DCClubbing Guide to Thanksgiving Break 2017
Thanksgiving Break is about to start – here at DCClubbing we are ready to kick the week of with you and have your whole week planned out. We bring you the hottest parties at three of our popular venues starting with Friendsgiving at Soundcheck on Tuesday and Ending the week with a special Black Friday Party at Ultrabar
Tuesday, November 21 – Friendsgiving at Soundcheck:
As Thanksgiving approaches, we bring you a special edition of #SoundcheckTuesdays. Everyone old or new is back in town and what better way to celebrate pre-thanksgiving than Friendsgiving at Soundcheck. Music and good vibes all around – 4 Local DJs spinning.
Drink Specials Include : $3 Miller Lite, $150 Jameson Bottles
Wednesday, November 22 – Thanksgiving Eve at Ultrabar:
One of the most anticipated Nights of the year is upon us! Thanksgiving Eve! Come out and get Lit before you indulge in all things thanksgiving – all your friends will be back in town, so what better way to celebrate than a night out in the Nations Capital!
Open Bar 10-11pm
$6 Ketel One Mixed Drinks
Thursday, November 23 – Thanksgiving Aftermath at Decades:
Friday, November 24 – Black Friday at Ultrabar :
From Knowledge To Promo, There’s More To DJing Than Just Playing The Songs
Even more than the music, the key to a successful DJ night are the people in the room. For as much as it is up to the venue to promote an event, a venue wins when they host a DJ that blends an encyclopedic knowledge of music with a unique charisma, plus a likable and engaging persona. These are usually the events that have crowds lined up down the street and supporters coming back for more. DJs in the modern age using social media as a tool for hyper-increased fan engagement has led to many wondering if this new era of sonic selectors is more into “doing it for the ‘gram or Snap” more than “doing it for the culture. However, in breaking down how and why DJs both drawing crowds and having skills is important, we learn that for as much as things seem different, not much at all has changed.
According to a 2012 study, there are now roughly 1.2 million DJs behind the decks worldwide. At the top end of the scale is someone like Diplo, the Mad Decent label owner, Major Lazer, Skrillex, and Justin Bieber collaborator whose yearly earnings have skyrocketed 125% in the past half decade to nearly $30 million earned in 2016. Diplo’s a great starting place because he started, like many DJs do, putting on a series of underground parties wherever he could throw them, whether that be a bar to a Ukranian Hall, to yes, even an abandoned mausoleum. Key to his rise was mixing his ability in knowing how to merge rap, electro, and an entire world of underground global bass into a series of sounds that could unify a diverse and party-loving population.
How one gets from a diverse and hip population of Generation Xers at street-corner bars to being an icon to millennials in swanky nightclubs and festivals worldwide involves a desire to reflect the music he spins and makes in his social media presence. Diplo’s expanded not just his fanbase, but also raised his tax bracket by becoming not just a cool Twitter follow or music producer, but a person who draws eyes and bodies to him by delivering content when, where, and how his followers want it. When you can tell , GQ “People don’t know exactly what I do, they just know I’m ’cool,’” that’s an ultimate symbol of next-level success.
Furthermore, when you study how hip-hop loving DJ/producers like Carnage have grown as draws from clubs to big rooms to festivals, it has as much to do with the fact that Papi Gordo drops the freshest of turn ups as it does his love of eating Chipotle burritos. How much has Carnage’s success grown in the past few years? In 2012, he was best known as a bedroom producer who occasionally got behind the decks to, in 2017, being a main stage participant at the Ultra Music Festival. Regarding the work side of his rise, Carnage noted to DJ Times, “I hung out with my friends who DJ. [I improved] by watching people, just sitting there watching tutorial online and practicing. I then practiced a lot, even through the nights where I felt like my skills were rough, but at the end of the day it works.” As far as Chipotle? “They’re the homies,” he continued to DJ Times. “I just like Chipotle. Do you like Chipotle? I called my fans ‘The Chipotle Gang on social media, which I use to holler at girls, get food, hit up my homies, and set up track collaborations.’ Chipotle saw me on social media and were like, ‘Whoa! We need to show love back to Carnage,’ and they gave me a lifetime supply of Chipotle. Chipotle Gang is the best. It’s like a cult. My fans go really hard on the homemade gear.”
