This Is New Africa: Fuse ODG unveils mission to change the world's perception of his motherland through music

He burst onto the scene back in 2013 with the infectious song Atenna which helped launch afrobeats in the UK chart. But keen to prove he wasn't a one hit wonder, Fuse ODG unleashed the monster of a track Azonto which went onto to become a massive dance craze. 

Now with the release of his debut album, TINA, the 26-year-old rapper is hoping his music will change the world's perception of Africa. Speaking to Empty Ice Cream Tub about the release, which is an acronym for This Is New Africa, Fuse revealed that the journey to the creating the LP was a life changing experience.

Letter To TINA

The MOBO Award winner said of his choice to become an afrobeats artist: 'It was a conscious decision to reconnect with my African roots and African music so I could bring it to people outside of Africa in an authentic way.

'I took that decision in 2011 when I went to Ghana and I was learning about the culture again and learning about the music.'

Continuing he added: 'But I realised that it actually became bigger than what I was going to do when I started to share my story of Africa as it started to inspire other people and that's actually how TINA came to me.

'I realised that there has to be something that encapsulates what Africa is now and not the old Africa that they keep showing, and that is how This Is New Africa came fruition.'

Born in London but raised in Ghana, Fuse ODG, real name Nana Richard Abiona, came to capital at the age of 11 to begin his secondary education an experience which he admits was difficult and scarred his perception of his African heritage. However it was an eye-opening trip back to his motherland three years ago which set his music career in motion and his need to showcase his view of the continent.

TINA

Alongside the likes of D'Banj, Wizkid, Ice Prince, Sarkodie, P Squared and Davido, to name a few, Abiona has played a crucial role in helping afrobeats into the mainstream. Explaining how it feels to be a part of the movement which is changing the clubbing scene, the rapper asserted: 'Right now being African is so cool and it's because all these platforms are playing our music.

'Trust me when I was growing up if afrobeats was as big as it is now my school life would have been so much easier. Growing up in the UK would have been so much easier, I would have felt more proud to be African.'

He added: 'When I go to clubs and I hear African music being played like as part of the main playlist to me it just means that we're moving forward as a continent, we're moving forward as Africans and it's not just the negative impression that they used to have, we've given them other stuff to talk about.'

With four top ten singles under his belt, Fuse's debut body of work TINA was released to rave reviews and features collaborations with Wyclef Jean, Sean Paul, Angel, Krept & Konan and G FrSH. Describing the LP in his own words, the Antenna hitmaker said the album is made up of 'feel good songs' embedded with messages. 

Fuse added: 'It's an album that showcases my experiences of Africa just packaged in a form of music.'

Come Closer

30 Seconds In The Mind Of...

Lord HBK

Hailing from the east side of that city known as London, this rare breed of talent describes himself as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious alongside being inquisitive, giving and hard-headed. Having emerged on the scene earlier this year with his debut single, No Rules, not a lot is known about this young rapper, so I'm here to change all that. 

Presenting the one and only mind of Lord HBK... 

What couldn't you live without? 
I couldn't live without my Mac; laptop that is. I do everything on it from music to watching films, writing, reading, educating myself and so on. It died on me once and I was lost.

What would you say is your worst habit?
Hmmm... I don't have one! (Laughs) Probably that, the fact that I don't think I have a worst habit says it all.

What do you find really annoying in other people?
I can't stand unoriginality.  It's annoying putting so much work into something and then it gets stolen or critiqued by people who are lazy.

What is your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure (laughs) I have quite a few. But for now I'd say Beyonce. She's sick! But I can't see her live alone because (pauses) you know.

What would be your dream job?
My dream job other than music would be being Ari Gold.

ONE thing that no-one knows about you...

I like to go out and eat at nice restaurants alone.

Lord HBK's favourites

Song
Stole by Kelly Rowland

Video

Site
Soundcloud

You can follow Lord HBK on TWITTER or check out his INSTAGRAM page

Also check out his latest music video #CoralPearl below

Something I Think You Should Hear...

*** UPDATED ***

J. Cole - Cole World: The Sideline Story

Cole World: The Sideline Story is finally here and as a J. Cole fan I'm very proud. He's definitely held it up for us fans of The Come Up, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights (and more recently Any Given Sunday).

So of course because I pre-ordered his album my copy came through the door on Saturday, but I held off on the album review because I didn't want to prematurely judge his debut record based off of what I already adore about Cole's talent. 

This album is perhaps the best example of the type of masterpiece that can only be put together with pure control over your project, unlike (and yes I'm going to say it) the efforts of Wiz Khalifa & Nicki Minaj, who had the mixtapes to stand up on but failed to deliver the album music lovers and not lovers of the hype were expecting.


Cole Talks About The Sideline Story

The Sideline Story has a nice hip hop/soul sound to it, with the right balance of mellow, mid-tempo and club bangers which all stand up lyrically, within this album there is also a certain level of consciousness that Cole makes coherent throughout each track.

