rolling afropop / afrobeats 2017

Let's start the year with Wizkid's new single, Daddy Yo, which should be huge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2uqOvEo2bQ

this is old but i really love this old Makossa song from the 80s from Prince Eyango. When i don't listen to it for a bit i forget Makossa has such a Caribbean flair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS0aWtc1snM

Daddy Yo: Kind of funny Wizzy has someone else singing the big hook for him this time; not so funny he failed to give Efya a credit for doing so.
I'm not really convinced about its hugeness outside Africa, but iTunes tells me it's doing some business in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Is RCA promoting him up there, that you know of, longneck?

Produced by renowned dancehall producer Dre Skull, by the way.

I'm more enamoured with "Good Love", the Wizzy track DJ Maphorisa recently dropped that he apparently had laying around somewhere. Could listen to him in this mode for hours:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bhs0s0nRbs

Yes, Davido's been disappointing lately, but I like him a lot on the new DJ Jimmy Jatt joint, "Orekelewa". The fact that it was produced by Young John in post-"Good Time" mode doesn't hurt:
https://soundcloud.com/djjimmyjatt/dj-jimmy-jatt-ft-davido-orekelewa

This is good too: Tekno and Flavour doing their thing on Masterkraft's "Far Away":
https://soundcloud.com/afro-songz/masterkraft-far-away-ft-tekno-flavour

Add in Wande Coal's "Iskaba" and King Perry's "Continental Boy" and you've got yourself the beginning of a great playlist.
Can I claim the name Naijapolitan for this sound? (thanking Yemi Alade for the inspiration, of course).

I would think the scandinavian sales are down to the «street team» of me and my friends, lol. So no, I haven't seen any promotion for it at all yet. The Dre Skull credit makes sense. Afaict there is increased interest for all things afro in the caribbean, and this beat seems designed to cash in on 2016s dancehallwave. I happen to like it a lot, but I won't be surprised at all if it fails.

Btw: http://jaguda.com/2017/01/07/wizkids-daddy-yo-runtowns-mad-make-billboard-debut/

My favorite wizkid-related song of 2016 would be Patoranking's This Kind Love btw. I just love those horns.

That was my favourite as well. I see Wizkid's part on it as a more fleshed out version of his hook on the *other* international hit he was involved in last year, Major Lazer's "Boom".

Some jams that stood out to me while listening through the new Olamide album, which is good:

Pepper Dem Gang (Prod. Young John):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_g5__Y4fuY

Omo Wobe Anthem feat Burna Boy (Prod. Pheelz):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlKcJ68eseg

Woyo (Prod. Young John):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az8c-wW71Sc

Be Mine (Prod. Pheelz):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEOaHJnFGqs

I enjoyed the original but Skales' Temper Remix feat. Burna Boy takes it up another notch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwnlBbnjuJs

Found this in my Release Radar this week.I like it a lot.

https://soundcloud.com/eazzyfirstlady/eazzy-x-shaker-x-djfrenchkiss-baakor

Check this song 'Radio' it's really dope.

http://www.britznbeatz.co.uk/single-post/2016/12/30/Nonso-Amadi---RadioLyrics

Loving the new Seyi Shay, "Yolo Yolo", a lot. Also promises much for DJ Coublon in 2017:

https://soundcloud.com/loggmax/seyi-shay-yolo-yolo-prod-dj-coublon

Fun new track by Reekado Banks, "Killy Person (Freestyle)":

https://soundcloud.com/afro-songz/reekado-banks-killy-person-freestyle

New Orezi bangs too, "Just Like That":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FE0ih-FTOA

this Maleek Berry is v beautiful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=047xGplGP4o

hopefully they'll do a remix minus Geeko

Radio is, indeed, very dope. He sounds a bit like a west african k-major. The guitars on e-kelly's leg over and juls' radio are very similar though (outside of being in a different key of course).

Also loving Yolo Yolo. I think we posted Tonight in last year's thread but since it's going to be with us for a while I figured I might as well post the video in here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcQSo0mrjBo

Hush The Silence does nothing for me, however.