While Carnage and Diplo provide iconic examples, we’ve just scratched the surface on truly understanding the connection between DJs, unique talents, social connectivity, and having a packed nightclub every night. In the modern age, emerging from a pack of millions to being a dependable and top-drawing industry leader can take numerous forms. For as much as the definition of excellence can include snapchatting your electro-loving life away like Dillon Francis or living like Oliver Heldens and having dancefloors worldwide shuffling the night away. But, at the end of the day, like Diplo, Carnage, and others prove, it’s discovering a unique balance between skill and charisma that keeps the clubs packed, and expectation for success high.
DC Clubbing’s Ultimate Halloween 2017 Guide
All Hallows Eve is just around the corner and we here at DC Clubbing — aside from throwing some absolutely wild parties that we’ll mention here — have a few ideas about costumes, haunted houses and more related to the holiday season. Thus, we’ve put together this handy guide to all things Halloween-related to make your spooky season the best it’s ever been!
DUPONT CIRCLE HALLOWEEN BAR CRAWL
DCClubbing and Lindy Promotions will be haunting the blocks of downtown DC on Saturday, October 28 for the Dupont Circle Halloween Bar Crawl! Costume contests, prizes and drink specials including $3 Miller Lite, $4 Redd’s, $5 Mixed Drinks will be available as the ghouls and goblins will be crawling all over DC’s favorite bars and nightclubs!
HALLOWEEN NIGHT
Australia-to-Los Angeles success story Hook N Sling goes underground to Soundcheck, K St NW’s favorite bass bin. Having smashed the dance charts with the likes of Nervo and Galantis, along with successful releases via Axwell’s Axtone label, Big Beat Records and more, he’s a well-cemented star only gaining in acclaim on dance floors worldwide!
COSTUMES
Horror movie fan? The rebooted version of Stephen King’s It has taken the cinema world by storm. Pennywise is the film’s lead scare-meister, and if you’re wanting to recreate the look of the man you can usually find down in the sewer, look no further. We expect this to be quite the popular costume this Halloween, so definitely click the link above and make your purchase now!
Emilia Clarke’s portrayal of the Princess of the House of Targaryen is certain to be a popular costume on October 31st as Game of Thrones has just finished another amazing season of TV. Yes, we’re well aware, dragons are not included in the package, but we definitely assure you that the costume will be (fire emoji)!
HALLOWEEN HAUNTED HOUSES
Everyone loves a haunted hay ride trail, right? Carnival clowns, zombies, mazes, scare houses, and more! Any time that the website for the event specifically tells you to not forget your diapers, and that it’s not recommended for children under 12, you know it’s legitimately scary.
You’ve heard of Jason, and you’ve heard of Freddy, but have you heard of The Cornstalker?!?!?! The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Stadium in Waldorf, MD sits on the site of some rumored strange happenings at the turn of the century:
To this very day little details are known about the truth of what happened in those fields, however one thing is for certain as each fall harvest season comes around there are unexplained occurrences and phenomena within the stadium walls themselves. Are these events each harvest season a mere coincidence or something much more disturbing ………….come see for yourself and we will see you inside!
Film fan? Laurel’s House of Horror allows you to walk through a theater re-enacting the most terrifying scenes from legendary horror movies. Clowns and zombies lurk around each corner, with actors creating an unforgettable haunted experience
Here’s Your DC Clubbing Fall Concert And Party Calendar!
As the weather turns cooler and the leaves fall from the trees, we know that everyone’s minds and bodies think about heading indoors for entertainment and fun. From Echostage and Soundcheck to Decades, Ultrabar, Barcode, and L8 Lounge, we here at Panaorama Productions and DC Clubbing have something for everyone. Out of a jam-packed fall schedule that may have more than a few surprises yet to be announced, we’ve selected eight events worth highlighting on our calendar and adding to your own set of activities to come!
