If there is one artiste who defines tenacity and resilience in the Nigerian music industry, it would be Blaqbonez.
Casual observers would probably describe Blaqbonez, real name Emeka Akumefule, as a rapper who promotes his music through hilarious social media antics, but for the 25-year-old, the journey started long before that. At age 13, Blaqbonez was listening to the radio with his cousin, and had harsh words after listening to a song composed by a 12-year-old rapper. His cousin challenged him to come up with his own lyrics, and minutes later he returned with bars for an entirely new song.
From breaking a studio microphone at the age of 15 to winning Terry Tha Rapman’s Zombie competition at the expense of 3000 other rappers in 2012, emerging first runner-up at Vector’s King Kong rap competition in 2015, and becoming Hennessy VS Class Captain in the same year, Blaqbonez has been an embodiment of drive and passion from his teenage years. His journey has not been the smoothest: his parents dismissed his ambitions as “youthful exuberance”, and a whole mixtape once disappeared when a friend’s laptop crashed during his undergraduate days as a Computer Engineering student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). Still, he didn’t give up, building a following in the underground rap scene and sending Instagram DMs to record labels, before Chocolate City stumbled on his material and signed him under its “100 Crowns” imprint.
When his debut album, Bad Boy Blaq (executively produced by MI Abaga), dropped in 2018, people began to take notice – in 2019 he was profiled by The New York Times as one of the new guards of Nigerian music – but Blaqbonez has put in the work years prior, with mixtapes like Hip-hop In Blaq (2013), Cassette Tapes and TVs (2015) and Last Time Under (2017). Known for his cocky lyrics and aggressive marketing on social media – his promotional work with the hit single “Haba” was one of the highlights of 2020 -he has since evolved from a gritty underground rapper to a more rounded artist who incorporates elements of dancehall and pop into his music.
Sex Over Love, Blaqbonez’s second studio album which premiered on April 30, 2021, is a 14-track body of work rolled out by Chocolate City Music Group. With a listening time of 40 minutes, it features production input from BeatsbyJayy, Type A, Blaise Beats, Xquisite Beats, Tuzi and Spax, with mixing and mastering tone by A-Q, and Anthony Azekwoh providing the artwork.
The album gets off to a high-tempo start with the Xquisite Beats-produced “Novacane”, a track that is as heavy on auto-tune as it is on cockiness, and samples a freestyle from his battle rap days. “Heartbreaker”, produced by BeatsbyJayy and featuring South African rapper Nasty C, is a song that has him disclosing how he’s too emotionally unavailable for the ladies attracted to him, using lyrics like “hope this d*** is enough for ya/I’m a heartbreaker, not a lover.” The alpha-male narrative continues in “Bling” (featuring Amaarae and Buju), which bears a rhythm reminiscent of Santi’s “Freaky”: lines like “I be think say e don do/but she say she no wan go/everyday telling me Bonjour/because the money sweet like banku” suggest self-awareness and male dominance.
On the Blaise Beats-produced “Never Been In Love”, Blaqbonez admits his phobia for commitment as he yells “no spoil this small thing that we got o/if we no dey inside relationship/baby we no fit break up o.” Blaise Beats offers production assistance once again on the dancehall-themed “Don’t Touch”, a track that paints images of provocative dancing at a nightclub, and suggests male territoriality. “TGF P***y” (produced by BeatsbyJayy) is a hilarious ode to the divine feminine, with Blaqbonez adapting the old mealtime prayer “some have food but cannot eat” into something very explicit.
If there is any song that reflects the thematic tone of this album, it is “Okwaraji” (featuring some more production input from BeatsbyJayy), where he croons “me, I no dey waste energy/me sef, I dey ball die/kele dey for speed dial/why I go dey chase person/when any day she fit dey with another person.” Just like the Fireboy DML lyric “me, I fit fight for your love, but I no fit beg for your love” (from the 2019 hit track “King”), his sentiment on this track is a reflection of the modern dating game.
Blaqbonez teams up with Joeboy on “Fendi”, an upbeat track r that dwells on sexual desire. Tiwa Savage provides vocal assistance on the Spax-produced “BBC”, a track whose lyrics adulating the male phallus are as suggestive as its title. 1Da Banton and the fast-rising Bad Boy Timz put in a good shift on the Tuzi-produced “Faaji”, a track heavy on percussion and guitar which would fit into a Show Dem Camp record. “Zombie” is a collaboration with Psycho and YP and Laycon, with a rhythm that draws influence from trap music.
Cheque (of the “Zoom” fame) joins Blaqbonez on the BeatsbyJayy-produced “Best Friend”, a trap-themed track whose lyrics fixate on loyalty and hustle. His phobia for emotional attachment resurfaces on “Cynic Route”, where he raps about ghosting ladies and being unable to offer anything other than sex. The LP closes out with the Type A-produced “Haba”, a light-hearted track that throws a nod to lust and dance.
Thematically, Blaqbonez uses this record to paint his impression of the modern dating scene: jaded, numb men hooking up with unfaithful women. It chronicles how he eases into superstardom, while trying hard not to get caught up in the complication that is romance. Critics may call him out for promoting misogyny and toxic masculinity with his lyrics, but his tracks will resonate with those who uphold alpha-maleness and look to U.S rapper Future as a role model. These songs will blend nicely into sleepovers involving beer and video games, as well as short intra-city rides.
The LP features brilliant production and mixing, and he perfects what Yung6ix tried to do with Introduction To Trapfro, combining hip-hop with pop trap and dancehall. If Bad Boy Blaq was an announcement of his intention to approach Nigerian rap differently, then this project is proof that he can drop hard-hitting bars and make you dance at the same time. It will find home in a playlist that features American trap music, and among artists like Travis Scott and Roddy Rich, his sound will not feel out of place.
Ultimately, Sex Over Love does not only show how far Blaqbonez has come, it stands out as an anthem for hyper-masculinity and hedonism. Nigerian millennials love partying while having non-committal sex, and this record illustrates that. This former battle rapper is gradually carving his niche, and the buzz is well-deserved.
Rating: 6.8/10.
