Sunday, December 18, 2016

NEXT RATED: THE HEADIES HYDRA CONUNDRUM

  

In the wake of the ripples generated by Tekno’s nomination in the next rated category of the Headies 2016 and the subsequent explanation tendered by the organizing committee of the Headies.  A couple of grey areas were clarified but a lot more suddenly pop up when you take a closer look.
No doubt, the Headies is the biggest musical award in Nigeria and highly coveted but it is rather surprising that the most controversial category is the next rated category. Could it be the car gift attached? That’s a question for another day. The real question remains: Was Tekno rightly or wrongly nominated? Before I go ahead and answer that, let’s take a look at this year’s next rated nominees;
Tekno, Aramide, Ycee, Mr. Eazi and Humblesmith

With all humility, not disrespecting anyone’s effort, Tekno’s “Wash” and “Pana” easily trumps the best efforts of his co-nominees. When you put out a slew of chart topping hit singles all year round and get nominated alongside Ycee (“Omo alhaji”), Humblesmith (“Osinachi”), Mr Eazi (“skin tight”) and Aramide (“Love me”), it can be frustratingly annoying to say the least but all things considered, we can presume that Tekno will be going home with the Hyundai. In this recession period, a free car is a great gift, if it wasn’t, Olamide and Don jazzy wouldn’t have started the New Year on a sour note but if Tekno feels he is bigger than the car, I will be willing to take it off his hands.

If you ask me, I will say Tekno was rightly nominated and being nominated means his hard work is being recognized. What he needs to understand is that Its not a crime to be heads and shoulders above your competitors, after all first class students share the same facilities with their less gifted colleagues until graduation, thereafter the chaff is separated from the wheat.

Kudos to the organizers of the Headies for taking time out of their busy schedules to clarify things but unfortunately their answers throw up more questions.

  •        If putting out an album disqualifies you from being nominated in the category (Sorry CDQ), does an EP also disqualify you? I was wondering why Mr 2kay and Rayce didn’t get a nod, could it be that they didn’t submit entries.
  •        If Reekado banks didn’t put out an album, would he still have been eligible? And if nominated and he gets the most votes, would he have won a second year running?
  •        Is there a rule or clause that states that once nominated in a year, you can never be nominated again or eligible for nomination again? If no, why is Korede bello and Cynthia Morgan not on the list? They didn’t put out any albums and they both had a good if not great year. Did they also not submit entries? They must really dislike Hyundai.
  •        A scenario where Tekno wins the award this year, then goes on to have a better 2017 having the top 3 singles in the country without putting out an album, can he win it twice in a row? What happens if he does the same thing the third year, a hat trick of next rateds?
  •        Is there a set limit for number of years between your first mainstream single and the year of nomination? If no, are you implying that Beazy, Alaye, Niyola, Muna, Splash and General pype to name a few still stand a chance in 2017 or 2018?

Those are just the few questions that readily come to mind. Let’s hope that the organizers of the Headies will do the needful to avoid stories that touch this year and in the years to come



Wednesday, March 4, 2015

10 MOST ANTICIPATED DEBUT ALBUMS OF 2015

1. MAVINS
GENRE – POP/R&B
LABEL - MAVINS RECORDS


 Any lingering doubts of Don jazzy’s brilliance were completely eroded when “dorobucci” hit the airwaves; the highly infectious single rocketed up the charts and made the no 1 spot its home. “adaobi” and “looku looku” followed while individual efforts from Korede bello “cold outside”, Di’ja “awww” & “yaro”, Reekado banks “chop am” & “turn it up” ft Tiwa Savage further heightened anticipation. Compilation albums don’t always generate a lot of interest, but with the entire mavin crew made up of established acts in Dr. Sid, Tiwa Savage, D’prince and promising rookies in Korede bello, Di’ja & Reekado banks pooling their talents under the grand orchestration of Don jazzy, their collaborative album is bound to be the talk of the town in 2015.

2. PATORANKING
GENRE – DANCEHALL
LABEL – FOSTON MUSIC


A lot can happen within a year, one minute you could be hustling on the streets and the next you are the next rated artist at the headies. Patoranking’s journey to chart success started with “alubarika” featuring Timaya before the release of the sensational “girlie o” and its accompanying remix featuring Mavin first lady Tiwa savage. DJ hazan’s raunchy number “early momo” gained massive airplay before follow up singles such as “daniella whine”, “happy day” & “friends” silenced the doubters. With Patoranking’s unequivocal success in 2014, it is safe to say that Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie‘s debut album will be right at the top of the charts when it drops.

