The Nigerian superstar enters an experimental universe on his new album UY Scuti
Amongst all the contemporary afrobeats artists, Olamidé’s reputation is unrivalled. No one has had such a lengthy influence on Nigerian pop culture as the Bariga-born artist has, sparking infusions of slang from his music into our everyday vocabulary. Asides from his global success (over 1 billion streams and counting), Olamidé’s far-reaching arms of generosity have extended through the years with the YBNL Nation label boss proffering the spotlight to several artists including Adekunle Gold, Fireboy DML and Lil Kesh. More recently, he stopped press runs for his last album Carpe Diem in order to lend his voice to the youth of Nigeria as they protested against police brutality.
As an artist, Olamidé has been relentless, averaging at least an album each year since his 2011 debut, Rapsodi. When he joins me on the Zoom call from his stead in the US to talk about his new release, UY Scuti, he jokes with an undertone of seriousness that he has lost count of the number of albums to his name.
His 11th solo studio has landed just eight months after the release of Carpe Diem, which housed last year’s break-out acts Omah Lay, Bella Shmurda and Bad Boy Timz. However, unlike the zesty themes of Carpe Diem, UY Scuti is quite edgy and sonically far apart from any previous Olamidé album.
“I have always had the mind to switch up things. If you pay attention closely, if you hear Carpe Diem properly, you’ll know that this man is about to switch his sound,” Olamidé says. He admits songs such as At Your Service and Another Level contain semblances of UY Scuti’s experimental themes, thereby acting as precursors. “I just took it gradually, you can't just switch lanes on people just like that. That’s why there’s a mixture of the old and the new Olamidé on Carpe Diem but on UY Scuti, I went all the way in.”
Olamidé’s refusal to be pigeonholed has been at the core of his artistry. Through the years, he has dabbled between serving afro-pop bangers and hard-hitting rap anthems as well as exploring elements of reggae, amapiano and alté. “I am not an alien to experimenting or trying new stuff. I am not alien to moving to the next level way ahead of time, way before everybody. This is just one of those moves,” he adds.
The ten-track offering sees Olamidé seek help from his nearest and dearest. For naming the album (UY Scuti is one of the largest known stars in the solar system), he was assisted by his first son, Maximilliano, on one of their nights filled with banter. His wife put him onto last year's Twitter revelation, Fave, who graces two tracks on the album. His longtime collaborator and friend, Phyno, lends a verse. And as for production, Olamidé worked with long-time ally, Eskeez, who gave the album a consistent feel. It's only on the heart-felt intro track, Need For Speed, that Eskeez shares production credits with P.Priime.
“I have known Eskeez since my days with ID Cabasa,” Olamidé says of the producer who has been relatively unknown in mainstream circles until now. “He was the only person that connected with my level of reasoning and the sound I had been trying to achieve. So, I just thought I might as well just record everything with him.”
“I am not alien to moving to the next level way ahead of time, way before everybody”
Olamidé has garnered a reputation for always being willing to share his spotlight with rising artists and UY Scuti is no different with features from newbies Layydoe and Jaywillz. On the culture of collaborating with fresh names, he says candidly: “In all honesty, I just put sentiment aside and face the reality of things. If this person was established and I hear their record, am I going to buy it? If I say yes, then I might as well do something with them. I allow them to be part of my project, and tap into their energy and learn one of two things from them.”
On UY Scuti, love is the encompassing message. Olamidé’s love for hustle opens up the album. He coasts through a defiant love for his significant other and rounds off with an emphatic love for the female gender. I question if this is a reflection of his current state of mind. “The way the world is right now, what else do we need more than love?” he says casually with graceful laughter. “Every day, I fall in love with different genres. I have stumbled upon classical music from way back, which did not hit me then but recently, I stumbled on it again and was like ‘Oh damn this is so beautiful’.”
This sonic refinement might see him veering into a whole new era. “I can’t wait to work on a new project whereby I am going to do some classical stuff. I want to make sure that when I say I am done, I have been able to make some great music that will live forever.”
Our conversation in full flow, and with Olamidé’s good spirits indicating the positive creative space he is in right now, I ask him for some insider information. He volunteers that he is the type of artist that would rather forget the lyrics when making music than the melodies, and that Jay-Z, Ghazi of Empire and Lauryn Hill make up the dream-rotation trifecta of people he would like to share a blunt with.
For someone who has done it all so well - music, business, philanthropy - I wondered what Olamidé would like his public legacy to be. “I want people to remember me for living to the fullest; for being me, for giving every shot all I’ve got,” he says after careful rumination. “I am the kind of guy that if I see an opportunity, I maximise it. I want to make sure everybody around me is alright.”
Regardless of his continued explorations, Olamidé still has his fans at heart, only now it is different. He no longer wants to be the go-to artist for party starters, or for unsparing ghetto gospels. Instead, he wants to be the artist for every mood and UY Scuti is the first of many such demonstrations. “I just want people to have their money’s worth. I want them to be able to have a set of songs that they can juggle in-between whatever mood they are in.”
UY Scuti by Olamidé is out now YBNL Nation/EMPIRE. Find it here.