Amidst the heightened festivities of December last year, fumes of controversy and adversity had risen, threatening to cause a rift between the symbiotic and filial relationship between neighbourhood West African countries, Ghana and Nigeria. Brewed by controversial Ghanaian dancehall sensation, Shatta Wale’s utterances touching on the Nigerian music industry and media seemingly not showing enough love to their Ghanaian counterparts, it had also swirled up in its wake, several discourses, highlighting the many strategies Nigerian musicians and its presiding industry had taken to see to the supremacy of their music. One of such strategies includes collaboration which essentially amplifies the strengths of all parties involved across their fanbases and is an exchange of co-signs by so doing. To highlight the power of collaborations and how they’ve helped strengthen the relationship between Ghana and Nigeria, here’s a list of 18 unforgettable Nigerian and Ghanaian music collaborations, from the early 2000s to recent times: 

Unforgettable Ghana and Nigeria Music Collaborations;

1. Fefe Na Fe- Tic Tac ft. Tony Tetuila, 2004

A line from an Ashanti proverb, Fefe na efe had already been demystified by the late Fela Kuti to mean ‘it is the beauty of a woman.’ And then when the Ghanaian hiplife musician Tic Tac had recruited Nigeria’s Tony Tetuila on a similarly titled record, they’d put out something so fresh and evergreen, a brief listen will act as an instant memory recall of the song for Ghana and Nigeria-born 90s babies and millennials. 

An ode to the beauty of a woman, Fefe Na Efe can stand toe-to-toe with the latest African woman appreciation songs out in recent times. 

2. My Love- Tuface, now 2Baba and VIP, 2006

Once upon a time in Nigeria, Ghanaian music had been all the rave, with radio stations and DJs putting records from the country on heavy rotation. In that era, Ghanaian highlife and hip-hop trio, VIP had been a favourite, leading with songs like Ahomka Womu and more. 

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ALSO READ: The 10 Best 2Baba Songs Ranked

In 2006, Tuface, now known as 2Baba, whose artistry had begun to expand beyond African shores off the back of his African Queen smash hit, had put out My Love together with the group, it had been a spirited and up-tempo boy-band sounding affair that had captured the market Ghanaian and Nigerian market as not just another Tuface hit, but an evergreen cross-continent love anthem. In fact, the record was so loved that even little kids with the faintest inkling about love never failed to sing along as wholeheartedly as if they were a member of the Ghanaian group or even the softly crooning Tuface himself.

Unforgettable Ghana and Nigeria Music Collaborations;

3. Two Women- Tony Tetuila ft VIP, 2006

Further proof of VIP’s star power back in the days was their collaboration with Nigerian star, Tony Tetuila, who was himself formerly one of three of the Remedies. Tony Tetuila also a chart blazer, had before that given the airwaves Omode Meta, My Car and his feature on Tic Tac’s Fefe Na Efe. So back then in the early 2000s, this collaboration was a hand joining of two music heavyweights to create an unforgettably hip record that speaks on a unique dilemma; being in love with two women. 

Two Women had had such an impact on the airwaves that right from the intro which goes ‘Sele, sele, Ghana, Naija, let’s go,’ everyone knew it was party time. 

4. Kiss Your Hand- R2Bees ft. Wande Coal, 2009

In present time Lagos state and at a gathering of young Nigerians, a certified way to get them on their feet is to put on the Wande Coal-featured Kiss Your Hand dancehall-inflected hiplife record by R2Bees. You turn the volume all the way up from the adlibs on the intro that go ‘Ratata! It’s Wande Coal!’ And watch the party get started. 

Such was and still is the Black Diamond and R2Bees effect, making a Ghana-Nigerian collaboration that is not only unforgettable but incredibly iconic. Ironically, Wande Coal himself had before that put out a similarly titled record as one of the masterpieces off his debut album, Mushin 2 Mohits, but as fate would have it, it was the cultural exchange that would be the anthem and the soundtrack of the 90s baby’s childhood. 

5. Becca- No Away ft M.I Abaga, 2012

In 2012, Becca, one of Ghana's top vocalists decided that the men had had too much fun representing Ghana all by themselves where the Ghana-Naija musical crossovers were concerned and stepped in to put her spin on things.

For this, she'd recruited iconic rapper, M.I Abaga, moulding him into a lover boy for their romantic collab on No Away which was soon followed by equally moving vocals that had shippers rooting for the duo.

