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February 20, 2026
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Lanky Makaveli: Rising Star in Afro-Fusion, Set to Release Game-Changing EP

AdminJuly 17, 2024July 17, 2024
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Category: Artist Interviews

In-depth interviews with established and emerging artists, delving into their musical journeys, influences, and creative processes.

Etuk Ubong
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From Ibibio Roots to Global Stages: Etuk Ubong ’s Journey Through Music and Culture

Damilare FarotimiJanuary 9, 2025January 9, 2025021 mins

At Music Custodian, we are honored to connect with artists whose work transcends the ordinary, and Etuk Ubong is a true visionary.

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BigFoot The Producer Running Lagos EDM Scene
  • African Music Legends
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BigFoot in Focus : Pioneering the Fusion of African Sounds and EDM

AdminOctober 31, 2024October 31, 2024012 mins

In our exclusive interview, we delve into the artistic journey of BigFoot, a pivotal figure shaping the African music scene.

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Music Custodian Interviews Kold AF
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KOLD AF: Unleashing Authenticity and Artistry in the Heart of Afro -Fusion

AdminOctober 2, 2024October 3, 2024015 mins

Renowned for her cosmic sound and boundless creativity, KOLD AF offered us an exclusive glimpse into her latest project in a detailed sit-down interview.

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Timaya New Album Gladiator
  • African Music Legends
  • Artist Interviews

“Album Review: Timaya’s ‘Gladiator’ — A Symphony of Triumph”

AdminAugust 21, 2024September 23, 202415 mins

Timaya Continues His Run Of Artistic Relevance On His 9th Studio Album Gladiator.

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  • New Music

Lanky Makaveli: Rising Star in Afro-Fusion, Set to Release Game-Changing EP

AdminJuly 17, 2024July 17, 2024012 mins

Lanky Makaveli is a dynamic and emerging force in the Afro-fusion music scene. With a personal background marked by resilience and a relentless pursuit of his goals, Lanky embodies the spirit of an artist with a lot of love to give despite the challenges he’s faced.

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Amplifying Africa’s top-tier soundscapes while nurturing a creative music community through guardianship, skills development, and storytelling 🎙️

Love is not soft. It’s intentional. It’s patie Love is not soft. It’s intentional. It’s patient. It’s disciplined. And in Bayanni’s world, it exists side by side with ambition. 

In this episode of Music Custodian Sessions, @itsbayanni opens up about the emotional architecture behind his EP Love & Hustle - a project born from a simple but universal truth: as adults, we are constantly balancing affection and ambition. 

We love deeply. We grind relentlessly. And somehow, we find a rhythm between both. This conversation isn’t just about romance , it’s about the tension between vulnerability and drive, passion and persistence, softness and survival.

On a day the world celebrates love, we’re spotlighting an artist who understands that love is not separate from the hustle - it fuels it. 

Bayanni represents a generation of African artists who are unafraid to express tenderness while still chasing greatness. This episode captures him in that becoming - reflective, grounded, and clear about the life that shaped the music. 

Watch the teaser now. Full episode out soon.

#MusicCustodianSessions #Bayanni #LoveAndHustle #AfricanMusic ValentinesDay
The Grammys still hold prestige - that part is und The Grammys still hold prestige - that part is undeniable. 

For many African artists, a nomination or win can unlock new markets, new audiences, and new doors. But prestige and reality are no longer the same conversation. African music today moves at the speed of streaming, diaspora, and digital community. It dominates charts, shapes global sounds, and drives cultural conversations long before institutions catch up. The question isn’t whether the Grammys matter — it’s whether they reflect the full weight of what’s happening.

Recognition without integration is not equity. Categories help, but true inclusion means dissolving borders, not reinforcing them. African music is not emerging ; it is established, influential, and globally embedded. Awards may validate, but culture decides longevity. 

And right now, culture is moving faster than any trophy ever could.

