EZIOKWU

ODUMODUBLVCK had been at the forefront of the Nigerian drill and alternative rap movement for a while, but in just a few short years he was catapulted into the mainstream: in 2022 he signed with NATIVE Records (in partnership with Def Jam) and released his first big hit “Picanto,” featuring ECko Miles, and Zlatan; in 2023 he released EZIOKWU with Def Jam, and that same year Arsenal used his single to announce the signing of West Ham captain Declan Rice, introducing him to a whole new international fanbase. Though the Igbo idioms and typically Nigerian storytelling might go over the head of most non-Nigerians, it’s hard not to love the interplay between his sweet, melodic singing and his cutting rap style. His melodies clearly draw on West African highlife, with “Kubolor,” featuring Amaraae, opening with a Ghanaian highlife-inflected guitar line, before filling out with amapiano log-drums and ODUMODUBLVCK’s velvety vocals. With the participation of several artists from the underground rap and “altè” scenes (like Amaarae, Cruel Santino, Fireboy DML and others) EZIOKWU is a testament to the vibrancy of West Africa’s music, beyond Afrobeats.