10 hottest ‘Street Jams’ you need to have on your phones right now

Out of nowhere, strange loud music disrupt the peace of the area and hits you. You look left and right, before locating the source of the music. A vendor pushing a stack of CDs and two huge speakers is the source of your forced entertainment, as he attempts to sell his wares.

The song he is playing is strange. You have never heard it on mainstream radio. Even if you might have done so, it wouldn’t register in your memory. But to your surprise, it appears to be popular. The conductor is singing along. Another vendor is flogging off his Gala and La Casera keeps tapping his feet to the rhythm. A mechanic, busy with his screws begins to move rhythmically. He is starting a little dance, while earning his bread. But inside the bus, none of your fellow white-collar passengers can relate.

Why?

The music isn’t for them. These are streets songs, created in dingy studios on the Lagos mainland. The beat goes hard, the lyrics are delivered in Yoruba language, and a characteristic high-pitch defines the chorus. There’s very little mainstream media coverage on sounds like this.

It belongs in the class of street music, which are either deemed too ‘local’ to receive coverage, or too ‘street’ to have fans who consume mainstream pop content.

Many of these songs become hits in the demography that they cater to. They become "Street Anthems,” sung by a massive audience in the streets of Ipaja, Iju, Mowe and other parts of the state. But within the past two years, there has been a broadening of its demography.

This street music is crossing over, one song at a time. Hits such as ‘Customer dada ni’ and ‘Elegushi spender’ have blurred the lines between street music and the ‘elite’, enjoying rotation in clubs and concerts. In 2017, one of Nigeria’s most popular hit songs is Small Doctor’s ‘Penalty’. It was created with the street formula but currently enjoys a huge following in pop culture.

But while we dance and vibe to ‘penalty’ , there are numerous other songs, just below the radar, rocking the street underground. At Pulse Music, we have curated these tracks, and present to you, the best street songs that you need to have on your playlist.

Here are the top "Street Anthems" rocking the place.

Small Doctor - 'Penalty'

OIT Dynasty/Real beat planet’s demonstration Small doctor who is famously known for dropping hits consecutive did justice to his song,, ‘Penalty’, a tune doubtlessly the banger of the year 2017. Production credits goes to 2T boys.Download

Flex B – 'Umbele'

Delta-born Flex b signed to Nwaginy Records dropped his debut single for the year 2016 titled ‘Umbele’. The record is characterized of a perfect blend of pidgin English and Yoruba languages that gives the song an overall street cred. Indeed a song to listen to.Download

9ice - 'Living Things'

Alapomeji Ancestor Records frontman 9ice really surprised music lovers with this song. On the fun-filled tune, 9ice delivers, spitting out some deep rhymes.Download

Oritsefemi - 'Ongba larami'

‘Ongbalarami’, is off Oritsefemi’s 2016 released album 'Corporate miscreant'. The song quickly picked up steam in the streets immediately it dropped.Download

Junior Boy - 'Irapada 2.0' ft 9ice

This remix is laced with the instrumental of Soweto Baby by South African, DJ Maphorisa. We convey to you ‘irapada 2.0’ featuring the ancestor himself 9ice.Download

Famous - 'Igboro'

The up-tempo track dropped 2014 but is still making waves everywhere on the streets. It is released under Ting Tong Musik.Download

Martinsfeelz - 'Ju Dice'

‘Ju dice’ (meaning ‘throw dice’) is a new single by Nigerian born rapper, Martinsfeelz. The song is the description of a dance step, it aptly describes the dance moves to the listeners.Download

Mo Eazy - 'Aunty Yeh'

Mo Eazy is not a new name in the Nigerian entertainment scene. With his effortless flows on this upbeat track that’s guaranteed to keep you on your feet dancing and laughing at some of his witty lines. ‘Aunty Yeh’ was produced by Demsa.Download

Qdot - 'Apala New School'

Qdot alagbe takes us all back to one of the hottest genres of music in the western part of the country. From Years back Apala music has been one of the top notch genres of sound, which can be associated with the Yoruba cultural vibe.Download

Qdot - 'Lalalu' ft Lil Kesh

Qdot again on this track. He drops another jam by teaming up with Lil Kesh. Produced by his long-time producer. Antras.Download