‍Dera steps into the spotlight as Black Diamond’s newest torchbearer, carrying the imprint of Wande Coal’s legacy. And with Deragon, his debut project, he announces himself and unfurls a sonic banner, coloured in melody, vulnerability, and ambition. Across six records, Dera builds a world where his voice is both compass and currency, guiding listeners through familiar Afro-Pop terrain but with a freshness that feels wholly his.

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The journey begins with “Saroje”, a record that feels like opening a curtain to soft morning light. Dera glides over the mellow instrumental as though his emotions were fine silk laid across the beat. His declarations of devotion spending on love anytime, any day are rendered with a tenderness that makes the mundane feel ceremonial. “Sade” leans into that purity even more. The mid-tempo rhythm, dusted gently with percussion, becomes a stage for Dera’s voice to glow. Here, vulnerability acts as the marrow of the music as his tone cradles every lyric, and the track unfolds like a confession whispered into cupped hands.

The drums crack open the air on “Aquafina", instantly shifting the room into party mode. Dera morphs from soft crooner to full-fledged showman, proving the range in his technicality. The track is a whirl of energy, the kind of song that grabs the night by the waist and refuses to let go.  On “Any Other Day”, he stays in the uptempo lane but turns his gaze inward. Heavy kicks become the canvas upon which he paints the realities of ambition and the quiet desperation for financial freedom. His voice is a lot more tuned, textured, and resolute and feels like an entry delivered with melodic fire, both weary and hopeful.

“Daily” featuring Jeriq brings Amapiano into the fold like a long-awaited guest. This is where Dera’s Wande Coal influence becomes unmistakable. The log drums pulse beneath his velvety melodies, creating a soundscape that is both familiar and revitalized. Jeriq enters like a storm, adding grit to the gloss, his rap verse turning the track into a feast where every layer offers something hearty. The EP closes with “Police”, a finale built on flute motifs that swirl like morning air before heavy drums crash in. The pace is relentless, the groove contagious. Dera stands at the centre of the chaos, asserting his lifestyle and unshakeable position with a charisma that refuses to dim. Even the titular “Police” cannot disrupt the swagger of his momentum.

In its entirety, Deragon feels like a coronation in motion, six tracks that shape Dera more than a newcomer, but an artist already carving out his dominion. The project is rooted in melody, elevated by intention, and delivered with a voice that understands both softness and strength. For an EP, the sequencing is remarkably well-curated. The slow-to-fast pacing makes a strong structural choice that eases listeners in with warmth and vulnerability before gradually accelerating into high-energy terrain, allowing the project to carefully unfold. The intentionality in that progression feels almost cinematic, ensuring the listener’s attention is not only held at all times. By the time the final note fades, one thing is unmistakably clear: Dera is ready to take his spot.

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Brooklyn-born native Joey Bada$$ has always had a style that is both deeply rooted in New York culture and uniquely forward-thinking. This rich cultural foundation found a perfect match in KidSuper, the creative vision led by fellow New Yorker, Colm Dillane. Their recent collaboration and pop-up shop is not just a fashion drop; it's a statement—a sartorial love letter to their shared city.

The collection, featuring four core pieces—sweatpants, a hooded zip-up, a crewneck sweatshirt, and a short sleeve tee—is a successful exercise in intentional design. Each item can be styled interchangeably and effortlessly, lending itself to a cohesive, distinctly "New York" and "Brooklyn" aesthetic. For those of us who call the city home, we understand that clothing must be more than just fashionable; it must be functional—built to move with the gritty energy of the five boroughs. This synergy between Dillane and Bada$$, two artists from the same concrete canvas, is what makes the collection resonate so powerfully.

Joey Bada$$ is celebrated for his lyrical poetry, rhymes that are rich with emotion, culture, and a profound sense of self. It is this same intentionality that is woven into the fabric of this KidSuper partnership. I love the trend of rappers not conforming to what is expected, but instead being more thoughtful and considered in their evolution. This shift also encourages their loyal fans to evolve and experiment with textures, silhouettes, and even vintage elements in their own personal style. This is key to the collaboration's message: the importance of being intentional when you spend, just like being intentional with the lyrics you write or listen to.

This collaboration taps into a welcome, recent trend where modern rappers are evolving beyond the typical "rapper wardrobe," instead embracing a touch of refinement and individuality without sacrificing their gritty edge. The choice of colors—almost faded grays and blacks—and even the font choices feel deliberate. They evoke a timeless, vintage-inspired quality that is perfectly in sync with Joey's classic yet contemporary sound. These pieces aren't just clothes; they are conversational pieces, immediately timely yet durable enough to be worn from the brisk New York winter right into the cool spring air.

While New Yorkers often prefer to keep to themselves, these garments command a different kind of attention. As you observe the movement of the pieces, they feel like poetry in motion—a silent yet powerful declaration of culture and identity.

Both Joey Bada$$ and Colm Dillane/KidSuper have cultivated fiercely loyal and unique followings who value authenticity and artistic expression. This collaboration is a mutual nod to that audience, creating a wearable artifact that celebrates their shared ethos: Anything's Possible—KidSuper's foundational belief—when you stay true to your roots. This collection successfully merges high-level artistry with everyday utility. It is an authentic, emotional, and richly cultural milestone that proves that fashion, when done right, is just another form of storytelling.

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Photographs by Jelani Warner @warners_work

G Herbo arrived on set with a presence that was instantly palpable. Dressed simply in a Nike tracksuit, he carried a serene, yet undeniably powerful demeanor. The kind of quiet confidence that doesn't demand attention but commands it nonetheless. It was clear that Herbert, his birth name, truly fits the stature of the man he is becoming. There's something almost regal in the way he moves through space, a deliberateness that suggests someone who has fought hard for every inch of ground he now stands on. Among the many celebrities and influential figures who've graced these pages, G Herbo walks with a rare, strong sense of nobility and purpose that sets him apart. This wasn't just another photo shoot or interview, it was a moment of genuine unveiling, where the armor of the artist gave way to reveal the depth of the man beneath.

How did you come to this evolution as a man and father? Can you pinpoint a specific moment where you felt this new sense of maturity begin to take shape?
I can't really pinpoint a specific moment. Maybe if I had to, probably around the year 2023 and I just felt like things were kind of not really working out in my favor like career-wise and just financially and just what my career and everything was headed. It kind of made me take a step back and buckle down and double down on making goals and setting things out for myself and just figuring out how it was going to look for me when I was kind of, for lack of a better term, reinvented as an artist.
I think I had to go through that stage and it made me lean closer towards the people that was in my corner, not so much as just going out, having fun and stuff like that. Spending more time with my children in the house and things like that. But on the same token, really going harder in the studio and just trying to figure out a game plan. I think those were the times where I got more mature and just more goal-oriented.

What single piece of wisdom would you urgently share with your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to be more selfish, to stop being so selfless and just focus on what's important or what's detrimental towards getting out where you want to go in life. Younger, I made a lot of mistakes just figuring I could save everybody and take care of a lot of people, and it really just kind of stunted my growth in a way. If I could give myself some insight or some wisdom, it would just be to focus on yourself and your family and what's important, not so much as just trying to let everybody walk in your shoes that weren't really meant to do so.

If you could zoom out 50 years from now, what do you want your legacy to be outside of music charts?
I want to be a music mogul. I want to be a CEO, actor. Do more philanthropy work. I always mimic my career to ones such as Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, those guys who really took music and their love and passion for music and just opened new doors and took it to heights that was unimaginable. God willing I could do so. I'm still of course young enough to be able to make a couple of the right decisions and just change the whole trajectory of what my career could be in the next 10, 15, 20 years.

How has growing up in Chicago shaped you beyond the grit and survival of it all?
Chicago taught me to be able to go without a lot of things. I don't really need much, even though I've gotten to a point in my life where I have resources and can provide certain things for myself or for my family. But growing up in Chicago just taught me, all I really need is a studio, a camera, and just a dream and just to be able to believe.

Chicago is just one of those places where we just make it happen with whatever we got. Growing up in poverty, Section 8, public housing, EBT, all of those things that just shape a Chicago native into someone where that hunger is really the fuel and the only fuel that they need. Coming from there, it showed me how to be fearless and just take whatever I have and make something of it and lean towards my fears and not be afraid to take a chance and take risks in life. You could tell when somebody from Chicago. Being from Chicago, you always stand out for sure.

Does success ever become overwhelming? What advice do you have for young successful artists?
Definitely. I think success becomes overwhelming because, for one, when you reach a certain level of success, everything's in the public eye. Your personal life and your family dynamic and all those kind of things are just in the eye of the public. And if you don't know how to maneuver and deal with those kind of things, it'll get the best of you.
I had to learn how to just not really feed into the eye of the public and feed into the opinion of the public and just focus on striving and continuing to be successful because in this life and in this game, it is what you sign up for. We sign up to be able to take care of our family and be able to provide and create opportunities for others. So that's what I try to focus on and just be grateful for what I have and being grateful that I've reached a level in my life where everything I do is being watched, where people even care enough to be invested in my life.
I try to look at the positives more so than the negatives. But it definitely becomes overwhelming and it's not for the weak. You got to be strong in this industry and you got to be able to take the good with the bad and just focus on the good and just keep on leveling up.

What do you believe your responsibility is to your audience and the next generation?
I believe my responsibility is to teach, for the next generation to be able to see my career and watch my career and decisions that I made good and bad and to be able to learn from them the same way that I was able to learn from the people that I looked up to. I watched a lot of Juelz Santana, I watched a lot of Lil Wayne, I watched a lot of Jay-Z, 50 Cent and those guys and seeing the steps that they took to get where they are in life.

I know there's a guy younger than me that's watching everything that I'm doing. If I could be able to teach the next generation without them having to make some of the same mistakes that I made and to be able to be successful and reach success in this game, I feel like that's my contribution to the next generation.

Has becoming a father changed your approach to the content you create?
Yeah, for sure. I just really want my kids to understand that I made a lot of sacrifices for them to be able to live the life that they live and for me to be able to pour my resources into them so they don't have to make a lot of the decisions and struggle in ways that I had to struggle.
Also, I want them to see that it's possible, that I came from nothing and I made it into something. And with the resources that they have and what they're going to be accustomed to, it gives them a boost to chase their dreams no matter what it is, whether they want to be an artist, entrepreneur, athlete, doctor, lawyer, whatever it is. I want to be able to just pour all those resources into them and just make it as easy as possible. And for them to see what I've done in my life and career and the heights that I took it to that were kind of unimaginable, that it's possible for them to do it, of course.

