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Osay Gives Us a Taste of Her Rap Skills in the New Single “How Many Licks” 

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After Osay’s uniquely written single “How Many Licks” was released, we caught up with an insightful interview with such a talented artist to explore her eidetic experience and what she had to say about his incredible musical journey so far. Read below to learn some exciting details about Osay and her musical journey

Thank you for speaking with us at African Hype. What’s the first thing you hope new listeners feel when listening to your music?

Thank you for having me. What I want people to recognize first and foremost is that I’m a little different from your average female artist, and I welcome that. I don’t always talk about the same things, my subject matter, my way of rapping, and my beat selections, are sometimes a bit off kilter because I want my music to represent me! A lot of my sound blends elements of old school and new school to create something totally new and I want people to feel that nostalgic essence about me, but also recognize that I’m doing it my way.

“How Many Licks” is a fun record from start to finish with the combo of that hard-hitting beat and your catchy lyrics. What was the inspiration behind that song?

Haha, I love that record. It’s not what you’d expect from me, but that’s a bit of why I like it. It’s fun, it’s sexy, it’s light-hearted, and honestly, it’s just a vibe. When I first heard the beat, I fell in love instantly and the lyrics just came naturally and I just gotta give a huge shout out to muladè for producing such heat lol.

Osay Gives Us a Taste of Her Rap Skills in the New Single “How Many Licks”  Osay Gives Us a Taste of Her Rap Skills in the New Single “How Many Licks” 

I can’t say there was anything in particular that inspired the song outside of just what I was when I heard those kicks and that bang. I didn’t want the song to be taken too seriously or have the lyrics be too intricate, I think there’s a time and place for everything so I just wanted to just swag out on the song and let the beat kinda lead me.

Have you written songs for any other artists?

I have! Before I became an artist in my own right, my small claim to fame was working behind the scenes writing for other artists. They were all small local artists, so nothing you would have ever heard of but it did prep me on how to tell different stories and variate my subject matter as well as just putting myself in someone else’s shoes. I think that experience helped me a lot in improving my artistry and versatility.

What do you enjoy most about being an artist?         

That’s a good question. The thing I love most about being an artist is creating. Simple I know, but seriously I love that I can have an idea and then I go to record it and it becomes this tangible thing that other people can also enjoy. For the longest time, my songs were just private voice memos on my phone and now I have songs that are out that can be streamed and downloaded for anyone to listen to. Man if you told me I would have public releases a year ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. Creativity has no bounds and being able to expand upon thoughts and ideas that literally came from nothing is absolutely mind-bending to me. It’s so surreal and I never want to take that for granted.

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?

If I could collab with any artist of today it would either be J. Cole or Brent Fiayaz. I love J. Cole, I remember first hearing his Friday Night Lights project and just being enamored by his storytelling and real perspective on life. I also really appreciated seeing how different he was from his contemporaries at that time but he owned it. I’ve been a fan ever since and I just admire him not only as a creator but as a person, he really cares about what he does and you get a sense of how genuine he is through his endeavors and his work.

Brent reminds me of the old-school r&b I grew up listening to and I just think he’s incredible and super talented. I think he just had this essence about him that brings life to any song he’s a part of and I would love to have some of his special sauce on a record.

Do you put a lot of pressure on yourself?

Haha, is water wet, is grass green. I put so much pressure on myself it’s not even funny. It’s because I love music, I love that my art has given me this platform. It’s the only time, I truly feel like I have a voice and I want to do it well. Anything worth pursuing should be done at the best quality you can so I find myself banging my head against a wall trying to come up with the best ideas I can. I’m always working, always writing, always trying to find new ways to push the envelope and myself further and I think if you want something bad enough, you gotta apply that pressure to a certain degree to get what you want. Pressure makes diamonds or it busts pipes, you decide how it affects you.

Are you working on any project right now and what can we expect from you in the future?

Yes, I’m currently working on my first EP documenting my current journey as an artist as well as just navigating this thing we call life. It should be dropping later this year and I’m excited to give the people a full-length project. I’ve been dropping singles for the time being but there’s something really special about creating a body of work and being able to tell a full-fleshed story to really give people a sense of who I am. You can also expect more singles as well some new visuals dropping very soon.

For our final question, is there anything else you would like to add?

For everyone who has checked out my work or even took the time out to read this article thank you so, so much. For those of you discovering me for the first time, I’m Osay a female rapper, a singer-songwriter who’s tryna bring a bit of personality and fun back into music. I just released a few singles such as “Shimmy Season” and “I’m On High” which is out everywhere.  And a music video for my single, “Off Brand” will be coming out soon. I think that’s everything but you can find me everywhere at @osaycantsee. Thanks again African Hype for the opportunity.

