Grammys 2024: Will Rush give Ayra Starr desired crown?
Afrobeat and R&B singer, Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known professionally as Ayra Starr, is one music act with stellar craft and magnetic personality. She’s an audacious, bold song-maker.
From the moment she was unveiled as the newest Mavin Records signee in the early 2021, it seemed her path to stardom was certain, particularly, as she achieved mainstream recognition with her eponymous debut Extended Play (EP) and the hit track Away, spending two consecutive weeks at number four on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 50 chart.
In recognition of her hit records, the 19 & Dangerous hit maker, has been nominated for the Grammy award in the Best African Music Performance category for her song, Rush.
She is the first and youngest Nigerian female artiste to be nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best African Music Performance category. She is up against Asake and Olamide (Amapiano), Burna Boy (City Boys), and Davido featuring Musa Keys (Unavailable).
Rush, a 2022 single, best captures Ayra Starr’s moment of glory. The song anointed her as ‘Sabi Girl’, a title that is now key to how she is perceived and addressed these days. It is hope that the song, which earned her the Grammy nomination could possibly earn her a highly-coveted prize on music’s biggest night.
The Best African Music Performance is a new category that was announced in June 2023, and according to the Recording Academy, organisers and promoters of the Grammys, the category “is a track and singles category that recognises recordings that utilise unique local expressions from across the African continent.”
Why Kid Cudi’s Insano album is ‘Unenthusiastic’
It’s no news that American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer, Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, well known by the stage name Kid Cudi, has released his ninth studio album, Insano, through Wicked Awesome Records and Republic Records.
The news, however, is that the album notwithstanding the star power, is considered an unenthusiastic offering by music critics, as it has garnered mixed reviews. Checks revealed that its first week sales weren’t enough for a top 10 debut, as early reports have it coming in at number 13 with just over 36,000 equivalent albums sold.
Released on January 12, the album features several high profile guests’ appearances from DJ Drama, Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky, Lil Yachty, Pharrell Williams, the late XXXTentacion, Lil Wayne, and Young Thug. Production was handled by a variety of record producers, such as Lil Yachty, Williams and Cudi, alongside Plain Pat, Dot da Genius, Bnyx, Keyon Christ, and Mike Zombie, among others.
Inspired by a fellow American rapper and singer-songwriter, Kendrick Lamar, the album serves as the follow-up to Cudi’s previous project, Entergalactic (2022), who had on November 6, 2022, via his Twitter (now X) announced that it would be his last contractual album with Republic Records, the major record label he had been signed to since 2009.
Oguzoro: The grand return of Ollie Gee leaves fans in frenzy
With the recent dropping of the hit single, Oguzoro, the latest afro beats offering from Ollie Gee into all music platforms, the star seems ready to reclaim his place in the comity of Nigeria pop music in which he roamed freely years past.
Wherever one went, Oguzoro, which was recorded in an undisclosed Lagos studio, is fast becoming an anthem with all chanting to its satirical lyrics.
Ollie Gee came into Nigerian music limelight when he dropped Felenfe featuring the all-time hit track, Daddy moo, making a solid first impression. Not long after the Enugu-born artiste dropped Emesia, which consolidated his place in the Nigeria music space.
He also dropped an album titled rebirth featuring late MC Loaf in the track Imedeowo obim and U Go Hear Am.
A few years later with the realignment in Nigerian music with new stars, Ollie Gee seemingly went into experiments that has now birthed Oguzoro seen by many as a grand return of a master street musician with the right lyrics. Oguzoro is one of a series of singles being methodically produced to fill up an EP due in June, 2024.
Insiders reveal that in the past few months, Ollie Gee has literally been living in the studio working with several producers and churning out singles after singles including, Ego Sara mbara and a remix of Daddy moo with Kcee.
Aside from those, Ollie Gee also dueted with Tusca Pac in Aboki, a promising new track that has just dropped. In a chat, he hinted on dropping several singles as a prelude to the release of his loaded EP later in the year.
All-round entertainment as Iyanya, Bovi, others thrill at I Go Save Unusual Comedy Show
It was excitement as notable Nigerian entertainers converged on the ancient city of Benin, Edo State capital to thrill comedy lovers at the 16th edition of a comedy show, I Go Save Unusual.
Put together by comedian Otaghware Otas Onodjayeke, popularly known as I Go Save, celebrities like Iyanya, Bovi, Gandoki, Gordons, among others were on ground to thrill the audience at the Victor Uwaifo Creative hub on Airport Road.
Kicking off the show was a musical performance from the Kukere master, Iyanya who thrilled the crowd with hit songs including and a host of other tracks from his catalogue. Victor AD and Maleke were also on stage to add colour to the yearly event.
With the hall filled to its full capacity and traffic jam on airport road that leads to the venue, the night as expected, brought together who-is-who in the comedy world with lots of side attraction. Fans of the IGoSave brand enjoyed rib cracking jokes from notable comedians like Bovi, Gordons, Gandoki, Mr Paul among others.
According to I Go Save, he is set to embark on a tour of Nigeria with cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and others gearing up to play host to IGoSave Unusual this year.
