Lagos-born, US based musician, Kobi Jonz, best describes himself as a maker of conscious dance music, a persona shaped by influences spanning the likes of Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Sade Adu, Damian Marley, and Burna Boy and roots in musical societies. With these Jonz has been able to make music that inspires the kind of passion fusion that can only be summarized as a mixture of lust for life, hope, love, and self-motivation, wrapped in a zesty hip vibe that is both fresh and genre-defying. He continues down this path this month with Kool Rebel, a five-track project that details Jonz’s barrier-breaking journey.
Kool Rebel symbolizes an intimate and honest conversation with Kobi Jonz’s fans initiated on the frank opener, Tbh which is essentially a raw expression of Jonz’s grit and aspirations in life. Things immediately get serious as the personal rant turns into a powerful memo covering issues from women’s rights to political problems on the likes of Kritikal. Kobi’s disappointment in the status quo forces him to try to seek the good in life on Dada, which gets the party started and morphs into the more rhythmic Afro Goosebumps and Trouble Maker.
The brief but rhythm buoyant body of work does well in highlighting the importance of confidence and emboldening the idea of defiance. It is filled with moments of reflection, ebbing and flowing melodies, and various unequivocal sound elements that reinforce Kobi Jonz’s positive message which is: to be a Kool Rebel.