What's the most important lesson about unconditional love and support that you've carried from your childhood?
The important lesson that I learned about love and support is just no matter what or no matter how hard it gets—in this lifestyle, moving fast and traveling and seeing the world, sometimes you need to rewind. There's no place like home, and there's nothing like family. When you have a support system and a family that really loves you and cares about you and supports you, there's no better feeling than that.
I learned that from my dad. He used to always tell me, just come home and we'll come to you and just relax for a couple days and eat your favorite meals and stuff like that. That's really important, and it makes you feel grounded. It makes you feel at one with yourself and just level-headed because this life can definitely get fast and take a lot from you. So what I learned most importantly is just you have to lean towards family. And it's OK to feel normal again.

What does true healing look like to you?
True healing is first and foremost, for me, recognizing the problem, understanding what it is you're feeling, what your emotions are and correcting those emotions or balancing out those emotions so you can navigate and deal with whatever you're feeling, whether it's trauma, whether it's sorrow, whether it's sadness, even if it's confusion and not understanding.Healing is not an overnight process. It takes time, but you just got to want to do it and lean towards those things. For me, I'm still in the process of actually healing to this day from grief and trauma and things that I felt through my life with losing a parent and losing close friends, losing a brother, all of those things play a part in the things that I feel today. But I also try to lean towards the things that make me happy in life. And that's what helps me; music, staying in tune with God and being spiritual and being close to my family and my children and stuff like that, the things that make me happy. Those are the variables that help me heal to this day.

Who are your mentors outside of rap?
Mickey is one of my mentors. Coffee, he helped me a lot with just balancing through life and my trials and tribulations and navigating with decision making, business models, things like that. Another was Jerry Torrey. He passed away. He was one of the leaders of the community from the community center I went to, CYC, Rebecca Crown. He definitely was one of the people who shaped me into the man that I am today.
And honestly, that's why it's so important for me to do the things that I'm doing in the community and just stay someone who's like a staple of somebody to show these kids something tangible where they could believe. Seeing is believing because I really didn't have that growing up. I didn't have any mentors. I didn't have anybody who I looked up to to really show me right or wrong. I was in the streets early on and I had to learn as I go. A lot of decisions that I made, it cost me a lot, good and bad. So I would say that's why it's important for me to try to be what I didn't have growing up.

What emotional journey do you hope fans take when listening to your album?
I want them to take what they take from it because I'm putting a lot of emotion and a lot of knowledge and trials and tribulations and the things that I experienced in my album. There's no one message that I really want the fans or the listeners to take with them. I just want them to understand that nothing in life is a coincidence. Nothing in life is free or easy. You have to go through the uncomfortable times, you have to change your circumstances, change your environment and your surroundings to get where you want to go in life, whether that's trying to do something that's never been done before or just trying to reach your goals in a way that you didn't think were possible.
And that's what I've done. You don't always have the answers. You don't always know which way to go to get where you want to go in life. But you just got to stick it out and stay focused. So that's the main message that I want them to get, just to stay positive and to believe in that anything is possible.

Has your fashion sense evolved as a conscious shift to reflect this new phase of life?
I think it has a lot to do with my age. I can't really dress how I used to or dress like a young nigga, like a YN basically. For me, fashion, I want to still make my fashion be fun and relatable, but still grown man and just evolved. And I want it to look luxurious as well, but it's, for me, fashion is not just high-end brands and stuff like that. It's just how you wear the clothes.
I always want to look fly. I want to look rich when I go outside, and that's how I basically bottle up my fashion. I don't think it's a conscious decision because I've always been into fashion. I've always been into dressing. So it really just evolves with my age and maturity and the brands that I think fit me. And it all has to do with your mood. So as fashion changes and shifts every few years, I kind of change with the fashion, but I still make it true to myself.

How has your personal definition of success changed?
I feel like it doesn't really change, it's just reaching new heights. There's certain things when it comes to charting and album sales, there's certain heights that I haven't reached yet. So I still want to reach those heights. But on top of that, I try not to focus on the numbers or focus on first week sales or album sales or platinum or gold plaques or anything like that. I just try to focus on the music and the message behind it, trying to create good music that people appreciate, that the consumers want to keep consuming and just growing in that way as an artist.
I think that's what got me this far lately over the past few years. I haven't really cared about first week sales or album sales or what goes gold or platinum or YouTube views, anything like that. Of course, I love it, don't get me wrong. I love the accolades and I love accomplishing those kind of things, but that's not what I'm in it for. I'm just in it to create good music and to be able to go out and tour the world and connect with fans where they want to grasp on to the message that I'm trying to get across.

What's the ultimate message you want first-time listeners to take away?
Don't take it personal, man. Life is no coincidence, and no matter what, it's all a part of your journey and your destiny. No matter what you're going through, no matter where you want to go, it's possible for you to get there. I don't want to sound harsh or anything, but I just hate when people complain about life because it's somebody that didn't wake up today. So just be grateful for another chance to change your situation and be a better version than you were yesterday. So that's the message that I would want to give across to anybody who listens.

G Herbo's fan base, young and old, will connect deeply with this album, remembering their own times of struggle, loss, or pain. This album will bring much-needed healing to the community. It opens the door for men and women to have necessary conversations about life, making it okay for a man to be emotional, to talk about the importance of therapy, yet still be masculine, strong, and able to provide for his family.
His story has the power to make an impact, and Herbo is using his platform as a catalyst for change. The freedom to refuse to let your past determine your future is the hopeful message he broadcasts. The changes you make today can positively affect the generation that comes after you, giving them hope to overcome challenges and believe that anything is possible.

Ultimately, G Herbo embodies the power of perspective. While many of us look outward for an answer, his testimony shows that we may be the very solution we seek. Adversity gives us a story to tell, and a choice: whether to create impact or remain the same. Herbo didn't wait for permission; he became, with an undeniable sense of honor, class, and integrity.

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G Herbo CREDITS
PUBLICATION: Deeds Magazine @deedsmagazine
TALENT: G Herbo @nolimitherbo
CO-CREATIVE DIRECTOR | PHOTOGRAPHER: Williams Peters @bytunde
CO-CREATIVE DIRECTOR | PRODUCTION MANAGER: Zacharina
Dainkeh @zacharina.a
DIRECTOR: CEOJAY  @ceojay__
FASHION DIRECTOR | LEAD STYLIST: Gloria Johnson @styledbyglo_2
ART DIRECTOR | LIGHTING TECHNICIAN: Kabir @ahappeningguy
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: @shalemalone
VIDEOGRAPHER: Jadah Dunyoh @jdunyoh
PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANT: Uché @uchennaaduaka_
BTS PHOTOGRAPHER: Yuriy Baranov @yb_captures
STYLIST ASSISTANT: Will Kadima @flossywilll Tyler Bride @tylerbride4
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Jermaine Hamilton @jettv_ Norrell jackson @norre.
STUDIO PARTNER: @ContraStudios

A high-stakes thriller travels from Lagos to Abidjan to Cotonou and it’s led by women who won’t be underestimated.

3 Cold Dishes follows Esosa, Fatouma, and Giselle, trafficked as teenagers and reunited seventeen years later to dismantlethe powerful men behind their pain. What starts as revenge becomes a fight for identity, justice, and survival each movesharpened by trauma, strategy, and the bonds of sisterhood.

Directed by Asurf Oluseyi and written by Tomi Adesina, the film kicks off from the bustling streets of Lagos to theshadows of Abidjan and Cotonou, these women execute a cold, calculated mission, each move sharpened by trauma,sisterhood, and strategy. What begins as vengeance evolves into a fight for identity, justice, and survival in a world that neverexpected them to rise.

A multilingual thriller, performed in English, Yoruba, and French, that blends high-stakes action with the emotional depthof its characters. The film explores the long-term impact of trauma, the strength of female bonds, and the calculatedresilience it takes to reclaim agency in a system designed to keep women powerless.

Starring:
Osas Ighodaro · Fat Toure · Maud Guerard · Wale Ojo · Bambadjan Bamba · Femi Jacobs · Ruby Akubueze · Mentor Ba ·Amelie Mbaye · Brutus Mfon · Didier Anouble · Sourou Govoueke · Didier Nassegande · Greg Ojefua

Executive Producers:
‍Bose Ogulu · Burna Boy · Osas Ighodaro

Produced By:
Asurf Films · Space Films · Nexthought Studios · Imuetiyan Productions · Ifind Pictures · Black Mic Mac · AlmaProductions · Martian Network · MBO Capital · Azure Noir & Co,

Directed By: Asurf Oluseyi

Written By: Tomi Adesina.

Release Date: November 7, 2025

Official Website: 3colddishes.com

We navigate through East London's winding roads until the city feels like it's falling away—industrial estates, quiet warehouses, the kind of outskirts where creative work happens undisturbed. Inside the studio, the atmosphere is thick with focus.The set buzzes with urgency.

Her team of four photographers circles around her like planets orbiting a quiet sun. Tems seems both at peace and a little tired, locked into that deep creative zone that only artists know. As a low fog sweeps across the scene, pooling at her feet while she stands rooted in the spotlight, regal and magnetic.

 I’m just taking it all in — watching her perform in real time, witnessing the way she shifts her energy between takes. While the photographers huddle close, waiting for micro-moments to capture the perfect shot, Tychus Wura steps back toward the stairs, angling for something different, something almost mythic. In another universe, that shot alone could be the album cover for Love Is a Kingdom.

Her stylist, Dunsin Wright, moves quietly but decisively, coordinating the entire team. It’s the final day of shooting, Tems has been on set since morning and still has two more looks to go. Jyde moves between departments, directing, smoothing over tension, and keeping the whole production from slipping off schedule.

As I look around, I’m completely mesmerised by the music filling the studio. I can’t believe my life — I’m standing here listening to seven unreleased Tems songs, each one unfolding in real time as she moves through the set. She’s deeply involved in every moment of the shoot, asking for retakes, adjusting details, protecting every inch of her creative vision. Her presence is magnetic; even though it’s “just” a music video shoot, it feels like an intimate, private performance meant for a handful of witnesses. The way she commands the spotlight, quietly but unmistakably, carries the energy of a true superstar. If Love Is a Kingdom, then Tems is Queen.

