Mid November did not tiptoe in. Laycon marked his 33rd birthday by looking back, gathering nine songs on his album Moments that move from the self assured energy of Elevate and Shine to the closing warmth of Night and Day with Joeboy and Tytanium, the Big Brother Naija winner reminding everyone the rapper came along long before the reality show.
Timaya kept the mood soft on Never, a veteran of two decades letting love rearrange his priorities and asking, with his usual humour, what more a man can do to prove himself. Kcee walked in like he owns the room on Festival, opening with the line the big masquerade is here and turning a boast into a blessing with this money its not for one person. Davecash, first runner up of the inaugural MTN Next Afrobeats Star and the ₦100 million deal that came with it, used his eight track EP The One to move from the hunger of Kumamba and Sare to the reassurance of Okay, insisting everything will be fine even when money no dey.
Up in Accra, the week's heaviest link up carried a prayer. Fameye pulled in Sarkodie, Joey B and AratheJay for Gen Z II, waking up in Keteso to talk to God about the pressure of being young and broke, the chant achi chukuchuku achiku running under it like a rosary while Sarkodie weighs the highs of the hustle against the morning the money runs out.
The love songs kept coming, with a pan African detour along the way. Mafia Muzick Limited pulled Demigod, MIEDJIA, DJ WG DO SS and DJ Tainny onto Ashante, a flirtation that slides between Pidgin, French and English, asking sweetly for permission one moment and comparing her to Coca Cola and piña colada the next. Victoria Kimani asked for love that actually shows up on Woyoyo, her repeated gotta be so carrying the patience of a woman who knows she is not asking for too much, right up to the moment she hands over the keys.
Then the church took over. Frank Edwards stacked his praises on Awesome Odogwu, the Rocktown founder as sure as ever that the God wey e do that one, e go do this one. Pelumi Deborah brought Dunsin Oyekan into her Yoruba worship on His Mercy Endures, the two of them circling one line, hallelujah for his mercy endures forever and ever. Monique closed the week on Hallelujah, treating praise as a decision rather than a reaction, singing when they say there is a casting down, I will say there's a lifting up.
That is the week. If you make music or run a label and you have something new, send it to digitalescapeafrica@gmail.com and let us put it in front of the people.
Stream this week's drops:
Laycon, "Moments": https://onerpm.link/Laycon-Moments
Timaya, "Never": https://onerpm.link/Timaya-Never
Kcee, "Festival": https://onerpm.link/kcee-Festival
Davecash, "The One": https://onerpm.link/davecashtheone
Fameye, Sarkodie, Joey B & AratheJay, "Gen Z II": https://onerpm.link/GenzII
Mafia Muzick Limited, "Ashante": https://onerpm.link/ASHANTE
Victoria Kimani, "Woyoyo": https://onerpm.link/Woyoyo
Frank Edwards, "Awesome Odogwu": https://onerpm.link/AwesomeOdogwu
Pelumi Deborah & Dunsin Oyekan, "His Mercy Endures": https://onerpm.link/HisMercyEndures
Monique, "Hallelujah": https://onerpm.link/Monique-Hallelujah
Source - Honour Aghedo, ONErpm