Alté act Boj returns with his new single, Jabo, featuring fellow Nigerian rapper-singer Odumodublvck. Production by skilled beatsmith Rage, Jabo fuses Amapiano and Dance influences for a tune curated for the dancefloors.
Boj welcomes us into his free-flowing artistry with a concoction of serenading lyrics around the meaning of Jabo, which translates to “fall Down.” The track sees Boj and Odumodublvck reunite for their second collaboration, quickly following Olufunmi Reimagined, which dropped last month alongside ID Cabasa, Fireboy DML and Joeboy.
As Boj continues to embed the sound of the upcoming project due later this summer, Jabo is a reminder of his ability to make bangers catering to the dancefloors. Bolaji Odojukan PKA, Boj has been pursuing an artistic trail for over a decade, laying down the foundations of the sound known as Alté. The genre is a fusion of Electronica, Afro-futurism, and R&B that has stepped away from the commercial sounds of Afro-pop in search of something deeper. First developing the sound alongside school friends Teezee and Fresh L, Boj stepped out into the solo limelight with his debut album, Boj on the Mic. This album introduced the world to an artist raised between the UK and Nigeria, an upbringing that folded in everything from street-level London grime to global Afrofusion. His open-hearted approach to music resulted in Boj’s peers paying attention, and he has since become an artist’s artist. Boj collaborated with the global pioneering artists WizKid, Skepta, and AjeButter ahead of his Headie-award-winning Gbagada Express, which featured Davido, Ayra Starr, Mr Eazi, Fireboy, BNXN, Victony alongside UK frontrunners Enny and Knucks. The project received an AIM Best Album nomination and support from The Guardian, citing it as “a sensual celebration of the diaspora”. Boj has since featured on Dave’s platinum-certified ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’ before headlining his show at Village Underground in London. Having grown up in the limelight as a musical pioneer and seeing the Alté scene he named going from an underground sound to reshaping the global sound of pop, Boj is working on a unique body of work that captures the last 12 years through his lens.
Having reached new audiences with his recent single, Love Garden featuring Adekunle Gold, Boj is now putting his energy into the new music ahead. This month, he returned to Europe for Paris Fashion Week, where he attended shows from Kid Super, Mr Saturdays, Brent Faiyaz x Billionaire Boys Club, Patta x Marshall and more. Boj has since returned to London, where he plans to immerse himself in the culture as much as possible before the new music.
Listen to Jabo here.