Photographs by Tychus Wura

Of the many traditions in my home, the most annoying one growing up was the 9 pm Network news we had to watch, and right after it came the morning news while I got dressed for school. But right now, that routine feels hollow, because when I hear the phrase “unconfirmed number of students,” I don’t hear a vague statistic. I hear a gut‑wrenching echo of fear.

In the early hours of 21 November 2025, armed men attacked St. Mary’s Private Catholic Secondary School in the Papiri community of Agwara LGA, Niger State.  Reports say they came in by the dozens on motorcycles and a van, raiding the school hostel. The authorities are still scrambling to confirm exactly how many students and staff were taken. Some say more than fifty, others claim over a hundred. Security forces are combing nearby forests now. The horror is real, the count still rising, and families are waiting in dread.

That sentence, “unconfirmed number of students,” slams into me like a brick. Because I know how this goes. I’ve lived through the memory of a similar news flash. I know how it feels when what starts as a report becomes a wound that never fully heals. I remember April 2014. I was dressed for school, my bag packed, when Big Mummy told me we weren’t going that day. She told me why. 276 girls had been kidnapped at Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram. Girls my age. Girls who could have been me. That number swirled in my mind, and it never quite left.

But Chibok was only the beginning.
In February 2018, around 110 girls were taken from Government Girls’ Science & Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State. Some returned, but not all.
On 12 December 2020, 344 boys were stolen from the Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State. Then on 17 February 2021, 27 students, plus three staff and twelve family members, were abducted from Government Science College in Kagara, Niger State, in a raid so early that pupils were asleep. One student died.
Just over a week later, on 26 February 2021, 279 female students, aged 10 to 17, were taken from their school in Jangebe, Zamfara State.

On 11 March 2021, 39 students (23 girls, 16 boys) from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka (Kaduna State), were kidnapped in a massive raid. On 20 April 2021, armed bandits struck again at Greenfield University in Kaduna State. At least 22 people including students and staff were taken; reports say five students and one staff later died.

A month later, in May 2021, a koranic Islamic school in Tegina, Niger State, was hit. Between 100–200 children were abducted, some so young that they couldn’t walk, others released for that reason. Then in March 2024, in a horrifying raid just after morning assembly, over 200 pupils including both primary and secondary students were taken from a school in Kuriga, Kaduna State.

There are others too. On 17 June 2021, around 11 students were taken from Government College, Birnin Yauri in Kebbi State. And these are just some of the recorded mass abductions. The tally is long. These are not just numbers. These are children. Girls and boys. Teenagers dreaming of graduation, of writing essays, of laughing with friends in the school yard. Students packed into dormitories, studying, sleeping, never imagining that the night could break into shouts, gunfire, and the roar of motorcycles.

In Kagara, they took not just students, but teachers and their families, mothers or younger siblings sleeping beside them, now ripped into the unknown. In Jangebe, young girls woke up to the sound of gunfire, to people barging into their school, herding them into trucks, shouting demands that felt like final verdicts. In Tegina, some children were too small to run, too small to defend themselves. They were just children.

Each abduction left a scar. Parents waiting, hoping. Security forces scrambling. Ransom demands. Negotiations. Sometimes releases. Sometimes escape. And often long-term trauma that no one counts in the news. I think about today, about those children in Papiri, Niger State. I wonder about their names, though I don’t know them yet. I imagine their parents, waking up, realizing their children are missing. I think about the fear that must be another kind of weight, the weight of uncertainty, of grief, of hope.

This story is not new. It repeats. It adapts. Boko Haram started some of these raids, but many now are carried out by bandits, groups who see kidnapping as business, as bargaining leverage. There is a booming, brutal industry in this. Not just violence, but extortion, politics, power. And every time, a school becomes a battlefield. A place that should be safe for learning, for growing, becomes a target instead.

I want to name them, all of them, because forgetting is part of how this continues. Those 276 girls from Chibok. Some were freed, others remain unaccounted for. Those 110 from Dapchi, those 344 Kankara boys, the Jangebe girls, the Tegina children, the Kuriga pupils, the Greenfield students. Behind each number is a person, a family, a story. And now, tonight, those students from St. Mary’s, Papiri. Their names are not yet all out, their numbers not fully confirmed. But they are there. They are among us. And until they are safely home, there must be no silence, no looking away, no accepting this as normal.

This is our story. This is Nigeria’s story. And the world must keep listening.

“Everyone’s like ‘What’s Lustropolis?’” After a brief pause for dramatic effect, and a slight nod of his head, as if to say “Here goes,” Odeal proceeds. “Everybody lives in Lustropolis. We all live in Lustropolis at some point in our lives. We’re just just trying to make it out.” In this video, posted days before the release of his latest EP, The Fall That Saved Us, Odeal explains Lustropolis, his 2024 project that also doubles as a metaphor for toxic romance. With its intricate world building, this clip is something of an early Christmas present for fans spellbound by the lustrous worlds Odeal conjures in his projects. 

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As he tells it, Lustropolis owes something to a fairytale romance gone wrong. “I thought things would last and that took me to my villain arc. Industry is dark, if you don’t find love before that sh*t, you’re lowkey cooked.” The Summer That Saved Me, the sequel to 2024’s Lustropolis, is a bright, effervescent Pop-R&B record. Here he eschews the chaos of Lustropolis for something close to but not quite catharsis. 

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In Miami, which opens The Summer That Saved Me, he affects a disarming tenderness, serenading his muse over guitar melodies that ebb and flow like a gentle evening breeze. “Hold me. Take me. Never release me,” he sings. His voice drips with palpable yearning. It almost feels like the consolidation of a fairy tale romance, but listen a little closer, and what you’ll find is the spectre of chaos bubbling beneath the illusion of calm. His lover is still in the throes of a previous heartbreak and constantly has to numb her pain with alcohol. More crucially their relationship exists in the hazy interstice between a friendship and a relationship—“situationship” is the word. “We stayed friends in Miami but we made love in Argentina,” he sings. 

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It’s little wonder that in The Fall That Saved Us, he’s back to the dark, gnarly universe of Lustropolis. But while the two projects share a mellow, brooding atmosphere suffused with the volatility of a topsy-turvy romance, they differ in one key aspect. Lustropolis feels like an elegy for a relationship at its tail end. We’ve all been here before, or as Odeal puts it: “we all live in Lustropolis at some point.” Both parties know the relationship is at its end. You know there’s no saving the situation, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. But you still hold on—part nostalgia, part bind-faith—until the relationship ultimately implodes. 

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By contrast, in The Fall That Saved Us, streaking through the chaos—the lying, cheating, gaslighting—is a hope that’s hard to deny. You get the sense that Odeal and his muse are wending through a rough patch as opposed to performing the final rites for a moribund relationship. In Pretty Girls, a sultry ballad that calls to mind 80s R&B, Odeal invites us into his turbulent relationship. “We went from sex in the morning, to crashing out most days.” Later in the songs he pulls apart even more sordid parts of the relationship, singing about cheating and gaslighting his lover. He might seem a terrible lover, maybe their both terrible lovers, but what he really wants is his lover’s attention. “Act like you want me/ Prove it and show me/ If I’m being honest/ You got what the pretty girls want,” he pleases. 

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The Fall That Saved Us offers no easily resolved moral dilemmas and this is what supplies much of the project’s charm. In Molotov, my personal favorite, over a gorgeous bounce, he paints a picture of a situation with a dithering romantic interest. As he perceives the situation, he is not sure she wants to be with him, and for a moment he busies himself trying to convince her and prize open her true feelings. The irony is that he also seems emotionally unavailable. “Wanna love but I’m tired and exhausted/ I’m from Molotov, where the b*tches hella cold here,” he sings. Blame it on unresolved emotional baggage or anhedonia, but he’s not willing to offer the same grace he demands. 

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Immaculate songwriting is an indelible feature of every Odeal project, so much so that we sometimes take it for granted. And yet, he still finds ways to surprise us. Consider Wicked’s overture. Over gorgeous keys that evoke a visceral sense of wonder, he sings: “They say there's no rest for the wicked/ But you slept on me, baby/ You the wickedest/ If I had a dime for every time/ We'd be millionaires.” Whew! 

In Night in the Sun, which featured a resplendent verse from Afrobeats frontman Wizkid, the project pulls close to something resembling catharsis. With its upbeat and chipper production, Nights In The Sun would fit perfectly within The Summer That Saved Me. “Nights in the sun/ You got me right where you want/ Tables are turning/ I found my person/ Bon la vida,” Odeal sings. Hearing him rhapsodize about breakfast in the mornings with his lover and finally finding respite from the turbulence of their relationship might lull you into a calm, but you’ll still find yourself wondering how long this calm will last.

In an age where our lives are split between home, work, school, and screens, there exists another kind of space—a third space. A café in Lagos, a balcony in Port Harcourt, a WhatsApp chat buzzing at 2 a.m., a park bench in London—these spaces are not home, not work, not school, yet they quietly define us. They are where we breathe, reflect, create, or just exist.

For me, the beach in Badagry is the ultimate third space. Nothing beats the sand between your toes, the waves crashing, and the breeze that somehow makes all your worries feel like someone else’s problem. But beyond that, any body of water and my The Emecheta Collective WhatsApp group have always been sacred third spaces. The chat is the one place I can say anything unhinged, and the people listen, laugh, or roast me but never judge.

Philosophers, writers, and social scientists have long understood the power of place. Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit,” and often the place we inhabit shapes that habit. Sociologists call these “third spaces,” but we all know them as that one spot where your brain finally takes a holiday while you’re still technically adulting.

So, where do people actually live outside home and work? We asked people what their third space is and the answers were hilarious, relatable, and sometimes deeply aspirational.

