The Port Harcourt-born singer/rapper had a stellar 2018 as we outlined here, and he’s maintained that energy in 2019.

This year, he’s strung together a run of hits and wins that seems endless. With his fourth studio album, “African Giant” scheduled to drop in the second half of this year, there’s no sign he’s letting up anytime soon.

As Burna turns 28, we celebrate his five biggest moments since his last birthday.

• His Coachella Debut

Rocking a custom design by Kenneth Ize, Burna Boy made his Coachella debut in 2019. The announcement was almost overshadowed by his show of ‘big font energy’ – his way of asking for greater recognition among peers from around the world.

Burna’s set was also polarizing as we reviewed here . In retrospect, it was a welcome sign that stakeholders in the right rooms and audiences had become aware of this rebel’s talent.

• Winning Artist of The Year at the SoundCity MVP Awards

Once upon a time, the Headies (or the HipHop World Awards as they were once known) were the biggest stamps of a Nigerian artist’s success over the year in review. After many reiterations, the Soundcity MVP awards have emerged as another worthy seal. The 2018 edition was particularly remarkable in that it cosigned an important change of the guard.

After years of Wizkid and Davido dominating best artist awards, Burna Boy was named the artist of the year at a ceremony that felt like an oft-postponed coronation than anything else. The award was an early call that Burna had won 2018.

His mother’s听warning to “expect more madness” as she received the award on his behalf was even more poignant. It was a perfect way to let us know that Burna wasn’t planning on relinquishing his new throne anytime soon.

• “Killin’ Dem” w/ Zlatan Ibile

As 2018 drew to an end, it seemed pretty certain that “Ye” would be the song of the holidays. Despite taking its time to warm its way into our hearts and playlists, the song has reached anthemic proportions by the end of the year.

Then, out of the blue, Burna tapped Zlatan Ibile and the Zanku sound he’d made popular to create “Killin Dem”. The song ensured that Burna had the three biggest songs, “Ye”, “On The Low” and “Killin Dem”, as we entered the December concert season, and set a marker for his 2019. 6 months later and the songs still bangs like a fresh release.

• Burna Live

Controversy typically follows the biggest artists like moths drawn to a flame. In Burna’s case, however, it has shown up at the most unfortunate moments. One of the sadder instances happened in 2017; after a fairly good year, Burna was scheduled to headline his own showcase, “The Burna Boy Concert”.

However, the show was suffocated by allegations that Burna had sent thugs to harass fellow PH singer, Mr 2kay. The police soon intervened and Burna appeared in court. After days of uncertainty, the show was . In retrospect, it would go on to mean next to nothing.

Burna Boy pulled off an even better year next time around. As 2018 drew to a close, Burna announced “Burna Live”. This time, fate dealt him a better hand. He might have been four hours late to his own show but when the man climbed on stage, his people claimed him, in screams of 鈥淏urna鈥�, 鈥淩ankin鈥� and all the other nicknames he has come to be known by. An ascension five years in the making was complete.

• Winning Best International Act at the 2019 BET Awards

Award shows have become notorious over time for going off-script. Popular examples include Kanye West’s outburst at the VMAs and Burna’s walk-out after being denied the award for the Next Rated Category at the 2012 Headies. Burna’s nomination for the 2019 BET Awards was expected. The events that followed his announcement as the winner of the “Best International Artiste” award were anything but.

Noticing that her son was missing from the hall, Burna’s momager. Bose Ogulu took the stage to receive the award on her son’s behalf. The final words of her brief speech – “Every black person should please remember that You were Africans before you were anything else” – have become a watchword on Malcolm X’s Internet.

It’s Burna’s day; but Mama Burna deserves all the roses too.

Since then, it’s been easy, hard and impossible – in different phases – to make a case for Burna’s talent and his inevitable ascension to the upper echelon of African popular music.

After years of being an enfant terrible, 2018 will be remembered as the year Burna Boy got his act together and made that case for himself. And it has become apparent since that Burna himself knows this.

Barely days into the new year, Coachella released its list of performers for the 2019 edition. Of the dozens of performers, two Nigerians – Burna Boy and Mr Eazi made the cut. In fairness, it’s deserved recognition.

Apart from Africa’s pop princes, Davido and Wizkid, the two have covered the most international ground in the past year – Eazi with “Lagos To London” and Burna with “Outside”, “Ye” and a host of seminal collabs. But only one of the two saw it fit to ask for greater recognition.

The story is relatively well-known. Burna took to Instagram to ask that Coachella put his name in bigger fonts to reflect his standing as an African Giant in line with his “vision of the future of Africa and African Music”. Burna felt he was being sold short. Not many people agreed.

As with everything that happens on Instagram Stories, time quickly ran out on that conversation. That is until last weekend.

Since 1999, Coachella, or the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, as it’s officially known, has grown into one of the biggest music festivals in the world. Over two weekends, insane crowds come out to watch the world’s biggest musicians in the middle of the Colorado desert. An estimated 250,000 people came out for the 2017 edition.

If footage of his set on Sunday morning is anything to go by, barely 1% of those people came out to watch Burna perform.