Plus, when we’re not hosting world-renowned artists for special events, our bars and nightclubs are hosting weekly parties SEVEN nights a week! We’ll see you soon.
Jon Bellion @ Echostage – September 10 – TICKETS
Hip-hop culture’s fastest rising triple-threat singer/songwriter/producer hits the stage in the Nation’s Capital on Sunday, September 10 when Jon Bellion plays Echostage. From crafting hits for stars from Rihanna and Zedd to Logic and B.o.B., Bellion has already had quite the enviable songwriting career. As a solo vocalist, his 2016 breakthrough “All Time Low” sold 10 million copies and his follow-up “Overwhelming” aims to continue his run of success as a commercially dominant artist-on-the-rise.
A$AP Mob – Echostage – September 27 – TICKETS
From Rocky and Ferg to Twelvyy, Nast, and Ant, the A$AP Mob has, in the past five years. expanded past the blogosphere and onto the mainstream pop charts. The melodic-rapping New York City natives’ Harlem-swagger is underground iconic and relevant from the music universe to Paris’ fashion runways, and beyond. If you’re looking to hop on the “1Train” with Rocky or celebrate like “Shabba” with Ferg, or check out openers Key! and the Cozy Boys, it’s sure to be quite the turnt-up evening at Echostage.
Kid Cudi – Echostage – October 8 – TICKETS
Since the release of his breakthrough 2009 hit single “Day ‘N Nite,” Chicago-born Kid Cudi has established himself as not just a superstar emcee, but also a dynamic inspiration for a generation of pop music creators and fans alike, worldwide. From making EDM with Steve Aoki to hip-hop heaters with the likes of Kanye West, Cudi’s always expanded the styles and sounds people most generally connect to pop music. Touring in support of his sixth solo artist album Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin, expect Echostage to be a party like none other during his performance
Krewella – Echostage – October 27 – TICKETS
Pakistani-American sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf now enter their tenth year of work as a festival and arena-show dominant electro house production tandem. This year finds them releasing New World, a new album project that finds them reportedly expanding into a diverse array of globetrotting tour schedule-inspired sounds. Krewella are an Echostage favorite, so it’s far to expect rock-star energy and banging beats galore.
Flying Lotus – Echostage – November 5 – TICKETS
Just hearing head-nodding low-end rumbles were once the expectation for those headed to a live Flying Lotus DJ set. However, with his latest tour, he’s continuing with showcasing 3D projections alongside his jazz, soul, and breakbeat-inspired sound. FlyLo has done everything from rapping and singing to scoring films, cartoons, and more. This one should be mind-bending!
Markus Schulz – Soundcheck – November 9 – TICKETS
Hot on the heels of extensive music releasing and touring via his New World Punx tandem with Ferry Corsten and his Coldharbour Recordings label, trance and electro legend Markus Schulz heads to underground bass bin Soundcheck to play his classic favorites as well as exploratory and experimental new sounds. While on one hand, Schulz has remixed the likes of Madonna. But on the other hand, he’s always been a bold experimenter whose progressions have had significant mainstream results.
Diplo – Echostage – November 25 – TICKETS
While he’s now a Grammy award-winning producer whose work with Justin Bieber is top-selling and iconic modern teen pop, Diplo’s roots as a rap and global beats-loving DJ hustling for gigs in the streets of Philadelphia keeps his ear unique and left-of-center hitmaking skills ever razor-sharp. As a DJ, Diplo’s just as easily found at center court at a Los Angeles Clippers NBA game or headlining in Vegas these days, so big venue gigs like what he’s spinning at Echostage just prior to Thanksgiving are unquestionably something special.
New Year’s Eve
In 2016, Panorama Productions presented world’s #1 DJ Hardwell at Echostage, went back to the future at then just-opened retro-themed megaclub Decades, threw a five-level balloon drop bash at Ultrabar, plus massive pop-rap bashes at Soundcheck, Barcode, and L8 Lounge. Expect that we here at Panorama will attempt to out-do ourselves once again this year, so keep your eyes on DCClubbing.com as details for New Year’s Eve 2018 make themselves known!