6. Slow Down- R2Bees ft. Wizkid, 2013

Hiplife was at the very core of Ghanaian music back in the noughties and 2010s and the R2Bees duo made up of Mugeez and Omar Sterling had greatly blessed the subgenre not only with their talent but with era-defining collaborations. This is a feat they sealed four years after their Kiss Your Hand smash hit, this time with a slow-paced number that travelled past being for lovers alone to being for music lovers as Ghanaians and Nigerians everywhere crooned along to Wizkid’s laidback lines on the song and then to rap song lines from R2Bees. 

The official video of Slow Down which marked Wizkid’s entry into continental currently sits on 21 million views on YouTube as a slight testament to the power that this collaboration holds. 

ALSO READ: Davido to the World; His 10 Best International Collaborations Ranked!

Unforgettable Ghana and Nigeria Music Collaborations;

7. Skin Tight- Mr Eazi ft. Efya, 2015

In the late 2010s, a sound had infected the airwaves of Ghana and Nigeria and it was the Ghanaian-bred Banku music, pioneered by Mr Eazi, a cultural hybrid of his Nigerian roots and time studying in Ghana. The sound had begun its circulation following the release of his Juls-produced and Efya-assisted single Skin Tight, done up in his Banku style which he described as a mix of Ghanaian expressions and Nigerian chord progressions. 

Juls and Efya both being Ghanaians, had been the perfect collaborators for the track, with Juls who’d reached out to him earlier on in his career, serving as a catalyst to the growth of Eazi’s sound and Efya becoming a long-running Nigerian collaborator afterwards. 

Skin Tight by Mr Eazi had not only grown into a smash hit, but was an entire cultural reset and era for Nigerians and Ghanaians, both consumers and creators as it influenced a lot of choices from then on and remains a favourite till now. 

8. Hollup- Mr Eazi ft Joey B and Dammy Krane, 2015

In 2015, you didn’t need a whole lot to have a good time in a gathering of young people, granted you had a source of playing music at amplified volumes and they promptly heard Mr Eazi quip ‘You think say di world dey revolve around your bumbum?’ over the kicks looped in the instrumentals that punctuated Mr Eazi’s vocals and just before Dammy Krane’s Fuji like vocalisation, Joey B’s even-paced yet arresting rap to wrap in one of the biggest records of the year.

That was the effect of the Mr Eazi Hollup collab joint, we daresay it still holds sway till date.

9. Anointing- Mr Eazi ft Sarkodie, 2016

The Mr Eazi-influenced Banku era had witnessed a resurgence of Ghanaian and Nigerian collabo/rations that created several smash hits with a markedly slower beat count that would normally not have climbed to such levels. Anointing by Mr Eazi featuring Sarkodie was one of such records and had partly due to the cosign from the Ghanaian OG rapper, simultaneously reigned over the airwaves even while Skin Tight featuring Efya also did. 

It’s safe to say in this era, that the Ghana and Nigerian collaborations were not only iconic, but the vibes themselves, immaculate.

Unforgettable Ghana and Nigeria Music Collaborations;

10. Daddy Yo- Wizkid ft. Efya, 2016

In late 2016, Wikzid had dropped Daddy Yo as the precursor to his then forthcoming third studio album, Sounds From the Other Side. A dancehall infused pop- affair that was heady and irresistible, it had Ghanaian Efya on the backup vocals, creating the perfect aura for the record which became a continental hit as well as an end of the year jam. 

11. Dance For Me- Eugy, Mr Eazi, 2016

2016 also saw Ghanaian British singer, Eugy team up with Mr Eazi who had been the rave of the moment to make a certified dancehall banger. But this time around, the impact had been felt more by Africans in the diaspora, with the song’s dance challenge snowballing into a sub-movement while the song itself was recognised as a sure party starter.

12. No Kissing Baby- Patoranking ft. Sarkodie, 2016

Much like the opening of a portal, the boon in the Ghanaian and Nigerian music scene as influenced by their collaborations, had led to a further increase in collaborations during the period and it had given us the Patoranking banku-inflected dancehall anthem, No Kissing Baby. Making Patoranking’s first international collab, it had given Ghanaians and Nigerians one of the smoothest Sarkodie guest verses even while he enjoyed an insane run in the music scene.

Unforgettable Ghana and Nigeria Music Collaborations;

13. Painkiller- Sarkodie ft Runtown, 2017

Years after the cataclysmic success of Runtown’s Mad Over You record, the singer would admit that it was a blessing and a curse. While he meant the latter as a result of the weight of expectations it left behind, it was undoubtedly a blessing in its establishment of the blend of Ghanaian Banku and Igbo Highlife that was soon reapplied to create Sarkodie’s Painkiller. 

