Music
District234 covers Nigerian music across Afrobeats, hip-hop, street pop and the alté scene. Our coverage includes album reviews, artist profiles, cultural analysis and commentary on the evolution of African music.
From rising artists to global superstars like Wizkid, Burna Boy and Tems, this section documents the sound shaping contemporary African culture.
Laycon Confronts Growth and Uncertainty on “Reason”
Laycon turns inward on his latest release Reason, a reflective record that grapples with the tension between ambition and uncertainty. Rather than...
The Good Wine Turn Toward Quiet Assurance on “Onumo”
London-based duo The Good Wine return with Onumo, an intimate worship record centred on presence rather than power. Translating to He is with me,...
Alyn Sano Embraces Gratitude on Reflective New Single Amen
Rwandan artist Alyn Sano leans into gratitude on her new single Amen, a reflective offering built around acknowledgement rather than assertion. Instead of...
26 Greatest Nigerian Love Songs for Your Valentine’s Playlist
We’ve rounded up the 26 greatest Nigerian love songs ever made. Which of these is your forever favorite? The greatest...
The Grammy Mirage: Why the Nigerian Obsession with Western Validation is a Losing Game
The morning after the Grammy Awards has become a recurring ritual of collective heartbreak for the Nigerian music industry. Once...
The “Predator” Narrative: Is Wizkid Really Just Feeding Off the New School?
If you’re seeing this, you’ve been deceived. You likely clicked because you wanted to see another veteran artist dragged for...
Why Everyone Is Romanticising 2016 Right Now
Open TikTok or X and 2016 will eventually find you. A clip of someone driving through traffic with an old...
Does Shoday Deserve Mainstream Attention With His Kind of Music?
Dismissing Shoday’s sound as ‘music for lash techs’ isn’t a critique of quality, it is an exercise in classism. For...
Shoday Kicks Off 2026 With New Single ‘Paparazzi’ Featuring FOLA
Fast-rising Afrobeat star, Shoday has recently released his debut single for the year, ‘Paparazzi,’ a vibrant new single with FOLA,...
Seven Things the Nigerian Music Industry Needs to Abandon in 2025
These habits probably aren’t disappearing. We’re realistic about that. But if they can’t be abandoned completely, can we at least...
