Papi Ojo and DJ and producer Doubleaaproved bring together Afrobeats, Dancehall and Amapiano influences on their collaborative single, “N.O.L.Y. (No One Like You).”
The track is built around rhythmic grooves and melodic vocals, with Doubleaaproved handling the production and Papi Ojo delivering the vocals.
The production draws from classic Dancehall riddims alongside contemporary Afrobeats and Amapiano rhythms, giving the song a cross-genre foundation.
For Papi Ojo, the release adds another entry to a catalogue that moves between Afrobeats, Amapiano, Dancehall and hip-hop. The Lagos-born, New York-raised artist is also known for his work across dance and visual performance, including his appearance as the blue character in Beyoncé’s “Black Is King.”
Doubleaaproved, who is based in Brooklyn, brings his work as a DJ and producer to the collaboration, with a sound that also incorporates Dancehall, Soca and contemporary club music.
LODIC explores the moment of reaching out to someone who has already left on “HEY,” a melodic electronic track built around the uncertainty of whether they will respond.
The song focuses on the impulse to call after someone who is walking away, even when there may be little reason to expect an answer. Its lyrics centre on the words left unsaid and the distance that follows the end of a relationship.
“HEY” pairs cinematic electronic production with synth-led melodies, while its chorus arrives early in the track and becomes a central part of the arrangement.
The song is part of LODIC’s broader series of interconnected releases, which explores themes including identity, belonging and the search for home. The artist has previously released “DROWN” and “SCARED” as part of the project.
Rather than focusing on the breakup itself, “HEY” turns its attention to what comes after—the silence, lingering attachment and instinct to make one final attempt at being heard.
Ola Gerald explores the excitement of an instant connection on his latest song, “On My Way.”
The Afropop track follows the moment of noticing someone who immediately catches your attention and choosing to express that attraction rather than hold back.
Gerald pairs the romantic theme with a confident, playful approach, using smooth melodies and a rhythmic groove to carry the song.
“On My Way” centres on the early stages of attraction, where curiosity and confidence meet the uncertainty of approaching someone new.
Written and performed by Ola Gerald, the song focuses on love, attraction and the possibility of a genuine connection.
Cyril Thys turns his attention to Paris on his latest release, “Paris Ezali Bolingo.”
The song’s title combines French and Lingala, translating to “Paris is love,” and places the French capital at the centre of the track’s concept.
Thys works across reggae, pop, electronic music and rap, and describes his music as an attempt to move between genres rather than remain within a single sound.
“Paris Ezali Bolingo” follows other releases that have drawn from his connection to Paris. His catalogue includes “Un bain sur les quais parisiens,” a song inspired by moments spent along the Seine, as well as “Salam Alikoum,” which takes a roots reggae approach.
“Paris Ezali Bolingo” is now available on streaming platforms.
Summer Walker has covered Victony’s new single, “Slick,” giving the viral Afrobeats track her own R&B interpretation.
The American singer shared her cover on her Instagram Story, adding her vocals to the song and putting her own spin on Victony’s latest release.
Walker’s cover comes just days after Lauryn Hill was spotted vibing to “Slick” during soundcheck ahead of her performance with live band The Compozers last Sunday.
The moment showed Hill enjoying the song ahead of her performance, while Walker has now taken her appreciation a step further by recording her own version.
The two moments come as “Slick” continues to gain attention beyond its Afrobeats audience, with the song reaching established international artists from different corners of music.
For Victony, having artists such as Summer Walker and Lauryn Hill engage with “Slick” offers another indication of the song’s growing reach and its ability to connect across genres and audiences.
Yemi Alade has revealed that she underwent an MRI and a CT scan after suffering a fall that has left her dealing with persistent pain.
The singer shared the update in a recent Instagram video, explaining that she has been advised to take it easy with physical activities while she recovers.
For someone who is known for maintaining an active lifestyle, Alade said the restriction has meant putting some of her usual activities on hold, including boxing.
She acknowledged that slowing down has been difficult because of how much she enjoys being active, but said she is trying to get past the experience.
Alade also revealed that she is still experiencing pain, turning around during the video to point to her lower back as the area where she is hurting.
While she has had to step back from more strenuous activities, Alade said she was advised to try yoga. Parts of the video show her practising yoga with an instructor as she explores a gentler way to remain active.
She also said she has found that spending time in a jacuzzi helps with the discomfort, with footage showing her relaxing in the water.
Alade did not disclose the results of her MRI or CT scan, nor did she provide further details about the extent of her injury. For now, she appears to be focusing on recovery, using lower-impact activities and rest while giving herself time to heal.
Dapper Music founder Damilola “Dapper” Akinwunmi has responded to recent allegations from former signees Shallipopi, T.I Blaze and Seyi Vibez, challenging them to submit their disputes to an independent forensic audit.
In a series of posts on X on Saturday, August 15, Dapper rejected allegations of financial and contractual wrongdoing and said the records needed to establish what happened are available.
