“Of Many Colours: Orange” Is A Color-Coded Ode To Blaqbonez’s Evolving Sound

Blaqbonez banks on his eccentricity. He has made it his calling card since he introduced himself as the Best Rapper In Africa in 2019, and has kept it up through a number of monikers: Mr. Bombastic, Emeka The Stallion. In his time in the industry he has polarized listeners with his artistic and personal choices. Repelling a few, yes, but winning the hearts of most, who have particularly hailed his outlandish, persistent approach to publicity and marketing. He identifies as a rapper, but it is a tag that is increasingly more nominal than descriptive, at least at the moment. His last two albums have taken successive steps away from the genre, as Blaqbonez reveled in the hedonism of superstardom—very much rap material, but his preferred medium leaned closer to Afropop.

On Emeka Must Shine particularly, he displayed more versatility than ever, taking on everything from ragga to the brand of Highlife-HipHop that was one of 2023’s most distinct soundscapes. He is a rapper that can comfortably create outside the genre, and his next album, Of Many Colors intends to prove just that. With this EP (three pack?) he presents a slice of it, Orange, which holds three songs—Emeka Dance, 60/40 and Louder. In what we can decipher from the album art to be the first of three color-coded tranches—to include red and blue as well—Blaqbonez doubles down on his ethos. He still views sexual relationships with women as a commodity, to be purchased with money and/or fame. He still holds an exaggerated, phallocentric view of himself and his stature. Thus there is no criticism of Orange’s themes that would not hold true for any of his previous albums. Of course, Blaqbonez is past apologizing for who he is and how he thinks, and anyone tuning in now already knows what to expect. 

This time he coats his message in his least rap-facing package yet. Ramoni, who produced large chunks of his last two albums, plays a similar role here, as Blaqbonez explores just how much fun he can have fitting Hip-Hop themes on bouncy, fun productions. The answer is: a lot. Emeka Dance aims to service the fun, boisterous social media personality Blaqbonez has built for himself in the last few years. It is easy to see how it was named for mostly marketing reasons, as Blaqbonez seeks every means to squeeze out publicity strategies, especially for Tiktok. He models his chorus around an interpolation of Juicy J’s Bandz A Make Her Dance from 2012, the Lil’ Wayne and 2 Chainz–featuring song that still inspires new music today. Where Blaqbonez brings his own magic is in his verses, where his outlandish confidence and delusion combine for slightly humorous results: “If I tell her make she pull up, she go pull up/ Halle Berry, for my doormouth,” he says, as Blaqbonez lets his infatuation with the movie star blur the lines of what is possible.  

Blaqbonez has never been a man to self-deprecate. Quite the opposite, really. In his mind, a truckload of money, a large phallus, or a combination of both, will be enough to unlock just about anyone’s romantic affections. On 60/40, he recognizes the need for a female perspective to the scenario, one that attempts to prove his worldview as universal. Here, Alte rapper Deto Black plays the role of the love interest who switches from her bill-splitting boyfriend to Blaqbonez’s generous arms. On both tracks, Ramoni and Auxxi work in bouncy soundscapes that would, in the hands of another, may be fashioned into catchy danceable songs. But Blaqbonez retains an element of his rap roots by approaching choruses with all the flow and rhyme of verses: “Tattoos on her body/ She like big things like jigi/ Her ex boyfriend was corny/ Say may them turn up on 60/40.”

Louder sits away from this duo in many respects—it is slower and more patient, and the emptiness that emanates from Blaqbonez partly shedding off the women and money gives room for some introspection, if only a little. He acknowledges that money is no guarantee of happiness—“If to say money dey make the pain go away/ we for no get Omah Lay”—but it doesn’t stop him from chasing life’s vain pleasures, like Maybach trucks and big booty women.

Blaqbonez’s intentions for Of Many Colours are clear even if only a parcel of it has been revealed. The singer wants to maintain a new identity for Blaqbonez that would allow him straddle the divide between Rap and Afropop, keeping the swagger of the former without losing any of the popularity of the latter. This drive for accessibility can become too obvious at times, like in the rework of Bandz A Make Her Dance—a mantra you would easily associate with Blaqbonez —into “Dance, Emeka Dance,” a line that has little connection with the song except for how being the sort of thing TikTok users love. Orange is fun, easily digestible, and is postured towards being as catchy as rap can allow, but we hope one of Blaqbonez’s other colors presents him as the silky tongued rapper we all know he can be.

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