Review: Lawson Jr'Music is based in Montreal in Canada and is a drummer, singer and music composer who has played all over the world since a young age. He brings a distinctive Afro vibe to his take on hip hop as demonstrated by this masterful new cut on BSide/Lawson Entertainment. 'Let It Go' is defined by its screwy bass down low and the echoing hits up top. Aside from that I'd an empty but atmospheric cut with yearning vocals and melancholic chords. The flispide instrumental allows the slick production to shine.
Review: Mr. Money With The Vibe is the debut studio album from Nigerian singer Asake. Following an impressive debut and meteoric rise in the music industry, Asake signed with YBNL Nation, the label founded by one of the godfathers of modern Afrobeats, Olamide. The 12-track album features elements of traditional Nigerian fuji music, Afropop, and South African Amapiano and sees appearances from fellow Nigerian star Burna Boy and American rapper Russ. The results are an ethereal sonic oasis that clearly sets Asake apart from his peers. Includes the single, 'Sungba (Remix),' 'Peace Be Unto You (PBUY),' and 'Terminator.'
Review: On their second release, Atelier Kamikazi continues to deliver raw, collaborative lyrics drawn from their experiences as street kids in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Like their debut on Seismographic Records, the group reflects on the harsh realities and surreal beauty of life in the city as they resist corrupt politics, challenge religious hypocrisy embodied by a figure they call "Priest Cat's Heart", and confront the dangers of "Bomb," a potent street drug. With vivid metaphors and unflinching honesty, they warn against its use while affirming their true tools for survival: words, wisdom and Loketo-the liberating hip-swing of Congolese dance.
Review: Mustafa's masterfully crafted new debut album is called Dunya which translates from Arabic to "the world in all its flaws." The Sudanese-Canadian artist digs deep into religious devotion, childhood trauma, gang violence and romantic intimacy in hugely personal ways throughout the record and showcases his superb songwriting ability. His blend of genres from hip-hop to soul and r&b comes with novelistic details, lasting hooks and raw and earnest words. It features appearances from collaborators such as Aaron Dessner, Rosali?a, Clairo and Nicolas Jaar but amongst all that Mustafa's confident, distinctive voice shines bright.
Sierra Leone Refugee Allstars - "Sierra Leone Prinia" (4:57)
Sensei Lo & Funmi - "Ibadan Malimbe" (3:37)
Ruth Tafebe - "Nimba Flycatcher" (4:57)
Acacia Maior - "Raso Lark" (feat Danae Estrela E Berlok) (3:16)
Osei Korankye - "Rufous Fishing Owl" (2:18)
DJ Marfox - "Sao Tome Grosbeak" (3:28)
Buruntuma - "Timneh Parrot" (7:19)
Review: Don't be fooled by the title of this compilation; this isn't just birdsong pressed to wax. Rather, each artist invited to contribute to 'A Guide To The Birdsong of Western Africa' was challenged to make an original song both using and inspired by an endangered bird from their country. The album, in its ingenuity, was produced to help fund the Nigerian Bird Atlas Project (NIBAP), a public initiative to encourage young Nigerians get into bird conservation, watching and atlasing. Standouts include Lamine Cissokho's kora imitate the 'Yellow-casqued hornbill', and the lilting call of the 'Nimba flycatcher' included in a warming voice-and-guitar bossa nova piece by Ruth Tafebe.
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