Nigerian comedian, actor, and apparently musical mastermind Bright Okpocha is most widely known as Basketmouth delivered a collaboration of our time, for the times. The album is titled YABASI, which means onions in his local dialect. This project really was multilayered and possessed so much flavor for the listeners. YABASI featured old, new, and fast-rising artists, phenomenal production, groovy-highlife beats with overtones of African and cultural influences, lyrics that spoke to anyone who bothered to listen, and undoubtedly perfect delivery that made the project stick in our brains while always pestering around our lips.
The first song featured veteran singer Duncan Mighty who gave that palm wine- bush meat scenario feel as the hook went. He put his lyrics in an authentic indigenous African tone as the words resonate with the biological roots in you. It was complimented with Ice prince’s brazen lyrics which followed up perfectly to the hook. Ride or Die sparked up nostalgia from the start. It had the soulful feel we need and who better than WAJE to deliver that. Ladipoe brought his energy on this with his corny, corky yet undeniable heartfelt lyrics to match up Waje’s serene vocals and the end product is on repeat every time the song comes on. World people is the song for all of us. Flash literally explained our daily struggle (everywhere debit) with this remarkable hook, accompanied by BOJ’s undoubtedly flair of finesse with his quirky vocals that cement the song. The project had other songs that were all noteworthy, with each song passing across its own message to the listener.
One day, I’d like to sit down with Basketmouth to understand how he was able to pair these artists, producers, and content together. It definitely inspired the African in me and also reminded me that “when life shows me pepper, I go carry the pepper do pepper soup”.
