A.M – “Imaka (You Are Beautiful)”:
The McErnest Company presents the visuals to the A.M (Ahamdi McErnest) debut single “Imaka (You Are Beautiful)”, produced by P2J. The Afropop/R&B vocalist who is a newcomer to the Nigerian Music scene has already caught the attention of his female fans with this song that will definitely have the ladies feeling beautiful. The video for “Imaka” was shot in London by director Mr Moe Musa and features MTV Shuga actress, Dorcas Shola Fapson who plays A.M love interest. A.M is definitely one to watch out for in 2015, watch and enjoy “Imaka” down below…
Nizzy – “No Way”:
Have you heard the latest single from Afrobeats artist Nizzy? The ‘Sabi Boi’ has returned with the new track “No Way” produced by Chillz, and if it’s a chilled vibe type of song that you are looking for (it’s not everyday shake-body Afrobeats), then this new one is worth a listen. Following up on Nizzy’s previous tracks, “Zombie”, “Ashawo” and “Egwu” featuring Lola Rae, “No Way” is a great comeback; it’s just catchy enough to make you want to play it a second, or third or even fourth time around (after five continuous replays, you might as well send Nizzy your InstaKaraoke version! or just check out some of the submissions on the singer’s Instagram if you’re feeling shy). Listen and enjoy below.
Bonkaz – “We Run The Block”:
After countless radio plays, getting playlisted on BBC 1Xtra and over 30,000 streams on Soundcloud in a week, we’ve finally got it! The brand new video for Bonkaz’ latest single “We Run The Block”, which looks to do well with the massive anticipation around the release and the turnout for the #WeRunTheBlock party, is finally here. The highly sought after single is just the start of what is projected for the South London newcomer, this particular project has already been picked up by Sony Music to be released on their new imprint Pitched Up.
The beat comes from production powerhouses The Heavytrackerz, whose recent work includes Stormzy’s “Not That Deep”, Wiley’s last album, and the wonky beat for Dizzee Rascal and Giggs’ “Nutcrackerz”. About this project, Bonkaz has been quoted as saying, “as creatives, We Run The Block. We have the freedom to create whatever we like. ‘Free up the mandem’ means grant freedom to anyone who feels restricted in their creativity. With that being said, I’ll leave you to decide who the cops are”. Basically, Bonkaz has a new school anthem on his hands with “We Run The Block”. Get into the video below.
Wiley – “Chasing The Art”:
Grime godfather and Roll Deep head honcho Wiley has released the visual for his latest single “Chasing The Art”. The song receives it debut via a swiftly-paced video for the song, which features Wiley and some gritty UK locales. For those who have been following Grime, you should already know Wiley is one of the genre’s most talented and consistent craftsmen. The E3 tiger is giving a clear message that the money should not be your primary focus within music, that chasing the art should be your main drive in which other blessings will follow.
“Chasing The Art” is said to be inspired by a Kevin Hart interview that struck a chord with Wiley. “He basically said, when you pop off, you can go and chase all the industry money, and then you get to a certain age, you start chasing the art,” In other words, a paycheck and a quick buck aren’t on his mind when he’s spitting. Expect the track to see release on May 25 via Island Records. Click here to pre-order your copy on iTunes and watch the video below.
Mumford & Sons – “2shy (Shura Cover)”:
Mumford & Sons were in the Live Lounge today for BBC Radio 1, performing a rendition of Shura’s “2shy”. The Live Lounge appearance comes ahead of the band’s new album Wider Mind, which is set for release next week on May 4. It will be the third album from Mumford & Sons, following 2012’s Babel and 2009’s Sigh No More. Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford has further revealed this week that he is working on a secret, Hip Hop project with 88-Keys, who has previously worked with the likes of Jay Z and Kanye West. Listen to Mumford & Sons covering Shura for BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge below!
Juicy J – “I’m Sicka”:
Juicy J has just unveiled a brand a new music video. This one is from his latest single “I’m Sicka” which is from his Mike WiLL Made It-produced mixtape Blue Dream & Lean 2 that was published earlier this year. While the Taylor Gang executive presents himself both as gangster and in a classy suit in the music video, it highlights violence and interesting scenery props. You can watch the video below, and download Juicy J’s Blue Dream & Lean 2 mixtape here.
Steve Benjamins – “Sightlines”:
Toronto based Indie-Pop all-round musician and singer-songwriter Steve Benjamins is leading up to the release of his third EP Sightlines due to be released in just over two weeks on May 15. On his upcoming EP and all previous work from Benjamins, he has played almost all the instruments that feature in his music, which include piano, bass, synth, guitar and drums as well as being the sole songwriter.
Single “We Used To Live” was the first to be released from the EP just under two weeks ago. The most recent release was the headline track “Sightlines” which was made available for download yesterday (April 29), giving another taster for the upcoming EP. “Sightlines” is such a chilled out song with Benjamins’ strong vocals in front of the mix, with the addition of subtle synth lines and Sterling Guitar riffs towards the end, its the perfect track to listen to on a summers evening.
The full Sightlines EP will be available for download May 15 via Steve Benjamins’ official wesbite here, and loads of his tracks are on his Soundcloud page for free listening here. For now, here is the latest single “Sightlines” down below, enjoy.
Jamie xx – “Gosh”:
After the announcement of his upcoming solo album In Colour, Jamie xx has been slowly releasing music that will feature in the collection, which has been building up excitement from his followers. The tracks “Girl”, “Sleep Sound” and “Loud Places” featuring Jamie xx’s band mate Romy Madley Croft, have been previewed so far. The latest release from Jamie xx is the track “Gosh”, with its pairing music video, directed by Erik Wernquist, and it shows amazing footage of the Moon and Earth from space. Jamie has also just announced some massive UK shows to support the release of In Colour where he will be stopping off at London, Manchester and Glasgow. Tickets go on sale this Friday (May 1), see tour dates and venues down below, along with the video for “Gosh”, enjoy.
Words by Shade Alegbeleye, Tomi Olujide, Kenny Leavett, Clare Povey, Antonia Künzel and Jenny Woollett
