Merry Christmas: Jesus is the Reason for the Season


I was going to repeat the header, but I figured you read it.  So ...

Merry Christmas from me to you.  May the joy and peace that Jesus brings be yours this Christmas and always (reads like a card, doesn't it? I assure you, I did not 'lift' this from any card).

6 Artistes You Should Listen to This Week: Christmas Edition

With all the Christmas shopping and heavy spending that is going on this season, we need to be reminded of just what exactly we are celebrating. Jesus is the reason for the season. I have said it.  Now, let these six artistes sing it to you in their own words.  Music conveys the message effectively, don't you agree?

Oh, and before I forget, Merry Christmas! Have an awesome, fun-filled, joyous, fantabulous (okay, enough adjectives.  Let me save some for 2014) Christmas!

1. PCE Crew - Silent Night / O Holy Night (Acapella Medley)

PCE Crew is a Nigerian gospel / Christian group consisting of five men based in the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area in the US.  Earlier this year they released their sophomore album titled Rewired.  After 'dashing' their fans two songs from that album ('Nobody' and 'Winna Remix'), they are rounding off the year with two Christmas singles, sang acapella (no music).  I think they should perform more acapella songs.  Enjoy 'Silent Night' and 'Holy Night' below:



6 Artistes You Should Listen to This Week

Today, I will be introducing a new series on this blog.  Every week, I will share 6 Nigerian gospel / christian artistes that I recommend for you to listen to, followed by a hand-picked song from each artiste. If you have any artistes in mind, you can e-mail their music and information to music@therelentlessbuilder.com.

To kick off this series, check out the following artistes (Don't forget to leave a comment):

1.  MISTA SETH - Har'abada



Mista Seth is both a music producer and gospel artiste.  Originally from Jos, Plateau State, he now lives in Abuja where he operates his own recording studio, Mista Seth's Kitchen.  His focus is almost exclusively R n B and his skill in this particular genre has clearly improved over the years.  His debut 19-track album "My Everything" was released back in 2011.  Har'abada is one of my favorite songs from that album.  Listen below:


Naming Children After Cities, Towns, Villages: Would You Do it?



Here in the US, there are people who were named after American towns and cities.  So, you have people with names like:

MUSIC: Rooftop Clan - Seasons (Turn by Turn) Featuring Okey Sokay and IBK Spaceship Boi


Rooftop Clan (formerly Rooftop MCs) previously released the first single from their Kings and Priests album.  That song was not released as a free download, but this second one is.  It is called Seasons, and the clan gets help from IBK Spaceship boi and Okey Sokay.

Here is the press release:

MUSIC: BeeJayRymes - Down Low (Your Grace) and On Top


JClone sent me two new singles for his friend, BeeJayRymes, titled Down Low (Your Grace) and On Top.

Here is the press release for the singles:

MUSIC: Uchman - The Original


Uchman describes himself as "a Nigerian alternative rock singer and acoustic guitarist." He sings Christian and inspirational songs, and his single titled "The Original," is his latest effort.

Here's the press release:

MUSIC: Trubreed - Jingle Bells Featuring Angeloh Anosike


Before saying anything, may I just comment on the cover art? I LOVE it! Funny and illustrated.  Gbam! That is all. :D

Okay, not quite. I was also going to comment on the reindeer (or is it just a deer) in the artwork, but then we would be here all day.

Furilla records is a gospel recording label, and these artistes (Trubreed and Angeloh) are part of the Furilla Records family.  I had listened to some of Trubreed (gospel rap duo)'s songs a few years back (Listen to Turn it up and Choose Me on MySpace).  But then they kinda disappeared, until recently when they re-surfaced with this collabo.  Hopefully, we'll hear more from all three of them in 2014.

Here's the press release that came with the track:

MUSIC: Nolly CIA - Ndewo (Produced by First Degree)


Nolly is a member of the gospel hip-hop group, CIA.  This is another solo effort by him, and this track was produced by First Degree.

