millennials building a self-sufficient Africa?
Thompson Ekong:
It’s possible, but it needs to be created, it needs to be there because without what we’re doing now, kids won’t have anything to say about what came before, what we’re doing now. People don’t understand that we’re the same human race but we keep trying to pull each other down, and at the end of the day we all have the same blood, and we’re meant to help each other cause we’re all going for that same goal which is ultimately bigger than us. So no matter what anybody is saying, Alte, New Age, New School, whatever, the fact that you’re in this generation is what you’ll be remembered for. The internet is one of the biggest keys right now, but people take social media too deep, everyone will be fine, but we, the key holders or gatekeepers, the ones that know what they want and what they want to do for the culture, or for Nigeria or Africa as a whole, they’re the ones that you know they’ll spaz, so no matter what, it’s just how it is, we have to, cause if we don’t do it no-one will, it’s definitely not our parents that work nine to five’s, and amongst many of my peers no-one really wants to work a nine to five, so we have to build, it’s just how it is.
In April, J. Cole came to Nigeria for a concert and the crowd sang along to practically the whole set, I was in that crowd and it was a mad energy. Then the videos from the concert come out and there was this reaction like ‘Africans have iPhones?’, the perceptions are still very skewed.
Thompson Ekong:
They’ll be fine. It’s what people see they take. but if you know you know, like I said, the internet is the most powerful thing It’s what someone sees online that they’ll take, unless you really know how it is in reality with those people, if they see on the internet that Lagos, Nigeria doesn’t have anything modern it really shouldn’t bother us, everyone will be fine. It just had to happen and it’s happened and it’s there. Let’s move forward, positively.
Thompson Ekong behind the lens
A word for younger creatives?
Thompson Ekong:
Now is important, now we’re together as a unit, as one, now is important to create what we believe in, to take that step towards what we believe in. The future is important, the future isn’t something we just enter, we make it, from now. Art, now. future, now. Office, products, now. Everything is now, every decision you make now is what is going to move you to the next phase. I’ve learned how to take life more lightly and understand the spectrum of human emotions through Anime. So to creatives, now is important, the future is not something we enter it’s something we make. Far too many people are focused on acting out a role rather than getting their hands dirty. Less Instagram theatrics, more actual work.
Lupercalia/Love
There’s an advent of awareness amongst of Nigerian creatives that have made them more embracing of their identity, and expressive enough to have their presence profoundly felt through hashtags like #WeareNigerianCreatives which provides an index which quantifies their existence to citizens of the world looking to see what Africa is up to and a light to look out for young Africans aspiring to make a living through more unconventional means. Although one hashtag does not encompass all, it does at least highlight a presence, to find more flowers in the cracks one must dig deeper.
I haven’t really involved with the hashtag but I think it’s a good initiative to spotlight the different things young Nigerians can do and already doing,” said Daniel Obasi, Another Millennial Nigerian Photographer making great strides with his work.
“I could be a 17-year-old student studying something in business or law and may not necessarily be my dream but because there are no proper institutions here in Nigeria for certain art-related career it’s obviously gonna be difficult to say that’s the field you want to go into…. but when you come across works by self taught Nigerian artists through social media or through that hashtag…. I feel such a person could actually be inspired.”
There’s a lot of creative activity transpiring in Africa under the world’s radar, and as the world’s attention span inevitably pans, there is a lot to be excited about from the motherland in the near future.
Thompson Ekong on Instagram; @___tse & Twitter; @TSE___
Blood, Sweat and Tears is Trill Xoe’s debut EP after having the series of mixtapes ‘Tales’ under his belt. The 20-year-old producer melds diverse artists from the young ‘Soundcloud Generation’ of Africa to create a unique blend which features every section of the culture. The EP features rappers; Bryan The Mensah, Psycho YP, Foresythe, BarelyAnyHook, Oma Mahmud, and singers; Kizz Ernie, Rilwan, Ocho, Zirra. The project is reminiscent of a DJ Khaled album in the way that Trill Xoe creates something out of nothing. ‘The name Blood, Sweat and Tears comes from the difficulty, in reality, to put together the process for a young producer’.
Kanye West is known to go on rants, physical or digital, that seem like they’re a deviation from the script or teleprompter. One example is the red cross telethon calling for aid for Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005, where he went through with an anxious out of body rant with the highlight being ‘George Bush doesn’t care about black people’.