After doing several visits to US radio stations to promote his set, including an interesting visit to Sway In The Morning, Burna arrived the Coachella stage with his crew, dripping in an interesting fit designed by Kenneth Ize that had him looking like he was going to fight Batman after the show.

The man of the hour (or 20 minutes, depending on how long his set was) kicked things off with his first hit of 2019; “Killin Dem”, a song that was made for dancing and boisterous partying.

On any day in Lagos, the Burna/Zlatan collab is enough to turn a funeral procession into a carnival. But on a sunny day in California, it’s just another song.

At times, the crowd seemed like a group of seat fillers at award shows; random people employed to give the illusion of a bigger audience. At others, they seemed genuinely disinterested; shuffling in the sun, a wave of a flag or a shirt the only sign that they noticed someone was on stage. This was definitely not big font energy.

There are obvious explanations; standing in the California sun is not one of the things fans look forward to, and as such, the biggest artistes get the night slots when fans can rave without a ball of fire hovering. There’s a reason Beychella happened at night.

To be fair, Burna did his best. He worked that Zanku in a way that Zlatan would be proud of and brought back one or two oldies. He did get the crowd moving to “Ye” and engaged whoever was listening by singing out some of the more politically-charged lyrics a capella. His performance of “Dangote” was impassioned. But it just wasn’t to be.

The real reason is a lot closer to home. African music is on the rise. But just how high it’s risen is open to discussion. Today, artists like Wizkid and Davido are familiar names in global music circles. In response to the renewed interest in African music, Spotify launched its , an entire block dedicated to content from and inspired by Africa. But these are symbolic victories, positive steps in the right direction, more than anything else.

Burna’s request for bigger fonts on the Coachella flyer implied belief that his music was big enough on a global level to stand font-to-font with the Billie Eilishes and Tame Impalas of the world. If quality is the parameter, I’m inclined to agree.

Burna Boy has joined in a league of artists who glide through genres and make inspired poignant music. That said, he is not nearly big enough to convince a bunch of inebriated American adolescents to stand in the sun on a Sunday morning. African music just isn’t there… yet.

There are levels to this shit. Coachella is synonymous with grand stage designs and elaborate sets – something that few African artistes not named Mr Eazi can afford or be bothered to put up.

It’s the same as having a Nigerian hit song in the US – it takes a level of organisation, resources and a level of deliberate thinking that we have not shown or achieved. Our music has gotten some interest in the last few years – but more in the sense of an exotic variety than a dominant force.

Davido may be proud to have the biggest Nigerian song in the US – but the silent subtext is that it has taken him two years and two US radio tours to get to No. 13 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Hot Airplay charts.

Nigerian music is in a place where it has a lot to prove. It’s the cool, trendy new guy at a university. He’s the hot new thing, eager to claim his place in this community.. It’s only a matter of time before he’s top of the food chain – but to preempt his progress and say, ask to be given a position in the Students’ Union would be suicide.

Today, being the biggest artiste in Nigeria doesn’t translate into much else. Maybe Coachella’s humbling of an African giant was the reminder Burna and everyone else needed. There’s much work to be done.

The moment when everything clicked – if you ask the average fan – was that morning in 2016 when a certain Canadian superstar put out another of his contrived hit singles.

It may have been the name on the credits, a lazy misspelling of 鈥淲hizkid鈥� or the voice, a hyper-filtered loop that was as melodious as his core fans knew only he could be on his day.

Whichever way you remember learning of it, what mattered was that Wizkid had been featured on a Drake song one that would become the biggest song in the world.

Afrobeats had gone global. Nothing would remain the same.

In the last two years since 鈥淥ne Dance鈥�, the gradual emergence of Nigerian pop music on the world stage has been defined by the theme of Afrobeats鈥� global journey.

And what a journey it has been.

Two of the world鈥檚 biggest record labels have set up shop in Lagos, with varying degrees of investment. Artistes like Ciara and Alicia Keys have turned to our pop music for inspiration, and if you listen carefully, you can hear afrobeats tucked neatly in other work, like in by Iggy Azalea.

While Davido sold out London’s O2 Arena last weekend, his 2017 smash hit, “Fall” was sitting pretty at #45 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts. It’s now risen to #39

Yet, there are questions about how far Afrobeats has travelled and whether it鈥檚 really the next gold mine. Davido and Wizkid鈥檚 international deals were defined by their labels鈥� reluctance to invest resources in the local sound on a global level. Wizkid鈥檚 2018 project 鈥淪ounds From The Other Side鈥� sold an in its first week.

Has Afrobeats really gone global?

How far have we gone on this journey? And what the hell is afrobeats? We answered all those questions that cross your mind when you hear that infamous 鈥淎frobeats to the world鈥� tag..

What Is Afrobeats?

So, strictly speaking, there is no afrobeats. The term was coined by radio personalities and commentators from the UK as a way to describe the new catchy pop sound coming from Nigeria and West Africa in the 2000s.

The name was inspired by Fela鈥檚 Afrobeat 鈥� his raucous, politically-charged music.

However, apart from the fact that they鈥檙e both Nigerian, the two share no similarities. (which is why Burna Boy and many Fela stans such as myself are not fans of term).

