Nigerian hip-hop artiste Nonee aka Ye Barrah is set to make his musical debut on August 21, 2012 with the release of his first single, “Dance like Alikoto”.

Produced by Killbeatz in the Ghanaian music style known as Hiplife (a musical fusion of highlife and hip-hop), “Dance like Alikoto” marks Nonee's first foray into this musical genre. In his own words: “I'm taking a bite of the Hiplife cake.”

With the single’s release, Nonee, who is best known for his Afro hip-hop style of music, hopes “Dance like Alikoto” will shake up the music scene and at the same time, get people dancing too.

“I wanted to try something different from what I’d normally do,” says the 28-year-old, who is also a songwriter.

The song is Nonee’s first collaborative effort with famed Ghanaian music producer Killbeatz and artist Stay Jay, who is featured on the song. Killbeatz is known for his work with Wizkid, D’banj, Sarkodie and R2Bees while Stay Jay is a Hiplife/Hip-hop artist currently making waves in Ghana.

“Dance like Alikoto” hopes to bank on the popularity of the Azonto dance, an African dance form that has recently taken the world by storm. Originating from Ghana, Azonto incorporates complex body movements and non-verbal communication in rhythmic fashion in a series of one-two timed steps.

A highly infectious and catchy dance tune, “Dance like Alikoto” is the single off Nonee’s forthcoming debut album which is slated for release early next year. The album will feature a tapestry of musical influences, from hip-hop to R&B to pop blended with Afro beats. The artist will also sing on some of the tracks in his debut album.

Nonee, who won the 2010 African Entertainment Award (Malaysia) for Best Pop Artist, counts Fela Kuti, Majek Fashek, Bob Marley, Tupac, Notorious BIG, Slick Rick, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean as among his childhood idols. A fan of a wide range of musical genres (Afro beat, Hip-Hop, Soul, Pop, R&B, House, Dubstep, Drum n Bass, Electro and Techno), Nonee also lists Jay-Z, Common, Damian Marley and Sizzla as among his living idols.

The artist is also keen on working with producers Cobhams, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Don Jazzy, Jay Sleek, Kanye West and No I.D, and would love to collaborate with international artists such as Chris Brown, Adele, Damian Marley and Sizzla. In addition to Killbeatz, Nonee has also worked with producers Dmite and Chordratic Beats. In 2011, Nonee released “Only Tonight” online, which featured Nigerian reggae/dancehall artist General Pype.

Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nonee says living abroad has allowed him to gain new experiences, in turn broadening his thinking and creativity. He also says working with those who know little or nothing about Afro hip-hop has proven to be exciting and challenging.

Listen to Nonee