Mr West received some backlash concerning one of his recent tweets
To understand this, we must first know; who is Candace Owens? She’s a conservative activist and speaker with opinions that go well against liberal views. And Kanye who is perceived to be much liberal due to his artist status, isn’t meant to admire any conservative qualities by the status quo. But here he is, doing what he’s not meant to again. Often, Kanye is fueled by a passion that moves him to speak his truths [one of which was Beyonce having one of the best videos of all time]. Having watched previous interviews, Kanye’s outbursts come with little surprise, it almost seems like a mode of expression; incessant rants, he’s said once before in his interview with Surface magazine ‘Words get in the way’ and yet he has to use them. Kanye’s stream of consciousness is haphazard as opposed to the packaged products that have proliferated our work and leisure spaces. The authenticity of it is what’s got many sold.
His twitter feed updates us on the Yeezy line; which is one of the most sought after & controversial brands in the fashion industry, in real time, I’d count that as key information for millions of people around the world.
been reworking the production shape on these #RATBOOTS 🐀🐀🐀for 6 months. I’m super happy with them. I’m excited about the ability to give a boot the true YEEZY shape. Feels more future. pic.twitter.com/A9miXqZQUG
Ye also drops relevant & necessary advice some may call ‘aphorisms’ to very impressionable youths on how things work in general, which is a contrast to the plethora of social media influencers who dictate thoughts and actions for you to follow.
be fearless. Express what you feel not what you’ve been programmed to think.
Kanye’s timeline serves as a sort of guided glance into the grungy world of conservative twitter. Since the 2016 US elections and all the heinous things I heard conservatives of the far-right say about my race in the run-up to the election, it’s no puzzle why I’d never want to delve into their cybersphere. I’ve scoured the internet and seemed to find only the most radical of them at the top of google searches, from Kanye West’s timeline it reveals a scale comprised of radicalism and meaning, Kanye, who obviously doesn’t hate black people, has come to rationalize a point from someone in a group that is labeled today for hating black people, there’s a deeper understanding looming from these exchanges that I believe we should examine rather than readily rebuke in accordance with the hive mind.
Is Kanye a conservative? Kanye has stated before that he didn’t vote but if he did he’d have voted for Trump.
In relation; for hundreds of years till date, African people have been seen and used as chattel to be traded by bigger players, the youth also, have always been seen as nothing but mindless subjects by older generations. In most tugs of war for social influence, African people are considered even more today because of the internet and social media, this consideration comes from the fact that we’re just numbers on an analytics page. Many things are told to us by people who do not care about us, to take a step out of the prism is today’s form of mental emancipation, in the grand scheme of things, Kanye doesn’t do all this because of some low-key agape love he has for us, how he does bring impact though, is by the everyday affirmation that he’s done all he’s done and is still alive and moving forward, it is a great motivation to sail against the wind as he does.
HOLLYWOOD, CA – JUNE 28: Kanye West at Milk Studios on June 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. adidas and Kanye West announce the future of their partnership: adidas + KANYE WEST (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for ADIDAS)
In this day, when statements said with conviction is all you need to convince people of your truth, I believe that it’s necessary to stay skeptical about people who make statements and are so sure of themselves, because no one thinks they’re wrong until proven so, and as history tells it, it often takes a long time to do so.
For young Africans to break our current shackles and evolve into a newer generation, we must be true freethinkers.
As a creative your ideas are your strongest form of currency
OFFBEAT Live! is becoming a regular fixture in the minds of Young Lagosians, hosted at the Baroque Age studio through More Branches OFFLINE & VSS with AYE! holding it down with the vibes for days. The second edition was much bigger than the first; with more Young Lagosians converging in this space to rave, interact, get wasted, party and make memories.
Kene Nwatu documented this timeline for young African culture waves for More Branches.
Speaking with BBC Newsday earlier this year, the former President of Nigeria, gave his support for the decriminalization of marijuana in the country.
“It is essentially a call for what we call decriminalization. If a young man tries to experiment with a wrap of marijuana for instance & because of that we put him in jail.”
“I was in prison as a political prisoner & I interacted with these people, some of them just for being caught with a wrap of Marijuana, they’re put in jail. They came out of jail more hardened, more hardened criminals than when they went in. Whereas, if they have been treated as they should be treated & if they need attention, they’ll be given attention.”