3. SEYI SHAY
GENRE – POP/R&B
LABEL – FLYTIME MUSIC


To the casual observer, Oluwaseyi Joshua might come across as a rookie but don’t be fooled, the sexy songstress cut her teeth under Matthew Knowles, has toured with beyonce and was once the lead singer for UK girl band Boadicea. Since arriving on the Nigerian hip hop scene Seyi has worked with established artists such as Wizkid “crazy”, Timaya “killing me softly”, Patoranking “murda” and Kcee “chairman”. Not only has her talent been undeniable alongside her guests, but on songs like “airbrush”, “loving your way” & the Del B produced “ragga ragga” her song writing skills has also been enviable. It is quite rare to come across a well rounded R&B act but rarer still to come across one with limitless potential. Seyi’s debut is already shaping up to be an outstanding and groundbreaking effort.

4. CYNTHIA MORGAN
GENRE – DANCEHALL
LABEL – NORTHSIDE MUSIC INC


 After years of grinding behind the scenes, the inimitably talented songstress inked a deal with Jude Okoye’s northside music and thus started her rise to stardom. Fuelled by the success of her breakthrough single “kuchi kuchi”, the self proclaimed dancehall godmother stormed the airwaves with a slew of hits which include “I’m taken”, “lead me on”, “don’t break my heart” and “popori”. The early signs are good judging by the reception her singles have been receiving and her debut album is already a strong contender for album of the year. Cynthia might just end up redefining Nigerian dancehall as we know it.

5. MC GALAXY
GENRE – ALTERNATIVE
LABEL – TOP TALENT RECORDS


Who would have thought that a comedian would have so much to offer? MC galaxy first appeared on the scene dancing etighi in Iyanya’s hit song “kukere” before storming the Nigerian hip hop charts with the Davido assisted “nek unek”, but it was his scorching Tspize produced hit single “sekem” accompanied by scintillating dance steps that took him to the top of the charts. The Akwa Ibom artiste continued his relentless onslaught with the gospel on the beatz produced “osho free”, the Olamide assisted “my heart o”, “sukus” and “ketekete”. Judging from all these, a promising debut is the least we can expect from MC galaxy.

6. LIL KESH
GENRE – POP
LABEL – YBNL


Olamide is alive and Lil kesh is blowing up! That should mean something, right? It certainly does. When your label boss is hard working and constantly churning out quality materials and you still succeed in putting out what was arguably the number 1 anthem of the year, then you are special. Lil kesh’s epic street banger “shoki” announced his arrival on the Naija music scene while the remix featuring Olamide & Davido further cemented his status as one of the best new artists on the scene. A female version of his smash single “shoki” featuring Eva, Chidinma and Cynthia morgan kept the clubs on lockdown prior to his guest appearance on Olamide’s “Oga nla” which further showcased his remarkable talent. From all indications, Lil kesh’s debut will be solid if not spectacular. 

7. SKALES
GENRE – POP/R&B
LABEL – BASELINE ENTERTAINMENT


 Even though he might not be headed for a Grammy anytime soon, Skales has kept his head up since being dropped from EME and has constantly been releasing materials to stay relevant. Just when the critics were set to close the chapter on him, Raoul John Njeng-Njeng bounced back with the smash single “shake body” which gained massive airplay nationwide. Follow up singles in the form of the Kenny Wonder produced “give it to me”, “bo she she mi”, “I am for real” & the Jay pizzle produced “je kan mo” have positioned Skales’s pursuit of happiness debut as an hotly anticipated one.

8. RAYCE
GENRE – POP
LABEL – SOUNDCORE MEDIA


 They call him Rayce and he has been around for as long as most of your favorite stars have been. He scored a regional hit in 2011 with “roll” while follow up singles like “tested ok” were criminally slept on, the talented producer cum singer returned in 2014 with the sexually charged “jack sparrow”, the exhilarating “just like that” and also unleashed a slew of singles such as “gbunmadun”, “higher” ft Pype, “omoge marina”, “oh baby” ft Hybrid & “igbedu”. With the aforementioned singles and a few guest appearances here & there, Rayce is steadily crafting what might be an exceptional and remarkable debut.

