The three artists join forces in the video for the Afrobeats banger.
On “Woi Oi,, the three artists rap over an Afrobeats soundscape. Ms Banks, of Ugandan and Nigerian descent, explained the thinking behind the track: “Even though I was born in England, I feel very connected to my roots. My parents are very patriotic towards their respective countries, and I have always wanted to represent my culture through my music. Hence my desire to incorporate Afrobeats, reggaeton, dancehall in my songs … These genres are becoming more and more important in England at the moment, and I think it’s really cool. It helps to highlight the culture of people from different diasporas, people who have long lacked representation in the mainstream.”
She raps confidently in a laundromat setting, which is reminiscent of Shakira’s Laundry Service album cover: “I’m a boss, there ain’t many men that can manage.” Her collaborator, BackRoad Gee, takes a different attitude: “My close friends gave me the name BackRoad Gee. I don’t really like being on the main road, so they called me BackRoad because I worked the back roads [laughs].”
Of Algerian descent on his mother’s side and Libyan through his father, Geko is the youngest rapper to have appeared on BBC Radio’s “Fire in the Booth.” He is best known for collaborating with French Montana on “New Money.” Ms. Banks has also received praise from non-British artists, such as Nicki Minaj.
Listen to « Woi Oi » in our Songs of the Week playlist on Spotify and Deezer.
