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Malay Mail
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
From Lagos to the world: Davido sees Afrobeats — and Nigeria's spirit — rising
LAGOS, April 22 — The way Davido sees it, Nigerian culture is having a moment. 'We're very popular, not only in music,' the 32-year-old Afrobeats star told AFP during a recent interview in Paris, pointing to the film, food and fashion influence his country is increasingly exporting to the rest of the world. Even amid criticism from some that American artists are starting to crib from Afrobeats' sound, his response is: 'I like it.' And yet, the Nigerian-American artist — a self-described citizen of the world — sees the future of the continent tied to those who stay home, rather than its influential diaspora. 'Everybody always has the American dream,' he told AFP. 'Every kid that grows up in Africa wants to visit America. That's cool. It's okay to visit, but don't leave your people and go there.' Those might be tough words to swallow for his compatriots battling the worst economic crisis in a generation. In recent years, 'japa' — the Yoruba word for 'escape' — has become country-wide slang for emigrating to greener, and richer pastures. Davido, born David Adedeji Adeleke in Atlanta, in some ways straddles the tension between a growing, bustling Nigeria of more than 200 million people and a world that finally seems to be waking up to the so-called Giant of Africa. Speaking to AFP ahead of the release of his new album, 5ive — out Friday — he confidently says the record 'is going to touch every part of the world.' 'We have music for the French people. We have music for the Caribbean people. We have music for the Americans, Africans, everybody,' he said. 'It's like a full, global package album.' Eight million monthly listeners With some more than eight million monthly listeners — including Britain's King Charles — Davido is riding, and shaping, the global Afrobeats craze. But Davido himself is also a product of African music. 'I grew up in an African household where we were always throwing parties, music was always playing in the house, going in the car to school, my parents playing music,' he enthusiastically recalled. As a teenager, a cousin in the industry took him to a studio, where 'for the first time, I saw somebody create music... African music.' 'That's when I fell in love with it,' said Davido, spotting a grey conical woollen cap and jewellery dangling over a black T-shirt. A few years later, he was mixing and mastering his own tunes by the age of 16, drawing inspiration from artists such as P-Square, a Nigerian duo that drew some of their hits from American influences such as Michael Jackson. Davido now sees artists' musical influence flowing across the Atlantic in the other direction. 'It's a privilege for another culture to try to imitate what you're doing,' he told AFP in response to a question about critics who accuse American artists of trying to mime Afrobeats' style. 'In Nigeria we do hip hop too. We have rappers that rap. We have people that do R&B.' 'Music is a universal language. So I don't see any problem with that.' Davido counts among some of his popular tracks 'Unavailable' and 'Aye'. 'African music has changed narrative' For all his worldly outlook, Davido said he hasn't lost focus on Nigeria. 'We've been going through hard times,' he told AFP. 'Nigeria is a very rich country with so much talent, so much grace, so much opportunity.' 'I was asked a question saying, why don't we sing about (Nigeria's struggles) in our music?' he recalled. 'I was like, man, that's not the type of music my people would really like to hear.' 'I have sung about it in the past. But I'm very vocal about it more in Africa than in America.' As he prepares to embark on a world tour — including stops in Paris, London, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles — he knows where at least part of his success has come from. 'African music has changed the narrative of how Africans are looked at around the world.' — AFP
News24
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
'We're very popular': Afrobeats star Davido sees Nigeria's star rising
Davido celebrates Nigeria's cultural rise, with Afrobeats shaping global music, fashion, and food scenes. He said his new album 5ive, released on Friday, "is going to touch every part of the world." Davido has more than eight million monthly listeners - including Britain's King Charles. The way Davido sees it, Nigerian culture is having a moment. "We're very popular, not only in music," the 32-year-old Afrobeats star told AFP during a recent interview in Paris, pointing to the film, food and fashion influence his country is increasingly exporting to the rest of the world. Even amid criticism from some that American artists are starting to crib from Afrobeats' sound, his response is: "I like it." Yet, the Nigerian-American artist—a self-described citizen of the world—sees the future of the continent tied to those who stay home rather than its influential diaspora. "Everybody always has the American dream," he told AFP. "Every