african music
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Afro Nation Detroit 2024 was a two-day music festival that brought together top Afro artists across Afrobeats, hip-hop, R&B, dancehall, gqom, amapiano and more. Held in the birthplace of Motown and techno, Detroit proved to be the perfect location for this vibrant celebration.
The world’s largest Afrobeats festival took place Saturday to Sunday, Aug. 17-18, at Bedrock’s Douglass Site. This historic venue, formerly the Brewster-Douglass Projects, was the nation’s first federally funded housing project for African-Americans and the former home of legends like Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson.
Afro Nation Detroit showcased a wealth of performances from the Black diaspora, including Rema, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, Kizz Daniel and Michigan native Kash Doll on the main stage. Meanwhile, artists like Uncle Waffles, Musa Keys, Scorpion Kings, DBN Gogo and others kept the party alive all weekend at the Piano People stage. To be honest, there were moments when the Piano stage was even more lit than the main Lit Everywhere stage.
The festival’s opening day faced a rocky start due to weather delays, but once the festivities began, the party didn’t stop until around midnight. DJ Marine kicked things off with an electrifying set, setting the tone for Charity, who brought main-stage energy. King Promise followed, illustrating why he’s the king, delivering a performance that turned the audience into a choir. Rema shut down the day with an unforgettable, fiery performance.
Day 2 saw a significant increase in turnout — if day 1 was full, day 2 was packed. Juls and DJ Marine amped up the crowd upon entry, setting the stage for Ruger, who worked the audience with ease.
When Shenseea took the stage a few minutes later, the crowd erupted, as if they had been waiting their whole lives for this moment. She performed fresh tracks from her new album Never Gets Late Here, followed by Asake, who delivered an animated performance, quite literally bouncing off the walls.
Although Lil Wayne had to cancel due to bad weather in NYC, the festival was still an incredible experience.
Check out the four best main-stage moments.
R&B Meets Afrobeats with PARTYNEXTDOOR
Image Credit: Izzy Nuzzo
Gamma has established strategic partnerships with The Music Arena, The Temple Company and Sol Generation Publishing and Distribution in Africa as well as LPME Records in the Middle East.
Gamma’s latest partnerships bolster the company’s commitment to supporting artists and labels in these regions, which its founder Larry Jackson outlined last year to Billboard when his media and entertainment company first expanded its operations there. Last May, Sipho Dlamini and Naomi Campbell joined gamma as president and special advisor for Africa and the Middle East, respectively; Larry Gaaga was named vp/GM for Africa and Dany Neville was named vp of A&R for the Middle East last August.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to see the enthusiasm shown by our new strategic partners, their artists and stakeholders in aligning with gamma. We’re well under way, engaged in bolstering the creative momentum for artists from these key markets,” Dlamini said in a press statement. “An indication of our ambition is that in conjunction with our new partners we’re generating writing camps in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and the [United Arab Emirates]. I don’t know of another company that is navigating the continent and region in this manner with this reach. The creative collaborations we’re establishing will further travel local music to global adoption.”
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In June, the company officially launched gamma South Africa in Sandton, one of the country’s biggest financial hubs within Johannesburg. Gamma hosted a launch party on June 6, with Dlamini, Gaaga, Thabo Keith Ngweya, gamma’s strategic partnerships & culture marketing lead for Africa, Sikhulile Nzuza, gamma’s strategic partnerships, culture & operations lead for Africa, and more in attendance. The company has been providing dynamic opportunities for South African acts since last year, such as tapping DJ/producer MöRDA to remix “Mysterious Ways” on The Color Purple (Music From And Inspired By) that the company distributed alongside WaterTower Music last December (with Jackson as one of the producers, alongside Quincy Jones and Scott Sanders). Gamma recruited MöRDA again as well as Major League Djz, Junior Taurus and Soa Mattrix to create amapiano and Afro House-inspired remixes of Usher and Nigerian singer-songwriter and producer Pheelz’s “Ruin” from the former’s latest album COMING HOME that was distributed via Usher and L.A. Reid‘s mega and gamma in February.
