On His Fifth Studio Album, The Rapper Is A Roaming Adventurer Of Pop Soundscapes.
It’s news to absolutely no one that Blaq is a terrific rapper. Ever since surfacing in the mainstream with his Bad Boy Blaq EP, his reputation as a proficient emcee has always been intact. Despite dabbling in the waters of the mainstream from time to time, his rap records, collaborations, old freestyles as well as bold declarations of being the best emcee on the continent—did well to cement his status as a prominent rapper in the Afrobeats space.
His first two albums, Sex Over Love and Young Preacher are critically acclaimed Hip-Hop albums that showcased the full range of his dynamism as a rapper and also established the defining narrative of him being the biggest advocate against love and relationships. Making great rap projects has never been an issue for Blaq, however balancing his mainstream sensibilities in the same vein—has proved to be a challenge. No Excuses was a major improvement on the mainstream aspirations of EMS, and now that he’s doubling down even more on pop soundscapes on this new LP, it’s paramount to ask if he took a step forward.
The album opens with cinematic guitar strings and minimalist drums on I LOVE THIS and Blaq wastes absolutely no time in getting into his groove with a lucid verse that reminds us of his debauchery affinities. There’s a nostalgic Shaolin-esque quality to the strings and overall pathos of the track that primes one for an high octane action film, which is an adequate expectation of a good rap project. Igwe Aka’s cameo is nothing noteworthy and he’s completely outshone by Blaq on the song.
CA$H EVERYDAY attempts to build on the good momentum the opener established but it falters. The record still feels grand, due to the scenic chords carrying through but it’s not a sonic triumph. Despite having a decent verse, the verses are hardly inspiring and flows one-dimensional. BIG PERFOMA on the other hand is one of the better Blaq singles in a long while. It maintains traditional rap beat patterns but a collaboration of Prime and Semzi ensures the beat is propulsive nonetheless. However, it’s Blaq’s dexterous flows and witty-one liners that mostly sparks the magic here.
The narrative is loose but the title is self explanatory. This is a man that takes joy in his work of being a superstar and living the good life. That sentiment bleeds into IKEBE 3000 and is dialed up to the highest of hedonistic levels. On some level, Chanel is the better Asake collaboration and single with a more luxurious, kinetic beat honed for melodic rapping but IKEBE 3000 is simply a more raucous song that’s sure to cause more enigma on dance floors. However the chest thumping antics and healthy doses of arrogance on songs like Chanel will always trump plain degenerate ones on IKEBE 3000.
MAZZA deplores Amapiano shakers but is light on log drums and heavier on rumbling electric synths. Blaq remains in his promiscous bag and expresses his excitement of new sensual conquests. DANCIA indulges the frenetic energy of hyper-pop with animated vocal inflections and a restless bounce, while Blaq raps about the small pleasures of life being the big backside of his love interest. Unlike MAZZA, which features a stronger hook and weaker verses—it’s the other way round on DANCIA, with a verse that’s a tad overflogged.
CA$H OUT remains in the same narrative ballpark with tamer production and a more free spirited delivery that works. At this point, it’s quite clear Blaq has reverted to EMS tendencies of the album not being big on narrative due to its pop aspirations and it’s a shame because the rapper is unparalleled at crafting stories from believable personas to deliver great music. Victony’s soothing vocals calm the tempo down on Yahooze and sure enough Blaq’s rapping gets noticeably better when the song is heavier on narrative and in this case, it’s the delirium of deep pockets and the nigh fictional comfort it affords superstars.
Blaq raps to his heart full on Like 2021, waxing poetic about old flames, past convictions on success and even basking in the future nostalgia of a great prophecy that’s yet to be fulfilled. The psychedelic vibrations on FYP is straight from the underground and Monochrome is immense on the track, deploring a flow that’s sure to get legs dancing frantically at raves and house parties. Blaq always mixes well with the underground, he might as well consider a project fully dedicated to collaborations with that community. It doesn’t portend mainstream fortunes, but it will produce good music for sure.
Ruger is recruited on the Dancehall swing of JUSTINA, another sonic territory Blaq has excelled at great level in the past. For some reason, he resorts to mumble rap on the bridge of the song and is content with teeing up Ruger for the heavylifting who doesn’t dissapoint. The song is a tad formulaic with little ingenuity but it’s a decent offering nonetheless. SAMPLE EKWE treads similar sonic territory with LIKE 2021, except it swaps out African percussion with more traditional boom bap elements.
The narrative skips and hops from fast cars to beautiful women and exotic landscapes but it’s done with a lesser amount of technical ability so it doesn’t land the same. JONZING is yet another nothing burger track that’s too loose on narrative and weak in structure to stick. FINESSE YOU does manage to stick the landing and sure enough, Blaq’s rapping experiences another glow up when he’s indulging braggadocio or reminiscing about the past. TML Vibez once again outshines Blaq on a Hip-Hop track for the second time in a month after Blaq’s cameo on his own LP. This is a compelling dynamic this writer wants to see more of.
Blaqbonez’s NOMADINHO is very true to its title in the sense of the rapper being a sonic nomad, roaming back and forth and tapping into a myriad of sounds that have little in common. It doesn’t always click as a result of loose narratives and occasionally monotone deliveries, but it has enough high points to justify this sonic expedition. It remains to be seen if that will be enough for most, after all this album was catered for mainstream sensibilities.
Final Verdict:
Sonic Cohesion: 1.3/2
Expansive Production: 1.4/2
Songwriting: 1.5/2
Delivery: 1.3/2
Track Sequencing: 1.3/2
Total: 6.8/10