On Painkiller, the rapid-fire spitting Sarkodie had flowed at par with Runtown’s chill tempo to cement the chokehold that the Ghanaian-originated Banku music had had on the airwaves of the countries and had given music lovers an unforgettable anthem.

14. Na Wash- Becca ft Patoranking, 2017

A leading lady in a male-dominated scene, Becca had put out Na Wash in early 2017 to re-assert her stake in the scene. This time, she'd featured Patoranking and they’d made a hit record that traversed the borders of Ghana to become a hit record in the two countries. 

A song satirising the modern standards of showing love, it had been aptly released on Valentines Day with her and Patoranking serving as the perfect music making couple. 

Unforgettable Ghana and Nigeria Music Collaborations;

15. Whoa!- Aylø ft Amaarae, 2017

In 2017, the burgeoning alternative scene that straddled Lagos and Accra and other regions of the two countries began to take shape and was getting gradual recognition with the label ‘Alte.’ It was also the year Nigerians discovered Ghanaian singer Amaarae through a feature on alternative RnB and Soul singer, Aylø’s Whoa! record off his Insert Project Name album. It had been a sensual and ambient output and Amaarae’s verse had complimented the song perfectly and had gotten listeners curious about the airy-voiced singer. From that moment on, Amaarae had unlocked a cult following of Nigerian music lovers who have only increased and spilled over to show love to other alternative acts from Ghana.

16. Awolowo- BOJ ft Kwesi Arthur, Darkovibes and Joey B, 2019

A pioneer of the alté subgenre, BOJ had redefined his power by having an all Ghanaian lineup on Awolowo which ironically had a chorus rendered fully in Yoruba. 

Done up like a Ghanaian new age rap cypher, Awolowo featured the rapper Kwesi Arthur, singer and rapper Darko Vibes and Joey B. 

Eventually, BOJ made a remix with an all Nigerian lineup but word on the streets is that the original is where all the juice is. 

17. Body Riddim- Runtown ft Darkovibes, Bella Shmurda, 2020

In early 2020, when Runtown dropped Body Riddim with Darkovibes and Bella Shmurda, it had been one of the first songs of the year from an A-lister and it had been doubly interesting due to the features which ran from Ghana's Darkovibes and the 2019 Nigerian breakout act, Bella Shmurda.

Body Riddim had been a fluid joining of Runtown's Afrodancehall style of music, Darkovibes highlife and hip-hop cadences and Bella Shmurda's street hop sauce. It had also been Bella Shmurda's first international collaboration and had helped set the tone for his year.

18. Forever Rmx- Gyakie ft Omah Lay, 2021

Gyakie’s Forever off her debut EP, Seed was already a huge hit, but she'd been shrewd enough to see the advantage in a collaboration to make a remix that would further strengthen the impact of her breakout hit. 

For this, she'd chosen a fellow breakout sensation in the Nigerian Omah Lay who laid a verse so cohesive, it felt like the original and had found even better placement on the charts. 

Unforgettable Ghana and Nigeria Music Collaborations;

19. Second Sermon- Black Sherif, Burna Boy, 2021

Ghanaian Black Sherif had been steadily making a name for himself and growing a cult following from Ghana and Nigeria with his hard-hitting iteration of Ghanaian drill, his Second Sermon being a favourite thrumming beneath the mainstream. 

His status soon changed after Nigerian megastar Burna Boy jumped on the record and gave it a befittingly rage-filled verse that soon became its remix. Known for his energetic performances and high expectations from his audience, Burna Boy had instructed fans to learn the lyrics for the remix of Second Sermon prior to his Lagos headline show, further helping to convert his fans to believers in Black Sherif’s sermon. 

20. Yard- Poco Lee ft Black Sheriff, Bella Shmurda & Alpha P

In reference to the caliber of artistes who make up the new age of African music, it is often stated that the future is in good hands and on Yard, this statement is hoisted high and proved true.

With Poco Lee standing in as the binding element, and hypeman, on Yard, we get a hedonist anthem while stoners get a new tune thanks to stellar input from Ghana's Black Sheriff whose vocals melds unexpectedly well with Alpha P's and street hop sensation, Bella Shmurda.

P.S. This list was originally published on the 16th of January, 2022.

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The post 20 Unforgettable Ghana and Nigeria Music Collaborations from the 2000s till date appeared first on NotjustOk.

