By the time Blaqbonez arrived with 2021’s Sex Over Love, he had already developed a formulaic approach to entreating listeners to a playful side of him, while in the process helping to extend the shelf life of his releases. That approach fed into Sex Over Love, his witty persona conveying a controversial theme of reeling in hedonism rather than being attached to a love interest. Equal parts vivid and introspective, the message worked for Blaqbonez, fetching him a slew of hits.
That thesis is reprised on Young Preacher, stitching together his love for women, painful reflections on his upbringing and the luxury fame now affords him. “I was really playful on Sex Over Love, but Young Preacher is more introspective,” he tells Apple Music. “I’m preaching about my lifestyle, the specifics of my lifestyle, what I do, my relationships with women, my relationships with people, how I live my life. It’s like a gospel of Blaqbonez.” A sophisticated, soulful sound floods through Young Preacher: multiple beat changes, guitar and keyboard flourishes and deep storytelling. Here, Blaqbonez (Emeka Akumefule) talks through the album, track by track.
“YOUNG PREACHER”
“While making this album, I wanted it to have that feel of nostalgia. I love things that remind me of my past, when I was growing up, and I’ve just always loved Styl-Plus. On the intro, I needed people to understand who I am. I think on Sex Over Love, people didn’t get to know who I am—my upbringing, the situation with my dad and mom. This song gives a better understanding of who I am.”
“HOT BOY”
“‘HOT BOY’ is basically affirmations. It’s just me talking my stuff. I had a conversation with someone recently, and [they were] asking if my music is real, if what I’m saying is real. I felt like maybe someone else is also going to ask that same question. That’s why I made the part where I said, ‘They told me toxic music is selling, but this one no be sale/This is real-life telling.” It’s me saying that everything you hear on this album is real. I’m not doing it to get numbers. This is my life and my own personal experiences.”
“WHISTLE” (feat. Lojay & Amaarae)
“I had recorded, like, a demo of the song, and one day I was somewhere, and I was listening to the radio. Lojay came on the radio, and as soon as I heard what Lojay did on that song, I thought to myself, ‘Oh my god, he would be perfect.’ We linked up, went to his studio and he laid the hook. And when I heard it, it sounded so sexy, I just knew Amaarae would be perfect on it with her smooth vocals.”
“FASHIONNOVA”
“‘FASHIONNOVA’ was the second song JAE5 and I made when I linked with him last year. ‘FASHIONNOVA’ is a story about me going to the club and trying to leave with a babe. And then my guys are telling me, ‘This particular babe you’re looking at, she’s not one of those babes that you’ll go with like that. You have to do some things.’ I understand that there are babes who will love you even if you don’t have much. They exist. But there are also babes whose love language revolves around money. It’s not like they’re gold diggers, but they can’t truly love you if you don’t do some things.”
“BACK IN UNI” [Blaqbonez & JAE5]
“I linked with JAE5 when I was in London. We set up a session, and as soon as he started making that beat, the vibe just came. And it came with words, so everything just seemed perfect.”
“FAKE NIKES” (feat. Blxckie)
“I recorded ‘FAKE NIKES’ last year. I don’t even remember what happened when I recorded it, but I think someone was being trolled for wearing fake Nikes. Everyone was insulting the guy. And in my head, I was like, ‘It’s not that big of a deal. Half of the guys trolling are wearing fake Nikes too.’ In my head, I was like, ‘I’m going to say it [with] my chest.’ Right now, I have a bunch of fake Nikes, too, so if anyone wants to fight me for that, please come and fight me.”
“LOYALTY”
“There are some people that feel like if I tell them how I truly feel, they are going to push for a relationship, and then I cannot give them that. And even if I agreed to a relationship, it’ll not work well the way they wanted. At the end of the day, you just have to hide your emotions. Everybody has been there sometimes, where you just know that you like this person, but you still have to hide those emotions because if the person knows, in a way the person will force you into a relationship that you’re not ready for.”
“SHE LIKE IGBO”
“This is based on another of my experiences. There are babes that as soon as you want to see them or they want to see you, they’re always asking, ‘Do you have smoke?’ They’re always trying to smoke, and they cannot vibe without it. So, I just said, ‘I’ll write a song about babes like that.’”
“ESS MAMA” (feat. Tekno)
“Initially, ‘ESS MAMA’ was on a different beat at first. And we just kept on working on it, switching things. By the time we got to this particular beat, I could just hear Tekno. Tekno and I had not even spoken before that, but I messaged him on Instagram. He was very excited. I like what we did on it.”
“MAZOE” (feat. Takura & Bien)
“Takura and I have made a lot of songs. This was one of the songs we recently made. And then I was listening to it again, and I knew there was something really special about this song. It was around this period I travelled to Kenya, where I met Bien of Sauti Sol. He was so excited, and he sent his verse as well. ‘MAZOE’ is a song about being horny and wanting to have sex with someone. The person is on your mind all the time, but maybe a situation is making it not to happen.”
“STAR LIFE”
“On ‘STAR LIFE’, I was just open. I was just vibing on the beat. And I just feel like on this album, people should have an understanding of what this celebrity life can be. There’s so much noise around you. People talking about everything you do kind of affects your mindspace. One thing someone says can live in your head for a long time. Somebody says something and it just ruins your day. It’s crazy like that.”
“BACK ON BS”
“It’s just me talking to someone. We’ve been together before, but all of a sudden, we’re no longer doing things together for whatever reason. She got into a relationship and because of that, we no longer do what we used to do. And I’m like, ‘Let’s get back to what we used to do.’”
“I’LL BE WAITING”
“The first part was me seeing how a lot is going on in the game. I see different guys on different levels. A lot is happening. But at the end of the day, I’m going at my own pace. I have to accept that everyone’s road is different. Even though I might not be at the level of a certain artist, this place I am currently is awesome, and I’m having a great time.”