Happy New Year to you (if you celebrate January as such)! My personal new year is Spring, but I'm down for whatever reminds us that each new day is a new opportunity to try again. Which is why you're hearing from me. It's been a minute since we last typed: TikTok was still scrollable, my name was "Diaspora" (it's now Dyaspara, pronounced the same), he who will not be named was not entering office, there was no Kendrick Lamar vs Drake beef (at least publicly), and who had even heard of a...

Remember when I predicted more Afrobeats artists would collaborate with African American ones this year? Well, it's already happening. And quite swiftly at that. This is bittersweet for me. A bit hot and cold, if you will. Hot: Black unity! Y'all know I am here for people of the African Diaspora collaborating and creating entirely new sounds. Something special always happens when elements of our music blend. It's the main way we begin to rebuild the bridges that have disconnected us (*cough*...

For some of us December isn't *really* the end of the year, and for others it's the perfect time to start thinking about and planning for what's to come. Regardless, I do think this season has a way of forcing us all to reflect. The tried + true Taurus in me hates change—which is why it makes sense that I'm scratching my head at the idea of what Afrobeats could sound like in 2024. As a deep lover of the genre, I'm often screaming "bring back 2016 Afrobeats!' It's why I love Davido's "E PAIN...