Odumodu’s charisma as a person is unmissable. It’s in his vibrant energy in his music videos. It’s in the manner in which he types out tweets in all caps and declares them as declarations or prophecies. It’s even in every song of his, where he belts out quite a mouthful of intro to emphasize his warrior spirit.
Artists with this amount of chaotic personalities are very much needed in the industry. Asides from their inane ability just to entertain with their antics, sometimes their effervescence spills into the music as they tend to be quite ambitious people in their sonic and topical adventures. Odumodu isn’t any different and the title of his last single, preceding the album release buttresses that point even further. He’s a disruptor and quite a good one at that.
He might be the breakout star of the mainstream in 2023, but the artist has been grafting for quite a really long time, releasing his debut project as far back as 2017. But it wouldn’t be until 2023, that his sleeper hit PICANTO would crossover into mainstream consciousness, amplifying the rest of his larger-than-life personality that would leave audiences intrigued and curious about him. Fortunately for him, he capitalized on this momentum and released great music.
Odumodu’s music is a unique fusion of genres, from boom-bap rap to grime and Drill, with subtle influences of highlife and the sort of abstract coherence of lyrics that could pass as alté. When you factor that in with his very intentional and disruptive tendencies, he’s one of the mainstream artists that could also pass as an alté artist.
EZIOKWU translates to “The Truth” and that makes sense in all ramifications, because Odunodu is simply speaking his sh*t on the LP. It’s called a mixtape for a reason. It doesn’t have the sort of progressive, coherent narrative or sonic cohesion most great albums have because it doesn’t need to. It’s simply a compilation of records that perfectly intersect at the junction of Odumodu’s mainstream leanings and his Hip-Hop exploits to appeal to his new audiences, as well as his rap devotees.
Despite being hailed as the rap messiah in an industry, where Hip-Hop has struggled to attain mainstream relevance or find a new assertive voice in a younger artist, after the OG’s dominance—Odumodu smartly avoids crafting a robust, hardcore rap project devoted to talking his shit and beating his chest as the savior of rap. Nothing would be wrong with that inherently, but that would have alienated his new mainstream audiences and ruined his momentum. He rightly opts for sonic choices that balances his rap, alongside pop fusion.
“Fall into her kpekus like a beast, na me be the captain of her ship” Odumodu sings on COMMEND, this line encapsulating the essence of his lyrics, which are usually edgy and unadulterated no matter the context of the topic. When he explores sexual topics, he’s unbridled and doesn’t censor his expression. And that sentiment is louder than ever on the hit record, DECLAN RICE and single, MC OLUOMO where he’s daring his detractors and bigging up himself as the man.
The sentiment is also prevalent on SHOOT AND GO HOME and HAMMER TIME. On the former, he’s mostly flexing his sexual shenanigans and his skillful ability to wade through feminine anathemas without strings attached. The latter song on the other hand is more geared in the direction of living life to the fullest, making the most of the moment and reveling in the gravity of being at the top. Whilst SHOOT AND GO HOME is the arch-type aggressive leaning Odumodu song, built on restless acoustic guitar strings and a prominent baseline, HAMMER TIME is more melodic on a pop backdrop.
Songs like KUBOLOR and ADAMMA BEKE are also built on the melodic sonic soundscape of Odumodu that thrives on highlife synthesizers, melodic rapping cadences and catchy hooks infused with one-liners that would undoubtedly grow on you. KUBOLOR infuses log drums in a moderate manner that it works, whilst ADAMMA BEKE is more upbeat Afro-Pop.
BlOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR ft. Bloody Civilian and Wale is the song setting the mainstream on fire at the moment and is of course, the song that’s most primed to become a hit song. In unusual Odumodu fashion, there is nothing so dynamic or disruptive about its sonic structure or chord progression that you haven’t heard on other pop records, but it’s the delivery of the artists and the incredibly catchy nature of the hook that makes it stick. The abstract progression of the lyrics also makes sure it ties contrasting topics like blood and violence, sexual conquests and the frenzy of an energetic club scene—in a very seamless manner.
FIREGUN ft. Fireboy DML is another great pop song and perhaps, the most mainstream leaning record on the LP with a simplistic topical narrative, albeit great deliveries and lyricism from both artists. On SAINT OBI, Odumodu pays homage to iconic Nigerian action star of the 90s of the same name, juxtaposing his own doings and using the panache of the star as a metaphor. TESLA BOY ft. Blaqbonez and STRIPPERS ANTHEM ft. Teezee and Psycho YP are both potential album deep cuts on the more melodic side of the Hip-Hop spectrum and would find lovers in both rap and mainstream audiences.
Overall, EZIOKWU excels for what it’s trying to be. A pop/rap fusion project aiming to appeal to both pop and hip-hop demographics and Odumodu indeed found an ideal balance. Of course, the project is far from perfect as the overarching topical narrative could seem repetitive and overflogged at times, but it makes up for these lapses by being good, enjoyable music infused wih enough personality, niche slangs and musings that makes the music unmistakably Odumodu’s, which is the sort of uniquness to strive for in your major label debut LP, as an artist.
Final Verdict:
Sonic Cohesion: 1.4/2
Unharried Transitions: 1.4/2
Expansive Production: 1.5/2
Songwriting and Delivery: 1.6/2
Optimal Track Sequencing/Topical Progression: 1.8/2
Total: 7.7/10
–This review is written by T.J. Martins, an avid lover of music.
