Patoranking: The New Face of Naija Dancehall

” This article about Patoranking was featured on MTV
Iggy somedays ago ” Nigerian music is on a RISE!!
and the young talented Patoranking is fast rising.
Read article below “

Name: Patoranking
Where He’s From: Lagos, Nigeria
When He Started: 2009
Genre: Dancehall/Hiplife
For Fans Of: Tiwa Savage, Davido, Shatta
Wale, Samini
Sounds Like: Lagos pon de dance floor
This summer, dancehall-reggae deejay/singer
Patoranking (born Patrick Nnamemeka Okorie) has
one of most popular tunes in Nigeria, “Girlie O
(Remix),” which features the vocal stylings of Naija
pop queen Tiwa Savage . Prior to this year, he had
been recording for years in the underground, gaining
a reputation for thoughtful, spiritual lyrics over airy
dancehall riddims and one-drop reggae.
His peek through the door before his big break came
in 2013, when his collaboration with singer Timaya,
“Alubarika,” made a few ripples. The reggae
jam, whose title can be translated to “god’s
blessings,” features a sunny melody and
Patoranking’s magnetizing patois. He said in an
interview that the song was about “the transition from
ghetto to hero and grass to grace”.
In February 2014, he signed a record deal with Foston
Musik and released the original verson of “Girlie O”
produced by WizzyPro. In its video, Patoranking
comforts a woman affected by domestic violence.
Tiwa Savage was so impressed by the track that she
reached out to him to jump on the remix, which adds
some spit and polish to the song’s minimalist
dancehall beat. All and all, Patoranking’s romantic
charm, positivism and spirituality makes him a
promising rising star in the global dancehall scene.