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Get A Stellar Dose of Hip Hop Through Youguey’s New Single “Somebody”

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Youguey, the fascinating versatile artist and songwriter, demonstrates sheer creativity in his latest single “Somebody.” The flawless track is creatively engaging and engrosses the viewer with an immersive and catchy vibe.

We were fortunate enough to be able to sneak in for an interview with a talented artist. He was kind enough to lend us some of his most cherished moments as we joyfully delved into his personal and professional lives. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

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

For new listeners, I want them to be filled with joy and confidence. I want them to realize that no matter what they trying to achieve in life, it all starts by believing in themselves, believing that they are “SOMEBODY”…I want them to feel the joy of me being a father, the sense of hard work and consistency that I put in my music. I want them to feel like, if youguey did it, then I can do it too.

“Somebody” is captivating from the start to finish with a combination of unique beats and catchy lyrics. What was the inspiration behind the single?

The inspiration came straight from my childhood. For those who recognise the sample, it’s a song from African artist “angelic kidjo” tittled “agolo”. As a kid in Ivory Coast, this song was like everywhere. I had it in my head even before I knew who the artist was. So while I was trying different samples online, the song popped on my YouTube feed and after one listen I was sooo happy with the memories it brought me that I decided to use it as a sample. At the same period, I was expecting my daughter to be born in the next month so filled with the joy and excitement of becoming a father, I poured myself out on this track and here we are.

Get A Stellar Dose of Hip Hop Through Youguey's New Single "Somebody"

Have you written songs for any other artists?

I have never written a song for anyone else than me and I don’t think I have the power to do so because everything I write is taken from my personal life and experience so unless you are me, my lyrics wouldn’t fit another artist.

What do you enjoy most about being an artist?

I enjoy the freedom of expression. It can be taken for granted now but a while ago in some places artists could say whatever was on their mind. Today I can just rap about any subject and not being worried about what others think. Yo be an artist to me is to be free. But of course it has a price.

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

It’s funny because now that you ask, I realised that I actually don’t know, I have so many artist that I like and admire, I’d feel bad if I name someone and leave the others.

Do you put a lot of pressure on yourself?

I put too much pressure on me, to always be better and reach higher. As a matter of fact, I started out as just a rapper, writing rap songs, then I realised that it wasn’t enough, I started making beat, the learned how to mix and master. Thinking that was enough, I discovered artists like machine gun Kelly or Dominic fike who used to rap and now the play guitar and make rock/punk music and bam that became my new challenge while led me to learn how to play the piano, the guitar both acoustic and electric and now I want to learn how to drum..haha I think I’ll never stop.

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

Yeah, I just received my next project called “Made In Black” which in my opinion is the best song I ever made. I don’t want to jinx it but I can’t wait to drop maybe in a month or so.

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

If I could add something it would be to the audience. I’d like to tell anyone reading this than we artist might seems confident amd tough from the outside but the truth is that most of us are over sensitive people, we have our moments of doubts and low time and during those times, a fan sending you a dm to tell you how much they like your music can go a long way. So wherever you are, whoever you are, if you happen to like my music, do not hesitate to tell me, I’d be more that happy to talk to you because we are all human underneath and I don’t play the superstar game, I make music for the people and I want the people to know that I am here for them.

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Get A Stellar Dose of Hip Hop Through Youguey's New Single "Somebody"

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Gospel Artist Harmoni Allen Confronts Mental Health Stigma With Vulnerability Faith and Soul on Her Powerful Single “Schitzo”

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Gospel Artist Harmoni Allen Confronts Mental Health Stigma With Vulnerability Faith and Soul on Her Powerful Single “Schitzo”

Right now, gospel artist Harmoni Allen’s work reflects the transformative power of faith, with vulnerability, triumph, encouragement, and Christ-centered hope running through her music. Her warm vocals, expressive delivery, and deeply personal storytelling give that message a human center. Drawing from lived experience and testimony, she turns questions of faith, healing, freedom, resilience, and hope into songs that feel intimate without losing their uplifting spirit.

