Wizkid knew he didn’t need the energy that welcomed him when he hit the stage at a few minutes past one at Eko Convention Center, Lagos. Spread out for as far as he could see, were beautiful tables, lined with rich people who had paid for the concert that was sold as a “VIP Experience.”…

I hate tables in front of the stage at concerts. I hate the fact that there are spaces to sit closest to a pop musician whose very performance set is designed...

“Adekunle Gold omo kosoko,” the 79th element band chanted and raised the energy as they hit the stage. This was the final night of AG Live, his concert which had played for three days at the TerraKulture, Lagos. It was a move that was new. End of year concerts in Lagos have a typical format;…

“Kill the lights!” One of the hosts of the night, Ehiz, ordered everyone at the Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. Mayorkun was working his way through the maze of security and handlers, and friends who came out to support him. As everywhere went dim, a stage screen cued in a countdown, starting from 10.…

The air feels different in Lagos. The streets are crawling with the Christmas revellers who joined flights from around the globe to this city, where they will chase an entire spectrum of entertainment for the holidays. They will indulge in all the city has to offer. Most will wake up to mornings, filled with hangover…

Over the past three months, I did something I have always wanted to do but had little time for. I started work on understanding the music industry in relation to the different movements that make up the great hub of pop music in Lagos, Nigeria. I discovered that while everyone talks about creativity and expression as the foundation of their artistry, only one group truly applies it as a collective spirit.

When Davido wakes up in the morning and goes through his feed on social media, he definitely finds pockets of critics. People who bear grudges in their heart against his involvement in the Osun State 2018 gubernatorial election. They don’t attack him directly with the politics. They come right at him in little doses, hiding…

20 million streams! That’s the figure on the Spotify screenshot that Mr Eazi shared of his latest EP, “Life is Eazi Vol.2: Lagos To London.” As the praise poured in, and he lapped it up, running victory laps from Twitter to Instagram, we are sucked into the moment. This is genuine, measurable success, and no…

I watched Teni Makanaki perform a headline set, last week at Art X Live, a concert offering by Art X Lagos. She was impressive. People hung to her words. Her movement carried with it a palpable confidence.

When musicians go to bed at night, what do you think is the most dominant thought that lingers before they drift off to sleep? Why do you think they wake up daily, create the music they sell and put in all this effort into creating a piece of art that you interact with? You think…

Back in primary school, I had a teacher I fondly called Aunt Charity. She was the most awesome human being. Never had a frown, corrected us in love, and had treats when we performed exceptionally at school work. But one day, she got angry at me. I wasn’t a perpetrator of some childhood mischief. I…

I had a conversation with one of Nigeria’s most famous music makers. He doesn’t want his name to be mentioned in this story, but he laid some of his truth out for me. He loves watching artists like JAY-Z continue to make music late into their careers and their lives continue to inspire him. But…