african music
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Ticketmaster announced Wednesday (July 24) that the company is expanding its presence in Africa with the acquisition of Quicket, described in a press release as “a major player in Africa’s general admission event and festival ticketing.” Quicket, which was founded in South Africa in 2011, is known for its self-service platform and event organizer […]
In the time since Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Rema dropped off 2022’s Rave & Roses, he experienced both the most staggering heights of crossover success and the vilest parts of the demonization of his culture in one fell swoop.
In 2023, “Calm Down” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent a record-setting 58 weeks atop U.S. Afrobeats Songs. The infectious, Selena Gomez-assisted track also reached No. 1 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, making history for a song by an African lead artist. Then came his sold-out headlining performance at London’s O2 Arena later that year (Nov. 14, 2023), which sparked accusations of Satanism due to the imagery – in actuality, they were hallmarks of the Edo culture of his hometown of Benin City, Nigeria – employed during the show.
These two things – genuinely peerless success and the tension that lies in bringing hyperlocal culture to a global scale – are the driving forces behind Rema’s impressively daring and unequivocally infectious sophomore LP, Heis.
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Bearing a title that simultaneously calls to his Instagram handle (@heisrema), the Greek word for the number “one,” and the simplest proclamation of being, Heis finds Rema staunchly on the defensive. Gone are the sugary slow-wine tempos of Rave & Roses; here, Rema conjures up soundscapes – courtesy of an all-star production team that includes Producer X, Take a Daytrip and longtime collaborator London – that thrive in the darkness. Pounding, frenetic drums open the album, ultimately becoming the record’s anchor. Occasionally a tinny synth or a particularly piercing string arrangement will cut through the wall of sound, but the rollicking, militant drums are the dominant source of energy on Heis. And it makes sense: The drum – with all of its history and percussiveness – is the instrument the best symbolizes the Rema of Heis.
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Across the LP, Rema reclaims the “Satanist” narrative by doubling-down on the sounds and voice changes that first garnered those accusations. When he warps his voice into an obsidian baritone on “Ozeba” (“Emi ati awon guys e mi italawo, e mi itolowo/ Italawa, itolowo, ita, itolow, eh-eh”), it’s somehow both bone-chilling and tongue-in-cheek. He refuses to let go of his hometown’s history and culture despite being a global superstar; it’s an emphasis on regionality that mirrors similar conversations has across Black American music this year, from Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” “Everyone is chasing something that the whole world can enjoy… we’re listening to the voices of the world too much,” he said in a recent Apple Music interview. “We gotta listen to the voices back home to keep our roots. Our roots [are] very important.”
But the Rema of Heis also has an unmistakable chip on his shoulder. As hip-hop grappled with the standing of its Big 3 (Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole) this spring, Rema uses Heis to demand a spot in the conversation as it relates to Afrobeats. He’s already expressed his desire to expand the existing Afrobeats Big 3 (commonly understood to consist of Burna Boy, Davido and Wizkid) to a “Big 4,” and now he spends most of Heis demanding the No. 1 spot.
“March Am” opens the record with Rema’s trademark sinister laugh ushering in a high-octane drum pattern that soundtracks his bellicose calls to keep pushing forward. One of the most effective album openers of the year, “March Am” immediately establishes pidgin English as the album’s dominant tongue. “17, I dey dagbo, I dey crack code/ Now the prince of Afro,” he snarls in the first verse, before sing-chanting the “I dey march am” chorus against some stirring background strings. Taking notes from the painstaking worldbuilding of Playboi Carti, Rema’s vision of Afrorave is completely contingent on the blistering, unfettered energy that comes from people collectively giving their bodies over to the power of music. Heis begs to be experienced in a live setting; it’s as if Rema conceived the live version of each song before he even set foot in the studio. It’s dark and raucous and distinctly liberating; at long last, Rema has brought to life the “Afrorave” style that he’s long heralded, despite an initial lack of sonic identifiers.
