Entertainment

The customary gqom snare draws the listener in before one half of Stiff Pap, the rapper AyemaProblem's sparse rhymes detail his intent to party and return home the following day. The other half of the duo, the producer Jakinda, stacks the layers of the beat one by one, and by the time the song gets to the chorus, its kwaito-esque bouncy rhythm has been decorated by a selection of synth leads of different textures. "This track is a representation of being young, black and carefree in South Africa. Reminiscent of summer holidays at the beach soaking up some sun with the whole family," says the duo in a press release sent to OkayAfrica. Complementing AyemaProblem's carefree lyrics and chants is Moonchild Sanelly, who contributes a racy verse which she opens with the lines, "Udl' i-summer, n...

"Quinamino," the track that catapulted Azawi to fame, was written in 40 minutes at a studio in Kampala, Uganda. She had written the love song not as a musician but as a songwriter intending to sell it to another artist. "I wanted to sing good vibes because that is what sells," she says. "I was looking at it from a business perspective." Swangz Avenue, the Ugandan based record label she planned to sell it to had other ideas; they wanted to sign her as an artist. "A few people that work at Swangz Avenue told me that [the CEO] played the track I don't know how many, like a couple of times, he loved the track," she says. "And that moment after sending him the song, I remember he told me, 'Do you have other tracks that you can send to us?'" Today, "Quinamino" has gained over 1.2 million combi...

Freedom is important to Tems. That titillating state of mind that permits us to be as genuine and true to ourselves as we possibly can is a driving force through which the 25-year-old alt-R&B singer navigates her life and expresses her music. Her music: a gently gritty, yet completely tender sound fitted amply beside a highly-thoughtful and accomplished lyricism. Remarkable for someone who has been on the Nigerian music scene only for a short while, but unsurprising for Tems (real name Temilade Openiyi) whose approach to music-making is as much a spiritual experience and a constant return to her own experiences, as it is a connective bridge to listeners who can relate. On the For Broken Ears EP, which she started writing and compiling in March during the lockdown, Tems is not only be...

Speedsta is a busy man. A day before the release of his latest single "Chosen One" which features Yanga Chief and up-and-coming rapper Teekay Mokoena, he is unveiling plaques for several songs and a project of his going gold and multi-platinum. The location is his skate shop and creative space Skate Hub which opened its doors on the October 3 in the north side of Joburg. According to the artist and Sony Music Africa signee, his 2019 EP, BottlebrushStr, is now platinum, "Mayo" is nine times platinum, "Combos Communicating" is gold and "I Don't Know" is five times platinum. The hip-hop deejay and producer is currently working on his upcoming album due for release sometime in 2021. Speedsta recently excused himself as one of the four hosts for the popular South African hip-hop and youth cu...

The Fela Kuti estate has brought fans a new collection of merchandise to honour and celebrate the legend of Fela. In a collaboration with Online Ceramics, a US-based online clothing store, Kuti's most iconic album artworks (including V.I.P. and Excuse O) and images from the 1982 documentary Music is the Weapon have been reimagined and manifested into an assortment of t-shirts, tote bags and sweatshirts. A portion of all proceeds are going to internationally recognised nonprofit organisation Global Citizen. Shop the collection here.

Two-time gold Olympic athlete, Caster Semenya, is taking the World Athletics to the European Court of Human Rights. According to News24, Semenya's lawyer, Gregory Nott, confirmed that Semenya will be appealing to the European Court of Human Rights. This follows the World Athletics' "testosterone ban" which prevents Semenya, who has naturally high testosterone levels, from running the 400m and 800m track distances. The Olympian is appealing in order to defend her 2016 Rio Olympics 800m gold title in the upcoming 2021 Tokyo Olympics. According to the BBC, Nott confirmed the appeal on Tuesday, 17 November 2020. South Africans have notably stood behind Semenya since the World Athletics' 2018 decision which rocked Semenya's career wins. The lawyer implored supporters to rally behind Semenya o...

According to the Sowetan, SAFA has announced plans to increase Banyana Banyana's meagre pay following the team's recent COSAFA cup win. This comes after political opposition party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), called out SAFA (South African Football Association) and the South African government for Banyana Banyana's poor remuneration despite their consistent performance internationally. The EFF made calls for South Africa's women's national team to actually be paid more than their male counterparts. SAFA's National Executive Committee responded quickly because of mounting public pressure concerning the plea which has been tabled many times before. According to TimesLIVE, The EFF reportedly wrote a critical letter addressed to SAFA, calling for the bodies to pay Banyana Banyana more ...

Award-winning rapper Yanga Chief has has dropped new single "Manelo" from his upcoming album titled Pop Star. This single follows the hit single "BBAF" which celebrates sexy women and the club lifestyle. "Manelo" is a stark contrast from "BBAF" in that it is a sobering critical review of recent South African political events. Yanga Chief makes use of strong lyricism over a trippy hip-hop beat––a surefire combination. Read: Interview: Yanga Chief, South Africa's Most Reluctant Pop Star, Is Starting A New Chapter The Xhosa rapper is well-known for making culturally relevant music borrows from a classic South African pop song. "We Miss You Manelo" by Chicco Twala was the song of the 90s and spoke of individuals who went missing during Apartheid. Yanga Chief laments the current political ev...

Amaarae's 14-track debut, The Angel You Don't Know, is an album you can't miss. The Ghanaian-American artist is a longtime favorite of ours, having been named in OkayAfrica's 100 Women earlier this year and penning op-eds for us. In The Angel You Don't Know, she presents an alluring and dreamlike trip trough a modern mash-up of R&B, pop, afro-fusion and much more. Throughout the record, Amaarae is joined by features from the likes of Kojey Radical, Cruel Santino, Odunsi (The Engine), KZ, Princess Adjua, Moliy, and Maesu. "With this new project, this new chapter in my musical journey, I feel so incredibly alive. I strived to colour outside of the afro-pop parameters and re-define for myself what it means to create African music," Amaarae mentions. "What I loved most about this album...

Since landing on the scene in 2010 with "Kele Kele" and her 2013 debut album "Once Upon a Time," Tiwa Savage has shown time and again why she is one of the biggest voices in Nigerian music. In the face of her life's ups and downs, the singer and songwriter has fearlessly invited the world into hers via her distinct blend of afrobeats, pop, hip-hop, R&B, and soul. The hard work and persistence in her artistry have kept the singer running in the game for close to a decade and she shows no signs of slowing down. As a songwriter, her pen has created a number of beautiful records not just for herself but also for other stars. Her contributions to the industry have earned her both local and international achievements such as MTV Europe Award for Best African Act (2018), The Headies Award fo...