Koko Productions Music from Africa
Our spotlight on global music looks at the artists of Koko Productions, a company that's dedicated to broadening the exposure of African music. Here's a bit about the company's first five artists.
Vex Prince - Levitation
This artist from Rwanda really has his fingers on the pulse of African pop music and he begins
Levitation with "Wahala," a radio ready and irresistible groove that melds East African sounds and hip-hop. Prince uses a few studio tricks to add excitement to "Laler" where a tropical vibe makes the song at home in Africa, the Caribbean, New York City or anywhere there's a dance floor. Much of this music is in dialect so many listeners won't understand what he's saying, but on songs like "Bad Energy" the song title and some lyrics in English, including "no, no, no" indicate that, contrary to the lively beat, not everything is okay. And the subject matter of "Make You Mine" is self-explanatory. "Holy Water," "Swear" and especially "Somebody" demonstrate that Prince is a master of audio seduction, both with his melodies and sensual vocals. "Money," a co-write with Dorty, is another irresistible groove melding Afrobeat and Western pop that'll have listeners headed straight to the dance floor.
Kossisko - SLAYERZ BALL
Casually known as Kossi, Kossisko lives in the U.S. but he is of West African descent (The Ivory Coast). And you may already be familiar with him as he has a ton of cool credits; he's collaborated with Beck (and got a GRAMMY nom for that), toured with A$AP Rocky and he has acting credits in TV shows like "Euphoria" and "Sex/Life." His music has been featured in the video game "Grand Theft Auto V" too. For 2024's SLAYERZ BALL Kossi teamed up with members of Rick James' Stone City Band and if James were alive today he would be proud of the fact that he provided major inspiration for the set. And the result is a non-stop funk-a-ganza, although there are mellow funky moments too like on the pop leaning "Serotonin" where Kossi equates his feelings for a love interest with the effects of the body's mood regulator. And there will be plenty of serotonin flowing when songs like "Rich Bi$h," "Dirty Mind" and the Motown-ish "Sugababy" play. Fans of funk and just plain good, upbeat pop and R&B will love SLAYERZ BALL.
YeweeH
YeweeH is an artist from Kigali, Rwanda who is currently working on his debut album. His sound is a mixture of Afropop and a sound that is unique to Rwanda called gakondo. YeweeH's stated goal is to bring gakondo music to a worldwide audience and he's doing a good job of that. Fans can get an idea of what this rising star is like with his singles from this year, like the very appealing pop sounds of "Dizaya" (desire, get it?) and "Pani," both of which are perfect for radio play. His single from late 2024, "DANGOTE," features a lush groove that connotes good times, on the dance floor and off. All of this demonstrates why YeweeH's upcoming album is so highly anticipated.
Alik Bulan - 24hrs
Bulan is a native of East Africa but he now lives in Los Angeles. He works in the Afrobeat and Afropop genres and is known for catchy melodies and a party vibe.
24hrs is a collection of his singles and there's some really good stuff on the compilation, the most popular of which are the rhythmic "Bendi," the somewhat introspective "Chanella" which has a chorus that is an earworm, and "Sad Feelings," an understated groove that reinforces the notion that the song title indicates. "I'm Sorry," another cut about salvaging a love relationship, is slightly downbeat but set to a very bright melody; on the contrary "Gud Vybz" is a "make the best of what life gives you" cut that includes the lyric "every day is my birthday." Ten cuts in all feature on
24hrs and they are all cool bops.
Genese Mel
Also known simply as Genese, Mel is a gospel singer who is a native of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. Right now he only has singles out, two of which were released this year; the rhythmic Afropop of "Mon Parrain" which features DJess and his latest "Ame Tosha," featuring Israel Mbonyi. You don't have to understand the French that Genese sings in to know that "Ame Tosha" is a gospel number as the song's chorus has a joyful iteration of "hallelujah!" Other popular singles include 2024's "Jamais Poto," a buoyant pop groove that's radio ready, and the quiet, acoustic guitar driven "Papa." One of the fastest rising artists working in the Christian music genre, Genese Mel's Afropop sound is equally at home on gospel and secular radio.
Koko Productions is bringing the best of new African music to the world; fans can find out about their artists and where to hear their music here.