Today, it鈥檚 synonymous with Afropop 鈥� African pop music with influences from R&B, hip-hop and jazz, and hybrids of that sound made by Africans in the diaspora.

Why Is African Music Garnering So Much Attention?

A number of factors. For one, the global music audience is thirsty for variety, and with every new iteration of soulful R&B or trap, there is a yearning for something original. Afrobeats and sounds like K-Pop, which is also enjoying some buzz, meet that need.

What stands out the most though is the renewed interest in Africa. Some people call it the 鈥溾�� 鈥� the idea that the depiction of Africa in pop culture is inspiring black pride and global interest in Africa. And nothing quite defines us like our music.

African musicians are also now a part of the global industry 鈥� when iTunes first launched, there were no Nigerian musicians on the app, today Spotify, a global streaming giant, has an entire hub dedicated to the music of and from Africa.

What Kick-Started This Global Kini?

It鈥檚 impossible to tell this story without going through the UK.

For years, Nigerian musicians have steadily cultivated a fanbase there, particularly in London where there is a large community of Nigerians.

About half a decade ago, Wizkid and co picked up where D鈥橞anj left off with 鈥淥liver Twist鈥� by scoring genuine hits in the UK.

Songs like 鈥淎zonto鈥� made Wizkid a genuine star and pushed Afrobeats into the UK mainstream.

They also endeared its musicians to a lot of already established UK stars of African parentage.

One of them was Skepta who is said to have sent Wizkid鈥檚 Ojuelegba to Drake for a verse.

In return, well, sort of, Wizkid got on Drake鈥檚 One Dance and the rest, as they say, is on Youtube.

What Makes Afrobeats So Special?

No-one can make drums sound as good as African musicians. It is a testament of ancient African music that is still present in our music. African pop is built around noisy, multi-layered drums that all but drive the rest of the music. The result is a very immediate sound that fits with the celebratory tone of our music 鈥� and the world loves it.

The culture that surrounds the sound is also vibrant, colorful and most importantly, original 鈥� a trait that stands out in today鈥檚 hyper-gentrified world.

Is Afrobeats Big Around The World?

In the UK, yes. Very much so. To a lesser extent, it鈥檚 beginning to grow in parts of Europe with large African communities. In the US, the case is different. The musicians seem to be caught in the wave but the story is not that exciting when you check the audience.

Granted, there are small communities and even cities such as Atlanta where Nigerian music is big.

However, this is more because there are large, often established communities of Nigerians with strong ties to the motherland in those areas, not because the music is big. (Davido lived for a while in ATL and still has family there).

Davido鈥檚 鈥淔all鈥� is getting substantial airplay in the US nowadays and has been steadily riding up the charts. Could it be a sign? Stay tuned.

Is There A Chance Of Afrobeats Being Westernized?

Definitely. In fact, I think it鈥檚 inevitable.

You see, music at any given stage is an amalgam of all the influences that came before it.

Take hip-hop for instance; it started as a medium where DJs would talk trash over loops of the break-beats on disco tracks, then it took on influences from punk rock, jazz, added its own musicians known as rappers, became political and explicit, and eventually what we have today, and it鈥檚 still evolving.

Afrobeats as it is today, has also borrowed from western sounds.

Its best elements will undoubtedly serve as the bedrock of some future hybrid. It鈥檚 only a matter of how and when.

How Will We Know When Afrobeats Is Truly Global?

There are many boxes that it would traditionally need to tick.

For instance, if Davido鈥檚 鈥淔all鈥� rose by some miracle to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, we鈥檇 have the biggest song in the US and quite possibly, the world.

But in the digital age, the parameters are very flexible.

To have a global sound today would mean something that permeates all aspects of pop culture 鈥� when our songs are on the charts, our streaming numbers are steadily in the hundreds of millions, and we can see our influence in everything from television to fashion.

To be fair, we鈥檙e not a long way off.

Who’s Afrobeats’ Biggest Ambassador At The Moment?

Depends on who you listen to and what question they think they鈥檙e answering.

贰苍驳濒补苍诲鈥檚 will tell you it鈥檚 Davido, but that鈥檚 likely because he鈥檚 the hottest name in Afrobeats at the moment. To answer the question, you鈥檇 need to consider the person鈥檚 influence across the board over the last few years and other factors like the impact of records, collaborations, and more. Two names come to mind almost immediately; Wizkid and Davido. I鈥檒l leave you to choose your fave.

What’s Next For Afrobeats?

The road is long and weary and the journey has already begun. Our music already has its foot in the door and we can comfortably tick attention off our bucket list. What鈥檚 next is to maintain a level of consistency, diversify the sound, collaborate across sub-genres, improve the business end of the local industry, all of which will make afrobeats more viable.

We鈥檝e already begun to export the other, more niche varieties of African music which will help project a full-bodied sound.

But there鈥檚 a lot to be done.

In the immortal words of one of the pioneers, a certain 2baba as he prefers to be called nowadays, 鈥淚f I tell you say e easy o, na setup鈥�.

Whle you’re here, let me tell you about a lil’ thing we’ve been working on.