9. SPLASH
GENRE – RAP
LABEL – BRODOCK MUSIC GROUP


With the dearth of female rappers on the Naija music scene, Genevieve Nwadinma Ogbuewu popularly known as Splash is not only the last of a dying breed but a rare and unseen one: one who raps in her native Igbo language. With indigenous rap taking a front seat in the industry courtesy of Olamide, Phyno and Reminisce, Splash’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect. After debuting to rave reviews with her “church agbasa” single, she followed up with the YQ assisted “like it or not”, the Phyno assisted “onye ije”, the Stormrex featured “ola edo”, “I pray o” and the gentle assisted “ego uwa” just to mention a few, potentially setting the stage for an historical debut.

10. RUNTOWN
GENRE – POP
LABEL – ERIC MANNY ENTERTAINMENT


 Prior to penning Davido’s smash hit song “aye”, multi talented singer Runtown had already released his first single “party like its 1980” back in 2010 but had his first major break through with “Gallardo” featuring Davido which earned him the best collaboration award at NEA 2014. Follow up singles such as “baby answer” and “successful” kept his momentum going while guest appearances on MI’s “bullion van” & Wizzy pro’s “emergency” has seen his stock rise in the industry. The Enugu state born artiste is set to follow in the steps of his colleague Phyno and establish himself in the Nigerian music industry. A solid debut album is a step in that direction.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

9JAHIPHOP VIDEO - WIZKID - OJUELEGBA

Wizkid starts off 2015 with a video for "Ojuelegba" off his sophomore album "Ayo". The video was directed by Clarence Peters.

A VIDEO GUIDE TO THE 10 MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUMS OF 2015


A new year comes with new expectations and in the world of Nigerian hip hop, there is always so much to look forward to. Enjoy this video guide to the 10 most anticipated albums of 2015 and in case you missed the initial breakdown, find it here

10. ORITSEFEMI - DOUBLE WAHALA (REMIX) FT DBANJ



9. BURNA BOY - CHECK AND BALANCE


8. CYNTHIA MORGAN - DON'T BREAK MY HEART


7. SEYI SHAY - MURDA FEATURING PATORANKING AND SHAYDEE


6. REMINISCE - TESOJUE


5. PATORANKING - GIRLIE O (REMIX) FT TIWA SAVAGE


4. MAVINS - DOROBUCCI

3. DBANJ - BOTHER YOU


2. WANDE COAL - BABY HELLO


1. DAVIDO - AYE


Friday, January 2, 2015

10 MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUMS OF 2015



The year 2014 could be described as the year the stars aligned and we were blessed with a boatload of albums from top notch artists. From MI’s concept album, P Square’s Double trouble, Tuface’s Ascension, Wizkid’s Ayo, Phyno’s NGNG, Olamide’s Street OT to Yemi Alade’s King of queens just to name a few. What could possibly be left to look forward to in 2015? The truth is, there is actually a lot to get excited about.


Here are 10 reasons to celebrate in advance

10. ORITSEFEMI
ALBUMS – FLOG POLITICIAN {ELEWON} (2007), WICKED WORLD (2009), UNFADEABLE (2012), MUSICAL TALIBAN (2012)
ALBUM TITLE – DOUBLE WAHALA
ALBUM # - 5
LABEL – MSN/AVATAR




Oritsefemi has had quite the career over the last decade, starting out in Ajegunle with Junglist before embarking on a solo career that has produced 4 albums, Spurred on by a remake of late afro beat king Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s “double wahala” the Warri born artiste finally established himself in the big leagues in 2014, a remix of the same song featuring D’banj and the Fliptyce produced “igbeyawo” promptly followed while singles like the Puffy T produced “culture”, the Davido assisted “sexy ladies”, “body & soul” and “redi dance” also gained massive airplay. Guest appearances on “pass you by” with Black magic, “inshi gini” with Seriki, “Oya now” with  Joe el & “asiko” with Artquake has Oritsefemi set up for the biggest album of his career so far. 

9. BURNA BOY
ALBUMS – L.I.F.E (2013)
ALBUM TITLE – TBD
ALBUM # - 2
LABEL –



How do you follow up a critically acclaimed debut? If you are Burna, you get back in the studio ASAP and then release couple of hit singles such as “don gorgon”, “roses (na so e suppose be)” and “won da mo” ft D’banj to keep your buzz strong in the street. When not changing management or walking off his erstwhile record label, Burna still put in work on  Wande coal “amorawa”, DJ Spinall “gba gbe e”, R2bees “somebody loves you”, Sarkodie “special someone” and D’banj “oya wait”. As if that was not enough, the Spellz produced “check and balance” was unleashed on an unsuspecting public thereby setting up the foundation for another outstanding body of work from Oluwaburna.

