NATIVELAND, the festival put on by Nigerian creative content and media company NATIVE Networks in Lagos for the past half decade, is returning for its fifth iteration on Dec. 22. This year, the fest will be headlined by rising African stars Ayra Starr, ODUMODUBLVCK, Uncle Waffles and Lancey Foux at SOL Beach on Victoria Island in Lagos.
NATIVE Networks, which comprises NATIVE magazine and NATIVE Records, launched the NATIVELAND Festival in 2016, with Burna Boy, Skepta and J Hus headlining. Since then, the festival has hosted the likes of Davido, Wizkid, Tems, Rema, Ckay, Mayorkun, Dave, Amaarae, Koffee and Naira Marley over the years, for editions in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021.
Last September, NATIVE signed a global joint venture deal with Def Jam to sign and develop African artists, becoming the first African label to strike a joint venture with the legendary hip-hop label. At the time, Def Jam chairman/CEO Tunji Balogun said, “As we build a culture here at Def Jam that connects the best in the global Black music diaspora — from hip-hop and R&B to reggae, Afrobeats and more — clearly some of the best, most vital, interesting and cutting-edge new artists and sounds in music today are coming out of the continent.”
Since then, the venture signed a deal with ODUMODUBLVCK, who has had a big year behind high-profile guest spots and his own huge hit “DECLAN RICE,” as well as Teezee, Smada and more.
In addition to the headliners, the festival will also feature Amaarae, Shallipoppi, Cruel Santino, Boj, Sarz, Bloody Civilian and Crayon, among others.
