Olawale Kentucky’s “Mr Kokoka” is already the talk of the town in Indianapolis, USA. The well put together project is comprised of 15 banging songs. This is definitely a body of work we recommend that you take some time to listen to. Features on the project includes Sugar Beast, Ocho Mafia , Hamzy west , Almon , Afrorolls, Oluwatimileyin, all of whom are resident in the United States. This body of work is testament to how much Nigerian music has grown in the diaspora.
Songs like “Make way”, “Silhouette”, “Happy Day”, “Show me” , “Lara” , absolutely blew our minds. This is one of the best Nigerian albums out now and definitely the best Nigerian album released in the USA.
Please listen to “Happy Day” featuring Ocho Mafia and produced by Pelz, one of our many favorite tracks off the album. You can also stream the rest of the album via the Spotify link below.
2020 was a very tumultuous year for all. In the USA, the year started very normal until news broke about suspected cases of Covid19 discovered in the USA, which was up till that point a “Chinese” problem. The USA went on to become the number one host for the virus and the rest is history. However, the global pandemic that ensured caused millions of people to lose their lives , shut down a lot of businesses, and crippled the normal day to day activities for people all over the world. One can argue that artists and entertainers were the most affected because these people basically make all their money from touring, but with the grounding of flights in airports across the world , it meant no income for artists.
Surprisingly , there was still a reasonable amount of activity in the music industry, artists turned to streaming services for income which led to a more than anticipated amount of albums and EPs being released. In Indianapolis, a few artists had a very strong year and here are the nine artists that had a very solid 2020.
Oluwatimileyin keeps impressing us long after we first stumbled on his work and projects. The Nigerian artist from Indianapolis USA released several compelling singles in 2020 which cumulated in the release of his Debut EP titled “The first Epistle of Oluwatimileyin” . A videographer by trade , he is also making sure his videos match the vibe of his singles and projects. His hard work has earned him a spot on this list. We are looking forward to his sophomore EP and listening party.
Rilo had a very productive year starting off with the release of his “Out of the blue” EP around the second quarter of the year. The impressive EP showed a lot of growth and versatility from the young Afrobeat artist and endeared him to Afrobeat faithful’s in Indianapolis . His sound bore a close similarity to that of the original Afrobeat sound created by Fela Kuti in the early 70s.The high point of 2020 for Rilo came when he lent his voice to the End sars protest in Nigeria, the song and the video went viral.
Hamzy west started the year quite strong with the release of his single and then followed it up with the release of the music video much later in the year. We were really expecting to see much more from Hamzy west but his EP was pushed to the first quarter of 2021. Hamzy west also made some very meaningful appearances in events and shows for 2020 and earned himself a spot on this list.
Timmy Rochy put in a very productive year with the release of singles like “Dem say” and “International Kondo” alongside T-ME Singsong. His self titled EP has been in the works for while and the tracklist reveals massive singles featuring the likes of Dotman and General Pype. Through out the year, Timmy Rochy was a constant feature in events in and outside Indianapolis while also making appearances at shows and clubs.
This is by far the number one French artist in Indianapolis . The Togolese artists is a regular on chats in Indianapolis and did not disappoint in 2020. The only reason he is not further up the list is the fact that he barely appears in shows and events in Indianapolis USA, hence we are not able to determine how much fans in this city engage with him while on stage . After speaking to him, it looks like this is about to change in 2021 as his management is on the verge of releasing schedules for a few shows and events he will he will be headlining in 2021. He is a multiple award winner in his home country of Togo.
Teeklef always seems to be around every year and even in a pandemic year with all the distractions around he still able to put in a very impressive year comparable with previous years. His music videos “A prayer for Black America” detailing the social injustice and the struggles of the black man in USA, which was released during the George Floyd protest and another single “Wanting” featuring Camerudeboy really shaped the music scene in Indiana USA in 2020. He also released a Joint album titled “NonZeroSum” with Skypp and played a huge part in Afrorolls massive single “Trianna”.
Afrorolls had a hugely successful year with the release of his “Don Corleone” EP. We were not only impressed with the content of the EP but we were also taken aback on how organized the entire process was. From the photoshoot to the actual release party Afrorolls managed to pull off the “Don Corleone” look. Wizkid’s longtime Producer and friend Samklef was also in Indianapolis, USA to witness the release of the EP. Afrorolls continues to set the pace and set trends with his music.
