Nigerian producer Rasheed Segun Tijani, popularly known as Rashy, draws inspiration from highlife, jazz and hip-hop on his three-track project, Roots. The project brings together different musical influences, with guitar melodies, horns and African percussion playing important roles in the production.
The opening track, “FRO,” has a lovely highlife feel to it. The guitar leads the melody, supported by piano and drums that give the song its lively rhythm. It is the kind of sound that has remained popular at Nigerian celebrations over the years. There’s something about the guitar that brings old-school highlife to mind, particularly the way it moves along with the percussion. The arrangement has a cheerful feel to it, and the rhythm is enough to get people dancing.
Things slow down considerably on “Still.” Rashy moves into lo-fi hip-hop, introducing saxophone and trumpet melodies over a laid-back beat. The combination has a jazz feel to it, with the horns doing much of the work while the beat stays in the background. It is quite a change from “FRO,” but that’s also what makes it interesting.
“Still” sounds like something that would fit nicely into a J. Cole record, especially his more reflective songs. The production leaves enough room for a rapper to come in with a verse, although the saxophone and trumpet already give the instrumental plenty of character. It also has the sort of relaxed atmosphere that works well for a quiet evening, perhaps while unwinding after a long day.
Rashy returns to a more upbeat sound on “Ijo,” the final track. The title is Yoruba for dance, and the music certainly lives up to it. African percussion drives the rhythm, accompanied by melodies that give the song an Afro-jazz feel. It has the energy of a traditional Nigerian wedding, particularly when the drums get everyone moving. The percussion stands out here, carrying much of the song and giving it a rhythm that is easy to follow.
While “FRO” and “Ijo” share a similar celebratory feeling, they approach it differently. The guitar is the attraction on “FRO,” whereas “Ijo” relies more on its percussion. “Still,” meanwhile, is a complete change of pace, introducing a calmer sound between the two.
At three tracks, Roots is a short listen, but it offers a good look at Rashy’s range as a producer. The switch from highlife to jazz-influenced hip-hop and African dance rhythms gives the project variety, although “Still” is perhaps the most interesting of the three because of how well the horns work with the beat.
There’s still room for Rashy to explore these sounds further, especially the jazz and hip-hop combination heard on “Still.” For now, Roots gives listeners three enjoyable instrumentals that show his appreciation for different styles of music without moving too far away from his African influences.
Listen to “Roots” Here
