Afropop Worldwide

Rejoice! The Afropop exclusive mix series has returned. This time, DJ Dakar has put together a fantastic mix of some of the latest and most electrifying Naija hits for us. Naija, or Afrobeats, as it is sometimes called, is Nigeria's infectious and enormously successful strain of pop music, perhaps the most dominating musical force in the African continent today, and for good reason. Simply put, the pulsating dance floor potential of Naija pop cannot be denied. DJ Dakar, born in the Pikine neighborhood of Dakar, Senegal, now lives in New York, where he has become a mainstay of such nightlife spots as the Shrine World Music venue in Harlem. DJ Dakar spins dance music from throughout Africa, such as Senegalese mbalax, Ivorian coupé décalé, and Congolese soukous. On the mix he's made for Afropop, Dakar includes the dancehall-inflected "Final (Baba Nla)" from Nigerian superstar Wizkid, along with the electropop perfection of Patoranking and Tiwa Savage's "Girlie O." Patoranking later appears on the deceptively sweet-sounding murder ballad, "Murda" with Seyi Shay. Halfway through, the mix transitions to the Francophone pop world, with Cameroonian rapper Franko's ridiculously catchy "Coller la Petite" and "Sapés Comme Jamais" from Congolese dance-rapper Maître Gims, before returning to the welcoming embrace of Naija with Olamide and Davido's "The Money."