Audio: Nneka x Black Thought “God Knows Why” + “Sleep” ft. Ms. Dynamite

September 26, 2011 Leave a comment

Our brothers and sisters (mostly brothers) at Okayplayer posted these two new cuts from Nigerian-German soultress Nneka, featuring Black Thought (!) and North London’s Ms. Dynamite. From Eddie “STATS” pen:

The new Nneka album we’ve been waiting for ever since she premiered “Soul is Heavy” is dropping imminently (Today in Europe and tomorrow stateside) and in case you forgot to be amped about it we have two more leaks to recharge the energy. The first–and most firmly in our OKP wheelhouse–is the slow but steady juggernaut “God Knows Why” featuring none other than Black Thought. Also not to be slept on, though, is the dreamier–but still tough–”Sleep” featuring Ms. Dynamite.

Stream both tracks below and grab Soul Is Heavy now.

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Nneka “God Knows Why ft. Black Thought”

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Nneka “Sleep ft. Ms. Dynamite”

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Video: Nneka “Do You Love Me Now?” (Acoustic)

August 4, 2011 Leave a comment

We love when Nneka keeps it really stripped down and raw so we can hone in on her sweet, sultry vocal stylings.  First spotted over at Okayplayer earlier today, check out the vid above for Nneka’s acoustic version of “Do You Love Me Now?” recorded at Ohalala Bar in Paris.  This only makes us more excited for her new LP Soul Is Heavy.

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Video: Nneka “Soul is Heavy,” + New Project

July 13, 2011 2 Comments

Via Okayplayer, OKA fave Nneka drops a brand new video for “Soul Is Heavy.”  In the words of Eddie STATS, she “has just now put the world on notice for her new LP, a finely tuned construction of rap, reggae, brass and Afro-sounds. The brand new machine is called Soul is Heavy and the first shot off the clip is this video of the same name –which OKP is proud to premiere! The brightly-colored agit-prop makes a perfect visual complement to Nneka’s sound; somewhere between M.I.A. and the Kalakuta Queens. Drink it in and stay tuned for much more! (and if you haven’t tasted the Nneka kool-aid yet, you can go to Okayafrica and basically get her whole career in a nutshell here.)”

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NYC & DC: Okayafrica presents Nneka Unplugged – WIN FREE TIX!

May 9, 2011 1 Comment

**CONTEST!  WIN a pair of FREE TICKETS to either the NYC or the DC Nneka show – just CLICK HERE to enter.

One of OKA’s favorite artists, Nneka, is back in the states and has two shows coming up in May. NYC – check her out at SOB’s on Friday May 13th (flyer above), and DC heads you can see her live the next night on Saturday the 14th, at The Park at Fourteenth (flyer below, after the jump). If you have never heard of Nneka, stop sleeping. She is the Nigerian born songstress behind Concrete Jungle, who spent much of her life growing up in Germany, and has a voice that will cut right through you and leave you aching for more. Last summer she toured with Nas and Damian Marley on their Distant Relatives tour – and like those two she’s infused her music with a bit of a political slant – she’s got a message, listen for it. She has also worked with The Roots, Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew, J. Period and others.  A superstar to watch out for, for sure. Read More »

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Audio: Society HAE’s Afrika21 Mixtape

February 23, 2011 1 Comment

Coverage of Africa’s fundamental weaknesses, – civil war, poverty, and helplessness, has overshadowed the well of talent rapidly emerging from the African Diaspora. With Afrika21, Society HAE will create a massive platform to introduce 21 of Africa’s emerging young creatives in the fields of art, music, fashion and film. The Afrika21 project will give audiences a first hand look at 21st century contemporary African culture, and open up a new dialogue about Africa as a go to market place for creative synergy.  The first product off this project is the AFRIKA21 MIXTAPE, a monthly mixtape that will feature songs highlighting the work of Africa’s young musicians who are re-defining African music and the continent in general.  Listen to and download the first mixtape below, featuring some of our faves including Baloji, Nneka, tabi Bonney, and more.

The Afrika21 Mixtape vol. 1 by afrika21

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Exclusive Premiere: Remixes of Nneka’s Heartbeat

October 7, 2010 Leave a comment

Giant Step has brought two new exclusive remixes of Nneka’s song “Heartbeat” to okayafrica! Nneka joined forces with Nas and producers Chase Status, Kool Kojak, Crada and VLN to remix “Heartbeat” (the single off last February’s LP, Concrete Jungle) for her upcoming EP Heartbeat. Check them out here.   Here’s the video for Heartbeat again (above), just because we heart it so much.

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Video: 5th Annual Nigeria Entertainment Awards (NEA) 2010 Recap

September 27, 2010 Leave a comment

Aint no party like a Lagos party…especially when it’s in NYC! The 5th annual Nigeria Entertainment Awards took place this past Saturday at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City. From the show to the after party it was nonstop entertainment.  Despite the somewhat amateurish production and late start to the evening, the awards show did not disappoint.  Nneka never came (okay that was disappointing) however the mostly domestic Nigerian entertainers that did perform displayed fantastic showmanship, talent and style.  There was a tremendous sense of community at the NEA’s, as if a whole family reunion was picked up from Lagos and shipped to NYC on Arik Airlines.

The highlights of the show were performances by Best New Act winner Jesse Jagz, Best Rap Act winner M.I., Best Neo-Soul winner 2 Face and Gospel Artist of the Year winner Lara George. Omawumi brought great energy to the show and won two awards herself.  See a full list of winners and more pics after the jump.
Read More »

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Video: Nneka Live at Highline Ballroom

September 3, 2010 1 Comment

Okay, without a doubt, every time Nneka performs she steals my breath away, and I contemplate the pros and cons of proposing some form of legal binding between us forever (mostly so she can sing me to sleep every night!), and fortunately or unfortunately (depends how you look at it), I am always able to contain myself from popping the “question.” These two videos from her performance at the Highline Ballroom this summer weigh heavily in the pro column. Not many artists sound better live as they do on CD, and Nneka just blows anyone else that sounds semi-decent out of the water. These videos are definitely a treat to watch, so check them out! Credit for video and live sound goes to Native Resonance and camera work goes to Sam Bathrick and Kieran Meadows. Check out “Lost Souls” above, and a clip of “Uncomfortable Truth” after the jump. Read More »

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Video: Nneka’s European Tour Diary Series Parts 1-6

August 18, 2010 6 Comments

Touring is more than just playing a series of shows. It’s a lifestyle unto itself, filled with long bus rides, early sound checks, and the chance to explore (albeit briefly) an array of incredible foreign cities. Here, Nneka gives us an inside look at her most recent European tour, in support of her latest album, Concrete Jungle. She filmed a series of short “tour diaries” along the way, offering us a peak at her adventures. Watch the full series, starting with PART 6 above, which includes a tour bus jam, a surprise Birthday highlight, and more. Watch PARTS 1, 2, 3, 4 + 5 after the jump. Tour dates below as well!

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Beating the Stigma of “World Music”

August 9, 2010 1 Comment

Western music listeners have a rather unfortunate habit of filing anything not from the United States or Western Europe under the banner of “world music.” Even in today’s climate of increasing globalization and transnational social interaction, breaking from this categorization and into the mainstream remains one of the toughest challenges for non-Western artists. Lately, however, a number of artists are breaking away first from the “world music” category and then from the “African musician” stigma that mainstream media so effortlessly tags them with. ABC News has the story on this new class of singers and emcees, which includes some familiar names like K’Naan and Nneka, emerging from the African Continent. Read the Full Article here.

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