The dignifying insignia of a royal genealogy is succession, for it is how legacy thrives. In the popular Christian royal genealogy, Solomon succeeded David, Rehoboam succeeded Solomon, as did Abijah. Rest your nerves, this is not a Sunday school article. The Analogy is merely a setup for the next paragraph.
Unarguably, Ayo Balogun popularly known as Wizkid, is African music royalty. The Nigerian singer- songwriter has dominated African pop for so long that it has become dauntingly shallow to even remotely attempt at debating his legacy as one of the few true “Kings” in today’s African mainstream music scene. But this piece isn’t based on Wizkid. It’s based on his First born Son, his heir apparent, Boluwatife Balogun a.k.a “Champz”, who has chosen to tread in his father’s mighty footsteps.
Champz, at only fourteen years of age is gliding through the path of hip-hop. This is as opposed to pop, the latter of which many may have presumed to be his natural knack. However, real Wizkid fans are cognizant that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in this regard, as Og fans will remember the singer’s rap ‘Lil Prinz’ era (Circa 2001). Yes, Wizkid was once an emcee. So it’s rather safe to say Like Father, Like Son… Right? well, not exactly.
On his debut body of work, ‘Champion’s Arrival’ Champz appears to be a much more fiery version of his father. Presumably, trying to fit into the ironically enormous size of his Father’s shoes is a stimulant to this fury that characterizes the five-track extended play. From this writer’s perception, Champz’s music conveys several parts. One observes his ambition, braggadocio, hustle spirit -all reminiscent of his father’s. But the more intriguing depiction, and perhaps the most underlined, is his Pain. His cut-throat delivery emits a voracious passion that only pain fosters best.
On the EP, one discerns the ambitious sway of a very young teenager, eager to prove that he is more than a superstar’s next of kin. He subtly claims he is the next best thing, and nothing close to being the shadow of his father’s success. Interestingly, the EP reveals subtle internal scuffle between Father and Son, like on track 3, “Superstar” when he raps: “When I am older, I am gonna show love to my kids, cause this niggas take the piss, and life taught me a lesson”. The saying “out of the mouth of babes” holds weight here, cause why should such depth come from a fourteen-year old kid. Lyrics like that leave rooms for speculations, that is to the observant listener anyway.
In the record opener, ‘Champion Montana’, Champz opens with the braggadocio of a seasoned vet as he kickstarts the track by saying “no need for Introduction”, a bold remark from a rookie who is aware of the soft power attached to his affiliation with his Father- either he likes it or not. In the song, the young rapper churns praises on his Mother, saying ” everything I am, I owe to my Mom”, a line sure to raise a plethora of eyebrows. Regardless, his delivery is sharp, lyricism jarringly advanced for his age- considering that he wrote it all by himself.
Track two, ‘Grind’ sees Champz flow over hardcore hip hop beats characterized by kicks, synths, bass, and snares. The young rapper addresses “Nepo Baby” claims by ascertaining his penchant for hard work- despite having a seemingly easier life than most. The sequence smoothly shifts to a more introspective “Superstar”. The pain here is palpable ” They expected so much from a kid, only I know the shit that I face when I am stressed”. The two minute, eight seconds head bopper Is as good as it gets. It’s self expression at it’s rawest form. One can tell that there is no fugazi here, no desire for quick fame. Just a kid fueled by dogged passion- “Everything I am saying on my track is really me my nigga”.
Track four, ‘Champion Sound’, already enjoyed reviews from the public upon being previewed as a snippet. ‘Champiano’ is the curtain fall to an enjoyable eleven minutes, fifty nine seconds runtime. The Ep climaxes in a rather mainstream fashion- production wise anyway.
Ultimately, Champz shows exciting promise in his debut Ep. There is a lot of silver lining. His vocal texture, pen game, delivery, and x-factor provides this silver lining. However, his promising career needs firm and more experienced industry hands to thrive. It’s great that he doesn’t feature any guest on his debut, it shows he is a strong solo, especially for an EP that is almost strictly rap music. But to really fulfil his boast of ” Give me five years, and I will be riding on my high horse” it is imperative that he learns to straddles smarter. I recommend more sustainable genres like melodic rap.
