Patrick Ezema
As seen in:
The Guardian (Nigeria),
PM News Nigeria,
GQ South Africa,
Nigerian Entertainment Today,
The Republic Lagos,
The Republic (Nigeria),
Native,
More Branches,
Culture Custodian,
Afrocritik
Covers:
Music and Film majorly, Art and culture, Fashion, Pop Culture, Politics and Sport
Music and culture writer. Words: @NativeMag, @republicjournal, @takingCustody, @guardianLifeNG, @morebranches, @thelagosreview, @afrocritik, elsewhere.
Articles by Patrick Ezema
Victony has nothing left to prove anymore
GQ South Africa|Published 8 minutes ago Victony has nothing left to prove anymore Image: KAYODE OLANIYAN / Instagram: @Kayode.0 Before Victony ever held the microphone, he had a remote control, with which he hosted mock performances in his living room in Lagos, rehearsing for an audience that did not yet exist.
Beyond Support: How Ogunlowo Daniel Segun also know ask SegzyStringss Became a Guitarist in Demand
By Patrick Ezema After years spent strengthening other people’s music, Ogunlowo Daniel Segun entered a period in which the invitations themselves began telling a story. Across worship events, international engagements and performances under his own name, the Nigerian guitarist was increasingly being asked to bring his musicianship into very different rooms. There is a difference between being needed in a band and being asked for by name.
Gyakie Balances Romance and Range on “After Midnight”
Gyakie’s After Midnight was named after the period in which most of the inspiration for its songs came—the moonlight hours when the world slept and melodies and lyrics in the 25-year old Ghanaian singer’s head spun to life. The songs it contains are similarly alive–bursting with the mellifluousness of a voice that persists six years after our introduction to it; sweet-smelling with the petals of romance that are lined in nearly every hook and chorus.
Review: Burna Boy’s Ego Casts a Shadow Over “No Sign Of Weakness”
Feature 33 minutes ago On No Sign Of Weakness, Burna Boy finally peels back his last layer of restraint, exploding with venom aimed at fellow artists, former lovers, fans and haters alike. If I Told Them… was a belated retort to those who doubted him at his ascendence, NSOW reveals his need to confront as unresolved. Burna Boy has not yet gotten his satisfaction from trampling over perceived enemies.
Braye Bares His Soul On “I Wish Had More Time”
Braye’s debut single on Spotify is dated October 2024, but before he mustered the courage and resources to release his own music, he had already immersed himself in the scene for years; as a songwriter, instrumentalist and more. Instagram archives show him locked in studio sessions with the likes of Tems and Amaarae, while he only emerged from his shell on rare occasions to perform music himself at small gatherings.
ID Cabasa is Connecting the Past and Present Through Reimagined Songs
Two weeks ago, ID Cabasa released Anytime Reimagined, which features street pop acts Bella Shmurda and Ayo Maff as well as the Port Harcourt rap duo of Ajebo Hustlers. The track is a reimagined version of 9ice’s soul-baring Anytime from his Tradition album of 2009, a song that Cabasa produced while they were both under the umbrella of his label, Coded Tunes.
The Changing Face of Nigeria’s Rap Scene
Amidst the big wins, the disappointing losses and the perennial problems resurfacing at the 17th Headies held two weeks ago, the win of Shallipopi and Odumodublvck’s club anthem Cast as Best Rap Single slipped somewhat under the radar.
Five Key Takeaways From The 17th Headies
The 17th edition of the Headies, Nigeria’s premier music award, was held on Sunday, and as usual, it was a festive music event, featuring both freshly minted stars and music legends alike vying for their own iconic Headies plaque. It also saw the return of the many drawbacks that we must now assume to be a part of the Headies experience—professionalism issues, technical errors, time delays—that were not mitigated even when the award was relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, for two years.
“5ive” Is Davido’s Happiest Album Yet - and That’s Enough
To open 5ive, the poet Alhanislam recites a spoken-word commentary on the album and the man behind it. It feels a little pretentious, rooted in the same idea that drives artists to label every new project their deepest and most personal work yet. Yet some of it does have grounding in real-life events.