“Honestly, Café One in Lagos. I come here at least three times a week, not just for the coffee but to actually think. It’s the only place I feel like I can breathe and plan without distractions. I realized it mattered when I noticed I’d become anxious at home, but here, I can reset.” Tobi, 27, Lagos

“My WhatsApp group chat with friends from uni. Even when I’m physically alone, it’s like a room full of people cheering me on or roasting me. During lockdown, I realized this space was my sanity. And honestly, without it, I probably would have been posting my diary entries publicly just to get validation.” Kemi, 24, Abuja

“The gym. I used to see it just as a place to work out, but over time it became my escape, my mental space. After a rough week at work, an hour there and everything felt manageable again. Plus, the occasional flex in the mirror counts as therapy.” Samuel, 32, Lagos

“My balcony. Ten minutes every morning with music and plants has become my meditation spot. I realized its impact when I started looking forward to those ten minutes more than anything else at home. Neighbors probably think I’ve lost my mind, but let them. Peace is priceless.” Chidera, 29, Port Harcourt

“The library. There’s something about being surrounded by books that makes me feel grounded. I didn’t understand its value until I was cramming for exams at home and couldn’t focus. Here, focus comes naturally. Also, I get to judge people silently. Bonus.” Ada, 21, Ibadan

“The beach in Cape Town. Watching the waves gives me calm and perspective. I didn’t realize how important it was until I moved back from a stressful job abroad. Pro tip: sand in your shoes is a small price for serenity.” Lethabo, 30, South Africa

“A little tea house in Accra. I go there to sketch and write. It’s a quiet bubble where city noise doesn’t reach me. Missed it for a month, and my creativity went MIA. Ghanaian tea vibes are better than stress vibes.” Nana, 26, Ghana

“The community art studio in Kigali. It’s where I meet like minded people and work on my projects. This space became vital when I was recovering from burnout. Who knew painting on canvas could be cheaper than therapy?” Aline, 28, Rwanda

“A café near my flat in London. More than coffee. It’s the ambiance, the people, the little corner I call mine. I realized its importance when my flat felt like a noisy tin can.” Jasmine, 25, London

“The local park. Jogging and sitting on a bench reading has become my therapy. I noticed I needed it when stress at work was too much, and this space was the only place I could decompress. Bonus: squirrels for company.” David, 31, Manchester

“My co-working space in Toronto. Sounds corporate, but it’s where I do my personal projects, meet friends, and think. I realized its value when I was forced to work from home and productivity nosedived. Who knew a desk could be so therapeutic?” Priya, 29, Toronto

“The gym in Brooklyn. Beyond exercise, it’s a mental reset. I didn’t appreciate it until I tried working from home full time and missed the routine that kept me sane. Also, those protein shakes are mood boosters. Science, I swear.” Marcus, 34, New York

Third spaces are not just physical locations. They are emotional anchors. Across continents and cultures, people are discovering that these spaces give them clarity, creativity, and calm. Whether it’s a café in Lagos, a balcony in Port Harcourt, or a park in Manchester, the places we inhabit outside our daily responsibilities are quietly shaping who we are.

As the urbanist Ray Oldenburg wrote in The Great Good Place, “Third places are the heart of a community’s social vitality.” They are spaces where we recharge, reflect, and relate, not to anyone else’s demands but to ourselves. Or in the words of your WhatsApp chat friends: a safe space to rant, laugh, and sometimes roast with zero judgment.

Maybe that’s the true power of the third space: the quiet freedom to just be.

We’ve come to the end of this installment of our Vox Pop series. Join us here next week for another serving of real stories from real people. If you’d like to contribute, head to our Instagram Stories on Thursdays and Saturdays, where you’ll find a form and our question of the week.

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On the 13th of November, 2025, as the internet buzzed with holy indignation over a new trove of emails further connecting Donald Trump with disgraced American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and newer but no less egregious allegations against Paystack co-founder Ezra Olubi, Don Jazzy, CEO of Mavin Records, readied himself for what has now become a familiar ritual: the unveiling of a new artist on the label’s roster. “Let me not take too much of your time,” he begins, “so, tonight, by 12 midnight, I'm going to be unveiling a new Mavin (artist) for you guys.” In the announcement clip, he looks characteristically jovial. Wearing a white shirt and lying prone, he instructs his armada of followers, nearly nine million people, to turn on their notifications in anticipation of the announcement. 

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True to form, the announcement video sparked conversation almost immediately. Before long, a curious horde had camped in the comments section of the post, guessing who the latest debutante on Mavin’s roster is. CupidSZN is his name. Around midnight, Don Jazzy and Mavin Records announced the light-skinned, blonde dreadhead—whose honeyed vocals perfectly fit the contours of both Afrobeats and R&B—as the label's latest signee. Congratulations were in short order for CupidSZN, supplied by fans and industry colleagues. But as the days wore on, what initially started on a festive note began to take on a censorious complexion. Several music enthusiasts and critics began pushing the narrative that acts on the label sound too similar. 

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By way of a video captioned “MAVIN roster feels due for a risk. My thoughts on the latest MAVIN signing,” music commentator Emman Owoniyi contributed to the conversation. “The (Mavin) roster right now, it just feels very… you can’t tell them apart,” he says. He concludes his diatribe by arguing that the label might want to consider signing a “street-adjacent act” in the lineage of Fola or TML Vibez. Adeayo Adebiyi, a music commentator at Pulse NG, also weighed in on the conversation arguing that Mavin Records “might be better suited to  floating a distro/label that will break the next street act than signing one themselves,” since the center “appears to have reached its elasticity point.” The vast majority of the critiques that have sprung up against the label in recent times have hewed close to Owoniyi and Adebiyi’s views. The result has been a self-propagating message inching towards a consensus position. 

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The recent popularity of this position—Mavin’s roster is too homogeneous and the label might benefit from signing a Street Pop act—notwithstanding, it falters because it wrongly diagnoses the problem. Consider Owoniyi’s assertion that “you can’t tell them apart.” This is categorically false. There’s no way Elestee can be mistaken for Ayra Starr, or Boy Spyce for Bayanni, or Rema for Crayon, or Magixx for Johnny Drille. One can run virtually any permutation of this exercise and arrive at the same conclusion: the artists in the label’s ranks are sufficiently distinct. 

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CupidSZN, the latest Mavin, has drawn comparisons to Boy Spyce and Rema. The truth however is that for the most part, the illusion of similarity between these artists and CupidSZN owes something to the natural human tendency to find patterns and processes that anchor new phenomena to existing ones. If you have followed the Nigerian music scene long enough you’d remember that Rema initially drew comparisons to Wizkid. There was a time when people would fight to the death that Joeboy and Fireboy sounded the same. Following her eponymous EP, Ayra Starr drew comparisons to Tems. Time has dispelled these allegations but at the time, those who made these claims would swear by their assertions. 

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Do Mavin artists, however, share certain similarities? Yes, of course. The label has a reputation for polished, radio-ready Afrobeats with strong pop sensibilities. But is this a problem? No. Most successful labels have clear-cut identities that inform the kinds of artists that make their roster. You think of Top Dawg Entertainment and what comes to mind is moody, lyrically dense Hip Hop/R&B. YBNL for the longest time was a bastion of Street Pop/ Indigenous Hip Hop. Young Money/Cash Money Records, in its heyday, had a roster of artists—Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga—who shared a tendency for melodic rap and lyrics dappled with themes of wealth, bravado, and excess. Building a label of artists that share a similar ethos is crucial for two main reasons: it allows the label to operate efficiently the same system—marketing plans, staff—can be used multiple times; it also breeds a shared identity among the artists. 

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Mavin Records however has a problem, one they have to solve to usher in a new age. To put it simply, the label is increasingly drifting away from the zeitgeist. Art exists, among other reasons, to hold a mirror to society. And often the most successful artists are those who are able to best embody the pulse of their generation. This is as true in the world of music as it is in film and visual arts. This is, however, a phenomenon that’s well understood and documented in the “structured” art world. It’s why art history is neatly sectioned into eras—Impressionism, Modernism, Post Modernism, and Contemporary art. The art of each era tends to share a similar aesthetic that reflects the zeitgeist of said era. 

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What then is the defining ethos of this world? In two words: radical authenticity. Think of the figures who have dominated global politics in recent times—Donald Trump, Nick Fuentes, Zohran Mamdani—what they share in common, regardless of their political positions, is an undeniable authenticity. These guys are the diametric opposite of establishment politicians, otherwise known as the political elites. They repudiate orthodoxy in favor of a rhetoric that feels both true to them and reflective of the fraught times we inhabit. 

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A similar ethos has washed over global popular culture. It’s why Timothy Chalamet’s ferment and Ayo Edebiri’s whimsy have resonated with global audiences. It’s also why in the Nigerian music industry artists like Odumodublvck, Rema, Ayra Starr, Seyi Vibez, Shallipopi, Mavo, and Zaylevelten, have wielded disproportionate influence over the music industry in recent times. Regardless of talent, style, or aesthetic, what these artists share in common is a faithfulness to being radically authentic.

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Ayra Starr is not just an uber-talented global popstar, she provides a vision of what a young African feminist navigating the vagaries of today’s world can look like. Rema assiduously probes the angst of contemporary youth. Omah Lay’s morose variety of Afropop—Afrodepression, if you may—speaks to a generation that has a million and one reasons to be adrift. Odumodublvck’s machismo feels at home with the anti-establishment spirit of our times, and Mavo and Zaylevelten are finding new ways of codifying Gen Z subjects. 

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By contrast, some of the younger artists on Mavin’s roster, many of whom are among the best singers/songwriters in the Afropop scene, are out of step with the zeitgeist. They don’t particularly tackle anything that reflects the unique times we live in. 

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Another way the label is out of step with this era’s demand for radical authenticity is how it unveils artists: the grand unveiling that we’ve come to know all too well. Being seen as part of a powerful establishment runs counter to the countercultural spirit of this era: it’s just not cool. Fans would rather sit with an artist in relative obscurity and gradually grow with them than listen to whoever the biggest label in the country tells them is the next big thing. A big unveiling just doesn’t work anymore, community-centered strategies and press runs aimed at providing an unfiltered version of the artist will prove more successful. 

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One reason for this is that artists now occupy a position previously reserved for religious and traditional figures. Fans don’t just want to listen to good music, they see their favorite artists as extensions of themselves and want to see themselves, or at least a part of themselves, reflected vividly in the music. It must be a very tricky position for the people at Mavin Records who are faced with the incongruity of seeing clearly talented acts constantly underperform. But the music industry in the past few years has undergone a radical shift. Radical authenticity, the ability to convey an earnest and non-conformist perspective on the zeitgeist, is now the most important quality for an emerging artist and if the label wants to usher in its new age, it has to fall in line with this new reality.