From The 90s To…The 90s Floor: DJ Jon Paul Keeps The Decades Spirit Alive
Here’s what could be a shocking fact to many of you reading this article: Decades has existed in Washington, DC prior to 2016. In fact, from 1997-1999, a nightclub called Decades playing the best hits of the 70s, 80s and 90s on multiple floors existed in a space one block south of the square footage occupied by Ultrabar on 9th and F Sts. NW. Amazingly enough, as the current four-level Decades at 1219 Connecticut Avenue NW spins beloved hits from the 90s, 2000’s and the modern day, it’s DC Metropolitan area nightlife veteran Megawatt DJ Jon Paul who amazingly has, and currently does, spin at both the classic and current Decades locations! When describing how he has viewed his work as a disc jockey in the DC in a career that literally spans “between the Decades,” the veteran mixer notes that he enjoys “delighting and exciting crowds with outstanding performances.” If the sweat-drenched and hoarse-voiced bodies leaving Decades’ 90s floor on most any Saturday night when Jon Paul is behind the decks are any indication, he’s definitely achieving his goal. The secrets to his success and his thoughts about old versus new Decades? Well, they’re right here for you to enjoy! Retro is new again (and again)!
So, when did the old Decades open as a party, how long did it run, what exactly was the concept behind the old idea Continue reading “From The 90s To…The 90s Floor: DJ Jon Paul Keeps The Decades Spirit Alive”
Five Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The Anjunabeats Label
On July 20, Scottish progressive house producer Grum headlines at Soundcheck as a part of the iconic electronic label’s 2017 world tour. Grum’s one of the more recent additions to the label founded in 2000 by producers Jonathan “Jono” Grant and Paavo Siljamäki, aka trance and house legends Above and Beyond. Since 2011, the label has expanded its slate of releases from merely trance to a plethora of other sounds, mirroring dance’s pop and house evolution.
Regarding the creative process that inspires the label, Grant noted the following in 2013:
We are very picky, and I feel like are attention to quality control is what has made it great. We work very closely with all of our artists on how their record sounds. So, where other labels might put out a track that they know has most of the raw ingredients to be a success and leave it at that we will go the extra mile and make sure if we think there is something wrong with it when we test it out in a club that we try and go back and fix it before it gets an official release; sometimes that even means working on the record ourselves. It really is just attention to detail, even if it is slower at times, it’s worth it.
Here’s five intriguing facts you may not have known about the Anjunabeats label!
1. Only 100+ artists have made 300+ Anjunabeats releases in 17 years
As noted before, the level of curation on Anjunabeats is one of the label’s selling points of excellence. However, what may be just as, or more impressive is the longevity of the label. In the modern era, the blend of hyper-focus and sustainability is both notable and impressive.
2. In 2011, with Arty’s Zara, the label expanded past just releasing trance tracks
Prior to Russian DJ/producer Arty’s release of Zara in 2011, Anjunanbeats — not unlike Above and Beyond as a production act — were best known as a trance label. However, regarding Arty’s progressive release, the artist himself noted the following: “Tony, Paavo, and Jono are really good guys and they really know what’s going on on the scene. I was looking for the best label to sign “Rush” for like three or four months, and I thought that I had just made that track for myself. But then I sent it to Anjunabeats after a bunch of other labels that didn’t respond to my submissions. Then, Anjunabeats picked the track and they came to me and asked to make another mix. It was a huge success, and so we just started to work together.”
3. The label is named for a beach in India?!?!?
Anjuna is the name of a beach in Goa, on India’s western coast, which was a popular hippie destination in the 1960s and 1970s. Currently, Goa is the epicenter of the Indian electronic music scene, while still also being popular with backpackers and tourists.
4. Mat Zo’s 2013 album Damage Control as Anjunabeats pop “breakthrough?”
The EDM-as-pop evolution touched Anjunabeats’ push from trance into a progression of sounds including electro, house, and more bass-friendly vibes. Led by Porter Robinson collaboration “Easy,” British producer Mat Zo’s album Damage Control reached number one on the US Billboard Top Heatseekers chart number seven on the US Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album in 2013. It’s an impressive trifecta that feels certain-to-be-replicated.