Use the link in our bio to access this latest publication piece the internet has been talking about since morning 🎧📍

#MusicCustodian #Grammys2026 #AfricanMusicGlobal #AfricanMusicCulture #CulturalStrategy
Afrobeats continues to stretch, soften, and surpri Afrobeats continues to stretch, soften, and surprise - and this week’s Afrobeats Heat Different update captures that exact moment of motion. 

From @official_shoday emotive clarity on Somebody to the introspective pull of @omah_lay , the playlist moves fluidly between vulnerability, street wisdom, romance, and quiet confidence. This isn’t just about what’s hot - it’s about what holds weight.

Across the spectrum, Burna Boy, Tems, J. Cole, Wande Coal, Qing Madi, King Promise, Mr Eazi, Oxlade, Illbliss, Erigga and more shape a soundscape that feels lived-in and intentional. Shoday leads this update not by volume, but by presence - one that’s a reminder that today’s Afrobeats thrives where feeling meets finesse.

Tap in. Let it play. Let it sit with you. @spotifyafrica @audiomackafrica 

#AfrobeatsHeatDifferent #MusicCustodian #Shoday #Afrobeats2025 #AfricanMusic PlaylistCulture SoundOfNow DiasporaSound
@dj_tunez has officially announced his debut EP, I @dj_tunez has officially announced his debut EP, In Tunez We Trust Vol. 1, revealing the project during a live takeover on Apple Music Radio amid Super Bowl weekend programming. 

Framed as a long-gestating body of work - two years in the making - the EP positions Tunez not just as a selector, but as a curator of cross-continental sound, bridging Africa and the diaspora with intention and range. “You heard it here first,” he said on air, signaling a release shaped by patience, trust, and alignment rather than speed.

The project boasts an expansive lineup led by Wizkid, alongside names that reflect the breadth of contemporary African and global music - Fola, Odumodublvck, Mannywellz, Tay Iwar, Seyi Vibez, Kenwe, and more. 

Described by Tunez as “a movie,” the EP reads like a statement of intent: a DJ-led project that foregrounds collaboration, authorship, and cultural continuity -anchored in African excellence, but built for a global stage.

#MusicCustodian #DJTunez #AfricanMusicCommunity #ExtendedPlay #NewMusic
Music Custodian Sessions is a long-form conversati Music Custodian Sessions is a long-form conversation series documenting African artists beyond the music - their process, philosophy, and personal evolution.

We sat with Liya, not to talk hits but to talk growth. 

“You have to be stubborn about what you want — not reckless, but rooted.”

@yes_liya speaks on learning, unlearning, and choosing progress over dwelling in mistakes.

🎙️ Music Custodian Sessions EP 6

Full conversation now live with link in our bio 📢🎧

#MusicCustodianSessions #Liya #AfricanArtists #CreativeProcess #GrowthMindset
Nigerian singer-songwriter @temsbaby has made a st Nigerian singer-songwriter @temsbaby has made a striking return to COLORSxSTUDIOS, delivering a stripped-back performance of “What You Need” that leans fully into restraint, vulnerability, and emotional precision. 

Tems’ performance feels less like a showcase and more like a moment of stillness ; one where silence, breath, and phrasing matter as much as melody.

Have you seen this episode yet? Please check the link in our bio 📍🎧 - and truly , we wanna know what you think about it 📢🪑

#MusicCustodian #Tems #COLORSxSTUDIOS #AfricanMusic #GlobalSound
As we anticipate the @grammys awards slated for to As we anticipate the @grammys awards slated for tomorrow, let this photo be a testament to the fact that this account is an @ayrastarr stan account - as we wish all of our African Music Superstars a swell time at the 2026 Grammy Awards and in their respective categories 🏆🎖️🥇🏆

As the 2026 Grammys approach, we want to pause and send love, strength, and deep respect to every African artist, producer, songwriter, engineer, and creative whose work has carried our cultures into these rooms - named and unnamed, nominated and unseen. 

