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…

Song of the Day: Lost In Time – Love Jimo

Inspired by experiencing great love loss over a long period, dancehall/afrobeat singer/songwriter/producer LOVE JIMO shares his latest single ‘Lost In Time’, out now on various music platforms

Featuring Love Jimo’s warm soulful vocals, accompanied by arrangements, where pop unites with dancehall and afrobeats, ‘Lost In Time’ also provides comfort for anymore who is trying to regain a sense of normality from great loss of any form.

Born In Nigeria, Love Jimo –  whose real name is Love Ezekiel Jimo –  scored his first success  single ‘Tinini’ in 2017 in his hometown, Ibadan and collaborated with fellow native artist/producer, Wrecobah the following year. Wrecobah extensive work includes producing multi-award winning Nigerian singer Timaya’s tracks, ‘Dem Mama Records’ and, ‘Sweet Like Sugar’.

Now calling Oslo his home, Love Jimo released a romantic love note, coming in the shape of 2020 single ‘High On Kasia’, which was listed by Spotify in the New Music Friday Norway playlist. Since starting out in 2017, Love Jimo has generated almost three millions streams on Spotify and almost two millions views on YouTube.

As you hear ‘Lost In Time’, it is very clear that music everything to Love Jimo; a strong interest that began while attending church from a young age which saved him from the streets. He conveys his raw feelings through each of his lyrics with such passion. His latest single is no exception, as he aims to reach out to those who are still hurting from great loss.

‘Lost In Time’ was released on 28th August on download and streaming sites.

Connect with Love Jimo via:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/IamLoveJimo/
T: https://twitter.com/love_jimo
IG: https://www.instagram.com/lovejimo/
Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/mrlovelyboy
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lovejimo

Song of the Day: Ring My Line – Promise King (ft. Headie One)

Following on from his second single of the year following ‘Slow Down’, which was widely supported by i-D, The Independent, Highsnobiety, DJ Target and more, KING PROMISE brings on the party vibes with track, ‘Ring My Line’. Featuring Headie One, who rolls out imitable laid back bars, King Promise deliver his silky smooth crooner lyrics over a vibrantly smooth afro-fusion sample.

The First Films Worldwide directed video, brings to life the hypnotic single. Filmed on Ghana’s lush tropical coastline, the three-and-a-half minute production features both artists, soaking up the vibes surrounded by statuesque, goddess like women to soon head to an after-hours party.

Born and raised in Accra, Ghana, King Promise is an ardent storyteller inspired by life, love, family, hustling and partying, over an irresistible blend of afrobeats, hip hop and R&B. Since first releasing music officially in 2017 via Soundcloud, Promise’s fanbase quickly began to swell as word spread and a huge buzz manifested locally. Before he knew it, his career had taken off and he now counts fans in the likes of GQ, Complex, Boiler Room, BBC Radio 1 and more. Though a humble guy not bothered by numbers, he has over 35 million streams on his top 5 tracks on Spotify alone and 2.6 million followers on his socials and claims Ghana’s most streamed album of all time with his 2019 album, ‘As Promised’ (which saw him share tracks with Raye, Wizkid and more). With his irresistible signature crooner lyrics and palpably warm and danceable energy, King Promise is somewhat of a hidden gem outside of West Africa.

‘Ring My Line’ is part of an incredible new project he wrote over lockdown which he’s yet to shed light on…check out the video below…

OUT TODAY: Listen To Afrofusion Artist Kay Slice’s Single, Breeze

After closing out his ‘Take A Slice’ series, which has amassed over 160K Spotify streams, Rotterdam rapper, singer and producer KAY SLICE is working on his highly anticipated solo debut album, which is due for release in January 2022. This summer, he begins to tease out the record with its first single titled ‘BREEZE’.

Written by Kay Slice and produced by Slice and his long-time collaborator Bora, who also provides live guitar and bass arrangements, along with Willem T Hart on keys, Peter Somuah on percussion drums and Charmain Charlemagne on backing vocals, ‘Breeze’ is a soulful and infectious rap fusion tribute to this mother, and the people in our lives that have nurtured us and helped us grow, such as our parents and family, with Kay Slice vowing to return the favour. According to the Dutch Ghanaian native, “the people who provided for me mean the world to me”.

Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘Breeze’ and how the track came together, Kay Slice says, “the song came to me during my recent stay in Ghana. It was like Mama Ghana was talking to me. I came up with the melody and bassline, and from there, it was just a matter of perfecting it with Bora and the band. The song is about giving tribute and honour to our providers, to the people that nurtured and helped us become who we are today. It’s also about that urge I and a lot of people around me have to return the favour and provide for the people that provided for us”.

The accompanying music video for ‘Breeze’ speaks directly to this inspiration and desire that Kay Slice expresses. Shot in Aburi Botanical Gardens in Ghana and directed by burgeoning Accra-based cinematographer Edward Pappoe, the visuals for ‘Breeze’ beautifully capture the relationship and connection between a mother and her young son, with the timeless century-old botanical garden providing the perfectly calm, peaceful and vibrant backdrop to bring the track and its message further to life, which Kay Slice describes as “the perfect fit for this song”.

Emerging as an exciting and fast-rising new artist in the Netherlands for his glorious hip-hop and afrobeats fusion, Kay Slice has already performed on the biggest Dutch TV entertainment show De Wereld Draait Door, with the likes of 3VOOR12, VPRO Mundo and Red Bull Netherlands also singing his praises. He is now on a mission to spread his unique blend of hip-hop, soul, Ghanaian groove, afrobeats and highlife across Europe, Africa and the rest of the world. His music speaks to self-love, identity, finding yourself and connecting deeply with ones’ roots, and when it’s all said and done, Kay Slice wants to have left a rich impression on his generation.

Here’s your chance to check out the official video for Kay Slice’s epic tune below…