Harmoni Allen’s “Schitzo” is a sincere, soul-stirring track built around a deeply personal subject. Short for schizophrenia, the song opens an intimate conversation about mental well-being, judgment, fear, vulnerability, and the struggle to feel free in a world that can be quick to define people from the outside. Harmoni does not keep the subject at a safe distance. She brings the listener directly into the experience, shaping the song as a confession that feels immediate and exposed.

The accompanying music video establishes that vulnerability from its opening moments. Harmoni sits alone on her front porch, drinking water, visibly troubled and seemingly asking herself whether she is truly okay. Nearby, two women watch her from a distance. Their expressions communicate the judgment and assumptions that sit at the center of the song. Without speaking, they capture a painful reality: people can decide who someone is before taking the time to understand what that person may be going through.

Looking for answers, Harmoni calls a friend and heads to a hospital. The song then unfolds inside a psychiatrist’s office, where she is asked, “So, Miss Allen, what brings you to my office today?” Her answer becomes the emotional core of “Schitzo.” The music takes over, developing into a slow-burning, soulfully rich R&B confession carried by Harmoni’s heavenly, deeply vulnerable vocals.

Verse by verse, Harmoni reveals the strain of living under the gaze of people who may fear, misunderstand, or judge what they cannot see. She sings about people being scared of her, watching from afar, the medicines she takes, and the exhausting burden of being viewed through a label instead of recognized as a human being. Inside that pressure, however, comes a moment of release. She looks into the mirror, sits on the bed, takes a breath, and arrives at the realization that she is free.

That realization does not magically change the world around her. People still look at her the same way. Their assumptions remain. This is where “Schitzo” broadens into something many listeners can recognize, the understanding that other people’s perceptions do not get to define your identity, your worth, or your destiny.

Harmoni’s faith gives that idea its foundation. Beneath the emotional turbulence is a steady conviction that God has the last say. People may judge from afar, attach labels, and make assumptions based on appearance, yet those opinions do not determine the course of someone’s life. For Harmoni, faith creates a space where judgment begins to lose its hold and freedom becomes possible.

Musically, “Schitzo” carries the same emotional weight as its subject. The production settles into a slow-burning R&B groove that gives Harmoni’s voice room to breathe, ache, and communicate. Her soulful delivery has a nostalgic warmth, while smooth layers of vocal harmony wrap around the lead with an almost heavenly glow. The arrangement remains restrained, keeping the storytelling in clear focus instead of crowding it with unnecessary drama. Harmoni shifts naturally between fragility and quiet strength, making the performance feel close enough to resemble a private conversation across the room.

“Schitzo” ultimately centers on being seen, being misunderstood, finding your breath again, and recognizing that freedom can survive other people’s judgment.

When the final note fades, Harmoni Allen leaves behind the message that has guided the song from the beginning: people may have their opinions, but God has the final say!

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Serag Baddar Revisits a Teenage Guitar Idea With Intimacy and Patience on the Atmospheric Post Rock Track “Limerence”

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Serag Baddar Revisits a Teenage Guitar Idea With Intimacy and Patience on the Atmospheric Post Rock Track “Limerence”

Based in Malta, composer Serag Baddar turns a long-held guitar idea into something intimate and absorbing on “Limerence.” The post-rock track grew from a riff he wrote 15 years ago, with one section carrying a subtle nod to Buckethead’s “Padmasana,” whose rhythm guitar left a clear impression on Baddar.

Crisp, mellow, and atmospheric, “Limerence” moves through clean guitar layers and an ethereal sense of space. Silken vocals shimmer underneath, adding a restrained melancholy that suggests heartbreak without overwhelming the arrangement.

Baddar’s background in heavy metal remains important to the song, even as he strips away high-gain distortion and conventional vocal delivery. In their place, structure and melody do most of the emotional work. At the center is a clean, melodic guitar riff designed to flow ergonomically across the fretboard, giving the performance a natural physical ease.

The quieter acoustic and clean passages of progressive metal are an obvious reference point. Opeth and Tool, two bands that have shaped Baddar’s style, can be heard in the track’s sense of structure and restraint. Its spacious ambient textures also draw from the accessible melodic soundscapes associated with instrumental artists such as Buckethead. “Padmasana” is especially relevant, with its rhythm guitar inspiring a small section of “Limerence.”

