The 13 Songs You Need to Hear This Week

Shatta Wale 'Borjor'

Shatta Wale celebrated his birthday by dropping a new track that's sure to get you in party mode. "Borjor" is an addictive new song built on a mid-tempo afro-fusion beat work and led by the Ghanaian dancehall heavyweight's vocals about the object of his desire. The accompanying music video, directed by PKMI, follows Shatta Wale and his friends to a day of swimming and messing around in a pool and mansion.

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AKA, YoungstaCPT 'Main Ou's'

AKA and YoungstaCPT's collaborative single is finally out. Titled "Main Ou's," the song sees the two rappers rap a verse each over a trap instrumental. AKA handles the hook, which combines rapping and singing with the aid of auto-tune. "Main Ou's" is accompanied by visuals. AKA and YoungstaCPT filmed the video both in Joburg and Cape Town, as AKA's verse was filmed in Bryanston, while YoungstaCPT's one was shot in Wynberg at the headquarters of his company Y?Gen.

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Busy Signal '100%' ft. Afro B

Busy Signalhas teamed up with Afro B for a fiery song and hilarious video for their new track, "100%". Born and bred in Jamaica, Busy Signal's signature dancehall-reggae sound with an electronic lean is always a refreshing twist. His sound mixed with "Drogba (Joanna)" star Afro B's smooth afrowave style makes this new track, well, 100% dope.

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Demola 'Gbedu' ft. Davido

Demola comes through with the new music video for "Gbedu," his uplifting collaboration with Davido. "Gbedu," which translates to "big drum," pairs infectious afropop rhythms with violin melodies from the classically-trained Demola. Both him and Davido deliver some smooth and catchy verses over the beat, which was produced by Demola himself. "I was very happy when I wrote this song," Demola tells OkayAfrica. "This is music to dance, be happy and fall in love to."

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Michael Kiwanuka 'Hero'

British-Ugandan soul singer Michael Kiwanuka drops another single ahead of the release of his forthcoming album, KIWANUKA. In "Hero" the singer pays homage to the Black Power and Civil Rights movements of the 1960s and 70s. The music video, directed by CC Wade references several Black leaders and some of the artist's personal heroes including Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, Martin Luther King Jr., Sam Cooke, Tupac Shakur, Marvin Gaye and more.

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Joey B Ft. BOJ 'No Waste Time'

Joey B comes through with the new music video and single for "No Waste Time," his collaboration with Boj of DRB LasGidi. "No Waste Time" sees Joey B connecting with Nigeria's Boj over a head-nodding mid-tempo beat from Altra Nova.m"'No Waste Time' was a fast collaboration that happened while BOJ and I were looking to work for the second time. We 'no waste time' (haha)," Joey B tells OkayAfrica. "Our styles are quite similar so it was a breeze, with production by the phenomenal Altra Nova."

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Gigi Lamayne 'Koze Kube Nini' ft. Eminent Fam

Gigi Lamayne recently highlighted "Koze Kube Nini" from her latest EP, Job Woods, as a single with the release of a music video. In the song, the emcee and her guests are condemning abuse against women and children. She makes reference to Karabo Mokoena, one of the many South African women who have been killed by men in the country that's facing a gender-based violence crisis. Mokeona was violently murdered by her partner in 2017. Even though the song is tackling a serious topic, it's still catchy and you might just catch yourself getting down to it.

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Bongeziwe Mabandla 'Jikeleza'

"Jikeleza" is South African folk musician Bongeziwe Mabandla's latest single. The song, which is sung in IsiXhosa like most of the man's work, speaks on love giving us life. "It is about our universal need to connect," says Bongeziwe in a press release. "It is about the togetherness in people and about the things that bind us and make us the same."

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Ras, N'veigh, PdotO 'Top 5' ft. Jay Claude

Three of Pretoria's top emcees, Ras, N'veigh and PdotO trade bars over a beat by Mananz on Ras' latest single ".Top 5" In the song, the three rappers make a case for being on your top five. N'veigh raps: "I keep telling you that I'm top two/ You need more than your rapper niggas to stop dude/ I'm hot do, shit, I was raised by the gun/ Disrespect me, I promise then you gon' see what my palms do," before throwing a shot at the new era of rappers who rock fanny packs.

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Art Melody feat. Anny Kassy 'Hip Hop Tasobe Soodse' (prod by Redrum)

Originally from Burkina Faso, Art Melody is a rapper with a unique flow. He draws as much inspiration from his mother's griotic incantations paired with classic NewYork rap form the likes of Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep, Wu Tang Clan. In this new music video for "Hip Hop Tasobe Soodse," Art Melody connects with Anny Kassy, a standout female rapper from Guinea (Conakry).

'Utatakho' Remix

One of the most anticipated songs of the year was the remix to "Utatakho" by Yanga Chief. It's the combination of rappers enlisted on the song and of course the fact that the original is a heater that raised everyone's curiosity. Boity and Dee Koala totally owned it and deliver great verses.

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DJ Speedsta 'Oneida' ft. Una Rams, C Tea, Buffalo Soulja

DJ Speedsta's new music video shows him and a lady friend enjoying some quality time together. Performance scenes of the South African hip-hop deejay's collaborators, Una Rams, C Tea and Buffalo Soulja, intercut with scenes of Speedsta and the lady surrounded by vegetation in what looks like a resort.

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Dj Sliqe 'Injayam, Vol. 2'

South African hip-hop deejay Sliqe has finally released his sophomore album. Injayam, Vol. 2 is a sequel to his debut album Injayam, Vol. 1, which he released in 2016. The new project features an array of talent, both established and up-and-coming. Heavyweights like Cassper Nyovest, Kwesta, K.O, Emtee, Anatii and others appear on songs alongside the new wave of SA hip-hop, from Maglera Doe Boy to Nayle Ayla, The Big Hash and a whole lot more.

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25K 'Culture Vulture (La Femme Remix)' feat. Boity

Boity is on a roll. SA hip-hop fans couldn't stop admiring her verse on Yanga's "Utatakho Remix." Today, 25K shared a remix of viral "Culture Vulture." The song comes with a new verse from Boity. She raps, "25, I was on screen/ 29, I'm a rap queen/ Fast forward, 2019, me and 25 on the same beat," making reference to her pivot to rapping and her TV career. The song is stripped off of all of 25K's verses, the PTa emcee only handles the hook. The beat remains unchanged, as was the case with the previous remix, which featured AKA and Emtee.

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