Nigerian-born, Canadian- based left-of-center pioneer, Asuquomo, maintains an unmistakable sound and unique dexterity for storytelling through a Pan-African narrative. In 2020, he was awarded the Emerging Artist Award by Ottawa Arts Council × RBC as the first-ever Afro Fusion × AfroPunk artist to do so.
Asuquomo Photographed by Tani Olorunyomi
American Songwriter Magazine’s ‘Five to Discover: Acts You Need to Know’ described his work as “Piercing, aggressive and personal, intriguing and entrancing” His official music video for Don’t Be Scared, the lead single from his 2020 mixtape ‘OT RIDDIM, has been handpicked as an Official Selection’ at independent film festivals in Germany, India, Singapore, Colombia, and Canada. Asuquomo’s high-energy performances have landed him opening slots for Burna Boy, Wizkid, Lido Pimienta, Mdou Moctar, and BROCKHAMPTON He has also performed at Canadian Music Week and three times at Ottawa RBC Bluesfest. In 2021 he sold out both his set at POP Montreal 20th Anniversary and homecoming performance in Nigeria, plus performing twice, alongside a live band for AfroFest Ottawa and Long Winter Arts Festival Toronto × La Station Gare des Mines Paris hybrid
showcase. While making Exclaim! Canada’s Top 25 EP’s of 2020 for his “impactful pen” in creating ‘DIOBU’ (2020), and racking up film festival awards with ‘Don’t Be Scared” Music Video. After releasing the hit single “Shotgun” and music Video for “Roll Deep” in 2022, MO goes on a North American four as a supporting act for Omah Lay, CKay, and PrettyBoy DO. In 2023, Mo dropped a 5 track EP INIMINIMO where he introduces an attuned cadence of an alter ego. The Deluxe Lp version followed in October 2023 with 3 bonus tracks and visualizers.
Asuquomo Photographed by Tani Olorunyomi
“Whoa” is an Afro soul/rap composition that is coined from the English saying ‘WOE IS ME’, It is word played with Whoa, where it means the artist and his friends and audience tends to direct the song to ‘WHOA WITH ME’ which means the artist beckoning on fans and audience to exclaim “WHOA” with him to express however they feel. This is Asuquomo’s first single of 2024 and kicks off the roll-out of a new full length project expected to dominate the airways and Television airplays as there is a short movie and a video coined out from it for this release.
‘Whoa’ is an Afropunk single. It was written and began production in 2021. The single is an upbeat hiphop fusion with afro-rap elements. The lyrics are simple, the production is poignant, making for a potent rave record.
The composition makes for an ageless and basically children friendly Rave record, clean and mean.
Listen to ‘Whoa’ here.
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