Solemn, scintillating piano keys open Akuchi’s no-nonsense hustle anthem ‘No Games’. Deftly written per usual by the Hip Hop prodigy, and expertly produced, No Games is Akuchi’s latest release. Here, he sings of ambition, flexes his wins, and lays a marker down as a sensational trap star to watch out for.
Inspired by the trap zeitgeist, Akuchi repositions himself with a unique sound that he does superbly well. Making its first appearance in his former drop, Rolls Royce Umbrellas, Akuchi is smooth in his execution, and he has become a master of the breezy, quick-fire and malleable delivery of trap music, Akuchi presents a fresh soundscape that is as captivating as it is curious.
“I wrote ‘No Games’ in a tiny apartment in Lagos, Nigeria. I felt like a rebel making this song; I remember them telling me to avoid what they call ‘foreign music’ if I want to blow” Akuchi explains his inspiration and drive.
Success in Afrobeats is sometimes predetermined based on familiarity with sound. The mainstream audience is oftentimes not as accepting of change as the artist would perhaps like. However, Akuchi understands the risks involved, yet he chooses to carve a unique pathway for himself.
“As someone born and raised in Nigeria, I know that in Nigeria, there is a little box that everyone struggles to squeeze into, but I’m a musician with a global aim, and I’ll put a finger in whatever box I choose.”
With No Games, Akuchi is defiant and true. Expertly wielding his talents, he sings of the importance of self-belief. He is reflective, profound, yet simplistic in his storytelling. Fans of Trap will fall head over heels for this emerging voice- and since fortune favours the brave, Akuchi might be pioneering a hybrid sound.