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The only instrument as effective as the drums on Heis is Rema’s voice. Across the LP, the singer dives into the depths of his range, spending ample time in his icy baritone. Not only do his different vocal registers evoke different characters in his narrative — of recentering yourself after stepping into a new era of life — they also reveal Rema’s artistic maturation. Each shift in vocal delivery adds new textures to the 2010s Afrobeats-nodding instrumentation; instead of simply delivering lyrics, he morphs into his own instrument and weaves himself into every chord.
Pre-release singles “Hehehe” and “Benin Boys” (with Shallipopi) play even better in the context of the full album. The former finds Rema temporarily playing to the villain role to mock his haters, while the latter reads as a celebration of Benin culture from two homegrown stars, who seek to uplift and protect it from those who ignorantly demonize it. Sandwiched between those two tracks is “Yayo,” perhaps the record’s most accessible song – and the one Rave & Roses fans will likely find most appealing, with its catchy melody and grind culture-affirming lyrics (“Money yakpa for my bank oh/ How to make money is all I know”)
At just under half an hour, Heis never overstays its welcome, but that doesn’t mean Rema completely avoids repeating himself. While having a chip on your shoulder can bolster your assertiveness, it often gives way to defensiveness on the album’s back half – and that’s where its cracks start to show. The title track – which features a Swahili chorus that basically lauds Rema as the hottest thing to ever touch Planet Earth – feels particularly excessive because he’s already covered the same lyrical ground elsewhere on the album. There’s also “Villain,” the album’s penultimate track, in which he croons, “I dey hustle since people dey laugh me/ The way I dey run my things, I do it differently, now dem dey copy me.” But by track 10, these sentiments feel stale, if not overbearing.
In its entirety, Heis is a captivating album; one that inspires countless listens because of how its intricate production reveals new elements with each encounter. With the album’s closer, “Now I Know,” Rema wraps everything up quite cleanly, offering new perspectives to the darkness that subsumes the record with one soulful ballad. “I dey move like Messi when he dey for Barcelo/ E get as God go bless person, dem go talk say na devil oh,” he opens the second verse, before proclaiming “And now I know who dey for me/ All thosе I trust turned enemiеs” in the chorus.
After dousing himself in an amalgamation of edgy aesthetics to further cement his Afrorave style, Rema, in a way, becomes human again on this album closer. His plaintive tone reflects the maturation he’s undergone in the past two years, while also calling back to the timbre he most often used on his debut LP. He’s still the same Rema, but he’s demanding a different level of respect – not just because of his superstar status, but because of his steadfast commitment to uplifting his culture and bringing it along with him at any cost.
If you fell in love with Rema off the strength of his sweet crossover pop moments, his latest album probably isn’t for you. But if you’re willing to be led down a journey of self-discovery and style formation, Heis is the map for that odyssey.
The Lijadu Sisters and Numero Group have signed an expansive new partnership that seeks to bring justice to the legendary Nigerian duo’s catalog, it was announced on Wednesday (July 10).
Composed of identical twin sisters Taiwo and Kehinde Lijadu — who are second cousins to Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti — the Lijadu Sisters arose as fearless and groundbreaking leaders in the male-dominated Nigerian pop music scene. The duo fused Afrobeat, pop, psychedelic rock, reggae, disco and jazz music with messages about gender equality, government corruption, love and more in both English and Yoruba. They toured with Nigerian jùjú musician King Sunny Adé, David Byrne, Ginger Baker and Art Blakey and, during a 2014 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performed in the Atomic Bomb! band tribute to Nigerian musician William Onyeabor.
The sisters, whose alté ethos paved the way for modern female African artists like Amaarae and Tems, released five albums in the 1970s under Decca Records’ Afrodisia imprint. That was followed by Double Trouble, a 1984 compilation featuring hits from those albums released by Shanachie Records. The Nigerian duo later signed a 10-year licensing agreement with Knitting Factory Records around 2011, according to a recent Rolling Stone profile, with four albums being reissued under the deal. They regained control of their catalog in 2021, two years after Kehinde died of metastatic breast cancer at age 71.
