This Week’s Episode Features a Conversation With Buju, the 5 Hottest Tracks of the Week, Africa Rising and LootLove’s Favourite Track of the Week!
Tune in to Africa Now Radio With LootLove This Sunday, November 7th at 2p London /
3p Lagos/Paris / 4p Johannesburg / 6a LA / 9a NYC on Apple Music 1.
Cover Star Interview
Apple Music’s latest Africa Rising featured artist, Nigerian singer-songwriter Buju, joins LootLove via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about his latest track, “Never Stopped.” He also discusses his new EP, Sorry I’m Late; how he overcame career challenges; the industry experience that inspired the track “Kilometer,” and the songs he’s most looking forward to performing live.
The Big 5
LootLove shares the 5 hottest new African tracks of the moment. This week’s selection includes new tracks from Busta 929 feat. Boohle; Soulphiatown feat Mtandazo Gatya, DJ Manzo SA & Chronix; Yaw Tog; Harmonize feat. Naira Marley; and La Même Gang feat. RJZ, Darkovibes & $pacely.
Africa Rising
Nigerian Afro-soul singer Fave is the latest artists featured from the Africa Rising playlist, a campaign which shines a light on the next generation of African superstars, and this week’s show features her two singles “Baby Riddim” and “N.B.U.” Listen HERE.
Loot Loves
Each week, LootLove chooses her favourite track, taken from one of Apple Music’s African playlists. This week she features South African singer-songwriter and producer Nalu and her single, “Deeper (feat. YoungstaCPT)”, from Apple Music’s ALT-R&B playlist. Listen HERE (and find a roundup of all LootLove’s selections on Apple Music’s LootLoves playlist, HERE).
Tune in and listen to the full episode this Sunday, November 7th at 2p London /
3p Lagos/Paris / 4p Johannesburg / 6a LA / 9a NYC on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/_AfricaNow.
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BUJU ON HOW THE SUPPORT OF FANS STOPPED HIM QUITTING MUSIC
I wanted to just let go of music because it was just feeling like there was a whole lot happening – comparisons, this one and this one, people saying, “Why are you not dropping music, other people have dropped.” It was a whole lot of takes, but if anything stopped me it was the fact that the fans and the people that really believe in my music were still very patient and supportive. I didn’t feel like I was losing anything – the numbers were still going up. They just knew that there was more to come than this, you feel me? The first stuff I put out this year was a feature with Blaqbonez and it was amazing because for that song to go number one in Nigeria, it was a clear chance that “Oh sh*t, you could actually do this again,” like “Oh, we’re back in.”
BUJU ON RECORD LABEL EXPERIENCE AND PREFERRING TO BE AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST
Being signed to a record label changed my whole perspective of how everything works because I wasn’t able to express myself the way I wanted to, like musically. For a lot of young Nigerian artists, that’s the ticket to greatness. It’s like, “Ah, if I sign to a record label by I’m going to pop,” but I’ve had the best moments of my life being independent right now. The music is great, the creativity is amazing. I’m not listening to anybody telling me “Oh, this is not good enough” or “Make music like this,” none of that. It’s all me now. It’s a whole different thing entirely.
BUJU ON GIVING FANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR HIS ‘SORRY I’M LATE’ EP
This project, it’s sort of a little different from what I usually put out. I like to put out stuff that’s more groovy, not too personal, but on this one I’m talking about me. I’m talking about what exactly it is that I’ve been through, my personality, and what people don’t get to see or understand about me. And then at the same time, I still throw in a little bit of groovy here and there and vibration.
But the main essence and the main point is Wetin who this guy is and he’s coming from a whole lot of troubles in the journey. At the same time, he has managed to overcome. He has put out amazing works over the year and this time he wants you to just listen and vibe to the music, like on the level about you understand, okay, who is this person?
BUJU REVEALS MORE NEW MUSIC AND COLLABORATIONS ON THE WAY
I have a lot of work with a lot of people. I’ve worked with Yaw Tog, I’ve worked with Blaq Diamond, the crew from SA. There’s a lot of songs in the vault, but this EP was more or less like, “You’ve had an amazing year, so you know what, just give them an EP they’re not really expecting enough, but that’s going to single you out as one of the best writers out there.” So yeah, that’s why I just put out ‘Sorry I’m Late.’
I don’t intend to keep my fans a lot, like waiting for too long, but yeah, I could guarantee music is coming as early as December or January.