Feature 19 seconds ago A little over a year ago, Ruger announced his separation from Jonzing World, the Mavin-affiliated record label that discovered him, named him, and published the many rapturous hits of his four-year career. ‘Blown Boy’ was to be the tagline of his next era, encapsulating his larger-than-life consideration of himself that was founded on his real-life wins—in the last few years, he has had numerous singles reach national virality and performed in venues around the world.
Interview: Inside M.anifest’s Rap Philosophy and His New Album, “NEW ROAD AND GUAVA TREES”
M.anifest’s new album, NEW ROAD AND GUAVA TREES, has a cover that satirizes the ribbon cutting spectacle government officials love, apparently another of the many Ghana-Nigerian experiences. “It’s a bit of a caricature of our leaders, most of them trying to be commissioner-generals and commissioner-in-chief. It’s a very African occurrence,” M.anifest says to Culture Custodian.
At the peak of Fela Anikulapo Kuti‘s career in the 70s, he was as popular for his fearless activism as much as he was for his revolutionary Afrobeat sound. By then he had spent many nights in jail on a variety of charges, mostly trumped up by the military government to imprison and deter him. Fela was hardly shaken. In 1976, he released Zombie, a searing indictment of the Nigerian military, likening its soldiers to an army of the undead; blindly following orders.
The Pandemic That Reshaped Nigerian Music
In 2020, as the pandemic brought the world to a standstill, forcing Nigerians into movement restrictions and lockdowns, it was also incubating music talent and creativity that would go on to leave a legacy five years after. In Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, clubs were shut, concerts were getting cancelled, even smaller festivities like weddings and birthday events were either held virtually, on a smaller scale, or postponed indefinitely.
BNXN’s newest single, No Spoil My Steeze was released as a “Christmas gift” to his fans. The snippet had trended for a few days prior, garnering retweets on Twitter and likes on IG. The track, when it arrived, was every bit what it had promised—BNXN is very much in zen mode, floating on an Amapiano-leaning production with the sugar-laced vocals and verve he’s known for. A month later, it does not seem to have been enough.
Is Nigerian Music Embracing Violent Culture?
In a snippet shared by Dxtiny on Twitter, the underground singer is performing his latest release, a song about demanding payment from a debtor. For some reason, most likely relating to publicity, he thought to provide the video with a violent turn by wielding a rifle as he delivered his lines. It may only have been a promotional video, but it is emblematic of a time in Nigerian music when artists are more keen to embrace needless gangsterism, and in some cases, violence.
Afrobeats to the World, But What’s Left for Nigeria?
Last year ended on a crescendo for Nigerian pop culture. Closing out with the yearly Detty December activities that bled into a hectic Christmas season, an influx of I Just Got Backs and indeed, those who had never been before, brought the country, especially its cultural capital in Lagos, to life. Tyla and Gunna shared a stage at Flytime Fest to perform their single, Jump. Chloe Bailey spent a few days in Lagos in the company of Burna Boy.
Five Things We Hope To See on Davido's “5ive”
A month into the new year, Davido is already set for what will surely be one of its greatest musical talking points: the release of his fifth studio album. The album, 5ive, will hope to surpass its generic nomenclature when it releases in mid-March, and for Davido, it represents a very important pivot.
Four Things We Hope to see on Qing Madi’s Debut Album
Qing Madi’s debut album, I Am The Blueprint, debuts soon, and with it all the expectation of an artist who arrived on the scene as a teenager but almost fully formed. In two years she’s held her own in the industry. She’s enticed with her songwriting and mesmerized with her voice, while her seamless chemistry with a number of bigger stars reveals her maturity to be beyond her years.