It鈥檚 called Poppin鈥�, a bite-sized newsletter that serves you with all that matters in pop culture, once a week. Think of breakdowns like the one you just read, with recommendations and quick bits on all you need to know.

If it sounds like something you鈥檇 like, sign up to the tribe here.

2018 was, in ways, a watershed moment in Nigerian music. A new king took the throne, a new queen sent out her statement of intent, and on the international stage, we won big.

The question will now be asked of the people who dominated the conversation in 2018, like Burna, and those who, like Peruzzi, have everything to prove.

These artists may still be reeling from the hangover of a very detty December but it鈥檚 never too early for new music.

Some of my faves have already announced they鈥檒l be dropping new music this year. Others are, well, toying with our emotions.

But that never stopped anyone from expecting what we deserve. Definitely not me.

听

Davido – TBA

It seems like a century ago that Davido dropped that debut album.

Ice Prince was the superstar. Reminisce was finally breaking out. And Davido鈥檚 music seemed, to most casual fans, like a labour of love.

Now, he鈥檚 the big dog鈥搑ecord label chairman, international hitmaker and father of two daughters. He鈥檚 entering this year at the peak of his powers, with two of the best songwriters on his team and an expectant audience.

David鈥檚 mentions of the project have hardly gone past references to 鈥淢y album鈥︹�� but it鈥檚 almost certain OBO鈥檚 sophomore drops this year. The timing couldn鈥檛 be better. God safe us when it happens.

听

Maleek Berry – TBD

I can imagine a future where a white-haired former journalist explains to a room full of kids how a record producer reinvented himself as a pop star over the course of two brief, delicious EPs.

After learning the ropes as part of Wizkid and Wande Coal鈥檚 teams, Maleek is now a verified heavyweight on his own.

Now established on two continents, and already shaking the right hands in the US, Mr Berry鈥檚 debut is due, and he knows it.

Melodies abound for this man, and Maleek on his day can take you from Ikoyi to Rio in the same song.

That and his Afropop leanings have reflected on two stellar EPs鈥搉ow it鈥檚 time for the coup de grace and the final chapter of a transition made in Gbedu Zion.

Santi – TBA

鈥淪antino has this city in a headlock鈥濃�揳 tweet read after Santi, the mysterious, dreadlocked rager who makes anthems for a generation rocked a crowd of his peers to a sweat-soaked frenzy at a concert last December.

Over several years, Santi has built the cosigns, the records, the loyal cult following for the moments that are bound to come.

He may be little more than the face of the alternative music scene in Lagos now but almost everyone who鈥檚 a fan of the kid swears he鈥檚 the one.

After ending the year on a high with 鈥淩apid Fire鈥�, it鈥檚 a good thing that Santi began the year by announcing an album for January. We鈥檝e been waiting for a while.

Wizkid – Made In Lagos

If you listen to the people who treat music as a lifeforce, the face of Afropop鈥檚 tour of the UK and the US is on his way back home.

Few pop stars can spend a decade topping charts while carrying a genre鈥檚 finest elements to new ears around the world.

But it would be unwise to count Wizkid out.

His fourth studio album has been touted as a return to the source 鈥� to Lagos and the overcrowded studios where it all began.

It may be where Wizkid finds the sauce to blow our minds again.

听

Burna Boy – TBA

Burna Boy鈥檚 2018 was written in the stars鈥揳 beautiful story of overcoming one鈥檚 predilections that you could adapt into 30 languages.

But it鈥檚 over now. And no-one will know more than Burna that you鈥檙e only as good as the people鈥檚 last memory of you.

There鈥檚 word that last year鈥檚 鈥淥utside鈥� is the prelude to something else; a mixtape that took on bigger importance with an international record deal and a few collaborations.

Now Burna鈥檚 settled into big boy mode. Let鈥檚 see him swing for the stars.

听

Falz – TBA

Steady, consistent, calculated. Falz is a marketing course waiting to be studied. First introduced to us as a quirky, funny gimmick, Falz now comes up in conversations about new Felas and the best Nigerian rappers.

All of this while taking statues at award shows and offering poignant commentary.

He is in the big league now, which is why he must punch at even higher weights. Can Falz take Nigerian hip-hop to a new place? Can he take a very vacant throne even? What happens when he stops trying to be funny?

This could be the album that answers all those questions.

听

Tiwa Savage – TBA

The only woman in the game who can touch Tiwa lives in France.

Mummy Jam-Jam is proof that angels never die or get old.

Just when we thought we鈥檇 seen the best, Tiwa underwent a reinvention in 2018 helped undoubtedly by rumours of a fling with a certain Starboy.

Never mind that while all that was festering, she dropped one of the biggest songs of the year in 鈥淢a Lo鈥� and took a ride on the Duncan Mighty train with one of the better collaborations, 鈥淟ova Lova鈥�.

The Tiwa who made R.E.D seems so far away now. Which is why this one has to drop that album so we can get to know her better.

听

Reminisce – TBA

Reminisce鈥檚 nickname literally translates to Chairman. Chairman in the sense of a gang leader who tries to usurp a king of boys, or an indigenous rapper who will hold his own in Queen鈥檚 English with the finest of the bunch.

