Enyi (LP) - Echezona (Afrobeat) This week, we welcome Echezona to our blog with the release of his latest LP “Enyi”. This nine-track collection centers on different aspects of relationships, using a meld of afrobeat and hip hop to paint a sonically cohesive work with enough variation to keep things interesting. But before we dive into our tracks, first a bit about the artist.
Echezona was born in the US to Nigerian immigrant parents. Fluent in Igbo, the native Nigerian language, Echezona is a multi-lingual singer, rapper and songwriter. His first hit was the afro-hip-hop fusion track “Galileo”, which was chosen for the soundtrack of the EASports 2K21 basketball game, ESPN TV airplay and an NBA national co-branding campaign.
As for “Enyi”, the album was recorded in Boston, MA at the studio of producer JPRiZM. With the project, Echezona seeks to explore the core of the human experience—love, community, and self-discovery. To do so, Echezona has fused many musical styles, but at the core draws inspiration from African culture. Using his life story, Echezona hopes to embody the struggles and victories of life, and reflect universal truths to a global audience.
“Amazing” starts off the album with an afro beat party vibe. Chock full of positivity, the song feels like a beam of sunlight. The track is underlaid with a slippery bass which keeps the momentum. “Truthfully” continues the afro beat vibes, but cools things off a bit from the more dance centric opener, which will continue until for the next three tracks. “Truthfully” simmers as Echelon’s layered vocals describes his difficulty finding the right girl for him. The chorus on this one is extra catchy.
On “Rare”, Echezona warns a lover that his love is not easy to come by, while recognizing that he’s going to similarly have a hard time finding someone new. “I never treat you like another jump off, you’re no trampoline,” is certainly our favorite lyric. The understated production lends to the melancholy of the track. That vibe spills into “Flaws”, where his message turns to one of recognition that everyone comes with their own baggage. It’s an uplifting number, telling his love that he is there to support, flaws and all.
“Stick Around” switches things up a bit with the beat picking up, putting us back in the dance space of the album opener. There’s a carefree feel to this one, and definitely lends itself to radio play. “Evolve” uses clever lyrics to describe an ‘opposites attract’ kind of relationship. In this relationship, Echezona admits he’s a bit more old school, but promises personal growth to bring them closer together. The number simmers over a sauntering acoustic guitar.
“High Time” transitions the album into a suite of hip hop tracks to close the project, with the 808 coming front and center and the afro beat of the prior six tracks left behind. Also Echezona adds rap leads to his R&B crooning to further switch things up. Along with album closer “Locked In”, these two remind us of the 2010s, specifically productions by The Dream. These two tracks sandwich “Wetin Dey Happen?”, another hip hop track, where Echezona wonders what went wrong in a relationship. There’s a fun call and response to the verses here with the layered vocals. The vocal production overall is varied on this one, and is great ear candy.
TRACKS:
Amazing
Truthfully
Rare
Flaws
Stick Around
Evolve
High Time
Wetin Dey Happen?
Locked In