Baba Kuboye Touches On The Pains Of Being Black On ‘Yawa’

With a budding career built on a sturdy foundation made possible by tight familial ties to music, Baba Kuboye ’s approach to music is one that blends realism, modernism, and activism to result in meaningful music that leverages his ability to tell touching stories and wield powerful sounds. Also prominent in his music is his roots in different cultures around the world. The social conditions of these places inform his latest, Yawa, a deep-cutting record that makes incisive observations on racism and all kinds of discrimination against black people worldwide.

Having all the finer qualities of Afropop and Afrobeat, the production charges Baba Kuboye, who holds the guilty accountable in his first verse, singing “worst of all say the whites no dey gree, no be all of dem but dem plenty,” complementing the song’s emotive power with the required nuance. His booming and confident vocals are reminiscent of Felas’, but Baba Kuboye’s songwriting is decidedly modern and relays his concerns in a distinct yet familiar way.

Solidifying his run, Kuboye is set to release his debut EP later this year, with high-profile features coming from the likes of Seun Kuti, Made Kuti, and multiple Grammy Award recipient Angelique Kidjo. Yawa is proof that the EP is hinged on music that emotes and evokes.