Nigerian artist Dharmie DRN has released his debut single, “Like Me”, an Afro-drill and Afrofusion record that blends melodic flows with Yoruba-English lyricism.
Released through Midolin Freedom Records (MFR), the track combines elements of Afrobeats and drill, drawing on themes of confidence, self-belief, ambition, and individuality. According to the artist, “Like Me” encourages listeners to embrace self-confidence without relying on external validation.
Musically, the song sits at the intersection of Afro-drill and Afrofusion, pairing rhythmic percussion with melodic delivery and bilingual storytelling.
Dharmie DRN describes his music as a reflection of youth culture, self-expression, and personal ambition.
“Like Me” by Dharmie DRN is available on major streaming platforms.
Nigerian DJ and producer DJ Skipit teams up with Evado on “S.O.F (Scared Of Failure),” a new street-inspired single rooted in Igbo culture and everyday hustle.
The track focuses on themes of ambition, uncertainty, and perseverance, with both artists reflecting on the pressure that comes with chasing success. Over an energetic production, Evado delivers lyrics centred around overcoming fear and staying motivated despite setbacks.
“S.O.F” leans into a familiar street anthem formula but stands out through its emotional honesty and relatable message. The combination of Igbo influences, motivational songwriting, and catchy production gives the song a sound that can connect with listeners navigating their own personal struggles and goals.
“S.O.F (Scared Of Failure)” by DJ Skipit feat. Evado is out now on all streaming platforms.
Inestimable is a Lagos based music collective focused on collaborative creation and building a shared platform for emerging artists. Their latest project, Listen to the Music 2, continues that approach.
The seven track release builds on their 2022 debut, Listen to the Music, which introduced a multi artist format designed to bring emerging voices into a shared creative space. The project went on to appear on Apple Music’s world albums charts across Nigeria, Botswana, Lithuania, and South Africa.
At the core of Inestimable is a structured way of working. Most of the collective’s records are created through recurring songwriting camps and studio sessions, where artists and producers collaborate in real time. From these sessions, only the strongest records are selected for release, allowing the group to maintain both consistency and quality while building a growing catalog.
Listen to the Music 2 features six tracks and one interlude, exploring themes of ambition, relationships, survival, and the search for opportunity. The project reflects everyday experiences of young people navigating life in Lagos. Sonically, it blends Afrobeats, street pop, and melodic rap, capturing the fluid sound shaping the city’s underground scene.
The project opens with the lead single 99Problem, featuring Adam Srae, Jordanstyls, and Ntwyn, and sets the tone with direct storytelling and high energy production. Across the project, Inestimable brings together a mix of emerging voices and experienced contributors, including Grammy nominated producer Rugged. The collective also provides opportunities for emerging artists such as OD Vibes and Combo Wave to appear and contribute within the same creative ecosystem, reinforcing its focus on access and shared visibility.
In support of the release, Inestimable introduced Problem of the Day, a daily Substack series pairing short form visuals with everyday frustrations, extending the ideas within the music into a more immediate and relatable format.
With Listen to the Music 2, Inestimable continues to operate as a working model that challenges how music is created, selected, and released within emerging artist ecosystems.
Listen to the Music 2 by Inestimable is out now on all streaming platforms.
From Victoria Island to Mushin, Phanxx has been on a journey most people haven’t noticed… yet. He started writing poems at seven, turned them into songs, and has been chasing every studio, audition, and performance opportunity along the way.
With two EPs ready and a new single coming soon, one thing is clear: we’ve decided it’s time to stop gatekeeping Phanxx.
Okay first — where did the name even come from?
My name is Ope which means Thanks so I just decided to spell it out as Phanxx.
Tell me about early life- where were you born and where did you go to school?
I was born in Victoria Island, Lagos, till about 9 years when my parents moved to Mushin in Lagos. I attended Command Children School for my primary education & Command Secondary School Lagos for my secondary education. I hold a B.sc in Criminology & Security Studies.
How and when did you start making music?
Music started for me as a hobby, I listened to all sorts of music growing up, but my major influence was seeing my elders sibling doing choir rehearsals at home. But I started writing poems at about 7 years of age & started writing my own music from Secondary School. After I got out of Secondary school, I attended almost every musical audition. From here, I knew I wasn’t turning back.
