Known for the versatility and laid-back sonic style evidenced across confident-yet-chill singles like “Miracle”, “Alaokora” and “Pim Pim”, Nigerian singer-songwriter Dice Ailes takes a more confessional, intimate tone on his debut EP, 2022’s Ladies First. <br>“I felt that it was important to take my fans through some of my more personal experiences, as far as certain encounters with certain women in my life,” Dice tells Apple Music. “These experiences have shaped me into who I am today—from love to betrayal, to sex. I felt that it was an important part of my life that I needed to share with the fans and sort of just bring them closer.” <br>Crafted in and around lockdown, the EP stands as a six-track detour on the way towards the release of his debut LP, Waterman. “When I decided to touch up on some of these experiences with some of these ladies in my life, I felt that the best title for that project would be &#039;Ladies First’, before the album,” Dice explains. “So it&#039;s kind of like a play on words. It&#039;s not exactly like ‘ladies first’, as gentleman would say—it&#039;s basically &#039;Ladies First’, before the Waterman album.” <br>Fusing together Dice’s kaleidoscope of influences, from fuji, highlife, R&amp;B, gospel, and hip-hop—gained during his multicultural upbringing spanning Nigeria, Benin and Canada—the EP also marks the first release from Dice’s label imprint, The Money Mob. “I had a lot of time on my hands [during lockdown] and I had just left my previous label,” he explains, “and I felt that it was the right time to create a platform that allows me and my music to grow, and also just give back. There&#039;s a lot of young talents in Africa, that don&#039;t necessarily get the opportunities that they deserve. I&#039;m trying to create a structure that allows for talents that don&#039;t necessarily have the finances to be able to grow. And we just want to do a lot of development for emerging African artists. On the EP, I&#039;m working with a lot of emerging creators, and also trying to build the guys from the label. We&#039;re just trying to put people on and show people that you can make beautiful music regardless of how ‘big’ you are.” Here, Dice Ailes (Shasha Damilola Alesh) breaks down Ladies First, track by track