“They will be looked after, given a clean needle like it’s been done in some parts of Africa already. Harm reduction & safe places where they can listen to people, they can get attention, they can get counsel. This is the sort of thing we are talking about.”
The logic behind his statement is pretty spelt out, although, one wouldn’t be blamed for citing more alternate or self-centered motivations to his action, considering he owns arguably the biggest farm in Nigeria and being on top of the marijuana market won’t be particularly difficult for him as it transitions from decriminalization to legalization across the continent.
On the flip side, looser regulations on marijuana are required to further the progress of our society, so regardless of who stands to gain now, we, the youth, stand to gain more in the long run.
In terms of a precedent in our part of the world, Lesotho can be used as an example, last year the country in South Africa legalized the medical and scientific use of the herb under license. Also in 2017, there was a ruling in South Africa that favoured the personal use of marijuana in homes, the ruling is pending final confirmation from the constitutional court.
Today, I chose a topic about someone I admire a great deal, and I contemplated changing the title to ‘Why I love J. Cole’ to keep it from spiraling down to plain fawning over the man, but I’ve put my faith in my strength, so please, level with me as I endeavor to not generalize reasons why Africa loves J. Cole
My first sighting of J.Cole was on BET one regular ass day, they introduced his breakout single ‘Who Dat’ and I remember watching it and saying ‘who’s this guy trying to be like Joe Cole’ [ex Chelsea FC player], and thinking what I’d said was funny and then immediately wandering off to some completely unrelated activity. After hearing my mates in school talk about him, I downloaded a few songs on my Nokia XpressMusic and the love story has continued since. His lyrics gave me some of the most solid advice I needed to get through some of the darkest periods of my life. They felt like they came from a place so genuine, from a person who’s had these experiences and was narrating the things he’d learned, it was almost like gaining wisdom from a sage.
I used it as feel-good music for when I was going through hard times/harsh realities [which is almost all times in Africa]. At the time, it was less conventional to listen to rap which wasn’t gangster rap, and the thing is, not everyone that loves rap is or wants to be a gangster. This realization helped give us a fresh understanding of the dynamism of African-American narrative in America, and the sound was able to strike that balance of not deviating so far from the deep tenets of rap. Sometimes he has the ability to bring you back down to earth on songs like ‘Love Yourz’ where he implores that you look within to find the things you seek, ‘Crooked Smile‘ is a song about female empowerment which he raps;
‘Love yourself, girl, or nobody will
Oh, you a woman? I don’t know how you deal
With all the pressure to look impressive and go out in heels
I feel for you
Killing yourself to find a man that’ll kill for you’
and
‘And baby girl you’re a star, don’t let ’em tell you-you’re not’
There are hundreds of reasons to like J. Cole and all of those came to the surface once the news of his coming to Lagos surfaced as well. At first, it sounded too good to be true, and then it was. Castle Lite, a subsidiary of South African Breweries, the company sponsoring the event he’s performing at decided to dangle our hopes and dreams in front of us like a hamster running on a wheel to get to that oh so elusive cheese. I mean, I get that they’re utilizing marketing strategies in order to penetrate this market and launch successfully in the country, so I can understand that, but sell us some damn tickets for crying out loud, the people are literally begging to give Castle Lite their money. Lastly, I hope the organization of the show is great because the polarity of the headliners [J. Cole, Wizkid, Davido] has already sparked some confusion in concert goers as to how the concert organizers will manage to strike a balance in real life, and finesse an unforgettable experience.
UPDATE: It was an unforgettable experience, one that transcended to viral status on the internet, with all the fans rapping J. Cole’s lyrics word for word, the rapper himself was in awe, as was much of the world.
Trill Xoe brings together two brilliant vocalists on the official single from his long-awaited EP ‘Blood, Sweat, and Tears’. On the hook, Tonero lays some piercing melodies and descriptive lyrics as he discovers love in the club and how much more it can become, Rilwan struggles to get a hold of his current situationships and is conflicted between affection and isolation.
‘Love Like This’ seems to set the tone for the E.P in general, which comes out on Sunday, 4th of March. The Euphonic producer has displayed his range on previous projects and we can anticipate more diversity.
