There is no artistic duo or artist at all in the Afrobeats space—that embodies the essence of making badass, daredevil music better than Ajebo Hustlers.
No matter the topical matter, they infuse their deliveries with so much persona and unadulterated Nigerianism that makes the music so unmistakably theirs and badass. It’s the unique element of their brand of music and the tenets on which the success of their prior projects thrive on. On their brand new EP, they get a little more emotive than they’re known for but they don’t trade their identity in the process.
Movie Star is the most heartfelt record on the EP and it’s primed to be a bop with the ladies. On its backdrop of R&B rhythm and pop bounce, Piego sings his heart out and emphasizes the gravitas of his lover’s grip on him, making it pixel clear that he could be pretty much under a spell. The record has great yearning like a good love song should and Knowledge’s rap keeps it grounded—his flows suffused with enough pidgin to stamp the Ajebo Hustlers sonic imprint on it.
Semzi is at the production helm on Ave Maria, the soulful Amapiano fusion record, tinged with Highlife undertones to justify a Victony presence. Despite his vocal texture being tailor made for such a soundscape, Victony doesn’t outshine the duo with Piego delivering on a very memorable bridge with lines like, “na money be the problem, na money be the solution” and Knowledge also isn’t short of wits on the rapping end. Like its predecessor, this is another really good record.
Velvet has the type of pulsing baseline that just pulls you in under the bubbling undercurrents of its emotions. It has Lo-fi sonic production and warm piano notes, but once again the duo’s dynamism makes it more lively than the genre style is known for. This is another good song, that’s a bigger slow burn than the other tracks on the EP. Piego sings about his promiscuous tendencies and is open about it, despite being passionate and Knowledge recounts an evergreen experience with a lover.
An Ajebo Hustlers and Timaya collaboration is such a great concept, because if there was a pacesetter in the past years of contemporary African music that has been the quintessential representation of the unhinged swaggering qualities that make the hustlers music pop, it’s Timaya. Unfortunately, Yan Yan Po doesn’t live up to its great potential. It’s not inherently bad, and the duo even manage to get a pretty decent verse from Timaya but the hook and the overarching topical execution is very forgettable.
Ajebo Hustlers continue their impressive streak of consistent releases that don’t fail to hit the mark. And with Onorato, they’ve broadened their horizons and made more expansive music that strays out of their comfort zone, whilst still retaining their sonic identity. A feat that’s proven to be quite insurmountable to accomplish these days.
Final Verdict:
Sonic Cohesion & Transitions: 1.4/2
Expansive Production: 1.4/2
Songwriting: 1.5/2
Delivery: 1.7/2
Optimal Track Sequencing: 1.3/2
Total: 7.3/10