Gamma’s partnership with the Johannesburg-based conglomerate The Music Arena aims to continue bridging the gap between South African artists and international markets by providing artists with unprecedented opportunities to collaborate with an international label, leveraging gamma’s expertise in the global market (especially in the U.S.), with a special focus on artist collaborations and joint ventures.
The Music Arena is comprised of three different music entities: Gallo Music, South Africa’s largest and oldest independent record label; Gallo Music Publishers, Gallo’s publishing arm that’s home to iconic composers and a rich repository of cultural works; and Content Connect Africa, the continent’s leading independent media and content business that represents over 2,000 African artists and labels. The Music Arena’s global footprint spans South Africa, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and the U.S.
“The Music Arena is delighted to be partnering with gamma in a multi-faceted deal, which will grow our artists’ presence internationally as well as represent gamma’s artists on the network operators’ platforms in Africa,” said Antos Stella, CEO of The Music Arena, in a statement. “Our focus remains on developing and growing our artists and composers globally.”
Gamma’s new alliances aim to cover the entire African continent. The company’s partnership with The Temple Company, a leading record label, TV/film production company and talent management agency based in Lagos, aims to connect Nigerian artists to global audiences by developing and promoting Nigerian talent, with a special focus on cross-cultural collaborations to maximize international exposure. One of the first projects from this partnership is Nigerian superstar D’Banj‘s new album Entertainer–The Sequel, the follow-up to his 2008 album The Entertainer, which will be released on Aug. 16.
“Our partnership with gamma marks a pivotal moment for The Temple Company and the Nigerian music industry at large. This collaboration will open up new opportunities for our artists to showcase their talents on a global stage,” said Idris Olorunnimbe, The Temple Company’s group chief executive. “We’re particularly thrilled about D’Banj’s upcoming album, Entertainer–The Sequel, which we believe will be a gamechanger in demonstrating the universal appeal of African music. Together with gamma, we’re committed to nurturing and promoting the incredible talent that Nigeria has to offer, and we’re confident that this partnership will play a crucial role in shaping the future of African music on the world stage.”
Gamma will also celebrate East Africa’s rich musical heritage through its partnership with Nairobi, Kenya-based Sol Generation Publishing and Distribution, the music publishing and distribution arm of award-winning Afropop group Sauti Sol.
LPME Records is committed to producing music that inspires unity and celebrates cultural diversity and establishing Dubai, UAE, as a musical creative hub. The labels currently represents three dynamic artists: the label’s first signee Dawda, a Gambian-Estonian star who blends Afrobeats, hip-hop, R&B and pop and has written and produced for Britney Spears, Akon, Oxlade and Snoh Aalegra; Yasmina, a Tajikistani artst who’s known for her unique fusion of Arabic and pop music; and Alya, an Emirati-British singer/songwriter/dancer/actress who draws inspiration from soul, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, amapiano and Afrobeats. Additional signings will be announced later this summer.
The state-of-the-art LPME Studios is reputable for having top-class sound quality and being a creative hub fostering musical innovation. The facility includes six production rooms, two Dolby Atmos rooms, a main stereo room, live band and vocal rooms and more. Artists like J Balvin and Jason Derulo as well as Grammy-winning engineer Tony Maserati have previously worked there.
“We are incredibly excited to enter into this partnership with gamma. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our mission to share the rich and diverse sounds of our artists with a global audience,” added Moh Denebi, LPME Records’ label manager and producer. “Together with gamma, we are confident in our ability to elevate our artists’ reach and impact, bringing fresh, innovative music to listeners around the world.”
Ayra Starr always envisioned herself as the “Black Hannah Montana.” But in her new Amazon Music documentary Dare to Dream, which Billboard can exclusively reveal premieres Thursday (Aug. 1), fans will be able to take a closer look at Ayra the global Afrobeats star and Oyinkansola the Beninese-Nigerian girl.
Directed and produced by HOMECOMING, the 23-minute short film explores how Starr made her dreams come true. Dare to Dream captures her international journey, traveling between her birthplace of Cotonou, where she eventually returns to a swarm of eager fans; her homebase of Lagos, where her musical career started after signing to Don Jazzy‘s iconic Mavin label; London, where she’s sold out shows; and Los Angeles, where she attends the 2024 Grammy Awards after scoring her first nomination for best African music performance with her 2022 hit single “Rush.”