SoundCloud links below and it’s also available on Apple Music, Spotify, and Deezer.
#SafeZone is a series discussing mental peculiarities we’ve ignored in the upbringing of kids all over Africa, shedding light on the topic to create a more mentally aware future. This article focuses on social anxiety disorder.
My nursery school teacher often complained to my parents about how I was inattentive in class, one-time mid-complaint, I gazed deeply into the ceiling fan as if to unravel its mystique, and that there was enough to affirm her arguments. For me, then, I thought something was definitely wrong with me and I didn’t deserve the right things anymore because my existence was wrong. I went through most of my life with that assertion until I found out I had SCT[sluggish cognitive tempo] and I learned to understand things I previously perceived about myself and use that knowledge as a form of empowerment.
Many African children grow up with certain peculiarities that elders seemed to find a way to blame them for and chastise without taking into consideration the evolutionary factors involved with mental disorders, most of it is genetically passed down so it’s simply stupid for parents to attack a child because she has trouble being normal. Some kids we went to school with always had the worst grades, even when it seemed like they tried, and it wasn’t because they weren’t smart, it was because they were dyslexic, and being scaled on a biased metric becomes a gateway to believing you’re worth less than everyone and susceptibility to the development of more dormant mental conditions. Much like with everything else, white people discovered and named mental disorders but they have been in existence since time immemorial. Saying mental disorders isn’t a black people thing is foolish, to say the least. These are afflictions suffered by humans, regardless of race.
I’ll be discussing social anxiety disorder [SAD] in this article.
Through bashfulness, suspicion, and timorousness, will not be seen abroad; loves darkness as life and cannot endure the light or to sit in lightsome places; his hat still in his eyes, he will neither see, nor be seen by his good will. He dare not come in company for fear he should be misused, disgraced, overshoot himself in gesture or speeches, or be sick; he thinks every man observes him. – Hippocrates 400 B.C.
‘Social anxiety disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by a significant amount of fear in one or more social situations, causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some parts of daily life. These fears can be triggered by perceived or actual scrutiny from others.
Physical symptoms often include excessive blushing, excess sweating, trembling, palpitations, and nausea. Stammering may be present, along with rapid speech. Panic attacks can also occur under intense fear and discomfort. Some sufferers may use alcohol or other drugs to reduce fears and inhibitions at social events. It is common for sufferers of social phobia to self-medicate in this fashion, especially if they are undiagnosed, untreated or both.’
In our society, when you show these symptoms you’re instantly branded as a snob. Society wants you to be something you’re not, and refuse to understand that you shy away as a method of survival rather than exclusion.
To peers, you’re proud and conceited, when in actuality, you’re just trying to live without being humiliated, so you shut out the whole thing regardless, but still feel anxiety while you try to act like the situation doesn’t exist. At some point, the anxiety becomes self-propagating and before you know it, you’re in a metaphorical inception of anxiety.
The school system doesn’t account for apples that don’t fall near the tree, intelligent kids suffering from social anxiety are shamed for not being able to stand up in a class full of people to answer questions and that humiliation morphs into not answering questions at all, inactivity and disinterest in school activities. This is how we lose gems.
Our parents thought that if they believed in God enough, their children will not be subject to any form of affliction, they would say things like ‘God cannot allow it to happen to my children’, or ‘You’re too young to be depressed’. Statements like these, coming from people you trust and love really fucks with your mind and makes you doubt your cognitive abilities even more. In relation to mental health, we cannot be like our parents, we need to do more for our kids so that future generations can thrive, it will be selfish to not take into deep consideration the overall mental well-being of our descendants.
Special kids often experience comorbidity, which makes it difficult to be certain of your full condition because it feels like you’re extra since you exhibit symptoms of multiple disorders and that you’re just reading too much into those Wikipedia pages. There’s a tough psychological battle between refusing and accepting the presence of these ailments within you. There is a great deal of empowerment one gets from knowing what makes him tick.
‘SAD’ is more than just severe shyness. It is a real medical condition that has been linked to abnormalities in brain chemistry and dysfunctional thinking patterns.’
‘A person with social anxiety disorder knows that his or her fears are irrational but, nevertheless, is unable to control them.’
One way to manage your anxiety is to slowly build your confidence through engaging in more fearful situations in an ascending order, basically, work your way to the top, from asking a stranger for the time or giving someone a genuine compliment to hosting a party in your home.