In-House: Top Ten Songs of 2024
By Patrick Ezema, Chibuzo Emmanuel, Shalom Tewobola and Alex Omenye So much music is released over the course of one year that a compilation of the year’s best songs feels a herculean, nigh impossible task. From Afropop grooves to Amapiano bangers to Alté experiments to RnB ballads, the reach and range of Nigerian music has never been wider, and thus the effort needed to discover new music has never been greater. For the same reason, this list has never been more important.
How Rema Reimagined Afropop To Find His Sound on “HEIS”
Feature 4 minutes ago Rema’s HEIS could be the soundtrack to an antihero film. Big drums underscore his many pompous self-proclamations in capital letters, while the sinister keys that intersperse them provide them a scary, evil temperament.
In-House: Best Albums of 2024
By Patrick Ezema, Chibuzo Emmanuel, Damilola Oyeleke, Shalom Tewobola and Alex Omenye Another year has come and, save for a few days, gone, and we’ve been introduced to another glut of albums released from the stables of Nigerian artists. A year that started out slow for Nigerian music—prompting discussions from fans and thinkpieces from critics over its continued survival—would go on to improve dramatically.
Interview: Femi Dapson On What It Means To Be A Music Video Producer
On X (or Twitter), Femi Dapson’s pinned tweet is a listing of some of the music videos he has produced. It includes videos for Grammy-nominated, record smashing songs like Rema’s Calm Down, as well as other hits from the stables of Burna Boy, Kizz Daniel and Ayra Starr, and more.
Wizkid Chooses Groove Over Grief On “Morayo”
A new Wizkid album is a major cultural event. It is anticipated for months before and dissected and discussed for weeks after. For Morayo, his sixth, the crescendo of anticipation peaked even higher, but not exactly for the right reasons. Wizkid has become a more prominent presence in Nigerian media in 2024, and it’s down to him shedding his usual reclusive, laissez-faire disposition to reveal an uncharacteristically caustic layer.
Ayo Maff Is The Prince Of The Streets
Feature 2 weeks ago Ayo Maff’s very first trip outside the country was to go perform at London’s O2 arena. This was for Asake’s concert in September, an experience that he describes as “a dream come true.” In truth, the entire year has been nothing short of dreamlike for the 19 year old christened Ayorinde Mafoluku. His two-pack of Jama Jama and Another Day was an introduction to Ayo Maff’s bleak, unrelenting world, where good food is a luxury and drugs provide a much needed escape.
“Of Many Colours: Orange” Is A Color-Coded Ode To Blaqbonez’s Evolving Sound
Blaqbonez banks on his eccentricity. He has made it his calling card since he introduced himself as the Best Rapper In Africa in 2019, and has kept it up through a number of monikers: Mr. Bombastic, Emeka The Stallion. In his time in the industry he has polarized listeners with his artistic and personal choices. Repelling a few, yes, but winning the hearts of most, who have particularly hailed his outlandish, persistent approach to publicity and marketing.
Hijack ‘93 Is Everything A Historical Thriller Should Not Be
Hijack ‘93 begins in an unusual way for what is supposedly a historical drama—with a disclaimer that states that the film is a fictionalized interpretation of real events. An attempt to ward off some of the criticism of the film’s handling of real life events, but it wasn’t really necessary: Hijack ‘93’s many problems as a film overshadow its issues as a documentary.
Why Do Female Artists Struggle for Equal Recognition in Nigerian Music
Feature 4 days ago For over a decade, Tiwa Savage has been a vital cog in the indomitable Afropop machine, and an unmissable driver in its journey to its current status. She has rocked parties from Lagos to L. A. with her fluid dexterity over banging beats and molded tender romance and her natural verve into irresistible AfroRnB numbers. And yet, when credit is to be assigned to Nigerian music’s biggest shifters, she is hardly granted the recognition of her male counterparts.
A Decade Of Dancing With Niniola
For her latest album, Niniola wants you to just Press Play. “The intent was to make sure that people don’t skip. The moment you press play, literally, you’re enjoying the music, you transcend to another realm and forget about your sorrows. There’s too much happening outside,” she says.
