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The Christmas eve show is being held from 10 pm to late according to the flyer, and will see performances from NSG as well as songs from a number of Ghanaian DJs including Ghboi, Uncle Party Time, DJ Skyla Tylaa, MC Influence, DJ Suukz and the Daily Paper Sound System.

Daily Paper is a clothing brand out of Amsterdam inspired by the founder Jefferson Osei’s African heritage. The companies’ west African influence is undeniable, and the company always looks for ways to take the brand to west Africa and this year as well as holding this event alongside fellow west African from the diaspora NSG. They will also be holding a number of pop up shops around Accra and have plans for around 6 more pop up shops and events in Ghana in the new year.

 

 

 

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NSG are proud west Africans and showcase it through their music and work. Whenever the group drops new music they dominate the UK afrobeat charts and rake in millions of views. The group have just ended their Africa tour which took them to Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana and allowed them to see the love they get when returning to their home countries.

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The group haven’t just returned to perform, the group opened a bar in Acrra called ‘The Area Bar’ in January 2021, the bar was named after a name the group also go by’ the area boy’ a term used for the street kids in west Africa.

The event hosted by Daily Paper and NSG is set to be held tonight at The Area Bar in Accra.

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This EP release is the group’s first project release since their sophomore album Roots which debuted on the charts at 37 and feature hits such as “OT Bop”, “Options”, and “Trust issues”, them three-track alone sit on a combine 170 million teams. 

Their new release Headliner features 3 songs titled “only God can judge me” featuring Mist,” Suzanna” featuring Patoranking and “Headliner”. The track “Only God can judge me”  was released 2 weeks ago alongside a video on the group’s youtube channel and sits on 622 thousand vies and 655 thousand Spotify streams.

Mists feature is a link-up that many fans wouldn’t have expected but isn’t shocking based on the way in which MIst has been behaving recently with his last 4 single releases seeing the Birmingham rapper perform next to Burna Boy, Mowgs, Kurupt FM, Jaykae and the previously mentioned track alongside NSG.

The next feature is Nigerian afrobeat star Patoranking, this feature is the first time the two have linked up but with NSGs heavy west African influence as well as their control of the UK afrobeats sounds the link up with Patoranking makes a lot of sense. Patoranking is 31 years old and is best known for his international hit “My women my everything” featuring Wande Coal which the artist released in 2015 and amassed just over 30 million youtube views.

With the release of the group’s new project, the group are preparing to start their African tour where between the 10th and 23rd will see the group travel to Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana with the Kenya and Ghana dates already sold out.

 

 

 

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The group have had a summer of festivals performing at the main stages of Wireless, Reading and Leeds and so much more.

NSGs new project Headliner is available to listen to here.

The video for “Only God can judge me” featuring Mist is available to watch here:

A Massive congratulations to all of our 2020 #MOBOAwards winners!

— MOBO (@MOBOAwards) December 9, 2020

Headie One scooped the award for Best Male Act, seeing off competition from nominees including Stormzy, J Hus and AJ Tracey. The  Tottenham trap star also picked up a second award for his collaboration with Young T & Bugsey on Don’t Rush, which secured the coveted Song of the Year title based on a public vote.

A night of MOBOs glory capped off an exceptional year for Headie One (real name Irving Adjei) whose debut album Edna soared to number one in the UK Albums Charts in October. In their review of the record, NME described the LP, which was named after Adeji’s late mother, as “a clear and persuasive bid for transatlantic stardom“; labelling the artist the “global King of drill.”

Leicestershire songstress Mahalia also enjoyed a memorable evening. The British-Jamaican singer, who made her second successive appearance in the US Adult R&B Top 20 this year with single BRB, was named Best Female Act on the night. The East Midlander also came up trumps in the Best R&B/Soul Act category, fending off WSTRN, Tiana Major9, Lianne La Havas and Mercury Prize winner Michael Kiwanuka. Mahalia told the RTÉ network that it was “an honour” to feature in an awards show close to her heart, saying “I remember seeing my first Mobos…As a young black female artist, it really is special to be here and to be recognised in this way.”