5. Anjunabeats producer Andrew Bayer is from, you guessed it, Washington, DC!
Anjunabeats’ Andrew Bayer’s album productions include 2011’s It’s Artificial and 2013’s If It Were You, We’d Never Leave, two of the label’s most anthemic releases in recent years. Furthermore, he’s also produced for everything from bands to short movies as well as his voluminous and strictly dance/electronic-related creative output. As far as his roots, in 2013 he noted regarding his own growth that, “[a]lmost every major stylistic breakthrough in the first 5 years of my work, I can trace back to a specific night at Glow. Pretty crazy to think about actually!”
Michael Jackson’s Top 10 Club Ready Hits
It’s rather easy to state that Michael Jackson had no other option in life but to be Michael Jackson. That’s a lot of why, for many, he’s unarguably the best pop star of all time. It can also be argued that Michael gave his life to music, and in devoting the entirety of his being to being the ULTIMATE pop icon, he became a timeless and epic representation of our emotional connection to music. Especially in the 25 year era between 1970-1995, there may have been no better artist at making club-ready dance music. Given that Decades Nightclub is in the Panorama Productions family of clubs, and that were observing the eighth anniversary of his untimely demise, we decided to compile a list of his most impacting and club-ready pop hits.
10. Jacksons – Enjoy Yourself (1976)
Once Michael and the rest of his musical brothers left Motown for Epic Records in 1975, the quintet moved in a decidedly more disco-oriented direction with their sound. The blend of pop melodies as well as Michael’s angelic voice allowed for “Enjoy Yourself” to hit the top ten of the pop charts, top five of the R & B charts, and was written by the Philadelphia-based iconic disco production pair Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.
9. Michael & Janet Jackson – Scream (1995)
20 years after singing backup vocals on the aforementioned “Enjoy Yourself,” “Scream” is a duet between Janet and Michael Jackson. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had a hand in numerous hits for Janet, but for Michael this was their first hit creation for the “King of Pop.” This one is both intriguing and notable because it’s one of the few times in Michael’s career that he actually addressed the stress associated with his stardom.
Quincy Jones produced a song about zombies that features Michael Jackson as the lead vocal and a rap from noted horror movie actor Vincent Price. On the surface this seems like the most ridiculous idea ever. In actuality, the execution was so cinematic in scope that it deserved the 14-minute short film-as-video which accompanied its release. If you know the video’s related choreography (and you know the choreography), you’re certain to do it as much as possible.
7. Jackson 5 – Dancing Machine (1974)
The Jackson brothers’ final massive Motown hit was a song that actually inspired Michael Jackson as a choreographer inventing the robot. Celebrating a woman whose moves are “automatic and systematic,” (which we should assume means “amazing”), this is a timeless jam that really strikes at the heart of soul, disco, and pop in an unmistakably “Jackson”ian way.
Following up 1984’s Thriller was quite the task for the “King of Pop,” and in a manner similar to “Beat It,” “Bad” blends rock guitars and dance-ready funk in an exciting manner for what was the follow up to the mega successful Thriller album’s first number one single. As well, the full scale ensemble gang dancing is again similar to “Beat It,” as across the board, Jackson used established standards to re-set his own bar for excellence.
Disco and soul combine magnificently on the biggest hit from MJ’s 1979 breakout album Off The Wall. Less crossover aimed and more R & B market driven, the song has endured the decades and is one of the more beloved dance-ready ballads of all time. Feeling the heat, riding the boogie, and sharing the beat of love…timeless notions that have endured.
Quincy Jones on production. Van Halen’s lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen with a blistering solo. A video that features a full scale choreographed gang fight. “Beat It” is remembered for many things, its pioneering style allowing it to win the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1984. Literally a song that was nearly a top-ten hit worldwide, it’s another example of a song that’s set a standard that will likely never be equaled.
