Skepta teams up with Portable to bring the vibes in his new Afrobeat single, ‘Tony Montana’
Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr, aka Skepta – British Nigeria music mogul – has featured rainbow-haired Nigerian singer Portable in his new single ‘Tony Montana’.
“Tony Montana,” is another single from Skepta’s sixth album Knife And Fork. It is a celebratory song that is very much based on Afrobeats. This probably came as and is still a shocker to fans who listened to Skepta from way back as Tony Montana is a smooth, winding track with no adrenaline-charged intensity that Skepta brings to his grime bangers.
UK rap fixture Skepta and rising Nigerian singer Portable‘s distinct personalities are displayed in their surprising collaboration on the single “Tony Montana.” The collaboration feels unexpected but not unwarranted as both artists got together earlier this year when Portable released the Tony Montana of London EP following his publicized visit to the United Kingdom. Fans were impressed by Portable’s contribution to the track which has generated much excitement on social media, as he (Portable) delivered a quite coherent and musical chorus, that is a far cry from his usual hoarse, vocal, and street music.
On the song, Skepta raps readily over African drums and shakers, with the beat by Jae5 – a London beatmaker who’s combined UK rap and Afrobeats sounds in his collaborations with people like Dave, Burna Boy, and J Hus. In English, Pidgin, and Yoruba, Skepta spits celebratory rags-to-riches bars like “Yeah, I remember, nigbati ebi n pami / Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we drink garri / Now they wanna snap pictures, I live flashy / Who gon’ stop me, huh? Ewo pelu tani?” Portable takes the hook, where his Tony Montana reference seems to lean more into the storied ascent of the famous, fabled drug lord than the gruesome means by which he got there. “Big Smoke pelu tobacco,” he sings, nodding to Skepta’s nickname and label.
Tony Montana’ sees Skepta explore Afrobeats through his Nigerian heritage. If you haven’t listened to Tony Montana by Skepta featuring portable, give it your ears!
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=2yrubYmrUno&list=OLAK5uy_mGSOc_WyHUFEt6nnkuIWA7PkjysniYT8U