At what point did you think, “yeah… this music thing is actually serious”?
After I won a musical audition in Lagos, then I was given the reward of cash prize & free recording sessions in a state of the art music studio, which introduced me properly into the music industry.
What kind of mood are you usually in when you’re creating?
Most times, it’s free flow, I don’t try to engineer my mood, I just go with the flow, but most times, I like to be happy when I’m recording.
What’s something about you people always get wrong?
That I’m shy because I don’t talk too much, or that I’m not capable of being vengeful.
What song of yours feels the most like you?
I love all my songs, but for now I will say *Calvary* .
— Afrobeats Head Loves Timothee Ideh (@AfrobeatsHead) September 1, 2025
What’s the toughest thing about being an independent artist?
Funding and people always trying to one up you or humble you in the creative industry.
How do you promote your music as an independent artist?
Social media is one, I make appealing videos & I also use every traditional method of music promotion; blogs, radio, TV, etc.
How easy is it for you to create content to promote your music?
It’s actually not the best part, but I have to do what I have to do to get my music out there. Most times I enjoy the process, sometimes it’s just a necessity for visibility.
Has there been a moment you almost gave up?
I have never had moments like this, I know I’ll surely get to the top, so no matter what the situation is, I’m always optimistic about the reward my music will bring me.
What’s been inspiring you lately?
I have a lot of music inside of me, & I want to make sure I maximise all my potential while I’m here.
Tell me about your new song “Shine” and what inspired it?
Shine is just a record that speaks about someone who wants to achieve success in his/her aspirations. Being successful to me means I’m shining.
What are you currently working on that you’re excited about?
I have 2 EP’s ready & will be dropping a new single next month.
If someone meets you for the first time today, what should they know?
I would love them to know that I’m simple, not performative, love to treat people the way i want to be treated & that I’ll definitely be one of the greatest musical export from Africa.
Produced by 9Fingers, the track is reodered to capture deep emotion and the feeling of emptiness without his lover, it blends heartfelt lyrics with irresistible rhythm.
Rooted in Nigeria, Paanda’s music tells stories of love, emotion, and connection.
As part of our About to Blow series we will be highlighting talented creatives in our Afrobeats Head community who are igniting the scene and poised for stardom.
For the first edition I spoke to Slay Papa, an artist who’s childhood dream as a devout Catholic was to become a priest but by divine intervention ended up studying Theater Arts at the University of Benin.
“My secondary school was a minor seminary,” he tells me over the phone.
“I believed it was Gods plan for me but I wrote a letter to a letter to Claritians about attending a major seminary after secondary school and they never got back to me. Then I became anxious about getting into university.
“During Benediction, whenever the monstrance was raised I would pray to God to help me get into university if it was his will. And if not, let me get into a major seminary.
A real lover boy, the Ibadan-native got his stage name thanks to his popularity with the girls in a neighboring secondary school.
“My friend Clement TYB and I used to pay 300 Naira record love songs at a studio close to our school and sent them to the girls in another school. I had a lot of female friends on Facebook so my friends called me Slay King and later I became Slay Papa
His dilemma meant that he was the last of his classmates to register for the UME exams but was surprisingly the first to be accepted into the university.
While in school his music took a back seat and until he graduated in 2024 when he released his song “Sport” inspired by Asake’s “Skating” off his Lungu Boy album
“I wrote it on a trip to Abeokuta. My friend Jumabee invited me and I just spent a lot of time checking out beats on YouTube till I found the perfect one.
“It’s a reminder to myself that I need to keep moving forward in life. I can’t be stagnant. Just like Asake in “Skating”
Slay Papa and Jumabee are also working on a new song to be released “soon”
Slay Papa’s Top Three:
Influences: Wizkid, Asake and Shallipopi
Dream collaborations: Wizkid, Asake and Shallipopi
Dream venues to perform in: The 02, The Royal Albert Hall and The Wembley Stadium
Slay Papa and is confident that his music will change his life
“My greatest wish is for my music to take me around the world.”
He also has a mantra which he lives by and emphasizes on all his songs.
Before we end the call he makes me promise to include it my article.