Why Do Female Artists Struggle for Equal Recognition in Nigerian Music
Feature 8 mins ago For over a decade, Tiwa Savage has been a vital cog in the indomitable Afropop machine, and an unmissable driver in its journey to its current status. She has rocked parties from Lagos to L. A. with her fluid dexterity over banging beats, and molded tender romance and her natural verve into irresistible AfroRnB numbers. And yet, when credit is to be assigned to Nigerian music’s biggest shifters, she is hardly granted the recognition of her male counterparts.
Examining Wande Coal's Influence on Afropop's Golden Age
Tucked into Adedamola, Fireboy’s latest album, the YBNL singer pays homage to Afropop ace Wande Coal with the aptly titled Wande’s Bop, surfing on a beat that looks cross-bred from Ashimapeyin and The Kick from many years ago.
Is Wizkid Playing it Too Safe?
Two weeks ago, Wizkid took his most significant step thus far towards the release of his next album, Morayo: a teaser for a new single, Piece Of My Heart, that features American RnB artist Brent Faiyaz. This offering looks to allow Wizkid to float in the sonic room that he built for his last few projects: lightweight, feel-good music contemplating romance and gratitude at Wizkid’s unhurried pace.
How ‘Ojuelegba’ Took Wizkid to the World
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The Timeless Resonance of Nigerian Music: How Nigeria's Gen Z is Reviving Fuji, Apala, and Highlife
‘Apala Disco’ is a phrase that will evoke different memories for Nigerian music listeners strongly influenced by how old they are. Older Apala enthusiasts will recall Haruna Ishola and the golden age of Apala, thinking back to a time when the genre was an important pillar of Yoruba music culture.
Qing Madi Is The Future
Qing Madi’s announcement of Vision’s remix was shrouded in mystery. Posting a graphic that displayed the silhouette of the secret guest artist, now revealed to be Chlöe Bailey, Madi asked her million-plus followers across social media apps to guess who the star in the shadow was. When I ask her later if any of them had come close to guessing correctly, she laughs.
Tems' Ode to Love and Lagos| The Culture Custodian
As Tems builds up to the release of a long-awaited, highly anticipated debut album, Love In The Wild, her new single, Love Me Jeje is the latest of three songs released in the lead-up to it. Of these, it carries the most of the Nigerian spirit in sound and style and may be indicative of the direction she takes with the album, Born In The Wild.
Interview: Inside Candy Bleakz’s Journey To Better Days
Candy Bleakz’s Wale paints an affecting scene: the Street Pop star is very much missed by her mother, and she misses her too in return, but their relationship has become strained due to her work, a situation Candy promises to remedy. The song plays out over throbbing Pop production, and on its remix, songbird Simi slots in perfectly to apply a healing balm to a sore spot for Candy Bleakz.
Asake And The Age-Long Strategy Of Outrage Marketing
Asake, who is famed for his taciturn nature as much as his artistic genius, has taken to his social media platforms to make some controversial posts in a rare burst of extroversion. On Twitter, he put out a series of odd tweets, but while it was a first for the star, whose Twitter account ordinarily reads like the output of a well-trained PR manager, the tweets were benign.
Troubled by Economic Hardship, Where Is Nigeria Headed?
In one of the few interviews President Tinubu gave as part of his campaign—a rare event by a man who did his best to project as little of himself as he could to the electorate—he responded to a question about his plans for office. His agenda was simple: to immediately ‘hit the ground running’.
Five Rising Female Artists To Watch Out For In 2024
2023 was a year that inarguably delivered on the music front; stars like Rema and Asake returned in the form they closed 2022 in, while new artists like Odumodublvck and Shallipopi made their own breakthroughs. As icing on the cake, each member of the big 3, Nigeria’s trio of its putative biggest artists, new projects in 2023; a rare delight for music fans.
What Universal Music Acquisition Means For Mavin Records
Last week, Universal Music Group announced that it had acquired a majority stake in Mavin Records, subject to regulatory approval in a deal to be finalized by Q3 of 2024. Financial details were not included in the statement, and neither was a breakdown of the company’s new ownership structure that would reveal just how much stake UMG had acquired. While some of this information is expected to surface in the future, the crux of the acquisition is already clear.