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While their work has inspired a wide range of artists, according to the Rolling Stone profile, the sisters’ music and likeness has been exploited for decades and they’ve struggled with copyright infringements and unpaid royalties. Nas‘ “Life’s Gone Low” track from his 2006 The Prophecy, Vol 2: The Beginning of the N mixtape contains an uncredited sample of the duo’s “Life’s Gone Down Low” from their 1976 album Danger. And Taiwo’s current manager, Eric Welles-Nyström, told Rolling Stone that Ayra Starr failed to properly clear “Orere-Elejigbo,” a song from the sisters’ 1979 album Horizon Unlimited that Starr sampled on her 2021 track “Sare”. He added that they’ve found more than 50 total infringements of the sisters’ work to date.
The new partnership with Numero Group is meant to honor the duo’s legacy through the launch of a multi-year, multi-record reissue campaign to finally — and rightfully — bring their entire discography to the masses.
Kicking off the campaign will be the release of a remastered and restored version of Horizon Unlimited, which contains the hit “Come On Home.” Five-time Grammy-winning engineer Michael Graves, who remastered Blondie‘s Against The Odds: 1974-1982 and Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos, is remastering the six-track album, which is currently available on DSPs and will be re-released on CD and vinyl on Sept. 20. The album’s physical packaging will include the first-ever transcription of the record’s lyrics in both Yoruba and English along with corrected album credits, original artwork and more.
Numero Group will eventually reissue all of the band’s albums as well as a collection of rediscovered, previously unavailable singles, promo EPs and rare recordings.
“I think one of the most exciting things about the reintroduction of Horizon Unlimited is the fact that young folk love our music and are surprised at the upbeat tempo and the lyrics, which are not only of today, but also very futuristic as well,” said Taiwo in a press release. “Horizon Unlimited was our last album with Decca that came out in 1979. It’s been a long time since then and this really is part of a much longer story, but amongst one of the most significant things I remember was that we, The Lijadu Sisters, paid for all the studio and band session fees. At the time, this was unusual, and not the arrangement we had with that record label. We were originally meant to record at Decca West Africa in Lagos, but when we got to the studio, no one had told us that it was being upgraded — from eight tracks to 24. So we brought everyone to London and made the album there instead.”
The Lijadu Sisters’ partnership with Numero Group “is allowing us to reach out to younger people. What’s going to come is creative collaborations with their music or their story, working with filmmakers and writers, trying to set stuff up creatively for Taiwo and younger artists,” Taiwo’s current manager, Eric Welles-Nyström, told Rolling Stone.
Rema announced on Monday (July 8) that he’ll release his sophomore album, HEIS, on Friday, July 11. He shared an animation of himself wearing a gold, emerald-embellished bat chain, with bats flying around him in his fiery environment. “second Album ‘HEIS’ 7/11,” he captioned the clip with the bat and blood-drop emojis. The Afrorave superstar […]
Tyla had everyone jumping from their seats during her performance of “Jump” with Gunna and Skillibeng at the 2024 BET Awards Sunday night (June 30). Four women cleverly painted as different parts of a tiger laid across the floor of a cage, swishing its “tail” (one woman’s painted arm) before Skillibeng kicked off the performance […]
This year will surely go down as one of the best for full-length albums from some of the best emerging and established talents in African music. Already this year we’ve got projects from Tyla, Tems, Ayra Starr, Ruger x BNXN, Young Jonn, Victony and King Promise, with several of those coming just this past month alone. It’s a lot of great music — and presents some good problems for this column, with so many great options of songs to choose from.
Tems burns bright with soulful reflections about discovering her true destiny while navigating newfound fame, ridding relationships that no longer serve her and more on her debut album Born in the Wild. Meanwhile, Victony expands Afropop‘s borders by bringing an international assortment of artists like American rap-rock sensation Teezo Touchdown and Guyanese American rapper SAINt JHN on his first full-length project Stubborn. “It represents overcoming adversity and transforming life’s ‘lemons’ into powerful art,” Victony recently told Billboard. “I hope that when people listen to the album, they feel a sense of shared experience and inspiration to find strength and hope in their own journeys.”
