Lagos Jump

Steve Babaeko’s X3M Bites A Whopper On January 13, 2007, Steve Babaeko’s X3M Music will release Ade Bantu’s latest effort, BANTU. The six-track album is coming a fortnight before Etcetera’s debut, the 15-song Etcetera, which contains the already popular hit, Land of the Rising Sun. the crooner has been working on the project for more than two years and X3M is confident that it will not disappoint Etcetera’s expectant fans. That, however, is where the question is: is it a good business decision for the company to release both albums close to each other? Babaeko thinks it is. “When you have a good thing, why keep it to yourself? Besides, they don’t do the same kind of music,” he says. Right. While it is apparent that Etcetera does soul rock, Bantu has been experimenting with various cocktails outside Afrobeat. “He’s music is eclectic,” says Babaeko. “He can gravitate from dancehall to reggae and Afrobeat or even fuji. I think his music is where Afrobeat will look for the future, if it wants to retain its appeal to young listeners.” This is the beginning. Watch this space for more on these promising albums.