kid that grows up in Africa wants to visit America. That's cool. It's okay to visit, but don't leave your people and go there." Those might be tough words to swallow for his compatriots battling the worst economic crisis in a generation. In recent years, "japa"—the Yoruba word for "escape"—has become country-wide slang for emigrating to greener and richer pastures. Davido, born David Adedeji Adeleke in Atlanta, in some ways, straddles the tension between a growing, bustling Nigeria of more than 200 million people and a world that finally seems to be waking up to the so-called Giant of Africa. Speaking to AFP before his new album, 5ive, released on Friday, he confidently said the record "is going to touch every part of the world." "We have music for the French people. We have music for the Caribbean people. We have music for the Americans, Africans, everybody," he said. "It's like a full, global package album." Eight million monthly listeners With some more than eight million monthly listeners - including Britain's King Charles - Davido is riding and shaping the global Afrobeats craze. But Davido himself is also a product of African music. "I grew up in an African household where we were always throwing parties, music was always playing in the house, going in the car to school, my parents playing music," he enthusiastically recalled. As a teenager, a cousin in the industry took him to a studio, where "for the first time, I saw somebody create music... African music." "That's when I fell in love with it," said Davido, spotting a grey conical woollen cap and jewellery dangling over a black T-shirt. A few years later, at the age of 16, he was mixing and mastering his own tunes, drawing inspiration from artists such as P-Square, a Nigerian duo that drew some of their hits from American influences such as Michael Jackson. Davido now sees artists' musical influence flowing across the Atlantic in the other direction. "It's a privilege for another culture to try to imitate what you're doing," he told AFP in response to a question about critics who accuse American artists of trying to mime Afrobeats' style. "In Nigeria, we do hip hop too. We have rappers that rap. We have people that do R&B." Music is a universal language. So I don't see any problem with that. Davido counts among some of his popular tracks Unavailable and Aye. 'African music has changed narrative' For all his worldly outlook, Davido said he hasn't lost focus on Nigeria. "We've been going through hard times," he told AFP. "Nigeria is a very rich country with so much talent, so much grace, so much opportunity." "I was asked a question saying, why don't we sing about (Nigeria's struggles) in our music?" he recalled. "I was like, man, that's not the type of music my people would really like to hear." "I have sung about it in the past. But I'm very vocal about it more in Africa than in America." As he prepares to embark on a world tour - including stops in Paris, London, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles - he knows where at least part of his success has come from. "African music has changed the narrative of how Africans are looked at around the world."
Gulf Today
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Afrobeats megastar Davido sees Nigeria's star rising
The way Davido sees it, Nigerian culture is having a moment. 'We're very popular, not only in music,' the 32-year-old Afrobeats star said during a recent interview in Paris, pointing to the film, food and fashion influence his country is increasingly exporting to the rest of the world. Even amid criticism from some that American artists are starting to crib from Afrobeats' sound, his response is: 'I like it.' And yet, the Nigerian-American artist — a self-described citizen of the world — sees the future of the continent tied to those who stay home, rather than its influential diaspora. 'Everybody always has the American dream,' he said. 'Every kid that grows up in Africa wants to visit America. That's cool. It's okay to visit, but don't leave your people and go there.' Those might be tough words to swallow for his compatriots battling the worst economic crisis in a generation. In recent years, 'japa' — the Yoruba word for 'escape' — has become country-wide slang for emigrating to greener, and richer pastures. Davido, born David Adedeji Adeleke in Atlanta, in some ways straddles the tension between a growing, bustling Nigeria of more than 200 million people and a world that finally seems to be waking up to the so-called Giant of Africa. Speaking to AFP ahead of the release of his new album, '5ive'— out on Friday — he confidently says the record 'is going to touch every part of the world.' 'We have music for the French people. We have music for the Caribbean people. We have music for the Americans, Africans, everybody,' he said. 'It's like a full, global package album.' With some more than eight million monthly listeners — including Britain's King Charles — Davido is riding, and shaping, the global Afrobeats craze. But Davido himself is also a product of African music. 