Amaarae - Apple music rising

Now for some, the heady, brilliantly-fusioned 14-track platter of hedonism and sexiness that Amaarae served on the album, was an induction into her immersive and cherubic voice. But she'd been an underground sweetheart for years, finding acceptance in the alté movement of neighbouring country, Nigeria, where she'd first made an appearance on Aylø's Whoa!

It's four years after that debut and her status is changing as her brand of not just hedonism but gender-bending, and supreme Afro-expression attains recognition on the continent and international planes. 

Notjustok links up with Amaarae to hear from her on her state of mind following her release, the core of her expressive non-conformist artistry, and how it feels to finally be getting due props.

It's been almost 3 months since you dropped TADYK, what are the different phases and stages you've been at since the release, and where are you right now?

I've been so focused on pushing this album and making sure it gets to as many ears and eyes as possible that I think creatively I'm in a very conflicted space in a sense where I want to create right now but I'm not in a creative space. 

Like I'll go into the studio sometimes and I'll try to get into the music space and it's just not coming. 

ALSO READ: Amaarae Breaks New Afrobeats Record with Debut on Billboard Hot 100

I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that over the last year, late 2019 all throughout 2020, I spent so much time focusing on working on this album and building it musically that right now I'm just drained and I need some time to settle down and refresh and see where I wanna go next. Cause I know that whatever that I do next I can say for a fact, will be a thousand times bigger and better than TAYDK, like I have those expectations for myself so I just need to get into that mind frame. 

So it sounds like you feel pressured. 

Yeah, a little. 

This pressure is it coming from within you or externally, where do you think it's coming from? 

It's a little bit of both. It's internal pressure from me cause I think that once you have the momentum, you can't stop. Like for me, I think about when Burna came out with Outside and how much momentum he built especially after Ye started picking up and he immediately started dropping singles consistently and he had that run throughout African Giant. I think he took max, 3 months break and he was back on the go again with Wonderful. When you have momentum like that and you have certain career goals and orientation for yourself, I feel like you can't stop, the music has to be non-stop and it always has to be fire. 

So that's sort of the internal pressure I'm experiencing; I don't think I can stop and I feel like every single time now, the drops have to be amazing and the records have to be undeniable. 

Then I think I feel external pressure from some of my peers because everyone is like ‘Can we do this feature together?’ And I want to work with everybody and I want to give everyone my best but I'm literally tired and I don't have it in me. 

ALSO READ: Amaarae Beats Ckay to the Top Spot on US Shazam Chart | SEE DETAILS

It's more so internal and from my peers as opposed to my fans. I think right now, they're very happy with the album and they're just enjoying it. And I'm very engaging with my fans, I go on Instagram live, I play them new music. So with them just the fact that there's a constant development and conversation going on, they're cool with that. But for me, I want more and I want it now. 

What are you doing to help balance how you feel and what you're trying to achieve? 

I'm still figuring it out. Right now, we're expanding our team and we're growing a bigger team that can help the project expand over territories but then also that can give me more access to producers and artistes that I'll love to work with. 

And just overall, improving what we're working on. So, finding the balance between pushing the album, growing my brand and my team and putting out content or just trying to make sure I'm in a creative space is really tough right now and I think I'm going to have to give up creating for now just so I can focus on growing my team and this album. 

ALSO READ: Basketmouth and the Making of Yabasi: A Story of Ultimate Creativity and Divine Timing

In 2018, you were named one of Apple Music's favourite artiste, later on that same year you were Apple Music's Beat One Artiste and now you're Apple Music's Africa Rising Artiste, it seems like you've been on a trajectory. What do you think about these heights you've achieved and was it deliberate?

I think at every stage of my music career, I'm always trying to achieve the next step. For me it's interesting you see a consistent trajectory because I feel like I still haven't even done enough and I need to do more;

I want to be bigger and better and I want everything to happen at a faster rate. 

So I aim as high as possible and then even if I fall short, I aim so high that me falling short is still something of value and worth being proud of. It's intentional, the trajectory that I've been on and it's something that I plan to continue but I definitely want things to be bigger and faster. 

Sounds coming from Africa are beginning to get a lot of attention from the global world. You're one of the flag bearers for the alté scene, how do you feel being in this position and what do you think of this attention we're now getting? 

I think it's very interesting because I've always said that alté is so specific, it has a very specific sound and energy that I've actually never thought of myself as alté and I understand that because of the work that I've done with so many of the artists that are at forefront of the alté. Now, because I'm more visible, I've become sort of a flagbearer which I think is interesting. 

