afrobeat

Wizkid And Davido Get Into Heated X Exchange Over Who’s Better

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There continues to be something in the water in 2024. Beef has been on the menu of just about every major rapper, and now the trend is spilling over into Afrobeat. Wizkid and Davido are two of the biggest Afrobeat artists in the world, and they are not putting up a unified front. In fact, both artists took shots at one another, claiming they are the more important figure within Afrobeat. The whole thing went down on X (formerly Twitter) on April 29.

Wizkid started things off with a subtweet. The “Bad to Me” singer criticized an unnamed artist, claiming they couldn’t touch him in terms of relevance. “U and all ur crew plus ur pant washer song writer go to sleep at night thinking you actually got anything on me in music,” he wrote. The mystery of who he was talking about was quickly solved when Davido got involved. The latter quote tweeted a second message from Wizkid that read: “U know what… no point. Delusional n**gas” with a very pointed response. “We not delusional,” Davido wrote. “You’re a sick man.”

Read More: WizKid Net Worth 2024: Updated Wealth Of The Afrobeats Star

Davido Claimed Wizkid’s Career Was Dead

The two artists continued to trade shots on X into the evening. Wizkid quote tweeted Davido’s response with a video of Davido awkwardly laughing. The latter then took things up a notch by claiming Wizkid is over the hill. “Exactly why I stopped wasting my clout,” he noted. “And jeopardizing millions of my USD on someone whose career was resurrected a few years ago just to die again.” Davido then took a page out of Drake’s book by poking fun at Wizkid’s shoe size. “Size 7 shoe,” he wrote with a laughing emoji. “N**ga shot at footlocker kids.”

Wizkid decided not to take things further, though. He shut down the X exchange then and there by claiming he was over it. “I don tire,” he tweeted. “I dey go sleep. Jesus is King.” Wizkid and Davido have collaborated multiple times over the years, with some of their most notable songs including “My Way” and “Feel (Remix).”

The two artists reportedly had a falling out in 2023, which Davido attributed to the fans during an appearance on Drink Champs. “It actually started with the fans,” he explained. “It was the fans going at it. We was f*cking around and he announced like, ‘Yo, I’m going on tour with Davido next year.’ The fans were so angry.” Regardless of who started it, the beef has become very real.

Read More: Wizkid Rants About Not Being An Afrobeats Artist While Updating On Next Album

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Grammy 2024 Nominees: A Look At Best Global Music Performance

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On November 10, the nominations for the 2024 Grammys were announced. One of the ceremony’s newer categories, the Best Global Music Performance Award, has only had two recipients so far. It was first presented to Arooj Aftab for “Mohabbat” at the 2022 ceremony. This win made her the first-ever Pakistani artist to be presented with a Grammy. Subsequently, the next winners were the South African trio Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini, and Nomcebo Zikode.

The award for Best Global Music Performance is presented in recognition of influential music worldwide. Regardless of its delayed arrival, it’s certainly a step in the right direction by the Recording Academy. In a tight race, here are the nominees for the 2024 Grammys in the Best Global Music Performance category.

“Feel” – Davido

“Feel” is a standout track from Davido’s fourth studio album, Timeless (2023). The Nigerian singer finally has his first Grammy nod, receiving three impressive nominations for the 2024 ceremony, including Best African Music Performance. With the recent rise of Afrobeats around the world, it’s no surprise that he is being recognized. Without a doubt, he has been a significant contributor to the growth and expansion of the genre over the years, so fans have celebrated his acknowledgment by the Recording Academy since it was first announced. In a matter of months, Davido could potentially take home his first statuette at the 2024 Grammys.

“Shadow Forces” – Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily

Arooj Aftab’s musical talent has caught the attention of the Recording Academy twice before now. Besides her win for “Mohabbat” in 2022, she was nominated for the Best New Artist award in the same year. This time, she is also joined by Vijay Iyer, who has received a Grammy nomination once before, and Shahzad Ismaily, a first-time nominee. “Shadow Forces” is a 14-minute track from the trio’s 7-track collaborative album, Love in Exile (2023). If they secure the win at the 2024 Grammys, Iyer and Ismaily would be first-time winners. Aftab, however, would become a two-time Grammy winner.

