Beyoncé has released her new Lion King-inspired album, The Lion King: The Gift, officially out on today. After a rousing speech at Coachella where she insisted on bringing authentic African music to a world stage for the project, The Gift is an array of African sounds made by a long list of talented African musicians dominating their respective scenes at the moment. Along with a string of brand new solo Beyoncé tracks, the album features contributions from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Mr Eazi, Yemi Alade, JAY-Z, Tekno, Childish Gambino, Burna Boy and our own DJ Lag.
“This soundtrack is a love-letter to Africa, and I wanted to make sure that we found the best talent from Africa… It was important that the music was not only performed by the most interesting and talented artists but also produced by the best African producers. Authenticity and heart were important to me.” – Beyonce.
The Gqom King was hand-picked by Queen Bey herself after his song Trip to New York was placed as the backdrop within an interlude during her performance at the Global 100 Citizen show earlier this year. Since then, DJ Lag has been gearing up for his next international tour and some new releases, including this one. My Power features Nigerian songstress Yemi Alade, Gqom-Queen Busiswa, constant collaborator Moonchild Sanelly and Philly-born rapper Thierra Whack.