Lovince Mckenzie teams up with Joshua Baraka, Ayo Maff in new single ‘Locked In’

Kenyan-American singer and songwriter Lovince Mckenzie has teamed up with Ugandan artist Joshua Baraka and Nigerian musician Ayo Maff for his upcoming single, ‘Locked In,’ as he prepares to release his forthcoming EP, ‘Dance and Soul.’

The collaboration brings together artists from Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, highlighting the growing cross-border connections shaping contemporary African music.

For Mckenzie, the release marks another step in his ambition to develop a sound that blends his East African roots with international influences, including Afrobeats, Afro-house and electronic dance music.

‘Locked In’ follows his earlier collaboration with Ayo Maff on ‘Light Up,’ a song that helped introduce his music to a wider audience and established a creative partnership that continues with the new release.

Rather than replicate the earlier collaboration, Mckenzie is using the latest project to expand his musical identity and explore new creative directions.

The singer's catalogue includes tracks such as ‘Lover’, ‘I Know You Know’, ‘Home’, ‘See Me, Vigelegele’ and ‘My Heart’, which draw on themes of romance, personal reflection and African musical influences.

His song ‘On My Way’ marked a further shift towards Afro-house and melodic dance music, pointing to an approach that combines emotional songwriting with rhythms suited to clubs and festival stages.

With ‘Locked In’, Mckenzie brings together his Kenyan-American background, Baraka's connection to Uganda's contemporary music scene and Ayo Maff's Nigerian roots.

The collaboration is intended to connect audiences across different African music markets while broadening the artists' reach beyond their respective countries.

The upcoming ‘Dance and Soul’ EP will further explore the relationship between music, movement and emotion, with themes ranging from vulnerability and longing to belonging, ambition, identity and freedom.

For Mckenzie, the project represents an effort to establish a consistent artistic identity rather than rely on individual collaborations as isolated releases.

His approach seeks to balance the emotional depth of songwriting with the energy of dance music, creating a sound that can appeal to listeners across different settings, from personal listening to live performances.

‘Locked In’ is the latest development in that journey, building on the foundation laid by ‘Light Up’ and the musical direction explored in ‘On My Way’.

Through the forthcoming EP, Mckenzie hopes to carry his Kenyan roots into a broader international sound while maintaining the cultural influences that shape his music.

The release of ‘Dance and Soul’ is expected to provide a fuller picture of that vision, with ‘Locked In’ serving as one of its defining chapters.