WEEKEND REVIEW: TOP 5 ON MY PLAYLIST | ROCKTOWN RECORDS, YINQUE AFRIQUE, 11TH HOUR, FEGA & GIL

I used to wake up in the morning to melodious Gospel tunes blaring out of sound system when I was younger. The songs have this indescribable celestial and rapturous feel that accompany them. I can remember Funmi Aragbaiye, Good Women Choir, the man who played the accordion and is always on to the military government of that era, Niyi Adedokun were part of the few that used to make my mornings in those days but somewhere along the line, we lost this essence in Gospel music. However, such artiste as Kenny Kore, Obiwon, Onos, Joe Praize, Ibitayo Jeje, Ebele the Flutist make me want to believe that the old-time-religion kind of Gospel music is not yet lost.

Moreover, a new crop of Gospel artiste with individual interpretation and conveyance of the urban sound has emerged. Their sounds are fresh and seems to be widely accepted by the average Gospel music fan. Artistes such as Mike Abdul, Frank Edwards, Henrisoul and Ada are evolving a new sound all together and this can be the pointers to where the Gospel music is headed.

I don’t want to bore you with Gospel music history or reminisces, I’m just thinking about the songs that are recently topping my playlist and I want to talk about them for a minute. These songs are strictly according to my preferences. It has nothing to do with release date or genre so if you’re reading this and you are expecting information on chat topping new releases, you can stop reading now. (Hehehe… Just kidding, please stay with me). Since it’s my opinion that counts in this article, I will be expressing it a lot so read with an open mind.

1. Sound Code – Rocktown All-Star ft. Frank Edwards, Gil, Soultune, Victor Ike

Number one on my playlist is Sound Code by Rocktown All-Star. I love the fast tempo club banging beat to it. I really can’t keep up with the number of songs Frank Edwards release from the staples of Rocktown Records in a month but the brother sure knows how to make beautiful music and it ain’t hard to tell.

The title of the song “Sound Code” was only mentioned at intervals in the song which has made some critics question the message of the song terming it has baseless but the verses depicts the gospel genre of the song better. Sound Code which simply signifies the underlying message of the BLW Nation at some point this year had Frank echoing the message.

I don’t know if Frank’s message is clear enough but if a Gospel artiste decides to make a beat that makes a brother want to ‘skelewu’ for God, my bad but I’d rather have that than choose the secular counterpart. Big ups Frank!

O’mbo – YinQue AfriQue

OMG!!! YinQue AfriQue has got that Bob Marley/Peter Tosh/Lucky Dube thing going on for him, the best thing is that he is doing it for the Gospel. This song makes me want to listen to anything YinQue has dropped and will still drop in the future. The Root Reggae sound, the vocals. All exceptional! He knew what he was aiming for when he was recording, he went for it and got it. The sound is evergreen and I hope a lot of gospel music fan feel the same way about this song!

Light up Cities – 11th Hour Movement ft. SamJamz, Protek & Viva

I’ve had this song since its release, heard it once (absent-minded) and kept it since then as I was on the system one day listening to songs and working, it came on and that was the turning point. It’s safe to say “Light up Cities” is the best Nigerian Gospel rap song released in recent times although it was released last year and Viva! Can that girl sing or what?! SamJamz and Protek held the verses down with their ‘tight’ techniques but the chorus stood out the most. Light up Cities is such a beautiful piece.

True Worship – Fega ft. Chisong

I literally got up from my desk at the end of the song, raised my hands and busted out in tongues, such strong worship. The chorus is filled with the power of the spirit. Listen to this song everyday and you will experience transformation.

Thanksgiving – Gil

I’ve had this song since last year but the way I felt about it when I first heard it hasn’t changed a bit. I wish Rocktown artistes did more PR for their songs, this song would have been a big hit by now. Anyways, kudos Gil for such a beautiful song!

All songs available on #SelahMusic 

– Written by Alex Amos

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