Rolling afrobeats thread 2014

lets kick things off with this frankly incredible song Lex posted in the last thread

Phyno - Parcel (produced by Major Bangz)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgHoQsMAtek

another one killing it right now is Joey B & Sarkodie´s ´Tonga´, a downtempo ´alkayida´ style joint
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3anSMxRPvWA

If you like that harder ghana style check this new Krynkman aka Nshona tune
Virgee - One Kiss
http://youtu.be/c8X3UxJh1zY

...or this Guru/Ball J track ´Pooley´ which was posted on the last thread but needs to be here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl89MMYoe3Q

and an older Ball J production I just happened to find
BATAFLY FISHERMAN LOVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ry6ZMW7B_w

On the Naija side of things, loving these ones from Davido

Davido - Aye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ-_HIoEBE8

Runtown - Gallardo ft Davido
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7N9wjgGpfg

a few more newer tracks I like right now...

Four thauson ft. Sherry Boss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OU3L13w47I

Stargo - Without You Feat Joey B & E.L
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_8xComDrWo

Skuki - SILIFA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBZntsZdRog#t=63

don´t know why those aren´ñt embedded...probably for the best

should probably post some UK stuff

MOELOGO FT GIGGS -The Baddest (Prod. By Bayoz Muzik)
https://soundcloud.com/ego-management/moelogo-ft-giggs-the-baddest

Donae'O ft Ice Prince & Sarkodie - Big Ben (Afro Beats Remix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBCrvNivmLQ

Sneakbo ft. L Marshall - Her Name (produced by Ill Blu)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUzoRAhSu72f-FkidkvZj-mw&v=wQN_2TuK44Y

^ that one deserved to be massive iyam

DJ Neptizzle´s been posting his Reprezent radio shows on soundcloud. This recent one for Ghana Independence day is probably a good way to catch up cause its got a tracklist
https://soundcloud.com/dj-neptizzle/uabshow-ghana-special

embeds have to be http not htttps, but yeah probably for the best. lots to catch up on here.
are Tim F and I the only ones who like E.L.? Here's Ayayaa:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRCQ7TTE5zo

Afrobeats 2013

For those who want to refer back to some of the early 2014 postings that were posted on the 2013 thread

Want to like Parcel but it just makes me want to listen to this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRpirrA1Sp4

yemi alade's "johnny" is now permanently embedded in my head

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_XkTKoDI18

i can't work out if she's riffing off another well-known song or not? something about the chorus seems half-familiar but i can't think what it might be...

i thinks the chorus is a riff on "Caro" by Starboy, Lax & Wizkid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF47kno4Dro

"I´m looking for Caro/Johnny..."

omg duh of course

the piano in "gallardo"! <3

Man, Pooley is absolutely amazing. Song of the year so far.

― Frederik B, Monday, March 17, 2014 7:12 AM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this track is amazing

for some reason i feel like singing beenie man's "dude" over "parcel"

are Tim F and I the only ones who like E.L.? Here's Ayayaa:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRCQ7TTE5zo

― rob, miércoles 19 de marzo de 2014 15:38 (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

EL is just all round quality, songwriting and beats. Check this track which I heard on neptizzle´s weekly top 5 countdown the other day, purely for the dancers.

EL - Helicopter Engine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxoyG1YCY4Y

the full top 5 this week was

1. Moelogo - The Baddest remix feat. Giggs
2. Sarkodie Ft Castro - Adonai (Alkayida remix)
3. Davido - Aye
4. P Square - Taste the money (Testimony)
5. EL - Helicopter Engine

wizkid <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MsluJ2_f5I

This track of South African house is making my monday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iZ5rpll9WA#t=113

Davido is at Pulse 48 in Brooklyn Friday and then in Lanham, MD outside DC on Saturday and then heading west

Minnesota on the 30th, Dallas April 4th, & Toronto April 5th.

Davido & HKN Gangs Live Performance at the New York Show Held on March 28th at Pulse 48 in Brooklyn NY.
The New York Police Department shut down the concert because it was overbooked, leading to safety concerns. People going to the concert caused shut down of two blocks in Brooklyn, forcing the police to intervene.

