The idea behind ‘Teintée Africaine’ came about when I noticed a growing trend: European acts of African descent were increasingly tapping into the current popular African sounds and genres to innovate. The idea, then, was to pair those works with those made at the source. While the latter enjoyed less plaudits outside its locale, I...Continue reading
Tag: Burna Boy
A Party Mix While We #StaySafe
It’s been a tough few months with the ongoing pandemic. As a professional entertainment purveyor, being on the sidelines for this long is definitely bad for the finances. It could also be as detrimental to the skill set. I’ve seen my peers keep sharp by live streaming and/or dropping mixes. So, I’ve set out to...Continue reading
Smoke x Mirrors ’20|05: I
I don’t know about you, but I still can’t get to this new normal. As challenging as it has been to digest new music without freedom to move about or congregate, it has been a welcome distraction and an efficient coping resource. And with our beloved artists still doing what they know best, I felt...Continue reading
Smoke x Mirrors ’20|03: I
Welcome to March folks. I hope all of us are taking the necessary precautions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In any case, I’m back with another edition of a much needed Smoke x Mirrors; after all, as 2Baba says, “We must groove“. And with this I’d like to express my enthusiasm for the...Continue reading
Smoke x Mirrors ’20|02: III (R.I.P. Pop Smoke)
There’s no silver lining in senseless tragedies. Hip-Hop has (yet again!) been robbed of another talent; I’m talking about Pop Smoke. The kid was only 20! One of my homies was just lamenting about only getting on the Brooklynite’s explosive brand of drill. And a week ago, another one was sadly observing how they ran...Continue reading
Smoke x Mirrors ’20|02: I
I know a bunch of us are plotting for this Valentine’s weekend 😈😈😈. I’m pretty sure another bunch is agonizing and devising evasion tactics for the same occasion 😅😅😅. The homie Yoshi has already laced y’all up with a spectacular playlist to rock for the later hours — add that to your arsenal! So I...Continue reading
Smoke x Mirrors ’20|01: II
The plan was to follow-up on a wink and release this last Sunday. But then the notifications on my phone delivered the devastating Kobe news and I’ve been out of sorts ever since. In my grief, I’m trying to honor my idol and the best way to do so might be to key into his...Continue reading
Flying Over 2019, Pt. III: The Darlings of Your Airwaves
It is our sincerest hope that you’ve enjoyed the two year-end playlists we’ve put out earlier in the week as we crossed into 2020. We look forward to delve further into the patterns we were able to discern and share our thoughts on what’s to come. As such, the playlists serve as a preview. So...Continue reading
Flying Over 2019, Pt. II: Africa to the World?
2019 is in the books and we’ve tried as much (and as quick) as possible to whittle down the music we’ve enjoyed to our favorites. It turned out that, between four guys, we had a loooot of them — in spite of overlaps! In the end, we agreed to pick out a few major trends,...Continue reading
Smoke x Mirrors ’19|12: I (An Encore)
A couple of hours ago, I came through to add my own spice to this Detty December proceedings with the first of playlists that should and will contribute to the overall tide of cheerfulness that will sweep you over the next few weeks. You may notice that I’m angling to spotlight the continental awesomeness with...Continue reading