Music
8 UK rap tracks that celebrate Afrobeats
The Afrowave continues.
The influence of Afrobeats is still reaching far and wide throughout the UK’s pop charts and homegrown rap scene alike. Whether dubbed Afrowave, Afro-bashment or Afroswing, it’s safe to say this wave has some serious staying power -- constantly being reinvented and reinterpreted by artists like Naira Marley and Kida Kudz, who mix up sounds of the diaspora with elements from the ends.
We may only be in the first quarter of 2020, but we’ve already been blessed with an exceptional offering of UK tracks with a bit of fusion. Here, we round up some of the best from talents including Darkoo, NSG, and J Hus.
Manny Norté -- 4am
DJ and music producer Manny Norté has been a mainstay in UK hip-hop and R&B for many years now. He made different worlds collide by bringing together Love Renaissance, 6LACK, Tion Wayne, and 19-year-old Afrobeats wunderkid Rema on 4AM -- accompanied by a vibesy video shot in Ghana.
Darkoo -- Juicy (ft. Hardy Caprio)
Darkoo enlists Hardy Caprio for this ode to Storm model Eva Apio and all brown-skinned girls alike. The song is a follow up to her huge debut Gangsta, which saw a wave of all-star remixes from Davido, Ms Banks, Tion Wayne and more. Definitely more hits to come from Darkoo.
NSG -- Ourself
Back with the viral dance moves, UK Afrobeats collective NSG never disappoint. Having clocked up millions of views with Options, OT Bop, and Trust Issues, Ourself celebrates the group's self-made rise to the very top of the scene. The visuals zig zag between Accra and London, capturing their usual care-free vibes and flair.
Kida Kudz -- 1am (ft. Jaykae)
Chief jiggy boy Kida Kudz taps up Birmingham's Jaykae for 1am and doesn't tell a single lie when he sings "I'm just cooking up a mad ting." For this track, Kudz borrows a sample from Ahomka Womu -- an early noughties hit from the V.I.P. crew, who mixed Ghanaian musical styles with hip hop long before the contemporary artists we know today.
Angel -- Blessings Remix (ft. French Montana & Davido)
One of UK R&B's most exciting talents, singer-songwriter Angel sparks an intercontinental link up for the remix of Blessings. Joined by New York's French Montana and Davido of Lagos, Nigeria, the self-produced single stars smooth Soukous-inspired guitar melodies to whine any waist to.
Naira Marley – Anywhere (ft. Ms Banks)
Ms Banks makes another crossover to the world of Afrobeats by joining Lagos-born, Peckham-raised Naira Marley on Anywhere. Naira switches up his usual Yahoo boy ways and gets in his feelings as the two get their Barbie and Ken on.
J Hus – Repeat (ft. Koffee)
A UK Afro list wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of Hus -- so here we have Repeat, a standout from his sophomore album Big Conspiracy. Trading bars with Grammy Award winner Koffee over a beat produced by longtime collaborator JAE5, this paper chasers' anthem is as infectious as it is uplifting.
Nana Rogues & Ms Banks – Issues
Drake, Wizkid and Tinie Tempah collaborator Nana Rogues knows all about making dance-worthy tunes. Nana lays down his signature interpretation of contemporary Afropop with catchy results -- plus Ms Banks earns yet another appearance on this list, which goes to show her work-rate is matched by her versatility.
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