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The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is an annual hybrid convention of film makers, script writers and cinema enthusiasts created in 2010. The program focuses on highlighting unique and original visual stories from Africa and Africans based in diaspora. Besides film exhibitions, the event, which holds for longer than a day, provides a comfortable atmosphere for scouts, industry leaders, and upcoming talents in the entertainment industry to connect and share ideas. AFRIFF 2024, based on the theme, “Africans for Africa”, simultaneously clocked the initiative’s 10th anniversary and had over 500,000 individuals in attendance. This year, the event held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 2-8 November, with the theme; “Rhythms of the Continent: The Afrobeats Film Movement”.

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On the first day of the event, November 2, the opening ceremony held by 5:30 PM at Mikano, Victoria Island, Lagos, while the after party held in the late evening. ‘3 Cold Dishes’, a Pan-African film directed by Asurf Amuwa Oluwaseyi also showed at the opening.

For the next five days, film screenings across several categories occurred, and were viewed by live and online participants after prior registration.  The films were judged under certain categories –African and international features, short films, African and international documentaries, animations and student short films. Visuals with Nigerian origin predominated the categories, followed closely by Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. The international nominations carried a diverse selection; with African and pan-African movies from the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Morocco, Finland and Austria among others.

In between the film screenings, masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions, presentations, fireside chats and informative sessions about film-making according to country specifications were held. 

African Film and Content Market (AFCM), a debut initiative for film sales and marketing that kicked off in this year’s session, was held for three days at Twin Waters, Lagos. It provided a niche platform for film makers, studios, and producers to invest and collaborate in projects on a local and global scale. Participants were required to purchase tickets according to their role in the program. With support from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism, alongside private entities and foreign instituitions like MTN, Afremix Bank and the Japan Foundation, the program met up with expectations, and provided a lasting memory for all attendees.

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Despite the competition witnessed among the well-made nominated films, a winner was chosen from each category and awarded at the Globe Awards, which also doubled as the event’s finale. This year’s jury, led by Tim Mcneal, was made up of a multi-national set of actors and producers including Uche Jombo, Ranada Shepard, Stephen “Dr” Love, Andrea Voges, Jacqueline Lyanga, Kayode Jegede, Ahmed Al-Othman, and Carl Rambaugh.  

Some of the winning entries were ‘To Adaego with Love’, a Nigerian film directed by Nwakama Priscilla Chikezie, which, won Best Feature Film from Africa. Zoey Martinson won award for Best Director for The Fisherman, filmed in Ghana. The Day The Heart Died, by Russell Oru (Nigeria) won Best Short Film. 

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AFRIFF, Chioma Ude’s idea, has placed Nigeria at the center of African cinema, every year for the past decade. The theme and activities carried out this year are a testament to the continent’s potential as a source of striking, authentic stories. The provision of awards and recognition for international acts display homeliness, progressive movement and an extended hand for future collaborations beyond the continent. With 2025’s proceedings, it is clear that Afrobeats has become an embedded part of African art and culture, bearing an unshakeable weight in the film industry. It does make film enthusiasts wonder what AFRIFF 2026 holds in store.

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Botswana-born yet globally made luxury fashion and lifestyle entity, Koki Kamala, releases Tsodilo "Stories of the land” or Seriti “A Heritage in Spirit” their latest version of the heritage series. The collection represents intricately woven African heritage with sophisticated global craftsmanship to create modern day heirlooms. Creatively directed and designed by Koketso Chiepe, the brand distinguishes itself by focusing on timeless elegance, cultural authenticity, and sustainability, manifesting in a diverse range of products including meticulously crafted leather bags, artisanal jewelry, hand-woven textiles, and refined slow fashion which shows so well in this rendition of the brand’s storytelling.

In Setswana, Tsodilo is derived from the phrase “Lefelo la Tsodilo” which directly translates to “The rock that whispers”. This is an ode to Botswana’s concentrations of prehistoric San rock paintings at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Chiepe brilliantly translates this to tell stories of the land where she originated from but does not stop there and shares tales of the lands in which the pieces from this collection were crafted. 

It starts with the immediately obvious influence from Botswana’s land which is alive in history and spirit. The ancient rock art of Tsodilo and the flowing waters of the Delta shape this collection — each design a tribute to sacred heritage and the beauty of the landscape. With the bag and jewellery pieces Koki Kamala presents motifs of ancestral symbols, engravings, and textures into timeless luxury. Echoing the drawings as monograms popular to high end brands like Gucci or Louis Vuitton. 

From statement totes to finely detailed jewelry and free flowing tunic dresses, the Tsodilo Hills Collection is a bridge between past and present, each honoring sacred tradition while shaping a modern expression of African luxury. Then comes the inspiration from the country’s flora found in the Okavango Delta’s meandering rivers where water lilies are reimagined into sculptural earrings and two pieces resemble fluid forms that carry the beauty of Botswana’s living landscape.

Its other name is Seriti, meaning "spirit" or "essence" in Setswana, which speaks to the collection’s rootedness in heritage, memory, and identity. Still inspired by Botswana’s sacred landscapes, ancient traditions, and soulful beauty, each handcrafted piece honours the strength and spirit of where people come from. It’s a celebration of cultural pride, quiet power, and timeless design. Chiepe shares, “At the heart of our design. Each piece reflects a collaboration with heritage artisans.” In Indonesia the slow fashion brand creates woven textile from scratch and in Kenya, they  bead into sculptural dresses and hand-craft shoes and in India they massage and colour the leather designed bags. 

Koki Kamala is not a brand that releases every season because it takes time to make heirlooms. Heirlooms are fashion items the last through generations being passed down like culture like heritage. 

The brand recognises the need for preservation through craftsmanship and complex techniques as that is what holds each piece through the times. This dedication to ancestral techniques and ethical production solidifies Koki Kamala's position within a growing movement of luxury brands that prioritize artisanal collaboration and cultural preservation over mass production.

They presented the full collection as the closing show at Zim Fashion Week 2025, had the supermodel turned producer, Andiswa Manxiwa, shut down the runway and still gave a workshop on the business of intentional fashion. What stood out was the fluid silhouettes that mimic flowers moving in the wind, the bright summery hues, lengthy hemlines and the layers of pleats and tassels. For such a significant theme around Koki Kamala, the pieces are radiating with ease. One follower even commented, “It gave such a Versace feel but honestly thank you for making us see your world, your vision... Beautiful.”

The bulk of the apparel was hand stitched, spun on manually manoeuvred looms with hours of sequencing and speciality  beading. The french jargon would refer to and review this assembly of items as couture however this is the true nature of African fashion. “This is constructed by hand, made for life. The truest form of fashion is enduring value. Koki Kamala is the defining modern-day heirloom apparel, footwear, accessories and bags that carry beauty, meaning, and your future .” Says the Zim Fashion Week program on Koki Kamala in an instagram post during the 4 day long event.

Koki Kamala creatively honors African traditions while simultaneously embracing the nuances of modernity, thereby offering an innovative  perspective on contemporary luxury. Bringing steady manufacturing, preservation of craftsmanship and beauty inspired by nature together into one story of heritage.

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Alté lifted from the Latin word  alter, ‘other’ is the spirit of a generation unafraid to stand

Alté isn’t just a trend or a fashion statement; it’s a lifestyle, a mindset, and a movement reshaping how a new generation expresses itself. Short for “alternative,” Alté is a Nigerian slang that represents freedom of expression through any medium; whether it’s music, fashion, art, or lifestyle. It’s more than a look; it’s an attitude, a rejection of the ordinary, and a celebration of individuality.

As Alté pioneer TeeZee, rapper, singer-songwriter, and producer, told Red Bull:

“Alté is Nigerian lingo for ‘alternative,’ which means freedom of expression essentially through any medium.”

In fashion the Alté aesthetic mashes grunge, Y2K, goth, indie and boho into something both nostalgic and futuristic, expressive, fearless, deeply personal. A visual rebellion against conformity; a celebration of creative

Alté began as a rebellion against Nigeria’s conservative culture. While Millennials like TeeZee, Odunsi (The Engine), and Cruel Santino pioneered the movement, today’s Gen Z artists are carrying the torch, evolving the sound, and spreading the ethos globally. 

Lagos has become the cultural heartbeat of Nigeria, and in recent years, it has emerged as a crucial center for Gen Z creativity. From late-night raves to underground exhibitions, young Lagosians are redefining self-expression, breaking away from societal norms and creating spaces where individuality thrives. The city is more than just a creative hub; it’s a canvas for freedom, where Gen Z can experiment, collaborate, and express themselves without restraint.

Artists to Explore

If you’re ready to dive into Alté culture, here are some standout artists to explore:

1. Cruel Santino: Formerly known as Santi and Ozzy B, is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and director, and the creator of the collective Subaru Boys. He has been a driving force in shaping the Alté movement, blending Afrobeat, experimental electronic, R&B, and alternative pop to create genre-defying music. His storytelling extends beyond sound: through anime  and video game-inspired visuals, he crafts immersive worlds that push the boundaries of Alté aesthetics.

According to an interview with Billboard, in his concept album Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN, 

 “He presents a futuristic, underwater universe where wardens—known as Subaru Boys—carry out missions for a fictional government. The 21-track project is divided into narrative arcs, each punctuated by immersive sound design, including waves, explosions, sirens, and synthesized voices. This ambitious approach highlights his fearless experimentation and exemplifies Alté’s ethos of boundary-pushing creativity”. 

His Collabs : Alté Cruise with Odunsi, Adekunle Gold’s ‘Attack’, Odumudu’s ‘Dog Eating Dog’ cement his reach.

Photo Credits: Spotify 

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2. Odunsi (The Engine): Another key Alté pioneer, He is a singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer whose eclectic sound blends Afrobeat, R&B, and electronic elements. He is known for pushing creative boundaries while maintaining a distinct Alté aesthetic.

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3. Brazy : Also known as Afro Sexy, Brazy stands out in the Alté scene because she is a multilingual artist, singing in English, Yoruba, French, and Mandarin. Her versatility and fearless experimentation make her a unique voice within the movement. She has also shared her story and creative vision in an interview with Deeds Mag, offering insight into her approach to music and artistry.  WHO'S BRAZY?

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What started as a subculture among Nigerian secondary school students; a quiet rebellion against a conservative society, has transformed into a global creative movement. Alté now represents freedom: the power to express identities beyond societal expectations. The sound, fashion, and mindset have transcended Lagos, resonating with youth across Africa, the UK, and beyond.

