Too Much Talk Episode 3: The Police Is Not Your Friend

Hi guys!
The Talkatives are back again with another exciting episode of Too Much Talk. This Episode is title "The Police is not your friend" and features Dipo & Bash who get to talk about the quality of the music in 2016, along with the problems with law enforcement in Nigeria.. NK was unavoidably absent and sent her best wishes. The police is not your friend. The police is your (pocket's) friend.

Here are the links to the episode.



iTunes

YouTube

DropBox

SoundCloud

All Or Nothing Fitness With Dizzy: Adapting Mechanism

“It is not the strongest of species that survives, nor the most intelligent, it is the one that is most adaptable to change” – Charles Darwin


The quote above is evident in so many situations today and I couldn’t be more accurate, of course the ones that adapt certainly have the above attributes in some way that will aid its survival. Cut to the chase, so in this fitness business it’s important that we are able to adapt to whatever situation we find ourselves.


 This could be in the gym where someone is utilizing the equipment you intend using (gym traffic) , or the weather changing to an unfavorable one as you’re about to start running(screw the weather man), or the gym’s closed, or your trainer is probably on a trip, all these are factors that can dampen your morale or distort your progress.


 The question is whether or not you let it. I wouldn’t if I were you and really why should you? There are TONNES of alternatives for various exercises, so why let the one that you are unable to do today stop you from reaching your goals tomorrow? Sure it might not be the same, but if the only bad workout is the one not done then GO ON!  Adapt to the situation and edge ever closer to those goals.  Goodluck and may the GAINS be with you all!!



You can keep up with me on social media:
Twitter: @AONFitness
Instagram: @AONFitness
Facebook: https://t.co/GougsGtIkw
E- mail: aonfitnessnigeria@gmail

Music Mondays with Femi Samuel: CDQ- Quality Album Review

Artiste: CDQ
Album: Quality
Label: General Records

CDQ came into the music scene a few years back as a versatile underground rapper who dropped bars in Yoruba, pidgin and his infamous use of notable slangs (Woss Woss Wobi) which he is well known for. He started gaining attention after winning a rap battle at Industry Nite in December 2012. CDQ was consistent with excellent performances, so consistent that he caught the eye of super-talented record producer "Masterkraft" who is notable for producing songs for Banky W and other big names in the Nigerian music industry and subsequently handed a record deal to CDQ and signed him to his General Records imprint.

CDQ went on to release several songs under his new label and started to gain the recognition that he deserved. His big break came when he dropped one of the biggest songs at the time, "Indomie" featuring Olamide that went on to top charts and was played all over the country. There seemed to be no stopping for this Yoruba rapper who gradually developed his brand and continued to put out the right materials that would gain him his cult followership.

The Quality Album is the type that was already getting mixed reviews and wasn't shown any love in its anticipation because of the bad press it got when the album cover and Track list surfaced the internet, Most especially the feedback it got on Twitter. It was slandered on all fronts because of its mediocre cover art and the notable errors that were found in the spelling of the names of persons that were involved in the album. All this followed and people thought it was done on purpose but up until now no response has been made from CDQ's PR team.

 The album starts off slowly with the song "Shanowole" featuring Ice Prince. Which is better off recorded as a jingle than a proper song or even album material, CDQ was decent lyrically, while it was a below average effort from Ice Prince. Salaro is already a fan favorite with its depth and quality of the beat to the song and CDQ got it right with his delivery & storytelling for this type of song. Track 3 "Ferrari" also which is only an exceptional track because of its hook and it’s up tempo beat. CDQ was easily predictable with his verses to this song and he was caught lacking with the content in this song. Finally we get a familiar record on this album that brings life to this body of work with the song “Nowo e soke” featuring Wizkid which has to be CDQ’s biggest song till date. Both performers on this song did a splendid job. You can't be found dulling when this Masterkraft produced track is been played. It sets you in the right mind set to have a great night out.

 The next track which I feel had the prior intention to be the intro to this album is actually a really disappointing and basic Skit done by popular TV presenter VJ Adams who lacked the right attitude in delivering an exciting speech for an album material. CDQ would argue with you that he is confident of getting the bragging rights that can be linked to a proper hip hop record; 4AM is the track that enabled CDQ to show his skills on a proper hip hop beat. He got the right ingredients needed for this type of song, he was decent with the word play but wasn't sure how hardcore he wanted to be on the song as it was evident in the short duration of the song (3.03) minutes.

Track 7 Oobi featuring Cayana is where CDQ addresses his haters and nay sayers on the album, He spits one of his best rap performances on this album here. CDQ was in tandem with the piano instrumental of this song in his delivery. Talosobe is CDQ's version of the famous "Jor ooh" which lacks an original concept to it but he was able to link the song properly with the track before it and made up for whatever downside he had in the song with his delivery and album arrangement.

The next track FCFS (First come first song) is a meaningless song. It just had the right melody to it and CDQ was in the right zone to deliver exactly what was needed for this type of song, he was just having fun with this song. CDQ stayed true to the artistic persona for this type of record. He enlisted the help of RnB heavyweight, Banky W to help him with this wonderful record titled "Odikwa Ok". Banky made CDQ comfortable on this record and it made him fine tune and slow down his verses to be very smooth and he did a decent job lyrically while trying to proclaim how much he was in love with his special woman. The drums and minimum kicks in this song didn't make a boring one to listen to.

All songs aside the R'n'B song had the same monotonous sound to it and it was time to switch up the style a little with a dancehall track "Sun Seyin" which has a fast-frenetic vibe to it, one for the clubs and looked like a result of a studio session where CDQ was having fun in the booth and recorded something he felt would put his listeners in a happy and full-groove mood. CDQ finally outsourced his second skit material on this album to someone who is worthy and could deliver with his content in the person of talented & fast rising comedian/performer Kenny Blaq; who did an excellent job with his delivery and had a great outing with his smooth voice while he heaped praises on CDQ, also fondling around with slangs as used by Cdq's woss wobi and gave it, it's actually meaning.

