SHOW ME THE M$NEY
Episode 8 - The Soul Commute
Episode 7 - Black Out. Blow Up.
Episode 6 - Vintage Heat, Modern Beat
Episode 5 - Love, Lies & Letting Go
Can't Look Away
Cemetery Chillin
State of Mind
Pan-African Smoke
It's All Her Fault
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Episode 23 - Asake dropped M$NEY on May 1st and we were ready. The verdict? Album-making culture in Afrobeats is in trouble and unfortunately, M$NEY is exhibit A. We break down why one of the genre's most consistent artists delivered what might be his weakest project yet, what the absence of Olamide's pen reveals, and why being rich and being creative don't always go together. Then we get into Davido publicly mocking DJ Tunez over the Burna Boy situation - what that says about where the Big 3 dynamic actually stands right now. We also discuss Elestee parting ways with Mavin Records, why it didn't work out, and what her path forward looks like as an independent artist. We close with our Put You On segment.
Welcome aboard Soul Commute - a smooth ride through Soul music by Nigerian and Black artists from the diaspora. From vintage textures to modern blends, this episode captures the mood, stories, and sound of underground Soul like you’ve never heard before. Spotlight artist: F3miii, a Dublin-based genre-bender whose Soul-leaning tracks bridge alt-R&B, gospel, and modern pop. Also featuring Lou Val, Moses Ideka, Aussie Maze, and more. Curated by: @Okwuchiii Presented by: @unreleasedng
Welcome to the underground where the lights flicker, the bass hits like a curse, and the stars are ghosted on socials. This episode taps into the shadowy sound of Opium-inspired rap - dark, hypnotic, and drenched in mystery. What started as a spotlight on South Africa’s rising underground has now evolved into a cross-continental cipher. From the haunting echoes of Drae Sativ to the glitchy growl of Nigeria’s Zaylevelten, this playlist is for the nightcrawlers and mood benders. No backstories. No bios. Just blackout energy. Tune in. Follow Underground Unreleased on Twitter: @unreleasedng Instagram: @unreleasedng SoundCloud: Underground Unreleased Spotify: Okwuchi Okaa
Vintage Heat, Modern Beats is a journey through the past, present, and future of Highlife music - the sound that laid the foundation for so much of today’s Afrobeats. This episode features: 4 vintage slept-on Highlife songs A spotlight on a modern Highlife act Afrobeats tracks with Highlife flavor 3-4 modern Highlife records And a final classic to close it out full circle Whether you’re a Highlife head or just discovering the genre, this one’s a vibe.Hit play, feel the groove, and let the culture move you. Follow Underground Unreleased onTwitter: @unreleasedngInstagram: @unreleasedngSoundCloud: Underground UnreleasedSpotify: Okwuchi Okaa
Heartbreak lingers, trust shatters, and the echoes of love lost still burn. This episode of Underground Unreleased dives deep into the raw emotions of deception, betrayal, and the struggle to move on. From lovers who played pretend to the ones who left scars, each track tells a story of heartbreak, lessons learned, and the strength to walk away. Whether you’re reminiscing about the past or finally closing the door on it, these underground gems will have you feeling every emotion. Follow the show on Instagram: @unreleasedng Twitter: @unreleasedng
Mr P dropped "Can't Look Away" and the internet is gassing it up - except the lyrics, the vocals, and the cover art all scream AI. I break down exactly why, why Davido's co-sign doesn't change that, and why an OG with Mr P's catalogue shouldn't need a robot to write his hooks. Then I get into the escalating Qing Madi situation - her TikTok Live callout of JTON's CEO, the EP that got pulled from streaming, and the second lawsuit from Richie Music Empire claiming she breached an earlier contract before ever signing with JTON. Two label heads, two lawsuits, one artist. I lay out where I stand and why. Follow the podcast on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter: @unreleasedng
Ody joins Wuchi for a different kind of episode on Episode 26. It's time for the P-Square brothers to hang up their individual music careers and we explain exactly why. Davido dropped a snippet too, and we discuss whether he's rewarming rice. We also talk about the company he keeps: what Cubana Chief Priest's "Cemetery Chillin" moment at a funeral says about his character, and how being surrounded by people like that might be costing Davido creatively. Then it's Qing Madi; we break down the difference in songwriting between I Am the Blueprint and the new Barely Legal EP, and what that shift tells you about where she's heading. We also get into something bigger: whether the decline of Hip-Hop is part of why Afrobeats feels stale right now, and how the early 2000s Hip-Hop influence shaped the Afrobeats artists we grew up on. Before you dive in, follow us on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram: @unreleasedng
Episode 25 - We're back on video and Wale took over song selection.We revisit the South Africa boycott stance after a listener pushed back. The argument: you can't selectively condemn - if Nigerian artists stay silent on domestic issues, advocating for boycotting SA artists is hypocritical. We unpack the accompanying receipts and discuss whether it's the proof the argument needed and why holding the people advocating for accountability to a higher standard than the people perpetrating violence can come off as its own kind of dishonest.Then it's Drake. Iceman is out and we sit with it. We discuss how the impact of the beef on Drake shows on the album and whether Drake does the telling of his experience justice. We also address some of the criticism of the album and our expectations of Drake's next album should he be independent.Afrobeats artists are leaning on AI for cover art and visualizers and it's getting harder to ignore. We name names and discuss whether or not their usage of AI is justified and acceptable and under what circumstances.The final discussion involves Wuchi addressing some of the criticism he received for his review of Asake and Wizkid's REAL EP and he details why his critique has been vindicated.The episode ends with a review of two song submissions.Heads up - next episode is audio-only. Find it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Follow us on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram: @unreleasedng
South Africa is in the streets - mobs, machetes, students being chased out of schools, two Nigerians dead...and Nigerian artists are nowhere to be found. We open with the full timeline of the xenophobic attacks, the political response on both sides, and the question that keeps going unanswered: where is the solidarity? Then we turn to the music. Asake's Flaunt interview tells you more about M$NEY than the album does; we break down what he actually said and what it means for where he goes from here. Seyi Vibez called Adekunle Gold wack on Twitter. AG posted his North American orchestra tour link and kept it moving. We discuss. Rihanna used Ayra Starr's music in her Met Gala recap and the internet has been at war ever since, so we get into what's really up and what the July timeline actually tells you about who's playing chess here. We close on Burna Boy and Shakira as the official FIFA 2026 World Cup song and what it means that Nigerian music is the global soundtrack of a tournament Nigeria didn't qualify for. Put You On features Ema Onigah, Roju, Makinde, and Tay Iwar
Episode 22 - It's been a wild week in Afrobeats and somehow, the women keep getting blamed. We break down GoodGirl LA's contract termination with VMF less than a year after signing, Qing Madi's allegations against her former label, and the industry insiders insinuating both situations are somehow the artists' fault. Then we get into Zinoleesky going independent from Marlian Music with his new "Zinodict Music" label and what that says about artist-label relationships across generations. Fat Joe claims Afrobeats came from Jamaica and tried to take credit for making BNXN change his name; BNXN had something to say about that. We also break down the upcoming May release calendar: Asake's M$NEY, Adekunle Gold's FUJI XTRA, Drake's Iceman, plus the Tyla vs Ayra Starr July situation. We close with our Put You On segment featuring some of the underground artists who've reached out to us since the MillyMay clip.