Nigeria: Ckay treats fans to new EP

The ‘Container’ singer took his guests through the evolution of his artistry, running away from Kaduna in Northern Nigeria to Lagos at 18, where he started his life as a musician, and how he developed collaborations with MI, the renowned Nigerian rapper, and others.

His eight-track album titled Ckay the First has songs like ‘Kalakuta’, the provocative ‘DTF’, ‘Love Nwantinti’ and other mellow and danceable tracks. 'Beeni' featuring Barry Jhay is a sonourous tune with a cool flow. This EP is full of soundbytes with the ambition to duplicate the 'Container (E Don Land)' effect, his earlier track that has been liberally sampled in other songs and has become one of DJ's go-to effects. 

Signed to Chocolate City – home to rapper MI, Jesse Jagz, Femi Kuti and Ice Prince – Ckay has never been short of good ideas. Between interpolating Beethoven on ‘Way’, the outer-space theme at the epicenter of his album rollout and recent scene-stealing beats and guest features, the artist has consistently displayed his unique style. It did not come as a surprise that he pulled out all the stops for the listening party of his new EP. 

Ckay was all smiles at his listening party, which welcomed a host of guests and featured a number of thrilling activities. There was a one-on-one sessions with the artist, where he answered questions about the project and took guests through the process involved in making it. There was also a track-by-track breakdown, as well as a countdown at a minute to midnight – the official release of the project.

Perhaps the greatest highlight of the night was the tranquil vibe that Ckay curated, as he insisted that guests sat on soft, kindergarten-type mats, under neon blue-pink lighting. It really added a much-needed layer to the listening, which allowed guests to experience the album in a thoroughly relaxed state of mind.