Over the last few years, the Nigerian rap scene has slowly descended into a less than enviable state. This is a result of several factors, but it is mostly due to the dominance of Afrobeats and the desire for artists to make music they can live off of. Nigerian hip-hop has existed largely in the […]
Read More… from Archive: ODUMODUBLVCK Might Be The Realest Rapper In The Country Right Now
These are the words from the hottest voice coming out of Nigeria at this moment. I find it interesting that there is seemingly insufficient effort to document his fast rise in writing so far, so I am here to share a few thoughts about the impression Asake has left on me. This is not the […]
Read More… from Archive: Asake Has the Potential to Have the Best Breakout Year In Recent History.
Pablo Picasso once said, there are no accidents in life, only encounters. Whether or not you agree is irrelevant, there is little to no control any of us can exert over most events. To consider every misfortune or unpleasant experience an accident is reductive, broadening one’s scope to accept that each event might have a […]
To engage certain forms of art, all that’s required is a readjustment of our lens: a different perspective, a different thought process, a different experience, one that could be greatly illuminating, for better or for worse. There is no universally acceptable lens to view, understand or engage art. It remains mostly subjective. Oftentimes, our […]
Read More… from Cruel Santino Wants You and I To Engage With Art A Little Differently
Tems, born Temilade Openiyi, has exceeded expectations at every turn in her career while performing in a genre many in and from Nigerianmaintain an adamancy regarding viability. The 26-year-old’s trajectory appears to be changing that notion for the better and more than a few artists are riding the boon at the moment. Not only creating […]
Read More… from Archive: Tems’ Trajectory Proves the Viability of African Made R&B Records.
Nigeria is a country plagued by a plethora of incredibly frustrating issues: political instability, environmental degradation, insecurity, bush-league healthcare and educational system, unemployment and a bunch of other problems that could easily fill up all the pages of a freshly purchased foolscap book. It’s deeply saddening and unsettling and this is partially why many Nigerians, […]
Read More… from Archive: Celebrating Ten Years of WAFFLESNCREAM.
On the Fringe will attempt to tell stories of emerging talents on the rise. Artistes covered in the series will be at differing stages in their journeys, but they will all be emerging acts somehow — either unto larger audiences or more niche ones. 2016 was the year when the popular music-centric alté movement […]
Read More… from Archive: On The Fringe — Trillxoe Is Locked In
While chronicling the struggles she faced in the early stages of her career during her BlackBox interview, Tiwa Savage tells an interesting story. On her return to Nigeria, she met with several label heads to work out a deal and was rejected by every one of them. Their reason: they were already working with a […]
Read More… from On the “First Lady” Conundrum and Equal Opportunities For Women in Music
On the 15th of February 2021, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the first woman to serve as Director-General for the World Trade Organization. This was a pretty significant and historic event as not only was she the first woman to be appointed for the role, she was also the first African. Moments like these are generally heartwarming […]
Read More… from She Takes A Peep: How and Why First Women Are Often Tokens
On December 11th, 2017, Canadian superstar Drake posted a picture with Tekno on his Instagram page; fervidly captioning it ‘Tekkkkkkkkkkkk time.’ This post represented so much, not just for Tekno, but for the Nigerian music scene as a whole. It was a testament that our rich music was finally crossing frontiers and the outstanding […]
Read More… from New Road To Old Romance: Tekno’s Illustrious Journey Through The Years
When Laycon dropped his second, 8-track EP in the early hours of 2020, going on a reality TV show was the only option left on the table to promote the new body of work. The pandemic had just struck the world and the country had just resumed lockdown, so the plan to roll out […]
Read More… from Meet the Laycon you never knew: The MAN, the MUSIC, the STAR.
From the second Nqobilé joins me for our Monday afternoon Zoom conversation, I can tell she’s such a light. “I hope you’re doing okay,” she sweetly inquires after we exchange pleasantries. Though some 4000 miles away in her London home, her vibrant aura pierces through and almost instantly fills my room here in Lagos, Nigeria […]
