We Plug To You… DJ Klem - Afrofunkydiscosoul

Let me just start by telling you that this is a full on HYPE post. The difference however in this case is that this is a deserving kind of HYPE. I will not ever hype something that was not totally worth it - DJ Klem's Afrofunkydiscosoul is totally worth it - and the interesting part is, wait for it, wait for it…. It is totally FREE!!! Music this good should not be free, there should be a law against this BUT thankfully, I don't write the rules books.

This - Afrofunkydiscosoul - is the second release from award-winning Nigerian producer and Red Bull Music Academy alumni, DJ Klem (real name Clement Kponu) - his first record being the critically acclaimed Six8Ten EP from last year - and it features some of the best and most promising artists to come out of Nigeria this year. DJ Klem's Afrofunkydiscosoul draws together established acts such as Wizkid, Sound Sultan, Sauce Kid, Mo Cheddah, Zara and Kel and combines them with emerging artists like Iye, Teeklef, Funbi, Efa and Myst to make this album the best album, hands down, out of Nigeria so far in 2011.

We Plug To You... IBIYEMI - Love Always Wins

The first time I heard this soulful songbird, I went "Wow! What a deep and husky voice!", she reminded me a lot of Tracy Chapman's vocal essence and texture. I actually just recently posted one of her songs titled "Can You Love Me?"on my Facebook profile - her first release as a solo recording artiste - little did I know she had actually already been in the studio and cooked up some great tunes by way of her debut release and I would be reviewing some of them here for your listening pleasure...

In light of this, with positive soul and 'feel good' vibes, we gladly plug to you... IBIYEMI. Born on May 22, 1981 in California, USA, Ibiyemi started off as a backing vocalist in 2003 for various artistes before a major performance of the Nigerian National anthem at the 228th USA Independence ceremony kicked off her solo career. With her debut album 'Love Always Wins', Ibiyemi set out to blow us all away and we think she's done exactly that on this 12-track record, tracks of which we will be plugging to you in this feature.

Her debut single - 2009's "Don't Leave Me" was met with relative success and garnered her a nomination for Best Female Vocal Performance at the 2010 Hip-Hop World Awards as well as a nomination form Best R&B Song at the 2010 Sound City Music Awards among a host of other award nominations. Said to be influenced by Mary J Blige, Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder and (rightly so) Tracy Chapman, Ibiyemi's sound can be described as rich, soulful and of a musical genre I will call Contemporary Afro Neo-Soul with Afrocentric vocalisms akin to Brenda Fassie and vocal energy similar to Angelique Kidjo.

What is so special about Ibiyemi's album 'Love Always Wins'? Trust me, Soul is a music genre I am personally inclined to so my take on this is extremely honestly judged. I am taken by the diverse feel and uniqueness of the songs on this project, the originality in the music composition and arrangement, the perfect fusion of afro-rythms and Soul. The four tracks from 'Love Always Wins' that are featured below represent the diversity I speak of. These four tracks especially caught my musical attention only for me to find out that they were actually produced by the same individual. WPGM decided to take it a step further and caught up with this producer... Nigeria's best kept secret, multi-talented producer, singer and songwriter - FLO. FLO had this to say about Ibiyemi's album.

"There are several singers in the Nigerian music industry with hit~banging tracks but not all of them get to strike that cord and rhythm in your head and in your heart. Ibiyemi has a unique style of delivery to her music..sincerity. You can feel that honesty in these tracks. One edge her tracks have is the ability to draw the listener in on her storyline. Whilst we were working on 'Ore' for example, I already had enough to work with by just listening to the experience she shared with me concerning her childhood friend, you could feel that innocent and pure affection even within her mode of delivery. When Ibiyemi decides to speak about love, she speaks from her heart and not her head" - FLO

We begin our plug with the Ibiyemi's brand new single "It Would Be" which was released yesterday (May 22) as a free download to mark the singer's birthday... A duet with another rising Nigerian Soul "lover boy" crooner by the name of Dipo, "It Would Be" is a powerful boy/girl love "tease" song. The chorus starts off with the phrase "Ta ba fera?" which in Yoruba means "If we love each other/fall in love with each other/marry each other" with Ibiyemi and Dipo expressing it to us nicely that "it would be so nice"... "It Would Be" will get you falling in love again. Dipo makes matters more intricate by adding that soulful R&B'ish zing to this duet. The song is believable, the groove matches the theme. It's an easy listening song with percussion and bass guitar-led R&B production laden with soulful vocals, intercepted with a nice piano solo that gives a suspensive closure to the song's story.

