by Adaora Nwangwu
Sarz said what he said; he is not your mate. We cannot commemorate Nigerian producers without exploring the musical connoisseur that is Osabuohien Osaretin and reckoning the mastery he creates. From hit songs like Samba, One Dance to current charting record, Monalisa, Sarz executes outlandish sounds from the conventional Afrobeats. He displays versatility; not entirely in genres but also in his choice and blend of music elements.
With numerous hits and awards accorded to his name, Sarz has proven he is unrivalled and it was beyond evident during the “Battle of Hits” with luminary producer ally, Shizzi which took place in March 2020 amidst the lockdown induced by the Corona virus. The iconic session was reminiscent of a combination of past and classic hits which took us down memory lane, and with those timeless catalogue of songs, Sarz reinforced his claim as one of Nigeria’s greatest producers.
Each Sarz collaborative project presents its own mood and theme, though predominantly love and women (the core of a standard Afro beats ballad), the delivery executed in the respective projects is peculiar to the individual artistes. Sarz travels through several unthinkable genres blending sonic rudiments to make timeless music and the artistes definitely understood the assignment.
1. Sarz and Wurld – I Love Girls with Trobul (2019)
Sarz’s first collaborative project landed majority of the songs multiple spots on the official Nigerian Apple music charts. In 2018, Sarz and Wurld released Trobul, a single from an imminent tape we weren’t ready for. The album sparked a frenzy when it was released on November 8th the following year, and songs like Trobul, Focus, Ego, and Mad began gathering momentum and soon hit the airwaves. The sublime project explores the complexities of love and romantic relationships in a fascinating way.
Wurld chronicles the highs, lows and intricacies of his relationship with a potential lover, Sade who was mentioned in Nobody wins interlude and simultaneously, also the track that closes the project. With Prisona leading the project, an obsessed Wurld is held captive in a toxic relationship with his “Trobul”-some lady. Throughout the album, Wurld desires her, assuring her that he is Mr Right and the best possible man for her. As the story unfolds, the relationship begins to deteriorate, tension builds up between him and his lover and “Mad” sex seems to be the only stress reliever; the EP peaks here. At this point, the relationship is at the brink of being over as Ego sets in. The project closes with Wurld lonely and desperately in search of his lover, Sade who appears to have left him.
The album encompasses a fusion of Afrobeats, Soul, RnB, Reggae, EDM, and Pop with sensual and passion-filled vocals that match its lyrical concepts of romance and intimacy. Sarz consistently combines heavy synths and bass with prominent percussions and light rhythmic elements across the project while exploring diverse sounds; a solid 11/10 project.
2. Lojay and Sarz – LV N ATTN (2021)
18 months on from Sarz’ first collaborative project, he linked up with fledging rookie Lojay to create one of the best EPs to come out of the country in the first half of 2021. The eccentric nature of this project was welcomed with mixed reactions at the time it was released, but over time, the Nigerian music audience warmed up to this excellently crafted piece of work. This EP does not precisely tell a story, rather, it’s a collection of vibrant and bouncy tunes based on romance and Lojay’s pursuit of a certain love interest.
In his soothing and falsetto-like vocals, Lojay flaunts his immense love for women and their physique using a sexual approach. Throughout the project he preaches love, yet uses sexual innuendoes and efficiently fuses English with Yoruba and gibberish to create striking melodies and rhyme schemes. Mid-way into the project, Lojay is seen craving more than her body; this time, he is on a quest for substance in her company. Lojay’s choice of words are woven into bodacious melodies, arresting and whimsical in a way that the lyrics being written or freestyled are a mystery. This joint project is the only one of Sarz’ collaborative discography with a feature, and it’s from Grammy-award winning artiste, Wizkid, who delivers meticulously.
With heavy kicks, thudding bass and bouncy hi-hats, Sarz combines Hip-hop and Pop elements with Afrobeats, a remarkable combo to match Lojay’s sensual-vocal and unorthodox style. Sarz deviates from the Afro ambiance, closing the project with Amapiano fused with a touch of EDM. Most of the tracks in the project turned out to be instant club bangers with Monalisa propagating itself as a clear favourite, while simultaneously being a contender for song of the year; LV n ATTN is definitely an immense sophomore collaborative effort.
3. Obongjayar and Sarz – Sweetness (2021)
Although this project is the shortest and most underrated of the three joint projects, the replay value is massive. This 4-track EP was released a month after Lv n Attn but did not garner salient attention like Sarz’ previous collaborative projects shockingly. Sweetness is made up of a collection of mid-tempo, afro-centric songs, and the only track that comes close to having a club-hit exuberance is Nobody due to its buoyant tempo, rhythmic nature, and captivating chorus.
The project encapsulates Obongjayar tenaciously desiring a lady whom he describes as his “Sweetness” in the opening of the project and acknowledging his endless love for her while exhuming the multifaceted side of love. Obongjayar embodied the project by revealing his vulnerability and showing sheer determination to get and keep his love interest by any means, simultaneously defying the imperfections of love. Lyrically and vocally, he is bursting with admiration for her and he exudes intense passion and assurance of his love for her through divine melodies in hopes that the emotion is reciprocated.
In this EP, Sarz flaunts his profound production range by fusing Afrobeats with elements of Disco, Electronic music and Pop to achieve a retro sensation. Unlike Sarz previous joint projects, the beat is denser and picturesque which we can attribute to its retro nature – the sterling harmonization of bright electronic keys, strings, melodious synths and thudding palpitating bass. The beat in seamless sync with Obongjayar’s sensual and lustrous vocals, creates an abstract visualization of lovers dancing in a small room lit by disco lights in the 70s; one the older generation can relate to.
It is standard that I love Girls with Trobul is effortlessly a collective favourite; from the immaculate production to how Wurld brilliantly recounts his love story in a cohesive manner concurrently creating a stellar body of work, however, deciding which project follows between Lv n Attn and Sweetness is tentative due to distinct music penchants and sentiments. As we await his next collaboration, it is crucial to continuously spark conversations about the quality content he has given us over the years. These projects would continue to age elegantly and stay relevant in the Nigerian music industry. Essentially, we are fortunate to experience a period where an icon like Sarz creates constantly. Wurld, Lojay and Obongjayar on the other hand are redefining the Afro music scene gradually with their varying sounds, and we are here for it.