And Tyler ICU and DJ Maphorisa’s scorching new single “Manzi Nte” — which is currently No. 10 onthe South Africa Songs chart (dated June 29) — is inescapable in the artists’ native South Africa. (Billboard‘s senior R&B/Hip-Hop/Afrobeats reporter Heran Mamo can attest to that given her recent travels to Johannesburg.) Meanwhile, Shallipopi turned in a slew of great guest appearances this month, and his features alongside King Promise and Rema both made the list this month, as did the latest loosie from Lil Kesh and a beautiful collaboration between L.A.X and Magicsticks, among others.
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We’ve highlighted 10 of our favorite new Afrobeats (and related) songs that have come out roughly within the last month. Check out our latest Fresh Picks, and catch a vibe with our latest Spotify playlist below.
Ayra Starr feat. Asake, “Goodbye (Warm Up)”
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Ayra Starr bids adieu to a manipulative ex on the glimmering kiss-off “Goodbye (Warm Up),” the Asake-assisted highlight from her resilient sophomore album The Year I Turned 21. P2J’s jazzy street pop production puts extra pep in Starr’s step, as lyrics like “I do not accept your apology” and “Gave you the cold shoulder, I really hope you freeze” deftly kick her ex to the curb. Meanwhile, Asake brushes off any woman with bad energy on his swaggering verse.
Azanti & PsychoYP, “I Know”
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Azanti & PsychoYP create the ultimate laid-back vibe on “I Know,” from their joint album YP & Azanti, Vol. 2. Malik Bawa’s funky, guitar-driven production assuages both artists during their fight for peace of mind, with PsychoYP also recognizing his phone’s focus mode as an essential weapon, as Azanti croons, “I’m trying to focus on me this time, I’m trying to save myself.” The track’s repetitive groove and chorus that just rolls off the tongue make “I Know” the perfect soundtrack for your next summer roadtrip when you’re getting away to find your own peace of mind.
Tems, “Wickedest”
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Tems didn’t come to play on “Wickedest” from her bold debut album Born in the Wild. The introductory sample of Ivorian zouglou group Magic System’s 1999 Pan-African smash “1er Gaou” evokes a nostalgic party vibe for her own dancefloor number that’s been bringing out Tems’ wickedest whine all around the world in her ongoing tour. But from the moment she launches into the first verse, Tems asserts her dominance and stays in the lane she’s set forth for herself, brushing past those who want to try her (a reference to her 2019 single “Try Me”) and sticking to the ones who bring her up and get down with her.
Tyler ICU & DJ Maphorisa feat. Masterpiece YVK, Ceeka RSA, M.J, Silas Africa & Al Xapo, “Manzi Nte”
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After scoring a nomination for best new international act at the 2024 BET Awards and helming one of Rihanna’s favorite songs of 2023, “Mnike” – which recently got a remix featuring Shallipopi and Lojay – Tyler ICU has been on fire. And what better way to keep the heat up this summer than to drop another fire song with “Manzi Nte,” alongside DJ Maphorisa featuring Masterpiece YVK, Ceeka RSA, M.J, Silas Africa and Al Xapo. The music video makes “Manzi Nte” out to be a wet-and-wild anthem – which is fitting given the song’s title translates to water it in Zulu, according to a press release. And the amapiano smash’s rattling production has been powering up participants of the accompanying dance challenge, which Maphorisa demonstrated on TikTok.
Leather Park, Odunsi (The Engine) & Cruel Santino, “CHANEL”
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Odunsi (The Engine) and Cruel Santino’s numerous collaborations have already proven that they’re the funkiest duo, and “CHANEL” from the former’s Leather Park (Vol. 1) album is a sparkling addition to their collection. In the same vein of Bryson Tiller’s “Whatever She Wants,” fulfilling a woman’s designer dreams is the key to unlocking her heart – and Odunsi and Santi flex how well-equipped they are to buy her Chanel, Bottega and anything else she desires. Odunsi also sharpens his alté production skills on “CHANEL” with kaleidoscopic synth patterns, crisp shakers and rollicking percussion that create the track’s irresistible bounce.