'It Would Be':

"Ta ba fera, baby it would be so nice, so nice.... I wanna go where your wind blows, discover places only you know"

This next song is in Yoruba and is called "Ore" which means "Friend" - it celebrates and appreciates the essence of a true and real friendship. It talks about love, kindness and a reminder and gratitude of the bond and interdependence of kindred relationships. This is an excellent song gift to that friend you appreciate. Even though the understanding of the lyrics of this track may be limited to Yoruba speakers, everyone can still enjoy the flow and feel of the music. "Ore" has an mid-tempo Afro-pop sound backed by gorgeous keyboard chords, very danceable with hip rhythms and drum patterns. Ibiyemi does excellent justice vocally throughout the song, without overdoing her natural deep tone range.

'Ore':

"Ore ma se gbabgbe mi lojokojo nibikibi, ma se gbagbe mi (Friend, don't forget me anyday, anywhere, don't forget me)

Is this next song the potential contender to rival another incredible song of the same title by one Jill Scott on your iPods? Possibly... The difference is Ibiyemi's "He Loves Me" is Gospel/Inspirational in content, it's an expression of God's unconditional love and it's more upbeat than Jill Scott's "He Loves Me". The intro and the backdrop of the track features a slightly electro-pop infused sound while the chorus is easy and sing-along and Ibiyemi maintains her natural depth of real Soul on this as well. "He Loves Me" is a song that makes you comfortable in spirit and in soul with Ibiyemi's assuring tone and the uplifting message about the Creator's love for you keeping you at ease in this track.

'He Loves Me':

Last but not least is the playful, pop, party-feel song rightfully named "Play". It has that 80's disco vibe to it, and FLO's signature rock sound backed by lush bass guitars and musical undertones pops out Ibiyemi's vocals excellently to incite some finger-snapping, toe-tapping moves from any listener. This track is upbeat, full of energy, perfect for the dance floor and I would submit this song for a radio mix anyday. You can't listen to this and not get moving, come on and let's boogie down till the break of dawn with Ibiyemi's "Play" below....

'Play':

"Mi o ronu mo ( I am not downcast anymore), I just wanna dance to the break of dawn, DeeJay play that song"

This is one album you absolutely should own. If you want a break away from the norm, the usual and mundane music then Love Always Wins is the music for you. This is that album you would not only want to listen to but one you'd love to share with others. It's what I would refer to as a 2-in-1 album - for solace and for social interaction; for an audience of one or two as the case may be (per love and soulful communications) or for a party to groove and move to. It ticks all the boxes

Ibiyemi gets two thumbs up for the diverse collection of songs on this album. The sky is limitless for the young singer as she makes her way to making a musical mark globally amongst the current crop of afro-originated Soul singers of our generation. Her voice is not only great, it's not common plus her vibe is appealing, her message is sweet, her sound is market-worthy - it just works. Love Always Wins - the album - is definitely highly recommended. Stamped, signed and delivered... What more is there to say?

Purchase: Ibiyemi - Love Always Wins (iTunes)


BONUS: Free Download: Ibiyemi + Dipo - It Would Be

Keep Tabs on Ibiyemi: Website // Twitter // Facebook

Tosinger

We Plug To You... Iyadede - The Demo

Sipping on a vanilla latte one beautiful morning just after downloading The Demo by an artist by the name of Iyadede; at first I was taken aback by the rather long track listing - 29 tracks - but somehow I summoned the courage to press play.

