GLOBAL MUSIC ICON OLAMIDE RETURNS WITH GENRE-DEFYING NEW EP ‘IKIGAI / 生き甲斐, VOL.1’
Just under a year after the release of his critically acclaimed Unruly album, which has amassed over 300 million global streams, and amidst rumours of his “retirement” swirling the zeitgeist, renowned African music icon and Nigerian rap legend OLAMIDE is back with a surprise new EP titled IKIGAI / 生き甲斐, VOL.1. The EP title, derived from the Japanese concept of ‘ikigai’, which means "a reason for living", serves as a thematic foundation for the project, where Olamide explores the intersections of passion, profession, and purpose. Throughout the EP, Olamide reaffirms his position as a trailblazer in global music, delivering on innovation
and deep resonance yet again.
The Ikigai / 生き甲斐, Vol. 1 EP showcases Olamide’s genre-defying artistic versatility, and puts his legendary status in global music in no doubt. Sonically, the EP is a glorious fusion of hip-hop, afrobeats, dancehall, amapiano, and pop music, which offers a rich tapestry of diverse eclectic sounds, as Olamide continues to push the boundaries of his sound. Diving into themes of life, love, and power, the 7-track project reflects a new chapter in Olamide’s career, marked by a renewed passion for music, and a deeper connection to his artistry, underscoring his continuous evolution on this journey towards his ‘ikigai’ – his true reason for living and fulfilment.
Each track on Ikigai / 生き甲斐, Vol. 1 offers a distinct musical experience, with the opener ‘Metaverse’ introducing listeners to the EP's eclectic sonic landscape, followed by the high-energy ‘Uptown Disco’ featuring Olamide’s proteges Fireboy DML and Asake, while ‘Knockout’ with Moroccan Algerian songstress Sabri adds a soulful and sensual undertone to the project. ‘Hello Habibi’ sees Olamide exploring Arabic musical influences, demonstrating his global outlook, while the spiritual ‘Morowore’ reveals more of Olamide's introspective side. The EP culminates with the nostalgic ‘Synchro System’, which reunites Olamide with YBNL alumni Pheelz, Young Jonn,
and Lil Kesh.
MORE ABOUT OLAMIDE
Olamide is one of Nigeria’s biggest stars, and one of the most successful artists to emerge out of Africa, with over one billion streams of his music worldwide. Equally at home emoting over a buoyant afrobeats rhythms, as he is rhyming over a pulsing trap beat, Olamide is known for his multilingual-style tracks that showcase his abilities to rap and sing in English, Pidgin and Yoruba. His classic discography has birthed essential afrobeats classics – from ‘Wo!’, ‘Motigbana’, and ‘Bobo’, to ‘Fada Fada’ with Phyno, ‘Kana’ featuring Wizkid, and ‘Infinity’ featuring Omah Lay.
He is also the founder of YBNL Nation, which he has grown into one of Nigeria’s most influential record labels. Since forming the imprint more than a decade ago, Olamide has not only helped launch the careers of afrobeats royalty such as Fireboy DML, Asake, and Adekunle Gold, but has also built a creative community and platform that champions the authentic and innovative sound of Nigerian music. The African icon’s impact and artistry have also garnered the acclaim of global tastemakers such as Billboard, Pitchfork, Forbes, Rolling Stone, and The GRAMMYs, among others. Olamide shared his classic debut album Rapsodi in 2011, and has since dropped more than ten massive projects including last year’s Unruly, and the 2021 album UY Scuti, which have combined for over 500 million streams, as well as 2020’s widely successful Carpe Diem that birthed the massive hits ‘Infinity’ and ‘Loading’. Every song he touches in the past 18 months has turned to gold, whether it’s ‘Kpe Paso’ with Wande Coal, or ‘Amapiano’ and ‘New Religion’ with Asake, and as he returns with Ikigai, Olamide continues to show why he is one of the biggest stars on the continent.