From playlists in London to fashion collectives in Nairobi and art installations in New York, Alté’s influence continues to spread. It has become more than music or aesthetics; it’s a philosophy that celebrates difference and individuality. By merging tradition with experimentation, and local identity with global sensibilities, this movement is redefining what it means to be African, creative and unapologetically free.

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Ravington (born Temisayo Durojaye) first emerged as part of Nigeria's new wave, ushered by Alte pioneer Santi through his renowned streams. When Santi featured him on the song “Gates of Heaven” in February 2025, fans got their first taste of his sound. He has since proven that his range extends much farther. He seeks to establish himself as a distinctive voice in the modern afrobeats landscape.

Among peers like Mavo, Luwa.mp4, and Zaylevelten, Ravington stands apart. His music reflects old-school afrobeats wrapped in modern production, layered with an introspective depth that suggests wisdom beyond his years. There’s a maturity to his approach, a sense that he’s been here before. 

On his newest three-track EP, he offers a window into what he’s been crafting in the studio: what he simply calls “The Sound.”

Ravington opens with “Pray” , a melodic song with potential to be the hit of the whole project. Here, he channels his hunger for success “I used to pray for the days wey MAGA go pay / No be today wey we don dey pray o.” As seen with most of his works, the production commands attention; crisp, layered, and purposeful. The track sets the tone for an EP that balances raw expression with confident storytelling.

“The Sound” finds Ravington full of confidence, spreading the gospel of his artistry with bold proclamations: “You don’t know the Sound but it will go / overseas and over clouds to where it snows.” The assertive production and talk-your-shit energy echo the swagger of contemporaries like Rema in tracks such as ‘Kelebu’ , yet Ravington makes it uniquely his own. This is him planting his flag, staking a claim in the industry.

He closes with “Morph” a self-produced meditation on pain and perseverance.“I would do anything just to cure the pain / I did everything,” he confesses, flexing his rap versatility while bringing the project to a contemplative close. It highlights the balance between the bravado and vulnerability, showcasing the artist’s ability to craft an intimate connection with his audience.

What truly distinguishes Ravington is his hands-on approach to every aspect of his artistry. From production to visual identity, each project cover reflects deliberate thought about how imagery complements sound. In an era of oversaturated streaming playlists and disposable singles, Ravington's 360-degree creative vision is a reminder of the power of world building when artists take full control of their craft.

Beyond its sleek production and lyrical sincerity, ‘The Sound’ represents a pivotal step in Ravington’s evolutions. It’s the sound of an artist finding his land and owning it with conviction. As Nigeria’s new generation continues to redefine what Afrobeats can be, Ravington stands poised to become one of its most inventive voices.

There is a quiet intensity to the way IFE69 photographs the world. He notices the shift in colour when sunlight hits a wall, the mood of a neighbourhood at dusk, the story hiding in an everyday object. His vision has been shaped by sound, travel, long reflective walks, and the legacy of his grandfather’s Kodak cameras, which sparked his fascination with capturing time. Blending conceptual thinking with clean, intentional composition, he creates images that sit somewhere between reality and imagination. Nothing in his frame is accidental. Every photograph is built to hold feeling, perspective, and a sense of wonder that transforms the ordinary into something striking.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about who you are as a photographer?

“I am Ifeoluwa Ehianu Ofulue, a multidisciplinary photographer exploring colour, culture, and everyday environments. Music, my walks, travel, and my grandfather’s old Kodak cameras shaped the way I see. As a photographer, I am constantly searching for ways to turn familiar moments into something new. I like to create imagery that feels intentional, whether I am working on conceptual pieces or doing commercial work. My goal is always the same. I want to take what is right in front of me and shift it slightly so it becomes something meaningful. Something that carries emotion. I want people to look at my work and feel the honesty inside it, not just the technique.”

Why is it important for you to create photography that holds meaning or impact?

“It matters to me because images outlive moments. Long after a memory fades, the photograph remains. I want my work to carry feeling, memory, and a point of view. When I create, I am not thinking about trends or what people expect from me. I am thinking about intention. I want the work to stay honest. I want it to speak. A lot of my inspiration comes from music, from my walks, from the places I travel to, and from the cameras my grandad left behind. All these elements influence how I understand time and how I understand storytelling. So when I create, I try to pour all of that into the frame. The work should mean something. It should make someone pause, even if for a second.”

What themes, stories, or emotions do you try to capture through your photography?

“Transformation is at the centre of my work. I take familiar scenes and try to reveal a different perspective. I explore colour as emotion. I enjoy blending reality with a touch of the surreal, as if there is always a story happening just beneath the surface. When I photograph, I am thinking about how to make the everyday feel fresh, how to shift something just slightly so that it becomes reimagined. I am also drawn to quiet moments. Small details. Things people walk past without noticing. There is emotion in these spaces. There is history. So my work often tries to bring that out. I want my images to feel like a new world, even when they are rooted in the very ordinary.”

How does your photography connect to conversations, movements, or inspire change?

“My photography connects by highlighting cultural and environmental details that people often overlook. I believe change does not always have to be loud. Sometimes it starts with presence. When people slow down and look at their surroundings more carefully, they start to care more deeply about them. That is a form of awareness. My work encourages that kind of attention. It encourages people to see the beauty in small things, to recognise the rhythm in their environment. When someone views my photos and tells me they started noticing colours differently or paying attention to the atmosphere of their neighbourhood, that is impact to me. Creativity can shift how we move through the world. Even small shifts matter.”

What is something you want people to understand about you beyond the lens or beyond your photography?

“Beyond photography, I am someone who observes deeply. I pay attention to sound, memory, and environment. I am guided by curiosity. I spend a lot of time reflecting on how visuals shape emotion and how storytelling connects people. I think about intention a lot, not just in art but in how I move through the world. I want people to understand that the work comes from a real place. It comes from listening, from noticing, from feeling. I am not trying to chase perfection or acclaim. I am trying to create something lasting. Something that feels honest. Something that stays with people long after they stop looking at the image.”

Through his lens, IFE69 turns subtle moments into striking stories. His work captures not only what we see but what we sense, what we remember, and what we often overlook. Each image offers a quiet shift in perspective, a gentle reminder that the world holds more beauty than we realise. His photography shows that art is not simply about what stands in front of the camera, but the emotion, memory, and presence behind it. In the world of IFE69, every frame is intentional, every detail matters, and every photograph invites us to feel something true.

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When considering an artist who transcends musical trends and embodies poetic lyricism, one name immediately comes to mind: Wale. Born in Washington, D.C., and proud of his Nigerian heritage, his music is a vivid sonic tapestry where the weight of his upbringing and ancestry weave through his rhymes, complemented by rhythmic flows and meticulously selected beats. He is a genuine poet performing through the medium of sound.

The Culmination of "Gifted Week"

Wale recently hosted a triumphant homecoming that solidified his deep connection to the DMV area. The high-energy, sold-out show at The Anthem on November 14, 2025, served as the spectacular finale of his second annual "Gifted Week." The concert coincided with the release of his eighth studio album, Everything Is A Lot, showcasing his deep ties to both R&B and local culture through supporting acts like R&B singer Jeremih and D.C.'s own Go-Go powerhouse TOB. In the spirit of previous star-studded Wale concerts, the energy echoed the presence of other R&B greats like Mario and Lloyd—artists whose soulful contributions often define the tracks Wale performs.

The week itself was less a standard concert series and more a community celebration, featuring a youth football clinic, a sneaker design workshop, and a Black media panel—all aimed at celebrating and giving back to the vibrant DMV culture. During the performance, Wale delivered a high-energy, genre-blending set, moving across the entire stage to engage the massive, adoring crowd with hits spanning hip-hop, R&B, and pop.

Everything Is A Lot: The Power of Vulnerability

The new album arrives as a bold, vulnerable statement, offering a deep look at his intrusive thoughts. It follows a positive trend among artists who are sharing their truth and living in their authenticity, proving that while being authentic is hard, it is ultimately liberating. Everything Is A Lot serves as a personal exploration of mental health, the pressures of fame, personal growth, and the complexities of modern life. As Wale explained, "I called it Everything Is A Lot because that is how life feels sometimes. But in the madness, there is meaning."

The album emphasizes vulnerability and emotional depth, with Wale intentionally moving away from elaborate concepts to capture immediate, raw feelings. He revisits the self-aware and poetic style that characterized his earlier work like The Album About Nothing, using scattered introspection and audio clips to reflect on his journey as a seasoned veteran in hip-hop. The production features a diverse sonic palette, incorporating soulful samples, bluesy influences, R&B, and Afrobeats elements that connect to his Nigerian roots and D.C. foundation. Throughout, Wale addresses the challenges of maintaining attention in the age of algorithms and social media—an "uphill battle" he has faced since his debut album Attention Deficit.

The album features guest appearances from Shaboozey, Ty Dolla $ign, BNYX, Leon Thomas, Andra Day, and ODUMODUBLVCK. Notable tracks include the lead single "Blanco," where Wale addresses his past struggles with alcoholism, "Watching Us" featuring Leon Thomas, which honors the legacy of R&B music, and the closing track "Lonely" featuring Shaboozey, a stripped-back meditation on isolation and the search for peace.

An Artist for the Ages

What distinguishes Wale is his unyielding commitment to authenticity. He has never shied away from his history, his identity, or his core sound. Unlike artists who chase fleeting trends, Wale consistently produces music that feels deeply personal and true to his soul. He is, without a doubt, one of those artists whose work will endure for generations to come. His music doesn't simply follow what's popular—it establishes a genuine, almost spiritual connection with a fervent and deeply loyal fanbase centered on his cultural roots and exceptional storytelling.

Photos by Izeyah Narvaez @Koi._.Kai

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Taiwo Adeyemi spent nearly a decade managing individual creative careers before he began asking a deeper question: what if the real bottleneck isn’t talent, but the infrastructure around it? Through BoxxCulture, he helped film icon Nse Ikpe-Etim leverage her platform to advocate for women living with adenomyosis, guided chess world record holder Tunde Onakoya through raising a million dollars for children’s education during his Guinness World Record marathon, and  created Road2Blow; a documentary series that highlights the struggles talents endure on their journey to fame in the Nigerian entertainment scene.
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The work proved something important: you can connect visionary people to global stages. But the question that led to Polygon, the creative space he launched in 2024, asked for more. How do you build an ecosystem where those connections happen organically, repeatedly, and at scale?

