Your weekly dose of the hottest sounds on the continent!
We're still living in a pandemic and its endless resulting effects, but at least we've had an ample serving of tunes to keep us company. Each week, the B.Side staff will round up a guide to the hottest songs on the continent. Dig in and enjoy.
prettyboydo ft Zlatan - Police n Teef (Remix)
If there’s one thing prettyboydo is known for, it’s the high-octane energy that he constantly brings. At the tail-end of last year, he was featured on the German music performance show, COLORS where he premiered a new track titled ‘Jungle Justice’. While there might have been dissenting opinions about his performance and the song, one thing that was clearly undisputable is the unbridled energy that he brought to the show.
It is this same energy that he brings to his latest single ‘Police n Teef (Remix)’ which features in-form street-hop rapper, Zlatan. prettyboy’s baby-voiced inflections and comical, cocksure lyrics are perfectly complemented by Zlatan, who equally delivers a witty and humorous verse over Higo’s syncopated, rhythmic drums.
Masterkraft & Phyno - Egbon
In the heat of the pandemic-induced lockdown last year, artistes and producers alike started facing off on the internet, battling with their hit records in a view to both entertain fans around the world and also celebrate their music. After Shizzi and Sarz kicked off the maiden edition of the Instagram battle sessions in Nigeria, they nominated Masterkraft and Pheelz to face off and they duly obliged. Unlike the Sarz and Shizzi battle, the Masterkraft and Pheelz showdown was punctuated with a number of unpleasant jabs, tempers flaring and a stripper twerking to thousands of viewers. The event eventually ended abruptly as Masterkraft felt like he was being disrespected.
Since the battle, Masterkraft seems to be on a mission to remind everyone why he’s one of the very best around. He has gone on to release hit singles like ‘Equipment’ and ‘Hallelu’ and also a collaboration project with rap juggernaut, Vector. Masterkraft clearly has no intentions of letting his foot off the gas as he threatens to take over the dancefloor once again with his latest single, ‘Egbon’ which features Penthauze boss, Phyno.
Dolphin Radio, Kiienka & Veen - What’s Mine
As far as synergy goes in music, Portharcourt duo, Kiienka and Veen arguably have one of the very best in the country. Their joint project, Star which was released in the early part of last year is a testament to the collaborative chemistry that they both share. Their latest single, ‘What’s Mine’ is further proof as they both serve up melancholic, melodic raps over a moody, airy beat. Veen’s closing lines on the outro: ‘Facing my demons till they let me be / Let me breathe, let me be.’ paints a vivid picture of the dolorous tone of the song.
Zlatan ft Davido & Mayorkun - Cho Cho
Zlatan is currently in the form of his life. He’s also one of the most in-demand rappers on the continent as he features on a song every other week. Following the release of the remix of his smash hit single, ‘Lagos Anthem’ where he gives a platform to relatively unknown artists to showcase themselves, for his latest single, he assembles an all-star cast in P.Prime, Davido & Mayorkun to deliver a high-octane banger that will definitely have you doing the different iterations of the zanku and palliative dance.
Joeboy ft Kwesi Arthur - Door
Earlier in the year, Joeboy dropped his highly anticipated debut album, Somewhere Between Beauty and Magic and one of the standout tracks from the album was ‘Door’, a sultry, confessional record where Joeboy makes amatory declarations to his love interest. Visuals to ‘Door’ was released earlier in the week and it features a guest verse from Ghanian rapper, Kwesi Arthur who adds flavour to the song singing and rapping both in English and his native language over Tempoe’s mid-tempo, groovy beat.
Sarkodie - No Fugazy
Ahead of the release of his sixth studio No Pressure which is expected sometime in July, Ghanian rap heavyweight, Sarkodie releases ‘No Fugazy’ a breezy and groovy Afrobeats record that sees him reminiscing and bragging about his impeccable and expensive style over Rexxie’s addictive drums. While the song might be filled with the classic rapper’s braggadocio, you can tell he’s not fluffing when he raps memorable lines like: “Buy what you can afford cos if you wanna compete, you might end up on Gofund” with a mean and grime delivery. At just under three minutes, the track is both short and sweet and it will definitely have you using the repeat button.
Runtown ft Minz - Sativa
Following a brief musical hiatus in 2020, Runtown returned to the scene with the release of his hit single, ‘Kini Issue’. A couple of months later he followed through with the trumpet-led ‘If E Happen For Lagos’. A day after the release of ‘If E Happen For Lagos’ he took to Twitter to announce the imminent arrival of his album. However, months passed and there was no news or indication an album was on the way. However, in the early hours of this morning, a surprise project titled Sound God Fest Reloaded surfaced on streaming platforms. While fans are still trying to figure out if it’s the proposed album Runtown promised, the music there suggests it most likely is. The music is soulful, sultry, and versatile as Runtown weaves different genres together creating his unique brand of Afropop. The standout so far is ‘Sativa’, a slow, sultry number where Runtown and Minz both take turns delivering lascivious verses laced with witty cannabis references.
