As it stands, singer Peruzzi will no longer be referred to as ‘that artiste who hitched a ride to fame on 2Baba’s hit single ‘Amaka’.’ He emerges as a full-fledged act with his debut album, ‘Rum and Boogie’. The album arrived at music streaming sites on April 9, 2021.
Kicking off his musical career in 2016 on Golden Boy Records, he has been recording since the age of 7. In 2018 he signed on to Davido Music World (DMW). His affiliation with Nigerian singer Davido is well-known in the industry. He is a distant cousin to Davido’s ex-girlfriend, Chioma.
‘Rum and Boogie’ is a follow-up to 2018’s extended play (EP) ‘HeartWork’ and 2020’s ‘3 (A Playlist by the Huncho)”.
From the get-go, the album overwhelms with its sheer number of tracks included in the project. This style of packing as many songs as possible on an album seems a bit dated at a time when streaming has greatly influenced how songs and albums are curated to seize the attention of music lovers who are spoiled for choice.
To favour streams, tracks are shortened, and album tracklists are trimmed to include a bare minimum of 11 tracks. Instead ‘Rum and Boogie’ inundates the listener with 20 tracks as though it was the early 2000s of the CD era.
He adopts the dual album concept. Splitting through the middle; it places ten tracks in a separate fraction tagged Rum and another ten in Boogie. Seemingly, this partitioning approach helps the listener navigate through the album seamlessly guided by themes. Case in point, Brymo’s ‘Yellow’. The 2020 release is sorted into three portions, with side A exploring darker themes and melancholy and side B being more upbeat. The final portion is rendered in Nigerian vernacular such as Igbo and Yoruba to match the folksy nature of the songs. Another classic mention is Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierce, where she explores her distinct alter egos.
On the contrary, Peruzzi’s splitting of ‘Rum and Boogie’ comes with no clear-cut directions as both parts share common themes save for the literal number of featured acts. The Boogie portion outweighs the Rum side with the number of collaborators.
On the flip side, this overdose of collaborators is a good flair the album possesses, marking it as its biggest commercial strength. With a total of nine credited collaborators (Davido, Don Jazzy, Phyno, Patoranking, Wande Coal, Tiwa Savage, Fireboy DML, Boylexxy, and Setup). the album gains more attention than it would have if it stood alone.
Although the album title suggests life on the fast lane accompanied by heavy drinking on a busy night, its opener on the Rum side of the album, ‘Juba (Bow)’, is a melancholic piece that offers a peek into an introspective Peruzzi giving praise to the almighty. He reproduces this effect on another track, the Patoranking-assisted dancehall ‘Baba God’.
Another track, ‘Telepot’ rides smoothly on the mid-tempo lane to reveal a more sensual side of the singer as he vocalises over enchanting guitar riffs and flamboyant horns wooing his love interest. ‘See Love’ also assumes the same path as ‘Telepot’ in terms of his use of horns, but it does so with a platonic expression of love. Also, it has the groove factor the latter track lacks.
Peruzzi also came bearing hits. The jolly, highlife-tinged ‘Baddest’ that sees Don Jazzy and Phyno casually singing is the album’s head-turner. Arguably, with its call-and-response style, it is one of the tracks that will keep the entire album sailing on streaming sites.
Another track that immediately piques interest is ‘Somebody Baby’, which features DaVido. Bearing all the elements of a hit track, it shines with a boisterous chorus powered by the vibrant ‘so you get somebody?’ line. Songs with the potential to become massive hits include ‘Issolova’ if properly serviced to radio stations in the southwest, and ‘Lagbaja’ in the southeast.
Exploring eras, Peruzzi and Wande Coal send the listener to the club on ‘Available’. Although modern, it carries with it, whiffs of the early 2010s that are reminiscent of production from the Mo’Hits crew. But a more impressive offering is ‘Change Your Style’. Marinated in contemporary sounds, it’s bound to the millennial/Gen Z favourite.
Some tracks on the albums also explore the amanpiano route. Peruzzi puts his best foot forward on ‘Feeling Good’ and ‘Change Your Style’, effectively harnessing this iteration of the South African house music genre. ‘Kalakuta’ is a fun track that draws essence from Caribbean sounds, majorly calypso music. While ‘Kalakuta’ flirts with the Caribbean genre, he goes all out on ‘God Forbid’ sampling ‘Stir it Up’, a hit track by Jamaican artiste Bob Marley.
The Rexxie-produced ‘Call’ brings listeners home with its fast-paced, catchy beats. ‘Gunshot’ also possesses this texture but on a slowed-down pace, ‘Southy Love’, which features Fireboy DML appears to be the hybrid of both tracks.
Although impressive, even the greatest albums have their flaws, and Peruzzi isn’t immune to this Achilles heel. Tracks like ‘Girlie’, and ‘Matrimony’ are best left out. They are fillers at best and will not be missed.
Producers on the album include SperoacHBeatz, Show Beat, Zaki Amujei, Mr. Eff, Fresh VDM, V Stix, Clemzy, Lussh, and P Prime.
While it is all fun and games, at specific points, it still feels laborious listening to the entire set at a go. The fatigue sets in due to similarity marking some of the tracks. This limitation could have been avoided if the album was first released with just 12 or 14 tracks.
Listening to ‘Rum and Boogie’ feels like waddling through a puddle on the playground. Fun initially, but tiring eventually… then fun again.
Rating: B+