N****s from the South

“This particular project is what synergy sounds like,” King Perryy tells Apple Music. “This is the first project where I have 100 per cent synergy with the artist on each song.” One key factor is King Perryy’s decision to create all seven tracks with a close-knit set of collaborators from Port Harcourt and neighbouring regions in Southeast Nigeria. On N****s from the South, Perryy features newcomers and stalwarts of the Port Harcourt music scene, from trappers to pidgin rap enthusiasts, producers—and even a local praise singer known for “gyration”, a combined form of praise singing, energetic chanting and drumming used at various public events. “One thing that I’m trying to also do with the project is to shine more light on people from the south,” says the artist born Anthony Offiah. “So it’s only right for what’s happening right now. A lot of people that are talented and are from the south need to be heard.” Building on a legacy established by the likes of Duncan Mighty and Timaya, carried forward by the likes of Burna Boy and Omah Lay, Perryy is a leader of the new school having himself apprenticed under Timaya before starting Continental, his own imprint. “NFTS is not just a project, it is a movement. There is a unique sound from the south. We are known for our lingua franca [pidgin English], and we are known for our rawness and our realness,” says Perryy, who aims to correct misconceptions of the southeast as a troublesome and uncooperative lot. “Most of the time, people mistake us for, let’s say, violent people, but we are one of the most peaceful people and we’re filled with love,” he explains. The reputation, in part, is meant to discredit legit claims of disenfranchisement from Nigeria’s oil wealth which is sourced from the region. Globally minded yet regionally specific, NFTS is less a soundtrack to a movement and more a call to action. “Our sound from the south is always known for freedom, boldness, upliftment” says Perryy. “NFTS is just me putting us on