Our song of the week!
Seven months after the brilliant and ebullient Carpe Diem release, rap veteran Olamide returned last week with the release of his ninth solo studio album UY SCUTI. Going from the project’s lead single “Rock” and a glance at the tracklist, Olamide was obviously taking an unconventional approach to this album – much like his 2020 EP 999. The breezy lead single was stripped of the usual fast-paced percussion-heavy production most of his records are known for. The tracklist was also thinned out (compared to his older works) and filled with relatively unknown guest appearances.
Unsurprisingly, UY SCUTI substitutes Olamide’s take-no-prisoner bars and stadium-ready hooks for softer introspective numbers. While songs like the brooding “Need For Speed”, the Phyno-assisted “Somebody” and dancehall-inspired “Rough Up” perfectly embody the brand of music Olamide is currently making, it’s the melodic “Jailer” that truly stands out.
Produced by Eskeez, the feel-good record saddles inspirations from several corners. There are hints of afrobeats, dancehall and R&B influences scattered around the song, with Olamide and Jaywillz weaving in and out of infectious flows to make their amorous intentions known to their object of affection. In an interview with Apple Music, the veteran rapper mentions that his sonic palette has widened and he’s infusing a lot more into his sound than ever before, saying: “I’m a citizen of the world now so my choice of sound is a combination of all the beautiful music i’ve heard.”
Jaywillz opens up the record with an impeccable hook – which also serves as an anchor for the record – singing: “Jailer, Nobody come i don’t need no bail out / seize my breath i need some inhaler” over smooth percussions and floating guitar riffs . Olamide smoothly tags himself in, opening his verse similarly to Jaywillz’s hook: “I don't need no bailer / Lemme rock your boat back and forth like a sailor / Seizing my breath I don't need an inhaler.” The 32-year-old rapper then goes on to complete his verse with impressive, tongue-twisting, and melodic rhyme patterns.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, Olamide says, “He [Jaywillz] came up with this hook, then we started cooking up the chorus and the beat as well. We were just trying different sounds from around the world as I chopped verses up. I’m taking a bit of everything and just mixing it up with my Afrobeats sounds nowadays.” The rap stalwart shows just how versatile and expansive he can be, nicely settling into this act of his career.