Staying in the conversation in 2018 would have been enough for Reminisce, but the man鈥檚 role in one of 2018鈥檚 best movies reminded us of all the things we love about Baba Hafusa 鈥� grit, ambition and versatility.

2019 is the year where Alaga reminds us what he can do behind the mic.

听

Lady Donli – TBA

To some, she鈥檚 the female face of the Alte community. To others, she鈥檚 the unknown young singer who made a criminally brief festival on the intro to Mr Eazi鈥檚 2018 album, 鈥淟ondon To Lagos鈥�.

Either way, Lady Donli is coming for your necks in a flowing dress, with cowries in her locks and the sensation of an old soul.

After a year spent in bars and arenas in Europe and North America, she鈥檚 back at home.

Her tweets suggest she鈥檚 in the studio, and with the experiences she鈥檚 gathered on the road for inspiration, we won鈥檛 be against Lady Donli striking gold on her debut.

听

Runtown – TBA

Runtown is like the uncle from Texas who we hardly hear from, until he calls on a Friday afternoon and the entire family gathers around the phone like loyal fans. Label battles have played their part in keeping him away for stints at a time but the singer says the worst is in the past now. If songs like 鈥淥h Oh Oh (Lucie)鈥� and 鈥淣o Permission鈥� are anything to go by, Runtown has finally found his aesthetic.

It may seem obvious that we鈥檒l get the laid-back, dreamy Afropop he silenced doubters with in 2016, but that鈥檚 fine because it鈥檚 just what we want.

Teni – TBA

Love abounds for Teni. Unknown to most at the start of the year, she ended 2018 as the year鈥檚 biggest revelation, a viral sensation that is fiercely loved by her fans. Teni ticks all the boxes that should matter鈥搒he has the range, she writes like a ghetto poet and her talent for making songs is freakish鈥揳s evidenced in those Instagram videos where she makes demos out of unsuspecting friends.

She鈥檚 begun the year with a headstart鈥搕he absolutely uplifting 鈥淯yo Meyo鈥� and if we can rely on her record, another single should be in the offing.

Few Nigerian prodigies have ignored such raw desire for their music over time.

In Teni鈥檚 case, it would be almost criminal, because we know Makanaki can pull off something beautiful.

Tekno – TBA

As with most nascent spaces, Nigerian music has regularly churned out a new successor (or pretender to the throne) each year鈥搊ne artist听who changes the texture of the popular sound, puts out the year鈥檚 biggest single or just shows an astounding level of promise.

In 2017, that person was Tekno. Yet, despite heavy demand for a full body of work, Tekno chose to ride out on the strength of singles.

There is little doubt that the man knows his stuff鈥搈elody and an innate sense of rhythm drive听his music and has also provided hits for peers like Davido.

Sadly, illness ultimately slowed down his pace as 2018 wound down.

With all the big dogs dropping this year, it might be time for Tekno to put his hat in the race and finally claim his place.

Today, we鈥檝e arrived in the age of viral stars like Teniola and Slimcase, and runs of dominance like Davido鈥檚 stellar 2017.

Nigerian music has risen to become the country鈥檚 most consistent export.

Various watershed moments have stood about between then and now.

But if anyone鈥檚 asking when this phase of Nigerian Afro-pop began, you鈥檒l have to look no further than a decade ago, the year when a short black boy and a silver-tongued stoner initiated the beginning of a cycle.

2008 was the year when the old guard had the airwaves snatched from their hands with a brand of music that was heavy on simplicity and inimitable.

A decade since that passing of the baton, I鈥檝e been wondering, 鈥淲here are the artists who ushered in the age of Afro-pop?鈥�

听

M.I Abaga

For years, nay, decades, Nigerian hip-hop had been heavily inaccessible.

It was in a large part due to the lack of a popular middle ground.

Fans could either listen to a hybrid of gangsta and intellectual rap by cliques who were desperate to sound like their heroes in New York or a brand of amusing social commentary spearheaded by eLDee鈥檚 Trybesmen and most notably, Freestyle Essien.

M.I. changed all that with his debut album, 鈥淭alk About It鈥� and created a new template for rappers that is still followed till this day.

So Where’s Mr Abaga Today?

Five studio albums and three mixtapes later, one could say MI is on the other side of his time at the summit.

After being Africa鈥檚 number one for over half the decade, Mr Incredible says he鈥檚 now trying to revive Nigerian hip-hop and support a new set of rule-breakers at Chocolate City.

His most recent album, 鈥淵ung Dxnzl: A Study On Self-Worth鈥� may not have reached the heights of his previous work 鈥� but it represents where M.I. is now; a veteran looking within for what might have been and what could still be.

ASA

Asa鈥檚 classic self-titled album dropped a year earlier in 2007, but it was in 2008 that songs like Bibanke became anthems.

Asa was emo before we knew what the word meant; an eloquent soul songstress who told familiar stories in a tone that was not as familiar at the time.

In doing so, she opened the gates for other pop/soul acts and provided a formula to help them get Nigerians listening.

Nowadays, Asa Lives In France

The albums and videos come rarely nowadays.

One could say she has ascended to that self-imposed reclusive state that true artists do, and you would be right. We only see her in December for an annual concert 鈥� an experience that reminds us what we fell in love with a decade ago.

