Read on as African Hype sits down with Jill Barbara to discuss her recent music releases, and what else we can expect from her in the future:
Thank you for being with us! Where are you based and where would you say your fan base is?
Thank you for having me
I’m a Kenyan based in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia. I visit home quite often every 3months in a year or so however due to COVID I’ve been unable to go back home this year which hasn’t been easy especially because I miss my favorite dish ugali with some fried nyama. If One would ask whether they don’t have the flour here, my answer would be no because it just doesn’t taste the same kama ya nyumbani.
My fanbase I would say is both here Kenya and the UK. Whenever I get videos of asians singing the Swahili lyrics to my song Sawa sawa Le I feel so humbled. I receive a lot of love and support from my country and the UK as well so yeah I’m completely humbled.
What would you never apologize for?
I would never apologize for being right
“Lay With You” is beautiful. What inspired the single?
Lay with you was written at a point in time where I was going through a lot in my personal life. In the midst of all that was going on I also had a breakup and I decided to pour my heart out into a song. The first verse and the chorus basically talks about all the things that could be promised when you first get into a relationship while the rap verse is sort of a metaphor for what happens after a breakup I.e the “glow up” . So instead of writing a heartbreak song I decided to write a love song and turn the negative situation I was going through into a positive.
Discovering your own musical style is a unique part of every artist’s journey. What sets your music apart? What is unique, or at least uncommon?
I would say what sets my music apart is the fact that being a fusion artist, I am able to seamlessly blend my rap and singing skills into one with any genre. An example would be Sawa sawa Le where I blend Afro beat and hiphop. Lay with you is a blend of rnb, hiphop and the new wave of “trap” music. Each and every one of my songs are unique and have their own style/genre.
Who are your biggest music influences?
Biggest music influencers: I have a couple
1. Sauti Sol – I’ve been listening to them since their first album Mwanzo
Brandy, Monica and xscape as I love old school music and look for ways to get inspiration and turn it into the new wave of music.
5. Tiwa savage.
6.Aaliyah
7.Wstrn from the u.k
8. Khaligraph Jones- I admire his work ethic
9. Avril Kenya – I used to do covers of her song as a child( there’s still a clip of that on Facebook) and the reactions are what propelled me to go into doing more song covers
10. Bensoul- amazing talent. If I named all my influences we would finish next month I listen to all genres of music so yeah there are a couple.
I would be so humbled if I could collaborate with Sauti Sol. It would be a dream come true.
Favorite guilty pleasure?
Favorite guilty pleasure would be eating. I’m such a foodie.
Night owl or morning person?
Definitely a morning person
Where would you like to see your music career in 5 year’s time?
In five years’ time I would like to have been nominated for the grammy’s. Dreams are valid and it’s possible with hard work and prayer.
Afro Brazilian trio 3B Rich keep sharpening their place in contemporary music with the release of their latest single, “Slow Twerking.” Blending modern R&B, hip hop, and pop with an easy sense of control, the song lands as a hypnotic, club minded track full of cinematic detail and an undeniable groove.
Driven by smooth, pulsing production and airy synth work, “Slow Twerking” reaches beyond the usual dancefloor rush. There is a real story inside it. The track sketches the life of a dancer moving through the nightlife world, holding onto her confidence, resilience, and ambition. Through vivid lyrics, 3B Rich present a woman who commands attention while working toward something larger, supporting her child, investing in her education, and building a future for herself on her own terms.
A big part of the song’s appeal comes from the way the group handles its vocals. Brothers Hi-en, Mr. Spotlight, and J-Royal play off one another with the kind of chemistry that makes the track feel loose and precise at the same time. Verses, hooks, and melodies pass naturally between them. Each voice has its own character, but together they create a polished, unified sound. The hook stays with you, long after the song ends.
On the production side, “Slow Twerking” captures what makes 3B Rich stand out. They move between genres with care, never losing the emotional pull or rhythmic focus of the song. The layered arrangement, sharp sense of rhythm, and melodic immediacy make it easy to imagine the track thriving both on streaming platforms and in a live setting.
The single also arrives at an important point for the trio. As attention around “Slow Twerking” continues to build, 3B Rich are wrapping up work on their debut album. The project is expected to push further into the ideas introduced here, with more genre blending, stronger storytelling, and adventurous production choices. It speaks to the group’s drive to test their range while staying grounded in something genuine.
Originally from Los Angeles and now based in Las Vegas, 3B Rich bring a distinct West Coast feel that is shaped by broader global influences. Their music is marked by tight harmonies, a strong stage presence, and a creative vision that connects different sounds and cultural perspectives. As their catalog grows, so does the sense that they are becoming a genuinely forward looking act, one with the potential to leave a real mark on pop and urban music.
