Optimism Is the Heart of DufflebagtheDJ’s “Live It Up”

By Tomide Marv

It been few years since Nigeria’s DufflebagtheDJ began spinning the steel wheels and playing African music in the UK. From leap to leap, a music radio show to another, one important festival gig to another, she continues to take the local sound to the global audience. In her quest to engineer African music into the consciousness of places far from home, DufflebagtheDJ figures she has to offer more than the mainstream hits and popular sounds. Underground jams cue up on her setlist. No child left behind.

Music has come full circle for DufflebagtheDJ, who recorded and produced songs at the budding stage of her music career. Now, her output extends beyond sound mixes and SoundCloud uploads. Now, she only doesn’t work with others to bring melodies to life; she’s an executive producer, too. She takes it up a notch with the release of her official first single, “Live It Up”, featuring Paul Wae. Producer Mannn handles the production on “Live It Up’, with DufflebagtheDJ also maintaining production credits. DufflebagtheDJ takes the full reins of her creative path, and, arguably, she is living it up.

“Live It Up” means enjoying every moment or elaborately celebrating it. The percussion hums in with Paul Wae’s adlibs until it builds into his opening lines. He’s singing about thriving, not just surviving; thriving in survival. He continues to read from the “Chop life” handbook. What could have been “Relentless pursuit of happiness” and “You only live once”, Paul Wae denotes them into two bars of carpe diem: “Body no be firewood, my babe, make you dey enjoy this life / Nobody knows tomorrow, all of us go kpai one day o.”

Paul Wae’s optimism permeates “Live It Up.” Find joy in today’s struggles. There’ll always be better days; celebrate them. The chorus is repetitive and catchy enough. Each line sits with clarity and intention without squeezing the production elements. The fusion of Afropop and Amapiano is a favourite of DufflebagtheDJ, as expressed in an interview with Tribune. But this song is fresher without the additives of the mainstream.

How the tables have turned: DufflebagtheDJ isn’t only skillfully remixing jams, layering mixes, and manipulating sounds; she’s now piecing together her sounds, sequencing her understanding of music, and crafting them into creative and transcendental records. With the release of “Live It Up,” DufflebagtheDJ joins the list of several DJ-artist-producer collaborations. Extensively, DufflebagtheDJ is making performable music that has its character, bridging the motherland and the diaspora.

This high-spirited single rests on the desire to shine sunshine on gloomy faces, pulsate silent mouths and slither bad dancers into boogie motions. “Live It Up” isn’t only a DJ’s jam; it’s a DJ’s set delight.

Listen to “Live It Up” by DufflebagtheDJ featuring Paul Wae here.