 Olowo fe Wole/ olowo fe Wole wa/ which means a rich & wealthy person wants to enter; is the record which had fellow indigenous Yoruba rapper, Reminisce on it. This record is easily a stand out track on the album because of its perfect live performance recording and top notch production. Reminisce came through on the song and does what he does best on a record like this. His presence was also effective and influenced how CDQ executed his own part of the song, really well.

Track 14 "Otishe" had Gabanabwoy on the hook. On this record CDQ counts his blessings to God and states how grateful coming he is coming from a humble, poor background to his path to stardom. A laid back effort but is an all-around smooth & feel good song with decent story telling.

Abo featuring veteran rapper Vector is another stand out song on this album. “Abo” which is a Yoruba term and can be used in various ways, but in this song it was personified to be a female/woman. Vector got his well-deserved bragging rights on this record on the hook and his verse, CDQ also did a decent job with his flow. Another hip-hop song on this album that had an east coast/west coast rap feel to it.

The next track on the album, "Indomie" is a song that shouldn't have been included in this album or better still another version should have been performed for the album; the entire purpose of this song has already been fulfilled and the song had already been milked out for the right reasons, it's inclusion was not a smart move from CDQ which could make a case as to whether he is really hardworking and willing to take risks. The album draws to a close with the song "Gbemisaya" featuring Skales which is another predictable & expected track from an artiste like CDQ, another song I was not expecting on the album.

Listening to this album was not exciting. It puts one in different moods and gets one really confused as to what the contents of the album was trying to sell to the listeners. CDQ could be seen as being reluctant to record something ‘new’ most of the tracks on the album look pretty old. In an attempt for the Quality album to showcase CDQ’s talent, all tracks almost had the same exact message to it. In summary, this album lacked the right creative direction and A& R credit that should be associated to it. Notable issues on this album is the important case of the VJ Adams skit which is my opinion is pure trash, the skit should have been given to someone like DadaBoy Ehiz to handle.

Stand out tracks on this album have to be Ferrari, Odikwa OK, Olowo and Abo. Four very good songs out of 17 is not good enough. I believe there is still room for improvement for CDQ.

I rate this album 5.5/10

You can follow Femi Samuel on Twitter: @Femi_RichNation





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Beauty Tips With Ada: 3 Steps You Must Include In Your Skin Care Routine.

I'm back with the skincare routine topic! I hope you found last week's post on the importance of a skincare routine very helpful. If you haven't read that piece, you can check it out here . If you are trying to establish your own skincare routine, there are three steps you must consider regardless of your skin type or gender.

Cleanse: You should start by cleansing your face or body. This removes makeup, dirt and sweat from the skin. It is bad practice to use bar soaps on your face. It may work well for the body but will only strip your face of its natural oils, making it feel dry and tight. Your skin should feel comfortable after cleansing. If you have extremely dry skin then cut out bar soaps entirely and use shower gel on your body instead. A facial cream cleanser is also preferable for dry skin because it cleans without stripping the face of natural oils. People with acne-prone skin would benefit from using a salicylic acid cleanser.

Exfoliate: Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin from the surface of the skin. The skin naturally sheds off this skin especially after being damaged by the elements such as sun and dry air. Dead skin cannot be nourished and usually has a dull appearance. Dead skin is also capable of blocking your pores and causing you to breakout! You should exfoliate your skin to give it a brighter and younger appearance. The two types of exfoliation are chemical and mechanical. Mechanical exfoliation involves scrubbing off dead skin. For your body, you may use body polish, a sponge or exfoliating gloves in the shower. I love the exfoliating gloves because it's fuss-free and you definitely find an improvement in your skin's tone and texture in two to three months. There are also a variety of facial scrubs with abrasives like microbeads and oatmeal.  Chemical exfoliation can be achieved with toners or lotions that contain acids such as lactic acid derived from milk.

Moisturize: People with dark skin especially develop ashy looking skin when they do not use a moisturizer. If you wear makeup, you would find that moisturizer helps your foundation apply smoothly. You may use a humectant like glycerin which draws water into the outer layer of the skin or an emollient like petrolatum or mineral oil which traps water in the skin by forming a layer on its surface. Some areas need special attention like the knees, elbows and lips. These areas become rough when you do not moisturize them. Dry skin would benefit from creams while oily skin is better suited to gel or lotion as a moisturizer.

A good regimen should include these three steps and the result is healthier looking skin. If you want to find out how to choose the right cleanser, exfoliant or moisturzer for your skin type, make sure you're following me on social media to get an update for the next post.

Ada Beauty is a creative writer and a beauty enthusiast. She has worked as a blogger for onobello.com and as a copywriter for an ad agency. She is currently the editor of www.daisyada.com.ng

Plantain Goodness with OunjeAladun: Ikpekere (Plantain Chips)

How To make plantain chips (Ikpekere)

Use unripe plantains.

I prefer the light green type as the plantain is easier to peel and it tastes slightly sweet.

–    Cut plantain by making four vertical slashes on the sides and lift the peel.

–    Using a potato peeler (I favor a potato peeler)or a small sharp knife slice in your preferred shape. It has to be very thin slices, you achieve this better with a potato peeler.

–    Using a deep pan, heat the oil till very hot and fry.

Try dipping the slices in individually, they stick together if it is dumped in at once, and the chips take on the shape they entered the oil in.

–    For added flavor you can fry onions and fresh ginger along side or sprinkle, cayenne pepper or ginger or onion powder on the plantain slices before you fry.

–    Fry chips till golden brown, take out and strain in a sieve lined with a paper towel.  If you didn't add any spices before frying, toss with some salt and pepper or salt and ginger or any other desired spice.