^love the production on Tonight

New Skuki is fire:
https://soundcloud.com/skukiofficial/skuki-pass-de-agbara
("Pass The Agbara")

So is the new Rayce ft. D'banj:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1jh4vr2ULA
("Shikishiki Mami")

This track has legs and legs:
https://soundcloud.com/loves-abeats-recordings/mr-eazi-skin-tight-remix-ft-stefflon-don-haile-wstrn
Mr Eazi ft. Haile & Stefflon Don "Skin Tight (UK Remix)"

yeah that is rly popping off rn

heard the cutest interview w/ eazi on radar radio this week where he was just hilariously sleepy and unassuming and not about the star life at all. "mixtape coming soon, 11 tracks on there, hopefully you can maybe vibe with one or two of them idk"

hopefully they'll do a remix minus Geeko

― rob, Monday, 23 January 2017 22:51 Bookmark

hater!

Lilyeatswellxo3 weeks ago
why is he dressed like a teenage mutant ninja turtle

ha this was my first encounter with Geko and further investigation indicates I'm missing some uk rap context here. He's quite charming on Englisia.
plus since posting I've come to appreciate his raspy croak as a dash of salt in the luxurious cream. It does still look like he won a fan contest when he shows up in the video

Yes, Davido's been disappointing lately, but I like him a lot on the new DJ Jimmy Jatt joint, "Orekelewa". The fact that it was produced by Young John in post-"Good Time" mode doesn't hurt

Yeah this song is the best I've heard Davido in a long time, very nice! Daddy Yo, Tonight & Skin Tight (UK remix) are all really awesome. Great start to the new year!

this dance track is big in SA dance circles, I think it came out late last year officially, so may have been in last years thread and a a billion remixes are floating around, but this is the original, pretty great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvRVHim8YkA

So here's an interesting but not wholly unlistenable train wreck. Verse Simmonds and Machel Montano come together on an afropop beat, lol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS0NSb1k9Dk

I kind of like it, but, of course, nothing adds up. I have no idea if this is the right thread for this but I'm letting the beat dictate the genre.

So has anyone heard the Mr Eazi "mixtape" yet? It's an apple music exclusive, apparently, and I might well end up buying it from iTunes, but only if it's worth it.

"Leg Over" is on youtube at least:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v15sS1sL_S4

i love leg over, haven't heard the full project yet

Yeah, Leg Over is the jam.

My current jam is Dotman & Davido - Escobar. I just love the sonics on the hook.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgjScgOwexk

This was just posted by curmudgeon on the 2016 thread:

Although many locals refer to all the new pop in Nigeria as “hip-hop”—even though much of it is not really hip-hop as we know it—the term the local industry folks prefer is “Naija pop.” “Afrobeats” is also used by some, but Ade judges it a term imposed from the outside—a kind of appropriation—and also far too general to have much meaning. Seun Kuti sees a different appropriation here, the adding of an “s” to his father’s genre coinage of the 1970s, and in that, Seun senses a certain “insecurity” among those producing and marketing the new music; he predicts the term Afrobeats will not last long.
http://www.afropop.org/34229/dispatch-from-nigeria-3/
― curmudgeon, vrijdag 17 februari 2017 14:57 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

They have also spoken to Young John. The interview has yet to be published (or podcast, I guess). Could be interesting.

The Singles Jukebox likes Runtown's "Mad Over You".
It was posted on last year's thread, but as it has since become the biggest song in Western Africa, here it is again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb4X1BWNO5k

P-Square are now living in a post-Pana world as well: "Away".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl9VNPzodcY

But what is the post-Pana world if not just another corner of the Eazi Universe? The Eazi "mixtape" longneck mentioned above is now on Spotify.
Eazi is also featured on "Heartbeat", the first single from another "mixtape" that just dropped, Afropop 101 by Legendury Beatz.

https://soundcloud.com/afro-songz/legendury-beatz-heartbeat-ft-mr-eazi

Let me throw in LB's remix for Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" as well, it's cool:

https://soundcloud.com/legendury-beatz/ed-sheeran-shape-of-u-afrobeats-refix-by-legendury-beatz

And hey, this just in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=helEv0kGHd4

"If" by Davido, produced by Tekno!