We were particularly impressed with Olawalekentucky this year. He seemed to have gotten a lot of things right with his Branding in 2020. The Brand is looking Prim and proper. He also packs a crowd and is able to fill up descent sized event halls and venues. This is something you cannot take for granted. His Publicity skills is far superior to what i expect from a local artist in Indiana, and if there is one thing we learnt from Olawalekentucky this year, it is the ability to keep your fans entertained and thrilled on social media. He has by far one of the most engaging social media pages in Indianapolis and is attracting a lot of business to himself. He also appeared in multiple paid events in 2020.
In our opinion T-ME singsong had the strongest year in 2020 releasing his much anticipated “Take II” EP and moving on to become the most booked artist in Indianapolis for 2020. One can argue that while many artists were refusing to be booked for events , T-ME and his team were busy scheduling events, but the truth is that the number of private shows and parties T-ME Singsong was booked for shows how much his influence has grown in the city and how much people crave for his music. He also released strong singles like “Low” and “international Kondo” while featuring in almost everyone’s project. “Holiday” by Zarnotti and “Tonight” by Mr. Carter are some of the most notable. His “Superwoman” video featured top business women from the city of Indianapolis.
Tell us below who you think Indiana’s strongest artist for 2020 is and also name artists we may not have added to the list.
Olawale Kentucky has been in the news too much lately but often for the right reasons. This talented singer is on the loose and needs a leash to keep him from getting far ahead of the pack in Indianapolis USA. This year has been a very positive year for his career as he has managed to pull off some impressive singles and features. His latest offering is this song titled Abena featuring one his most frequent collaborators by the name Eddy Baba.
OlawaleKentucky recently sat down with us to discuss his music and how he has progressed over the years. He has been consistent and continuously putting out quality music. The artist, actor, and model recently put out the video to his much anticipated single titled Obebee featuring the sensational producer Doystks. The record is off his Lagos to Kentucky E.P.
Obebee is a laid back love song done in the Yoruba language. The video ticks all the boxes and was shot by Exclusive visuals – the winner of the Afrique Entertainment award for the best videographer. Check out the video below.
Olawale Kentucky – Ft. Doystks ( Official Music Video )
Produced By: Doystks & Pelz
Music Video By Exclusive Visuals
Female Vocalist: Tiwatope
Model: Oltanie
Rapport brings you high profile celebrities and sought-after brands who are making history in the entertainment industry and other related fields in the United States of America. This program is produced and edited by renowned photographer and videographer Bree Daniels and it is brought to you courtesy Mazifeanyi USA, LLC.
Seyi is a Nigerian portrait and wedding photographer based out of Indianapolis, Indiana. He took up photography professionally in 2018 after learning from self-paced web tutorials on “The YouTube Varsity”, this coupled with mentoring sessions and internships with established photographers helped him blossom into one of the finest talents in Indianapolis.
His love for the old arts, paintings, details, emotions, and color spectrums is what inspires and reflects in the dexterity with which he shoots lifestyle and portraits. “I love weddings! From the love that flows through the air, to the cheery tinged emotions, to the artistically placed food and of course, and the incredible party! Wedding photography allows me to put all other forms of photography (Portraits, Documentary, Lifestyle, Product, etc.) together to tell a beautiful love story”..he said
“If I’m not shooting, I’m most likely out exploring food, (no, I’m not a foodie, haha), learning new stuff about photography, playing video games, or just chilling on a couch listening to audiobooks,” he continued
It’s been nothing but brilliant pixel-perfect beauty. Check out some of Seyi’s photos below
If you consider being Seyi’s next client please follow @official_seymour
We are very impressed with Olawale Kentucky in 2020. He seemed to have gotten his brand off the ground in 2020. His brand is now looking Prim and proper. He also packs a crowd and is able to fill up descent sized event halls and venues. This is something you cannot take for granted. His Publicity skills is far superior to what I expect from a local artist in Indiana, and if there is one thing we learnt from Olawale Kentucky this year, It is the ability to keep your fans entertained and thrilled on social media. He has by far one of the most engaging social media pages in Indianapolis and is attracting a lot of business to himself. He also appeared in multiple paid events in 2020. He also so some very huge records in 2020 and Kokoka is definitely top notch.
This is one of the biggest Afro tunes coming out of USA at the moment. Watch Kokoka by Olawale Kentucky featuring his longtime friend and collaborator Boy Combination below.
Indianapolis has seen a fair share of high profile celebrities and top-notch events in the last five months. The likes of Dr. Sid, Falz, Chief Obi, Niki Tall, 2baba, Alex Ekubo, etc have all come and gone. This weekend was the turn of one of Africa’s hottest artists Kizz Daniel to add heat to an already incredibly hot summer.
Notable comedian Elenu, Uncle Azeez and acts like DJ Phlame, DJ Drey, and Rilo were also present to add spice to the sold-out concert.
