Not every project needs lyrics to say something meaningful. Sometimes, the instruments do all the talking. That’s the approach Tune Walker, born Mustapha Adeniyi Hakeem, takes on “Hakeem,” a two-track project that introduces him not with words, but with rhythm, melody, and texture, led by a talking drum and a clear musical vision.
“Hakeem” is a two-track offering that runs just under seven minutes. But brevity doesn’t mean a lack of ambition. Across “Tornado” and “Hurricane,” Tune Walker delivers a focused fusion of Afrobeats and Amapiano held together by live instrumentation, a reminder that before 808s and synth pads, there were drums that could speak.
Both tracks are purely instrumental. No vocals. No features. Just sound doing the work. “Tornado” opens with percussive force, layering heavy drums over an unmistakable Amapiano bounce fused with Afrobeats energy. The trumpets lift the track from groove to moment, before the electric guitar sweeps in as the true hook, pulling the arrangement forward with momentum that matches its name.
“Hurricane” shifts the mood without breaking the flow. Where “Tornado” moves with force, “Hurricane” breathes with soul. The shekere bounce grounds the track in West African tradition, while the saxophone glides in with a smoothness that feels made for sunsets and late-night rooftop sets. It’s the kind of melody that lingers, the kind a DJ would happily loop back.
Together, the two tracks form a cohesive statement. The titles are deliberate: both natural forces, both unstoppable once they build momentum. That’s the core idea of “Hakeem”: instrumentation as force. Tune Walker presents himself not as a vocalist chasing playlists, but as a multi-instrumentalist building soundscapes, with credits spanning drums, saxophone, keyboard, and bass guitar.
Beyond streaming, both tracks feel built for bigger moments, DJ sets, samples, campaigns, or runways. The Afrobeats–Amapiano fusion is fertile ground right now, and Tune Walker’s instrumental approach carves out a distinct lane that complements the wider ecosystem of sound.
For a project named after himself, “Hakeem” feels like Tune Walker’s introduction on his own terms—and it’s one worth paying attention to.
Listen to “Hakeem” Here