Oh, yes, in case you wondered, Ndewo means "Good Day."  It's not rocket science.  I just saw it on the cover art. *wink*  It pays to look twice!

Here's the press release:

"Sister, Your Scarf is Tantalizing" and Other Lame Pickup Lines


I am a firm believer that a woman must be wooed, courted, toasted (pick any verb you like) by a man.  Not the other way round.  For some reason, guys think that pick-up lines are good ways to strike up conversations with ladies. Love it or hate it, guys use them regularly.

MUSIC: Rooftop Clan (Formerly "Rooftop MCs") - "Super Hero Lomo"


The rap duo known as 'Rooftop MCs' have expanded their group to include one more member: Protek.  Their new name as a group is Rooftop Clan, and the clan's debut single is titled 'Super Hero Lomo.'

You can read more about the artistes and listen to their single below:

MUSIC: Dabo Williams (a.k.a The Praise Captain) - "Ebube" Featuring PV Idemudia


Dabo Williams' latest single is titled "Ebube" and he features PV Idemudia on this track.  The song is more of a traditional Naija praise song, so be prepared.

You can read more about this artiste and download the song below:

MUSIC: Duke Henshaw - "Atewo" (Clap)


Duke Henshaw's new single titled "Atewo" is a mid-tempo praise song.  Atewo means 'Clap' in Yoruba, but that is not the only language featured on this track.

You can read more about Duke and download his single below:

MUSIC: Haychbeatz - "OH!" Featuring J.Clone, Emmykokz and Izik Aga


Haychbeatz who debuted on this blog for his memorable collabo with Emmykokz titled Kpangolo, has released another project.  This one is titled 'Oh!' and features J.Clone, Izik Aga, and of course, Emmykokz.  You can read more details in the press release and download the song below:

MUSIC: Riel - "Best I Could Ever Have" Featuring Ojay


Riel, who was one of the acts featured on Ojay's Mixtape, Forgiven, released a single titled "Best I Could Ever Have."  Unsurprisingly, Ojay sings the hook on this track.

You can read more about Riel and download his single for free below:

MUSIC: Joel - "Igwe" and "A Date with the King" Featuring Joxy Jeb


Joel is a Nigerian gospel artiste, and he sent me his two singles, Igwe and 'A date with the King' last month.  To learn more about him, you can read the press release below, and download his singles:

MUSIC: Propane - "Simple Praise" Featuring Dornell (Produced by RuggedBeatz)


Propane is a member of Christ I Abide, a group of rappers featured here for their single, What You Do. This year, the group members have released solo projects.  Simple Praise is Propane's single, featuring Dornell. Here is the press release followed by the song download:

MUSIC: Zimrod - "His Blood Did It All," "Afurumginanya (I love you)" and "Heroes Live For Ever"


Aren't you the least bit curious to know who Zimrod is?  I am. Zimrod sent me his three new singles, "His Blood Did It All," "Afurumginanya (I love you)" and "Heroes Live For Ever" earlier this month. As you already know, one way to get acquainted with an artiste is to listen to his music.  You can download and listen to his songs for free below.  First off though, here is his bio:

Zimrod (Irondi Chizimizu Chuwuemeka) born 16th October 1989, hails from Nigeria. His journey into music began at an early age of 8. He experimented with church instruments and as time went on, his love for music even grew deeper.

MUSIC: Ik Worships - "Look At Me Now"


Akamaranma was the very first single by IK that I had featured here.  As at that time, his stage name was the same as his real name, i.e. Ikpemhosi Amakhabi.

Fast forward to many months later, he has changed his name to IK Worships.  Thankfully, his style of music has not changed.

His new single titled "Look At Me Now," is available for download below.  You can read more about IK via his press release:

MUSIC: Tolu Ajibade - "Be My Friend" and "Nobody"


Tolu Ajibade describes himself as a Minister of the gospel through music.  He has generously made two singles available for free.  You can read more about Tolu in his press release, and download the singles below:

Tolu Ajibade is a Minister of the gospel through music. Born, bred and found his calling in Lagos, Nigeria. Though presently residing in Kharkov, Ukraine, still given to the work of the father across the nations.