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Osay Gives Us a Taste of Her Rap Skills in the New Single “How Many Licks”  Osay Gives Us a Taste of Her Rap Skills in the New Single “How Many Licks”  Osay Gives Us a Taste of Her Rap Skills in the New Single “How Many Licks” 

MUSIC

Taarifa kwa Vyombo vya Habari – wimbo mpya wa Into the Blood: “Play Your Clarinet!”

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Taarifa kwa Vyombo vya Habari – wimbo mpya wa Into the Blood: “Play Your Clarinet!”

Katika wimbo wao mpya wenye mchangamsho “Play Your Clarinet!”, Into the Blood wanaunganisha midundo ya kielektroniki inayoshika kwa urahisi na mgeuko wa kusisimua: solo la klaneti lenye mionjo ya jazz kutoka kwa Peter Fuglsang. Uchezaji wake unaongeza mguso wa uchezaji wa moja kwa moja unaokamilisha msingi wa kidijitali wa wimbo huu, na kuunda tukio la kipekee kabisa la kusikiliza.

Wimbo huu utazinduliwa kimataifa tarehe 22 Novemba katika lugha 11 tofauti—ikiwemo Kiswahili, Kifaransa, Kiingereza na Kichina n.k.—pamoja na toleo lisilo na sauti za kuimba.

Jiunge nasi katika safari ya kimataifa
Acha “Play Your Clarinet!” ikupeleke kuvuka mipaka, sauti na tamaduni. Wimbo mmoja. Lugha kumi na moja. Utasikika kwenye majukwaa yote makubwa ya kusikiliza muziki mtandaoni, na video za maneno ya wimbo zitapatikana kwenye YouTube. Jifunge mkanda na ufurahie safari!

Orodha ya video za “Play Your Clarinet!” – video za maneno ya wimbo katika lugha zote 11 kwenye YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuQcCz0vhEKyPigEcJ1-Du7YhrzZdLrex

“Destination 11” – video ya muziki:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8l72BtPBd8

Kuhusu Into the Blood
Duo la Into the Blood—Jens Brygmann (sauti za kuimba na ngoma za kidijitali) na Carsten Bo Andersen (kinanda na sintesa)—imekuwa ikifanya kazi tangu mwaka 2016. Muziki wao umekuwa ukipigwa kwenye vituo mbalimbali vya redio duniani, vikiwemo vya Uingereza, Australia na Ufaransa.

Toleo la asili la “Play Your Clarinet!” pia linapatikana kwenye rekodi ya vinili ya inchi 12 kama sehemu ya mradi wao mkubwa wa Destination 11, unaojumuisha video ya muziki ya dakika 11. Video hiyo imewahi kuonyeshwa katika matamasha mbalimbali ya kimataifa ya filamu fupi, na hadi sasa tayari imeshinda tuzo mbili nchini India, kufikia hatua ya fainali kwenye East Village New York Film Festival na Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, nusu fainali kwenye Seattle Film Festival na robo fainali kwenye Synergy Film Festival huko Los Angeles.

Mradi wa Destination 11 umefadhiliwa na White City Consulting na Custom Coaching.

Upakuzi kupitia Dropbox – Hapa unaweza kupakua nyenzo za promosheni:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/sai0udu4imfwdmktxf5cj/ADqWOKnmQZjDm3PsXL3yzvs?rlkey=75i1ctld2guy8tcp6snp112j9&st=jtgfu546&dl=0

Salamu za muziki kutoka
Into the Blood
Jens Brygmann & Carsten Bo Andersen 📧 [email protected]

Into the Blood – mitandao ya kijamii:
https://linktr.ee/intotheblood

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MUSIC

Van Hechter’s “Boy Problems” Is a Deep and Danceable Bilingual Anthem for Anyone Tired of Lukewarm Love

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Van Hechter’s “Boy Problems” Is a Deep and Danceable Bilingual Anthem for Anyone Tired of Lukewarm Love

Montreal-based pop sensation and LGBTQ activist Van Hechter is back with “Boy Problems,” a stunning new single. The track merges his signature upbeat charm with rare emotional depth. Hechter, known for hits like “Disco Brother,” “Hot Damn,” and “Love Elastic,” reveals a new side to his magnetic electro-pop personality, offering a message that is both radiant and raw.

At 4 minutes and 24 seconds, “BoyProblems” is a bilingual (French & English) eruption of glitter, melancholy, and empowerment. It’s built on irresistible synths, glossy production, and pulsing basslines. The song invites listeners into a world where heartbreak beats in rhythm with liberation. The melodies feel euphoric on the surface, yet are stained with a haunting vulnerability, proving that dancing and deep feeling can exist together.

