Since the disbandment of iconic music African pop music group Psquare, Rudeboy who was one half of the defunct group has carried on in the dance-inspiring fashion of his previous iteration, making music that more than most connects with the visceral realities of being Nigerian while cajoling a request for better times. His 2019 single, Reason with Me, tallied the highest number of views for an African video in its year of release while his 2020 compilation album, Rudeboy Hits Vol. 1, reestablished his presence at the heart of Nigerian pop. Today, to celebrate the present peak of his career, he shares Rudykillus.
On the fifteen-track Rudykillus, Rudeboy steps into elder territory while reminding everyone of his timeless genius at making some of the most self-resonant Nigerian songs of the century. Album opener, Nowhere To Go, is a pithy love song expressing Rudeboy’s undying affection for a love interest while Ayoyo is an extemporaneous pop ditty built around a euphoric chorus. Songs like Focus and Fall In Love see the music legend try a trappy flow that’s paired with minimalist guitar riffs. Rudeboy reminisces about tougher times on Broke Land over a staid beat supplied by Krizbeatz. The middle of Rudykillus is filled with lived-in retellings of these sorts of experiences while Ihe Neme brings fresh impetus to the project with a quaint gospel influence that sees Rudeboy list a number of things he’s thankful for.
The closing quarter of the project is powered by an eclectic collection of smartly arranged mid-tempo beats that allow Rudeboy’s voice takes the lead on songs like Catch Your Fever and Hey Mama.
On Rudykillus, his second project in two years, Rudeboy presents an integrated vision of what it means to operate in the pop arena more than twenty years after his voice first blew up.