What Is Fireboy Doing Wrong?
On Christmas eve in 2021, Fireboy DML presented his fans with an early gift: Peru, his hit single, was getting a remix featuring Ed Sheeran. The industry rippled with the release; even now, when it’s become easier for Nigeria’s biggest stars to pull features with their contemporaries across the world , a collaboration of Sheeran’s caliber is an industry-defining moment.
Joeboy, Ruger And The Quest For Ownership
Almost like it was pre-arranged, February has been a month that has already brought two very significant shake-ups in our industry. Joeboy announced his separation from emPawa, the Mr. Eazi-owned record label, on the second of February. A few days later, Ruger, accompanied with a lot less pomp or publicity, announced that had severed relations with D’Prince’s Jonzing World.
The Best Nigeria-South Africa Music Collaborations
Nigeria and South Africa share an interesting relationship. There is a lot of rivalry, as is to be expected of two competing countries who always appear to clash on one front or the other—sports, music, even migration. In music, though, when Nigerian and South African creatives get into the studio together, the results are often incredible.
Celebrating Twenty Years Of Chocolate City
In 2024, Chocolate City celebrates twenty years of its existence, the longest ever for a Nigerian record label in modern times. This is certainly no mean feat in Nigeria’s music climate, where eras come and go in years, especially with the global rush of the last few years that has shaken up Nigeria’s music structure, granting crowns to new champions and phasing out the creatives and executives who refuse to evolve.
Why Mannywellz Is Taking His Music Off Streaming Platforms
In 2020, Peace, the Tems-featuring RnB zinger by Nigerian-US singer Mannywellz exploded to become his career’s peak point. His melodious rhythm and soul-scorching voice were his primary attractions, and being of mixed origins, the track was enjoyed by his bases in Nigeria and beyond. Now, three years after its release, it has garnered an impressive 7.4 million streams on Spotify, which, according to Spotify’s revenue payment of about $0.003-0.004 per stream, amounts to about $25,000 in income.
What We Can Learn From Nigeria's Disappointing Night At The Grammys| The Culture Custodian
After much ado, the 66th Grammy ceremony has come and gone, but its ripples in popular culture and conversations have not quite disappeared. Winners on the night haven’t climbed down from the euphoria of clinching the most prestigious award in music, but for the losers, it is a time to reflect and restrategize.
Despite Grammy Loss, Davido's Resurgence Continues
After the release of Stand Strong, Davido’s sole output of 2022 excluding features, fans were initially sceptical about what to do with the peculiar, gospel-leaning track. It took a little while for its essence to settle—Davido had endured a number of high-profile setbacks in his personal and professional life, and this was his rallying cry to himself, a reminder of his never-say-die spirit. His most challenging test, however, was still to come.
Kizz Daniel’s Cross-Generational Appeal Is The Ace Up His Sleeve
“Ko kan aye if you rubbish my talent/ No be you I sing for,” Kizz Daniel sings on My G, the track off his Maverick album that squares up against haters and unsolicited advisers alike. He comes for that segment of fans that believe he is ‘wasting his talent’—praising his abilities, but simultaneously undermining his application of them.
It’s Time To Move On From Amapiano
A lot has happened with the South African music genre in the time it has spent in Nigerian music. It was welcomed as a breath of fresh air, a new addition to Nigeria’s sonic template that creatives did not hesitate to explore.
Prettyboy D-O, Odumodublvck And The Never-Ending Clone Wars Of Nigerian Music
Prettyboy D-O and Odumodublvck have found themselves locked at the center of Nigerian music’s most recent controversy, the first in 2024. Already, the internet has been agog with comments implying a shared artistic similarity between the artists, and these were often fashioned against Odumodublvck as his profile had grown tremendously in the past year—insinuating that Prettyboy D-O pioneered his music style and should be getting some of these accolades.
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