At its core, the song is a manifesto about refusing to settle for half-love. Van delivers lyrics that make you sway, smile, and suddenly pause; the truth stings. If love isn’t loud, real, and fully given, he’d rather walk away. It’s a reminder wrapped in rhythm: loving yourself means refusing the small version of what you deserve.

Filled with Hechter’s signature humor, glamour, and optimism, “Boy Problems” is a club anthem and a soul-stirrer all at once. The bilingual lyrics expand its emotional reach. The track feels at home anywhere, from Parisian dance floors and New York rooftops to headphones on a bus or speakers at Pride.

This is a jam that makes you feel like you’re flying, free from pretense. It’s definitively dance-pop and unmistakably Van Hechter, though the smile has a real heartbeat underneath. Listeners will hear that signature flair; he’s still cheeky, stylish, and unapologetically queer. His artistry is simply sharpened with new emotional honesty. This is a growth moment, delivered with a wink and a synth hook.

“Boy Problems” is a significant step beyond a simple catchy single. It’s a toast to self-worth. A glittering rebellion against lukewarm love. A reminder that the dance floor can be a place to heal. This sonic centerpiece belongs on your playlist, and on your friends’ too.

Catch Up With Van Hechter on:

Established Hip Hop Artist ReachingNOVA Creates a Free-flowing Lyrical Course with His Single "C'est La Vie"

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TR Craze brings his South Sudanese story to the gritty drill anthem “Tule Tule” with Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko

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TR Craze brings his South Sudanese story to the gritty drill anthem "Tule Tule" with Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko

Sometimes a song shows up like that friend who kicks open the door without knocking, grinning and saying, “get your shoes, we’re leaving.” “Tule Tule,” the new single from South Sudanese artist TR Craze featuring Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko, moves exactly like that. The track is bold and charged, carrying the weight of lived experience while stomping over a dark, menacing drill beat that feels built for the streets as much as the club.

TR Craze’s backstory reads like a movie script Hollywood studios would fight over. He was born in South Sudan, shaped by the trauma of civil war, and pushed into the harsh realities of refugee life. He literally survived the treacherous routes through Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. This man distills survival into rhythm. On “Tule Tule,” you can feel that heart, that urgency, and that fire in his delivery, channelled into a raw, assertive drill performance that cuts through even if you don’t understand a single word of the opening verse. At its core, “Tule Tule” is a raw, assertive drill track that isn’t afraid to bare its teeth.

The word “Tule” comes from Nuer. It refers to youth games and the electric thrill of chasing something, whether that’s victory, joy, or destiny. TR Craze uses that spirit like a drumbeat beneath his voice. The choruses hit with a communal, call-and-response warmth but here that playfulness is flipped into a gritty, chant-like hook – “Tule Tule” – that feels like the rallying cry of a crew on the move. Even without translating the lyrics, the tone tells you everything. This is about motion, pursuit, celebration, and refusing to stay stuck in the past, all wrapped in an unapologetic, high-adrenaline atmosphere. Lyrically, the track leans into street life, dominance and crew loyalty, matching the tension in the beat.

Behind them, producer Kyxxx builds a dark, tense soundscape, stitching drill drums with Brazilian bounce and Bhangra-flavoured rhythmic elements that keep the track constantly on edge. The result is a gritty, energetic and unapologetic atmosphere that pulls you straight into their world.

Then Caine Marko slides in for the second verse, and the whole energy pivots into a sharp, swagger-heavy bounce. His flow is clean but gritty, confident and confrontational, shifting between braggadocio and sly charm.

“She knows I’m a wolf and I run the pack,” he starts, classic alpha talk, but delivered with a laid-back grin. “She come first like running track,” he continues, flipping between affection and athletic metaphors like a man who’s too used to moving fast.

Then he opens up the verse more: “Doing dirt and getting with a bitty, I only pretty… then back to the city. Got me some liquor then it got me some weed.” It’s lifestyle rap, but the reckless, unapologetic kind. It’s the messy, outside-at-night, live-in-the-moment vibe that balances TR Craze’s more grounded narrative. When he ends with “you going to hang with the gang,” the energy snaps into a group-hyped finale, a reminder that music like this isn’t meant to be consumed alone, underlining the crew-first loyalty at the heart of the record.

“Tule Tule” works because it blends worlds without softening its raw, street-hardened edge. It merges East African emotion, Caribbean-UK swagger, drill and hip-hop grit, Brazilian and Bhangra textures in Kyxxx’s production, diaspora storytelling, and a spirit of joy that refuses to be dimmed by pain.

Let “Tule Tule” run while you’re walking, cooking, texting, or plotting big dreams – or getting ready to step out with your crew.

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