“I’ve always wanted to do this to inspire African girls all over [the world], Black girls, girls in general to keep going and do what they believe they were born to do. I’m just a regular African girl, you understand. And I’ve come this far, and I want them to feel like, ‘Oh, I can relate to that,’” she told Billboard following her documentary premiere, adding that she started filming Dare to Dream almost one year ago. While watching the full doc for the first time on Tuesday evening (July 30) at The Culver Theater in California for the official premiere, she kept thinking to herself, “Hmm, I like that angle. I should’ve shot more like that.”
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Starr hopes Dare to Dream isn’t the last time you’ll see her on the silver screen. When asked to choose what her first movie role would be during the doc’s Q&A portion, she responded, “I want to be in a high school movie, like the ones we grew up watching, like a Euphoria type. I feel like I would play that so well — the main mean girl.” The audience erupted in laughter before she continued: “That’s what I want to do. I would eat that role up! It would come so easy for me…. I’m not a mean girl at all, but I grew up watching Sharpay [Evans in High School Musical] and Maddy [Perez in Euphoria], just like the mean girl that’s never that mean. They’re just real. You know when women know what they want… I want to be that woman.”
Dare To Dream is currently streaming on Amazon Music’s YouTube channel and app. It will be available to stream on Prime Video in the coming weeks.
Starr is also the first Afrobeats artist to be named Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist, an emerging artist program that champions new talent early on in their careers through enhanced playlist support, social media campaigns, an Amazon Music Original song, marketing opportunities and bespoke editorial content. The Breakthrough Program has previously featured rapidly rising stars like Chappell Roan and Benson Boone.
“Ayra Starr was an obvious choice for our latest Breakthrough artist. A one-of-a-kind talent leading the exhilarating world of Afrobeats, her early successes have already been thrilling,” said Alexis Cueva, artist relations for Amazon Music, in a press statement. “With Ayra joining the Breakthrough family, we’re excited to support her as she continues to garner worldwide acclaim and represent Nigeria’s music scene on the global stage.”
Watch Dare to Dream below.
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Rema‘s rebelliousness and deep reverence for Afrobeats take center stage on his boundary-pushing sophomore album HEIS, stemming from his social media handle @heisrema and meaning the one in Greek. It reached No. 7 on Billboard‘s World Albums chart. Alté pioneer Boj delivers one of the season’s brightest LPs — while recruiting an international array of featured artists — on 12 Summers, which represents the dozen years he’s spent making music.
Tyla hops on her first song since releasing her eponymous debut album in March with Spinall’s “One Call” (also featuring Omah Lay), and it debuted at No. 12 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart this week (dated Aug. 3). And ODUMODUBLVCK flexes his chart success when he raps “22 weeks on the Billboard charts” on his braggadocious single “Not All That.”
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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 find your new summer soundtrack with our Spotify playlist below.
Odeal, “Soh-Soh”
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Odeal heats things up on “Soh-Soh,” the scintillating dancefloor highlight from his four-track EP Sunday At Zuri’s that’s influenced by Zuri Awela, an individual of Nigerian and South African descent he shouts out on X, and “represents parts of our Sunday at her beach house: noon (arrival), afternoon, evening, and night,” he wrote. While Odeal reminisces about last summer’s turnt vibes on “Soh-Soh,” he’s creating new memories this summer with a shorty he’s mesmerized by and willing to “spend one milli’ on” to win her heart. It’s impossible not to groove to the song’s sexy saxophone and crisp shakers – even Ciara can’t get enough of it.
Rema, “HEHEHE”
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“Monday morning, talking about me while I’m making money,” Rema boasts before bursting into his maniacal, cartoonish laugh that’s at the heart of his “HEHEHE” single from HEIS. The 24-year-old star guffaws at his haters with mischievous staccato chords punctuating each “HE,” the only time Rema catches his breath from his hoarse flow. His self-confidence reaches a fever pitch when he asserts himself in Afrobeats’ upper echelon alongside Wizkid, Burna Boy and Davido and doubles down on his three-month-old X statement: “No more big three, there’s now a big four.” But given Rema’s track record, and his latest LP being heralded for breathing new life into Afrobeats, it’s not a far-fetched statement.
