There’s so much music out there that it’s hard for even the most loyal fans to stay up with their favourite artists or what’s new and hot right now. That’s why we’ve created #BumpThis – a daily series that features the one song you need to listen to, every day. Don’t say we never did anything for you.
It was 2011 when Wizkid and Olamide – seemingly predestined to be Afropop’s next torchbearers – made “Omo To Shan”, a rap/sung collaboration that embodied the nuances of that year’s popular hit songs.
Eight years later, the duo’s reunion on “Totori” – while not their first since the days when Wizkid slept and woke in snapbacks – is the perfect representation of just how much the sound they helped build on and export throughout their respective careers
“Totori” is not remarkable for the reasons that superstar collabs often are; instead, the two, now icons with the numbers and cultural impact to show for it, emphasise the traits that have given them their longevity.
All Wizkid needs is a mid-tempo beat with the right pre-hook pause and he will have your body dancing while your mind works overtime trying to figure what he’s talking about. Olamide is deep in his pocket on this one – he’s always willing to vividly describe his antics with women, real or imagined.
The real stars of the show are behind the scenes. ID Cabasa – the iconic producer who introduced Olamide to the world – delivers an evergreen, reggae-inspired beat that both artists find a home on, years after he did the same on “Omo To Shan”.
In the music video for “Totori”, Director T. G Omori builds a restrained portrait of Nigerian street culture – complete with colours, references to style and scores of kids gathering for a night’s entertainment in front of a lone TV screen.
Together, the four seem to capture 10 years worth of evolution in the space of three-odd minutes. Take it all in. It took a lot to get here.
