SEASON 2. EPISODE 1.

We kick off a new season with Emmanuel Oke, also known as Emaxee. A creative quietly shaping some of the most interesting ideas in African music right now.

Emaxee is the mind behind Files ’26, a fully independent project where he brought emerging artists together, produced an album, and paired it with a fiction novel to build a deeper world around the music. We talk about how the project came together, why independence matters, and what it takes to execute ideas outside the traditional system.

We also get into his journey. From being an artist, to working behind the scenes across Mavin and Divizzion Music, to co-founding NoteSphere. Now, he is building Cosamote, a community-focused creative agency rooted in collaboration and long-term thinking.

The conversation moves into community building, creative ownership, and why strong ecosystems matter more than hype. We also reflect on the 2016 era of Afrobeats, the songs that defined it, and the records turning 10 this year.

Tap in for a thoughtful conversation on music, culture, and the people building quietly but intentionally.

Listen, watch, and join the conversation.
Like, rate, share, and let us know what stood out.

We kick off the year on the LD Podcast with an honest, wide-ranging conversation alongside Tanzanian and Nigerian music connoisseurs; Nina Brianna and Ajibola Grey. We get into music, and the business behind it all. 

We also get into music saturation, artist behaviour, and the growing culture of “anyhowness.” There’s real talk around Burna Boy, accountability, and what comes with stardom. We close by discussing professionalism, punctuality, and how artist conduct shapes global perception, with a focus on respect for fans, community support, and collaboration.

Tap in, listen through, and join the conversation.

Like, rate, share, and tell us what you think.

It’s our 21st episode, which officially means we’ve crossed the threshold into being part of the top 1% podcasts in the world *cue applause* 🥳🥳🥳. It also doubles as our thanksgiving episode and we’re taking a moment to reflect on all we’re thankful for. Life, growth, family, friends, and most importantly, you, our listeners!

We’re also joined by a very special guest, PDSTRN, as he talks us through journey, his evolution, his story. In this storytelling packed episode, we cover it all, from nature, to strippers, to rap culture, and everything in between.

Enjoy the episode and thank you for rocking with us 💚

This week marks our 20th episode of The LD Pod, and we had to make it special with a guest, B4M! We talk through his journey, from his latest releases to the inspirations and experiences shaping his sound, plus what’s next for him.

We also discuss Sarz’s new drop "Protect Sarz At All Costs". The quality is there as always, but did it leave us underwhelmed? From there, we share our Afrobeats Mount Rushmore albums, give our thoughts on "Peace by Piece" from Pheelz & Fireboy, and look at Mavo’s motion in the industry by comparing Kilometer II to its iconic predecessor.

The Cavemen’s latest release takes us back to some of our favorites from their catalog, and we share our picks for artist of the year so far. And of course, we close with some hype for Odumodu’s upcoming project Industry Machine and the features we’re most excited about.

Thank you to everyone who has listened and followed along with us to this point. Here’s to 20 episodes and many more to come 🥂💚

We had way too much fun on this episode 😂. First, we sent love to the newest couple in town — Temi Otedola & Mr Eazi and somehow ended up in a full-on wedding song debate. So tell us: what song would you want played at your wedding? And what’s your go-to Wizkid wedding anthem? 👀

On the music side, we dived into B4M’s “Hold Me Down”, Fola’s much-anticipated "Catharsis", Wizard Chan’s "Healers Chapel", Tay Iwar’s smooth new project "Wonderful", plus new drops from Rema, Mavo, Adekunle Gold, and more.

It’s banter, jokes, and plenty of music talk — just us being us, basically 😂.

💚 Don’t forget to like, share, rate, and join the conversation!

What a weekend! Lanzii and Dej get into the latest music drops, celebrate one year of Asake’s Lungu Boy, and break down one of Toronto’s wildest weekends — Caribana. From Fireboy to Santi, Lojay, Seyi Vibez, Boj, BNXN, and Odumodublvck, the city was buzzing and we were outside for most of it 😉.

Hit play and don’t forget to like, share, rate, and jump into the convo! 💚

Dej is also sending money to the first 50 people to comment “The LD Pod”

After a long week of signs and weaknesses, this past week was packed with fire drops! From Hot Body to Badman Gangsta, We break down Ayra Starr’s latest single and her musical growth, Wizkid’s fresh features, Fireboy, Llona, Chella, and more.

Dej also gives a full review of Davido’s 5ive Alive Tour stop in Toronto—calling it her second-best concert experience ever 👀. We also talk about Mayorkun’s pop-up for Still The Mayor and why it didn’t exactly hit the mark.

Tap in now for music talk, and banter. Please share your thoughts in the comments. You can honestly listen when you’re doing your weekend chores 😂

Like, follow, and rate the pod—it means the world!

Please don’t be angry, our audio engineer went to do introduction and forgot us...

Life tried to hold us back, but we’re back with a new episode, and it’s loaded.

We talk about BNXN’s new album "Captain" — what worked, what felt a little too familiar, and whether the ship is still sailing smoothly (pun intended). Then we dive into Tim Lyre’s "Spiral", a beautifully textured project that’s more medicine than music.

We also get into Goodgirl LA’s comeback EP "Goodgirl "(we missed her!) and finally, Dej shares her honest review of Joeboy’s Toronto show.

Whether you’re here to spiral, sail, or just vibe — welcome back.

Don’t forget to like, share, leave a review, and tell a friend to tell a friend!

This week, it’s a full plate! We kick things off with a recap of Dej’s birthday party before diving into Falz’s new album “The Feast”, Kizz Daniel’s “Uncle K: Lemon Chase” EP, and Obongjayar’s rich, genre-defying “Paradise Now.”

Then we get into a deeper conversation about Afro-Cultural Music — artists blending modern afrobeats with strong traditional and cultural roots, like The Cavemen, Sewa, Teledalase, Dotti The Deity, and BR Òlórin. Why does this music feel so important right now?

It’s a long one (1 hour!) but perfect for that chore time — washing plates, cleaning your room, or rearranging your life 😅

Listen now and don’t forget to like, share, rate, and drop your thoughts!

We know, we know… this one came in late 😅 — but we promise it was worth the wait!

In this episode, we dive deep into "Easy On Dem", the new project from Semzi and Easyscope that’s been living in our heads rent-free. We’re big fans of both acts, and we break down why this collab is such a standout.

Plus, we’re joined by DJ Riski, who sat down for a one-on-one with Dej in a special guest segment you don’t want to miss.

Catch up on everything you’ve missed, and let us know — are you bumping Easy On Dem too?