King Promise feat. Shallipopi, “Continental”
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In a month brimming with great albums from high-profile talents — Ayra Starr, Tems and Victony among them — King Promise may have delivered the best of all of them. The album’s two big prior singles, “Terminator” and “Paris,” previously appeared in this column, but “Continental,” with its assist from one of the of-the-moment street talents in Shallipopi, sits alongside them as one of the best songs of the past 18 months, combining Promise’s natural melodic feel with his memorable hooks to land a breezy summer hit.
Rema & Shallipopi, “BENIN BOYS”
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Rema is coming off one of the biggest years of any African artist ever, with the mind-blowing success of “Calm Down” — and while this link up with the inescapable Shallipopi is unlikely to replicate that crossover smash’s No. 3 peak on the Billboard Hot 100, it’s another song that showcases the many sides of Rema’s artistry, which goes much deeper than the ear worm that was “Calm Down.” “BENIN BOYS” is much harder, with a driving log drum production that propels both artists forward, and is a formidable entry into each of their catalogs.
Lil Kesh, “Lifestyle”
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Lil Kesh has one of the more distinctive styles among his contemporaries in the Nigerian pop scene, and “Lifestyle” fits perfectly into his oeuvre. With a soulful, soaring hook and an almost contemplative melody over an amapiano-esque production, Kesh lays out a carefree look at life in a track that’s perfect for the summertime. Kesh can pump out these types of tracks seemingly effortlessly, and the vibe is always right on point.
L.A.X & Magicsticks, “Loke”
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Linking with one of the most in-demand producers on the continent, L.A.X delivers a contemplative vocal performance, riding high on carefully crafted melodies while Magicsticks deploys his trademark log drums and a reassuring organ chords. The effect is comforting, in a way, with L.A.X switching back and forth between English and Yoruba to spin his lyrics.
Victony, “Anita”
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Victony’s album showcased his distinctive vocal talents; no one sounds like him, and his instantly-recognizable style is one of his best qualities as an artist. Another is his beat selection — and “Anita,” crafted by P2J, provides the perfect platform for an earworm of a track, which is just as catchy as his breakout hit “Soweto,” if not even moreso. It’s a standout on Stubborn, and one of the best songs of his career.
It’s been three years since the near-fatal car accident that claimed the life of one of Victony’s close friends, and he carries the burden of the traumatic crash with him every day.
The Afropop sensation’s perspective on life forever shifted since the April 2021 wreck, which saw him have to re-learn how to walk following intensive surgery and physical therapy.
Music was always there for Vic – born Anthony Victory – and he further poured that resilience into his creative process while crafting Stubborn, the 23-year-old’s debut LP, which hit streaming services on Friday (June 21).
“It represents overcoming adversity and transforming life’s ‘lemons’ into powerful art,” Victony tells Billboard of his new album. “I hope that when people listen to the album, they feel a sense of shared experience and inspiration to find strength and hope in their own journeys.”
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Victony invites a versatile squad of collaborators into the fold, for some of which it’s their first time getting their feet wet in the Afrobeats scene. Teezo Touchdown, Saint JHN, Asake, Shallipoppi, and Shorae are among Stubborn’s special guests.
Teezo and Vic hop into a time machine and bring fans to the dancefloor for the disco-tinged “Slow Down,” an undoubted standout showing off his versatility as an artist on the project. “We vibed instantly, and the session was full of experimentation,” the Nigerian artist adds of working with Teezo. “We wanted to create something that made people move, but also felt profound.”
Teezo
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Saint JHN sped up Vic’s creative process in what he’s crowned as the “quickest” artist he’s ever recorded with following an initial run-in in Los Angeles. “Tiny Apartment” tells a candid story of intimacy, an aspect of life that Ghetto Lenny is no stranger to exploring with his art.
Victony will look to bring increased visibility to the global Afropop scene, but he sees it as more of an “opportunity than pressure” to deliver.
Take a look deeper into the album’s credits and fans will notice Olamide Baddo is listed. Vic made it a point to show his appreciation for the influential African rapper and mentor, who helped him piece the project together.