But in terms of the whole African movement and just African artistes getting more attention, I think it's about time. They're so many crazy talents coming from this space, it's mad. 

The other day, I was on my Instagram live and people were coming on and playing me music and these two Nigerian boys that live in Hungary, played me some of the wildest music I've heard and I was wowed. 

They're still undiscovered gems that I know in the coming years are going to be huge. And I think it's only going to get better and grow faster as well. And I also think we'll probably have a very long span where Afrobeats and African music, in general, will grow like hip-hop grew, it started from something niche and then it became a cultural phenomenon, I think that's what's going to happen next. I'm excited to be part of the people that carry that flag across. 

ALSO READ: Official Lyrics To 'Sad Girlz Luv Money' Remix By Amaarae

Amaarae

It's a big shift. What's your favourite thing about this shift right now and what do you hate about it if there's any. 

My favourite thing about it is the music that's coming out of it and it's the fact that we're so pure and untouched right now that we're at the top of our creativity. So right now African artistes are creating in whatever ways they want and there's no box and people are now willing to put money and time and energy into making sure that this creativity is visible. 

One of my biggest fears though is that once things start to get a bit corporate and more monetised, you'll start to see that they become more formulaic. That's what I'm afraid to see, but as at now, African creativity is at its top and within the next five years, it will get crazier. 

You've mentioned previously that you get more love from the international media than the local ones, is that still a thing now? 

When you say local, I don't know if you know I'm from Ghana. I was saying this because if you meant local in terms of Nigeria, I can't say I don't have support from Nigeria. But if you mean Ghana, Accra, I'm more recognised in other parts of Africa and internationally than Ghana for sure. 

What do you think is holding Ghana back and why aren't they showing you as much love, do you have any idea why? 

I don't really know o. And I don't think I've spent any time thinking about it or investigating it because there's that saying that says go where you're loved and the rest will follow. So I'm really not sure but for some reason, it just hasn't picked up here, and it's cool, I'm okay with that. 

Earlier on you mentioned that you don't really consider yourself an alté artiste but you've also mentioned previously that you don't like labels. So if you were to give your sound a name, how will you describe it?

I actually think it's more like Afro-fusion, if I have to put a name to it. Because it takes from so many different sounds across the continent. My album samples everything from punk rock to Japanese club rock, to Wizkid and Rema and Runtown, to dancehall. 

But at the end of the day, everything I'm doing still has African rhythms, sounds and energy to it and the way that I'm presenting myself too. So it's Afro-fusion for sure. 

Your artistry is a rich blend as well, from your music to your style and your music videos. Do you think down the line you'll ever go into any other creative interests? 

I'll love to explore film and fashion but most importantly, I'll like to dedicate my time getting more into activism and philanthropy and see how I can genuinely give back to African youths and mentor them. And be a part of the process of raising the next generation of artists, business minds, creators, tech minds, I think that's what I'm most interested in in terms of exploring a new creative field. 

ALSO READ: Yemi Alade: Mama Africa is Birthing African Royalty with Her Music

With these interests, do you think your diversity is political?

I think it is but I don't think I mean for it to be. I think I kind of set myself up because no matter what I did, my art and my expression were always going to be in a sense that is political and defeats the status quo. 

One of your biggest messages in TAYDK is feminism, hedonism and you keep demolishing a lot of gender lines. And when it comes to feminism, you channel this in different ways, what is the importance of doing this to you?

I grew up with a very liberal mother who allowed me to express myself in every single way possible and explore every part of life. I think that that allowance of expression has allowed me to see the world in a wide way. 

So, when I see the average everyday little girl who maybe might not have had access to the things I had, whether it was travel or being allowed to watch TV or MTV and seeing so many different types of expression, I think, how do I get all the things that I've learned to them? How do I synthesize it so that I can give this information to them? Because those are the next generation of minds that we're going to raise. 

So it's so important for me to always find the safest and clearest way to express what is not necessarily feminism but the religion of internal self-belief and self understanding because it's so important. 

And that part of my expression is so important to me because I know what was done for me, my confidence, and the way that I operate in the world that I feel like it's something I have to pass on, not just to my children and the people around me but to the young women whether Ghanaian, Nigerian, South African. You need that energy because it's changed and transformed my life and that's why I'm able to do what I do today with full confidence.  

And if a young woman somewhere in the world wanted to be a rocket scientist, there has to be a way for her to access that thought to know that she can do it. So it's important for me to pass that message on. 

So on the other side, what would you say are the challenges you face as a young creative woman in Ghana?