Your presence is not an accident; it is the result of years of intention, discipline, and belief in sound as language, memory, and power. Whether the moment comes with a statue or simply with recognition in the hearts of listeners across the world, know that you stand on a long lineage of creators who moved culture forward without waiting for permission. 

Africa is not arriving , it has always been here, shaping the rhythm of the global conversation. We wish you clarity, grace, and confidence as you carry our stories into this moment and beyond.

Permit us to ask - who are you rooting for ? 🔥

#MusicCustodian #Grammys2026 #AfricanMusicCommunity #GrammyAwards #GlobalCulture
Tinariwen have announced their tenth studio album, Tinariwen have announced their tenth studio album, Hoggar, a powerful return to the foundations of their sound more than 45 years into their journey. 

Recorded in southern Algeria alongside a new generation of Tuareg musicians, the album reconnects acoustic guitars, communal vocals, and desert-born storytelling with urgent reflections on displacement, resistance, and cultural survival.

Named after the Hoggar mountains - a symbol of homeland and endurance - the project positions @tinariwen not as veterans looking back, but as elders passing the torch forward. Hoggar is African music as archive, witness, and inheritance ; a reminder that some sounds are meant to outlive borders, trends, and time.

#MusicCustodian #Tinariwen #GlobalSounds #AfricanMusicCommunity #DesertBlues
Today marks an exact month of @dettydecfest where Today marks an exact month of @dettydecfest where sound, style and collective energy converged. 

Our coverage focused on presence: the crowd pressed against the stage, the elevated perspectives from the tables, the quiet moments between chaos, and the explosive ones that followed.

If you use the link in our bio, it will take you to a review of @gunna performance , amplified by a surprise @wizkidayo appearance; and how this became a shared release, reminding everyone why Lagos remains the cultural heartbeat of December.

As official media partners, Music Custodian documented and translated the night ; from the gridlocked streets leading into the venue, to the euphoric eruption during @faveszn @shenseea performances - reflecting Lagos in its most unfiltered form.

#MusicCustodian #Fave #Shenseea #Gunna #Wizkid
AI keeps getting smarter, but what does it actuall AI keeps getting smarter, but what does it actually sound like? In a recent clip, @iamwill raises a powerful question the industry hasn’t answered yet: every major technology in music history created a new genre - electric guitars gave us rock, turntables birthed hip-hop, drum machines shaped house and techno. 

So if AI is truly a new technological era, where is its sound? For him, the problem isn’t AI itself, but the way it’s currently used to imitate and recycle the past rather than push culture forward.

will.i.am argues that AI shouldn’t exist to mimic old music, but to unlock new creative languages and even new industries - just like recording technology once redefined what “contemporary” music meant. Until artists and technologists stop asking how well AI can copy humans and start asking what only AI can create, the genre remains unfinished. The real opportunity isn’t replication , rather it’s invention.

#MusicCustodian #AIInMusic #MusicTech #CreativeTechnology #AfricanMusicEcosystem
AFROBEATS HEAT DIFFERENT opens 2026 exactly how it AFROBEATS HEAT DIFFERENT opens 2026 exactly how it should - forward-facing, emotionally charged, and deeply rooted in the evolving language of African sound. 

This first update of the year sets the tone for what’s to come: records that live between intimacy and intensity, street truth and global ambition. 

With @wizkidayo & @mrmoney leading as cover artists, this playlist is not to chasing moments , it’s documenting where the culture is actually moving.

From the magnetic pull of “Iskolodo” to the soulful gravitas of @iamnsikak_ & @madekuti on “Madrid,” this selection threads healing, romance, vulnerability, and confidence through Afro-fusion, street pop, alt-R&B, and diasporic collaboration. 

Whether it’s @seyi_vibez & @omah_lay finding softness in “My Healer,” or @symplysimi & @officialchike grounding love in “Where You Dey,” every record here earns its place : no filler, no noise.

