Entertainment

Awaiting Naija’s 2016 Albums Yet To Drop

Published

9 years ago

August 19, 2016

We have already been graced
with a number of albums in 2016 with each album being greeted with mixed reviews. Lil Kesh’s “Y.A.G.I”, Kiss Daniel’s “New Era”, Patoranking’s “God over Everything”, Yemi Alade’s “Mama Africa” and Adekuinle Gold’s “Gold”, among others have been released, with many others being anticipated to drop for the remainder of 2016. Below are the albums we anticipate the release of.
1.   Modenine – “Insulin”
The lyricist has dropped a couple of singles, two being officially expected on his fifth album, which is scheduled for release on Tuesday August 16, 2016. The gifted rapper reportedly revealed the album would be his last personal project. The rapper’s album discography include Earlier albums such as E’Pluribus Unum “One Amongst Many” – 2016, “The Paradigm Shift” – 2008, “Da Vinci Mode” – 2010, and “Above Ground level” – 2014.
2.    Reminisce – “El Hadj”
The ‘Kabo bi Chicken’ rapper will be releasing his fourth Studio album titled “El Hadj” on August 29, 2016. The rapper has released two singles – ‘Asalamalekun’ and ‘Nobody knowns’ featuring 2baba, to whet our appetite for the new album. The album follows “Book of Rap stories” (20120. “Alaga Ibile” (2013), and “Baba Hafusa” (2015).
3. Reekado Banks – “Unknown             Title”
The Mavin act who currently holds the title for Heaches Next Rated artist awarded to him on the first day of the year 2016 has perhaps been the most vocal about releasing his debut album this year, bragging that it will be the best album we will hear in a long time. He is yet to unveil the album artwork, title and release date, so we’d just wait it out in anticipation.
4. Banky W – “Songs about you and me” or “Songs about you”
The R & B King of the Lagos party has also said he would be releasing an alum in second or third quarter of 2016, building on the previous fair – “Back in the building “(2005), “Mr. Capable” (2008), “the W Experience “(2009) and “R&BW” (2013). He revealed the working title to be either “Songs about You and Me” or “Songs About You”.
5.   Iyanya – “Unknown title”
The ‘Kukere’ crooner has also expressed his intent to release an album expectedly in 2016, following “My story” (2009), “Desire” (2013) AND “Applaudise” (2015). The singer will be releasing the project under a new record lebel Temple Management Company following his exit from MMMG label.
The singer revealed he is embarking on a new direction album, but his fans should still expect the same quality and energy from him. With singles like ‘My woman’ and (hertbeat’ released this year, it looks like the singer is going back to his R&B roots for the album.
6.    Shaydee – “S.O.S.)”
E.M.E gifted singer is also expected to drop his debut album in 2016, titled “SOS”. The singer revealed that the album would reflect his personal experiences, and will feature a lot of A list acts – Reminisce, Banky W, Niyola, Iyanya, 2 baba, Wizkid, Phyno, Flavour, Ice Prince, Buma Boy and more. The 21 – track album will contain a mix of trap, R&B, House, reggae and Afgro beat. Singles like ‘smile’ and ‘Pon de floor’ pre-released give us a feel of what to expect from the album, which the smooth singer said with high hopes will speak for him and stand the test of time.
7. Sound Sultan – “Out Of The              Box”
Naiga ninja singer sound sultan who has got six albums to his name is on the verge of dropping his seventh studio album in 2016 titled “out of the box”. The gifted musician has dropped singles like “Kuku no worry’, “Hello bale” and the more recent “African lady’ featuring Phyno and Flavour. From the album titles and singles already released. We can only expect more interesting sounds on the album when it gets out.
8.   Niyola – “Unknown Title”
The E.M.E. first lady singer has discussed in a recent interview of a possible release of her debut album in 2016. The ‘Toh bad’ singer has released the lead single for the album whose title she is yet to reveal. She said only until when she’s fully immersed her essence into the music will she be able to satisfactorily release the album. Fingers crossed and waiting.
9.   Simi – “Unknown Title”
The likeable singer revealed that she will be dropping her sophomore album in 2016. She however said she and rapper Falz plan on releasing a joint EP titled “Chemistry” that is supposed to serve as a precursor to the album. The album is to follow her debut gospel album “Ogaju”. ‘Jamb question’, ‘Open and Close’ and ‘Love don’t care are some of the singles expected on the forthcoming album.