“Milagro Y Desastre” – Silvana Estrada 

Mexican songstress Silvana Estrada has been active in the music industry since 2017. The 26-year-old has built a promising career since then, releasing a couple of EPs and her debut album. Subsequently, she was nominated for two Latin Grammys in 2022, winning Best New Artist. Estrada has also earned her first-ever Grammy nomination at the upcoming 2024 ceremony. “Milagro y Desastre” was released as a single on May 31, 2023. 

“Abundance In Millets” – Falu & Guarav Shah ft. PM Narendra Modi 

With her recognition in this category, Falu has bagged her third Grammy nomination. The singer, already a Grammy winner, won her first award in 2022 for Best Children’s Album. “Abundance in Millets” has other primary collaborators, however. In the song, she is joined by her husband, Guarav Shah, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Created to help promote millet and its benefits, “Abundance in Millets” has achieved more than expected. It may seem like an unlikely choice, but it has just as much of a winning chance as any song in this lineup. If it wins at the 2024 Grammys, Shah and Modi would be first-time winners.

“Pashto” – Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain ft. Rakesh Chaurasia 

As far as achievements go, this group poses the biggest threat to the other nominees on the list. All three primary artists on “Pashto” have been previously recognized by the Recording Academy, winning several awards. Béla Fleck, a Grammy veteran, has taken home 15 awards across several categories since 1996. Likewise, Edgar Meyer has five Grammys to his name, and Zakir Hussein took home the Contemporary World Music Album award in 2009. Rakesh Chairasia, the only first-time nominee here, could become a Grammy winner as well if “Pashto” wins next year. 

“Todo Colores” – Ibrahim Maalouf ft. Cimafunk & Tank And The Bangas

“Todo Colores” is another collaboration by a group of performers the Recording Academy has recognized before. This is the second Grammy nomination for both Ibrahim Maalouf and Cimafunk. However, for Tank and the Bangas, it is the group’s third Grammy nomination yet. If  “Todo Colores” emerges victorious at the 2024 Grammys, it would be the first-ever statuette received by all three musical acts. 

“Alone” – Burna Boy

Altogether, Burna Boy has now amassed 10 nominations across several categories. Additionally, all of his last four albums have been nominated in the Best Global Music Album category. His first and only win so far was for his fifth album, Twice as Tall. At the 2024 Grammys, he could very well add another win, seeing as he’s been nominated for four awards. “Alone” was recorded for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie soundtrack and is evidently one of its standout tracks. 

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SPINALL & Wizkid Keep The Summer Hot On “Loju,” Their New Song

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SPINALL and Wizkid are among the two most prominent and celebrated figures in the Afrobeat genre, expanding further into dancehall, pop, and much more. In fact, the latter in particular just became the first African artist to score three platinum-certified singles by the RIAA. Moreover, they have plenty of tracks together, whether as solo releases or as part of larger projects from either creative. However, this newest single that they dropped this week, “Loju,” might just be one of their best collaborations yet for many fans, and hopefully serves as an entry point into them for many others. After all, the two Nigerian artists cook up a lot of chemistry here and show off their penchant for charismatic and infectious melodies.

Lyrically, SPINALL and Wizkid focus on wanting to have a good time with a lady, having a fun party, and some other playful and summery references. While it might not seem like a lot at first glance, this is one of those songs that conveys its easy-going message through its song without even needing to read into the lyrics. As such, they reinforce the themes with some sweet lines and words of longing and joy. Wizkid opens “Loju” up with a catchy intro before the even catchier chorus, and introduces some other interesting melodies to switch things up. Hopefully there’s much more to come from these two in the future, and with how they’re progressing and going farther as two of the biggest in the genre, it would only make sense.

Read More: Swizz Beatz Talks Introducing Burna Boy & Wizkid To The States

SPINALL & Wizkid’s “Loju” Music Video

Meanwhile, the instrumental creatively incorporates some faster percussion hits in certain sections that inject “Loju” with some more energy. Between the crisp afrobeat rhythm, atmospheric synth pads, and wailing lead melody, this is an easy add on any summer playlist. If you haven’t heard “Loju” yet, you can find the track on your preferred streaming service and peep some notable lyrics below. Also, if you want more from Wizkid in particular, make sure to check out his most recent album, 2022’s More Love, Less Ego. For more on him and the latest updates on SPINALL, log back into HNHH.

Quotable Lyrics
Let the neighbours know my name
Baby girl I go dey your side o
Diamond dancing on me
Baby rest upon me, I fit pay the price

Read More: Wizkid’s “Essence” Becomes First Nigerian Song To Reach Top 10 Of Billboard Hot 100

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