There are few Nigerian artistes who define consistency quite like Olamide does.
The 32-year-old, who grew up in the slums of Bariga and had to drop out of school during his third year as an undergraduate, burst into the scene in 2011 with his smash hit “Eni Duro.” Since then, he has dropped eight albums in nine years: Rapsodi (2011), YBNL(2012), Baddest Guy Ever Liveth (2013, Street O.T (2014), Eyan Mayweather (2015, Glory (2016, Lagos Na Wa (2017) and Carpe Diem (2020).
Olamide is widely regarded as the artiste who ran with the torch of indigenous rap after the untimely death of Da-Grin in 2010, and is credited with some of Nigeria’s biggest hits over the past decade, from the raunchy “Story For The Gods” to the irreverent “Science Student”; from the flamboyant “Lagos Boys” to the introspective “Anifowose.” He is unarguably a cultural icon, he has the love of the streets, and barring an unnecessary spat with Don Jazzy in early 2016, he has largely remained controversy-free.
The rapper, popularly referred to as Baddo, has also helped kickstart the careers of some of today’s finest acts. Adekunle Gold and Lil Kesh both cut their teeth at YBNL, Fireboy DML is currently one of the country’s hottest prospects, and his discography has been a springboard for brilliant music producers like Young John and Pheelz.
UY Scuti, Olamide’s ninth studio album, jointly rolled out by YBNL and Empire, premiered in the early hours of Friday, June 18, 2021. The record, wholly produced by Eskeez, is ten tracks long, with a running time of 28 minutes.
The record gets off to a mellow start with “Need For Speed”, a track that dwells on hustle and ambition. With a slight growl, Olamide acknowledges the pressure involved in getting by with lyrics like “hustle got me high, steady grinding for the dough/tryna chase my dreams, Lagos traffic make it slow…”. The introspection can be felt in his voice, as he reflects on living fast and dying young.
Jaywill delivers a tasty hook on the club-themed “Jailer”, a track that thrives on drums and acoustics, and whose lyrics dwell on enchantment amidst dim lights. The boy-meets-girl narrative continues on “Rock”, the album’s lead single, which has Olamide serenade his love interest with accompaniment by drums and keyboards, and features the memorable lyric “ma lo fe broke nigga, fight for your life.”
“Julie”, which begins with lustful whispers and moans, is deliberate and direct in its sensuality, and with its slow tempo, it sounds like the climax of last year’s smash hit “Infinity.” Olamide proceeds to team up with the fast-rising Layydoe on the dancehall-themed “Rough Up”. With a contagious hook and a rhythm that accentuates the lewd nature of the lyrics, it is without doubt the most explicit track on the album.
On “Wave”, Olamide summons the help of Fave as he raps about late-night texts, stealing kisses, and having sex in the back seats of fast cars. The two join forces again on “PonPon”, a song which has the rapper deploying clever pop culture references like “I go do you wetin Big Sean dey do Jhene Aiko/I be loving you crazy like I be psycho”, and suddenly taking a hilarious turn with “you dey discombobulate me with your figure 8/I no go fit exaggerate.” If previous tracks draw allusions to an intense night of passion, then “PonPon” is the morning after.
The track that offers anything thematically related to what Olamide delivers on his previous albums is “Cup Of Tea ”, where he raps in Yoruba about alpha-maleness, assisted by percussions and a violin. Longtime friend and frequent collaborator Phyno joins him on “Somebody”, a track that dwells on love rather than lust, and has him making reassurances of commitment in a manner reminiscent of his 2015 hit “Melo Melo”, but with extra pace. The album closes out with the keyboard-laden “So Much More”, a love ballad where he samples the late reggae icon Lucky Dube, as he enjoins women to embrace self-care.
If there is anything this body of work lacks, it’s not narrative coherence. Olamide is clear about the topics he wants to interrogate: the straight-edge lifestyle, steamy romance, unbridled lust, and womanhood. He is in no mood to talk about the streets or about past struggles, and this time he just wants to get a lap dance, text ladies late into the night, and ogle the women he is lusting after.
In many respects, this record is a further departure from the sound he is known for. He is more experimental in his sonic approach, and he even works with a different producer: when was the last time we had an Olamide album without Pheelz? It’s puzzling at first to figure out what he is trying to do with this new direction, but after the third listen, the songs get easier to digest. “Jailer” and “Rock” are the project’s high points from a musical perspective, and “Rough Up” helps to register the theme that runs throughout the album, but “So Much More” sounds like a rushed attempt to compose a song dedicated to women: the message is clear, but the sound doesn’t quite catch on.
Ultimately, UY Scuti has Olamide sound very comfortable, but his artistic choices will probably confound his fans. They will definitely listen, but it’s difficult to see them placing this on the same shelf with Eyan Mayweather, Street O.T or even Carpe Diem. It’s a laid-back album that would fit into a Friday night sleep-in, it’s not a bad record by any indices, and he seems to be enjoying himself at this point. It may sound like it lacks the urgency of his previous offerings, but it is more of an artistic evolution and less of lethargy. He has little to prove, and he is allowed to try out new things. However, time will tell how well this body of work will be received.
Rating: 6.5/10.