AYLà˜ Is the Rapping & Singing Extraordinaire Making Nigeria Proud With 'dnt'dlt' [Q&A]

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One of Nigeria's finest rising talents, AYLà˜ is a rapping and singing extraordinaire who isn't confined to a single genre. Instead, he produces an intriguing fusion of alternative R&B, neo soul, hip hop, and afropop that has earned him worldwide recognition. Following his fantastic 2017 album, Insert Project Name, AYLà˜ is back at it again with yet another genre-bending record titled dnt'dlt.

The slow-burning opening track, "I listen to you…" already gives us a satiable taste of AYLà˜'s eclectic sound because his soothing choruses are accompanied by irresistible rap verses. Co-produced by Le Mav and Odunsi The Engine, "Paris!" is all about appreciating beauty within and silencing our minds from external distractions. AYLà˜ isn't afraid to serve as an advocate for female empowerment as he vouches for confidence in femininity in the soulful "Sassy."

dnt'dlt takes a complete turn with "Pretty Mama!" as the tempo picks up to a refreshing beat layered with hip hop elements throughout. What AYLà˜ credits as his favorite song on dnt'dlt, "Indo Smkn" is drenched with rich lyricism and atmospheric instrumentals. The progressive record even incorporates Chinese in "xozhu," which is amplified by a heart rate monitor effect.

"City on Lights!" and "Nintendo" are both stellar examples of AYLà˜'s musical versatility as they vary in electronics and tone. On the other hand, "IMWTWOTF" is more of a creative piece that focuses on instrumentals with limited morphed dialogue. The moody closing track, "Alive and Breathing!" perfectly concludes dnt'dlt  as AYLà˜ raps about his troublesome past and realizes a bright future is within his reach.

Don't delay and check out AYLà˜'s  dnt'dlt  below:

In celebration of his new music, we recently chatted with AYLà˜ about his musical upbringing, his continual growth, and of course, dnt'dlt.

OTW: R&B, neo-soul, hip hop... You can do it all! How did you first get involved in music?

AYLà˜: I think I wrote my first country type song when I was seven. My mum bought my brother and I some guitars. Locally made and toy-like, but still I loved it. Couldn’t play, [but] made noises that irritated my mother, I'm sure. Didn’t stop and I think from then on though I just never stopped writing songs.

OTW: Your new mixtape, dnt'dlt, is an expansive collection of ten tracks that you thoughtfully curated for this highly anticipated project. What does this release mean to you?

AYLà˜: It’s like a journey back to self, you know. You can kind of lose yourself over time and not even realize it. Change, growth, depression, denial, acceptance… we go through a lot as humans. So for me, this more importantly isn’t the end but sort of a beginning. But I wanted to show the whole story of my experiments over time in a nice package.

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OTW: Since you've released them as singles, your fans have been so obsessed with "Paris!" and "Sassy." Do you have a favorite song on the mixtape?

AYLà˜: "Indo Smkn."

OTW: Can you describe your creative process for dnt'dlt?

AYLà˜: A lot of deleting firstly. About five times. Whole demo packs (projects). A lot of arrogance. Constantly working on music every day. Sleeping on the floor in my friend's booth. A lot of traveling. A lot of cancelled shows in a row. Seven. Every aspect entirely worth the thoughts they provoke. And my music is more meditative. By this, I mean I never know what I’m going to write about but it's always expressive of where I’m at and what I’m feeling. So round that all up in 12 months and you have my project.

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OTW: How have you grown since releasing Insert Project Name in 2017?

AYLà˜: I have another project after this one for this year. That’s back to back. Other cool stuff I can’t just give away… you gotta stay tuned amen.

OTW: If you could collaborate with anyone in the music industry, who would you pick?

AYLà˜: Burna Boy.

OTW: Who are your Ones To Watch?

AYLà˜: As God is my witness I only really be watching documentaries but watch out for MOJO.  He’s an indigenous Nigerian artist. A lot of talent there.

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