A gruesome massacre in Nigeria’s Benue State has left as many as 200 people dead. The attacks, which targeted the community of Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area between Friday, June 13, and Saturday, June 14, 2025, represent one of the deadliest episodes this year in the long-running conflict gripping Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Survivors and […]
Read More… from Benue Massacre Kills Over 200 as Nigeria’s Insecurity Crisis Worsens
This week’s New Music Friday is stacked with anticipated returns and fresh projects from across Afropop and beyond. Mayorkun makes a confident comeback with Still the Mayor, his first album in three years, reasserting his place in Nigeria’s mainstream. Maleek Berry returns with If Only Love Was Enough, his first full-length since 2018, reflecting on […]
Nothing demonstrates the art of mimicry quite like music. More often than not, a new song sounds familiar because it was designed that way, built on the bones of a track that came before it. Last year alone was particularly rich with exceptional examples of this global phenomenon. These references come in two primary forms: […]
Read More… from 9 Exciting Tunes You Didn’t Know Were Built on Samples
Nigerian fashion brand THIS IS US has unveiled its Spring/Summer 2025 collection, Local Champion, a celebration of everyday success and the pride that comes with it. Known for using Nigerian-made fabrics and championing local craftsmanship, the brand continues to explore what it means to wear heritage with confidence and ease. With Local Champion, THIS […]
In Nigerian music, few figures command the respect Olamide does. He’s the veteran who fleshed out the groundwork for the modern street-pop sound, an OG who has consistently used his platform not just to stay on top, but to pull new talent up with him. His influence is now most acutely felt through the success […]
Read More… from The Pick: Olamide Flexes His Star Power on ‘99’— And Everyone Shows Up
Nigerian music sensation Ayra Starr has clinched the highly coveted Best International Act award at the 2025 BET Awards. The Sabi Girl beat out a strong field including fellow Nigerian artist Rema and South Africa’s Tyla to secure her first-ever BET accolade at the ceremony held at the Peacock Arena in Los Angeles. The […]
Read More… from Ayra Starr Wins Best International Act at BET Awards 2025
Tems is set to headline the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup Final Halftime Show on July 13. The Nigerian singer-songwriter will take the stage during the final of FIFA’s newly expanded 32-team tournament on July 13, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, soon to be rebranded as New York New Jersey Stadium. […]
Read More… from Tems to Headline First‑Ever FIFA Club World Cup Final Halftime Show
As expected, the news of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s passing on May 28 brought in a global wave of tributes, eulogies, and critical re-evaluations of his monumental contributions to African literature. Few intellectuals shaped the colonial African imagination as profoundly as Ngũgĩ. He was a man of sharp intellect. His writings, which continue to shape generations […]
Read More… from The Flawed Revolutionary Politics of Celebrated Pan-African Men
Making a highly anticipated return to his iconic series, Lil Wayne presents Tha Carter VI, marking his first solo album in five years and a significant moment for hip-hop. This monumental release arrives alongside a record release show in New York City and a new tour. Over in London, acclaimed artist Little Simz shares Lotus, […]
Grammy-nominated Nigerian superstar Asake has officially announced his fourth studio album, Money, via a post on his X account. This will be his first full-length release under his independent label, Giran Republic, following his departure from YBNL earlier this year. #MONEY THE album. Love, $. — ASAKE (@asakemusik) June 5, 2025 Money will […]
For nearly a decade, Nigeria’s rave scene existed on the margins: dimly lit, loosely organised, and largely overlooked by the mainstream. Many queer Nigerians were central to this scene, drawn to the freedom electronic music allowed. As a niche genre in the country, EDM’s loose structure and focus on rhythm bolstered a form of expression […]
Steven Umoh, the Nigerian-born, London-based artist known as Obongjayar, has spent the last few years carving out a space that’s resolutely his own. He’s a product of a self-contained weather system, his voice a magnetic, shape-shifting force, one moment a gravelly incantation, the next a silken croon. After the critical embrace of his 2022 debut, […]
Read More… from The Pick: Obongjayar Reaches Another Summit On “Holy Mountain”
