Sunnyside Up – Kiyo
Just last month when we caught up with Lo-Fi rapper Kiyo, for our Voices in Music feature, he hinted at a new release on the way. Delivering on his promise – and much earlier too – he serves us a 3-track pack, Sunnyside Up. The mini project is a concise but insightful documentation of the rapper’s coming of age journey; highlighting relatable moments like the frustrating plight of still living with your parents at 20 and the ever recurring millennial existential crisis many may have experienced. His witty yet honest pen finds the perfect backdrop against the enigmatic beats provided by producers Osayuki, YCG and Leehis.
Stream Sunnyside Up below
No Conversate – Zilla Oaks ft Prettyboy D-O, Marv OTM & MOJO
Abuja rapper Zilla Oaks reunites with Prettyboy-DO and enlists rappers Marv OTM and MOJO for this bar-heavy cut. The track packs an onslaught of fiery verses from each rapper as they assert that they have no time for unnecessary shenanigans. Taking turns riding the Tochi Bedford produced beat, they each find their groove. ‘If e no be the money/If e no be the kpa/Why you come dey follow me talk’, Marv raps, highlighting that he’s only to be reached for serious business only.
Stream the track below.
War Drums – Shingai
After nearly a decade off the map, singer, bassist and front woman of British indie rock band Noisettes, Shingai Shoniwa, kickstarted her solo career last year with a vibrant four-track EP, Ancient Futures. Succeeding from the sonically transcendent project, Shingai returns to the fold with a special cut, ‘War Drums’, off her upcoming summer album, Only The Brave. The rhythmically up-tempo record sees the Afro-futuristic British-Zimbabwean singer crooning delectable pop melodies as she looks to the light in testing times, inviting listeners to shake off their anxieties. ‘Hard times yeah/Get yourself up off the floor/Can you hear the drums of war?, she beckons to listeners to forget about the darkness long enough to have fun, giving them a sense of hope.
Listen to ‘War Drums’ below.
Yung L – “Eve Bounce” featuring Wizkid
Yung L is back with what he calls the ‘G mix’ of his song “Eve Bounce” from his tape ‘Juice and Zion’. The new version of the song features a verse from Wizkid, and well you know the rest.
ADEY – Akiba EP
Singer/Producer releases his long-awaited project after years of racking up an impressive resume of hits with Nigeria’s top artists. His new project titled “Akiba’ gives us a taste of summer vibes and fun that Coronavirus has robbed us all of. It promises a blissful but short stay at the beach from the confines of our homes.
The 4 track EP sees the producer explore his artistic side, with the only feature being ‘Fugazi‘, a standout single with ‘Wani’ who delivered another amazing feature appearance.
COLORSXStudios x Rema – “Fame”
Rema released a suprise performance for the second time with The Colors Studio to debut a his new single ‘Fame’, five months after his first debut performing ‘Bad Commando’.
‘Fame’ gives us an introspective Rema, rapping over the guitar-led instrumentals produced by Woodpecker, he talks about how’s handled things since he broke out into the limelight and how he’s evolving past it.
Omah Lay – Get Layd EP
This year has seen a few artists dear for the ‘Breakout’ title and one that stands out is Omah Lay, the singer of Valentine’s Day single, “You” which quickly became the artist’s first viral hit gathering streams and radio plays. He’s finally released his highly anticipated EP ‘Get Layd’
The 5 track project sets the mood for Omah with its groovy mid-tempo beats that allow him to deliver his catchy melodies detailing stories of his romantic relationship with past and present lovers, all good recipes for a very good project.
Pulse NG wrote about the project saying, “Omah Lay’s greatest gift might seem his technique or his lyric tenor vocals, but it’s not. His greatest gift is his type of songwriting that merges echoes of Fireboy’s creative penmanship with Wizkid’s vibes.”
Skip Marley – Slow Down Feat. Davido, H.E.R, Oxlade
Over the last few weeks we’ve seen Nigerian artists link up with other global stars around the world to create amazing hits we never knew we needed and this week wasn’t differnt.
Skip Marley teamed up with Davido and Oxlade for a remix of his already successful track ‘Slow Down’ which was originally released with singer ‘H.E.R.’ The P2J-produced remix is filled up beautifully with bouncy and afrobeat infused melodies delivered by Daivdo and Oxlade who take the first and last verses respectfully.
Written by Makua Adimora & Adedayo
