Record Kicks

Seun Kuti set to release highly anticipated album ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’, executive produced by Lenny Kravitz on October 4th. Afrobeat virtuoso Seun Kuti is gearing up to unleash his latest musical masterpiece upon the world with the upcoming release of his album ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ that will be set to make waves globally on October 4th via Milan independent label Record Kicks. Coming 6 years after the Grammy nominated album ‘Black times’, this album marks a pivotal moment in Seun Kuti's illustrious career, showcasing his evolution as an artist and activist. Executive produced by legendary musician Lenny Kravitz and Fela Kuti’s original engineer Sodi Marciszewer (artistic producer), ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ promises to deliver a sonic experience like no other. With both Kravitz's and Sodi’s expertise together with Seun Kuti's unmatched talent, the album is poised to redefine the boundaries of contemporary music while staying true to the roots of afrobeat. Featuring a tracklist of six electrifying songs, each track on ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ embodies the spirit of resistance, resilience, and revolution. Each song talks about standing up against challenges and fighting for change. Like the standalone singles ‘Dey’ feat reggae icon Damian Marley, described as “a song about embracing and championing who we are, regardless” and ‘Emi Aluta’, “a song about struggle (Aluta means struggle) that pays homage to all the great revolutionaries”, that features Zambian singer, rapper and songwriter, Sampa The Great, one of best and most innovative lyricists of our time. The song ‘T.O.P.’ is about how society values money and success more than people. Seun Kuti wants to change this by promoting empathy and reconnecting with nature. In another song, ‘Love and Revolution,’ he expresses his love for his wife and believes that true love can inspire people to make the world a better place. “This project has been very special to me from the moment I conceived it, speaking to Lenny Kravitz, who has shown me such a brotherly love and respect” Seun says. “He has brought me to his home. I met his daughter Zoe and he has guided us with fierceness. Since we spoke about the album, three years ago, as the executive producer of this project, he has always been by our side and very supportive”. “I want to thank Craig Ross and Sodi, the producer of this project. We had a great time. It was the first time for me in the studio with Sodi and I was really impressed by his work and his fatherly advice and dedication”. Each song on the album is a testament to Seun Kuti's unwavering commitment to using music as a tool for social change and empowerment. Through his powerful lyrics and infectious grooves, he continues to carry on the legacy of his father, the legendary Fela Kuti, while carving out his own path in the world of music. As a musician and pan-African activist, Seun has been involved in a number of campaigns in recent years, including #EndSARS – a social movement against police brutality in Nigeria. Significantly, he’s revived the Movement of the People (M.O.P.), the political party his father set up in 1979, which was quashed by the military government not long after Fela’s failed presidential bid. ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ is scheduled for release on October 4th, 2024, and will be available on all major streaming platforms, limited edition colored vinyl and CD. Fans can expect an album that not only entertains but also inspires and ignites a spirit of activism and liberation. Seun Kuti is a Nigerian musician, singer, and songwriter renowned for his captivating performances and socially conscious music. He is the youngest son of Afro beat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun has spent most of his life preserving and extending his father's political and musical legacy as the leader of his father's former band Egypt 80. As a developing saxophonist and percussionist, he entered the formal ranks of the band before he was 12. In 1997 when Fela passed, in fulfilment of his father's wishes, Seun assumed the mantle as head of Egypt 80 and he has run it ever since. During his career, Seun Kuti released 4 albums with Egypt 80: ‘Many Things’ (2008), ‘From Africa with Fury: Rise for Knitting Factory Records’ (2011), coproduced by Brian Eno and John Reynolds, ‘A Long Way Beginning’ (2014) and the Grammy nominated ‘Black Times’ (2018) that included a feature from Carlos Santana. They also released numerous EPs. Seun has played for enthusiastically receptive audiences globally and collaborated with many great artists. In 2022, he joined forces with Roots frontman and MC extraordinaire Black Thought in the EP ‘African Dreams’. In 2023, Seun collaborated on Janelle Monae's ‘The Age of Pleasure’ (Grammy nominee for Album Of The Year) with the two singles 'Float' and 'Knows Better', teamed up with Talib Kweli and MadLib for their album ‘Liberation 2’ on the song ‘Nat Turner’ featuring Cassper Nyovest and released a new version of the single ‘Bad Man Lighter’ with Black Thought, featuring Vic Mensa.

Toronto rising Soul star Tanika Charles unleashes the new album “Reasons To Stay”.

Two-time Juno awards nominated and three-time Polaris Prize listed, Canadian soul star Tanika Charles unleashes the new album “Reasons To Stay” that drops worldwide on May 16 via independent soul specialist label Record Kicks.

Soul music at its best is a high form of alchemy. The transformation of pain into beauty, perseverance into celebration. With her fourth studio album, “Reasons To Stay,” Tanika Charles demonstrates a new level of mastery, mining the depths of a life spent running away from the unfulfilled promises and a broken home, to give us her most raw and intimate offering to date. By coming to terms with past trials and ensuing tribulations, Ms. Charles delivers a modern Soul classic.
Playing like a series of intimate letters to members of her family, to herself and to the listener, “Reasons To Stay” is an examination of the skeletons dangling in the family closet, and the damaged relationships at the root of a woman’s journey to acceptance and self love.

“I love this album. I love singing these songs. I love the conversations that have begun with them. It’s forced me to face the root causes of some of the insecurities I carry to this day. It’s about trauma, but it’s not a victim story. It’s making peace with the baggage I carry and finding a way to thrive in spite of it.”

Backed by the tight-knit team of Scott McCannell (Lydia Persaud, Henry Nozuka), Kyla Charter (Aysanabee) and Chino de Villa (Jessie Reyez), a guest feature from Quebec-based singer/songwriter Clerel, and vocal support from Aphrose and Claire Davis, Tanika Charles’ “Reasons To Stay” is steeped in experience, pulling threads from past eras to weave a record that feels retro futuristic and timeless.

Masterfully mixed by Monophonics’ frontman Kelly Finnigan, whose trademark analogue grit saturates Tanika’s sheen, “Reasons To Stay” also winks at the Hip-Hop heads perennially digging in crates. It captures the essence of Blues, Jazz, and Gospel-influenced R&B before spilling into Psychedelia and back, with a rawness and urgency that compels you to flip the record over again.
This is Tanika Charles, as compelling as ever, soul laid bare.

Two-time Juno Awards R&B/Soul Recording of the Year nominee and three-time Polaris Music Prize long-list nominee Tanika Charles in synonymous with Canadian Soul music. She has embraced the sound and aesthetic of the genre without gimmick, whilst pushing the boundaries of what audiences can expect. Her music revels in honesty and attitude, her live show is high energy and endearing, and she continues to organically win audiences over one album, one stream, and one encore at a time. Her previous studio albums – “Soul Run” (2017), “The Gumption” (2019), and “Papillon De Nuit” (2022) - have propelled her to international acclaim. Extensive touring across North America and Europe has further solidified her reputation, with standout performances at festivals such as Trans Musicales in France, Fusion Festival in Germany, Mostly Funk & Soul Festival and Jazz Festival in the UK, Holy Groove Festival in Switzerland, and Canarias Jazz Festival in Spain. She has also shared the stage Estelle, Mayer Hawthorne, Haitus Kayote, Lauryn Hill, Bedouin Soundclash and Macy Gray. Tanika’s meteoric rise and undeniable artistry have been widely championed by outlets such as KCRW, KEXP, BBC6 Music, Exclaim!, CBC Music, Uncut Mag, PopMatters and Albumism further solidifying her position as a global soul sensation.