–    If the oil is well strained you can keep in an airtight container for as long as 3-8 days. For large batches I fry lightly brown and after frying and straining I lay in an oven pan and allow it to dry a little bit in the oven. It is more crispy and crunchy and the shelf life is longer.

Our guest writer, Omolabake Bode - Matthew is unscripted , a lawyer turned virgin cocktail and fruit juice expert and she'd charge you to see her skills. To relax, she cooks, she loves to play with food, that she can share with you for free.

You can find her sharing her food therapies:

Blog: ounjealadun.com.

Instagram: @ounjealadun

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ounjealadun

Ounjealadun is #DodoGangEndorsed

Recap on Too Much Talk Episode 2: True Love: The Musical

The Episode started with the talkatives expressing how happy they were to be back with the listeners again, asked if they enjoyed the last episode and asked for their interaction, support and feedback on all platforms.

Then, Nkiru started talking about food which we all love and the talkatives dropped our insights on our favorite food. Weird enough, Bash talked about an interesting human flesh that is very pleasurable to eat. Dipo also gave the best food combination ever that left the talkatives drooling with imagination.

Dipo then went ahead to talk about the Olympics, praising the Nigerian Basketball team for carrying yam and for Divine Oduru's social media performance. The Talkatives also discussed the attitude of all  the Nigerian athletes at the Olympics on social media and how they only seemed to be turning up.

This discussion led to talking about the manner in which House of Representatives member Dino Melaye has been flaunting his wealth and lifestyle on social media especially when he is turning up at social functions. Then the Talkatives further proceeded into corruption, EFCC and revealing what departments they would like to be contribute if they worked at EFCC. Very interesting choices!

As Talkatives do, they somehow stumbled upon Love which was discussed at length and led to each of the talkatives giving out their bits not leaving out bits of their experiences from previous experiments. Nkiru was pronounced 'The Love Doctor' from this due to the nature of the in-debt knowledge she had to share about love, hurt and relationships. She admitted to craving that Zee-World type of love.

The Talkatives rounded up the episode by discussing new releases; music, movies and stage plays. They also asked for interactions, suggestions and support from their listeners as they had dodo waiting for them in the kitchen and really had to go.

Too Much Talk Podcast Episode 2: True Love: The Musical

We're happy to present to you the second episode of Too Much Talk Podcast hosted by Dipo, Bash & NK. The Title of this episode is True Love: The Musical. We hope you enjoyed the first episode last week as we will be bringing you another episode next week too. Please interact with us, like us on all social media platforms,comment and share on all social media platforms too.

There will be a recap of  the week's episode every Thursday on here and the Too Much Talk blog.

Too Much Talk Podcast Episode 2: True Love: The Musical

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We hope you have an amazing time.

Cheers,
The Team.

All Or Nothing Fitness With Dizzy: Piece Of Cake

Hello once again guys, how is your fitness journey going? Not easy? Piece of cake? Well whichever it is, just KEEP GOING!
So, what actually inspired my topic for the day? As I write this, I actually cannot recall, but I am definitely thinking of cake right about now, whether or not I’d be satisfying my crave is unknown. CRAVES, yeah I think I remember. We all have cravings, don’t we? And when I say “crave” here, I mean what is deemed “bad food” as regard to fat loss.

This is a constant battle, whether you’re just starting or you’re deep into your fitness journey. Well, like we have variable ways of achieving our goals, so do we have dealing with our cravings. So how do you deal with yours? I’ll tell how I dealt with mine.

Now you know I’m a firm preacher of how much the mind plays in this business, and again it plays a big a role in helping you battle your cravings. Ever heard of Out of SIGHT is Out of MIND?, yeah more often than not, it is the truth.

You often can only concentrate on what’s in front of you, and so often you crave what you see. For a lot of us, we only know we want that junk when we see it, so how do you stop or reduce the intake of such sweet junk cravings? LOOK AWAY! Or, better yet, control what you put in your fridge or kitchen. Easier said than done, but its easier to control you cravings this way, especially when you’re just starting out. It’s easier not to eat cake at midnight when you open the refrigerator and you see no cake.

Although not to see this is not to buy this, so the initial step is controlling what is on your grocery list, you’d be surprised by how much difference would be made to your “bad” eating habit if you just tweaked and replaced certain items on your grocery list. It definitely is not a guarantee to stop the cravings but I know it helps with controlling it. Now this isn’t everyone’s style as some people have amazing self-restraint, this article isn’t for you.

 So, if you’re one of us that lacks self-control or at least is still just starting, make conscious efforts to control your grocery and what you put in your fridge, and watch your eating habits get better by the day. Cheers, Never Give IN!

You can keep up with me on social media:

Twitter: @AONFitness

Instagram: @AONFitness

Facebook: https://t.co/GougsGtIkw

E- mail: aonfitnessnigeria@gmail

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Music Mondays With Femi Samuel: The Week In Review: The Latest & The Top Stories

REEKADO BANKS SET TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM

Headies Next Rated Artiste, Reekado Banks has been living up to the expectation that comes with the tag of winning the award. He gradually built himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Nigerian music industry. He’s been getting everything right; putting out hit after hit even making waves with his recently released music video to one of the biggest songs in the country at the moment "Standard". He has the bragging rights as to why he was the outright winner of the award in that category on the controversial night. His label, Mavin have built on this feat by announcing the title of his debut album "Spotlight" which is scheduled for release later this month. Don Jazzy together with his in-house production team consisting of Altims & Babyface would produce the most part of this body of work. Reekado Banks is showing that he is the best guy for the job, a risk taker and a hardworking young man by piling the pressure of choosing an album name like "Spotlight" which is self-explanatory and could almost be likened to the title of Wizkid's debut album "Superstar" which set the path for an actual superstar! I am personally anticipating this album and cannot wait to hear what it sounds like and also write a review when its released.