The challenges are plenty. I think for one, it's getting respect from your male peers. I honestly thought that with the fact that I have a bit of a masculine edge, it would be easier for me to evade the wandering eyes and minds of male peers but what you find out is that it's not necessarily true. 

And then there's always learning how to manage situations in such a way that you don't end up in a space where someone is asking of you things that you don't want to give in order for you to advance. Knowing and understanding those nuances is very important but is one of the challenges I have and is one of the things I've continued to sharpen and learn as I grow. 

There's also the aspect of people in your field not taking you seriously. For example, usually, when I go into shows, I always go in the deck and I mix my own vocals for my show. A lot of the time, it's male engineers and they're always confused and apprehensive to allow me to do something that I know is best for me because they think they know me more than I know me. 

And it happens across the board, whether you're working on videos or music, there's always that ‘I know more than you’ push and pull. And the music industry is so small, you have to navigate those types of conversations with a lot of finesse. 

So women face a lot of challenges and me personally, I've faced and continue to face them. But I realise that as I'm growing and building, I am getting a lot of respect in my field. 

Africa, in general, is a very normative society yet in your music and lifestyle, you come off as a norm-bender and have a strong androgynous aura. What do you think of where Africa is right now liberality-wise and why do you think it's important to channel these narratives through your art? 

I don't think I'm a norm-bender or gender-bender just for the sake of being edgy or cool. I just think it's important for people to understand that there are so many ways and forms of existence and human beings really and truly live on a spectrum, and nothing is binary the way we've been taught to believe. 

So through my art and my general being, I enjoy expressing that idea of the fact that we're all malleable humans living on a spectrum. 

Your emotions are on a spectrum, your mental state, your self-expression, your masculinity, and your femininity is on a spectrum. 

Human beings aren't made with 50% masculine, 50% feminine, 50% sad, 50% happy. It's like everything is so nuanced and my expression is about showing people this. And that we have to start approaching things in more open-minded and nuanced ways because it benefits society if we're able to apply more understanding, not just to the things that shock us like ‘oh my God, you're androgynous’ or ‘Oh my God, why do you have drag queens in your video?’ 

I think it's more even of basic human understanding and communication. Sometimes, someone might say something to you and you might take it how you take it, but you have to also take into consideration the fact that you don't know what happened to them that morning, you don't know what they're going through or their life situation or mental health. So it's much less about tangible things, and more so about the fact that it's about a way of thinking. You have to be empathetic and compassionate and understand that we're all operating in a 360 sense. 

On your album, there were really cohesive and interesting collaborations, what are your thoughts on collaborating? 

I love collaborating because I don't know everything and I don't have all the creative sauce in the world. So for me, collaborating is just a way for me to learn new things and to learn a new way to approach your art. 

Odunsi probably doesn't know this, but a conversation that I had with him while we were working on Party Sad Face is what helped me create a song like Sad U Broke My Heart cause he was playing me a bunch of his new music that he was working on and as I was listening, he was making this very interesting fusion between afrobeats and very cool spacey trap. He did this by melding local sayings and local language on these fire beats and he'll mix a bit of broad slang with it. 

When he did that I was like “ahh, okay, this is how I can also do it.” And I just took that from him and applied it in my own way. 

This is why I love collaborations because you stay with people, you have conservations; you watch them work and you learn things that help you better your art.  

So what artiste would you love to work with? 

I'll really really love to work with Rema, I love him. 

One other thing, I watched the Instagram live where you played your unreleased tracks. Will there be a deluxe or will you be releasing any of them?

Well, we're working on a remix EP so definitely, that would be out and that would be an interesting way we approach some of the songs that are out. But there will be one or two new songs on the remix EP as well. 

Lastly, congratulations on your MAMA awards nomination. How does that feel? 

It feels really amazing. Never on earth did I think that I would even be recognised within Africa so quickly, to the point where I'm in a category with Adekunle Gold and Simi. 

Like Simi low-key had a huge year, Duduke was huge. And Adekunle Gold also had a really good year. Also, these are people that have been building a fan base for the last 7/8 years. So to be a part of that category and be a part of the MAMAs as a nominee is a really big deal and I'm really honoured and super thankful that someone thought “Yo, we need to give this girl her flowers.”

P.S: This Amaarae interview was earlier published on the 2nd of February 2021 with the title, 'Amaarae, the Apple Music Africa Rising Artiste, is Finally Getting Her Flowers.'

The post Amaarae Interview: From Apple Music Rising Act to Topping Shazam and Global Charts appeared first on NotjustOk.