The album begins with a much needed introduction which leads nicely into the first song, 'Dollar and a Dream III' which basically sums up how J. Cole perceives his musical struggle up until this point. Then there are tracks such as 'Mr. Nice Watch' and 'Can't Enough' which most would say isn't typical Cole as they definitely get you moving but they stay true to form as they are packed with witty punchlines. The album also consists of tracks like 'Lost Ones', 'Never Told' and 'Nobody's Perfect' which explore topics rooted within the motions we go through when in love or faced with hardship.


J. Cole - Daddy's Little Girl

The elements that stood out massively with this album is Cole's attention detail; I'm such a big music lover and I truly believe you can hear how much time and effort an artist has put into a song to make it the best it can be.With tracks like 'In The Morning' and 'Lights Please' which are now Cole classics he took the time to rework them by adding and removing parts of the instrumental to make them exciting to old listeners.

As my favourite track from the album doesn't have a video yet but it's about to surface as Cole and Missy have started putting visuals to the track, I've put up the visual for my second - actually third favourite track from the album.

J. Cole - Lost Ones

Let me know what you think of Cole World: The Sideline Story

Something I Think You Should Hear...

*** UPDATED! ***

Frank Ocean - Nostalgia/Ultra

Now I don't know a lot about Frank Ocean and Odd Future, but what I do know is this mixtape is a great starting point for Mr. Ocean's career.

What I won't say is that Frank Ocean is original because every artist draws influence from someone but Ocean's music is very refreshing and if he makes all the right moves he'll definitely be one of the heavy hitters before 2011's over.

Nostalgia/ULTRA is a good mixtape because it's just good music, he has original tracks and he has taken samples from some unlikely tunes but he's made it work. I can't say that I can relate to everything he is singing about but it's that raw realness that makes this mixtape a good'un. My hopes for Frank Ocean is that he continues to stay on this high, release more music and don't change for the sake of making an album that can appeal to all because that's not what it's about.

Favourites on this mixtape are 'Nature Feels', 'We All Try' and the song below 'Swim Good'.

Frank Ocean - Swim Good

Let me know what you think about Nostalgia/ULTRA

Something I Think You Should Hear...

Jhene Aiko - Sailing Soul(s)

If you were as big a B2K fan as I was then you would know who Jhene Aiko is.

But in case you wasn't (and if you weren't we need to have some words - B2K were live), Jhene was under the same management as the boy band, her role at the time was to be their cute little sister act who opened all their shows, featured in their videos and lent them her vocal talent whenever they needed a female on a track. Jhene managed to acquire a bit of fame (mainly from B2K fans) but her career basically died when the band dismembered in 2004.
Since then Jhene has not really put out any music, she posted a couple videos to YouTube but other than that she's been really quiet. Oh - but she did have a baby in 2008 for Omarion's younger brother, O'Ryan (who also released music off the back of B2K's success).

Fastfoward to 2011 and Jhene's back with her first mixtape 'Sailing Soul(s)'. This mixtape has definitely set some great foundation for whatever projects Jhene is planning on bringing out next. 'Sailing Soul(s)' isn't a masterpiece but what it is, is damn good music. She has really brought R&B back to what it's meant to be. The mixtape also feature some collaborations with some of the hottest artists, such as, Drake, Kanye West & Miguel. 'Sailing Soul(s)' is a very good look for Jhene and I honestly hope it generates enough buzz to grant her the success she deserved when she made her debut ten years ago because the girl can sing.

Favourites from this mixtape are (1) July ft. Drake, (2) Real Now ft. Lite, Hope & Roosevelt, and (3) Stranger.

As she is yet to release any official videos from 'Sailing Soul(s)', here is her video for 'NO L.O.V.E.' which she brought out in 2003:

Jhene - NO L.O.V.E.

Something I Think You Should Hear

Keri Hilson - No Boys Allowed

Keri Hilson is definitely a dark horse, and with No Boys Allowed I think she's inviting us all to see who she really is. With her last instalment I thought we were seeing, and forgive me for what I'm about to say, I thought we were seeing talent on the level of Aaliyah. With backing from Timbaland I was sure Keri Hilson was going to be that artist that touched us deeply with her music but it turns out she really is not.

No Boys Allowed is not a bad album, I do like a couple songs, I really like 'One Night Stand' but of course there are a lot of songs that I don't like. The number one one being 'Pretty Girl Rock' and for anyone female who thinks that song is empowering *pauses* I have to question who you'd regard as a strong women.

So yeah the album's alright but what I'm not understanding is why it's called No Boys Allowed when all she does is sing about boys, I guess common sense isn't common anymore. This album is just standard, I wish that Keri would drop this "I don't need a man attitude", yeah it was cute in 'Turning Me On' but it quickly turned to trashy with 'The Way You Love Me'.

As much as I dislike this song, I figured it's only fair you see exactly why I think it's so bad:



Keri Hilson - Pretty Girl Rock

Overall I'm not loving it but do let me know what your thoughts are on No Boys Allowed  

Something I Think You Should Hear...