MUSIC: Winter - "Offering" Featuring VeeVyn


Winter (Win Through Every Round) is a gospel rapper, and his single titled 'Offering,' features VeeVyn.  You can read more about this artiste, and download the song for free below:

MUSIC: Immortal King - "You Too Dey Bless"


Immortal King (Ikechukwu Ozoemene) sent me his latest single titled "You Too Dey Bless," and I decided to share it with you.

First off, here is the press release, which he sent to me, followed of course by the song, and more information on this artiste:

Happy Thanksgiving: Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!


Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

I have so much to be thankful for, and you guys made the list.  Have a wonderful thanksgiving.

P.S. Don't pity the turkey.  It's his destiny. :D

Junior Girl, Kneel Down and Fly Your Arms!


If you read the title, and you are now curled in a fetal position, crying for your mummy (or daddy), then you know what it means.  But, if you are still sitting upright reading the rest of this post, then ... read on.

Please Don't Leave All Your Property to Fido or Bingo



I recently read about an Italian woman who left $ 13 million to her cat, Tommaso.  Apparently, this put the cat as # 3 on the list of world's richest pets.  # 2 on that list is Kalu the chimp (please don't ask) whose owner left him $ 80 million, and Gunther IV, an Alsatian (German Shepherd) dog who inherited $ 372 million from his father, Gunther III. [Source]

Why Nigerian Men Grow Bald: NTA Newsline Edition



Once upon a time, NTA's Newsline was hosted by Abike Dabiri (now Honorable Abike Dabiri-Erewa).  Many of us tuned in on Sunday nights to watch compelling stories of  other Nigerians we had never heard about before.

There was one particular episode I remember watching.  It was a street-type interview, and the news crew went in search of answers to this question: What makes Nigerian men bald?

Would You Consent to An Arranged Marriage?



Well, Hello! Sorry, I've been MIA for a bit, but I am back now.  How una dey?  Any special plans for Thanksgiving (it's next week o)?  I plan to stuff my face, watch movies and sleep.  Please tell me you've bought the turkey.  You want to try guinea fowl this year? Ah, you're on your own o!

Ehen, so this topic has been swimming in my head for a while now.  Arranged Marriages.  The name alone has a negative connotation to it, like a person has no choice in the matter.  But let's take a step back and look at it a bit differently.  Just a bit.

Hire a Carpenter and Not A Cobbler to Make Shoes For You

Wooden Dutch Shoes

If you've read my About page, you'll know that I am not a carpenter.  I'm not a building contractor either.  This one needs to be stated because I actually got a Facebook inquiry on building contracts.  That's what I get for having such an awesome name.

So, what does a carpenter have to do with shoes.  Good question. My little story will answer your question.  Don't worry before the end, you'll make the connection.

Prom Night: What Would You Have Done Differently?



I still remember picking up my invitation to my secondary school prom.  Although it was an all-girls secondary school, they allowed us to have prom. A real one, with clothes, music, and of course ... boys.

Delightful Duets: PITA - Ebamirababa Featuring Olufunmi Olajoyegbe



Ebamirababa is the title of a popular Yoruba praise and worship song, which roughly translates to "Help me dance" for God (I am grossly understating what "ra ba ba" means).  P.I.T.A (Praise in the Age) teams up with Olufunmi to render his own version of the song, complete with new verses and other additions.

MUSIC: Haychbeatz - Broken Radio Featuring J.Clone


Haychbeatz, previously featured here for his collabo with Emmykokz (Kpangolo), recently released another single.  This time around, he partners with J.Clone (Jerry Dauda).  Read more and check out download links below:

FREE DOWNLOAD: PCE Crew - Winna (Remix) Featuring Tim Godfrey


PCE Crew released their sophomore album, Rewired, in September 2013.  One of my favorite songs on that album is Winna.  They did a remix of that song with Tim Godfrey, and have generously made it available as a free download.  Read more about them and Download Winna Remix below:

Free Music Friday | Featured Artiste: Ojay


For this Friday's free downloads, I want to re-introduce you to Ojay, whose Mixtape Forgiven, was released in October.  In case you missed it, he released a 7-track mixtape and made the entire project available for free.