Helping people with Social Anxiety Disorder.
Learn about the disorder, if someone close to you is experiencing Social Anxiety Disorder, do a google search and click a few links about it. The little effort will go a long way. And be patient, don’t be judgmental or overly emotional to this person’s SAD induced reactions. Focus on their feelings, not yours because it is not a rational disorder and be there to remind them that the feeling will pass.
Do not ask ‘Why are you anxious?’. A person with Social Anxiety Disorder does not have a logical reason why she is anxious and this only highlights how clueless she is and makes her more anxious. And don’t play the blame game either, it only makes things worse; accept that the disorder is the result of biological and psychological factors that are out of everyone’s control, and don’t be a dick.
Finally, listen more to those around you with intent to digest, as opposed to intent to respond, you will learn a lot when you’re not focused on talking back.
A word for the new age and mental health.
Search for the knowledge to recognize the things you’ve always noticed but had never been able to explain and empower yourself with it.
I believe the overarching anxiety comes as a result of past collective trauma and in the grand scheme of things, we are not a secure continent and the anxiety is heightened to keep us safe, we must secure our future as a continent with a strong foothold in the world so that we can protect our kids in the mental health department whichever way we can.
I was taking the bus and halfway through the commute, the driver decided to end his journey a few stops short of where his conductor had previously publicized. A woman seated to my right was going to CMS [Lagos, Nigeria] and this sudden development had become an impediment to her trip and so, she complained, and the driver responded nonchalantly, almost as if she was the one who had issued the decree. The conductor made efforts to hail another danfo [Public means of transport in Lagos], but the woman did not plan to entertain that outcome, so, she refused to get down, saying things like “No be me wey you go choose bus make I enter. For this Lagos!? No oh”. It just got more awkward from then on for the driver, the woman, and I, the bashful observer. She kept complaining and the driver kept acting as if she was a nuisance. Eventually, she got down to board another bus, ultimately hailed by the conductor.
Here are a few things I observed from this episode:
Firstly, the deep distrust that exists amongst us, it took next to nothing to lead her mind to nefarious possibilities like they could use her for ‘one chance’ [a popular attempt by local transport owners to kidnap passengers] and I wouldn’t even jump to blaming her because as farfetched as it may seem that the first random bus on the highway is out to get you, uncannier happenings have transpired in Nigeria, or maybe she’s usually a manic person and it’s merely a showing of her character, but what really struck me was that hearing her say those things made me connect dots in a weird Nollywood movie plot kind of way and for a second it made perfect sense to me. For someone who makes a conscious effort to cast aside destructive beliefs, that one moment was enough to signal to me, the depth of disparity that thrives in our society.
Also, I think it’s safe to say that the bus driver only thought to try what he did because she was a woman, someone he’s gauged as weak and inferior. To make such an assumption would be preposterous considering their paths had just crossed for the first time. This manner in which we perceive and treat women needs to take a 180 and find new bearings, it simply is and should be, unacceptable.
Like all that wasn’t enough for one trip; at the Lekki toll gate, as the bus driver collected his change, he held on to the toll collector lady’s hand to tease her a little bit, smiling at her in the process beckoning for a smile in reciprocation, not to speak for her but, I’d be irate if a stranger did that to me at work.
Take a second to look around you and reflect on why things happen, the cause and effect relationship of pretty much everything, much will be revealed. To the culprit in this story, he had done nothing wrong, but I believe every person must judge his or her actions by their consequences and the consequences of his actions were not exactly of a luminous nature to the people he interacted with. We must try, to the best of our powers, to make the next persons life better not worse, because one seemingly trivial act of nastiness is capable of creating ripple effects of the like, just like how this bus driver’s insolence caused the woman to be solemn and riddled with contempt for the rest of her commute. A poor mood to bestow upon another via deplorable actions.
As a people trying to build from the ground up, it’s only logical that we collaborate with each other in every aspect of our lives, so as to better our collective situation one person at a time. There are systems that would try to divide us by spreading falsities that incite hate amongst one another so that these systems will continue to benefit at the expense of the overall well-being. To that master we must not bend the knee.
The people are the most powerful constituent of a nation and are often fed with distractions in order to not realize the strength that lies within.