This is what Afrobeats sounds like right now: expansive, nuanced, and emotionally literate. As always, Afrobeats Heat Different remains a listening room for those who care about context, craft, and cultural honesty - not just hits, but feeling. Tap in, sit with it, and let the week unfold from here.

Link in bio 📍

#AfrobeatsHeatDifferent #MusicCustodian #Afrobeats2026 #AfricanMusic #GlobalAfrobeats
You don’t need everyone, you just need the right You don’t need everyone, you just need the right support for your season.

Ashley Everett breaks down the difference between an agent, manager, and publicist, and why alignment matters more than hype in 2026.

At Music Custodian, we believe clarity is currency. Build intentionally.

#MusicCustodian #MusicIndustry101 #ArtistDevelopment #CreativeBusiness #AfricanCreatives
“Imagine the beach at 6pm. Quiet. Breezy. You ca “Imagine the beach at 6pm. Quiet. Breezy. You can hear yourself think.”

We explored her sound beyond genre ; not as a formula, but as a feeling. She doesn’t just describe her sound, she also places you inside it.

From the emotional world behind songs like “Adua”, to how independence has redefined her artistry, @yes_liya describes her music as a space where vulnerability, confidence, calm, and strength coexist.

🎙️ Music Custodian Sessions Ep 6

Watch the full episode out now on YouTube with link in our bio 📍

#MusicCustodianSessions #Liya #AfroFusion #SoundAsFeeling #AfricanMusic
In this episode of Music Custodian Sessions, Liya In this episode of Music Custodian Sessions, Liya sits with us in a moment of becoming ; not spectacle, not celebration, but clarity. 

We speak about growth, identity, and the quiet discipline of finding one’s voice after the noise fades. This is a conversation rooted in nuance: how she understands her sound, how she carries feminine strength without performance, and how Afro-Fusion becomes a language for emotional truth rather than trend. 

At Music Custodian, we do not rush stories ; we let them arrive fully formed, with care, pacing, and context.

Recorded just days before @yes_liya went on to win Best Vocal Performance (Female) at the 17th @the_headies Awards, this episode now stands as a timestamped cultural document ; proof of editorial instinct over reaction. 

Not a post-win interview, but a pre-recognition reflection. Here, @yes_liya represents the post-label, post-hype African artist navigating selfhood with intention. This is not promotion. It is preservation.

Link in our bio 📍

#MusicCustodianSessions #Liya #AfricanMusicCulture #AfroFusion #CulturalStorytelling
Easy energy. Honest conversation. @yes_liya steps Easy energy. Honest conversation.

@yes_liya steps into the Music Custodian space as relaxed, open, and ready to talk about growth, identity, and finding her voice.

🎥 Episode 6 will be out tomorrow, check the link in our bio for premium updates 📍

#MusicCustodian #Liya #AfricanMusicConversations #ArtistToWatch
As we step into 2026, Music Custodian welcomes you As we step into 2026, Music Custodian welcomes you into a year defined by intention, depth, and continuity. 

This is not a reset - we are building forward, carefully and deliberately, from the stories, relationships, and cultural truths we have been entrusted with over the years. 

Our north star remains clear: to document African music and culture with care, context, and conviction; to amplify voices in their becoming, not just at their peak; and to serve as a trusted cultural room where artistry, identity, and legacy are treated with respect. 

In 2026, we double down on substance over noise, long-form thinking over short-term hype, and community over metrics. To the artists, writers, listeners, partners, and friends across the continent and the diaspora - welcome. 

This year, we listen deeper, tell better stories, and continue the work of custodianship with humility, rigor, and love.

#MusicCustodian #2026 #AfricanMusicCommunity
As official media partners of the @dettydecfest , As official media partners of the @dettydecfest , Music Custodian’s coverage focused on presence: the crowd pressed against the stage, the elevated perspectives from the tables, the adrenaline of the grounds, the quiet moments between chaos, and the explosive ones that followed.