10.   T.R. “Blame Hip Hop”
Veteran rapper TR, formerly known as terry tha Rapman will be dropping his fourth album titled “Blame Hip hop” ‘following the release of his “G.O.D” EP “Blame Hip-hop” represents the fourth album after ‘Tha Rapmanifestation” (2001), “Tha Rapman Beginz” (2007), and “Boys are not smilin’ (2011). The emcee recently put up an inspirational single album featuring skales titled “Edumare’.
11.   EVA – “1960”
One of the most gifted Nigerian female rappers in the game killing it Eva surprisingly till now is yet to bless us with an album to her name, pushing mixtapes and EPs in our faces so as to still stay top in her fans’ memories. Eva has however indicated that the full length body of work was to drop August 13, 2016. That date has passed. We await to see what the coming days bring.
12. Ice Prince – “Jos To The                World”
Mr. Oleku is working on releasing what would be his third studio album “Jos to the world” follows “Everybody loves Ice Prince” (2011) and “Fire of Zamani” (2013). The rapper has dropped a number of singles pre-album release. Tracks like ‘feelings’ ‘Seasons’ and the most recent a teaser. Unofficial video of on of the singles off the album titled ‘Tear drops’ has done about enough to whet the appetite of fans for the album.
13. Black Face: The Defender
The ex plantashun boiz singer and song writer after five years has revealed he will be dropping an album soon, titled. “The Defender”. The singer has been in the middle of controversies this year, accusing other artistes of stealing his songs. Calling out radio DJs Defender” will be sequel to “Ghetto Child” (2007), “Evergreen” (2007), “Jungle Fever, Me, Musiq and I” (2008), and “Danceha 11 Business” (2010).
14. Solid Star – “W.e.e.d”
Achievas Entertainment act is reportedly going to drop an album titled “Weed”. The album will be his third following “Grace and Glory” his sophomore album popular for songs like ‘Oluchi’ featuring Flavour and ‘Omotena’ and his debut album “One in a million” which had the lead track also titled ‘One in a million’ that was remixed with 2face Idibia.
W.e.e.d is an acronym for ‘witnessing everything exceptionally different’ and the date of release has been slated for spetember. Songs like ‘Negotiate’, Baby jollof, ‘Mybody’, ‘In my head and the recent hit ‘Wait’, have all received good buzz across several media platforms. He has collaborated with acts like Tiwa savage, timaya, Davido, Ycee, Patoranking, IDA and Charass.

Entertainment

‘Lie From The Pit Of Hell,’ Family Debunks Pete Edochie’s death Rumours

Published

2 days ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The family of veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie, has dismissed viral rumours circulating on social media claiming that the film icon is dead.

Reacting to the reports in a video shared on his Instagram page on Tuesday, the actor’s eldest son, Leo Edochie, described the claim as false and malicious.

“I’ve been receiving text messages and calls over the nonsense post by some people that our father, Chief Pete Edochie, is dead. It is a lie from the pit of hell,” he said.

Leo added that the actor is alive and in good health, condemning those responsible for spreading the rumour.

“Our father is alive, hale and hearty. And if you wish someone dead, two things usually happen. The person will live very long and you will die before him. Shame to all of you,” he said.

The rumour had sparked concern among fans before the family’s clarification.

Entertainment

‘Mother’s Love’ Challenges Nigerian’s Film Portray Of Motherhood

Published

2 days ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde critiques Nollywood’s lack of mother-daughter stories ahead of her directorial debut, ‘Mother’s Love.’ See the cast and 2026 release date.

Nollywood veteran actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde is making her directorial debut with a different and sharper focus. Speaking recently with Newsmen,, the screen icon highlighted a glaring void in the industry’s catalogue, which is the authentic reality of mother-daughter relationships.

“We don’t have too many films that explore or showcase the relationship between mothers and daughters,” Omotola said during the interview, describing the subject as something deeply personal to her.

Speaking honestly about raising her first daughter, she admitted she had only one mode at the time, which was discipline. “I didn’t do a good job,” she said plainly, explaining that she understood motherhood strictly through control, not softness or emotional openness.

At the centre of Mother’s Love is Adebisi, a sheltered young woman from a wealthy home whose life is shaped by her father’s rigid control. Her first taste of freedom comes through NYSC, where distance from home allows her to begin discovering who she is outside her family’s expectations. She forms a friendship with a young man from a more modest background, and through him, starts to see the world and herself differently.

But the emotional core of the film isn’t Adebisi’s rebellion. It’s her mother. Long after being presented as quiet and compliant, she slowly reveals a resolve when her daughter’s safety and future are threatened. As secrets surface and buried grief comes into view, Mother’s Love becomes less about youthful independence and more about maternal sacrifice, unspoken trauma, and the emotional costs of survival inside a patriarchal home.

