New, Creative & Unique.
With popular culture’s lens hyper fixed on African music, art, fashion and culture, it is time more than ever to celebrate the new generation of African stars. Young African talents are making waves worldwide across the landscape of music, media and culture. So we here at iMullar will be profiling four emerging acts every month. From fresh talent jumping headfirst into the music scene to the very best of rising hitmakers. New Music and quality content have become a much-needed escape from our current crazy reality, so enjoy the fourth edition of iMullar’s RATED picks for the acts to watch out for:
On this month’s edition of emerging acts, we’re kicking back with an impressive roster of all-female upcomers. The list includes Nadine El Roubi, Maya Amolo, Le Ru and Ginius.
Nadine
Nadine is a fully-fledged creative. Dabbling in both film and photography, the Sudanese singer is finding what identity means to her, sharing her visions through her music. Dancing between genres like Rap, RnB and Neo-Soul, Nadine touches on a range of issues such as feminism, self-love and re-aligning one’s self with ancestral identity. With her mixed Egyptian and Iranian heritage influencing her sound and image, Nadine wants to reclaim her roots and culture in a positive way. On songs like Egyptian Silver, the artiste channels self-discovery with a modern twist by switching between rap and her notable singing voice. Punchy lines like ‘Egyptian silver on my wrist, Egyptian silver line my fist, Egyptian silver in my bones, Cleopatra on her throne’ highlight the power Nadine feels in claiming her heritage. Celebrating the royalty she finds within herself and her culture, Nadine channels the energy of a young conscious African trying to navigate the world and find meaning in their existence. The video to Egyptian Silver directed by Mark Issa and the Unseen was released in 2020. In the simple yet effective video depicting a Middle Eastern-inspired seating backdrop, Nadine inspires us all to be confident in our backgrounds. The singer seen in cosy tracksuit bottoms and a sweatshirt, adorned in beautiful silver jewellery flexes her ancestry for the world to see and her joy and confidence is infectious. Creative, talented and proudly African, Nadine is ready to light her way right into the hearts of indie Afro music lovers everywhere.
Need more Nadine? Listen to her here.
Maya Amolo
Maya Amolo, the budding Kenyan songstress wants you to leave her at the pregame. From her presence on SoundCloud under the former alias sad-gal to releasing her debut EP, “Leave Me at the Pregame”, Maya is no stranger to cultivating her own vibe. This EP is a refreshing entry by the rising star whose soothing voice glides effortlessly over majority RnB and jazzy baselines. Sharing her anxieties about life, love and crowded party spaces in a delicate voice dripped with emotion, Maya puts us right in the feels with her nostalgic, vulnerable sound. On Crashing, Maya’s voice guides the simple piano tinged production creating a pensive and chill atmosphere. The whole tape almost works as an open love letter to anyone whose ever doubted themselves and their path creating an overall uplifting but raw vibe. Affirming herself and her belief in universal timing, Maya tells herself ‘baby give it time’ a message we all need to hear but are rarely given space to. Fitting right in with her messages of self-confidence and honesty. On songs like I Know, we see another side to Maya’s realness as she reveals the girl behind her sweet vocals is no fool ‘ring around your hoes and Nah she’s just my bro and’. Expressing her distaste with a trifling romantic partner who can’t keep it real. With an angelic voice, modern clever lyrics and a sound that reminds us of the 2000s RnB era, Maya Amolo’s vibe is undeniable. This tape right here is for the girls who are trying to find themselves amidst the noisiness of life.
Listen to Maya Amolo here to align yourself and your chakras.
Le Ru
Le Ru, Kenyan’s very own ‘sweet and spicy hummingbird’ is next up on iMullar’s #RATED. Le Ru means business, man. An all-rounder in the creative field playing singer, songwriter, producer and creative director, Le Ru is determined to channel freedom of expression through her craft. Sensual and real, Le Ru isn’t the type to shy away from telling you her mind on tracks like Sick Ah’ ft Ayoo. With a simple yet catchy chorus, ‘I am sick of these n*ggas ahhhh’, Le Ru and Ayoo create a cocktail of unbridled female energy ‘get a mental tic tac, I really don’t f**** with riff-raff’ by switching between Ru’s sultry harmonizing assisted by Ayoo’s rap-singing flow. Embracing her duality and staying true to her sweet and spicy attitude, Le Ru mixes genres like Afro Jazz and Pop on her 2019 release Forbidden Fruit. Teasing at a potential lover with cheeky lyrics and smooth production, the singer paints a vivid picture of late-night courting at the club/function ‘on the beach sunsetting with a pina colada, silk dress, yeah nobody does it better’. And we agree! Le Ru’s appeal lies in her unique expression and memorable lyricism. Unafraid to own her sexy or to tell off people who are trying her, the songbird is quickly carving her own lane amidst the nu generation of young and upcoming African artistes unashamed of their realities and truths.
Find your sweet and sexy groove by listening to Le Ru here.
Ginius
British Ghanaian singer, producer and songwriter Ginius has been making and producing music since 2012. With a variety of influences ranging from Dave, Papa Yankson and Aretha Franklin to ShowDemCamp, Gyedu Blau Ambolley, Ginius is truly a student of music applying her own organic approach to the craft. Over lockdown, the multifaceted singer released her debut Amapaino influenced EP “Happy to Be Outside”. The 3 track tape released August 2nd and it’s celebratory vibe brightened lockdown right up! Track 1 titled Uchema is a great start to the project with an infectious Afrodance/Amapiano production and simple yet upbeat lyrical content ‘ready to be gone, ready to come home, ready to let go’. Ginius invites us into a world of dance inspiring good energy and a grateful attitude through her music. Happy to Be Outside, the last track on the tape shares the project’s name and offers the same hopeful affirmations found in the overall tape. Ginius is ‘happy to be outside, on this side‘ and well, alive and we at iMullar love hearing this young creator find her feet with a positive outlook. The Gauteng record shows off Ginius’ producer prowess further, giving us another track littered with sunny vibes and a cheerful disposition. If you need more convincing of how dope Ginius is, the whole tape was recorded and distributed by Ginius herself. Firmly placing her in the current wave of the DIY generation of African stars determined to share their artistry and make it against all odds.
Give yourself a reason to dance today, listen to Ginius’s latest release here.
Get your support juices following for these artistes, watch their live takeovers on Instagram weekly and also, follow the buildup to the next RATED edition on our Instagram platform.
Listen to our Melanin Groove playlist dedicated to our sisters on Apple Music, Spotify and Audimack.