The Cavemen’s new album Cavy in the City dropped on 31 October, and it feels like a confident return to form for the duo: Kingsley Okorie on bass and Benjamin James on drums. Known for reimagining traditional highlife with live instrumentation and rich nostalgia, the brothers once again build on what they’ve always done best.

The project opens with a warm homage to the legends: Rex Lawson, Celestine Ukwu, Osita Osadebe, and Oliver De Coque, instantly grounding it in the music’s roots. Sonically and visually, the record leans into that vintage spirit. Even the cover art, like Show Dem Camp’s Afrika Magic, nods to old Nigerian poster design with its bold, grainy, and proudly analogue look.

Compared to their last album, Love and Highlife (2024), which experimented more with contemporary sounds and collaborations, this one feels closer in spirit to their debut Roots, which is familiar and more faithful to the traditional highlife rhythms that first made fans fall in love.

Their latest album, Cavy in the City, arrives as a confident extension of what they’ve always done best: traditional highlife music reimagined through live instrumentation, arranged sounds, and nostalgia.

The Cavemen are students of sound. Their live-band approach gives the album a steady rhythm, powered by drums, deep basslines, and proper jazz-style. Here, they lean even deeper into highlife, less genre-blending, more focus. The songs blend into each other in a way that’s good enough, although there’s still a little sonic interruption here and there. Those interruptions are enough to distinguish certain tracks.

Production-wise, Cavy in the City is good. The mixing isn’t glossy or overdone; it’s a sort of warm music that fits a Sunday afternoon gathering more than a club night. The Cavemen aren’t trying to modernise highlife, either. They’re preserving it while giving it motion.

Despite the album title, Cavy in the City doesn’t build a clear concept around urban life or transition. Instead, it feels like a loose collection of moments and moods. The interludes do a lot of the heavy lifting, keeping the flow from track to track.

The standout collaborations work smoothly within that flow. Angelique Kidjo on Keep on Moving adds her signature sound, while Pa Salieu brings structure to Gatekeepers. Neither feature disrupts The Cavemen’s sound; they simply expand it.

When the conversation around Nigerian hip hop legends arises, Olamide Badoo’s name sits firmly at the top of the list.

From his breakout in the early 2010s to becoming a full-blown cultural force, Olamide Gbenga Adedeji has built an empire around authenticity, consistency, and a fearless embrace of his roots.

The YBNL boss is not only responsible for his own catalogue of timeless street anthems, but for discovering and nurturing some of the country’s biggest modern stars, from Lil Kesh to Fireboy DML to Asake.

What sets Olamide apart isn’t just his ear for hits or his dominance on the charts. It is his refusal to conform. In an era when many Nigerian artists switched to English or diluted their sound in search of international recognition, Olamide doubled down on the streets that made him.

During a recent interview with Eddie Kaddi on BBC Radio 1 Extra, Olamide spoke candidly about the philosophy behind his decision to rap in his native language rather than switching to English for global appeal.

His words revealed a sense of pride that goes beyond music.

He said: “Growing up and seeing the likes of Awilo Longomba doing his thing, Brenda Fassi (…). These people never tried to infuse English by force or anything. They were just doing their thing. Key thing is you have to identify your audience. Once you identify your audience, then the rest of the world are going to catch up eventually. So I have to stay true to myself no matter what it is, where it is in this world.”

The 36-year-old star added: “I’m a Naija boy. If I want to wear my Agbada and my Dashiki, I will do it. Let them know what I’m really all about — my heritage, my lineage, my culture, my food. You just have to stay true to yourself and that’s the only way you can become comfortable in life. I’m comfortable in my skin, I’m a Naija guy, Yoruba boy. I’ve got H-factor and all that. And I’m proud about it.”

That statement alone captures the very essence of Olamide’s career, a superb balance of street confidence, cultural loyalty, and an unshakeable belief in himself.

It is the same attitude that has fuelled his rise from Bariga to global acclaim, without ever having to abandon his linguistic or sonic identity.

Joyful was the moment when the families of Oso in Ado-Ekiti and Ojo in Akure, Ondo State, as their children, Chief Sunday Oso and Mrs. Oluwatosin Ojo, formally sealed their lifelong union with an exchange of marital vows on November 6, 2021.

For the two lovebirds, the aura exuded nothing but love, as they both looked resplendent in their beautiful attire, gazing at each other with overwhelming excitement.

The event kicked off with a photo session by the couple at St. Jacobs Hotel, a 5-star hotel in Akure, Ondo State, which hosted notable guests from across Nigeria and abroad. At the same time, families, friends, and well-wishers converged at BAS Event Centre, Akure, Ondo State, the venue for both the traditional marriage and reception.

The two families expressed their joy as they warmly welcomed one another during the engagement. Guests were enlivened with rib-cracking jokes by the popular actress, Ronke Ojo, popularly known as Oshodi Oke, who anchored the event. The Ogbomoso-based Fuji maestro, Ramoni Akanni, did not fail to entertain guests with lively music. It was an all-you-can-eat menu accompanied by varieties of drinks, wine, and liquor.

Dignitaries in attendance include top politician, Hon. Olu Araoyinbo, Chairman, West Park Hotel, Mr Rasaq Oseni, Aare Khalif Adebiyi, Nigerian-based businessman, Mr Sesan Adelabu, Emirates, Chairman, St. Jacobs Hotel, Mr Babatope Adebiyi (Jafil), the Waziri of Ekiti State, Alhaji Ajijola, former Chairman, Ado-Ekiti Local Government, Hon. Chief (Mrs) Tosin Aluko, among others.

Hearty Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Oso!