Nigerian rapper Zoro Swagbag has released “NNA (New National Anthem),” a politically driven single featuring Sparkle Tee and Ibquake.
The track takes aim at leadership failure and economic hardship in Nigeria, framing its message through a reimagined national anthem. Where conventional anthems invoke unity, “NNA” opens on urgency – invoking hunger, government corruption, and the erosion of the middle class. The repeated Igbo phrase “Ndi isi anyi bu ndi oshi” – translated as “our leaders are thieves” – anchors the song’s critique of those in power.
The record addresses persistent power outages, rising fuel costs, and broader economic instability, situating them not as exceptional crises but as the texture of daily Nigerian life. The line “it’s either you’re rich or struggling” captures a society in which the space between poverty and comfort has all but collapsed.
Sparkle Tee and Ibquake serve as co-voices on the record, extending its frustration beyond a single perspective. One line — “How do you sweet-talk your suffering?” — challenges the normalisation of hardship in the public consciousness.
“This is what people are living through,” Zoro Swagbag said. “We just put it into sound.”
Zoro Swagbag, who records under the moniker “042 Finest”, has built his catalogue around Igbo-language hip-hop and street narratives.
“NNA,” now available on all streaming platforms via ONErpm, marks a more overtly political turn.