Epic Records refers to Michael Jackson’s 1991 hit as “a rock ‘n’ roll dance song about racial harmony.” The song’s pop appeal was immediate, as 40% of the top 40 radio stations in America immediately added the song to constant peak-hour rotation, and worldwide, the song was a #1 smash in 20-plus countries. As far as dance-friendly Jackson songs, it’s again another rock-soul heater that impressively eclipsed the previous success of “Beat It” and “Bad.’
2. Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough (1979)
There’s Michael Jackson fanatics who will gladly argue that Off The Wall is a better album than Thriller. One of the key pieces of this argument involves believing that “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” is a better-sounding single than “Thriller” and “Beat It,” two singles that it actually bests on this list. As far as a grooving club jam, this one could also represent MJ at his disco era best, moreso than anything else on this countdown.
The Moonwalk. The bassline. The Pepsi commercial. The fact that the song has a groove that is unmistakably from the 80s, but timeless because it arguably represents the best work of that or any era.
Sports And Stadiums Will Provide Exciting Times-to-Come In DC!
Since the 1995 debut of the Verizon Center — aka the Chinatown-located home of the Washington Wizards, Capitals, Mystics, and Valor — professional sports in the Nation’s Capital have exploded in popularity, in a manner similar to the area’s population. Now, with roughly 1000 new residents to DC proper arriving each month, as well as a rumored total of eventually 6.5 million residents expected in the DC Metropolitan area by 2020, the idea that the Washington Redskins, DC United, and the Washington Mystics could all play/be on the road to playing in new arenas by 2020 makes sense. Couple that with improvements being made to the nearly 25 year old Verizon Center and decade-old Nationals Park, and there’s an exciting new population watching exciting teams in exciting venues. Overall, it’s a good time to be a fan of sports in the DC area.
There have been 52 playoff appearances by the seven aforementioned local pro sports franchises in the just over two decades since the Verizon Center significantly upped the ante for arenas and sports venues in general in the Nation’s Capitol. The 20,000 seat arena was built for roughly $150 million in 1997, and in incorporating complex electrical and mechanical systems, plus being built on top of the Gallery Place Metro stop, was considered state-of-the-art for its era. Furthermore Verizon Center was nominated for Arena of the Year Pollstar and being named the ninth highest grossing venue worldwide by 2008.
Improving upon that standard has been MLB championship-level team the Washington Nationals’ Nationals Park, a 40,000-plus seat stadium that cost $800 million to build by 2008. Nats Park is impressively the first LEED-certified green major professional sports stadium in the United States, and is similarly Metro accessible via the Navy Yard Metro stop. Notably, Nationals Park will host the 2018 MLB All-Star Game.
Insofar as forthcoming sports structures to the DC area, DC United’s Audi Field is slated to be the first to open in mid-2018. Seating 20,000 fans, it’s expected to cost $195 million to complete, and thus is best compared to the soccer equivalent of a Verizon Center/Nats Park hybrid venue. Similar to Nationals Park, it is within a stone’s throw of the Navy Yard Metro, and to keep with the state of the art theme that both the “phone booth” and Nats park have expemplified, will come complete with 31 luxury suites, a bike valet, plus on-site retail and residential space.
The WNBA’s Mystics will soon play in a 4,200 seat arena on the property site that currently hosts the Broccoli CIty Festival in Southeast DC. Tentatively slated to open in 2018, it’s expected to cost $65 million, and is expected to feature a glass-enclosed atrium and retail space that will stay open even when there’s no sporting events occurring. Also slated to be the official practice facility for the Washington Wizards, the space offers significant promise for expanding the event delivery expectation in the DC Metropolitan area.
The piece de resistance of all of this is the expectation that the Washington Redskins are expected to move into a 60,000-seat, open-air stadium by 2027. This venue that could be either in Loudon County, Virginia or on the one-time site of long-time Redskin home RFK Stadium could possibly include a moat, amphitheater, museum, and the team’s headquarters and training facilities.
Between the Wizards and Capitals exciting, yet ultimately heartbreaking playoff runs, DC United and the Mystics being perennial playoff teams, plus the Washington Redskins having one of the NFL’s most established legacies of excellence, there’s always something to cheer about in the Nation’s Capital. However, with a trio of new sports arenas opening in the next five-to-ten years, what historically have occasionally been roaring crowds at DC sports venues may be more consistently excited because of not just what the teams, but their home fields and courts, have to offer.