The girl who fell to earth, that girl from Africa or simply put Iyadede is a singer/songwriter whose life’s journey has transitioned itself into her music. Born Sabrina Iyadede, she was raised in Kigali, Rwanda but due to the genocide that escalated in the country in 1994, she relocated to Belgium then France and now is a resident of Brooklyn, New York. Music has always been a part of her even before birth as while pregnant with Iyadede, her mother worked as a DJ at a Rwandan radio station - a time that has left an imprint on Iyadede’s eclectic sound. In her own words, “the perfect pitch when you are a multicultural inter-continental animal like myself is a schizophrenic exercise”.

Call it Afri-Pop, Afro-Punk, Soul or Electronica, either way Iyadede’s music knows no boundaries... The Demo isn’t Iyadede’s first project either; she released an album Talking to God - her first - in May 2010 but alas, we digress somewhat. Without further ado, let us delve into the world of this aspiring singer/songwriter with melodies that embrace her roots from the motherland - by way of The Demo.

The first song I plug to you from the LP is "Not The Same". This track has a throwback appeal to it and in Iyadede’s words, "talks about love". On this record, she states that the time lapse in a relationship changes things and could potentially create a rift. The imaginary distance could also mean someone else is in the mix or they just aren’t the same people they were when they met. After looking up Iyadede on numerous music blogs, I can immediately see her playful personality translated into the lyrics on this song. The Eighties sounding synths accompanied by a bass groove used on the track is also perfect fit to introducing her sound.

"Not The Same":

If you had your music player on shuffle, this next track "Burnstone and Fire" could easily be mistaken for one sung by a certain Janelle Monáe. Iyadede’s eclectic creativity resounds on this socially conscious song; one she points out is about politics. She speaks metaphorically about occasions of being oppressed that you wonder if she's speaking from experience growing up in Rwanda. Regardless, she shows a great level of vocal skill on this up-tempo song backed by drum kick arrangements which sees the NY-based singer switch up her lyrical delivery.

"Burnstone and Fire":

The final track "Lets Stay Together (2011)" samples the classic Al Green song of the same title and I can confidently say Iyadede does the song justice. Apart from a few lyrics that are lifted off the original, Iyadede’s take is a breath of fresh air to the already acclaimed hit. The instrumentals fuse sultry jazz with R&B and makes for a classic Soul sound. I would love to hear her perform this live as I can imagine such melodic structures and arrangements would sound even ten times better live. The inclusion of a spoken word interlude was greatly written and executed too, adding to the beauty of Iyadede's remake.

"Lets Stay Together (2011)":

Many other standout tracks exist on this LP that deciding which three to share with you was quite tasking. At this point, I should let you in on a little secret - the album has only 14 full songs plus an additional bonus track. The other 14 listed "tracks" are just short interludes to each song so do not be put off. What drew me to one particular standout track - "Pretend You Are A Square" - however was the instrumental arranged and produced by Iyadede herself. On the first listen, I noticed something sounded too familiar then it occurred to me that it samples loops from Apple’s Garage Band application. Makes sense as this application is usually the starting point for most starter and/or emerging producers and this song is Iyadede’s first attempt at producing so kudos to her. Besides that, I find the song title quite interesting and unusual and Iyadede’s definition of it entails not being afraid to be whoever you want to be.

"Mfura Yange" is a track sung in Iyadede’s native language Kinyarwanda, which talks about her sister and eloquently brings out the Afro-pop side of the whole demo. I like the softly used instrumentals backing her vocals on the song and even without an understanding of the lyrics; there is a sense of a heartfelt delivery from Iyadede.

I was very happy to review her album as her eclectic sound is one I had been missing in my collection for a while. Sure enough I’ll definitely be looking to see if she’s got any tours coming up around my way. If you’re in the mood for some refreshing, laid-back meaningful music, I suggest you pick this one up and you certainly won't be disappointed.

Keep tabs on Iyadede: Twitter // Website

Download: The Demo

TemiY 

We Plug 2 You... Kahli Abdu - Ministry of Corruption

Happy NEW Year you! Hope you're having a good one so far... 2010 was really good for GOOD Emerging Music and it seems like 2011 is picking right off from where last year ended and long may the year go on as it's started...