“I have nothing to hide. The records exist. The authorities have them. Let the process establish the truth,” he wrote.
Dapper also accused his former artists of taking their grievances to social media while disputing his account of their departures.
“Don’t come online and spill rubbish narratives, & lies, only to mislead the public!” he wrote in another post, adding that the artists “chose to leave” and should “move on.”
He appeared to direct a separate series of posts at Shallipopi, whom he addressed as “Mr. Elon”, referencing the artist’s 2023 hit “Elon Musk.”
Dapper claimed that Shallipopi failed to attend a previously scheduled appearance while he was present, questioning the artist’s calls for the matter to be addressed in court.
He also challenged what he described as conflicting claims about their contractual relationship.
“You claim here that I forged your signature, but in your public statement in 2024, you claimed that you were pushed into a deal with Dapper Digital. Which is it???” he wrote.
Shallipopi ended his agreements with Dapper Music and Dvpper Digital in December 2024, alleging a breach of trust, financial mismanagement and a lack of transparency. Among his claims was that Dapper Music had pushed him into a publishing arrangement with Dvpper Digital, which he said was owned by the same person or persons behind Dapper Music.
Dapper is now asking the parties to move the dispute away from social media and into an independent examination of the relevant financial records and contracts.
He said an audit had already been conducted by what he described as a reputable company and suggested commissioning another review if there were still questions over the accounts.
“We already did an audit from a reputable company! Surprise Surprise who owes who?” he wrote.
Dapper then named several accounting and legal firms, including KPMG, PwC, Deloitte, Templers, Aluko & Oyebode, Olaniwun Ajayi LP, and Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, suggesting that any of them could be engaged to conduct a forensic review.
“Let them run a forensic analysis and interpret both the accounts and the contract for us, and tell you I cheated you?!” he wrote.
His comments come as disputes between Dapper and several former artists have resurfaced, with allegations involving contractual terms, financial dealings and the handling of artists’ catalogues. Dapper has consistently disputed claims of wrongdoing and previously maintained that its artist agreements were entered into with transparency and legal representation available to the artists.
The latest exchange leaves the central financial and contractual questions unresolved, but Dapper’s proposed audit could provide an independent way of examining the competing claims if the parties agree to one.
Latin digital artist Nasty Guerrero has criticised the music industry’s growing efforts to regulate and restrict AI-assisted music, arguing that the debate is increasingly centred on control, ownership and revenue.
In a statement, the project acknowledged platforms such as Suno for making AI music tools more accessible, but said its own music involves human producers, musicians and songwriters. Nasty Guerrero said technology is used as a tool within its creative process rather than as a replacement for the people involved.
The project also disputed the idea that the use of AI or other digital tools should determine whether music is considered authentic. It argued that commercially released music lacking originality existed long before generative AI became part of the music-making process.
Nasty Guerrero further raised concerns about the economics of independent music, arguing that independent creators are not receiving fair royalties while established industry structures continue to take a share of music revenue. The statement did not provide specific figures or evidence to support those claims.
The project said its music remains rooted in culture and storytelling and that it does not intend to continue defending its creative process in response to criticism of its use of technology.
Nasty Guerrero’s comments come amid an ongoing industry debate over how AI-generated and AI-assisted music should be identified, distributed and compensated. The statement represents the project’s position on that debate.
OHNomad has released “Universal Connection: Rosenwald,” a composition that brings together Middle Eastern musical influences with elements of classical and jazz.
The piece is part of OHNomad’s broader “Universal Connection” series, which explores different cultural and musical references through individual compositions. The series has previously included works inspired by Japan and other places and figures.
OHNomad began developing his music during the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, drawing on experiences from earlier backpacking trips through countries including India and Tibet. Those travels influenced his approach to combining Eastern musical ideas with classical, jazz and metal.
The artist, whose name is Owens Huang, premiered his first sonata, “Place of Origins,” at Taiwan’s National Recital Hall in 2023. In 2024, he presented “The Silicon Island” in Taiwan and “Universal Connection: Rosenwald” in Mountain View, California.
“Universal Connection: Rosenwald” follows his later work, including “Universal Connection: Junko,” which was presented in Tokyo in 2025, and “The Awakening,” a composition centred on movement between conscious and unconscious states.
The track is now available on streaming platforms.
MENTAVIBE has released “POA POA POA!”, an Afro-Pop and Afrobeats track that combines African-inspired rhythms with electronic production and lyrics in Swahili.
The title, which translates roughly to “Great!” or “Everything is fine,” reflects the song’s focus on letting go of anxiety and fear and staying present. The chorus includes the phrase “Huru Moyo Wako,” meaning “free your heart.”
Produced and written by Juergen Joe Bauer, the track pairs organic beats with electronic textures and pop-influenced production. The project’s music incorporates Swahili lyrics and African-inspired rhythms within a contemporary electronic setting.
MENTAVIBE is an independent music project created and produced by Bauer.
