WHAT IT IS: Born in Lagos and raised in Abuja, Nigeria, ODUMODUBLVCK has proved to be one of the most exciting voices out of the country’s capital in the last decade. A pioneering voice of drill music in Nigeria, he operates under a self-defined genre he calls Okporoko Rhythms: a form of hip-hop that takes influences from grime, Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat and progressive R&B. Pairing his larger-than-life personality with his arresting flow, delivered with a trademark menacing growl, the newcomer has drawn comparisons from critics and fans alike to the late DMX. His viral single, “Declan Rice,” has seen shout-outs and tweets raining in from Wizkid, Skepta, Omah Lay, Adekunle Gold, Fireboy DML and more, including Arsenal midfielder Rice himself. ODUMODUBLVCK recently took home the Headies Award—Nigeria’s version of the BRITs—for Rookie of the Year.
ALBUM: EZIOKWU (THE TRUTH)
RELEASE DATE: 10/6
SINGLE: “BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR” f/Bloody Civilian & Wale
LIVE: TBA
INTERNET: 1.5m+ monthly Spotify listeners; 34.2m+ global streams; 924k+ Instagram followers, 4.9m+YouTube views, 66.9k+ subs, 1.8m+ views on “BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR”; 39.6k+ TikTok followers, 154.9K likes; more
PRESS: DAZED, Hypebeast, Notion, The Guardian Nigeria, Complex, more
MANAGEMENT: Seni Saraki, TZ, Oluwaseyi Toyin Ajibogere/NATIVE RECORDS