Chris Brown - F.A.M.E.

So if you're a big Chris Brown fan then you've been waiting for this album for a while and I'm guessing you think it's a good album. However if you like good music you'll agree with me on the fact that this album is not great at all; the hype around this album has seriously outshadowed the fact that this ablum lacks a lot. 

I could go track by track and explain why this isn't a "great" album, I mean I won't call it rubbish, Wiz Khalifa's album is deserving of that title, but F.A.M.E. is just whatever. I can't even put it in words, what I can say is that it is much better than Graffiti but it has nothing on Exclusive.

My main problem with this album is that if this album is a dedication to his fans then all the songs should have stories behind them but instead the majority of these tracks are about the same thing...sex...*yawns*

The only songs which I think justify the title of this album are Beautiful People and Champion.

So moving on from that I will admitt that Brown does have an alright collective of tracks, although I do think some are way too vulgar e.g. Wet The Bed. In conclusion, I'm not impressed and I think Chris Brown needs to get off this "bad boy" tip, grow up and get back into the lab (preferably the one he was in when he created Exclusive) and come back with something much better.

As I don't like any of the songs from this album very much, I figured I'd give you a throwback:

Please comment and let me know your take on F.A.M.E.

Something I Think You Should Hear...

So I've decided that hibernation is boring and after a quick revamp I'm in love with my blog again - Yay me!

Miguel - All I Want Is You

Every artist's first album sets the tone for the rest of their entire career; some choose to launch themselves on a platform which is beatable, others fail to launch, but then there are the few that launch right off into space - Miguel is a fine example of those who aim for the stars. This dude can SING!! His voice is actually amazing, not only can the brother sing, but he also writes which only makes his music more enjoyable and hella sexy.

The album is entitled, 'All I Want Is You' which shares the same title as the first track he released from the album that featured J. Cole. Miguel's album is the perfect R&B album as he sticks to the classic formula used by so many others however he owns every concept and theme explored by blending his sultry voice with lyrics that showcase his talent for songwriting.

Favourites from this album have to be (1) Quickie, (2) All I Want Is You ft. J. Cole, and (3) Pay Me.

Usually I upload official videos of my favourite track but I think this video does the job nicely. Here's a video of Miguel performing one of my favourite tracks off the album:

Miguel - Quickie

Something I Think You Should Hear...

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

I'm going be honest - after '808s and Heartbreak', I was like, "Ok, obviously Kanye's going through some s**t so I'll allow him." I found that album very dissapointing and I did think Mr. West had lost it but then he reminded me why I have all his albums when he released 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'.

This is album will go down as one of my favourite hip-hop albums of all time because Kanye West displayed some crazy talent. Song after song is perfect but moreso than achieving perfection, I feel like this album marks the return of real music. What excites me even more about this album is seeing what visuals Kanye will put to the words when he releases his singles, and if the 'Power' video is anything to go by then Mr. West should be recieveing numerous VMAs.

Favourites from this album have to be (1) All Of The Lights ft. Rihanna, Kid Cudi & many more, (2) Monster ft. Rick Ross, Jay Z & Nicki Minaj, and (3) So Appaulled ft. Jay Z, Pusha T, Prynce Cy Hi, Swizz Beatz & The RZA.

Here's the video for one of my favourite tracks off the album:

 

Kanye West - All Of The Lights ft. Rihanna & Kid Cudi

NOTE: This album review should've appeared much earlier as I did get the album hot on its release in November 2010 but I was busy and everything I've said about the album still applies to this very date.

Something I Think You Should Hear...

Music plays a massive role in my life but ofcourse I don't sing or rap and therefore I'm just an avid listener. 'Something I Think You Should Hear...' is gonna be another regular on this blog because it's my blog - simples *Meerkat squeak*

  

Diddy Dirty Money - Last Train To Paris

This album was in the works for a long time and I would say that it was worth the wait. I'm not surprised that the 'Last Train To Paris' is a good album; Diddy has been in the music game for too long and creating an album full of hits should be of second nature to him by now. On this album Diddy is accompanied by the vocal talents of Dawn Ricards and Kalenna Harper - who are two ladies with beautiful voices.

Now, Diddy has said the concept behind the 'Last Train To Paris' is about losing love in Paris and attempting to get it back. From me, personally, I think the group approached the brief well, and have 16 songs to prove it. The album is a mixture of up-tempo and mid-tempo tracks; what impressed me most about this album was the fact it's focus is love and heartbreak but Diddy Dirty Money managed to embody that without creating any R&B crooners, instead they've produced high energy tracks which somewhat provide a different outlook on love.

Favourites from this album have to be (1) Ass On The Floor ft. Swizz Beatz, (2) Yesterday ft. Chris Brown, and (3) Shades ft. Lil' Wayne, Justin Timberlake, Bilal & James Fauntleroy.

Here's the video for one of my favourite tracks off the album:

Diddy Dirty Money - Ass On The Floor ft. Swizz Beatz