Offiong Bassey
Moonlit Media Group
Producer: Blethy Emmanuel Tiegnon
Score: 8 out of 10
This soulful, deep-voiced Nigerian American is a thoughtful, socially-conscious contemporary poet who lives up to her luminous name (which means “God’s moon”) by making deeply spiritual tracks that can come across like prayers of hope. Lyrics come to life in a dynamic fusion of global styles including jazz, gospel, funk and hip-hop as well as exotic elements (Afro-Peruvian, Nigerian Ekombi) that are native to her cultural makeup. She sings and raps in English, her native Efik and even “Pidgin” English to convey the essence of her uplifting messages in a variety of colorful ways. – Jonathan Widran