We just want her back.

There are fine, serviced flats in Banana Island.

NAETO C

Before Davido became the face of pop stars born into Nigeria鈥檚 upper class, Naeto C, son of a former Aviation minister introduced Nigeria to a new, smooth form of rap. From his diction to the subject matter and lines like 鈥渏aded view, you can鈥檛 record my flaws鈥�, it was as if Naeto C, was saying 鈥渘o be fight, we can actually make this rap thing classy鈥�.

Naeto used the freedom to be ambitious and aspirational in his music, and many more have since.

Without Naeto, there鈥檇 be no Cartier, Ghetto P, Yung6ix. The list goes on.

This One Is A Bit Hard. Mostly Because No-One Knows What Naeto Is Up To Nowadays.

The only MC with an MSc, until Lord V, enjoyed his best year in 2011. And there was no better sign that heaven put hand on top am than 鈥淪hare My Blessings鈥�.

Then Naeto turned his attention to family and business and left the public eye until 2015 when he dropped two albums.

But no-one was expecting anything from him so it really went unnoticed. And that鈥檚 where we are.

We could get an album tomorrow, although the man seems engrossed in daddy duties with his third child, Naeso. Nobody knows what to expect.

9ICE

What set 9ice apart from the rest of this class was that his primary medium was Yoruba 鈥� the language, the inherent sense of melody and the rich oral tradition.

9ice had been around for a while but in 2008, the stars lined up for the Coded Tunes frontman.

The result is an album, primarily sung in one language, that crossed regional and national borders and put 9ice on the same stage as U2 for a concert in celebration of Nelson Mandela.

Nigerians had made songs in local dialects for decades, but in a world that was gradually becoming smaller, 鈥淕ongo Aso鈥� redefined how Nigerian musicians portrayed their identity.

10 Years Later, 9ice Makes Do With Cult Status.

None of the works quite hit the creative and commercial heights that Gongo Aso did.

And while he鈥檚 one of the most prolific artists around 鈥� 9 albums in 12 years 鈥� quality has steadily been in short supply.

Yet 鈥淕ongo Aso鈥� is not so easily forgotten and he still enjoys the repute the album gave him 鈥� 9ice still makes music but it鈥檚 just not as nice anymore.

X-PROJECT

If there鈥檚 one song that can define the intensity with which indigenous dance music overran 2008, it鈥檚 鈥淟orile鈥�.

Little was known of the trio before they showed up in early 2008 with a hit that really shouldn鈥檛 have worked.

To start with, the song was noisy, it was entirely made in Yoruba and it was impossible to make any sense of what Konga, the featured guest, was saying.

Yet, it became a dance floor staple from my听street carnival to听Road Runners .听X-Project鈥檚 success validated a lot of underground musicians in Ebute Metta, Agege and all the Lagos鈥� suburbs where this sort of music had grown over years.

Lowkey, this is the reason 鈥榮haku-shaku鈥� has gone international, 鈥榮hepeteri鈥� is popular slang and Slimcase has a career.

If You Find X-Project, Please Call 08072769656.

We need help with this one. These men seem to have left the face of God鈥檚 green earth.

J.MARTINS

Prior to 2008, J.Martins was largely known as a producer from the East whose signature sound was a fast-paced take on highlife influenced by soca rhythms.

J. Martins brought that mix of Igbo and Brazil to bear on 鈥淕ood or Bad鈥� featuring frequent collaborators, P-Square and Timaya.

For all purposes, it was a pop song as evidenced in its wild popularity but layered within was a formula that adapted high-life music for the 21st century.

Highlife had finally found a place at popular music鈥檚 table. It wouldn鈥檛 be until 2017 that a Yoruba boy by way of Ghana would alter the formula.

Is J.Martins Still Tweaking Highlife in 2018?

Not exactly.

Some would give J. Martins credit for building a bridge between Anglophone and Francophone Africa. At a time when his peers were chasing Snoop Dogg, he was making his name alongside acts like Fally Ipupa and DJ Arafat.

Today, he鈥檚 more likely to be seen globe-trotting for his various side hustles. The odd song still comes out 鈥� like October鈥檚 鈥淥gologo Ndu鈥�.

It鈥檚 been a long time since he was living with P.Square and hoping for his big break. There鈥檚 no pressure now.

Honourable Mention: WIZKID

Wizkid didn鈥檛 drop his first single until 2010, and we had to wait till the next year for his debut album.

But if you鈥檙e looking to find when Nigeria鈥檚 most influential artiste of the last decade first announced himself, it was in 2008 on 鈥淔ast Money, Fast Cars鈥�, off MI鈥檚 debut, 鈥淭alk About It鈥�.

MI told me Wizkid recorded the verse off random freestyles, after taking a bike to his house following a phone call. It was a small taste of what was to come.

In the next three years, Wizkid would become the most-sought-after hook-master on the continent, define what it meant to be a wunderkind and break the ceiling for his peers.

Walking Runways In Dolce & Gabbana. Scoring a US No. 1 Hit As A Featured Act On Drake’s “One Dance”. Fronting For Brands Like Ciroc And Moschino.