The “Soweto” singer will reunite with his Outlaws for a North American trek in support of his debut this summer. The Stubborn Tour kicks off in Boston on Aug. 8 and will run through NYC, Toronto, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and more.
Stream Stubborn below.
Asake announced on Monday (June 10) that he’ll be embarking on the Lungu Boy World Tour across North America and Europe. The 14-date trek begins on June 26 at Afro Nation Portugal and features more festival performances at Wireless Festival in London and Afro Nation Detroit, as well as major venue stops at Atlanta’s State […]
Tems‘ debut album Born in the Wild has finally arrived on Friday (June 7) via RCA Records and Since ’93. The 18-track project contains collaborations with Asake (“Get It Right”) and J. Cole (“Free Fall”) as well as previously released singles “Love Me JeJe” and “Me & U,” the latter of which she premiered during […]
Love Renaissance (LVRN) has invested in Jerk X Jollof, an event series dedicated to celebrating Afro-Caribbean culture, Billboard can exclusively announce Thursday (June 6).
LVRN’s investment comes more than a year after the Atlanta-based label and management company itself received an investment from Matt Pincus‘ MUSIC, valuing LVRN at more than $100 million. LVRN’s Jerk X Jollof investment is part of its commitment to developing the Afro-Caribbean entertainment space.
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“We at LVRN are excited to expand our reach within the Afro-Caribbean community with the investment in Jerk X Jollof,” said Tunde Balogun, CEO/co-founder of LVRN, in a statement to Billboard. “This is yet another impactful way to further the culture and unify like-minded people from the diaspora through the transformative power of music and entertainment.”
Last year, for the unveiling of Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats parties guide, Jerk X Jollof founder Brendan Asante told Billboard that the Jerk X Jollof series initially started in 2014 as “an idea in college. Some friends of mine and I just threw a sweaty dance party. Someone brought some jerk chicken, someone brought some jollof rice, and it translated.” Asante and the other founders officially brought the party series to Detroit, Mich., in 2016, and since then, Jerk X Jollof has expanded to cities around the world including Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Berlin, Johannesburg and Accra, Ghana. Uncle Waffles, Skepta, Sarz, Spinall, DJ Tunez and more have all performed at the popular party, while previous all-star attendees include Ayra Starr, Davido, Brent Faiyaz and Chris Brown.
“It was an obvious decision to partner with LVRN in order to broaden the Jerk X Jollof brand,” said Asante in a statement. “The alignment of our vision for the enhancement of Afro-Caribbean culture was immediately evident, and we eagerly anticipate the future of this joint venture.”
LVRN and Jerk X Jollof first collaborated on a party during New York Fashion Week in 2022, an event that was also a partnership with Afropunk. “That one was so wild because Brent Faiyaz [pulled] up to the party. [We brought] him, Kawhi Leonard, Joe Freshgoods through the side door. This s— is so comical because I never thought in a million years that I would be dealing with these dope people that are coming to the party,” Asante previously told Billboard. “From that moment, thinking about when it was a sweaty dance party in a college basement, I think that’s one of my favorite memories. Ari Lennox came through, and I was chopping it up with her before she left. I was talking about how she came to Ghana and how she enjoyed it. I was like, ‘Oh yeah, you should come back.’ Those type of moments happening under the roof of us doing something just gave me a glimpse into what the future could hold for it.”
Last month in Atlanta, LVRN and Jerk X Jollof partnered again on a Memorial Day function that was hosted by local music festival brand Milk + Cookies. Another notable achievement in the partnership is the creation of the Jerk X Jollof Stage at Promiseland Australia, which will take place at Doug Jennings Park in Gold Coast Oct 4-6 following the scheduled Jerk X Jollof parties in Melbourne on Sept. 27 and Sydney on Sept. 29. The Jerk X Jollof and LVRN teams worked with the festival to curate an amapiano stage that would showcase a diverse lineup of the genre’s leading talent including Uncle Waffles, Major League Djz, Focalistic and Tyler ICU, along with Jerk X Jollof mainstay hosts/DJs Jae Murphy, Blakito and V-Live — all booked by Jerk X Jollof.