The pacing is deliberate and unhurried, in keeping with post-rock’s slow-burn character. Its rhythmic framework stays steady, patient, and evocative, giving the central guitar melody room to breathe. Notes are allowed to ring out and decay naturally rather than being crowded by unnecessary movement.

Much of the song’s appeal comes from that simplicity. The arrangement avoids excessive time-signature gymnastics and settles into a smooth, approachable cadence that strengthens its hypnotic quality. That choice suits the meaning behind “Limerence,” the intense and involuntary psychological state of romantic obsession and infatuation that Baddar seeks to capture emotionally.

Because the released track is a “demo” mix, it retains a raw, unpolished authenticity. That texture fits Baddar’s philosophy of “writing for dopamine,” prioritizing emotional resonance and the organic “magic” of a creative spark over pristine, heavily compressed commercial engineering.

The result is intimate and thoughtful. It feels reflective and deeply personal, like a bedroom guitarist finally translating a 15-year-old teenage memory into a cohesive, immersive piece of music. The closing stretch brings the song’s crisp, clean, haunting guitar riff into sharper focus, giving the track a fitting climax and reminding us how much of its emotional weight rests on that original idea.

Baddar waited until he felt his technical ability and musical vision had matured enough to do the riff justice before recording and releasing it. He approaches music as a philosophical hobby, creating for the pleasure of the craft rather than under commercial pressure.

Taken as a whole, “Limerence” is an accomplished, carefully felt performance worth spending time with. It is streaming now.

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Omer B Channels Groove, Speed, and Collaborative Fire on the Exhilarating Funk Rock Instrumental “Bending Time”

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Omer B Channels Groove, Speed, and Collaborative Fire on the Exhilarating Funk Rock Instrumental “Bending Time”

Omer B has built a significant part of his artistic identity around collaboration, working with musicians from across the world. On “Bending Time,” he leans fully into that instinct. The track brings together guitar virtuoso Oz Noy, drummer Oded Kafri, bassist Andy Warner, and Abramo Riti on Hammond organ, giving Omer B a formidable cast for what he does best: composing exceptionally good music.

“Bending Time” is a high energy, five minute instrumental funk rock piece that establishes its character almost immediately. Omer B’s guitar locks in with Kafri’s forceful drumming from the opening stretch, creating an intro that feels urgent, muscular, and inviting. Once the Hammond and bass enter the picture, the arrangement opens up into something richer and more expansive.

That introduction builds tension quickly while setting a steady sense of anticipation. You can hear the rhythm gathering momentum as the groove takes hold. At its core is a relentless, head bobbing funk rock backbeat. The pace is fast, yet the players remain firmly in the pocket, giving the song a driving foundation that keeps it moving at full speed without sacrificing its groove.

As composer, Omer B acts as the track’s anchor. He resists overcrowding the arrangement with constant shredding, choosing instead to work through sharp, syncopated rhythm chops and clearly defined melodic motifs. His guitar helps shape the song’s architecture, from its central themes to the heavy, overdriven chord progressions that guide each transition.

Oz Noy’s entrance raises the temperature. He slips naturally into the established groove, echoing the track’s hauntingly familiar melodic cadence while bringing in a streak of “twisted blues” character. His solos are explosive without feeling detached from the arrangement, and they push the song into a higher gear.

The interplay becomes especially satisfying when Noy’s lead lines careen over Omer B’s heavy rock foundation. Kafri’s airtight drumming, Warner’s bass, and Riti’s Hammond keep the music grounded while the guitars add a fiery improvisational edge. That tension gives “Bending Time” a sense of motion that suits its title.

Unpredictable, futuristic, and haunting, “Bending Time” plays like an exhilarating experiment that draws strong performances from everyone involved. Omer B’s experience as an amateur race driver also seems to surface in the track’s polished, high octane momentum. There is a clear feeling of speed, control, and mechanical precision running through the performance.

By the end, the vintage rock swagger and modern fusion sophistication feel naturally connected. In my professional opinion, they should “frame the arrangement!”

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