'I grew up in an African household where we were always throwing parties, music was always playing in the house, going in the car to school, my parents playing music,' he enthusiastically recalled. As a teenager, a cousin in the industry took him to a studio, where 'for the first time, I saw somebody create music... African music.' 'That's when I fell in love with it,' said Davido, spotting a grey conical woollen cap and jewellery dangling over a black T-shirt. A few years later, he was mixing and mastering his own tunes by the age of 16, drawing inspiration from artists such as P-Square, a Nigerian duo that drew some of their hits from American influences such as Michael Jackson. Davido now sees artists' musical influence flowing across the Atlantic in the other direction. 'It's a privilege for another culture to try to imitate what you're doing,' he told AFP in response to a question about critics who accuse American artists of trying to mime Afrobeats' style. 'In Nigeria we do hip hop too. We have rappers that rap. We have people that do R&B.' 'Music is a universal language. So I don't see any problem with that.' Davido counts among some of his popular tracks 'Unavailable' and 'Aye'. For all his worldly outlook, Davido said he hasn't lost focus on Nigeria. 'We've been going through hard times,' he said. 'Nigeria is a very rich country with so much talent, so much grace, so much opportunity.' 'I was asked a question saying, why don't we sing about (Nigeria's struggles) in our music?' he recalled. 'I was like, man, that's not the type of music my people would really like to hear.' 'I have sung about it in the past. But I'm very vocal about it more in Africa than in America.' As he prepares to embark on a world tour — including stops in Paris, London, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles — he knows where at least part of his success has come from. 'African music has changed the narrative of how Africans are looked at around the world.' Agence France-Presse
BBC News
15-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'I find out say na Jude and im wife be di directors of Northside Music, im wife own 80% while Jude own 20%' - Peter Okoye tell court
Di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC don start dia prosecution of di former manager of di music duo wey dem dey call P-Square, Jude Okoye. Okoye dey on trial togeda wit im company Northside Music Limited dey charged wit seven counts wey dey border on money laundering of 1.38bn naira ($809, 000. One of di counts na say for 2022, e buy landed property for Parkview Estate wit money wey im know or suppose know say comot from unlawful act wey dey against wetin Section 18 (2) (d) and dey punishable under Section 18 (3) of di Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Jude Okoye plead not guilty to all di charges. EFCC call Peter Okoye wey bin dey part of P-Square bifor dem break up as dia first witness for di case as na im through im lawyer carry di mata of wetin dey happun for P-Square reach EFCC table. Na still di same EFCC reveal wetin happun for di first day of di case. Di case dey adjourned til June 4, wen di defence go cross examine oga Okoye. Wetin Peter tok as im testimony against Jude Okoye? Peter Okoye aka Mr P, tok for im testimoney say di mata bin start sake of say dem bin get problem wit di way wey Jude Okoye bin dey manage dem and Northside Entertainment Limited on top say e be di sole signatory for all dia accounts for Ecobank, Zenith and FCMB. E say, "Dis issues bin last for couple of months. I bin no get access to di accounts until di current Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, SAN wey be our lawyer tok say we need sharing formula." As part of di evidence, e tok say di brodas bin dey build dia houses for Ikoyi, "na Northwest Entertainment Ltd. bin dey fund di house project but dem stop to dey fund my house for six months. Na so I go meet Jude and my twin broda, Paul to know why dem stop to finance my project. But wetin I hear from dem be say, 'As you leave P-square, you don leave di money'. Na so I go meet our lawyer Keyamo." E explain say all dia money bin dey inside Northside Entertainment and Jude be di only signatory. E add say na during dat time e find company wey dey similar to dia own wey be Northside Music Limited. E explain say di way e find out na for 2022. Peter say, "I find out wen some pipo bin wan acquire our albums. Dem come ask for our statements of account to know how much di albums dey make monthly, na dat time I demand to know di backend but e no gree." E tok say e meet Paul to tok di mata but Paul tell am say tell am say e don discuss di mata wit Jude, na im e go meet Jude again. Peter testify give di court say, "E tell me say my share of money dey wit some pipo for South Africa. I come tell am say no be money I dey ask for, na backend and statements of di account but no hear beta response." At dat point e go meet di account officers for statements of account but dem no ansa am infact "di account officer for di Zenith Bank later tell me say Jude say make e no give me say di only way wey I go get am na through court". E say till im call, e no know say any company