Since breaking into the music scene sometime in 2012, Ajebutter22 has gone on to represent many things. His breakout single, “Omo Pastor” was such a hit because it perfectly articulated a reality that exists on the Lagos scene. He found what works for him and subsequently rode that wave to continue telling relatable stories that are true, even if they might initially sound crazy. In the cultural ecosystem Ajebutter’s personality is essential, serving as a bridge between the alté and mainstream spaces by crafting music that adequately relays the state of affairs in Lagos across its different parts.

In truth, Ajebutter is your typical “Lagos big boy”. Blending between spaces has exposed him to the intangibles necessary to make the type of music he does. His debut album Anytime Soon saw ‘Butter explore a landscape of alternative sounds with mainstream appeal, crooning over beats that range from Afrofusion to some shades of EDM. At the time, it represented a bold step away from the norm which was handsomely rewarded going into his second studio album, What Happens in Lagos. Over the course of these two projects Ajebutter22 evolved musically, embodying the concrete jungle mindset of what it means to be from and deal in Lagos.

He struck up an unofficial duo with Boj and, between those two LPs, put out two installments of the Make E No Cause Fight  series. Since then, he’s gone quiet on the music front, probably biding his time to create something fresh and unique for his new release. Today, Friday January 20th, he releases his third studio album Soundtrack to the Good Life. As the album title implies, ‘Butter simply makes music about the life he lives and knows. This evolution ties cohesively with the What Happens in Lagos artwork, which seems Ajebutter grow from student to Lagos Big Boy in a Darwin-style evolutionary chart. If we go by that, Soundtrack to the Good Life indicates that ‘Butter is on to another phase of his life — one filled with comfort and luxury.

The project’s promotion was not major, but Ajebutter22 released a host of singles which made it to the project. “Confam” and “Enjoyment”, which features the Ajebo Hustlers (cheeky, right?) were released in 2022. The Oxlade-assisted “Unconditionally” and “King of Parole” dropped in 2021. “Hear My Sound”, which got released this year and features Mellissa and Not3s, also made it to the project.

Ajebutter22’s albums always have something for everyone. In the next days and weeks, we would get a greater idea of what ‘Butter is doing on Soundtrack, as well as how it rubs off on listeners. Until then, stream his new project.