There were further gongs for North London rapper Nines – aka Courtney Leon Freckleton – who won the Album of the Year award for his third studio LP Crabs In A Bucket, which topped the UK Albums Chart at the end of the summer. Nines also pipped J Hus, Ms Banks, D-Block Europe, Krept & Konan and Potter Payper to the Best Hip Hop Act prize.

Elsewhere there was success for Hackney-born Jme in the Best Grime category; while Samuel Nwachukwu – known by his stage name of  Calledout Music – was named Best Gospel Act. The Nigerian-born, UK-raised singer is a rising star of Christian music globally, and has been touted as a prospective collaborator with Stormzy and Wretch 32 in the past. In a special feature on gospel music last year, The Big Issue described him as “a much needed breath of fresh air” on the scene, with an “infectious sound.”

Other award winners on the night included Lancashire rapper Aitch – who secured a top ten hit in the UK Albums Chart this year with his EP Polaris – in the Best Newcomer category; and Ella Mai, whose eponymous 2018 debut album was recognised as the best LP released over the two years that passed without a MOBO Awards ceremony. There was also a win for East London rap collective NSG in the Video of the Year category; while South Londoner Ego Ella May got the nod for Best Jazz Act. Stratford-based Jae-5 picked up the Best Producer award, telling Audio Media International: “It’s beautiful to be acknowledged and to win an award that promotes what I am.”

Meanwhile non-UK winners on the night included Nigerian Afrobeats merchant Burna Boy (Best International Act) and compatriot Wizkid (Best African Act). Jamaican dancehall veteran Buju Banton also bagged the Best Reggae Act award. The full list of musical winners at the MOBO Awards were:

Best Female Act – Mahalia
Best Male Act – Headie One
Album of the Year – Crabs in a Bucket (Nines)
Song of the Year – Dont Rush (Young T & Bugsey feat. Headie One)
Best Newcomer  – Aitch
Video of the Year – Lupita, NSG
Best R&B/Soul Act – Mahalia
Best Hip Hop Act – Nines
Best Grime Act – Jme
Best International Act – Burna Boy
Best Album (2017 – 2019) - Ella Mai (Ella Mai)
Best African Act – Wizkid
Best Reggae Act – Buju Banton
Best Gospel Act – Calledout Music
Best Jazz Act – Ego Ella May
Best Producer – Jae 5
Best Performance in a TV Show/Film - Micheal Ward (as Marco in Blue Story)
Best Media Personality - Chunkz
Inspiration Award - Steve McQueen

The continued absence of a category to recognise rock music was highlighted ahead of the awards ceremony by Londoners Nova Twins. The self-described ‘urban punk’ duo rightly pointed to the key role pioneers like Sister Rosetta Sharp, Chuck Berry and Little Richard played in the development of guitar music and rock ‘n’ roll as an overarching genre. The MOBOs judging panel responded directly on Twitter by saying they would “…continue to review potential category expansions for future Award ceremonies.”

Nines tweeted that he will release the album on the 28th of August. He attached a photo of the album artwork to the tweet, which depicted the rapper sitting on the cusp of a large wooden bucket as people clawed at him from below. The artwork suggests a nostalgic project, as the artist looks to move on from the factors that have held him back in the past.

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- My 7th project Crabs In A Bucket is coming on the 28th of August

A post shared by @ csbnines on Aug 7, 2020 at 9:00am PDT

He also revealed the album’s track-list. The project will be 17 tracks long, and feature artists such as NSG, Headie One and Nafe Smallz. The range of artists included eludes to a diverse project, which incorporates different musical styles.