dey called Northside Music, even di album by Cynthia Morgan wey be Jude artiste dat ime bin dey by Northside Incorporation. Later e tok say e meet Jude for di same backend wey Jude say e go take like three and half months to retrieve di catalogue. E reveal say wen e get di catalogue and dem send am to di pipo wey wan buy am na wen dem find out say dem din tamoer wit di back end, na wen e decide to find out who dey behind Northside Music. E say, "I bin go di Corporate Affairs Commssion (CAC) site and find out say na Jude and im wife be di directors of Northside Music. I also find out say Jude wife own 80% while Jude own 20%." Afta more discovery wey include how Peter no get anytin for di backend sake of say e bin dey tampered wit and meeting between who bin wan buy di catalogue and paul and even some tax issues wey join, na im Peter decide to contact im lawyer wey carry di case give EFCC. Wetin start all dis kasala? Na public knowledge say serious kwanta dey between Paul Okoye, Peter Okoye, wey be im twin brother and dia elder brother Jude Okoye, and di mata involve di EFCC. For August 2023, Peter Okoye, di twin brother of Paul wey dem togeda dey sing bin tok say im write petition give EFCC against dia elder brother Jude Okoye and im wife on top accuse of mago-mago. E allege say Oga Jude divert P-Square royalties inside secret account, and dat lead tensions and legal threats. One of di counts read: "Say you, Jude Okoye Chigozie and Northside Music Ltd sometime in 2022, for Lagos, within di jurisdiction of dis Honourable Court, did directly acquire one landed property for No 5, Tony Eromosele Street Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos wey worth ₦850,000,000.00 only, wit money wey you know or suppose know say form part of proceeds from unlawful act and you thereby commit offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of di Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022." Anoda count read: "Say you, Jude Okoye Chigozie and Northside Music Ltd sometime in 2022, for Lagos, within di jurisdiction of dis Honourable Court, indirectly use bureau de change to convert di sum of $1,019,762.87 (One million nineteen thousand, seven hundred and six-two dollars eighty-seven cents), wey dey Access Bank Plc wey Northside Music Ltd dey operate and convert am to di naira equivalent wey you spread into various bank accounts and you get intention to hide di money wey be part of di proceeds an unlawful act and thereby commit offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of di Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022." Jude bin deny di allegations, and call dem baseless and defamatory. Di first time we torchlight dis mata na for August 2024, wen Paul tok about am for interview wey im bin do. Paul for di interview also mention one case e get wit Nigeria corruption police, Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for December 2023, wey e allege say na im twin brother set am up wit dem. E say im land EFCC custody afta one petition wey im twin brother petition di EFCC to arrest am on multiple charges, wey include im lifestyle. E claim say even though di EFCC clear am of all allegations afta thorough investigation, im twin brother no gree to apologise for di false claims. "Dis year, EFCC bin invite me afta dem receive one petition against me from my twin brother. I no ever tink say [our beef] go go dis far. I tink say na just music," e tok. Peter later deny di claim for open letter say di EFCC case na against Jude Okoye and im wife.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
African Fresh Picks: Darkoo, Qing Madi, Nasty C, Black Sherif, Teni, Khaid & More
More African artists are coming for the global spotlight in 2025. Qing Madi, who was featured on Billboard's 21 Under 21 list last year and has been featured on Spotify and Genius' 2025 Artists to Watch lists, readied fans for her debut album I Am the Blueprint, which dropped Friday (Jan. 31) with her romantic single 'Akanchawa' arriving right in time for Valentine's Day. Darkoo pays homage to P-Square and late 2000s Afrobeats on her new club jam 'Focus on Me (All the Sexy Girls in the Club).' And Teni and Black Sherif get in their introspective bag with their new singles 'Money' and 'Lord I'm Amazed,' respectively. More from Billboard Odeal Always Searched for Music That Spoke to His Soul — So He Curated His Own Soulful Fusion of Afrobeats and R&B R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Youssoupha, Aqyila, Central Cee, Charlie Bereal, Kacy Hill & More R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Ransom, Otis Kane, Jordan Adetunji, LeoStayTrill & More We've also changed the name of our column from 'Afrobeats Fresh Picks' to 'African Fresh Picks,' to be more inclusive of artists coming out of the continent whose music exists beyond the borders of 'Afrobeats.' While we've always featured African artists who've made alté, amapiano, highlife and more styles of music, we want that to be reflected in the title, too. We've highlighted 10 of our favorite new songs by African acts that have come out roughly within the last month. Check out