MUSIC: Folake Awesome - Like A Tree


Originally released in September 2013, Like A Tree is another single by Folake Awesome, an urban gospel artiste and music producer.  Read more and download below:

Would you Eat this Animal? (Hint: It is NOT a Dog)

A Geep: Goat + Sheep
A few years ago (don't worry, it was after Nigeria's independence), I watched a TV program.  I think it was a documentary.  By the end of the program sha, I have discovered that there was a strange animal that existed.  It was called a GEEP.

In case you were wondering, a GEEP is not what happens when a goat and a sheep know each other (in biblical terms).  Those ones are called sheep-goat hybrids.  Okay, okay, a sheep-goat hybrid is what happens when a goat and sheep consummate their union.  On a field. In the dead of the night.  Or in the middle of the day.  Same result.  Happy now?

I am almost afraid to ask the goat (if it was the 'guy') what he said to her (the sheep) wey she come 'gree' for him.  Toasting that works! Mr. Goat, I hail you o.  *winks*

Actually, a Geep is a chimera, i.e., the result of  "combining the embryos of a goat and a sheep."

Instead of being happy, this discovery freaked me out. Why?

MIXTAPE RELEASE + FREE MUSIC: Forgiven by Ojay (Osimahon Happiness Jonathan)


Ojay's debut mixtape titled Forgiven was released in October 2013.  He has generously made the entire mixtape available as a free download.

Now, I am totally blown away that he decided to make this entire project available for free.  Why? Because it's quality, well-written, well-produced work that you should definitely add to your music library.  Don't worry, after listening to it, you'll see what I mean.



Here is a track list for starters:

  1. Here We Go (Remix) 
  2. Forgiven Featuring Chris Rio & Riel
  3. Nothing Impossible (feat. J-Swiss) (Prod. By SkweiRd)
  4. Dansakire (Your Majesty) [feat. Abrizzle & 4 runner]
  5. Without You
  6. Your Love
  7. Without You (Piano Remix) [Bonus Track]

And now to learn more about the man himself, i.e. Ojay:

SONG REVIEW: Emmykokz - Your Life Na Kpangolo Featuring HaychBeatz


Kpangolo is a local pidgin English slang, popularly used in Nigeria.  Generally, Kpangolo means "tin" as in "milk tin" etc.  But it can also mean "empty" which is what Emmykokz and Haychbeatz sing about in this song. The message of the song is very clear: without Jesus in your life, your life is empty (your life na kpangolo).  In short, they preach a socially conscious gospel, which gospel music should be doing more often.

Emmykokz and Haychbeatz are both artistes and music producers, based in Abuja.

Before jumping into the review proper, listen to Kpangolo:



How Not To Be A Cud-Chewing Goat


Goat: A four-legged animal with hoofs that holds an endless fascination for me, Relentless.  That's our working definition.  And just in case you have never seen a goat in your life, please refer to the picture above (minus the obvious smirk).

One thing I learnt (that's not the only thing I learnt o) in secondary school was that there were certain differences between ruminants and non-ruminants. Of particular note is the fact that ruminants ruminate, i.e. they chew the cud and non-ruminants don't.  A goat is a ruminant, therefore, it 'chews the cud.'  It also has 4 stomachs: rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum.

What on earth is the cud? It's the undigested food that the goat regurgitates and chews again. For the purpose of this blog post, that is all you need to know.  Just in case all this goat talk has stirred a desire to explore the cud-chewing process, you can read more here.

So, why is any of this important?

Well, I am glad you asked.  You see, those four parts of the stomach I mentioned, are actually the shaki (tripe) that some of us use to cook vegetable soup.  And other things.  But that's not my point.

