On his debut LP Sex Over Love, Nigerian rapper Blaqbonez continues his evolution by diversifying his sound, style, and themes. Wielding slick cadences and melodic turns, he explores hedonistic themes between Caribbean, Afrobeats, and hip-hop soundscapes. “An important thing for me is giving you something different with every body of work,” he tells Apple Music. “I try to create a persona for whatever I do. I was Bad Boy Blaq on my first EP, then Mr. Boombastic, and now I'm Emeka the Stallion. Emeka is basically a sex machine.” Revealing his alter ego’s ethos over the smooth Amaarae- and Buju-assisted “Bling,” unapologetic tinges of trap on “Heartbreaker” alongside Nasty C, and percussive rhythms of “Fendi,” Blaq draws from both his own experiences and keen observations. “I'm just talking about my life and what I've seen personally, so there's no generalization,” he says. “It's an intriguing concept, but I'm speaking my undiluted truth.” The Deluxe Edition adds a new track with Oxlade (“Medicine”), along with four new remixes. Here, he talks us through the album’s key tracks below.
“Novacane”
“‘I loved the idea of opening the album with a straight-up rap song that makes you feel like this guy is serious—the first thing you hear is 'N***as never happy that I'm back again.' I tried to include every part of my artistry on this album, and every kind of Blaqbonez that exists—the battle rap clip was to do just that.”
“Heartbreaker” (feat. Nasty C)
“There's this line where I say, 'Saw my old crush and I fucked her like I missed her but that pussy average.' Just some heartbreaker shit. That's basically what the album is about.”
“Bling” (feat. Amaarae & Buju)
“This is the oldest song on the project. The hierarchy for me is money over sex, and sex over love. Out here in Naija, I feel like most people would really pick money over love and rather be financially stable. The way the song sounded, I wanted to hear another perspective and another voice. CKay had just worked with Amaarae on ‘Show My Side’ and I thought she was amazing and I needed to put her on a song. I knew Buju's voice would be perfect to complete the song.”
“Never Been in Love”
“The saddest thing is all the girls in relationships keep backup guys. They might not be having sex with them, but they keep one for safety. If you really claim that you're in love, why do you have to keep a safety person? When I say ‘sex over love,’ it's hard for people to agree with me immediately. The truth is they don’t realize they pick sex over love through their actions and in their everyday lives. I think this album will start a new conversation and people will start asking themselves what they're actually choosing.”
“Don't Touch”
“Blaise Beats came through and whipped up the beat for this song and Majesty Lyn put a vibe to it. She was just mounting vocals, and that's how the melody came about. I created the song around that melody, with Superboy Cheque’s voice on the chorus. When I listened to the track, I knew I had to clear up some things because it sounded like a love song. I needed to speak some truths, and that's what the switch to the rap side was for. One of the most annoying things in my life is the fact that people think I'm supposed to be funny on command because I have a couple of funny videos. I'm a normal person who has normal conversations.”
“TGF Pussy”
“A lot of people will be like, 'What the hell is this guy on? I thought this guy was about to bless us with some take-us-to-church stuff.' I had the chorus in my head already, so I just wanted a verse that would take you in a whole different direction.”
“Okwaraji”
“This one is a blend of hip-hop and Afrobeats—the cadence is rap and the beat has Afrobeats elements. The lyrics are very specific; it's basically a punchline: Ball to death.”
“Fendi” (feat. Joeboy)
“Type A creates these beats that make me flow effortlessly. He’s the same guy that produced ‘Bling’ and ‘Haba.’ It just seems like he knows how to create these big songs for me, and it sounds like this can become such a smash.”
“BBC” (feat. Tiwa Savage) [Remix]
“We sent Tiwa the song with spaces and she delivered a fire verse. I love Tiwa and I've always been a fan, so this was exciting.”
“Faaji” (feat 1da Banton & Bad Boy Timz)
“'Faaji' basically means 'enjoy life' in Yoruba. The song is just vibes and happiness...flex, party, and have a good time. It's nostalgic for every Nigerian child because the sound at the beginning was the sound from the most popular Indomie advert. 1da Banton and I were in the studio and created the whole song together. Bad Boy Timz is a street artist and I felt that he would give the song some authenticity and connect it to the streets.”
“Zombie” (feat. PsychoYP & Laycon)
“This is the one for the rap lovers.”
“Best Friend” (feat. Cheque)
“This is the closest thing to an emotional love song. It's one of my favorites. I can picture girls making TikToks and showing their besties off to it. I think it will do something special.”
“Cynic Route”
“I just felt like there were some things I needed to say and I had to say it on a song that has a calm feel—that makes you feel like there's an ending. It's not really like I don't like women, I just can't give you everything that you're looking for. It's just my truth.”
“Haba”
“This song is me telling my friend's story. Back in university, he went to this party and there was a girl who was dancing too hard on him. He was complaining about it. He'd tell her, ‘Calm down, calm down,’ but she didn't listen. She wants to [destroy] you, she doesn't care.”