Our Song Of The Week!
Founded by Ghazi Shami at the turn of the last decade, EMPIRE, a distribution, record and publishing company, has become one of the leading musical corporations in the world in recent times. They have partnered with a plethora of big names — predominantly Hip-Hop acts — like Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Anderson .Paak, Tyga, Ab Soul, Iggy Azalea, Shaggy, XXXTentacion, just to name a few. However, of late, they’ve turned some of their attention to the musical goldmine in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Early in the year, the record company set up shop in Lagos, launching their African headquarters which caters to artists from Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria and other countries south of the sahara. Since they began to explore the African market, they’ve partnered with acts like Fireboy DML, Black Sherif, Yaw Tog, Olamide, Asake, Buju and a few others. Now, in a bid to consolidate their presence, they’ve announced an African compilation album titled Where We Come From (Vol. 1).
Kizz Daniel alongside Blaisebeatz concocted the addictive lead single titled Cough (Odo) for the forthcoming project. In usual fashion, the 28-year-old builds the record around a lyrically sparse and sticky hook. It might become a jaded formula, sooner rather than later, but for now it still works. Over Blaisebeatz’s sharp, bouncy percussion, he lays bare his intentions of love, repeatedly sings “Odoyewu” to devastating, almost hypnotic effects. It might be played out but it's irresistible. It’s the same brand of saccharine pop that’s placed him in the upper echelons of the mainstream scene. It's part of why he’s been relevant for almost a decade now.
For EMPIRE, there’s no better way to announce their forthcoming project and stamp their presence than drafting in a certified hitmaker like Kizz Daniel to whet appetites and smoothly kick things off.
