Freeload: D’Banj, “Why Me”
- story THE FADER
Over the weekend, MTV Base held the first annual MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs) in Abuja, Nigeria, and a convenient number of Nigerians took awards in the major categories, including Artist of the Year D’Banj, who performed onstage with Kelly Rowland during the show. The Game also traveled over there to do a little medley of hits for the crowd and was rewarded with a loss in the Best Hip Hop category to our man 9ice, from Lagos, who also beat out Lil Wayne. Seun Kuti did a tribute to his father with Egypt 80 and Alicia Keys called in an acceptance speech for her Best R&B award. Unfortunately, FADER 52 feature Kwaw Kese lost out to, surprise, Nigerian Naeto C in the Best New Act category, but he’d already backed out of the show to perform at the semi-disastrous Zain 026 Experience in Ghana the same night. Mobile service provider Zain, incidentally, sponsored the MAMAs also. So, in celebration of of the MAMAs successful launch, we’re offering up D’Banj’s “Why Me,” which sounds a little Akon-ish at first, but don’t sleep on the weird, womping synth melody and harmonica solo toward the end.
Download: D’Banj, “Why Me”
Video/Freeload: 9ice, “Gongo Aso” + “Street Credibility” f. 2face Idibia
- story THE FADER
When we were in Ghana for our story on hiplife in FADER #52, one of the non-Ghanaians all Ghanaians (especially the gals) were talking about was Lagos’ 2face Idibia, mostly on the balance of “African Queen”, which was playing everywhere at the time and is now playing on his MySpace. If you’re in DC on August 1st check 2face out for yourself at the JFK Center. If you’re somewhere else, check him out in the new video for fellow Nigerian 9ice’s “Street Credibility”, which we’re having a hard time deciding if we like more than his megahit “Gongo Aso”. Technically we don’t have to decide, so we’ll just tell you to buy the 9ice’s whole album on iTunes and also congratulate him on his wedding last weekend. Sweet tux!
Download: 9ice, “Gongo Aso”