8. CYNTHIA MORGAN
ALBUMS – NIL
ALBUM TITLE – TBD
ALBUM # - 1
LABEL – NORTHSIDE MUSIC INC



The Edo state born dancehall/reggae sensation shot to limelight on the heels of her collaboration with Jhybo on “run dia mouth” and thereafter secured a deal with Jude okoye’s northside music. Judging by the blazing singles she has on constant rotation nationwide, it is safe to say that the Okoye’s have struck gold. From the crowd pleaser “lead me on” to the fierce “i am taken” to the Tony Ross produced party starter “popori” to “kuchi kuchi” and the chart topping love ballad “don’t break my heart”, the super talented singer has solidified her status as one of the best upcoming acts in the country. Lil kesh’s “shoki (female version)” had her going toe to toe with Eva & Chidinma who are no slouches in their own right, while she shone alongside Illbliss on “jamo”. Her debut album slated for release in the second quarter will surely be a revelation.

7. SEYI SHAY
ALBUMS – NIL
ALBUM TITLE – TBD
ALBUM # - 1
LABEL – FLYTIME MUSIC



Every other year a female artiste gets her breakout year, 2013 was Tiwa Savage’s year and 2014 was Yemi Alade’s year, 2015 is already looking like Seyi Shay’s. Contrary to what most might think, the Genevieve pink ball ambassador is no green horn as she has had the privilege of touring with Beyonce and working with her father Matthew Knowles, not to mention writing songs for former spice girl, Melanie C and also writing and producing songs on the soundtrack of Konami’s video game “crime life :gang wars”. Preparation for her debut has seen the release of several chart topping singles such as “loving your way”, “irawo”, “chairman” ft Kcee, “crazy” ft Wizkid, “ragga ragga”, “killing me softly” ft Timaya, “airbrush” & “murda” ft Patoranking & shaydee.  With A list producers such as Dokta Frabz, Cobhams Asuquo, Del B, Legendary beats, TY mix & J Sleek on board, Seyi Shay’s album will most definitely be a pleasant and solid offering.

6. REMINISCE
ALBUMS – BOOK OF RAP STORIES (2012), ALAGA IBILE (2013)
ALBUM TITLE – BABA HAFUSA
ALBUM # - 3
LABEL – LES ROUGES ROSES/EDGE RECORDS



Remilekun Safaru saw his stock rise considerably following the release of his outstanding sophomore effort “Alaga Ibile” which spawned hits like “sunkere”, “fantasi”, “eleniyan” ft Wizkid & “daddy” ft Davido. Despite dedicating his junior album to his daughter Hafusa, it certainly won’t be filled with nursery rhymes as evident on the street single “tesojue”, “let it be known (freestyle)” and Sarz’s “ise yen”.  Guest verses on Ruggedman’s “8 figures”, Phenom’s “ashewo”, Morell’s “wazobia”, Hakym’s “salamualekum (remix)”, Black magic’s “Africa (remix)”, Sean Tizzle’s “kilogbe (remix)” and Jaywon’s “tana wole (remix)” just to name a few has kept his momentum going.  Alongside Olamide and Phyno, Remi has got this whole indigenous rap thing on lockdown and in case you still doubt his versatility, listen to his verse on Naeto C’s “owu no dey touch”.

5. PATORANKING
ALBUMS – NIL
ALBUM TITLE – TBD
ALBUM # - 1
LABEL – FOSTON MUSIK



In an industry over saturated by candy pop songs and recycled beats, it was no surprise when Patoranking’s debut single “alubarika” featuring Timaya caught on and spread like wildfire. Just as critics were about to write him off as a flash in the pan, the dancehall star wowed with his patois flow on DJ hazan’s “early momo” and further impressed with the release of his follow up single “girlie o” and the remix which featured Tiwa Savage. Patoranking’s burgeoning career further blossomed with the release of singles such as “friends”, “happy day” and “daniella whine” and culminated in him winning the next rated award at the Headies 2014. Patoranking’s debut looks to be heading for ground breaking status and missing that will still be a much needed breath of fresh air.