our latest Fresh Picks, and get the new year started with our Spotify playlist below. Darkoo, 'Focus on Me (All the Sexy Girls in the Club)' Following her frothy summer banger 'Favourite Girl' — which is nominated for song of the year at the 2025 MOBO Awards — British-Nigerian singer Darkoo gets the new year and all the parties started with 'Focus on Me (All the Sexy Girls in the Club.)' The infectious waist-whining anthem samples P-Square's 2009 hit 'Gimmie Dat' for a nostalgic Afrobeats vibe, while the accompanying music video pays homage to the iconic Nigerian duo's 2007 'Do Me' visual. Qing Madi, 'Akanchawa' Qing Madi is giving all her love to someone special on 'Akanchawa,' which arrived before she released her debut album I Am the Blueprint today via JTON Music. 'Akanchawa' is an Igbo word meaning 'good hands' or 'hands that bring good things,' and she's beyond grateful to have this love come into her life. And Marvey's mellifluous production enhances the sweetness of the song. Nasty C, 'For Certain' Nasty C gave his fans 'a little gift' at the end of 2024: the sizzling single 'For Certain.' The South African rapper touts his cool factor while reflecting on the importance of legacy when he asks, 'What is your reason for breathin'?' and 'What you go leave when you leavin'?' in the first verse. Mabel & King Promise, 'All Over You' After collaborating with Afroswing king Kojo Funds and Ghanaian rapper Black Sherif last year, Mabel teams up with Ghanian singer-songwriter King Promise on the tantalizing record 'All Over You.' The duo craves an intimate exploration of one another, as Mabel sings, 'That pillow talk is talking, please tell me some more/ Hands on mine, skin to skin, eye to eye.' As a fan of Asake's right-hand producer Magicsticks, Mabel traveled to Lagos to make the song with him, according to a press release, and he makes his signature log drum-infused percussion and compelling crowd vocals loud and clear on 'All Over You.' DeJ Loaf, Runtown & Libianca, 'Up Or Down' Def Loaf recruits Nigerian singer-songwriter Runtown and Cameroonian-American artist Libianca for 'Up Or Down.' Producer Cheekychizzy's pulsating rhythm sets the tone for the topsy-turvy tune, as the Detroit rapper sings about loyally waiting for someone to come back around. Meanwhile, Runtown wants a girl for a good time but not a long time, and Libianca croons about loving someone with commitment issues. Teni, 'Money' 'They say money don't buy you happiness/ Money can't buy you love/ Money don't fill this emptiness/ But I want all the money in the world,' Teni croons on her latest single, a piano ballad that's a departure from the bops on her fantastic last album, Tears of the Sun. But the stripped-down song instead serves as a showcase for her vocals and songwriting, a simple yet deeply affecting entry into her growing catalog. Black Sherif, 'Lord I'm Amazed' The Ghanaian MC continues sketching the story of his life through his latest string of fantastic singles — many of which have appeared in this column — and 'Lord I'm Amazed' is the latest in that lineage. This is more contemplative than some of his higher-energy cuts, but it's exactly that that sets it apart, as Sherif takes a moment to step back and reflect on the blessings in his life and how far he's come. Even when he departs from his usual flow, no one sounds like him right now, which is the highest praise for an artist of his caliber. Andy S feat. Sarahmée, 'Dracula' The sheer ferocity that storms through from Côte d'Ivorian rapper Andy S. on this track spans languages — she raps primarily in French — and cultures, as she and Senegalese-Canadian MC Sarahmée rip through this track, bringing high drill energy over an understated beat. The song appears on Andy S.'s brand new EP Born Ready, which is six explosive tracks of all different vibes, and is a fascinating introduction to a bright and promising artist. Krizbeatz & Tekno feat. taves & Adewale Ayuba, 'The Roof' Veteran producer Krizbeatz took a turn as artist with his new album Daddy Daycare, and he tapped longtime collaborator Tekno to helm this track alongside saves and Adewale Ayuba. The simple hook dominates, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, it's the production that really takes center stage, pulling from traditional Afrobeats drums, R&B stylings, amapiano log drum accents and electro undertones to craft a constantly-mutating beat that provides the perfect platform for the vocalists to groove over. Carter Efe & Khaid, 'PRAY' Carter Eye may be best known as a comedian — certainly that's where much of his social media energy lies — but his forays into music have borne fruit, too, first with the Berri Tiga-assisted 'Machala' a few years ago and now most recently with this new cut with Khaid, one of the best young vocalists and hitmakers to emerge in the past two years. There's not much that Khaid touches that doesn't become an immediate earworm, and 'PRAY' is no different — the rising singer is destined for greatness sooner rather than later, as his catalog keeps growing with hit after hit. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