The Tide Entertainment reports that the film doesn’t shy away from weighty themes by including PTSD, unresolved grief, and social inequality at the centre of the story. It is far removed from the soft-focus sentimentality that often defines Mother’s Day-style narratives.

It also marks Omotola’s directorial debut, a significant moment considering how long she has shaped Nollywood from the front of the camera. She stars in the film alongside a mix of familiar faces and newer talent, including Ifeanyi Kalu, Olumide Oworu, and Noray Nehita.

Beyond the film itself, Omotola’s interview touched on a tension that has been simmering in Nollywood for a while now: how movies are marketed in the age of TikTok. Addressing the growing expectation for actors and filmmakers to create viral dance content to promote their work, she didn’t mince words. The pressure, she said, is exhausting and unnatural.

For her, the industry wasn’t meant to function this way. Still, she was careful not to judge anyone else’s approach. Everyone invests differently, carries different risks, and should be allowed to promote their films however they see fit.

“Do whatever you can do. It’s exhausting, it’s not natural. For me, the film industry is not supposed to be like that. We are encouraging nonsense if we are doing that. It doesn’t mean that whoever is doing it is wrong.”

Her comments arrive not long after the public back-and-forth between Kunle Afolayan and Funke Akindele over marketing styles, a debate that quickly turned into a proxy war between prestige storytelling and viral strategy. Omotola’s stance sits somewhere calmer. She understands the shift social media has brought, but she’s also clear about her own boundaries.

Omotola’s critique about the lack of mother-daughter stories isn’t unfounded. In Nollywood, mothers often exist as symbols rather than people. They’re either saintly figures who pray endlessly for their children or villains whose cruelty drives the plot forward. What’s missing is intimacy, the negotiations, and the regrets. The love that exists alongside resentment and misunderstanding.

Films rarely sit with the emotional complexity of women raising daughters in systems that also failed them. There’s little room for mothers who made mistakes but are still trying, or daughters who love their mothers while questioning the damage they inherited. Mother’s Love attempts to occupy that space, offering a more grounded portrayal that reflects lived experience rather than archetypes.

That’s where the film’s potential impact lies, in the decision to centre a relationship that Nollywood has largely flattened. If it works, it could open the door for more stories that treat motherhood as a lived, evolving reality rather than a fixed moral position.

Mother’s Love, directed by and starring Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, had its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025. The film is set for a nationwide cinema release in Nigeria on March 6, 2026.

Entertainment

Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn

Published

1 month ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes becomes Nollywood’s highest-grossing film of 2025, earning ?1.77bn in under four weeks.

Multi-award-winning actress and producer Funke Akindele has done it again, and this time, the numbers speak louder than applause.

Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has officially emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2025, pulling in an astonishing ?1.767 billion in less than four weeks.

The Tide Entertainment reports that Funke Akindele Makes Box Office History as Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn
Earlier in its release cycle, the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, revealed that Behind The Scenes smashed five opening-weekend records, including the highest single-day gross ever recorded on Boxing Day, with ?129.5 million in one day. That announcement already hinted that something unusual was unfolding.

Reacting to the milestone, FilmOne described the moment as both surreal and communal, crediting audience loyalty for pushing the film to the top spot once again as the number-one movie of the weekend. And that sentiment feels accurate. This wasn’t just ticket sales; it was momentum.

What makes this achievement even more striking is that Behind The Scenes is Funke Akindele’s third film to cross the ?1 billion mark. Before now, there was A Tribe Called Judah, and then Everybody Loves Jenifa, a film that didn’t just open big, but went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time. At this point, it’s no longer a fluke. It’s a pattern.

Part of Behind The Scenes’ success lies in strategy. The film enjoyed advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, quietly building curiosity and conversation before its nationwide release on December 12. By the time it officially hit cinemas, audiences already felt like they needed to see it.

Then there’s the cast. The film brings together a lineup that feels deliberately stacked: Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, and several others. Familiar faces, strong fan bases, and performances that kept word-of-mouth alive long after opening weekend.

Still, beyond timing and casting, there’s something else at work here. Funke Akindele understands Nigerian audiences. Their humour, their pacing, their emotional buttons. She doesn’t guess, she calculates, experiments, listens, and refines. That understanding has slowly turned into box-office dominance.

Behind The Scenes crossing ?1.77 billion isn’t just another headline; it’s confirmation. Funke Akindele has moved from being a successful actress to becoming one of the most reliable commercial forces Nollywood has ever produced. Three-billion-naira films don’t happen by luck. They happen when storytelling, business sense, and audience trust align.

And right now, that alignment seems firmly in her hands.