4. MAVINS
ALBUMS – NIL
ALBUM TITLE – TBD
ALBUM # - 1
LABEL – MAVIN RECORDS



Following up on the success of Dr Sid’s “Siduction” and Tiwa’s “Once upon a time”, Don Jazzy and his super talented crew made up of sibling D’prince, Tiwa savage, Dr. sid, Di’ja, Reekado banks and Korede bello dropped “dorobucci” which was unarguably the biggest song of 2014. They followed that up with “adaobi”, “looku looku” and the Nigerian solidarity single “arise”.  With the individual singles from the likes of Di’ja “awww” and “yaro (remix)” ft ice prince, Korede bello “african princess” and “cold outside”, Reekado banks “chop am” and “turn it up” ft Tiwa savage & D’prince “Oga titus” turning up the heat.  All bets are on the Doros to have one of the biggest albums of 2015.

3. D’BANJ
ALBUMS – NO LONG THING (2005), RUNDOWN (2006), ENTERTAINER (2008), D KINGS MEN (2013)
ALBUM TITLE – TIMELESS
ALBUM # - 5
LABEL – DB RECORDS/G.O.O.D MUSIC/MERCURY RECORDS



Even though we were teased with the idea of a new D’banj album in 2014, it never came to fruition and instead what we got was the Burna boy assisted “oya wait”, the deevee produced workout song “omini”, the soundtrack to Chimamanda Adichie’s half of a yellow sun movie “bother you”, “gifted” featuring DJ jimmy jatt and the chest thumping banger “alaye” which all showcased banga lee at his finest. As ONE ambassador he also played an integral role in Africa’s biggest collaboration of 2014 “cocoa na chocolate” and while rumours of being heavily indebted swirled in the media, the Apple/Beats by Dre African ambassador released the radio friendly “feeling the nigga” to cap off the year and ushered in the New Year with the remix featuring Konvict music boss, Akon.   If all the aforementioned tracks are anything to go by, we should be expecting a more mature sound and a well rounded album from kiniun funfun.

2. WANDE COAL
ALBUMS –MUSHIN 2 MOHITS (2009)
ALBUM TITLE – BLACK DIAMOND
ALBUM # - 2
LABEL – BLACK DIAMOND ENTERTAINMENT



Saying Wande’s sophomore album is long overdue is the understatement of all understatements. It’s been 5 long years since the release of his outstanding debut “Mushin to Mohits” and the years have not been so kind to WC. In spite of all his personal travails and label woes, he has so far managed to stay relevant. From failed comeback bids in the form of “the kick”, “private trips”, “Go low” and “been long you saw me”, The chocolate skinned MC has re emerged with the infectious Maleek berry produced hit single “baby hello”, the Shizzi produced and Skuki assisted “aye dun” which is gaining massive airplay nationwide while singles like “rotate”, “amorawa” ft Burna boy and “baby face” have kept his buzz strong. Guest appearances on Ruggedman’s “agidi” and Flavour’s “wake up” have done nothing to hurt his cause. You don’t go from Mushin to mohits, mohits to mavin and fading from mavin to black without having a lot to get off your chest. It is safe to say we are about to find out how bright WC’s diamond really is.

1. DAVIDO
ALBUMS –OMO BABA OLOWO (2013)
ALBUM TITLE – TBD
ALBUM # - 2
LABEL – HKN GANG



There is no denying the fact that Davido has risen to become one of the best artists in Africa since the release of his debut “Omo baba olowo” which spawned several hits like “back when” ft Naeto C, “all of you”, “ekuro” and “dami duro”. In the quest to follow up the successful debut, the HKN gang boss didn’t rest on his oars and his hard work paid immediate dividends in the form of hit singles such as “gobe”, “skelewu” and “one of a kind”, but it wasn’t until the T spize produced smash single “aye” rocketed up the charts that people started to notice. Not one to be contented with being good when being great was achievable, Davido teamed up with continental heavyweights Mafikizolo, DJ Arafat and Uhuru for “tchelete”, “naughty” and “skelewu (remix)”  respectively. Not even the negativity surrounding his rumoured beef with Wizkid could slow his role as he carted home various awards ranging from The Headies (song of the year & artiste of the year), BET (Best international act, Africa), Ghana music awards (African artiste of the year), MAMA (Best male artiste & Artiste of the year), NEA (Male artiste of the year & Hottest single of the year) etc. Davido’s music has become simply irresistible and while he yet remains the darling of Nigerian pop, 2015 might be the year of his coronation as king.