Storytellers documenting queer stories in Nigerian mainstream media can foster queer acceptance. For far too long, the Nigerian queer community has been relegated to the fringes of society, with many people shunning them for their sexuality. This marginalisation has been fueled by deep-seated, nasty cultural attitudes, which have been reinforced by religious and political leaders. As a result, many Nigerians see queer people as immoral, ungodly, and even dangerous. This has led to a culture of fear and mistrust, which has made it difficult for the queer community to fully integrate into society. However, through more documentation and representation of…
Whether or not It is Black history, Black women have taken it upon themselves to be prodigies for Blackness and excellence. Pushing, breaking, and completely annihilating boundaries, Black women are redefining what can or cannot be done. They are really going all out this period and should be studied. Tiwa Savage, the popular afrobeat singer and songwriter, is one of these women. A few days ago, she announced her acting and producing debut in a film titled ‘Water and Garri’ in an Instagram post captioned: “This is about to be an ICONIC moment. My first lead role as an actor and…
Inside Matthew Blaise’s Òbòdò Nigeria—The Global Social Justice Movement that Sprung Out of Lagos City.
TG Omori, fondly known as Boy Director, has been on a roll with his recent projects. He has made a name for himself in the Nigerian and African music video, film and cinema industry; and in recent times, he’s begun to stretch it. Born ThankGod Omori Jesam, TG is from a middle-class family in Cross-River state, but grew up in Agungi, Lagos State. He started directing at the age of 15 while overseeing stage plays in his school and church. TG Omori started making videos at the age of 16, but took it up professionally at 18, after graduating from…
More often than not, on-screen representations of sex and female pleasure are far too unrealistic. While it is important for writers to exercise their creative freedom, having to sit through totally unrelatable depictions of sex in media can get tiring. With the rise of the sex-positive movement in recent times, there has been a need for movies that teach women to embody their sex and sexualities, while offering more realistic portrayals of women’s sexual desires and fulfillments. Good luck to you, Leo Grande seems to be exactly what we needed. Written by Katy Brand and directed by Sophie Hyde, the…
This Opinion Piece Takes the Accident Artist into Account, with Thoughts and Comments in First Person POV. Culture and community thrive on the identities, values, and objectives of the people within them. Rarely is it necessary for a particular culture or community to have one person or a single face represent them; however, when defining a group, it is necessary for a select few members to embody what it means to be a part of that culture or community. Alté — the popular phenomenon that may or may not have begun as an alternative musical genre for artists whose sound…
Tkrayne might be considered a newcomer in the mainstream music scene, but he has been around, creating his show-hat, feather after feather, as one of the fast-rising singers, songwriters, and performing artists in Lagos, Nigeria. Tkrayne, whose birth name is Alakija Oluwatosin, is a Yoruba boy from Abeokuta who grew up in Benin. He comes from a family of five, has two sisters, and studied computer science at the University of Benin. While Tkrayne has been in the music scene for a long time now and was making music even in his university days, he officially started making a menacing…
Elizabeth Usen Summer, as we all know, means different things to different people. It represents freedom, sunshine, warmth, adventure, parties, beaches, romance, and so much more. Whatever it means to you, one thing is certain: we all want to preserve the beautiful memories that the season brings. You’re about to find out how to perfectly capture all of your gorgeous summer looks and moments from the right angles if you’ve ever wondered how. We spoke with Elizabeth Usen, a fashion model and creative writer, who shared some of her favourite things about summer and gave us insider tips on how…
Summer is finally here or it’s been here for a bit. School’s out, party mood is on and everyone is looking to have as much fun as they can before the break is over. Yes, we know the world is crazy right now and the political scene is in upheaval but could there be a better way to make it through than to dance our way through the chaos? We think not. To top it off, the music industry has us on cloud nine with all the latest releases. From Beyonce’s Break My Soul to Burna Boy’s Last Last, here…
Nothing lasts forever. Sadly. Feelings, emotions, people, experiences, and even magic fade. The only things we have are moments and memories; moments as unannounced as they come, and memories as quickly as they go. These memories and moments are like energies. We carry them with us, and they can also be translated from one person to another. Stephanie Nkemdilim. Image credit: IG/@oscarokonu Meet Stephanie ‘Accident Artist’ Nkemdilim Mbanugo, a 27-year-old bi-tribal self-taught storyteller and videographer of Igbo and Yoruba descent. She’s the first of two kids and hails from Anambra and Lagos. She tells us about her journey of finding…