October is the second of the “Ember” months, so you already know the air is about to be filled with music. In a month where Davido released his first project under Sony, Lynxxx gave us his first album in donkey years and Seun Kuti left us with a little something before he toured the States, here are 4 of the albums and EP’s released in the month that you simply have to listen to.
Falz & Simi – Chemistry (8)
This EP isn’t all about a music couple with perfect creative synergy playing on our collective desire to see them together, it’s also about a producer, in Sess, who understands where exactly the duo want to go musically and gave them the tools to use and get there. Falz, being the more established act, is a known commodity, so you already know the kind of output you’re going to get from him, especially with Sess. Simi, on the other hand, is a singer on the rise and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect without her producer Oscar on the boards. I was therefore thrilled to listen to her set the tone on Chemistry, direct the tempo of the music and also show sides of her personality that, except you listened to the singer’s EP Restless or even her long-forgotten gospel project Ogaju, you probably had no clue existed. (Read more)
DJ Spinall – Ten (7.4)
DJ Spinall wants you to know that he’s as hands-on as they come – the DJ controlled the theme, tone and tenor of Ten, his second album in two years. He produced 3 of the album’s 11 tracks, the first is a nearly one minute-long piano solo that serves as the “Intro” and the precursor to a contrastingly upbeat album. The second is “100” which upholds the numbering scheme theme of Ten, by raising it to the power of 2. The song also raises its 2 contributors, Sarkodie and Yung L, out of Accra and Lagos respectively and into the Bay Area, with its thick basslines and heavy keys. And the third is “Love You”, a tropical house record that Patoranking – the Music Councillor – carried all by himself. I’m happy to be proven wrong but DJ’s don’t usually get this involved on their albums. (Read more)
Ice Prince – Jos to the World (7.2)
The focus isn’t Jos as much as it is Ice’s phenomenal journey with the city as his starting point. If I were to describe J2TW in one word, I’d say inspirational. Songs such as “Rich” or even club bangers such as“Trillions”, “Excellency” and “Boss” aren’t just empty boasts, they’re statement records that promote a successful lifestyle that Ice tries to make easy for everyone to relate to and aspire for. Here’s a better example, he takes Drake’sfamous city/timestamp reference series on “2AM in Chevron” and brings it closer to home. 4PM is Ice’s 2AM and Chevron Estate is his Calabasas, owning a home in Lekki is a real upgrade from the rapper’s more modest beginnings in the tin city and that interlude is motivation that you can do it too. (Read more)
Kid Konnect – Small Chops (Vol 1) (7)
The aim of this EP wasn’t only to get new SDC music out there but to expose a number of Kid Konnect’s close associates to the world. For members of the world who haven’t been initiated, “Small Chops” is Nigeria’s finger food. The mere fact that Konnect named his new project after puff-puff and samosas shows you the kind of character the world would have missed out on if he kept strictly to producing music. Konnect’s personality is all over this EP, this is the musical equivalent of making food “with love”. (Read more)