BUZZING FROM THE YBNL CAMP

It really is buzzing in the YBNL camp, from having the biggest alternative album in the country at the moment to the fact that Olamide has made the industry pause after dishing out two worthy singles for the last quarter of the year.

Adekunle Gold isn't shaken with the pressure of having recently just putting out an album and is actually going on the road immediately. This shows that this young man is one hardworking recording artiste. He recently started doing media rounds in Europel, stopping at notable places like Italy and UK. He also hosted his fans to a private listening session to his debut album in London and is also making appearances at various clubs and doing radio interviews at these locations. In addition to all of this, he just dropped the visuals to one of the biggest songs on his debut album, "Gold" titled "Ariwo Ko".  The video was directed by Adasa Cookey and had clips of what the photo shoot session for his album looked like. The video is clean, simple and appeals very much with its target audience. The visuals work appropriately with the lyrics and storyline of the song; with great features, well-coordinated choreography and props associated to such a music video. 

Olamide on the other hand,  put out two singles; “Sere (Ghetto Story)” featuring Lil Kesh and “Owo Blow” both produced by Major Bangz. Sere is the regular Olamide type of song with the up tempo beat, decent concept, exciting story-line but has too many unnecessary plug-ins that result in an overly poor-recording. Lil Kesh did a decent work in his verse too. The other song "Owo Blow" is by-far a better song than its counterpart; it has originality to it, it has a fusion of hard kicks & the related percussion instruments which were projected to the maximum to bring out the best recording for this type of song. The content and storyline had Olamide in-between going very hard & just playing around with his witty lyrics; which all the same brings the attention of every listener.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF LYNXXX

Lynxxx came onto the music scene around 2010/2011 and dropped his debut album "This is Lynxxx" before the likes of  Wizkid & Tiwa Savage became ambassadors of the global brand Pepsi. Lynxxx was able to land his first endorsement deal with the beverage company before any Nigerian act, having just put out few singles as a recording artiste. He also made waves with the highly publicized Pepsi Campus Tour which launched the career for the likes of  Davido  & SDC. That wave passed and Lynxxx  backed his brand up with his highly respected brand image and a few decent follow up singles to his name. He announced that he was going to drop a sophomore album, during the period he took a break from music. Fast-forward to being back on the scene, he was always found preaching in his Instagram page and dropping deep quotes of how he has now become a born again Christian.

We once feared for what was happening to this guy, but he seemed to have found peace and is now onto a new beginning with Christ and also purposefully changing his music genre to gospel.
 He recently dropped a track titled "Serve You" which is a laid back song in which Lynxxx dropped a few bars as to his life journey over the Spax classic beat. He tells his story and lays down some worthy advice in the record and also just released decently shot visuals to his debut record in his gospel genre. I am yet to see this video and will let you guys know whats up when I’ve checked it out.

WIZKID DROPS THREE REFIXES

Fela could really be back; through the current wave that leader (Wizkid) of the new school Afro Beat. He is so talented and hardworking, that he could easily pass for a four-man band. He just dropped his own version of songs like “Don't Mind” by Kent Jones, “Doin It” by LL cool J and concluded the series by putting out his own cover to Young Thug's hit single "Pick Up The Phone". All three songs have Wizkid going all natural on each of them, even creating a picture of what the pre-Superstar album Wizkid actually sounded like. Wizkid's delivery was smooth on all the songs with each having the right vibe that the original song had. Wizkid showcased his bragging rights as to how confident he is and can be as he played around with different genres in the content of the song from switching styles from his Afro-Beat to R'n'b and to Reggae. All songs are however averagely done, but the stand out song out of the three has to be Rewind Dat; the cover for Kent Jones’ summer anthem, "Don't Mind".

FAST RISING TALENT: WALE TURNER

Hottest as he usually calls himself; I'd like for us to properly welcome this super-talented indigenous rapper, Wale Turner. He started off as an Instagram rap sensation who caught the attention of most people on Twitter after clips of him showing off (rapping) found its way to people's timeline and adequately getting co-signs from top PR maven, Bizzle Osikoya & A-list rapper, Olamide. This young man is an outright talent in his own genre from dropping huge punchlines to playing around with his famous witty lines in either pidgin or Yoruba. There also seems to be no holding back from Wale Turner as he recently dropped his debut single titled "No" produced by Pheelz which is a banger; not fully comprising of an original concept but its worth a listen.


Follow Femi Samuel on Twitter: @femi_richnation

Beauty Tips With Ada: 5 Reasons Why You Need A Skincare Routine

You may be wondering why you need to have a skin care routine. Some people intentionally avoid having one believing that this automatically means spending a lot of money, becoming a product junkie or using harsh chemicals on your skin. There are men who also believe having a skin care routine is a feminine thing. This is not true because both men and women have skin and should care for it.


Before you close the door on having one, read this to find out why having a skin care routine is a great idea.


1) To resolve reoccurring skin problems: Some people have acne that has followed them from their adolescent years and this could be worsened because of the kind of products they use. Using a comedogenic product like petroleum jelly on oily or acne prone skin is bad news. It would only lead to blocked pores and breakouts. Therefore, understanding your skin and choosing correct products would go a long way in solving major skin issues.


2) Helps you use products in the right order: Some products are wasted during application because the skin wasn't properly prepped for it. Having a skin care routine helps you use products in the right order in order to get the maximum benefit. Usually the lightest product should be used first and then thicker products.


3) To ensure you're getting the necessary ingredients for skin to flourish: Your skin needs to get vitamins from inside and outside to be at its best. A good skin care routine allows you to purposefully select products with ingredients that would improve the look and feel of your skin.


