Sillybilly, born Evbodaghe Aghogho Isimemen, represents the restless spirit of Lagos’ new creative wave. Raised in Surulere, the city’s cradle of grit and rhythm, he began shaping his sound in 2015 and has since refused to stay boxed in. As a rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer, he embodies the fusion-first ethos of contemporary Nigerian music, where Afrobeat grooves, hip-hop cadence, and R&B warmth collide in one restless body of work. His versatility isn’t just a bragging right; it’s the spine of his artistry, giving his catalogue the unpredictability that keeps fans locked in.
Before carving out his solo identity, Sillybilly tested his teeth with NGS, later establishing his own creative collective, ITW (Illuminate The World). His breakout moment came with “Locations,” a track that not only widened his audience but also stamped him as one of the underground’s sharpest voices. From there, he built out a discography both ambitious and personal, Afro Genius, Black Behavior, Wessside Alright Vol. 1, and Silly Files: Just a Love Capsule, each project carrying a slightly different shade of his influences, from Travis Scott’s flair for atmosphere, to Lil Wayne’s irreverent wordplay, to Wizkid’s Afro-pop fluidity, and Bob Marley’s spiritual undertones. What makes him stand out isn’t the references he pulls from, but the way he remixes them into something distinctly Lagos.
That commitment to blending worlds takes center stage on his latest EP, Adventures of Silly Billy. The project plays like a diary, one moment chest-thumping with braggadocio, the next leaning into soulful reflection. Across the record, you hear a young artist testing the elasticity of Afro-fusion: hard-hitting rap verses bleed into woozy melodies, Afrobeats percussion rubs against trap basslines, and confessional storytelling dances with playful energy. If his earlier works built the foundation, Adventures of Silly Billy feels like a statement of arrival.
Sillybilly’s Adventures of Silly Billy is a seven-track expedition into ego, hedonism, and Lagosian ambition, stitched together with the swagger of a man who knows exactly how elastic Afro-fusion can be. It’s an album with a single feature, yet never lacking in texture, proof that his voice can carry the weight of a world he’s busy building.
The journey begins in a hazy cloud. Trips N Steeze is a mid-tempo ode to altered states, its drum rolls and piano chords setting the backdrop for Sillybilly’s braggadocio. He croons about indulgence as if it were gospel, wrapping hedonism in velvet tones. What could have been a shallow high is instead staged as a manifesto: self-assurance sharpened by intoxication, pleasure as performance.
Ralphonthebeat’s production kicks open the second act with a sharper edge. Smooth Criminal isn’t coy, it’s a declaration of autonomy. Sillybilly laces his flow with the same swagger of the opener, but this time it feels more tactical, like a man setting the pace of his own race. He’s flexing, yes, but it’s the calculated flex of someone who knows the rules of the game and chooses to bend them.
If Lagos nights had a theme song, Money Greens would be in the running. With its pulsating rhythm and Afro-pop shine, the track is drenched in excess, fast living, women, and a metropolis that never stops demanding your stamina. It’s chest-thumping and unapologetic, a track that thrives on bravado but still keeps its groove slick enough for the dancefloor.
On Isolate, Sillybilly turns the tempo dial up. Amapiano log drums sneak in like uninvited guests who quickly become the life of the party. His vocals stretch, bend, and glide, making this one of the EP’s purest showcases of his technical ability. Even in his braggadocio, there’s precision, a performer who knows when to let the rhythm lead and when to dominate it.
Here comes the party-starter. Free Spirit ( featuring Praiz) bounces with irreverent energy, a song designed to lubricate the night. It’s not just about carefree living, but about the refusal to be tethered, by critics, by circumstance, by anything outside the pursuit of pleasure and paper. Sillybilly’s groove is infectious here, a blend of charm and defiance that makes the record feel both light and substantial.
Deceptive at first, Oh My Days slips in with the silk of an R&B confessional, only to pivot into Afro-pop urgency. It’s a sonic bait-and-switch that works, revealing Sillybilly’s instinct for surprise. If earlier tracks are about flexing, this one feels more like reflection disguised as rhythm, a reminder that even in the middle of the turn-up, his music carries layers.
The closer, Motions, is the calm after the storm. Smooth, deliberate, and resolute, it ties the project’s themes together: ambition, obstacles, and the refusal to bow. The braggadocio is still there, but now it feels earned, tempered by the acknowledgement of hurdles. It’s less a boast than a vow, ending the EP not with fireworks, but with a steady flame.
Adventures of Silly Billy is exactly what its name suggests, a ride. The braggadocio that courses through it could have become one-note in lesser hands, but Sillybilly flips it into a motif, a throughline that anchors his eclectic soundscape. The result? A body of work that feels both playful and declarative, an artist mapping his world with swagger as compass.
