Olamidé

Album ∙ African ∙ 2025

Olamide

Since first making waves in 2011, Nigerian singer, rapper, and YBNL label head Olamide has released 10 albums, numerous hits, and shepherded the careers of chart-toppers such as Asake, Young Jonn, Fireboy DML, and Lil Kesh. He hasn’t restricted himself to Afropop, fùjí, rap, or R&B; he has been an Afropop innovator, with a voice which he variously modulates across genres, a knack for indelible hooks that reflects his fùjí music heritage, and a non-hierarchical collaborative spirit.

Now, with his 11th album, 2025’s self-titled Olamidé—which means “wealth” in Yoruba—the artist turns inward without being indulgent, the focus never straying from the songmaking even when the source of some songs is personal and private. “I name things how I feel them,” he tells Apple Music. “I wanted to create more mellow sounds for listeners who prefer laid‐back tracks over heavy drums. Knowing there’s fans who love that keeps me motivated to perfect each record.”

With the clear direction in mind, Olamide sat with a coterie of trusted producers to more closely align his feelings and intentions with the final output, though happenstance played a part: “On 99 percent of the songs, I sat in the studio with my producers, explained my ideas and the fan reaction I wanted, then we built the sound. Three tracks, ‘Billionaires Club,’ ‘Duro,’ and ‘Luvaluvah,’ came from P.Priime without any conversation—he just delivered smart beats,” asserts Olamide.

His goal for the listening experience was clear: “From the jump, the idea was to make a body of work that aligns with my craftsmanship and sonically breaks the norms. I wanted the album to feel like entering a jazz bar; an immersive experience where everything tightens up together, not a rollercoaster of random highs and lows.” The result is a suite of songs which avoid maudlin introspection and showy rapping, as though he has no more points to prove, striking a balance between confident songcraft and a lifelong habit for listening and experimentation. “Growing up, I absorbed everything. I eat, breathe, and sleep music,” he recalls. “[Most] of the time I’m online, discovering new sounds and genres. I rarely relisten to my own tracks, except during mixing and mastering. Life is a teacher, and as long as you stay open‑minded, you realize there’s always more to learn.” Below, Olamide talks through key songs on the album.

“Prelude” (feat. Fxrtune)
“So Fxrtune is someone you all have to watch out for. He’s going to be the next big thing. By the way, that’s my brother.”

“Hasibunallah”
“At the end of the day Arabic is just a language, you know? I grew up in a Muslim family, and Muslims obviously speak Arabic, but I’ve met a couple of Christian friends also who are from the Middle East, that speak Arabic as well. So it’s just a language. ‘Hasibunallah’ is strictly talking about the journey so far, and how much God has been there for me, and holding me down and helping me actualize my dreams and everything. And I clear whoever is in doubt or whoever cares to know that I’m still with my God, and I’m still not bothered by nothing, and I’m still always going to remain successful no matter what.”

“Kai!” (with Wizkid)
“Why do I rate Wiz? To be honest, I think it’s his approach to everything—from his vocals to his writing to his approach to life and everything. He’s just an all-rounder. He’s got his stuff together, everything on point. And it’s very rare to come across people like that, that’s 1000 percent certain about what they want in life and how they want to be perceived and how they want to roll, how they want to deliver their stuff, how they want people to feel when they hear their stuff and all that. That’s very rare.”

“Luvaluvah”
“We had some pushback from clearing a Lauryn Hill sample, but that was not an issue, because I totally understand it. So we came up with something else entirely to replace that [a sample of Hill’s 1998 track, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes off of You (I Love You Baby)’] and it’s sounding very good. I’ve been a big fan since forever and her music’s had so much impact in my life. Every time I listen to Lauryn’s music, it feels like a slice of heaven to me. And whenever I’m down or want solace and I need something to just keep me going, I listen to Lauryn. So I am just so much of a fan and I didn’t even know when I ended up sampling her, because I’ve always been so into Lauryn Hill, so into her music.”

“Billionaires Club” (feat. Wizkid, Darkoo)
“Myself and Wiz, we agreed from the jump that we should try to get a third person on the record. And I reached out to a couple of people, but Darkoo came through with that verse. I’ve listened to her over and over, and I’ve realized that she’s got some finesse. It’s one thing to love making music, then it’s another thing to have a finesse to it. Darkoo’s got some finesse to it. She can easily write on anything.”

“Duro”
“An inspiration for this song was fùjí music which often feels like a musical diary: no single hook, just hooks everywhere. Each four‐line section could be someone else’s chorus. It’s simple, relatable, and even if you don’t understand every word, you feel the vibe.”

“Indika” (feat. Dr. Dre, SPINALL)
“For me, making a song with Dr. Dre goes way beyond a stamp. This whole Afrobeats-to-the-world thing, if you’d asked us 15 or 20 years ago, none of us thought it’d be like this. Growing up watching mandem on MTV Base, then making music with them is madness. I never thought a day like this would come. It’s too crazy to put everything together now. Absurd. I have SPINALL to thank for the introduction.”

“1 Shot”
“I was a musician before I was a rapper, but rap gave me my platform. I respect rap and believe finesse is key.”

“99” (feat. Daecolm) (with Seyi Vibez, Asake, Young Jonn)
“While recording the album, Young Jonn came by my camp and played me a record. He wasn’t feeling it yet, so I asked if I could take it. I added my verse, then recruited Asake, Seyi Vibez, and Daecolm, keeping everyone in the loop so it never felt competitive. Asake sent his verse the next day; Seyi Vibez sent his after I explained the direction; Daecolm recorded immediately. Given Daecolm’s house music credentials, he was perfect for the vibe. The phrase ‘party like ’99’ is just a nostalgic vibe. None of us were really partying like that then, but it’s a feeling everyone connects with.”

“Ruba”
“If people think it’s a love song, it is and that was the intention. I don’t shy away from making love songs. I’m only human. I wanted to create something lovable that resonates with female fans and shows my vulnerable side: that I can fall in love and go the extra mile. It comes from practice and experience.”

“Rain” (feat. Popcaan)
“Growing up, rain was something my friends and I adored. We’d dance and play under it, and it felt beautiful. That changed when I visited a friend whose house would flood whenever it rained. Their roof leaked and their bed floated. I didn’t realize rain’s darker side until then. Now it’s bittersweet: It can calm you, ease your pain, but it can also bring hardship to others. That duality inspired the theme of ‘Rain.’ I featured Popcaan to lean into the track’s reggae-tinged sonics. The record itself was also inspired by a Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill collaboration I heard years ago [1999’s ‘Turn Your Lights Down Low’]. Its mood and message shaped my own vision for this song.”

“Paris” (feat. Fadi)
“I flew to Paris for fittings and meetings, then Ibiza to turn up, and Miami too. That mix of locations is like fùjí music’s diary style, touching on different experiences. ‘Paris’ captures a week of fittings, meetings, and parties; just me sharing my journey.”

“Lalakipo”
“‘Lalakipo’ is Yoruba slang. If your ex isn’t active or solid, he’s a ‘lalakipo.’ I wanted an unexpected hook, not the usual bounce. The beat sounded like a banger, so I crafted something unusual to match.”

“Stronger” (feat. Boj)
“‘Stronger’ celebrates independent women chasing dreams and living their best lives. It’s my way of saying, ‘Go girl, do your thing.’”