Culture

Spotify names Olamide most influential street pop artiste of his generation

Published

5 months ago

December 21, 2023

Nigerian rapper, Olamide Adedeji, popularly known as Olamide, has been recognized by global streaming platform, Spotify, as the most influential street pop artiste of his generation.

Spotify’s West African Editor,
Benewaah Boateng, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, said the undeniable rise of the sub-genre “Street Pop” in Nigeria had been both remarkable and thrilling to observe and this had slowly made its way to mainstream music, with Olamide standing out as the most influential artiste propagating the genre.

“Olamide is the most influential street pop artiste of his generation, consistently praised for his role in elevating street pop to mainstream recognition as a distinct music genre,” Boateng said in a statement.

“Since the debut of his hit single, “Eni Duro,” he has been a constant cultural force, popularising dance styles like “Shakiti Bobo” and street lingos such as “Baddo Sneh” and “Pepper Dem”.

“Through his record label, YBNL, Olamide has also played a pivotal role in discovering and nurturing Nigeria’s brightest street pop talents.

“The influence of Street Pop on the Nigerian music landscape in 2023 is clearly and undeniably significant.

“This is just the beginning of Street Pop going mainstream and we cannot wait to see how it continues to grow,” she enthused.

Delving into the history of street pop, Boateng explained that it originated from a fusion of Afrobeats, Highlife, Hip-hop, Fuji, Apala, indigenous sounds, and contemporary elements, boasting an engaging rhythm, pulsating fast-paced beats and lyrics that mirror the everyday lives of Nigerians navigating the challenges of the street.

“Street Pop, as a music genre, lies in its profound connection to the harsh realities of everyday life in Nigeria. Olamide’s most recent project, “Unruly” has garnered widespread acclaim from fans who describe it as a brilliant body of work.

“One particular track that has resonated exceptionally well with audiences is “Gaza”, which has received significant admiration for its appeal and musical craftsmanship.

“He has ingrained himself in the hearts of Gen-Zs and millennials, with phrases like “na ham, na ham” echoing from his popular song, “Chance.” His success in 2023 is evident, from selling out his concert at the O2 Indigo Hall in the UK to securing features on hit songs like Gwagwalada, the second most streamed song in Nigeria on Spotify.

“Additionally, earning a spot among the top five most streamed artists in Nigeria further underscores Seyi Vibez’s ability to transcend Street Pop and strike a chord with all music lovers,” she said.

Related Topics:Featured Olamide Rapper Spotify Street Pop

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Culture

Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie fires shots at Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Asake in new single ‘Brag’

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Ghanaian rapper, Michael Owusu Addo, popularly known as Sarkodie, has sparked a new round of storm after he fired shots at Nigerian Afrobeats singers, Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy and Asake in his new single, “Brag.”

In the single which dropped on Friday, May 10, Sarkodie boasted about his 2016 sell-out performance at the O2 Arena, claiming he paved the way for the Nigerian acts.

The Ghanaian rapper said he laid the light for Nigerian Afrobeats top artistes and as such, they should be grateful to him and his pioneering role in projecting their careers.

The “Painkiller” hitmaker boasted about selling out the O2 in 2016, long before the Nigerian stars and created the platform they are now enjoying.

He went on to place himself in the same league as Grammy Award-winning Burna Boy and Ghanaian rapper, Black Sherif.

Sarkodie also stated that his main competitors in the music industry were American rappers Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, noting that he wasn’t on the same level as African rappers.

A line from the song goes:

“Wizkid came, I was already doing it, Davido started, I was improving it, then Odogwu came through Black Sherif & Asake.”

The release of “Brag” has however, elicited controversy and heated debates within the African music community, with fans weighing in on Sarkodie’s bold assertions and the perceived rivalry between him and the mentioned Nigerian artists.

Culture

Kenyan officials arrest four Tiktokers for filming robbery prank video outside police station

Published

4 days ago

May 11, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Kenyan Police authorities have arrested four young Tiktokers for filming a robbery prank outside a police station in the Kilifi North Sub-county.

Local media reports that the four young people who were aiming for social media fame, were arrested after filming and publishing on Tiktok a fake robbery outside the police station.

“The four young people, one of whom is 17 years old, made a video titled ‘wezi mbele ya police station’ (robbery outside a police station), and posted it on the popular video platform. However, police didn’t take it lightly,” one report wrote.

“In the video, a seemingly drunk man exits the Administration Police (AP) canteen and gets robbed by two others on a motorcycle.

“The 18-year-old cameraman was among those arrested. Police identified them through CCTV footage at the AP canteen. The youths were arrested at their homes in Kilifi, with the oldest being 27 years old,” another report said.

The Kilifi North Sub-county Police Commander, Kenneth Maina, who confirmed the incident and arrest of the suspects, said investigations are still ongoing, and the suspects will face charges, including cybercrimes.

“The viral video of a daylight robbery at the Kilifi Administration Police canteen in Kilifi was not real but a prank by a group of youths creating content for their TikTok account,” Maina said.

Maina said they were pursuing another suspect who was still at large, adding that the youths revealed they only wanted to attract followers to their TikTok account.

“There were five youths and we managed to arrest four of them and the other one we have a crucial lead that will lead us to an arrest,” the Police Commander said.