Summer Specials at Ultrabar
Summer Specials at Ultrabar
This may end up being the warmest D.C. summer ever, and we know that Ultrabar is going to be doing our part to turn up the heat. That being the case, we’ve got some refreshing bottle specials and beer specials to offer to cool you off, too. We’ll see you and your friends soon!
$4 Modelo Beers
$150 Moet Ice
$175 Titos
$175 Ciroc Summer Colada
Wizkid’s Coming To Echostage And He’s A Superstar On The Rise
On July 2, Wizkid, the “Starboy” and “Prince of African Pop” — an African-to-worldwide pop star who can possibly follow in a line that extends back to the era of Akon — visits the Nation’s Capitol. Whereas Akon is of Senegalese descent and was born in St. Louis, Wizkid is Nigerian, and probably someone that you’ve heard on a few of your favorite songs, but likely had no idea. However, with his increased global exposure and a third studio album forthcoming via a new record Sony/RCA, this is a tremendous time for one of those “before they were superstars” moments. Here’s five reasons why Wizkid is a star on the rise, and well worth purchasing a ticket to check him out at Echostage.
1. He’s The OTHER Rapper On Drake’s “One Dance”
Billboard’s “Song of the Summer” for 2016 was “One Dance,” Drake’s tropical hip-hop dancehall pop champion sound. Drake and Wizkid had collaborated one year prior alongside UK grime rapper Skepta for Wizkid’s single “Ojuelegba,” making “One Dance a case of Wizkid returning the favor. Rolling Stone noted that the “tropical summer jam with a Caribbean lilt that evokes Lionel Richie in pastel-shirt mode. When he mixes in Nigerian singer Wizkid and London diva Kyla, he turns ‘One Dance’ into a utopian fusion of global styles, by way of Toronto.”
2. He’s Also Recorded Songs With Wale, Major Lazer, and R. Kelly
Key as well to what will be Wizkid’s likely American crossover success is his ability to excel at the merging point that Diplo’s tropical production team Major Lazer represents between hip-hop culture and electronic music. In the past two years, breezy house-aimed Major Lazer single “Boom” and Wale’s Major Lazer-produced album track “My Love” have been aided by the Nigerian vocalist’s tenor. Infectious and dancehall-inspired records more aimed at the festival crowd than top-40 radio, they’ve definitely increased familiarity with his artistry in the American-to-worldwide mainstream.
3. He Already Has An Incredible Built-In 18-35 Year Old Audience
Here’s a few interesting facts about Nigeria. The country’s population is 184 million, roughly half of America’s population. However, unlike America which has 1/10th of it’s population as being 18 and under, 1/5th of Nigeria’s population is between 18-35, and the country’s median age is 18. Furthermore, YouTube is Nigeria’s largest music streaming service, and overall worldwide, it’s used the most by those aged 25-34. Therefore, this bodes well for how his music appeals so quickly, and so well, to so many.
4. He Has A Collaboration Coming With Sia
Yes, Sia, as in the singer/songwriter whose Sean Paul collaboration “Cheap Thrills” was a platinum seller, #1 in over 20 countries in 2016, and was Spotify’s #5 overall streamed song of the year. Similar to “One Dance,” it was described as a “bouncy and reggae-tinged synthpop song.” Whatever the teased collaboration sounds like, the idea of Wizkid pairing with an artist who’s had easily a dozen groundbreaking smash hits in the past five years can only mean amazing things.
5. He Already Has 100 Million Streams Via His Official Vevo
WizKid’s been Vevo official on Youtube for just over a year, and has already clocked in at over 100 million total views. Though his Drake collaboration “One Dance” has no official video, the Saturday Night Live performance featuring ONLY Drake has over 22 million hits. Comparatively, Sia’s been Vevo-official for seven years, and has SIX BILLION HITS. Could something similar be in the offing for Wizkid? Possibly.
