Wellington Bullings Collaborates With Black Women-Owned Businesses And Artists For Empowering New Video

Inspired by the solidarity shown in response to the racial injustices that resurfaced in 2020, singer/songwriter, model, and actor WELLINGTON BULLINGS was compelled to tell a story that would focus on an empowering narrative. That narrative shines on her new single ‘Flame’. The song fuses Afrobeat and Soul to celebrate the beauty, power, and resilience of Black people (especially Black women).

To highlight this message, Wellington collaborated with a team of all-Black artists and local Black women-owned businesses for the music video. Everything in the video– from the custom garments and the handmade crown, to the cinematography, and choreography –were all crafted by Black dancers (of the acclaimed Cleo Parker Robinson dance company), videographers (Blackat productions), and fashion designers to create an aesthetic chock-full of meaningful symbolism. The lighting of the candle at the beginning of the video represents ancestral healing; the wired-flame crown represents rebirth.

Wellington Bullings says of her latest single: “When writing ‘Flame,’ I wanted to tell an uplifting story that would empower us. The music and visuals are meant to remind people that our story is so much more than pain and trauma. Yes, there is a painful history to recognize, but we also need to recognize and celebrate Black beauty and brilliance.”

Check out the video for ‘Flame’ below…

Song of the Day: Scorpio Flow – M.anifest

Produced by Drvmroll, who has worked with Burna Boy, Sway DaSafo and Frisco, with arrangements and co-production from Rvdical The Kid (Tems, Amaarae, Kojey Radical), award-winning Ghanaian rapper M.ANIFEST‘s single, ‘Scorpio Flow’ is a head-bopping statement track and a chest-thumping reminder that the Madina native has carved his own unmatched space in the global music ecosystem, and is in a lane all by himself.

Continuing to put his hometown Madina on the map, M.anifest has returned to the place that shaped his formative years for the accompanying ‘raw yet minimal’ music video for ‘Scorpio Flow’ teaming up with directors Motheo Moeng and Edith Nwekenta.

An icon with six acclaimed projects, countless awards and over three million fans on social media, M.anifest is one of the most revered figures in African music. Described as one of the foremost rappers on the continent, his musical reach extends well beyond Africa, with collaborations that range from Damon Albarn, Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Flea and Erykah Badu and Tiggs Da Author, Kojey Radical and Burna Boy. His fifth latest studio album Madina To The Universe – stylised as MTTU – will further solidify his iconic status within the African music landscape.

Check out the official video for this fire track below…

Blazing Afropop Star Sean Dampte Drops Track, ‘Pepe (Remix)’ With Rising Nigerian Star BUJU & Nizzy

On the verge of his third full length project and the third series in his ‘Awoodah’ EP series, which is set for release next month, UK-based afropop and afrofusion artist SEAN DAMPTE unveiled his massive new single titled ‘PEPE (REMIX)’ featuring fellow UK-based afrofusion artist NIZZY and Nigerian rising star BUJU, who recently featured on the deluxe version of Wizkid’s ground-breaking album Made In Lagos and collaborated with Mavin Records’ Ladipoe on one of the biggest songs of the year ‘Feelings’.

Speaking about the inspiration behind his new ‘Pepe (Remix)’ single, Sean Dampte says: “Sometimes I find it difficult to fully express myself without my mother tongue, which is Yoruba. ‘Pe’ is the Yoruba word for complete and ‘pepper’ is Nigerian street slang for money, so the song title ‘Pepe’ is short for expressing that ‘Pepper pe’. Essentially, the song is me letting my woman know that I’ve got whatever it takes to give her whatever she wants because my money is complete – of course with help from Buju and Nizzy”.

Championed by the likes of MTV Base, BET, TRACE and Apple Music, while also having shared the stage with afrobeats royalty such as D’Banj, Wizkid, Davido and Wande Coal, Sean Dampte has been foundational and a staple fixture in the rise of afrobeats music in the UK, and is revered for his stellar fusion sound of afrobeats, dancehall and pop music, which has birthed such hits as ‘Alignment’, ‘You Can Call Me’, ‘2Nite’ and ‘Energy’, to mention a few, and amassed over four million plays along the way…Check out Sean Dampte’a sizzling hot single below…

Song of the Day: Far Away – Ntantu (ft. Miriam Makeba)

Hailing from Leeds, NTANTU is a UK Rap and R&B artist fusing his sound with African Diaspora inspired music. His new single ‘Far Away’, a blissful and thoughtful track that draws from Afrobeats as well as being infused with Ntantu’s personality.

‘Far Away’ captures a moment of reflection for Ntantu as he touches base with his roots through the style change in the music, and also exploring topics such as love and loss over slick production.

‘Far Away’ follows Ntantu’s hugely successful ‘Pressure (Oh My Goodness)’, which picked up wide spread support across BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and BBC 1Xtra, over 250,000 streams on Spotify (with no editorial playlisting) and went viral on TikTok. Ntantu also performed ‘Pressure’ at this years Creamfields Festival and was a finalist for the Radio 1 BBC Introducing Live lounge in March/April 2021

Going from strength to strength, ‘Far Away’ is part of a wider narrative to an album project that Ntantu is set to release titled ‘NOW’.

Here’s the video for ‘Far Away’, directed by Ntantu himself, who pays homage to Craig David, a huge influence on his upbringing.

Afrobeats Newcomer OG Emmy Drops Infectious New EP, ‘Sipping Remy’

Introducing 21-year-old Ghanaian Nigerian afrobeats artist and songwriter OG EMMY with his brand new EP. ‘Sipping Remy’, which sees the exciting afrobeats newcomer collaborating with burgeoning Nigerian and Ghanaian producers such as StevJazz, who has worked with the likes of Juju, Praiz and Kida Kudz; TXMPO, who has produced for Ycee, PsychoYP and Zilla Oaks; and MikeMillzOnEm (Sarkodie, M.anifest, Efya, Amaarae) to deliver a glorious 5-track opus to not only soundtrack the end of summer 2021, but to also firmly place OG Emmy on the radar as an exciting new artist to watch for in the afrobeats music landscape.

The EP opens with the infectious afrofusion track ‘Trouble’, which sees OG Emmy extoling the virtues of a trouble-free life, devoid of any drama or negative vibes, before flowing into the summer-ready ‘Remy N Chill’ with its chill party vibe, and OG Emmy’s first official single and ode to black women titled ‘KitKat’. The rest of the EP features the posse cut ‘Remy Money’, which sees Emmy and a few of his artist friends enjoying themselves on the celebratory track, and the EP’s title track ‘Sipping Remy’, sees the project take a complete 360-degree turn for a more hard-hitting sound, as OG Emmy reveals his rap-influenced alter ego to great effects.

Born and raised in Rivers State, OG Emmy has been cultivating and building his music repertoire since he was the age of 14, writing songs and performing in local concerts from such a young age, and when he was 16, he created the popular Nigerian teen talent concert series ‘XPOSURE’. In the past two years since his official debut single ‘KitKat’ released when he was 18, OG Emmy has been garnering support across Nigerian and Ghanaian radio tastemakers such as COOL FM, Rainbow FM, Star FM and Joy FM, among others. Highlighted as an exciting new afrobeats prospect, his new EP Sippin Remy is sure to set him apart as one to watch this year.

Check out the EP below…