Nigeria’s current music sensation and the latest international sensation from YBNL, Asake, reached new heights with an electrifying performance during his fully-packed concert at London’s 03 Arena on August 20, 2023.

The artist’s grand entrance set the tone for an unforgettable evening for the enthusiastic audience. Suspended from a descending military-style helicopter adorned with the YBNL emblem, Asake made a bold statement while his popular track “Yoga” echoed through the eager crowd.

Asake commenced his show with a lineup of songs including “Olorun,” “Organise,” “Sunmomi,” “Dupe,” and “Mr. Money,” all taken from his debut album “Mr. Money With The Vibe.” The artist then delved into his impressive repertoire, delivering crowd-favorites such as the worldwide hit “Lonely At The Top.” The event saw stellar guest performances from renowned artists like Tiwa Savage, Fireboy, Fridayy, and his label head, Olamide, whose pride was palpable during their joint performance.

A notable highlight was Asake’s collaboration with one half of the Lighthouse Family duo, where they performed the song “Ocean Drive” (Sun’s going to shine on everything you do) at the 02 Arena. Asake had previously incorporated a sample of this song into his recently released track titled “Sunshine.”

In his track “Nzaza,” he boldly declared, “Now I dey do big things, I be lion…” Whether this statement held a prophetic meaning or simply reflected his understanding of the moment, the accomplishment of selling out the 02 Arena is undeniably remarkable, a feat achieved by only the boldest individuals.

For the full concert experience, you can watch the complete performance below: [link to the video]

In the first part of his interview for Brut published on Wednesday, March 4th, Booba discussed the George Floyd case and had a very critical view of how France handled it. According to the rapper, “we all abandoned him.” “People made me laugh posting black squares and protesting, but… it was just trendy. Does anyone care about the four cops who were released on bail and are free? No one talks about it,” lamented the 44-year-old artist.

The rapper then criticized false commitments by mentioning a song from his upcoming album “Ultra,” set to be released on Friday, March 5th, in which he says, “They wage war with tanks, we post black squares on Insta.” When asked about the mobilization of the Justice for Adama committee and the protest that gathered 20,000 people in Paris in June 2020, Booba labeled it as “exploitative.” “If we have to wait for another death to talk about Adama, it’s not sincere. […] It’s good to fight, but only if we can win,” he stated. He continued, “France will never imprison one of its soldiers. Let’s be realistic.”

The native of Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine), of Senegalese origin, praised the determination and nobility of activist Assa Traoré’s struggle, although he seemed to have a rather dichotomous view of the outcome of the case: “I think it’s a lost cause unfortunately.” Reflecting on his decision to leave France, the rapper emphasized the importance of not getting caught up in utopian ideals, saying, “thinking we can change an entire country, an entire continent, is unrealistic.”

Part of the new Future State series by the company, the upcoming Batman will focus on Tim Fox, the estranged son of Wayne Enterprises CEO Lucius Fox and the brother of former Batwing Luke Fox. The four-issue miniseries will be written by 12 Years a Slave author John Ridley and feature artwork by Doug Braithwaite and Diego Rodriguez.

Ridley revealed in a recent interview with The New York Times that his sons were a major source of inspiration for the project. “They’re happy for me. They’re big supporters. But let’s be honest, they’d much rather see Black Panther than 12 Years a Slave,” he said. “So, in order to write the next Batman, for them to know that this next Batman will be Black, anyone on the planet can hate him, have a problem with him, disparage him, but I have my audience and they already love him.”

According to DC, the character of Tim Fox made his first appearance in a comic book on April 10, 1979. The next Batman will debut on January 5, 2021, with new issues released every two weeks.