Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx

Seyi Vibez is turning up the volume.

On this episode of The Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx, we take a closer look at SWAGGU, Seyi Vibez’s latest album and one of the biggest talking points in Nigerian music right now.

Across 14 tracks, SWAGGU captures an artiste exploring ambition, success, love, faith, identity, street culture and a growing global reach. From the opening track VOLUME to ILOME, GTA, BACK 2 U, PANSA and the Quavo assisted title track SWAGUU, the project gives us different sides of Seyi Vibez while keeping his Nigerian identity firmly at the centre.

We look beyond the headlines and streaming numbers to examine the music itself, Seyi Vibez’s evolution, the role of Burna Boy as executive producer, the significance of Quavo’s only feature on the album and the different sounds and ideas that shape SWAGGU.

VOLUME also gives us an interesting starting point. The album opener has emerged as one of the project’s biggest early performers, while other songs including ILOME, GTA and BACK 2 U continue to make strong appearances across Nigeria’s streaming charts.

And the numbers are difficult to ignore.

SWAGGU crossed 50 million Spotify streams within six days of release, with every song on the album surpassing one million Spotify streams. The project has also placed multiple tracks high on Spotify Nigeria’s Top 50. (Album Talks)

But this episode is not simply about numbers.

It is about understanding why Seyi Vibez remains such an important part of the conversation around contemporary Nigerian music, how his sound continues to evolve and what SWAGGU tells us about the next stage of his career.

And while we are having that conversation, The Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx is growing too.

We have now crossed 25,000 total plays on Spotify.

From conversations around the biggest names and stories in African music to independent breakdowns of albums, artistes, culture and the ideas shaping the industry, The Artiste Hangout continues to build an audience across borders. The podcast has also recorded international chart appearances, including placements in the Music Interviews category across South Africa, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates. (Rephonic)

This is why we keep having these conversations.

Not simply to tell you what to listen to, but to ask better questions about the music, the artistes behind it and the culture surrounding it.

SWAGGU BY SEYI VIBEZ AND THE VOLUME OF HIS EVOLUTION

Listen now and join the conversation.

The Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx

Seyi Vibez
SWAGGU
VOLUME
ILOME
GTA
BACK 2 U
Quavo
Burna Boy
Nigerian music
Afrobeats
Street pop
Afropop
Nigerian artistes
African music
Music analysis
The Artiste Hangout
Femi Makx

Ayra Starr and ZAYN come together on “Heaven Baby,” a collaboration that is quietly becoming one of the most talked-about songs from Ayra Starr’s Starrgirl era.

But what exactly makes Heaven Baby stand out?

In this episode of Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx, we take a closer look at Ayra Starr and ZAYN’s unexpected musical pairing, the song’s emotional pull, its softer sound, the vulnerability in its lyrics, and why listeners appear to be connecting with it differently from some of the bigger, louder records around it.

From Ayra Starr’s Afrobeats identity to ZAYN’s pop and R&B influence, “Heaven Baby” sits at an interesting intersection of African music and global pop. We also look at the song’s growing conversation across social media, its TikTok appeal, and why some songs do not need to be the loudest to leave the biggest impression.

Is “Heaven Baby” an underrated Ayra Starr song?

Is the Ayra Starr and ZAYN collaboration working because of its simplicity?

And why does this particular song feel so personal to listeners?

Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx goes beyond the lyrics and the vibes to explore the music, culture, ideas and conversations shaping today’s artists and the African music industry.

Listen, share and join the conversation.

#AyraStarr #ZAYN #HeavenBaby #AyraStarrZAYN #Starrgirl #Afrobeats #Afropop #AfrobeatsPodcast #MusicPodcast #MusicReview #NigerianMusic #ArtisteHangout #FemiMakx

What happens when Nigeria’s biggest music stars, celebrity influence and the realities of politics collide?

In this compelling episode of The Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx, Abisola Omoyeni sits down with Omoyele Sowore for a thought-provoking conversation about Davido, the Osun election, Nigerian artistes in politics, celebrity influence, youth participation and the growing intersection between Afrobeats and Nigerian politics.

Abisola Omoyeni is a multi-talented Nigerian media professional known for her work across broadcast journalism, content production, digital storytelling and writing. A first-class graduate of the prestigious University of Ibadan, she brings a sharp, thoughtful and deeply engaging perspective to this conversation.

