Lagos Stori Plenti, the new sounds from Nigeria

Lagos Stori Plenti is the first internationally-released compilation that presents the new urban sounds from Nigeria. Straight from the largest country in Africa, this release taps into the lyrical and musical expressions of a young generation that grew up on hip-hop, reggae and dancehall in one of the craziest cities in the world. It is about guys like Eedris Abdulkareem from Kano coming to Lagos with nothing in his pocket but a dream to make it as a musician, who would later tour Nigeria with 50 Cent. There is Ruggedman who took hip-hop to a new level by dissing many of the fake American-sounding rap star wannabes.

JJC from London experiments with fusing traditional instruments into his productions. Cologne-based Bantu mixes fuji and Afrobeat on his award-winning album Fuji Satisfaction and created a style that blends Lagos sensibilities with the European sound.

Afrobeat is heartily represented by Dede Mabiaku, who used to open shows for Fela Kuti and releases his first track internationally here.

The most vibrant music comes from Lagos’ neglected ghetto, Ajegunie (AJ). “Nigeria’s Kingston” as some call it, lives on reggae/dance-hall with its own style of pidgin and hilarious dancing. AJ is represented here by Nutty & Wharfy and African China from neighboring Orile whose song “Mr President” is huge in Lagos at the moment. Then there are the guys who rap in English: Modenine with “419 State Of Mind Pt. 2” takes up the topic of 419, the legal term for “advance fee fraud,” and Terry Tha Rapman, with his politically-charged spoof on Eminem, on “I Am A Nigerian.”

There are also songs about love and loss, for exam-ple, Six Foot +’s song “Anwuli,” with the chorus: “Anwuli, she chop (eat) my money and go.” Lagos Stori Plenti represents a fresh mix of hip-hop, reggae, salsa and dancehall that truly represents the sound of youth, as they struggle to preserve their completely unique Nigerian sound while still reflecting their diverse musical influences.

Buy Lagos Stori Plenti.