We Speak Music

UA.X’s Debut Album ‘Love & Hustle’ is a Lush Fusion of Afrobeats and R&B

Published

2 years ago

October 23, 2024

Nigerian-born multi-hyphenate creative Seyi Akinlade, widely known as UA.X, steps from behind the camera to claim the spotlight with his debut album Love & Hustle. Best known for his work as a photographer and music video director for acclaimed artists like Tems, Rema, and Lojay, UA.X now channels his creative vision into a nine-track project that blends the warmth of Afrobeats with the emotional pull of R&B. The result is an intimate and dynamic reflection on love and perseverance, wrapped in a sonic signature that is distinctly his own.

Clocking in at just 21 minutes, Love & Hustle wastes no time immersing listeners in its heartfelt exploration of romance and ambition. UA.X strikes a careful balance between the highs and lows of these themes, with much of the album focusing on love’s multifaceted nature—its beauty, its complexity, and its inevitable discomforts. Tracks like “Money & Love” stand out for their emotive vocal delivery, allowing UA.X to showcase his tender, yet powerful voice against atmospheric production.

Production duties were handled by a mix of top-tier talent including TMXO, Nonso Amadi, and Chillz, ensuring a cohesive and immersive sonic experience. The album’s instrumental palette is rich with tonal warmth—layered rhythms, sultry melodies, and reflective beats that weave seamlessly together. Afrobeats grooves provide the backbone, while the unhurried tempo and spacious R&B melodies invite listeners to soak in each moment. This unhurried pace is where UA.X shines; he allows his music to breathe, creating a cinematic, immersive soundscape that feels expansive yet deeply personal.

Love & Hustle isn’t just a musical project for UA.X, it’s a full-circle moment where his visual storytelling experience meets his sonic craftsmanship. His ability to craft worlds visually in the past translates effortlessly into his music, making each song feel like a scene in a movie—stories of passion, hustle, and self-reflection unravel as he weaves his personal narrative through both lyrics and sound.

With Love & Hustle, UA.X announces himself as an artist to watch. His transition from visual director to musician feels seamless, proving not only his versatility but his dedication to creating art in all its forms. This debut album is a bold statement of intent—both intimate and expansive in its sound, and undeniably memorable. As UA.X continues to carve out his space in the music world, Love & Hustle stands as a testament to his ability to blend passion with perseverance, and art with hustle.

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Doja Cat Brings the Tour Ma Vie World Tour to Scotiabank Arena on November 25

Published

5 hours ago

November 2, 2026

Leo Bodei

Portrait of Doja Cat with long blonde hair against a dark background.

Doja Cat. Photo courtesy of Doja Cat on Instagram.

Doja Cat brings her Tour Ma Vie World Tour to Toronto on Wednesday, November 25, with a 7:30 p.m. show at Scotiabank Arena. It is one of the last stops on the biggest headlining run of her career, and it lands in the middle of a heavy week for the building.

The tour supports Vie, her fifth studio album, released in September 2025. The record is an 1980s inspired turn back toward pop, led by the singles “Jealous Type” and “Gorgeous,” and the live show has been built as a full scale arena production. Latto joins the bill as special guest for the entire North American leg, which runs 31 dates from the October 1 opener in Detroit to the December 1 finale at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Toronto gets the show near the end of the run, with Boston on November 23 before it and Montreal on November 27 after it. By the time she reaches Scotiabank Arena, the production will have played more than twenty North American arenas, on top of earlier legs across Oceania, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Earlier in November the tour also plays Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Atlanta.

Fans have been getting a look inside the tour straight from Doja Cat herself. She has been filming the run on Ray-Ban Meta glasses, posting point of view footage from backstage, soundchecks and life on the road, so the Toronto crowd will see a show that has been documented almost night by night. Tickets for November 25 are on sale through Ticketmaster. With the Garden shows in New York closing the tour one week later, the Toronto date is one of the final chances to see this production before the run wraps.