The journey to stardom begins with the release of an official debut single, and for Olufela Shokunbi, these are the humble beginnings he will recall should things go according to plan. Known professionally as God$ Own, he kicks off his musical career with the release of a self-titled track. “God$ Own” was independently released on the 3rd of June by the newest artiste on the block.
From the song cover to the lyrics, “God$ Own” tells a very compelling story of redemption. The cartoon art of a man wearing a straitjacket and a psychotic grin begins to make more sense as the lyrics start to roll off the singer’s tongue. In what sounds like a personal experience, he paints the story of an young man abandoned by everyone on account of a mental illness brought on by drug abuse. The only person that stood by this man was his now deceased grandfather and the lyrics of this song serve as an appreciation for the loyalty shown. “Now I put am all on my grandpa / In the sky I see grandpa..”, he sings on the hook. Now fully detoxified from drugs and strengthened by a renewed sense of purpose, the main character in the story is ready to “japa from sapa”, and music is the means through which he hopes to achieve this.
The story told on “God$ Own” is built on the foundation of a pure and undiluted Afrobeats sound. The mid-tempo sound isn’t quite the type to dance to but it works perfectly for a relaxed and chilled setting. There’s a heavy influence of street music on his flows and melodies, but it serves to complement rather than define his overall singing style. This gives “God$ Own” a chance to appeal to a braider selection of listeners. The mixing and mastering is also of a very decent level.
As far as debut tracks go, “God$ Own” is a fair attempt. The raw emotions in his voice and lyrics set it apart from most monotonous Afrobeats songs on the market today. It’s a promising start and we hope to see more from God$ Own in the coming months.
Verdict: 7/10