I really DO not have much background info about what I'm about to share with you other than 'Ministry Of Corruption', the new mixtape from Emerging Nigerian Hip-Hop artist Kahli Abdu is a mixtape inspired by the King of Afrobeat and one of the most political musicians we've ever witnessed, the late GREAT Fela Anikulapo-Kuti... Now at this point, any trepidation would be understandable! I mean its Hip-Hop mixed with Afrobeat? It's FELA-inspired? You're thinking this has all the ingredients to go wrong BUT you'd be wrong and we'll just have to let the music do all the talking.

Upon first listen, not a lot of the songs immediately leap out at you on this 13-track mixtape BUT you cannot help but fall in love with the Afrobeat infused musical backdrop upon which Kahli Abdu laces his politically charged & hard-hitting lyrics. From the first song, 'Fear Fear Factor', which begins with an indelible Fela vocal sample & those unmistakable drum patterns before leading into glorious horn riffs trademark of that sweet Afrobeat sound, you are (dare I say it) hooked and the short introductory track certainly leaves you wanting more (it sort of tails off after the 2:15 mark which almost ruins it for me) up until the last song, 'Wonderful Material Property', which is a mellowed down Afrobeat song with a great Soul Music touch that Kahli Abdu raps over with absolute precision and finesse to ride this tape out and then half way through the song, you hear the final of many great Fela vocal samples saying...

"Music is a spiritual thing. You don't play with Music. If you play with Music, you will die young, you see because when the Higher forces give you the gift of music, musicianship, it must be well used, for the good of humanity. If you use it for your own self by deceiving people and doing this, you will die young. I've told people this many times so I'm gonna prove them wrong and prove myself right..."

Ok NOW let's get into a few of my favourite songs from the mixtape...

This next song has gotta be one of, if not my most enjoyable song on the mixtape. It's called 'Categori' and everything from the beats produced by Charlie X to Kahli Abdu's lyrics just work for me quite frankly. I guess on this one, Kahli chooses to show some versatility and instead of giving a message as with most of the songs on 'Ministry of Corruption', he sorta introduces himself to his audience with clever punchlines and a dope flow as he lays into this one hell of a beat. It's Hip-Hop at it's cocky best if I do say so myself with the vocal sample on the hook saying...

"You can't touch my style!"

This next track is called 'Kpako' and it features Yung El on the hook and if you thought this mixtape was gonna be overly political from front to back then this song serves as a ample detour. On this one, Kahli Abdu shows that he can have a good time with his music (although NOT diverting from the main theme of the mixtape too much) and he spits very witty bars filled with much braggadocio, audaciousness and 'partying with girls at the party' on this Chopsticks-produced thumping Hip-Hop beat with Yung El delivering the covert message of the song at the bridge (they just couldn't resist), what do you think?

This next one is the Charlie X-produced song titled 'Demo Crazy' which samples the hook from the very popular Fela record, 'Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense' and on this one, Kahli Abdu drops some thought-provoking lyrics about the history (if you will) and deceit that's rife in Nigerian politics. You will not want this head-bopping production from Charlie-X to throw you off Kahli's words on this one so please listen carefully and understand the message. Listen below...

SO what do we think so far???

In conclusion, I think this is a very stellar body of work as far as Hip-Hop Music goes... The music treads experimental boundaries of merging Afrobeat with Hip-Hop and succeeds (where others have failed) while still remaining traditionally Hip-Hop in my opinion... The lyrics, flow and wordplay are fresh, they're sharp and I quite enjoy Kahli Abdu as a rapper... And as far as African Hip-Hop goes, this is really cutting edge and refreshing to listen to from Mr. Abdu. I like that he's sticking to his lane and NOT tryna be commercial or popular BUT I must have said the same thing about a certain M.I and his 'Illegal Music' mixtape but alas I digress...

I must warn you though, this is Hip-Hop with a message! I have NOT heard any African body of work that's this politically charged in recent times and some of it might leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth BUT isn't music meant to do that? Incite a feeling, whatever that feeling is? 'Ministry of Corruption' does that (quite A LOT!) and I highly recommend that you download it.

Download: Kahli Abdu - Ministry of Corruption // Alternative Link

Until the Next Time...

Peace, Love & Good Music