I'm rather behind and most of the stuff that's catching my ear has turned out to be from late 2016 but 'Yolo Yolo' really is fantastic.

Lex posted this mix in the mix-thread, but I feel it sorta belongs here as well: https://thump.vice.com/en_uk/track/teki-latex-berite-club-music-mix-exclusive-stream (this is a link I found that has a tracklist)

It hits me a bit the same way the first Abrantee mix I ever heard hit me. That is, this is probably a frenchified version of it, calling it 'berite club' a bit like calling it 'afrobeats'. But it has a lot of west african influence, including Franko - Coller la Petite from Cameroun! Though to be honest, I still haven't made my way through the mix, I keep going back to hear Champions League Defeat and Block Party etc over and over. Great music!

Alfred Soto: I love its sheen: the synth pads, rhythm guitar, whistle. The steady groove conveys an attachment less mad than the title suggests.
[7]

this tawdry oaf...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU_NWi3u6lo

eaaaaaar worm

The Teni is great, would have been my next post.

(as for your other post, take it to the Boring Belligerence thread)

not familz w/ that partic thread but anyone who likes the song should have the decency to drag that smugly piss-poor read

The Eazi tape isn't quite... steamy enough, is it? He almost singlehandedly managed to infuse a bit of sex into the naija pop scene, which is otherwise heavy on marriage proposals and empty braggadocio (wads of money, big cassavas and gifts of banana). I was hoping for some proper sex jams (leg over fits the bill) but there's not enough air on this for it to heat up properly.

That's an interesting point. I'm underwhelmed by it as well. Most of all, I'm missing Juls. I mean, Eazi and he crafted a very special sound together and now he's nowhere to be found. Does anyone know what happened there?

Interesting review of the album:
http://www.okayafrica.com/audio/mr-eazi-life-is-eazi-download-accra-to-lagos/

The Twitter storm Mr Eazi started when he said “Ghana’s influence over Nigeria music cannot be underestimated” was a needful point, but maybe needless to point out. The symbolism in the cover art for Accra to Lagos is even more telling. Choosing to drape himself in a “Ghana Must Go” patterned outfit next to the phrase Accra to Lagos is a direct provocation of thought, and not a call to arms.

More on the Ghana-Nigeria issue by the same writer:
http://www.okayafrica.com/controversial/mr-eazi-tweet-nigeria-ghana-rivalry/

Still, Eazi seems perhaps a bit too eager to "return" to Lagos from Accra, what with most of the tracks being produced by Naija big shots?

Find myself enjoying the Legendury Beatz goodie bag more right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJjG27stjkA

Legendury Beatz ft. Wizkid x Mugeez "Undercover Lover".

xpost to rtc:

The point is that you're using it to lash out at a fellow ILX'er (who's probably not following this thread). It's a lousy attitude.

(And if you're that concerned about bad music writing, you know there's a thread for that too.)

Yeah , his eagerness to return to Lagos is def part of the problem. E Kelly mastered the Juls sound on Leg Over though - and it's the best track...

Sure, E-Kelly did a great job there, but is there a reason Juls is not on the album at all (GuiltyBeatz has one track, at least)? Can't seem to find anything about them having parted ways.

No, I sure hope he's saving Juls for the "proper" album.

Mr. Eazi's gig at a nearby university is sold out. Oh well. Tekno's coming too, but he's too samey for me. Some cuts I like though

DJ Vetkuk vs Mahoota - Thando Lok'dlala (ft. Black Motion, Nokwazi & Drumatic Boys)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYUQkH7gi0k

Wow at this

I might actually prefer the radio edit that's on Spotify. It packs more punch.

Yeah that's dope. A bit of Babes' rhytmic urgency in there, no?

Sauti Sol are great. I love Nishike especially.