For one man alone, it may be difficult to recognize this power, as the grandiosity of institutions is enough to halt hope in its tracks, but for a people as one, no ivory tower is tall or strong enough to keep them from making a better life for and by themselves, and it seems to me, a much better alternative to perpetually complaining and trivializing our strength and plights as we have done since the time of our fathers.
A quote comes to mind ‘Madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ and with that, are we not all mad?
We must take a leap of faith to trust and love the next man for the individual and collective situation to see real and radical improvement.
What does this word mean, one might ask, euphonic? From what I gather, it means sounds pleasing to the ear, what better way to characterize music. Euphonic is a part of Baroque Age and I am a part of Baroque Age, so I compose this from a backroom perspective so to speak.
Before I begin, I’ve noticed that the term ‘New Age’ makes quite a number of people cringe these days and I totally understand that reaction, we tend to objurgate things we do not understand, we’re only human and I don’t blame anyone for thinking this way, although I bet Galileo would have some blame to dish around in this regard, but I understand what the term holds in its entirety so the growing discontent does not shake the values we hold dear.
All artworks are created by Euphonic’s in-house art direction team led by Sadiq Yinka and Raymond Okhidievbie, with additions from Codelo’s C/O Ose Adeniyi.
I’ll start with its inception. Euphonic began in the unlikeliest of places; a dream fathomed in a dorm room of an institution notorious for being a killer of dreams, Babcock University. We were just a group of friends with infectious vibes and whenever we came together it turned exponential. Seyi, Tonero, and I, had a day-long discussion about our passions, dreams, values to deeply understand the mission we’d just chosen to embark on and before long, the team began to grow with bright minds who had finally found a space where they could truthfully express their innate selves through human interaction and through their music, to friends patient enough to crave to understand each other, and thus it began, a routine of a couple of conscious niggas getting high, talking philosophically and making music. We underwent a great deal of growth during those times, a pure and organic growth, it should be no mystery that Tonero’s Ajna was a metaphorical description of the birth of Euphonic, an opening of our collective third eye, with nothing but belief in ourselves and the music as our guide.
In our many discussions, we often spoke about building a society where conscious music is welcomed, artistes are more self aware of their craft and the music becomes an extension of themselves. To usher in African music of the highest quality, we recognized that we must give it our all no matter where we found ourselves, great music must be the starting point and we must not compromise on the quality of the music we make, because it exists to serve a greater purpose than getting to the fast life. The sound serves as our call for liberation.
Below are brief summaries of Euphonic’s members:
Tonero: Tonero is the music director and co-founder of Euphonic, he writes and produces his work. His was the first body of work the company released titled ‘Ajna’ and he has further released five singles, the latest being ‘Missed Calls’
Bond: Bond is Euphonic’s chief audio engineer, a lot of the sounds in and out of the company are heavily influenced by him. He released a debut EP last year titled ‘Book of Bond’ and another this year with our Ghanaian counterparts, Vision Inspired Music titled ‘Neighbours’, he has a few singles under his belt, including his 2017 rap debut titled ‘Dash’
Suede: Suede was one of the first members of Euphonic in its dorm room inception. His debut single titled ‘End of time’ is a love song for the ages and his second release is an ode to Africa titled ‘Alkebulan’
TrillXoe: Xoe is a producer and the team’s youngest member. He has released a mixtape series under the name ‘Tales’. The last of which possessed fan favorite ‘I’m coming’ co-produced by 80sounds member Tobay and featuring Psycho YP.
To Name a Few: Is a band consisting of Goldrummachine and Brum3h. Their soothing records such as ‘Stay Over’ and ‘Based’ which also had a remix featuring Barelyanyhook are no wonder why they are a cause of frequent fanfare. Goldrummachine handles the production while Brum3h is the lead vocalist. They’re also founders of their own creative company called ‘ArtSquare’
Charlie: She is the latest addition to the team, her first single as a part of Euphonic titled ‘GST’ is available on SoundCloud. She’s also the founder of Oddball Sound, a sister label to Euphonic Music.
At the moment this music company is focused on nurturing its organic growth in order to attract a genuine fan base built on love for the sound and the vision that will stand the test of time and be there when push comes to shove.
The near future though, promises bright prospects and a few new projects to keep the company’s current following engaged and also to reach out to ears willing to be immersed in the Vox.