4) To give products a chance to work: Having a good skin care routine encourages you to continue using products even when there is no immediate benefit. For instance, exfoliating is an important step in skin care but may not show you immediate results. Having a skin care routine therefore encourages you to keep using products that have only long term benefits.


5) Sleep and Wake well: Personally, I look forward to my night time routine. It seems very simple but massaging my face with a cleanser is very relaxing and helps me prepare for bed.


It's unlikely that you would discover the perfect skincare routine at your first attempt. You would need to experiment a bit to figure out what works perfectly and to identify products that irritate your skin but when you finally do, it would be worth it.


Ada Beauty is a creative writer and a beauty enthusiast. She has worked as a blogger for onobello.com and as a copywriter for an ad agency. She is currently the editor of daisyada.com.ng

Recap on Too Much Talk Episode 1: Baby Mama Drama: The EP

Hi guys,



So the first episode of our new show ‘Too much talk!’ premiered on Tuesday! Safe to say it was a totally new experience for all of us here on the team and as such, it was a little bit scary but also a whole lot exciting. We managed to get the first episode on all the planned websites and also managed to get started with our own meager form of publicity and we are totally buzzed at all the twenty or so people who are giving us their support, woah!. (LOL).



But truth be told, the greatest things start small and we are totally psyched by what everyone has to say regarding the podcast, so please don’t forget to comment here or under the iTunes webpage under each relevant episode and we’ll discuss your thoughts in the next. We all had a lot of fun with this first episode and we hope you guys can be a part of it for the next.



The episode started out with a light conversation about the Nigerian economy ( such a depressing topic) and then moved on to talk about the Obama daughters and their recent online shenanigans. Later on, NK brought up the Olympics and I spoke about how amazed I was at the sheer power of the female weightlifters. Good times.



We spoke at length on a whole lot of other topics too, I was particularly impressed by the tenacity of new baby mamas and Bash was having a good time jabbing at Seyi Shays many online gaffes, even though we both admitted to loving her music and maybe even probably having secret crushes on her (Erh-Erhm.)



After that, we spoke on some other topics and generally had a lot of fun. You can listen to the full episode from the download links in the post here, and you can contribute to the conversation by commenting on this post or on the YouTube page. We love you guys and we hope to her back from you next week. Xo.



Love,

Dipo the Blackchild..

Plantain Goodness With OunjeAladun: Gizzdodo

Gizdodo is a happy marriage of fried plantain, fried gizzard and peppered stew. I’ve been trying to find the history of the dish but one thing I’m certain of is that it was made popular by caterers who served them at parties and events. Usually it is served at parties as a side dish or it accompanies some other dishes, but it can be served by itself. I love gizzard, cooked or fried, I just love the crunch, it’s like eating beef that tastes like chicken with the crunch of a soft cartilage.

Okay Enough of my rant, I craved gizdodo last night but Le hubs ordered beans, so I spent all of today dreaming of dinner.

Recipe

•    1 Kg Frozen Gizzard

•    6 Ripe Plantains

•    2 Large Onions

•    4 Tomatoes

•    Jalapeño peppers ( Bawa / Sombo / long tatashe ) As many as you want depending on how much heat you can handle. I used more than 10 pieces

•    1 large sweet bell pepper  (i used 1/2 Yellow and 1/2 Orange sweet bell peppers)

•    Scotch Bonnet  (Ata rodo) as many as you want

•    1 cup gizzard Stock

•    4 Bouillon Cubes (knorr beef cubes in this instance)

•    Salt to taste

•    Vegetable oil ( to fry )

Procedure

–    Rinse gizzard, put in a pot and   chop one large onion, and season with bouillon cubes, and salt. Cook till it is well cooked.

–     While your gizzard is cooking prep you other ingredients. Coarsely blended your tomatoes, onion and peppers. You can use as little or as much of any of these ingredients. What we want to get is at least 2 1/2 cups of the coarsely blended pepper. Chop you bell peppers. When the gizzard is cooked, save the stock,  chop and fry.

–     Dice up your plantains and fry till golden brown and set aside. (I like to fry my plantain first and use the same oil to fry the gizzard)

–     Using some the oil you fried the gizzard in, in a pot or wok add the pepper blend, add 1 cup of the gizzard Stock,  taste for seasoning, if necessary season a little more. Cook with lid off till the water is reduced completely and the pepper starts to fry in the oil, turn the heat down a notch, then add chopped bell peppers.

–     Turn the heat down completely and  add the gizzard,  stir it in well and add the fried plantain and stir in using a wooden or plastic spoon/ladle  so as not to mash up the plantain.

–     Stir in well and turn off the heat. Serve warm.

Le hubs came in an hour early from work and came straight to the kitchen, the aroma of the gizzard pulled him in, he says “Ki lon ta san san? ” (What smells goods), he spies the gizzard and the says “Ope o! Gizdodo ” He had second helpings. The little man in his own case was upset, because I had given him just dodo and fried egg earlier since he had  an early dinner. -Bedtime is 7 – 7.30 pm on a school night and school is back in session. –

Our guest writer, Omolabake Bode - Matthew is unscripted , a lawyer turned virgin cocktail and fruit juice expert and she'd charge you to see her skills. To relax, she cooks, she loves to play with food, that she can share with you for free.

You can find her sharing her food therapies:

Blog: ounjealadun.com.

Instagram: @ounjealadun

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ounjealadun

Ounjealadun is #DodoGangEndorsed

Too Much Talk Podcast Episode 1: Baby Mama Drama: The EP

Hi Guys!

Welcome to the first post of Too Much Talk NG. This is a newly formed podcast created by Dipo the blackchild, Bash Aleee, and NK. Basically what we do is talk about issues currently ongoing both globally and locally. We share opinions and try to make it as fun as possible. 