For those compiling your year-end lists, this playlist includes all the available tracks on this thread, organized roughly chronologically in order of mention:

ILM's 2017 Rolling Afropop and Afrobeats Thread Spotify Playlist

Right now I think my 2017 top looks like this (top 20)

Patoranking - Love you die (ft. Diamond Platnumz)
Juls - Early
Wizkid - African Bad Gyal
Tekno - Maria
Olamide - Wo!
Dotman - My Woman
Kcee - Juice (ft. Maleek Berry)
Akothee - Tucheze
Lil Kesh - Rora
Lil Kesh - No Fake Love
Fally Ipupa - Eloko Oyo
Tekno - Samantha
Seyi Shay - Your Matter
Kiss Daniel - Yeba
D'banj - It's Not a Lie
Kcee - Romantic Call
Wizkid - Come Closer
Orezi - Just like that
Becca - Na Wash
Eugy - Prize

excluding: Daddy Yo, This Kind Love, Yolo Yolo, Tonight, Akrakabo, Leg Over etc etc (2016) and You Alright Yeah (great but too British)

Aw is Akrakabo 2016? That's by far my favorite :(

Ah no I speak nonsense, it's 2017. I also just realized he says Tout le monde debout ehh and not Tout le monde est dévoué.

Yay, then I can keep it on my list :)

I love Kidi’s Odo - not sure if it’s been posted as my connection is acting up.

https://youtu.be/jINRh9t3hw0

Has Diamond Platnumz ever shown more attitude and been clearer that he has the chops to be the East African Wizkid ? Rick Ross in the midddle. Quite a decent hit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1iHgDTplfw

Not really seeing any much of any support for music listed here on year-end lists posted on another thread. Fader had a Davido song. Jon Caramanica at the NY Times has gone for Latin trap this year instead. Not much reggae dancehall or soca either.

It was supposed to be Wizkid's big breakout year but instead... he feels weirdly muted now. He was all over the place, just not where it mattered. I guess the main problem is that although most of the stuff he did this year was good, he just didn't have that one undeniable song?

No publicist in the US or U.K. has successfully marketed the sound to radio, streaming sites and critics

is Unforgettable afropop?

it was wizkid's song & they took him off it

i think it just took too long for ppl to push it & fucking drake & ed sheeran types capitalized off the sound before outside artists could

For your curiosity, here's a data-generated playlist of the songs most distinctively popular among afrobeats fans on Spotify in 2017:

https://open.spotify.com/user/particledetector/playlist/6VNHhLOXEkSMCWvIdYc1vB

I'm not really surprised that the list is mainly sweet stuff. Easy (Jeje) is great. You relate to these things differently if you're from Nigeria. Or is that data biased somewhat.

Spotify does choose to push certain labels, etc.

drake & ed sheeran types capitalized off the sound before outside artists could

This explains radio and spotify to some degree, but too many critics seam to just want to listen to American rap and indie and not go beyond that

Spotify, of course, isn't actually available in any African countries yet, so this is all based on fans in (or signing up in) countries where it's available...

personally didn't feel it was a great year for afropop. lots of good songs, but fewer than in previous years that matched my tastes
(ditto for american pop, for the record!)

I probably forgot to post it but Niniola's Maradona is probably in my top 5 this year. Her album is great too - even though her cover art is pretty bad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCbjK4259RM

the cover art is Blacksad!
http://www.europecomics.com/serie/blacksad/
was there a movie or something?

The Maradona cover is good - the album cover is bad, lol. I have no info about the blacksad connection - news to me!

The new Yemi Alade album is excellent & the Olamide that dropped a month ago has plenty of nice Young John jams.

The Olamide is uneven but it does have some jams.

does a wizkid vn of unforgettable exist?

https://youtu.be/FK5odIiRG4A
I prefer the French M version, actually. The most interesting thing about this one is that Swae Lee’s hook is actually a part of his verse from the original version (this).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0YOrxhBoj0
I don't know if it will get many plays, but the latest Mr Eazi is as classy, minimal and laid-back as it gets, and same for the video.
I quite like 911 too, even if this prod is nothing new at this point.
Love Maradona, Sicker is not too bad either.

That's a good one. lol @ "make all your sins do the mannequin challenge".

