"SFTOS" to "Made in Lagos": THE WIZKID TRANSITION

As originally posted on Culture Custodian on May 11, 2018

2018 has been quite an interesting year already for the Nigerian entertainment industry. From Lagos Fashion Week to Headies 2018, there have been many exciting things taking place. One of the cool things to watch has been Wizkid’s music release spree. Fans are having a free for all with Wizkid vocals that seem to be coming in nonstop during 2018.  For the last few years, we have celebrated our star boy’s international campaign that included him performing on some of the world’s most popular stages, recording/releasing singles with the globe’s most renown acts, and receiving nods/accolades at the biggest award shows worldwide.  At the moment, it appears the thriving pop star has taken a break from the sounds from the other side and is mingling more with those made in Lagos. We’re loving it! Let’s take a look into a few of these new, fresh vibes!

~ SOCO ~

Wizkid came cruising into the new year with this smooth, club banger and fresh additions to his StarBoy roster – Terri, Spotless, and Ceeza Milli. Terri is a newfound talent Wizkid discovered on Instagram, while Spotless is a skilled musician Wizkid collaborated with on Tekno’s single "Mama" late last year.  Ceeza Milli is a rising act that many Nigerian music lovers have been anticipating a mainstream breakthrough. Each of these artists delivered attention-grabbing verses around Wizzy’s sweet hook. Shoutout to Northboi for his craftsmanship on the instrumental. The record was a stellar 2018 debut for the StarBoy imprint, and leaves music lovers anticipating more from the crew.

~ NOWO ~

Shortly after "Soco", DJ Spinall released a flavorful vibe with Wizkid titled "Nowo". This is not the first CAP x StarBoy collab, but definitely the best! Newest hitmaker in town, Killertunes infused the most harmonious combination of instruments to make a really dope beat. The song has an infectious bounce with Wizzy's nimble, Yoruba flows. This track will surely be among the most highly rated party jams of 2018!

~ COMMANDO ~

"Commando" is a new Mut4y single, the follow up to his debut/party starter – "Manya"! It’s commendable that Wiz is very involved in one of his primary beatmaker’s (Legendury Beatz) transition into artistry. Unlike "Manya", this record has a rather chill energy. The highlight of this song for me is the give & take or call & answer that Wiz and Ceeza utilize on the melodious hook.  Shoutout to Spellz for the production on this – he’s really skilled at making these chill vibes for Wiz to experiment and create remarkable, feel good songs – i.e. "Ma Lo", "Picture Perfect".