Davido has issued an apology and regrets this having happened.

DC/Maryland show got moved several times, and I'm not sure it even happened either. I went to Brazilian Luisa Maita instead

Yemi Alade's "Johnny" is truly a joy! I feel that with the right push it could be an international hit, it's got the video for it too.

By the way, the original album version of Sarkodie's "Adonai" mentioned above - with SK Blinks instead of Castro - is worth checking out too. It's very different from the remix, that skittery percussion reminds me of early Chicago house.

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

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

Wande Coal - My Way
I could see this being a crossover hit, like 'Antenna' and 'Oliver Twist'. Produced by Maleek Berry who also did the fantastic 'Boogie Down' by Saeon. The first minute of the video is actually a different Wande Coal song entitled 'Plan B'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb-uI1-iSgY

Here are a few other tracks that i'm loving at the moment:

Skales - Take Care Of Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHxEFty3iUk

Omawumi - Somori (Feat. Remy Kayz)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B978auHSc8g

D-Black - Carry Go (Feat. Davido)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3MFR2f0Pnk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulb_RLmPEl0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr5YBFG1CGc

Saw poster advertising an Afrobeats performer playing London sometime in May near Elephant & Castle the other day but the bus drove on before I could ascertain either venue or performer! Anyone know specifics?

Also, what about this: http://www.afrobeatweekender.com/

high-level South African / Naija collab:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiHh2-6jmnU

Davido + Mafikizolo "Tchekele (Good Life)"

"Tchelete" obviously

Some more Ball J-produced alkayida: Kwaw Kese "Pressure Pump" (feat. Joey B):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th5o5zQTUak

"tchelete" is fucking amazing

also

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7N9wjgGpfg

the rolling piano >>>>>>>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhA2lm1_pVs

this is a bit of a banger too

TCHELETE. when everything drops out on "things that people do for money" >>>>>

http://www.youtube.com/v/iziTfxtaVMM&fs=1&hl=en

does anyone write about this stuff in a way that contextualizes it at all.

― rap steve gadd (D-40), Friday, 23 May 2014 22:40 (Yesterday) Permalink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiHh2-6jmnU

this jam actually makes me think of

The Ibadan Sound: Jerome Sydenham, Dennis Ferrer etc.

― rap steve gadd (D-40), Friday, 23 May 2014 22:45 (Yesterday) Permalink

Oops:
http://www.youtube.com/v/oiHh2-6jmnU&fs=1&hl=en

― rap steve gadd (D-40), Friday, 23 May 2014 22:45 (Yesterday) Permalink

http://www.youtube.com/v/U_Lv7PedBIU&fs=1&hl=en

Lil Bucie

― rap steve gadd (D-40), Saturday, 24 May 2014 01:33 (13 hours ago) Permalink

this dude Heavy K makes some jams, damn

http://www.youtube.com/v/WhD_c9O1L2s&fs=1&hl=en

― rap steve gadd (D-40), Saturday, 24 May 2014 01:35 (13 hours ago) Permalink

The Guardian's published a few decent pieces over the last couple of years:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/24/nigerias-afrobeats-redefining-the-sound-of-africa

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jan/19/the-rise-of-afrobeats

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/mar/13/nigeria-music-naeto-c-asa

Generally speaking the pieces I've read have been better at contextualizing it within the UK scene (and to a lesser extent the US) than they have within specific local scenes.

Werd. Are there any DJ mixes of this stuff? need to hear "jasi" in the mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecKx1Jmgi0o

this is fire btw
http://i.imgur.com/AplnybD.jpg

Two nice dance tracks by Skales, quite different, love them both:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klu1N073gkc

(Shake Body)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lttYD7TCzog

(Obi feat. Drey Beatz)

Naija rapper of the moment Phyno with his latest, "Alobam":

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

It's always Wizkid time. This track has been around since last year, but has never been posted. It has a video to go with it now as well. Still waiting for that second album!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnkVQg-5xuQ

(On Top Your Matter)

This is at least 18 months old but I can never work out how much time elapses between a track appearing on Youtube and actually getting a release. Either way I played this about five times on in a row the other morning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih0uVL5tc98

I was looking to cop the yoruba hits sampler but it seems to have been pulled from just about everywhere. Any suggestions as to where I might find it? Insight into why it's gone missing would be appreciated too.

