Back in August 2019, Nigerian producer, performer, and singer-songwriter Ckay released an EP called Ckay the First, which included the song “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah).” A few months later, he released a remix of the song, featuring Joeboy and Kuami Eugene. Then there was another popular remix, by DJ Yo! and Ax’el.
By August 2020, Ckay released one of the most popular versions of “Love Nwantiti,” the “North African Remix” featuring Moroccan rapper ElGrandeToto. “Love Nwantiti (North African Remix)” has now gotten a new music video, directed by TG Omori. Watch the visual, shot on location in Nigeria in October 2021, below.
“This is one of the most organic collaborations I ever did,” Ckay said in a press release. “Started from a DM, and shortly after it became a monster hit in North Africa, the Middle East, and far beyond. We just had to shoot a video for this version, and for the culture, we had to shoot it in Nigeria. Enjoy!”
“‘Love Nwantiti’ was a freestyle,” Ckay recently told Rolling Stone for an article about the track’s TikTok-fueled popularity. “I didn’t pen a single word. I was in my living room, making beats like I usually do, and I played the chords, built on them, and did my freestyle. I recorded around midnight and I was really sleepy, so I decided I was gonna put words to the ‘ah ah ah’ part in the morning. Long story short, woke up in the morning and realized it was fire exactly how it was.”
Last year, Ckay featured on Amaarae’s “Fantasy” (from The Angel You Don’t Know) and Davido’s “La La” (from A Better Time). He released his Boyfriend EP earlier this year, and, according to the press release, he’s working on his first full-length studio album, which will be released via Atlantic Records in partnership with Warner Music South Africa.