The Promo Vatican: September 2025

Thursday, September 25, 2025

"FELA: Music Is The Weapon" Graphic Novel by Toronto artists Jibola Fagbamiye & Conor McCreery Launches October 7th

Music lovers and comic enthusiasts are in for a treat as the groundbreaking graphic novel FELA: Music Is the Weapon(HarperCollins/Amistad) created by Toronto artist Jibola Fagbamiye, the illustrator behindPromise That You Will Sing About Me: The Power and Poetry of Kendrick Lamar, and writer Conor McCreery, known for the Kill Shakespeare comic book series, vividly brings to life the story of Fela Kuti, the legendary Nigerian musician, political agitator, and cultural icon. With its masterful mix of historical and surreal storytelling, FELA offers readers an immersive glimpse into the inspiring and complex life of the creator of the Afrobeat music genre.

“Sex, drugs and Afrobeat,” only scratches the surface of the remarkable life of master musician Fela Kuti. After falling in love with a Black Panther, Fela’s music and his politics were radically changed, leading him to become “the most dangerous man in Nigeria.” Fela was arrested 200 times in his native Nigeria because of his activism and his music’s bold stance against military and government corruption, but he never surrendered. FELA is a visually stunning journey through the life of a man whose music still deeply influences artists across the world. Fagbamiye, a Toronto-based visual artist inspired by African history and North American pop culture, delivers bold, expressive artwork that masterfully captures the vibrancy and profundity of Fela’s life and legacy. Complementing this is McCreery’s sharp and evocative writing, a blend of wit and historical depth that channels Fela’s rebellious and deeply human spirit.

The release of FELA on October 7th coincides with a global surge in the popularity of afrobeats and African music. Today’s Grammy-winning afrobeats artists like Burna Boy, WizKid and Davido often cite Fela Kuti as a trailblazing influence, further cementing his enduring legacy among new generations of creators and listeners alike. As well, Fela’s musical legacy lives on his sons, Femi and Seun, both prolific musicians in their own right. More than a biography, FELA explores the artist’s profound impact on music, politics, and culture, presenting his vision and struggles in both historical and dreamlike dimensions.

Link: https://www.harpercollins.ca/9780063058798/fela/

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Vanilla Ice "Rolling In My 5.0" Prod by DJ Earthquake

35 years ago, Vanilla Ice and DJ Earthquake shook the world with “Ice Ice Baby.” They're back now — same ride, different legacy.

Click Here to Download via Virdiko.com

Connect w/ Vanilla Ice:

Website: https://www.vanillaice.com

Social Media Twitter/X: http://twitter.com/vanillaice

Social Media Instagram: http://instagram.com/vanillaiceofficial

Social Media Facebook: http://facebook.com/vanillaice

TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@vanillaiceme

Global BeatBanditz - Its 5'oclock Somewhere ft Brohydez

Global BeatBanditz team up with Brohydez and release new single "It's 5oclock Somewhere". Check it out below and support.

Click Here to Stream/Add to Spotify Playlists

Check out more on Partyman

Lavok (Partyman) Tyler is a trained musician, music producer and business professional with years of music production and business marketing experience. Lavok has worked with famed personalities in various areas of entertainment, with such notables as Verdine White, Eddie Griffin, Skee-Lo, Domino, Mariah Carey, to name a few, as well as various independent artists and record labels.
Lavok who is always open for new challenges and Prides himself on being multifaceted, in 2004 accepts the invitation from founder’s Robert Pierce and Kevin Love to join a new startup company called Carnivo Unlimited LLC and within a short time made history, becoming the first African Americans to distribute cognac (Menuet Cognac}. Since then, Lavok has worked with several other start up liquor companies, manages and organizes special events, Non-profit fundraisers , club promotions, celebrity relationships and provides consulting, marketing, sales support and event activities designed to brand companies and individuals with the Generation Y and Alpha audiences.
Lavok’s ability to penetrate universal markets through creative and innovative concepts, which is a vital component in the ever-changing world of entertainment and business Branding continues to evolve.
Now CEO of Changing Lanes Entertainment LLC, Lavok continues to produce, create, develop both music and script treatments for movies /television and is currently a music contributor under famed music producer Marus Bell. CEO of Bellringer Productions LLC, a music sync licensing and production company.

Friday, September 5, 2025

Aquakultre f/ Gary Beals & Haliey Smith - "Scotia Born" (Video)

Multi-award-winning Halifax singer, rapper, composer and storyteller Aquakultre aka Lance Sampson releases the new single "Scotia Born" , his first music release since 2023’s Polaris Music Prize longlisted album Don’t Trip. The anthemic new single is destined to become a new soulful source of Canadian east coast pride, while simultaneously nudging the rest of Canada and global audiences to pay strict attention to this historically significant region. Produced by fellow acclaimed songwriter and two-time Music Nova Scotia Producer of the Year Erin Costelo, "Scotia Born" also boasts contributions from a few of the finest pure vocal talents who represent two of the oldest Black communities in Nova Scotia; Juno-nominated Canadian Idol finalist Gary Beals from Cherry Brook, and North Preston’s Haliey Smith, one of the most recorded background session singers in Atlantic Canada, whose credits include Canadian music icons David Myles and Joel Plaskett.

“This is a song recognizing the cultural richness that we have here as Black Nova Scotia, the resilience, the togetherness, and how all communities of Black Nova Scotia are connected,” says the former CBC Music Searchlight competition winner and Prism Prize recipient. “It’s about being proud of that cultural richness and being aware of it. I didn’t have that when I was a teenager, I really wish I did. In the generation before me there were people who understood what that was, but somehow down the line that awareness of identity as Black Nova Scotian didn’t come through. Scotia Born is just being proud of our ancestors for paving the way for us and being proud for coming home, and being proud of our birthplace when we’re abroad. It’s just about being proud of being Black Nova Scotians.”

Equal parts catchy and celebratory, “Scotia Born” offers a rich glimpse into the storied musical and cultural histories that emanate from a distinct ethno-cultural Canadian community, incorporating vocals and lyrics that invoke what it truly means to be from this region. The music video co-directed by John Butler and Juno-winning artist Shad provides a bird’s eye view of a multi-generational community-centred cookout and dance-friendly retrospective that acts as a tribute to some important Black Nova Scotian music luminaries. With heart-on-sleeve intensity, “Scotia Born” is a life-affirming anthem that provides just the right backdrop for Lance’s big, warm vocals and potent rhymes to shine through, while paying tribute to a unique region of the Black diaspora.