A lot of these Nigerian compilations seem to disappear after a while (from Spotify, don't know about other sources). I'm assuming it's because they're not official releases.

Igbo Hits is still available but Yoruba is nowhere to be found.

I was looking to cop the yoruba hits sampler but it seems to have been pulled from just about everywhere. Any suggestions as to where I might find it? Insight into why it's gone missing would be appreciated too.

― longneck, Thursday, May 29, 2014 3:23 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=Bkijiueqii2hawx3a6uybqzs7ki&tid=song-Ttcn2wflxauvxz7ocuvrybeaeem

Excellent. Thanks.

Loving this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIHCscPpEB4

Yemi Alade's "Johnny" is truly a joy! I feel that with the right push it could be an international hit, it's got the video for it too.

― breastcrawl, vrijdag 4 april 2014 23:10 (2 months ago)

I guess Yemi got that idea too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op6te9u2IFU

Not sure if Google Translate-ing your lyrics and not having anyone checking your pronunciation (I mean, "fakon" for "façon"?) is the way to go though…

DJ Xclusive feat. Olamide "Ibebe"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsFqZ6wmcdE

(song starts at 1:55)

I'm just discovering Uhuru's My Father album (2013) and it's basically the best thing ever. How have we not been talking about this???

What am I not getting about Olamide? I've been checking some of his stuff lately but it just doesn't connect for some reason.

I don't rate Olamide the highest, but I do like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVLvMGzsHFk

That one's great. Thanks for reminding me.

i love the one i have. a lot of it was stuff i wasn't already familiar w/. i tried to find the first one but it was sold out. this one has more material i've already heard, but that i'd love to have.

Um, Afrobeats vs afrobeat

The new Timaya album is p great. Tons of jams. Yemi Alade's album is a real disappointment though. It sounds like a potpourri of other people's styles, with her own personality drowned out. Too bad. Johnny remains one of the definitive songs of the year.

New Tiwa Savage:
http://my.notjustok.com/track/3033/tiwa-savage-my-darlin#.VDT9VYWXWoU.twitter

Guru's video for Keep Walking has dinosaurs in it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfNoiy4G7Oo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oewrIzf7Nw

Not actually afrobeats at all but have we all heard Busy Signal over the Khona beat yet?

Ball J samples Under The Boardwalk while Guru raps about Jackie Chan. Gold.

http://www.sharebeast.com/v27wnoqp0p0w

Did any of you ever buy music from Spinlet? It looks cheap but I'm worried about the bitrates.

Anyone know of clubs to hear afrobeats in Paris? Gonna be there next week.

Back to google then

fuse odg album is seriously, seriously great and one of my albums/the pop/afrobeats albums of the year. dont sleep...

Haven't heard it yet, but saw this mixed review in the Guardian. Compares it to Sean Paul, who I like

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/30/fuse-odg-tina-review

Thanks to a plethora of international guest stars and a liberal dose of Guettatronics, it doesn’t sound as distinctive as one might hope, however.

There are some really really good tracks on this thing.

i dont think that review really gets it. doesnt sound like hes even familiar with his past (BIG HIT) singles. but anyway, the albums not perfect, but there are so many good songs/memorable hooks, i dont see how you can begrudge it.

yeah macinnes is a mug. says first sentence fuse is "A south Londoner of Ghanaian extraction", diligently c&ps what the title stands for and what it means... and then has a go at him for being crossover and not the pure afro realness the guardian readership craves

cute if minor album anyway, esp like 'bucket full of sunshine' and 'over'

yeah, fuse isnt like a dizzee for afrobeats, hes more like, idk, sway (though better). but this is still an album with antenna, azonto, the sean paul duet, the title track (which youd think the guardian might like more), which makes it hard to fault.

