Album Review: Chike Relishes His Igbo Heritage & Evolution on Son of Chike
The project’s themes are familiar, but the artist finds refreshing ways to approach them.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had the world in a chokehold, with people falling ill and many more losing their lives. Nigeria wasn’t left out in the pandemic. After the first confirmed case in Nigeria on February 27, 2020, the Federal government declared a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the disease due to the rise of confirmed cases,. For the music industry, it meant a redirection from physical spaces to online ones. For Chike, who had just released his debut album Boo of the Booless on Valentine’s Day, the government’s order couldn’t have come at a worse time. But as we know, the internet and the availability of digital service providers (DSPs) is a blessing. Chike’s Boo of the Booless was one of 2020’s music revelations—alongside Omah Lay’s debut EP Get Layd—as it garnered him a massive fanbase who took note of the confidence and brilliance shown on the album.
Like any proficient singer, Chike’s vocal range and lyricism were the hallmarks of Boo of the Booless, which blended contemporary R&B, soul, highlife and Afropop. Songs like “Roju,” “If You No Love,” and “Out of Love” were smash hits as he examined matters of love, relationships and commitment. The album earned Chike four nominations at the 2020 Headies Awards, including Best R&B Album and Album of the Year. Two years later, Chike would maintain his fine momentum with his sophomore album, The Brother’s Keeper, winning Best R&B Album at the 2023 Headies. Two years have passed, and Chike is here with a new album, Son of Chike, whose title pays homage to his genealogy and his heritage as an Igbo man. On the pre-released “Man Not God,” Chike puts a modern spin on Igbo highlife legend Celestine Ukwu’s “Ife Si Na Chi” as he meditates on the fallibility of humanity and its failure in comparison to the Almighty. “Man Not God” is both a supplication and a reminder to put complete faith in God.
With its 30-minute runtime, Son of Chike makes for a quick, digestible listen but contains no fluff. On “Unto You” featuring LADIPOE, Chike stands his ground against negativity, refusing to let it make him let go of choosing love. “Me, I rather gеt eye wey no fit see/Mе, I rather get ear wey no fit hear/Me, I rather get tongue wey no fit taste (Me, I rather get)/Than to get heart wey no fit love,” he sings. LADIPOE straddles the Hip-Hop bounce of the track, with a fine verse rendering his perspective of saying a firm no to negative influences. On “Balance Am,” Chike acknowledges he is not without sin and reveals he is now concerned with pouring some good into the world. “I try to forget/But I start to regret/I don’t know, if I will ever see my redemption,” he sings.
As he exhibited on Boo of the Booless and The Brother’s Keeper, Chike is a master of romantic contexts and admissions. On the standout cut, “Ego Oyibo,” Chike is the committed lover who shuns any obstacle separating him from him and his woman—“Nothing fit distract me for Lagos,” he sings, proceeding to paint a mental picture of a blissful home filled with love and children. On “Mma (Beauty),” Chike showers his lover with praise and affection, likening her to God’s blessing in his life. He is the reassuring partner on “Apple,” where he tries to remind and convince his lover of his affection and commitment, singing, “Carry your motor drive am to my house/No answer anybody, no collide/Oya jejely jeje drive am come my house/Make we reconcile/Nothing dey outside.”
Nigerian music producer DeeYasso, who contributed to Boo of the Booless and The Brother’s Keeper, is a prominent feature on Son of Chike, producing nine out of the album’s 12 tracks. On “Ego Oyibo” and “Mma (Beauty),” Igbo highlife is the winning ingredient of the songs, as both in tone and lyricism, the Igbo culture is foremost and celebrated. Elsewhere, like on “Egwu” with Mohbad and “Lifetime Love,” Amapiano offers variety as log drums, percussions, and shakers clash in beautiful alchemy. Other producers—Akybeats, Kujanah and Tee-Y Mix—make exemplary contributions to Son of Chike, which unifies Chike’s vision for the project.
Chike’s current form results from years of work, from appearing on music-talent reality TV shows, Project Fame West Africa and The Voice Nigeria, where he sharpened his singing and stagecraft. Aside from music, he is also an actor, with his role as Ify in Jade Osiberu’s 2023 film action film Gangs of Lagos, a clear standout. His turn on the film would also result in the soundtrack, “On Fire (From ‘Gangs of Lagos’),” in a laudable film-meets-music effort. Chike’s success in both fields mirrors his sentiments on “One Day,” featuring Nigerian music acts Amaeya and Olamide, where Chike encourages listeners to continue on the path of hard work, singing, “The thing I dey cook/Wey I put fire (Fire, fire burn them)/The thing wey I shoot, e go kill Goliath (Liath, liath falling).”
Love is colourful with many pleasant moments. But it also comes with the grey moments. Like on “Someone,” where Chike is regretful about the mistreatment he suffers at the hands of a lover. “I am looking at someone/Someone I love dearly/Love somebody else,” he sings. As he stated on “Unto You,” Chike isn’t concerned about changing his lover’s rejection of his affection; instead, he only acknowledges the pain of the situation because his most authentic intentions are involved. On “Your Loss,” Chike and Qing Madi warn their exes that their values won’t decrease because they (the exes) chose to leave them. On “Not Your Daddy,” Chike is over a past lover who seeks reentry into his life. There’s slight mockery in the chorus as Chike sings, “I am not your daddy no (No-no-no-no)/No-no-no/I am not your mummy no (No-no-no-no)/No-no-no-no/Why are you calling me?”
The themes on Son of Chike are very familiar, but he finds refreshing ways to approach them. This, alongside the short runtime, makes the album a tidy, well-thought-out effort with no dull moments or downers. With Son of Chike, Chike intentionally embraces his Igbo culture and reveals more layers to his observations about love and life.
Go HERE to stream Son of Chike.
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