The fast-rising Afro-beats duo Ajebo Hustlers released their debut album ‘Kpos Lifestyle Vol. 1’ on the 23rd of July 2021. If you don’t know who they are, they are the famous voices on Barawo featuring Davido and Pronto featuring Omah Lay.
I am excited about the release of this album. Their style is so very southside and that has been absent from the Nigerian music scene for a long time. Ajebo Hustlers did us solid with this one and I am proud.
The album contains 10 tracks that I’ll review individually.
1. Bus Stop
Bus Stop is a perfect opening track. It eases you into the album with its mellow beats and acoustic guitar. Overall, the track has a chill vibe as Piego takes on the chorus and Knowledge handles the rap verse. The guitar makes Bus Stop feel like it can be classified in the Afro-R&B genre.
2. Yafun Yafun
First released as a single few days before the release of the album, this track follows up Bus Stop perfectly in terms of storytelling. If I’m being honest, I didn’t like this track when it came out as a single. I guess I didn’t just give it enough listen because right now, it is a bop. This track will most likely grow on you.
3. Solace
This is my favourite track on the album. If we are being honest, it deserves more radio plays than it is currently getting. The storytelling in this song is really good. The progression of the piano and the amapiano beats produced by Fresh VDM and Avante is just chef’s kisses. The bass guitar pulls it all in leaving it with a wavy vibe. My only problem with this track is that it is short.
4. Symbiosis (feat Nissi)
We the kpos lifestyle members know this track isn’t new. It was first released as a track on their 2018 LP ‘Ideas In My Voice Note’. It was later re-released as a single in 2020. I liked this before and I still do. I’m glad it made the album because it fits the overall album narrative.
5. Pronto (feat Omah Lay)
This fire single from the Ajebo Hustlers gang featuring our favourite Omah Lay carries nothing but vibes. It also fits the overall narrative of the album and is a great addition. This will forever be a bop for me.
6. Sophisticated Iyawo
This track first featured in their 2018 LP ‘Ideas In My Voice Note’ was a big hit in the South. Earlier in its release, it got a feature with one of Port Harcourt’s finest, Duncan Mighty. I like this song. Sophisticated Iyawo is chill just like the album’s opening track Bus Stop. It sets you down from the Pronto groove to something more physically intimate.
7. Oh My Home
The narrative of the album takes a turn with this track. This song takes a cue from the nursery school rhyme “oh my home, when shall I see my home, when shall I see my native land, I will never forget my home” and is transformed into a rant, marking the beginning of the economic, political and social part of the album
8. Zamo
We have to give it to Ajebo Hustlers for their ability to tell a story. The lyrics of this track is about someone who is penitent and is seeking redemption and guidance.
9. Barawo
Zamo is followed by Barawo, their mega-hit single. You most likely know this song from the #EndSARS nationwide protest in 2020 which later got a feature with Davido. Barawo breaks down some of the social and political problems in Nigeria: public funds looting, jungle justice, nepotism, ethnic crisis and kinship disagreements.
10. Kpos
“Kpos to the freaking weekend” is all I have to say. Also part of the tracks taken from one of their earlier released songs in their career, Kpos is the ultimate TGIF song.
MY THOUGHTS
I may be biased when it comes to Ajebo Hustlers but we can agree that ‘Kpos Lifestyle Vol. 1’ is good and has tracks to make listening worthwhile.
Upon first listen, you may not like it. This is where I advise that you sit down and have a re-listen. I’m a sucker for storytelling and ‘Kpos Lifestyle Vol. 1’ does a nice job at it with the arrangement of the tracks.
The first part of the album [tracks 1 to 6] tells us a story of a romantic relationship with a girl who is not single. The second part [tracks 7 to 9] focuses on social, economic and political storytelling. The last track seals the deal with one thing we can all relate to – enjoyment.
However, I would have loved to see Tamuno, a track released during the early days of their career make the album just like Sophisticated Iyawo either arranged before the last track, Kpos or after.
All I have to say is y’all should make way because bad boys are coming through. This album is a great mark for the duo and I can’t wait to see what they come up with in the future. I’ll be giving this album 7/10 replays.