My gripe is with the chewing of the cud.

MUSIC: Toluwalope - Baba Mimo (Holy Father)



Toluwalope sent me her latest single titled Baba Mimo, months ago.  I can't believe I am just sharing it :-( Better late than never, right? I'll assume you nodded.

Now, for a little background info on Tolu (a.k.a the 'Press Release'):

Free Music Friday: 4th Edition

Happy New Month! Welcome to the month of November.  It's a privilege o!

To get you in the celebration mood, check out these songs:

Cover Art Candy: Episode 9

I have not done this in a bit, but I think you'll love this week's picks.

Every week, various eye-catching designs for the cover art for songs, EPs and albums by Nigerian gospel artistes will be showcased on this blog.  The idea is to highlight and appreciate the hard work and creativity of graphic artistes, illustrators and designers who work behind the scenes towards the success of each project.

The links at the very bottom will take you to the pages where you can download these songs.

Let me know which covers you like.  Enjoy!

1. Chris Rio - Praise You Forever + So Good Featuring Dvyne


No Biological Clock: Will Nigerian Women Marry Better Quality Husbands?


Tick, tick, tick ...

No, that's not the sound of the timer telling you you're closer to eating that boli, hot and fresh from the oven (forgive the food metaphors.  Hunger is catching me as I type this). It's that other pesky one: the biological clock.

NEW MUSIC: Emmykokz - Kpangolo Featuring Haychbeatz


Every once in a while, you come across gospel music that makes you think long and hard about the lyrics.  Last week, I came across one such song.  It is called Kpangolo by Emmykokz and Haychbeatz, and I am deeply grateful to them for sharing this message with the world.  We all need reminders.

NEW MUSIC: Gold Help Owen - Iko Ntiense (Testimony)

Happy Sunday to you! How was ... sorry, how has your weekend been so far?  Mine has been restful, but I intend to catch up on more sleep today ;-)



Gold Help Owen, a singer/songwriter has just released a single titled Iko Ntiense, meaning 'Testimony.'  He has been featured a couple of times for his other singles, Little Things, Wait and Ra Baba (featuring Sermon 101).  This latest single was produced by VC Perez.  Download, listen and enjoy ... in that order!

Pastors of Campus Fellowships in Nigerian Universities After Graduation


Someday soon, I will write about my experience with American campus fellowships.  It was a culture shock, to put it mildly, and I attended quite a few.  But today, I wanted to discuss campus fellowships in Nigerian universities.  I am sure you know them, but let me give a few examples anyway:

Class Awards Brand Students with Labels that Stick for Life


"... And the award for Miss Hot Legs goes to Jane Doe!"

I did not go to high school here in America, but I know that in secondary school in Nigeria, class award ceremonies were quite common.  Or maybe I should say 'are' if they are still being held.  A good deal of planning went into these award ceremonies (no, we did not dress up and wear evening gowns.  School uniforms had to do), and at the end of the day, awards were given for all sorts of things.

I went to an all-girls' secondary school, which explains why each of the following examples of the award categories are 'Miss This' or 'Miss That':

Delightful Duets: 'I am Yours' by Muyiwa Akhigbe and Preye


I was browsing through ReverbNation sometime last month and came across this artiste's profile.  His name is Muyiwa, and he is a student of Covenant University.

This song, 'I am Yours' which he sings with Preye, was one of the first songs I listened to and liked.  It's kinda, sort of a duet.

Today is World Teachers' Day

This week, I discovered that October 5 is celebrated annually as World Teachers' Day.  Take a look at your calendar.  What's today's date?  Yup! October 5.  Today is indeed World Teachers' Day.

Free Music Friday: 3rd Edition



This is the first weekend in October, and guess what? This is when many Nigerians living abroad will be officially celebrating independence day.  Yes, I know it was officially on Tuesday, but we did not get that day off.  So, this weekend is a party weekend for Naija people in the diaspora.

Whether you're party-ing this weekend or not, here are 7 songs to jump-start your weekend: