Last week held some interesting releases on Nigeria’s music scene. Victony rang up Don Toliver and Rema to join his party in “Soweto”, and elsewhere Odunsi and Wani combined brilliantly for “No Doubt”. As usual, we feasted on juicy records. But no release has shaken the scene like ODUMODUBLVCK and his. new single, “Declan Rice”.

The record hit #1 on the Apple Music and Spotify Nigerian charts, much to the delight of his fans. He has also seen a spike in the attention he’s receive as many industry greats saluted and acknowledged him by connecting with his social media. All the right people have him in their line of sight as  ODUMODUBLVCK continues to build a fanbase that feels connected to his process.

And it is a process that is carefully crafted. He reiterates that he can “do without their policy”, making his way up the echelon by playing by his own rules. “Declan Rice” is ODUMODUBLVCK’s prayer and declaration to always stand tall and push naysayers to the curb.

The Abuja scene has a lot to thank ODUMODUBLVCK for. The city is transitioning from a place known for alternative sounds to one who is capable of producing potential star players to play in Nigeria’s music space. “Declan Rice” displays ODUMODUBLVCK’s versatility, creating a war cry over an infectious bounce. Two things he does well on this record are engaging the listener and keeping the song’s replay value high.

Big Gun delivers his verse in harmony with the bounce that Trill Xoe provides. On the record, they’re a dynamic duo and the song gives some insight as to what to expect from this combination in the future. Rap songs hardly go #1 in Nigeria but Trill and Odumodu continue to show what is possible for this genre. The conversation about how far he can go will always continue, but for now let us enjoy “Declan Rice” for the banging record that it is.