‘Crabs In A Bucket’ is the latest instalment in a busy 2020 for Nines. He released the second instalment from a series of short-films named ‘Crop Circles‘. ‘Crabs In A Bucket‘ is his third studio album, however it is his first signed to the Warner record label.

‘Crabs In A Bucket‘ promises to be special. Nines’ creativity and word play is unrivalled within the British rap scene. Furthermore, the host of features and the highbrow production of his new record label will only augment his heavy, Hip-Hop, sound.

Get warmed up by watching the second instalment of ‘Crop Circle‘ below:

The Manchester-based artist draws on an Afro-beat influence for the vibrant track. ‘Tantrum‘ ripples to a refreshing summery melody, which flows over an easy drum beat. Geko’s vocals act as an accompaniment to the instrumental. His coarse voice pulsates in and out of the foreground, which adds to the relaxing nature of the track.

The visuals echo the track’s calm. The clip depicts Geko riding around suburbia on an electric scooter. The sun is setting, and he is relaxing with friends. The result is a nostalgic accompaniment to the single, which reflects the social aspects of long summer evenings.

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VIDEO ON OneTape Records channel LINK IN BIO FOR ALL OTHER PLATFORMS

A post shared by Geko (@realgeko) on Jul 30, 2020 at 11:24am PDT

‘Tantrum’ is his first release this year. However, he has featured on multiple tracks, such as on Nafe Smallz’ ‘Plan Tonight‘. The last few years have been big for Geko. Smash-hits alongside group NSG, such as ‘Yo Darlin‘ and ‘6:30‘, have cemented his profile at the top of the British music scene.

The initial reviews for ‘Tantrum‘ are positive. Website GRM daily has praised the track’s ‘feel-good vibe‘, labelling the new material as ‘fresh‘. The early reviews will be of great relief to Geko, after his long hiatus.

‘Tantrum‘ is a very summery track. The afro-beat inspired instrumental is the perfect accompaniment for the upcoming heat-wave, due to its refreshing nature. The release capitalises on Geko’s reputation as one of the UK’s hottest artists, after a string of previous hits. Initial reviews suggest that ‘Tantrum’ will be Geko’s latest high-profile track, which proves that musical class is permanent after Geko’s time away from the spotlight.

NSG is made up of six members – Kruddz, ODG, Papii Abz, Dope, Mxjib, and Mojo – and their collective name has many meanings, including ‘New Sound Group’ and ‘Never Stop Growing’, both of which are very apt given the group’s work. They wrote a message to their followers upon the release, which reads, “Our debut mixtape ‘Roots’ is out now! Thank you for having faith in us and our journey so far!”

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Our debut mixtape ‘Roots’ is out now! Thank you for having faith in us and our journey so far! [Link in Bio]

A post shared by NSG Entertainment (@nsg_music) on Jun 18, 2020 at 4:02pm PDT

With themes from political rebellion to influential women, the rappers offer insightful lyrics set to strong beats, making it clear why their music is so popular. But, for listeners who are just hoping for a good time, track 6 ‘Why Stress’ is a chilled out embodiment of summer.

Lead single ‘Options’, a collaboration with Tion Wayne, came out all the way back in 2018, and is their biggest song to date, reaching number 7 on the UK Singles Charts and 79 million streams on Spotify. This was followed by ‘Ot Bop’, ‘Trust Issues’, ‘Ourself’, ‘Porshe’, and ‘Grandad’, released throughout 2019 and 2020. The last has only been out since yesterday, already gaining over 80,000 views on YouTube.

Each single came with a music video, as the group was lucky enough to film before the lock-down was put into place. ‘Options’ has 28 million views and shows the group members in various London scenes – some are with fans or at gigs, while some are in front of city landscapes.

While ‘Roots‘ is NSG’s first mixtape, they have an album entitled ‘Grown Up‘ which came out in 2017 after the release of first singles, all of which were taken from the album. As said by member Kruddz, NSG is “a lifestyle, it’s a movement” which symbolises their journey.