A year in, the answers are taking shape, and Polygon doesn’t resemble a traditional creative hub. Its thesis isn’t built around desks or events; it’s built on designing for sustained co-creation. Polygon’s six first principles: space, access, collaboration, affordability, partnership, and flow function as operational filters. Every program is tested against whether it makes room for people who typically don’t have it, and whether it increases the kind of network density where photographers introduce designers to strategists, where musicians discover visual artists, and where passing conversations turn into long-term projects. That’s infrastructure, not community management.

The first anniversary event on October 30 2025, themed “Make Space,” brought this thesis to life. Adeyemi opened the day with a reflective presentation to partners and the People of Polygon, tracing the evolution of the space and revisiting Polygon’s first principles. The morning set the tone: this is a creative ecosystem, not a venue. Conversations spilled into a cocktail reception where collaborators explored what “the next shape” of the ecosystem should look like.

By noon, the day slowed into a wellness-centered session moderated by Angel Anosike, founder of Unpacked with Nay. Through mindful conversation, movement, and shared affirmations, the group examined gratitude as fuel for longevity, an antidote to the burnout cycle that shadows many creatives.

As evening approached, the community gathered around a long, communal table for a dining experience curated by La Soireé. Over shared plates and laughter, conversations circled around lessons from the first year, the responsibility of shared creative spaces, and what it means to build ecosystems that empower rather than extract. The celebration closed with a party anchored in music, art, and nostalgia.

Across the four sessions, one thing was clear: the People of Polygon help shape the culture that gives the space its identity. The recursive loop, where community contribution becomes community ownership, is the difference between a service and infrastructure.

Polygon’s next chapter makes its infrastructure thesis explicit. Polygon Social, the formalization of the network that already exists inside the space. The goal is to deepen collaborations, build a vibrant creative network, and scale Polygon’s impact across cities and disciplines through residencies, membership experiences, and new forms of communal connection.

Adeyemi’s own trajectory mirrors this philosophy. After dropping out of Civil Engineering to pursue graphic design, he built a multi-hyphenate career that led to his selection as a 2025 Skoll Fellow at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, joining 35 global changemakers. He now leads Losing Daylight, an initiative working toward Nigeria’s first museum dedicated to art and cinema history. His path reflects a different blueprint for African creatives, one that doesn’t follow the tired sequence of “go global, get discovered, come back.”  Instead: build locally, partner sustainably, scale thoughtfully, and let the model travel if it’s strong enough.

Lagos already has dozens of co-working spaces. But Polygon isn’t selling location or amenities. Its differentiation lies in designing infrastructure around how African creatives actually work, not around a Silicon Valley template built for freelancers and founders. The bet is that creatives don’t only need WiFi and a desk, they need a physical environment engineered for collisions, collaboration, reciprocity, and long-term community.
That’s harder to mass-produce, which is exactly why Polygon’s expansion plans prioritize depth over square footage. More residencies. More connective tissue. More multi-city integration. A network built from the inside out.

If the model succeeds beyond Lagos, Polygon becomes a template for African creative infrastructure, one designed for collaboration from the ground up. A space where creative collisions happen consistently enough that people keep showing up, keep connecting, and keep building. This is exactly what the industry needs.

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Following the release of his 2024 debut album UGLY, Dandizzy has spent much of this year sharpening his profile through an impressive run of singles and features. Collaborations with Duncan Mighty, Eeskay, and others have kept his name circulating across the mainstream and the underground, culminating in the arrival of his new EP, Life on the Wave. The 6-track project enlists Aguero Banks, Ajebo Hustlers, and Psycho YP. For an artist who has steadily climbed from Port Harcourt street freestyles to national recognition, this project feels like both a reaffirmation of his consistency and a moment of creative recalibration. 

The EP opens with “Nobody” a record that immediately signals that Dandizzy is operating from a place of emotional maturity and introspective clarity. Over a trumpet-leaning instrumental that swells with warmth and melancholy, he trades his trademark rap grit for a vocal performance rooted in vulnerability. He reflects on his grind, the necessity of evolution, and the pressure that accompanies ambition. The track’s mid-tempo structure and melodic progression create a soft landing into the project, marking a notable departure from the rugged hip-hop textures that typically define his catalogue. Here, he demonstrates a willingness to be led by melody, resulting in one of his most emotive performances yet.

The transition into “Trouble” is seamless as the beat subtly nods to the Banku Music era of 2016/17, echoing Mr. Eazi’s breezy cadence with a soulful chorus that foregrounds the survival instincts and day-to-day resilience required of a rap artist navigating Nigeria’s fragmented music ecosystem. While the hook leans into softness, Dandizzy’s verse tightens the grip, slipping into a confident braggadocio that balances introspection with swagger. His delivery is clean, measured, and rhythmically locked in, showing he can inhabit genre-adjacent spaces with comfort.

By the time the first two tracks settle, one might assume the EP aims for a largely melodic, mid-tempo direction, which is quite a surprising pivot for an artist like Dandizzy. Yet, this also becomes a testament to his adaptability in a constantly shifting musical landscape. The tone changes swiftly with “I.N.E.F.A” featuring Aguero Banks, which reintroduces Dandizzy’s core hip-hop identity. Over a subtly bouncy instrumental, both rappers glide with an assured fluidity. Their back-and-forth exchange creates a kinetic dialogue  steeped in lifestyle reflections, personal highs and lows, and a mutual assertion of status. The chemistry is palpable, positioning this track as one of the EP’s standout moments.

“Senior Man” shifts the energy once more, diving headfirst into an Amapiano foundation built on heavy-duty kicks, shakers, and pulsating log drums. The instrumental pulls the listener into a more atmospheric, nightlife-driven space. Dandizzy thrives here, adopting a confident, chest-out delivery as he brands himself the “Senior Man” a figure of authority across the streets, the night scene, and his romantic escapades in which the dynamic production allows him to stretch through with ease. The tempo eases on “Intruder,” which features Ajebo Hustlers and stands as one of the project’s most emotionally textured collaborations where the PH Boys meet. Piego leads with sultry, melodic vocals that set a reflective, romantic tone. Dandizzy enters with narrative precision, weaving a story that plays to his strengths in imagery and cadence. Knowledge adds a distinctive rap dimension, enriching the track with the duo’s signature Port Harcourt imprint. The interplay between Piego’s singing and the rappers’ alternating Pidgin-driven deliveries forms a cohesive, compelling record that highlights Dandizzy’s capacity for synergy.

The EP closes with “Benz Bop” featuring Psycho YP, a collaboration that leans more into pop-influenced, mid-tempo production than one might expect from two rappers known for sharper edges. Yet this unexpected choice works in their favour. Both artists navigate the beat with ease, creating a smooth, sonically rich closer. Their vocal interplay is sleek, polished, and intentionally understated, prioritizing groove over aggression. It becomes a satisfying final note, emphasizing fluidity rather than force.

‍Life on the Wave ultimately presents Dandizzy from a refreshed creative angle  that pushes him beyond the familiar confines of sharp-edged rap into a broader, more considered approach to collaboration and genre exploration. Across the six tracks, he experiments with emotional openness, melodic structure, and adaptive delivery in ways that feel intentional rather than performative. This EP reveals an artist not just trying to prove versatility, but actively using collaboration as a lens to access new textures, new moods, and new shades of his artistry. What becomes even more striking is how these collaborations reshape the narrative of Dandizzy’s growth. Instead of merely attaching features for variety, he engages each guest artist as a creative partner whose presence influences the direction of the music. His work with Ajebo Hustlers reveals a softer, more narrative-driven side; Psycho YP brings out his smooth, mid-tempo adaptability; and most importantly, his track with Aguero Banks stands as a defining moment on the project. Their performance on “I.N.E.F.A” is a showcase of two of the country’s most in-form rappers locking into razor-sharp chemistry, an exchange that elevates the song from a simple collaboration into a cultural checkpoint for contemporary Nigerian rap. It is the kind of link-up that makes a compelling case for more joint ventures between the two. Overall, Life on the Wave offers a clear signal of where Dandizzy is headed: toward a more expansive identity built on emotional range, collaborative intelligence, and a keen ear for genre fusion. It is a project that widens his artistic frame and leaves the listener hoping to see him deepen these new directions. 

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Nine years after his debut Homecoming, JoulesDaKid returns with University of Lamba, an institutional project where streetsmarts, swagger, and stylistic experimentation form the core curriculum. The 17-track Hip-Hop body of work gathers a diverse class of collaborators; Prettyboy D-O, Ice Prince, Major AJ, SGaWD, Mojo AF, Tsuni, Ajebutter22, and BankyOnDBeatz, each contributing their own energy to this sonic campus. Rooted in Nigerian street nuance while leaning confidently on UK stylistic sensibilities, the album plays like both a memoir and a thesis.

The journey begins with “Orientation Day” , a cinematic skit that ushers listeners through the gates of this metaphorical university. It sets the tone for a guided tour into JDK’s worldview. From there, the syllabus kicks off with “MMTS (More Money Than Sense)” a bass-heavy Hip-Hop entry where JDK raps like someone fully aware of his own shine. He flexes with intention, laying down braggadocio not as empty boasts but as measured affirmations of a man operating in full command of his craft. The energy shifts seamlessly into “Nico Town” where JDK rides a drill instrumental with the confidence of someone straddling two worlds. He lets his Mainland identity bleed through every pocket of the beat, grounding his UK-influenced flows with Nigerian grit. His decision to stay rooted, even while stretching his sound across borders, becomes a central theme. The album’s pulse elevates on “Bo Card” featuring Prettyboy D-O. Over a heavy Amapiano backdrop, both artists glide with the ease of men who have weathered the chaos of Lagos nightlife and returned with trophies. It’s a song about money, motion, and milestones. An anthem for anyone who has ever felt themselves leveling up in real time.

Comic relief cuts through with “Course Registration Wahala” a humorous skit that doubles as a crash course in street etiquette. Its playful energy transitions into “10 Bottles” featuring Ice Prince, where the Amapiano shakers carry the record like a procession into the late-night dancefloor. JDK clearly builds this one for DJs—rhythms that reward repetition and a hook that slides into the bloodstream. Ice Prince complements the record effortlessly, almost indistinguishable from the fabric of the chorus—proof of chemistry years in the making. “Fake Love” with Major AJ stands out as one of the album’s most inventive fusions as a  meeting point between Afrobeats warmth and rap’s narrative hardness. Major AJ’s cadence dances across the percussion, chanting against insincere affection, while JDK delivers a technically sharp verse layered with vivid storytelling. It’s the kind of collaboration that reveals depth with every replay. 