Wizkid is still breaking ceilings.

For the first time since 2011, he may have genuine contenders for his position as the biggest musician in Nigeria.

But when the trends end, Wizkid鈥檚 legacy will be that he gave the rest a standard to meet, or at the least, aspire to.

2. When your nosy neighbour on a danfo asks if they can use one ear of your earphones so they can also “groove”.

3. When you can ignore the bus preacher courtesy your music.

4. When your jam comes on and you forget yourself and start dancing on the main road.

5. When you think your earphones are in and start blasting music by mistake.

6. When you get carried away singing along to your music and subject people to your terrible voice.

7. When you are in charge of the office playlist and people start insulting your taste in music.

8. When your earphones cut and you don’t have money for another pair.

9. When you’ve been enjoying your music and haven’t achieved anything in the office.

2. When the musician starts talking at the beginning of the video in one fake Americana accent.

3. Regardless of the subject matter of the song the video is full of girls shaking their bodies.

4. When the artist is wearing leather jacket and hoodies inside Nigerian heat.

5. When all the love interests are light skinned girls.

6. When you see Lekki-Ikoyi bridge for the one millionth time.

7. When the video has a Nollywood “glory be to God” style ending.

2. Use the first forty seconds to just mess around while the soundtrack plays

3. Tell a brief story or introduction to what your video is going to be about

4. Make sure you show your dancers are wearing church approved clothes

5. Add an element of surprise

6. Another surprise: doves can fly out at anytime

7. Set your autotune to 100

8. Always include “in the studio” scene

9. CARRY YOUR BIBLE

10. Make sure your choreography looks funny

11. For your location either use a church, beach or somewhere in the bush

12. Always put somebody wearing all white in there

13. Make sure the whole crew is wearing the same thing

14. If there is no choir the video is pointless

2. My Woman – Patoranking ft. Wande Coal

3. Adonai – Sarkodie ft. Castro

4. Owo Ni Koko – Davido

5. Ashimapeyin – Wande Coal

6. Hol’ It – Shatta Wale

7. Godwin – Korede Bello

8. Shoki – Lil Kesh

9. All Eyes On Me – AKA ft. Burna Boy, Da L.E.S., JR

10. Dorrobucci – Mavins

11. Don Gorgon- Burna Boy

12. Soke – Burna Boy

What are your own favorite afrobeat songs to listen to before a big event?

They are songs that even the young generation listen to and are on the music playlists of听a lot of Nigerian weddings, both at home and abroad.

Highlife makes up a bulk of it.

These are the artistes whose highlife songs that were popular before some of us were born, a lot of us grew up with and majority of us continue to enjoy to this day.

12. Flavor N鈥橝bania

How can we write about highlife without mentioning Flavour? Otherwise known听Chinedu Okoli, he is the modern proponent of highlife music.

23 November 1983, he began his musical career as a drummer for a local church in his hometown of Anambra State.

His hit songs include: Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix), Ada听Ada听and Golibe.

11. Tunji Oyelana

A former lecturer, Tunji Oyelana, was born October 4, 1939. He is credited with having sold the most albums by a Nigerian High Life musician.

With Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, he composed, I Love My Country.

Both were charged with treason in 1996, and forced into exile by Sani Abacha, while touring internationally with Soyinka’s play The Beatification of Area Boy.

10. Sonny Okosun

Born on January 1, 1947 in Enugu, he was from the Edo State. He was one of the leading Nigerian musicians from the late 1970s to mid 1980s.

He formed his first band, The Postmen, in Enugu in 1965 and joined Melody Maestros, a band led by Victor Uwaifo听in 1965. From 1972 to 1974 he led a group known as Paperback Limited and then formed a new band, Ozziddi. Some of his popular songs are Fire in Soweto, High Life and Which Way Nigeria. Okoson continued his career in music as a gospel musician in the early 90s.

He died aged 61 of colon cancer on 24 May 2008.

9. Dr. Orlando Owoh

Born Stephen Oladipupo Owomoyela in February 1932, in Osogbo, he was a notable highlife musician and band leader. He was initially in the carpentry trade until 1958, when he was hired by Kola Ogunmola Theatre Group to play drums and sing.

He went on to form Dr. Orlando Owoh and his Omimah Band in 1960 and Dr. Orlando Owo and his Young Kenneries Band in 1975; and over a musical career of forty years became one of the leading proponents of highlife music. He had over 45 albums to his credit.

Some of his well known songs are:听Yellow Sisi,听Ajo Ko Dun Bi Ile,听Ololufe gbao temi, Omo pupa and听No Friend/Aiye Lokun.

Orlando Owoh died on November 6, 2008 and was laid to rest at his Agege residence in Lagos.

8. Celestine Ukwu and听his Philosophers National

Born Celestine Obiakor in 1940, Efik, Nigeria, d. 1979, Onitsha, Nigeria. he was on the verge of national breakthrough when the Nigerian civil war brought touring and recording to a grinding halt. He re-emerged in 1970 with Philospher鈥檚 Stone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK4jYXtXf0U

He released his biggest hit听Money Palaver in 1976. He died later the same year.

