Who Get Ear: 10 songs you should play this week

Welcome to the first installment of the ‘Who Get Ear,’ and this time, we have some interesting acts for your enjoyment, FREE OF CHARGE. It is no news that the Nigeria is home to bulging creative pulse. Daily, the internet is swarmed by sonic content from those bold enough to put them out.

For others, the laptop remains the eternal home of dope music content because; lack of confidence and the very salient point of, ‘village people.’ This week, it is blend of alternative and afrobeats sounds that characterize most of the songs we have.

Higher up the echelon, it is the 10^th anniversary of Wande Coal’s classic and very monumental debut album, ‘Mushin To Mo’ Hits.’ Last week, the list featured a wonderful song by Straffiti featuring Zlatan, Prettyboy D-O and… This week, Who get ear? Use them;

Tonero featuring Trill Xoe – Thunder

To kick off the list, Trill Xoe and Tonero mark their second collaboration with this mellow vibe titled, ‘Thunder. The first time they collaborated resulted in, ‘Love Like This.’

Tonero represents music passion evidenced in tracks like, ‘Missed calls’ and ‘Don’t go.’ Trill Xoe is a 20 year old producer behind the ’Tales’ mixtape series. On ‘Thunder', Tonero is crying out over oppression while cursing out at those trying to block his shine. He hopes they hear his thunder. This beat is quite the interesting pick.

Jasen Blu – Think To Lose You [S-Q Remix]

The original song was done by talented Nigerian Singer, Ezi Emela, the crooner behind ‘Chineke Meh.’ After a long wait, Jasen Blu has finally released a song. The last song he released was ‘Already,’ which dropped in 2017.

Running on a genre-warping beat that combines boy-band R&B-era strings with interesting African percussion, Jasen Blu delivers impressively.

Cloud9ne featuring Nik – Lessons Over Lawsis [Quarter II Blow]

Jos-based rapper, Cloud9ne drops this new R&B-esque outro to his second EP of 2018 and fourth release in three years, ‘Quarter II Blow.’ After the release of his 2017 album, ‘Dyin’ For A Living,’ he dropped ‘Love and Awareness EP’ earlier in 2019.

On what he calls his, “best studio session ever,” he dropped a story where he chooses to drop lessons over losses.

Dammy Isaac - Chameleon [Afro Tales]

After the release of his 2018 EP, ‘Sorry I’m Late,’ talented afro&B-fusion act, Dammy Isaac is back with another EP, ‘Afro Tales’ and it bangs. Chameleon is the first track on the EP and sung in a mix of intermittent Yoruba, English and majorly pidgin English, Isaac tells the story of his romantic frustrations – how many could relate.

Apparently, he has also encountered a characteristic chameleon on an EP that seems like Isaac trying to test the limits of his artistry.

Aduke - Ori Taiye

In Yoruba, a proverb to guide people off the perils of peer competition and warn about the differences in destiny says, ‘Ori Taiye yato si ti Kehinde.’ Taiye and Kehinde is the traditional Yoruba names for twins. In English, the proverb means, ‘Even Twins, born of the same womb, their paths are different.'

On this song, Aduke defiantly refutes the tendency of being compared with anybody else. Being a woman, she also speaks about the pressure of marriage on the Nigerian woman.

Muyiwa - Issalloud [Conversations]

After a three year break, the multi-faceted Muyiwa Akhigbe is back with two projects in 2019 already. This one is titled, ‘Conversations.’ The beat is equal parts afro-soul, equal-parts alternative afro & B, and Muyiwa raps the tenets of a personal tale.

Hengzie featuring Blackbonez and Kheengz

A tale of braggadocio and a half, the trap beat is familiar, yet infectious. The power of good drums again came to justify Travis Scott's obsession with kick-drums and 808s.

Blackbonez and Hengzie deliver, but so does Kheengz.

TiwaDara - Headshot

Fresh off his ‘Collision’ with the talented leader of Slutwalk Lagos, Deena Ade, and dishing out Parker Ighile and Moelogo vibes, TiwaDara sings about how he’s so love-struck, it feels like the typically incapacitating shot to the head – which most likely would mean death.

‘Headshot’ is a metaphor for the effect of love on the chap he sings about, which we hope is not him.

Ayuu featuring PrettyBoy D-O – Discuss

Abuja-based Apex Village member, Ayuu recently dropped this Prettyboy D-O-assisted up-tempo beauty. The song is produced by Andre Wolff. Feeling like something off a London radio, which merges afro-Caribbean vibes with African percussion, Ayuu and D-O sing about the importance of money in a life where hustle is key to living.

Mafeni featuring DOZ – Going Up

“Lot of dem n***s call me brother, but they never met my mother…” is one of the first lines of this trap&B, backed by a melodious underlying string that takes the beat to the next level. Mafeni’s talent has never been in doubt, but this track really is something.

The best part of this beat is how the beat drops everytime you want it to drop, shuts up shop everytime you need it to seize business. As if that was not enough, the next phase merges alternative strings with a heavy trap bop that reminds of certain tracks off Octavian's 'SPACEMAN' tape.

This one is definitely one to listen to.