From the gridlocked streets leading into the venue, eclectic performances from @shenseea @faveszn @uncle__bubu to the euphoric eruption when @gunna finally took the stage, the night reflected Lagos in its most unfiltered form.

Our documentation of the night translated a convergence of sound, style, and collective energy. Gunna's performance amplified by a surprise @wizkidayo appearance became a shared release, reminding everyone why #Lagos remains the cultural heartbeat of December.

Go to the link in our bio now to read up on all what happened at the fest! 

#MusicCustodian #Gunna #DettyDecFest #Africa #Lagos #Culture #RecapDecember
@gunna headline performance at Ilubirin Mixed Use @gunna headline performance at Ilubirin Mixed Use Development on December 29 marked one of @dettydecfest most electric moments. 

Despite heavy traffic into the venue - a defining Lagos December experience - the night fully ignited when Gunna took the stage close to midnight. 

The alignment of sound, lighting, space, and crowd energy transformed the grounds into a pulsating live arena.

Fans sang along word-for-word as Gunna ran through a powerful set drawn from across his catalogue, before sending the crowd into euphoria with a surprise appearance from Wizkid for a joint performance. 

The festival grounds, one that is complete with immersive lighting installations, food vendors, and open-air design duly reinforced Lagos’ reputation as a global December destination.

As official media and storytelling partners for Detty December Fest, Music Custodian documented the night from the heart of the crowd, capturing a performance defined by intensity, connection, and cultural resonance.

Swipe to enjoy moments from the night, with captivating moments by our InHouse media associates and the DDF team 📸

#MusicCustodian #DettyDecember #LiveSpot #AfricanMusicCommunity #2025
There are concerts, and then there are moments tha There are concerts, and then there are moments that feel like history folding in on itself. 

On December 28, 2025, @wizkidayo returned to Lagos’ Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) not just as a global superstar, but as a cultural constant ; one whose story remains inseparable from the city that raised him.

Branded as the “G.O.A.T: Greatest of All Time Experience,” the concert was a defining chapter in Detty December’s crescendo, drawing thousands of fans into the heart of Lagos Island. 

From early evening, the streets around TBS pulsed with anticipation, as fans poured in - young, old, local, diasporan — all converging for one reason: Wizkid, at home.

What made the night resonate wasn’t perfection; it was truth. Wizkid didn’t overperform. He didn’t oversell. He simply showed up as confident, grounded, fully aware of who he is and where he comes from.

We didn’t think this was not a victory lap, rather it was a homecoming affirmation.

In a Detty December crowded with shows, pop-ups, and performances, Wizkid’s TBS concert stood apart because it felt necessary. It reminded us that global success doesn’t dilute roots , it deepens them.

As Lagos continues to assert itself as a world capital for music and culture every December, nights like this explain why. Not because of hype, but because of history, connection, and moments that linger long after the lights go out.

Wizkid at TBS wasn’t just a highlight of Detty December , it was a reminder of what legacy looks like when it comes home.

#MusicCustodian #DettyDecember #Wizkid #GOAT #Lagos
2025 did not demand that African music become some 2025 did not demand that African music become something else.
It asked it to become more itself.

These albums reflect a year where artists chose honesty over algorithms, meaning over momentum, and longevity over spectacle. As custodians of culture, our responsibility is not only to amplify what is loud ; but to preserve what is lasting.

This is how we heard the year.
And we’re grateful to everyone who listened alongside us.

Music Custodian presents to you a cultural document of how 2025 sounded across Africa and its diaspora ; with the link in the bio , please access how we heard the year 🏋🏼‍♂️✊🏾🎧

#MusicCustodian #AfricanMusicCommunity #AlbumsOf2025 #CultureDocumentation #Archive
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  • J. Cole ‘s The Fall-Off Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200
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