With more releases, live shows, and industry partnerships ahead, 3B Rich are moving steadily from rising talent to serious creative contender.
“Slow Twerking” is available now on all major streaming platforms.
For the latest music, video releases, and tour updates, follow 3B Rich on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Rising bedroom R&B crooner Sylk McCloud, hailing from SE Washington, DC, turns up the temperature on his latest single, “Safeword.” It’s a slow burner built for the club, where glossy modern R&B melts into a little hip hop swagger. BuBu The Producer keeps the track sleek and plush, while featured rapper and emcee Mr.24 slides in with a verse that sharpens the edge.
Right away, “Safeword” lands in that moody late night pocket. The instrumental is velvet smooth, but it moves with a steady, hypnotic groove that nudges you closer. Sylk sings like he’s speaking directly across a dark room, soft in tone yet sure of himself. That push and pull is the point, a mix of vulnerability and control, desire and hesitation, all held in tension without spilling into melodrama.
The song takes its cues from the “Shades of Grey” film series, leaning into trust, fantasy, and the charged negotiation that comes with intimacy. Sylk makes the hook the centerpiece, letting the melody do the seducing even as the lyrics get bold:
“Tell me you’re sexy, all positions go
Are you ready for submission
Fifty shades is what I’m giving
Satisfaction all positions
Only one thing missing
Tell me your safeword…”
Those lines set the mood with a teasing confidence that never feels rushed. The chorus is restrained and tempting, built to linger rather than hit and disappear. Sylk’s voice floats above the beat with a magnetic ease, so the hook sticks in your head and in your gut.
When Mr.24 arrives, the energy shifts without breaking the spell. His delivery brings a gritty smooth contrast to Sylk’s melodic glide, grounding the fantasy in something a little tougher. It’s a smart pairing. The two artists sound comfortable sharing the same space, which helps “Safeword” work in more than one setting, from a packed dance floor to a late night playlist you keep to yourself.
A lot of the track’s pull comes from the production choices. BuBu The Producer builds a lush, atmospheric soundscape that matches Sylk’s tone, leaving room for breath, for pause, for that moment before the next touch. It feels designed for slow dancing, for cruising through the city after midnight, or for setting the room’s temperature with intention.
With “Safeword,” Sylk McCloud keeps carving out his lane in contemporary R&B, blending emotional weight with sensual confidence. The single plays like a small, cinematic scene, intimate on purpose, polished without feeling distant.
“Safeword” is now available on all major streaming platforms.
Some artists slide into a scene and hope the room makes space. Killem KD walks in like the room is already hers. Listen.
On her one take freestyle “Trouble Man (One Take),” the Mound Bayou, Mississippi native makes a clean announcement. She is here, she is ready, and she is finished waiting on permission. In about 1 minute and 25 seconds, KD delivers something that feels closer to a notice than a warm introduction, a warning shot aimed at anyone treating her like background noise.
Her intent is obvious in the way she hits each line. When she raps, “said I’m tired of waiting in corners and closets, it’s my time to shine, I can’t be quiet,” it lands like autobiography, not bravado. This is presence music, the kind that changes the temperature of a track. KD performs like she can feel eyes on her, like the tally is being kept, like silence has stopped being an option. Doubt, gatekeepers, anyone trying to flatten her momentum, they all get drowned out by the force in her voice.
The flow is slick and surgical, rooted in the South and proud of it. Every bar locks into the beat with a cadence that sounds fused, not rehearsed. You hear finesse, then grit right behind it, swagger sharpened by hunger. She stays patient. She doesn’t chase the pocket. She lives in it. The whole thing reads like instinct, not homework.
The video sharpens that feeling. Filmed guerrilla-style outside an old hospital building, it strips the moment to essentials: Killem KD, a mic, and whatever the day gives her. No crew lights. No studio polish. No safety net. Just daylight, concrete, and conviction. A dangling silver microphone adds a throwback touch, nodding to a time when you could measure an MC by breath control and bars.
That location matters, too. Hospitals are where people show up broken, hurting, trying to make it through. KD stands just outside that threshold and spits like she’s the diagnosis, unavoidable, contagious, impossible to dismiss. She closes her eyes at points, letting the performance swing between confession and confrontation. The result feels street-level and cinematic at once, early freestyle energy filtered through quiet urban melancholy.
“Trouble Man (One Take)” doesn’t lean on spectacle. It leans on certainty. KD knows what she brings, and she moves like her moment isn’t on the way. It’s here. This puts her in the lane of artists who demand recognition because the work leaves no other option.
Born and raised in the Delta, Killem KD carries southern soul, raw storytelling, and fearless energy into every bar. She’s pushing to put Mississippi on the map, and a clip like this makes that goal feel less like ambition and more like trajectory.
No edits.
No excuses.
No permission needed.
This is Killem KD, trouble in the best way possible.