Ayodeji Balogun popularly known as Wizkid is at his very best whenever he is at the forefront of a crowd, and singing in a recording booth -it’s been his superpower for years now.
Only a few have been able to influence the African music culture as much as Wizkid has. With his current trajectory, Wizkid’s legacy is sealed, there is nothing to prove. This is a man who has touched the regalias of fame and fortune, a man who has seen it all and done it all from the prestigious nod of a Grammy Award to recording breaking laurels at the Mobos and dominating runaway carpets too (his run so far has been nothing short of generational).
Wizzy’s previous Soundman Vol 1 was released in 2019 (about the same time a new wave of talents swooped the sonics).
Sound Man Vol 1 registered itself as a cult classic and has been used to reference subsequent works of Wiz- with many quick to resolve that the album could never be replicated.
The first Wiz tape had classics like ‘Jam’, ‘Electric’, and ‘Blow’ and fully introduced Wizkid in his R&B bag which saw the usual fired-up tempo of Wiz adjust to a rather slow/mid-tempo sonic.
The tape’s re-installation comes a whole four years after. In these four years, Big Wiz has been stealthy in prolonging his legacy, creating a masterpiece full-length body of work in the process via ‘Made In Lagos’ (2020) and has emerged as a full titan of the African music industry; a demi-god, if you will, with his millions of die-hard supporters willing to go to extremes just to prove super fandom. He is at the peak of his career and naturally has nothing to prove. But yet he feels like he does. SoundMan Vol 2’ is released at a time when Big Wiz is probably at his most vulnerable emotionally and perhaps, mentally. The loss of his Mother months back still hits deep considering the tight-knit relations they shared and it is only reasonable to presume that Wizkid’s state of mourning might have informed his decision to drop the body of work in the sudden fashion that he did- perhaps, the euphoria of new music will get Big Wiz’s mind off the painful loss.
Soundman Vol 2 kicked off with House/ Amapiano Music (Ololufe). Wizkid and long-time friend and legendary collaborator, Wande Coal hits falsettos, and enthralling melodies on the P. Prime produced track. Both stars complement each other and make for a potential club favorite.
‘Diamonds’ is Wiz just having fun on the P.Priime and Big Fish record. He talks about the usual; past struggles, money, girls, expensive apparel/ jewelry. Nothing he hasn’t said before.
The fourth track EP grows very familiar with the third track ‘Energy’. Energy feels reminiscent of another song Wiz worked on this year with Dj Spinall and fails to leave an amusing listening experience, just a bland groove- however, the final song on the record ‘IDK’ saves this body of work from being a total deja vu. Collaborator Zlatan Ibile brings in a captivating dynamic that felt missing on the record with Big Wiz delivering his best effort on the project. Shout out to the wicked bass player and the choir too.
In summary, Wizkid doesn’t disappoint with this new tape but he also doesn’t amuse, at least not as he did in the first Sound Man installment.