Yeah, Bucket Full of Sunshine might be the song carrying me through this winter. Pure happiness.

This. THIS!!!!

https://soundcloud.com/onviberadio/wiser-flavour-ft-phyno-mi

also this
https://soundcloud.com/seyishay/murda-feat-patorankin-shaydee

Loving that last one!

The Fuse ODG album from a couple of years back (The Buzz) was quite a lot better than the album that ultimately emerged. I suspect it got removed from all the new places after he signed a major label deal but it's worth seeking out if you can, even if several of its best moments appear here*. A lot of the newer stuff isn't up to the same standard.

*Bucket Full Of Sunshine, Azonto, Antenna, Office Work, This Girl, maybe another one.

The new olamide album is pretty great!

Some hot dance tracks from Naija:

Oritse Femi feat. Davido - Sexy Ladies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6M-MEmNmE4

Omo Akin feat. Ice Prince - Surutete (aciiiiid! - but more about house later):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1X6_iKZ-vY

Slyde - Banana (this might have been posted before, but I couldn't find it - it's great):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYv9lPW5Agw

Anyway, there's a remix out now too: Slyde feat. Timaya - Banana (Remix):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwYkBBZu1Uk

W4 - Foreign Dance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olf3nJYcKfI

Iyanya - Finito (he's never come close to "Kukere" again, but this is good):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g6AL2Os9co

And then there's the brand new Davido, Owo Ni Koko:
https://soundcloud.com/africagroove/davido-owo-ni-koko

While we're on the Naija House tip: How is it even possible that Legendury Beatz & Wizkid's Oje (posted two months ago) has not blown up by now? Why did Wizkid give that track it away? It's better than all the new tracks on Ayo.
This has a similar vibe: 2Face Idibia & Wizkid - Dance Go:
https://soundcloud.com/cloud9tunees/2face-wizkid-dance-go-eau-de-vie

catching up a bit on these songs today...

don gorgon = ultimate jam

also love: jeje, johnny, show you the money, gallardo, shake body

'dance' been on repeat all year too

"banana" and "foreign dance" are ace.

that's basically my two favourite naija trends right there: uhuru/mafikizolo sounds on the one hand and freaky triplet shit on the other.

can someone identify this angolan song that starts at 00:50 ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=y_iIVH-azsY#t=49

Tee Blaq "Vasa Shiii"

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=tee%20blaq%20vasa%20shii

Produced by Jay Pizzle, the man behind "Shake Body" and "Banana".

I regret shelling out for the Brymo album without listening first. Way too coffeeshoppy for my tastes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTB4hZy4XNY

love this

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

Runtown and Uhuru unite for The Banger:

https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/runtown-ft-uhuru-the-banger

And this is Uhuru feat. Speedy with the remix for "Ungowami", now also featuring Wizkid. True loverman anthem!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8C-LayMFJM

…and not to forget Donald...

Perfect!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e5NUsylTVY

Nice write up, deej.

Ah, in Pitchfork.

are we talking about this? http://www.thefader.com/2014/08/01/say-yes-how-a-michelle-beyonce-and-kelly-gospel-record-points-to-pop-musics-nigerian-future/

ah i see: http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/603-the-most-essential-nigerian-afropop-tracks-of-2014/

thnx tbh the pfork piece is a lil 'throw together the big ones' without sacrificing the sonic breadth of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlhS5AZ_QqQ

'crazy' is crazy

and that new davido single is def making a quick run up my year-end list ... its delicate-ness is so ...woooo

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

the pfork piece *is an attempt to*

Yeah I could see that but it still worked I think. There are about 50 afrobeats selections in my top 20 this year so I feel your pain. Tchelete might have been the one I missed the most. Davido has had a hell of a year.

knew that would be a d40 article b4 i clicked

Holy fuck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd46jAe1ukU

Busiswa ft DJ Buckz & Uhuru "Lahla"

full version:
https://soundcloud.com/search?q=busiswa%20lahla

I finally gave in and bought a track from Spinlet. 123 kbps VBR. Lol.

Rolling Afrobeats / Afropop 2015 thread