I like Yemi Alade’s latest also. Seeing her live in DC was one of my 2017 highlights.

There's a wealth of music in Nigeria, and these lists below mix stuff that does not exactly fit on this thread, with stuff that does

http://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/10-best-nigerian-albums-in-2017-id7717539.html

1. Simi-Simisola
2. Wizkid-Sounds from the Other Side
3. Flavour-Ijele the Traveler
4. Falz-27
5. Ric Hassani-The African Gentleman
6.Ajebutter22- What Happens in Lagos
7. A-Q- Blessed forever
8. Bemyoda-Stark
9.Yung6ix-Highstar
10. DJ Spinall -Dreams

The link for the NET (Nigeria entertainment Today list) top 10 posted upthread isn't working but the cache is -- here they are typed out. Simi is number #1 on this too, and it has some of the same albums, but a few are different.

1. Simi-Simisola
2. Mr. Eazi-Acra to Lagos
3. Ric Hassani-The African Gentleman
4. Ajebutter22- What Happens in Lagos
5. Show Dem Camp - Palm Wine Music Vol. 1
6. Falz-27
7. Flavour-Ijele the Traveler
8. Wizkid-Sounds from the Other Side
9. DBanj- King Don Come
10. Niniola-This is Me

That's my cut and paste from the ilm year end lists 2017 thread

My main issue with nigerian music in 2017 is that the ca 125 tempo has been all but gone this year following the crossover successes of ojuelegba - one dance - skin tight - pana. It’s all about 100 bpm now and that takes some of the fun out of it. Still plenty of good music of course.

That Simi album is really nice

I mean, this is just lovely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YthMTby33d8

One of the other singles even has slide guitar on it. Great album.

And to close the year in South Africa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36O8dPuGDo

Some of that Simi album is too nice for me—-pleasant but not potent.

So, guys... what tracks are we going to try to get into the ilm eoy charts this year? I’m noticing that deej has omunye, Wo! and come closer high on his personal list and i’m fine with voting for either of those.

For your curiosity, here's a data-generated playlist of the songs most distinctively popular among afrobeats fans on Spotify in 2017:

https://open.spotify.com/user/particledetector/playlist/6VNHhLOXEkSMCWvIdYc1vB

― glenn mcdonald, Wednesday, December 13, 2017 8:18 AM (two weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Considering that it's sourced from outside Nigeria, this seems weirdly accurate for Lagos car/party/radio play give or take a few head-scratchers and - some of the more UK based artists.

Also Surprised Penalty didn't get love here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVDmkCJrptI

but maybe this speaks to that in some way:
I'm not really surprised that the list is mainly sweet stuff. Easy (Jeje) is great. You relate to these things differently if you're from Nigeria. Or is that data biased somewhat.

― Nabozo, Wednesday, December 13, 2017 9:25 AM (two weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

So, guys... what tracks are we going to try to get into the ilm eoy charts this year? I’m noticing that deej has omunye, Wo! and come closer high on his personal list and i’m fine with voting for either of those.

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), 1. januar 2018 19:10 (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

At least in the early part of the year, I thought Akrakabo was the clear consensus favorite. Other than that I'll vote for Simi and Wizkid in albums, and probably a couple other tracks.

Not all music has to be 'potent', btw. Pleasant is absolutely ok, and I often like to hear all the 'pleasant' stuff from around the world, it so often get's shunted to the side :)

i also had inde and j hus btw

"inde" is wonderful

I'm definitely going to vote for Runtown's Mad Over You. Who's with me?

Technically 2016 but still one of the defining songs of 2017 - at least for me.

deej, didn't you have Iskaba as well or am I dreaming? I'll gladly vote for Iskaba.

I'll also vote for If, Fall, Juice or Leg Over if there's a point to it. All classics.

Could someone please bump the 2018 Afropop thread for me so I can post something on it? I only have access to Zing right now but it’s impossible to get to that thread from there. Thanks!

Never mind, found a way in.

Link through to 2018 thread: rolling afropop / acrobats 2018

“acrobats”? bless you, Autocorrect!