Archive for the ‘nigeria’ tag
Appropriately titled “New Ish,” East London/Nigeria representer Azekel just dropped his first single and the corresponding video. I’m still not entirely certain how best to categorize this song – it moves from neo R&B right on into electro hop, and keeps a healthy dose of swaggy swing at the core of its construction.
And you know what? I like that it walks those lines with seeming abandon – it brings a fearless edge, and pulls the music into even tighter focus. As Azekel says, he’s on that new shit.
Watch the video above, and stream/download it below. Bam. Shouts to the homie Emeka at Gold Coast Trading Company for being on his good music game.
As a long-time fan of Gilles Peterson, I’ll almost automatically click on anything of his that I can find since he’s got impeccable taste in music. The long-time BBC radio host and DJ is big on global sounds, so it’s no surprise that he took a swing at Keziah’s “Lagos vs. New York” joint and hit a homerun. For all of our London peeps, be sure to check out Keziah Jones performing tomorrow night, October 6th, at Barbican Hall alongside Tony Allen, Cheikh Lo, Pee Wee Ellis, Seun Kuti, Ty, and others to celebrate Allen’s 70th birthday and an independent Nigeria’s 50th. Read more on that here. And watch intimate YouTube footage of Keziah playing “Lagos vs. New York” live after the jump.
Keziah Jones – Lagos VS New York (Gilles Peterson Rmx) by ameliaideh
Toast is the resident logistician for LxNxM and according to the stats y’all are showing us more love – I just want to say we appreciate each one of you. This creative endeavor has brought our crew closer, and our ideas have only start to take root…
Keeping the love going, I have been mesmerized by the next level soulstress Nneka. We mentioned Nneka a few months back vis-à-vis a collaborative mixtape she dropped with tastemaker J.Period titled The Madness (Onye-Ala).
Nneka has experienced a much deserved rise to global status since then. The Nigerian-German/Nigeria- raised singer has landed a song “Viva Africa” on LISTEN UP! the official FIFA 2010 World Cup soundtrack, she also just joined Nas and Damian Marley on the Distant Relatives tour – making me regret missing their Seattle stop even more.
There is something higher about Nneka’s music. An anthropologist by training, she resonates her human experience to the listener with poetic clarity – in my humble opinion she is definitely channeling something the world needs in her music. Check out Nneka’s official site to cop her first U.S. release, Concrete Jungle and learn more about this visionary artist.
Tastemaker J. Period has blessed us with another heater of a mixtape. This time he teamed up with the Nigerian-German artist Nneka, who is new to my ears but has been doing her thing, for the most part outside of the US, since 2003. This is definitely worth the free download, and it’s a great introduction to someone that I hope to see a lot more of in the future.
A seasoned performer, songwriter and winner of the 2009 MOBO Award, Nneka presents The Madness (Onye-Ala) as an introduction to her first US album, Concrete Jungle in stores February 2, 2010 on Yo Mama/Decon/Epic. The album is collection of tracks detailing her personal experience growing up in Nigeria, the corruption and beauty found there and the universal themes of love, growth, and seeking the ultimate truths. The Madness (Onye-Ala) is a peek into the life and sounds of Nneka, as well as a tribute to the influence Hip Hop has had on her music.
Download The Madness (Onye-Ala) here (right click, save as), and check out more J.Period & Nneka downloads here. Tracklist and videos after the jump.
This is a mix of what’s hot in Nigeria right now and then some. Don X is a member of the Naija DJs crew (Naija is Nigerian slang for Nigerian). He resides in Lanham, MD (outside of DC), and apparently he slays parties out there on the regular. The Naija DJs describe themselves as an “elite coalition of the hottest Nigerian DJs around the world.” They’re taking applications if you’re interested.
The music is all over the place, but the mix works nicely. It’s like hip hop, r&b, dancehall, soca and electro with a uniquely Nigerian twist. The quality of the MP3 is not that hot, so I won’t hate you if you don’t download it, but it’s worth at least listening to on zshare. Peep the tracklist after the jump.