Podcasts aren't really very popular in Nigeria yet but we promise that it's the one thing many of us are missing from our lives!. They're not too big to download and are usually about an hour long. If you find yourself stuck in traffic or waiting for some overweight lecturer to sign something or the other. you wont regret spending that time gisting with us. 

We try to make the show as interactive as possible. so please feel free to comment on the reviews of each episode that will be put up here every Thursday or on our YouTube page.

Please remember to subscribe to either our iTunes, YouTube, or Soundcloud channels and don't forget that there's also a Dropbox link to download!

We love you guys and we hope to hear your thoughts soon!

Links to the First episode of the podcast:

Soundcloud

iTunes

Spinlet

Dropbox

Youtube

We hope you have an amazing time. Feel free to participate wherever you can comment!

Cheers, the team .

All Or Nothing Fitness With Dizzy: DON'T EAT CARBS

DON’T EAT CARBS!
DON’T EAT CARBS!

The enemy? What a joke of a statement and extremely misleading. I've read a lot on how much you need to cut out carbs while you're trying to lose fat, and most of the methods just seem all wrong, terribly wrong, I'd cut right to the chase. Run far away from anyone that tells you carbs are the enemy. I really don’t think there are “bad foods”, but for the purpose of this article I’ll distinguish between “Good and Bad”.

There are good carbs (complex carbohydrates), these aid in fat loss as they are slow to digest and require more energy to digest them and are also more filling, so you get satisfied and have less cravings after eating them. While the "bad carbs"(simple carbs), the “bad gang” you should be warned about while trying to cut down body fat.

 These "bad carbs" spike up your insulin immediately after taking which will give immediate energy, but are absorbed just as quickly and normally would result to fat stores, there's a lot of science to it, but I usually write in plain English for all of us to get the basic scope. So basically, these so called bad carbs will inadvertently cause you to store up fat in the long run and that you do not need. Then there are also the fibrous carbs with could be negligible in terms of effect and spiking of the insulin.

So which foods are in the category of the complex carbs? Well don't look too far;
Yams, potatoes, brown rice, beans, whole wheat bread, e.t.c.
The foods in the category of the simple carbs, well you guessed it; soda, added sugar, syrup,  candy, white rice, white pasta, e.t.c.

While trying to shed body fat, it's important that you make healthy choices. Those that will get you closer to your goals faster. Substitute the simple carbs for complex carbs.
By the way this does not give us a reason to overload on complex carbohydrates, it still has to be kept in check.

..

Music Mondays With Femi Samuel: God Over Everything Album by Patoranking Review

ARTIST NAME: PATORANKING
ALBUM NAME: GOD OVER EVERYTHING
LABEL: FOSTON MUSIK/VP RECORDS
Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie better known by his stage name ‘Patoranking, is a vibrant, energetic reggae-dancehall artiste. Coming off the shoulders of being Timaya's protege, he has developed himself as a force to be reckoned with, not just in the reggae-dancehall scene but the entire Nigerian music industry with his versatility. Patoranking proved himself with the very much accepted Alubarika featuring Timaya which set the path to greatness for this dancehall act.

He has dropped hits after hits, getting consigns from the crème de la crème of the industry and also being featured on the right records. It only seemed right that this young man could do no wrong and topped it all off by winning the Next Rated Artiste at The Headies in 2014 which had the likes of Skales, Yemi Alade, Orezi and Runtown in the highly competitive category but He came out on top. He followed this feat by not slowing the buzz down and putting out massive singles to keep up with the pressure of being the next rated artiste and eventually not disappointing his fans, so basically he needed to put out a body of work to show how hardworking he is and what differentiates him from the regular Nigerian artiste; and here you have it #GodOverEverything, his first album.

The album opens with the track "Patoranking", with Patoranking's mother taking the introduction to the song, it's set to set the pace into what the album should sound like. It really kicks off with a cheering sample over a heavy kick beat which Patoranking took over with below average lyrics because the entire song fell off because the supposedly simple introduction turned into a ridiculously boring record; at the point of when the crowd started cheering him the song should have ended there with the tag "Welcome To The Album God Over Everything". The next track "God Over Thing" which is supposed to be the heart & soul of this body of work as the album is named after it,is really a below average performance from Patoranking. The content of the song is just too typical and there's nothing exciting about the song. He couldn't even tell a better story of his musical journey as he did on Alubarika. The song is really just set up to put one to sleep.

 Track 3; No Cheating Zone is actually a feel good reggae type of song but the record lacks the much needed depth and quality. The beat to the song is too weak. Patoranking chose the wrong producer and beat to that song. He just delivered what could look like the gospel artiste, "Buchi" type of early 2000 record. Fast forward to the sixth track "This Kind Luv" featuring Wizkid is when the album actually picks up, the entire arrangement of this record is excellent, superb guitar strings and the right percussion that this kind of record actually needed and obviously the Wizkid impact made this record a 100%. Pato got everything right on this record, brilliant song writing too. The follow up track "Killing Me" is actually a shadow of the one with Wizkid. An average song because it lacked the right arrangement and it actually exposed Patoranking vocally.. probably the mixing and mastering engineer's fault.

The next track "Writing On The Wall" produced by the famous music director "GospelOnDeBeatz" is headed in the direction of a well-written smooth reggae song but Pato got it all wrong with the song's content; the case right here is that he was disorganized as what to say on the song, one minute he was counting his blessings the other minute he just got lost in the song and kept deviating. With the well recorded fusion of the saxophone and other related instruments the next track "Forever" is a massive record ,Patoranking brought his own sort of feel to what he feels R'n'B should sound like he gave a brand new Flavour to this huge song, with the female additional vocals that gave strength to this song. He says a lot about the feelings he has for his special woman and hope she listens; one of the stand out tracks on the album. A song that makes you want to move a part of your body without even forcing it.