Another skit, “Exam Day” swings the album back into its comedic undertones, an interlude steeped in the kind of exaggerated panic and coded street wisdom that anyone familiar with Nigerian culture can instantly relate to.  The Amapiano pulse resurfaces with renewed intensity on “Italia” featuring SGaWD, a record that balances groove and grit. SGaWD enters like a spark, over the shakers and thumping log drums, she moulds her tone carefully, switching between sultry assurance and pointed delivery, while JDK stays nimble beside her, interpolating slick rap cadences with pop-leaning melodies. The chemistry is measured yet exciting, the kind that feels like two artists building a bridge between swagger and elegance. Drill returns with full force on “Omo Yoruba” featuring MOJO AF, easily one of the album’s most explosive pairings. Here, both rappers sound like fighters entering an arena with ironclad flows, gravel in their voices, and an aggressive synergy that makes every bar feel like a blow struck in unison. 

The emotional tide of the album shifts noticeably as the narrative steps into softer terrain with “Reconnect” featuring Tsuni and “Stubborn” featuring Ajebutter22. “Reconnect” is built on airy synths and warm percussive accents, giving Tsuni the perfect backdrop to spill vulnerable truths. Her vocals stretch like silk over the instrumental, carrying the ache of longing and the desire to rebuild fractured intimacy. JDK responds with verses that feel more journaled than performed lines dipped in regret, clarity, and understated affection. On “Stubborn,” Ajebutter22 reinforces this emotional pivot with his signature laid-back charm. He floats effortlessly over the beat, almost conversational in tone, as he navigates themes of love, resistance, and emotional negotiation. JoulesDaKid complements him with introspective reflections, opening small windows into a personal life that had previously been guarded by bravado.  After a curriculum dominated by hustle, masculine posturing, and street-coded survival, these two tracks gently dismantle the armour, revealing softer, untouched corners of JDK’s psyche. It’s a deliberate decrescendo, one that humanizes the protagonist and rounds out the album’s emotional arc with maturity and intention.

The closing arc begins with “Confidence Before Compliments” a top tier record where JDK peels back layers of experience. His delivery is passion-soaked, weighing personal hurdles, industry turbulence, and moments of self-realization. It plays like a diary entry written at dawn, very honest, unfiltered, and resolute. The campus tour winds down with “Finisher” featuring BankyOnDBeatz, a percussion-driven Street-pop cut loaded with lamba and nightlife energy. It’s fun, fiery, and celebratory and acts as a fitting prelude to the final skit, “Graduation Day.” Here, JDK closes the loop, awarding the listener a metaphorical Lamba degree for making it through his conceptual institution.

University of Lamba is a layered and ambitious album that thrives on its thematic consistency. JoulesDaKi constructs an entire world  where skits serve as academic checkpoints, genres cross-pollinate like interdisciplinary studies, and each feature adds texture to the narrative. At its best, the album is a fusion of street wisdom, UK influence, and Lagos bravado, wrapped in a conceptual framework that gives the project both personality and purpose. This is JoulesDaKid presenting an album built as a full-fledged institution, one where he becomes professor, student, and storyteller simultaneously, guiding us through every corridor of his sonic campus.

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The journey to Summer Walker’s Finally Over It is one fans have been on since the R&B songstress first teased the follow-up to 2021’s Still Over It. The latest offering is the final instalment of her Over It trilogy, which began back in 2019 with her debut album. The three albums have soundtracked Summer's journey of love, heartbreak, motherhood and everything in between. 

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Finally Over It feels like an absolute chapter of growth for Summer, who offers a mature, grown-up version of herself, coming through not just in the album's lyrical content. But also through herself artistically and creatively. Not one to shy away from her feelings or from being in the public space, she has had issues with social anxiety. She has navigated her fame experience, including how she interacts with fans and how she has been a successful artist. 

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Throughout the years, we have seen how that has impacted her, whether at her live shows or in situations that call for her to deal with large crowds. However, the love and support her fans have shown her have always been clear, and even at this point, it is clear that it has been well worth the wait for everybody involved.

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The 18-track album is a journey in two parts. The first half, titled ‘For Better’, is a powerful testament to empowerment and self-love. It's about choosing oneself and putting oneself first. The second half, ‘For Worse’, is a raw, honest account of pain and heartbreak. It reflects the experiences that have shaped Summer's journey to this point. 

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Laced with features and offering a wide variety of sounds and vibes, we get across the project. “Robbed You” sees her and Mariah The Scientist reflectively speaking on what should’ve been done to an ex after the disrespect caused throughout the relationship; their energies match up and complement each other. “1-800 Heartbreak” has her and Anderson. Paak speaks on the experience of getting over heartbreak and what that looks like, and on what it feels like, in a way that feels refreshing, before Anderson offers a different perspective on said heartbreak. Bryson Tiller, who is no stranger to pairing sonically with Summer, as evidenced by their previous offering “Playing Games”, is back with “Give Me A Reason”, a love song that shows appreciation for choosing the right person. “Allegedly” blends Summer and Teddy Swims' voices, each speaking to the feelings of two perspectives on being in love and what that feels like for the two of them.

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Outside of her collaborative moments, the solo performances, which appear on 8 of the 18 tracks, feel like some of the moments where she can just shine on her own. From the Beyoncé interpolated “No,” which flips Beyoncé's “Yes” and sees her finally putting her foot down with her partner, saying no and not accepting the behaviour, which is a disservice to herself. “Situationship” is also a more R&B, acoustic moment where she expresses her feelings about being in a complicated situationship, feeling like she deserves more, and not wanting to put herself in that situation anymore. Fuck My Type, “FMT as titled, is a standout in the listening experience and feels like a SZA’s Nobody Gets Me, but almost country-esque when you first press play in its soft and gentle melodies. Its lyrical content sees Summers “trading her broken heart for a good life”. It is a message of empowerment and a moment of self-reflection, leaving behind what has always been her norm—choosing the wrong type of guy—and instead wanting to do better herself and to deserve the right type of guy. “Stich Me Up” is another moment of honesty about her vulnerability and fears in a new relationship, having been broken by her past experiences and “needing somebody to stitch me up and pick me up when I’m down”. The title track, album closer “Finally Over It,” is an orchestral moment that feels like the dramatic end of a movie—the movie being the experiences that have shaped Summer over the last few years of her life. As the theme of the album's artwork ties to the idea of marriage, the marriage is between the various sides of summer and the experiences she has had that have shaped her in the moment she is in.

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As you listen to Finally Over It. Having been on the journey with the last two albums, it feels like a different Summer we met in 2019 —not only in the lyrical content, which feels more open and vulnerable than we have previously seen from her, but also sonically. There is a softness you hear in the strings' instrumentation, and a more acoustic, gentle sound that, in itself, feels like a reflection of where Summer is and how she is really over it and ready for the next chapter.

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A POV on Lagos being at the forefront: where African fashion meets global ambition

Lagos Fashion Week has never been just a runway. It is a pulse point for creativity, a barometer for cultural expression, and increasingly, a testing ground for what modern African luxury could become. The conversation is shifting from aesthetics to architecture: how do we build a fashion economy that honours artistry while delivering commercial longevity and global cultural influence.

Nigeria’s fashion talent has always been undeniable. From the sculptural romance of Sisiano and the refined heritage minimalism of Kilentar, to the playful craft coded universe of LoveFromJules, the intellectual design language of Orange Culture, and the intentional feminine strength of Orire and Kadiju. These designers are not seeking external validation. They are building worlds rooted in identity, culture, and vision.

The creativity is not the question. What is missing is the infrastructure to protect it. Distribution, scaled production, financing models built for creative businesses, and long term retail systems that match the ambition. Nigerian fashion does not have a scaling problem. It has a scaffolding problem. Here, talent evolves faster than the ecosystem built to support it.

And yet, in this tension, opportunity lives. Every global fashion capital had to develop muscle slowly. Paris built couture before commerce. Milan built industry before glamour. New York built media before mythology. Lagos is building intention first, and its pace is not a weakness. It is a strategy grounded in cultural intelligence.

This clarity is beginning to translate on the global stage. Lagos Fashion Week being named a finalist for the Earthshot Prize reinforces something the industry here has long understood: sustainability in Africa is not a trend, it is tradition. Designers repurpose textiles, work with artisanal communities, prioritise ethical production, and build circularity through necessity and philosophy, not marketing. The global luxury industry is racing to rediscover values Lagos never abandoned: responsibility, community, craftsmanship, and longevity. That recognition signals the future.

Across the continent, fashion consumers are maturing. They are seeking brand worlds, not just garments. Cultural credibility, not just price. Intimacy, traceability, and narrative depth. Lagos designers, unlike many global houses, do not have to relearn proximity to their audience. Community has always been the foundation here. Now it simply must evolve into structured loyalty ecosystems, cinematic retail storytelling, and digital spaces that feel as intentional as physical ones.

The runway to retail conversation is no longer about “will Nigerian fashion scale?” but rather what version of scale makes sense for this market. Traditional wholesale paths are limited. Ecommerce is growing, but logistics, returns culture, and banking friction remain real obstacles. Lagos does not scale through volume. It scales through intimacy: capsule collections built with meaning, ceremonial trunk shows, private order systems, and collaborations across art, beauty, design, and hospitality. Brands in Lagos do not need to chase the European model. They are building an African luxury logic that is slower in production, sharper in identity, intimate in audience connection, and globally relevant through storytelling and cultural authority, not scale alone.

The future of Nigerian fashion will be shaped by long horizon investment, small batch manufacturing hubs, transparent pricing education, and direct to client business models that reward emotional connection and shared values. The brands that endure will not be those who rush toward visibility, but those who construct foundations strong enough to hold vision over time, allowing creativity to expand without collapsing under urgency or external pace.

Lagos fashion is not in infancy. It is in its architectural phase. The blueprint is being drawn, the scaffolding is rising. What we are witnessing is not the beginning, but the refinement. And those who build patiently, intentionally and with cultural intelligence will define what modern African luxury looks like to the world.

And Lagos, in all its beauty, tension and ambition, is doing what every great fashion capital once did.
It is choosing to build legacy, not noise.

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