Nigerian artists no longer shy away from utilizing and optimizing pop culture elements in their creative processes. This year alone, fans have witnessed an influx of blended styles especially with elements from the 90s and early millennium. Though this style is currently most synonymous with alte artists like Santi and Lady Donli, the phenomenon is now being favoured by more mainstream artists, latest of which is Lil Kesh who enlists Mayorkun for his new Rexxie produced love ballad, Nkan Be (Yoruba for stranger things).
With the duo just coming from eras that have seen them front the love theme, their cheeky but heartwarming delivery on Nkan Be comes as no surprise. Over regular ‘Afrobeats’ guitar and drum-driven instrumentals, Lil Kesh and Mayorkun dish out metaphors built on references to late-night shows including Nkan Be and Labe Orun in allusion to their love lives.
Both suited for the roles they take on on Nkan Be, Lil Kesh and Mayorkun don’t fall far from expectation and in cushioning his comeback, the former raises the bar for himself.