Tay Iwar, Le Mav & GOLD, “Rock Steady”
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Five years after their first GOLD album, Tay Iwar and Le Mav (who are collectively known as GOLD) reunite on its glistening sequel EP GOLD II. On the highlight “Rock Steady,” Iwar muses about morning sex and his lover’s golden body, while Le Mav’s sultry production makes them want to linger in bed for just a little longer. But the tempo switch in the track’s final minute, where Iwar revs up the “These days, I’m feeling like I’ve been chosen” hook and Le Mav builds tension with the bridge’s piano chords before setting off the kaleidoscopic synth outro, ends “Rock Steady” on a highly spirited note.
Gabzy, JayO & Odeal, “Too Fine”
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UK R&B/Afrobeats artists Gabzy, JayO and Odeal aren’t letting a girl that’s “Too Fine” out of their sights in their latest collaboration. The trio combines swoon-worthy melodies, soulful guitar licks and saccharine lyrics to not just take a girl home for the night but to make her their wife, with Gabzy, whose alter ego is Mr. Malone, claiming she could be “Mrs. Malone” in the chorus. It’s hard not to succumb to their individual, irresistible charm, and their Vevo DSCVR performance is further proof.
Boj & Sainté, “Koshi”
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Boj taps fellow UK artist Sainté on the breezy opener “Koshi” from the former’s latest album 12 Summers. Tropical guitar melodies complement the DRB LasGidi member’s effortless swagger (“Rock best drip on legendary, fresh to death to cemetery,” he sings in the first verse), while Sainté raps about impressing a girl with the kind of money her previous man never had. But no amount of money or level of drip could make anyone compare to these two.
ODUMODUBLVCK, “Not All That”
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Few MCs have a more distinctive aesthetic as ODUMODUBLVCK, and in this latest single he ramps the energy up to the maximum, delivering a relentless series of verses that overflow with self-confidence, both listing his co-signs — Burna Boy, Skepta, Wizkid, Davido, Stormzy and Olamide all get name checked — and comparing himself to a reincarnated Tupac, while celebrating his wins over the past few years since he exploded on to the scene, like his two Headies Awards and “22 weeks on the Billboard charts.” If he’s talking about his breakout hit “DECLAN RICE,” it was actually 27 weeks on U.S. Afrobeats Songs, but after a while, it’s got to be hard to keep track. This song is a deserved victory lap.
Olamide, Fireboy DML & Asake, “Uptown Disco”
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The YBNL boys join forces again for this posse cut off label boss Olamide’s latest EP, Ikigai / (生き甲斐), Vol. 1, which, while certainly not a disco groove, pulses with electricity regardless. Fireboy sets the tone and helms the first verse and trades on and off with Olamide for the hook, before deferring to the latter for the second verse, as the two effortlessly slip in and out of languages and sports references. Asake brings the track home, putting an exclamation point on one of the only songs that features all three artists
Spinall feat. Tyla & Omah Lay, “One Call”
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Spinall has been one of the most consistently great DJs/producers in West Africa over the past several years, and here he brings together stalwart Omah Lay with one of the brightest lights of the past 18 months in Tyla for an infectious and sultry track, with Tyla in particular providing an irresistible contribution. The production grows along with the song, bringing it to a collaborative finale, and making it one of the best tracks of the month.
Rema, “YAYO”
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Rema’s HEIS album represents a step forward in the young singer’s career as he continues to progress beyond the astronomical success of “Calm Down.” With “YAYO,” he delivers a frenetic track that ripples with energy, with a blistering hook that provides the only half-second break in the whole song — and a burst of melody that feels at once surprising and infectious.
Boj feat. Victony, “Pressure”
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This silky cut from Boj’s excellent new album 12 Summers represents another palette on which crooner Victony can paint, as he comes through with his distinctive voice to take over the track with a verse that brings his mind to the gutter. Which is not to say that Boj himself is lacking on the track, a standout on his collab-filled project — his vocal is the steady counterpoint, the tamer side of the human spirit that helps make the song whole, a great late-night single.
BOJ ’12 Summers’
Courtesy Photo
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.