Track 9 "No Kissing Baby" featuring Sarkodie, the lead single of this body of work is already a fan favorite, a brilliant record that Patoranking delivered effortlessly, he got everything spot-on on this record. This was the foundation of this album but Patoranking had other plans.

Patoranking worked with Major Bangz on this record and decided to feature Mainland's finest "Olamide baddo" on this track titled "Mama Aboyo" which is an epic failure of a record and I'm utterly disappointed that it was included in this album. Here you have the perfect beat for a galala type of song but Olamide didn't even fuse well with the song, the chorus and entire content of the song is just too poor. Pato got over excited on the song that he even seemed confident to record a below average vocals to this, then at a point they switched up the levels to try to put in a bit of that techno which just showed the poor arrangement of the song. Stammerer produced by Wizzy Pro the maestro behind the hit single "emergency" is a decent record, above average song writing with witty lyrics and Pato had fun with his acceptable wordplay over this smooth highlife beat; this love song type of record is what I should believe is what Patoranking had the plan that track 2 "God over everything" would sound like. Patoranking did a decent live performance rendering on this record. Pato shows how talented he actually he is on "Love town" which has the Jamaican Caribbean reggae feel to it that set it and himself from the regular reggae song & artist. The Marley brothers should really be proud to hear this one. Patoranking had fun throughout the song and stayed true to his art. The hook of the song gets to you and sets you in a really happy mood; as great music affects your mood. The next track "Hale hale" has Patoranking singing nicely over this well-orchestrated ekelly produced smooth beat. A laid back effort from Patoranking but is a really good song; but it has a boring content to it. The next track "Beautiful" to me is what deceit should feel like, It's song that starts off with putting the listener in suspense as to whether we are about to get a sample of the hit song Damien Marley & Bobby Brown did together with the same name "Beautiful"; and again Patoranking had other plans and changed the entire mood to this song which resulted into a boring record but the song picks itself up in the middle with its perfect recording & production.


The second to the last song on the album has Jamaican dancehall recording artiste on it "Elephant man"; "Daniella Whine" is already a big song in the market in which he got so many recognition for including his Absolut vodka endorsement. I'm glad Patoranking added something different to it and gave it a special rendition by allowing the energy and charm of elephant me to give the song a different twist to the already amazing dancehall record. The complete package that a dancehall song should have. The OGs of the dancehall/reggae genre came to finish work on this record.


What perfect way to end this sixteen-track album than to feature the legendary Fuji musician King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall. The song "Ayinde" is easily the best song on this album; it's different, Patoranking broke the norm and showed how versatile he can be. He got everything spot on this record and even delivering vocals in Yoruba and paying homage to Yoruba carefree owambe party scene. K1 picked up from the intro of the song rendering the much needed oriki to the song, even greeting and praising Patoranking in the song and obviously doing why he does best in his delivery and giving that legendary factor to this record. The song was produced by Major Banks who fused in the right bata drum and the smooth kicks that the record needed. From the arrangement to the lyrics of the song, it's a perfectly rendered orchestrated record.
With the below par records this album had it wouldn't hurt to have had two songs that had the same Fuji sound on the album.

This album lacked the needed ingredients that a debut should have; it lacked the proper creative direction that it should have had, it lacked proper A&R direction that it should have had. Patoranking got the producers selection list wrong on some tracks on the album. My opinion is that he should enlisted the help of his mentor “Timaya’ on this album. The album was already two years late from Patoranking and in my opinion I feel he rushed the entire process on the album. The album can only be saved by the right publicty and promotion or less this entire body of work won’t be around for a long time. And also Patoranking and his team did not actually get the perfect timing as to making a strategic decision as to when to put out the album.


This album is rate 6/10.
..
You can follow Femi Samuel on Twitter @Femi_RichNation

New Music: Dan Iska - Smallz

Dan Iska Cover Art 

Smallz is an Abuja / Brighton based artist. After working underground for years, he has decided to release “Dan Iska” as his first official single . This is a teaser into his world of hausa influenced trap music and more. Expect a whole lot of singles, videos and an EP this year from Smallz.

Dan Isks is performed mostly in hausa. “Dan Iska” is a hausa phrase which refers to someone that is Crazy.

The song wasmproduced by Smallz's alter-ego (Producer name: Deep Architect).

#SabonSauti

Instagram : @Thareal_Smallz


Twitter : @Thareal_Smallz

Listen and share Dan Iska by Smalls here





Dan Iska is #DodoGangEndorsed

All Or Nothing Fitness with Dizzy: Competitions

“Guy why you like light weights?”, “Dude you should be lifting heavy”, “Light weight king”, These are all remarks that have been made about my style of lifting from people that have absolutely no idea what my goals are. Oh, there’s actually a lot more than that! 

When I’m working out, in the gym or at home I always give everything I have, when a player is said to leave everything on the pitch after a football match? Yeah that’s me in the gym. I have never admitted to being a “heavy lifter”, neither am I all about light weights, but apparently there’s some sort of competition going on that I've never know about – Unlucky me, why wasn’t I told?

Oh well, there’s an even bigger competition going on in a place none of them know about and that’s in my head. I’m always competing against myself and I always, ALWAYS try to beat me, call it self abuse or whatever. But they’d never know, and they don’t have to, because I’m all that matters to me and I’d always strive to improve myself. You should too. Do not let what others say affect your work, if it’s positive take it and see how you can incorporate it in your work. At the end of the day only you can beat you. 

Ask yourself how many of these people know where you are coming from and how many know where you are headed, the answer is most likely zero, so why should they force their personal strive for supremacy on you? You know what, I say F@#K them, do you, be you, and improve you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a light weight king or you’re a heavy weight queen (cause “as a lady you ought not to be lifting so heavy”), if at the end of every workout you can look in the mirror and smile with what you have achieved,then be proud. Lift light, lift heavy, just lift yourself up because that’s where you’re really headed.  

