The NATIVE

For El Mehdi, making art has always been about creating a space where he could be fully himself. Born in Rabat and raised between Morocco, France and Canada, he grew up navigating the complexities of culture, faith, queerness and belonging, while slowly finding his way back to his Amazigh roots. Music became one of the places where those different parts of him could exist wit...

Lagos has always been a city in motion, but lately, you can really see that energy in the places the city’s youths gather. From skate parks and concept stores to creative houses and late-night spots, a new wave of cultural hubs are giving people somewhere to meet, make things, discover new music and just be around each other.

These are the places where different sides...

On a sunny Saturday afternoon late in July in Porto Novo, the capital city of the Republic of Benin, masquerades come out to commune with natives and tourists. It is the annual Festival Of Masks, a celebration of the West African country’s cultural heritage and indigenous pride that is now in its third year. Year on year, the festival has pressed on with a mandate to reshape ...

There are some who maintain that there is hope for Nigerian music yet, and there are others who prove it. For every repetitive charting hit, there is someone out there meshing pidgin with nihilistic Trap, and for every vapid string of lyrics, there is an artist imbuing their music...

After turning heads with “Trouble” in 2025 and following it up with “Billion Boy” earlier this year, Cookie is back with “Party Don Start,” his latest single released today via Oluwe Records. The high-energy single is positioning him as a potent voice among the new generation of musicians rising from Nigeria.

 “I love to get turnt at the party. I t...