At the centre of the episode is the increasingly important question of artistes and politics in Nigeria.

What happens when millions of young Nigerians look to musicians not only for entertainment, but also for opinions on elections, leadership and society? How much political influence should celebrities wield? Can artistes use their platforms to encourage voter education, civic participation, political awareness and accountability? And where should the line be drawn between celebrity endorsement and informed political engagement?

Sowore also speaks on Davido and the Osun political conversation, opening up a wider debate about fame, influence, political power and the responsibility that comes with having one of the largest youth audiences in Nigeria.

This is more than a conversation about Davido or the Osun election. It is a conversation about Nigeria’s entertainment industry, Afrobeats, celebrity culture, Nigerian democracy, young voters and the political power of influence.

And The Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx continues to take the conversation beyond Nigeria. The podcast is currently charting across 39 Apple Podcasts and iTunes charts internationally, with appearances across markets including Nigeria, Egypt, Malta, Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, India, Qatar, New Zealand, Tanzania, Senegal, Greece, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and more.

From music and culture to the issues shaping the future of young Nigerians, The Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx continues to create space for conversations that matter.

If you are interested in Davido, Omoyele Sowore, Abisola Omoyeni, Osun politics, Nigerian politics, artistes in politics, Afrobeats, celebrity influence, youth politics, Nigerian elections and the future of democracy in Nigeria, this is an episode you should not miss.

Listen, share and join the conversation.

Hosted by Femi Makx, with Abisola Omoyeni.

#ArtisteHangout #FemiMakx #AbisolaOmoyeni #OmoyeleSowore #Davido #OsunElection #OsunPolitics #NigerianPolitics #ArtistesInPolitics #Afrobeats #CelebrityPolitics #CelebrityInfluence #YouthPolitics #NigerianYouth #NigerianElection #Nigeria #NigerianDemocracy #MusicAndPolitics #DavidoPolitics

Rema is back with “TEA”, and this time, he isn’t trying to tell you a complicated story.

He’s flirting. He’s flexing. He’s talking about attraction. And he keeps coming back to one word: TEA.

But is there actually more to the song than that?

In this episode of Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx, Femi Makx breaks down Rema’s latest release and asks whether listeners are sometimes guilty of expecting too much from artists they admire.

Because when it comes to Rema, every new song seems to invite a bigger conversation. Is this a new era? Is he making a statement? Is there a hidden meaning? Is he experimenting with a new sound?

But what if “TEA” is simply Rema having fun?

The song is direct and unapologetic, built around desire, confidence and a playful use of language. “Tea” becomes more than just a word for the woman Rema is describing. It also carries the familiar cultural meaning of something hot, something people want to talk about, something that catches attention.

And then there is the production.

“TEA” is produced by Mustard, bringing one of America’s most recognisable modern producers into Rema’s latest musical moment. That collaboration alone makes the record worth paying attention to, especially as Afrobeats continues to blur the boundaries between Nigerian pop and global sounds.

Femi Makx looks beyond the obvious and asks a bigger question:

Does every Rema song need to mean something profound?

Maybe “TEA” is not trying to change the culture.

Maybe it is not trying to redefine Rema.

Maybe it is simply a swagger record, a party record and a record designed to live in the moment.

And perhaps that is enough.

This is Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx.

A podcast where we go beyond the lyrics, beyond the vibes, and into the ideas, culture and conversations behind the music.

Listen to the full reaction and join the conversation.

#Rema #TEA #RemaTEA #FemiMakx #ArtisteHangout #RemaTeaReaction #Afrobeats #Afropop #NigerianMusic #AfrobeatsPodcast #MusicPodcast #Mustard #Rema2026 #NigerianMusic #AfrobeatsCulture

Everyone’s arguing about whether Tyla should’ve cancelled her Lagos show. Femi Makx aka Oluwafemi Makanjuola is asking a different question: what happens when this becomes the new normal?

In one week, Tyla’s Nigeria concert disappeared, Ayra Starr got denied entry into South Africa, and a Nigerian senator called for visa retaliation against South African artists. Three separate headlines. One pattern. In this solo breakdown, Femi traces where this is actually heading, and why the artists caught in the middle might be the first casualties of a crisis they didn’t create.

Amapiano is in every Nigerian playlist. Afrobeats runs through South African clubs. That relationship is now on the clock.

🎙️ New episode of The Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx. Listen now.