Music Mondays with Femi Samuel

This week I take you guys on a journey through some of the quality songs released by Nigerian artists that you should have on your playlists.This list features some of the latest Nigerian music and also provides an analysis of the songs in  no particular order.

Babylon Cover Art 

1. Babylon - 2Baba & M.I
Both outright legends in their genres come out with this well recorded track with a very smooth hook, over a matured & intriguing beat. 2Baba came through with his verse, started off with a very engaging intro building up to his verse. M.I also came through with the delivery of his rap verse and they both killed the bridge they shared. Both artistes have actually come out with better collaborations together on M.I's albums but Babylon is actually a big song, a great production and definitely one for the record shelves.

God Over Everything G.O.E Album Cover   

2. No Kissing Baby - Patoranking ft. Sarkodie
Reggae/dancehall act, Patoranking got almost everything perfect on this record. A feel good song from the beginning to the end. He had a nice time over the azonto-cum-dancehall beat and it was only right to have featured Ghana's finest, Sarkodie on the record. This here is a club banger that would be around for a very long time.

Outta My Head Cover Art 

3. Outta My Head - Simi ft. Praiz
Simi's latest record, Outta My Head reminds us exactly why we love her and have always taken her seriously. Simi brought everything to this record, her delivery and catchy hook gave life to this high tempo Oscar produced beat. She also enlisted the help of fellow label mate and  X3M Music front man, Praiz who also did a decent job on this song.

Ogene Cover Art

4. Ogene - Zoro ft. Flavour
There so much potential for the 042 crooner, Zoro who has a distinct flow with his rap, not just his indigenous sound. Ogene in my opinion, is what a complete record sounds like. The song doesn't seem to deviate from the message it's passing across . It can be regarded as a high life dancehall hip hop record. He also featured the leader of high life music in Nigeria, Flavour who delivered over the Major Bangz produced record, the maestro behind fan's favorite, Parcel.

Ire Cover Art 

5. Ire - BOJ
Boj just secured a record deal with HF Music so hopefully he would remind us that he isn't just a seasonal artiste. His brand new single, Ire is a decent record from him. The great part of the song is knowing that he hasn't changed his sound for anything and so there is still a lot of potential for the DRB Lasgidi starboy. Boj tries to be witty with the whole content of the record so you'd actually pay attention to the lyrics which creates an avenue for the song to grow on you. But really, there's nothing special about the song. It doesn't set itself apart to be a big single.

*The above list is in no particular order. Update your playlist right now & have fun!

Follow Femi Samuel on Twitter @Femi_RichNation

All Or Nothing Fitness with Dizzy: Calisthenics Vs Weight Training

Calisthenics or weights, which is better off?  Well it depends on your goals. But first we need to understand what each of these mean. 

Calisthenics are a form of exercise that consists of a variety of gross motor movements, often rhythmical, generally without using equipment or apparatus. They are intended to increase body strength, body fitness and flexibility through movements such as bending, jumping, swinging, twisting or kicking, using only one's body weight 

for resistance.(Wikipedia.com)

Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity (in the form of weighted bars, dumbbells or weight stacks) to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction. Weight training uses a variety of specialized equipments to target specific muscle groups and types of movement. Sports where weight training is central are bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongman, highland games, shotput, discus throw, and javelin throw. (Wikipedia.com)

Good,  now let me just state that, I started off with Calisthenics and then moved to weights, and I now incorporate both. I started off with Calisthenics because I always believed I had to build my discipline at home first before taking it out. I always advise my clients to do this too. Try out 2 weeks to a month of calisthenics, use it to build your strength, find your self motivation, confidence and endurance so when you start going to the gym/using weights you'd be self motivated and would have built yourself up in terms of endurance and natural strength. This doesn't apply to everyone,  many peole also believe that investing their money in a gym will force them to be motivated. Fair enough! A lot of people believe they can't get their desired body goals by just bodyweight training. This may be true as research shows that variations bring about maximum results.

Everything in fitness and health also depends on your goals. They both have their advantages and you could make arguments for or against each. Calisthenics gives you strength, agility and flexibility while weight training helps you build and improve on your overall strength, power and muscle size.  If you ask me a combination of both give the best results.  As a matter of fact many people actually combine both without even knowing. The moment resistance is added to a calisthenics workout, it immediately becomes a form of weight training. And those at the gym doing pulls ups and leg raises don't realize that those are forms of calisthenics. So while it's about your goals, I'm only here to say that both are great forms. And you shouldn't bash either one or the other. So, rather than worry about which is better of, or try to downplay any, it's best to find a way to incorporate both in your workouts to maximize your own potential and if you can't, pick the one that best suits your goals. 

Here are some calisthenics + weight training programs. Enjoy. 😃

Calisthenics:
Perform 15 seconds of each with 1 minute rest at the end.

Pull ups
Push ups
Pike Push Ups
Burpees
Bodyweight cross Lunges
Plank
Spider Crawl
Chair Dips
Closed Grip Pull ups 

Weight:
Lat Pull-down (4x12)
Barbell Bench Press (4x12)
Military Shoulder Press (3x12)
Deadlifts (3x12)
Leg Press (4x10)
Rope Crunches (4x15)
Woodchopper (4x10) on each side
Dumbbell Extension (4x12)
EZ preacher Curl (4x12)

I've written it in a way that the weight exercises takes the place of Calisthenics counter part according to order, so there could be a combination for those that'd like. It's a total body routine. Every muscle group is targeted.

Please search online for any body movements or excercises you do not understand. 

Keep up with me on social media:

Twitter: @AONFitness

Instagram: @AONFitness

Facebook: https://t.co/GougsGtIkw

E- mail: aonfitnessnigeria@gmail