7. Prince Nico Mbarga

Prince Nico Mbarga was born to a Nigerian听mother and a Cameroonian father in Abakaliki听on 1 January, 1950.

He is renowned for his hit song Sweet Mother, recorded with his band Rocafil Jazz; as well as Aki Special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_MnLaaWc3w

He was killed in a motorcycle accident on June 24, 1997.

6. Dr. Sir Warrior and The Oriental Brothers International

Born Christogonus Ezebuiro Obinna in 1947 in Imo State, the Ultimate Dr. Sir Warrior, was the leader of the Oriental Brothers International Band which was famous in the Nigerian Igbo highlife music scene for several decades.

He began performing at the age of 11, when joined a men’s choral group specialising in a music form known as 脠s猫. By 16, he had achieved fame for his voice and performance of 脠s猫 music.

It is said that the Oriental Brothers played a very important spiritual role in keeping many Igbo sane. as they were severely traumatized by the civil war.

He introduced the Oyorima concept, which is an Igbo word that means a refined feeling of rhythmic movement and balance. The same Oyorima that Flavour mentions in his music.

He released the popular song Ofe Owere five years before his death in June, 1999.

5. Jim Rex Lawson

Also known as Cardinal Rex, he was born to parents of Igbo and Kalabari descent in 1935.

Lawson played with Sammy Obot, Bobby Benson, Victor Olaiya, Chris Ajilo, and other Ghanaian and Nigerian musicians and bands. With the Majors Band, they recorded the hits: So ala teme, Yellow Sisi, Gowon Special, and Jolly Papa.

Lawson died in 1971 in a car accident on his way to play a show in Warri. He was 36 years old. His band continued as the Professional Seagulls after his death.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBOXi3bJ7ug

His most popular songs are听Yellow Sisi,听Love Mu Adure and Sawale. Sawale was remixed by Flavour to make the popular hit song, Nwa Baby (Ashawo).

4. Victor Olaiya

Victor Olaiya was born on 31 December 1930, in Calabar, Cross River State, and is the 20th child of a family of 24. He hails from Ijesha-Ishu in Ekiti State and comes from a very rich family.

After leaving school he moved to Lagos, where he passed the school certificate examination in 1951 and was accepted by Howard University, US, to study civil engineering. He instead pursued a career as a musician, to the disapproval of his parents.

In 1954 Olaiya formed his own band, the Cool Cats (later the All Star Band), playing popular highlife music. His band was chosen to play at the state ball when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited Nigeria in 1956, and later to play at the state balls when Nigeria became independent in 1960 and when Nigeria became a republic in 1963. On the latter occasion, Olaiya shared the stage with the American jazz musician Louis Armstrong. During the Nigerian Civil War听of 1967鈥�70, Olaiya was given the rank of a lieutenant colonel (honorary) in the Nigerian army and his band played for the troops at various locations. The Cool Cats later travelled to the Congo to perform for United Nations troops.

Victor Olaiya is still very much alive and as recent as July 2013, he released a music video remix of Baby Jowo with 2face Idibia and was received with much acclaim.

3. Oliver De Coque

Popularly known as Oliver De Coque, Chief Dr. Oliver Sunday Akanite was 听born on April 14, 1947 and hails from Ezinifite in Anambra state. He recorded more than 73 albums to his credit making him the most popular High life king of Africa.

His music band group Ogene Sound Super of Africa, blended modern high life and traditional Igbo music. He started playing music at the age of 17 with Ekpili.

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

Some of his popular songs are: People’s Club, Identity,听Tolerance (Eleta Aghara)听and No More War.

2. Victor Uwaifo

Born on 1 March 1941 in Edo state, Benin city, he is one of the musicians who popularised highlife music in Nigeria.

His popular songs include Guitar Boy, Mami Water (inspired by a real life encounter at the Bar Beach) and Joromi (taken from a folklore story of the same name, about the warrior who fought in the underworld and never returned).

Apart from singing, he is also a writer, sculptor, and musical instrument inventor. He also served as commissioner for arts and culture in Edo State under the government of Lucky Igbinedion and is a lecturer at the Department of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Benin, Benin City.

1. Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe

Born in March, 1936, in Atani, a city in Anambra state, he came from a line of singers and dancers. His interest in music began in his high school years in Onitsha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEK5bBkr5Sk

His career spanned over 40 years and he has written over 500 songs, half of which were commercially released. His popular hits include:听Osondi Owendi听(meaning 鈥渙ne man’s meat is another man’s poison鈥�), Nwannem Ebezina, Kedu America and Onuigbo.

He died in St. Mary’s Hospital Waterbury, Connecticut on 11 May 2007.

Other highlife kings are:

E.C Arinze, Ey Ohunta, David Egbo, Fatai Rolling Dollar, Bright Chimezie, Ikem Mazeli, Bola Johnson, Solomon Ilori, King Bruce, King Ubulu, Gooddy Ezike, Lungu Lungu, Baba Ken Okulolo, Roy Chicago, Peacocks International, Gentleman Mike Ejeagaha, Tunde Nightingale, Waziri Oshomah, Adeolu Akinsanya and Kayode Fashola.

Featured image: Amazon