Cover Star Interview
Nigerian rapper, singer and songwriter ODUMODUBLVCK joins Nandi Madida via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about his latest single “Big Time” feat. Wizkid. He also discusses what inspired the album title ‘INDUSTRY MACHINE’, the cultural references to soccer legends, and collaborating with the likes of Wizkid, Skepta, Stormzy and Davido on the album.
This Week’s Hottest New Tracks
Nandi Madida shares the hottest new African tracks of the moment. This week’s selection includes new tracks from MOLIY & Tyla, Ayra Starr & Rema, Young Jonn, Blaqbonez feat. FOLA, and Kenza & Essa Kay.
Tune in and listen to the full episode this Friday, October 17th at 9a Lagos/London / 10a Johannesburg/Paris / 1a LA / 4a NYC on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/_AfricaNow and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm.
ODUMODUBLVCK tells Apple Music what inspired the album title ‘INDUSTRY MACHINE’
When the name came to me, I realised that I’m actually the machine. The amount of music I’ve churned out this year, 39 songs, ‘THE MACHINE IS COMING’ and the ‘INDUSTRY MACHINE’. 16 and 23, that’s machine. Both albums have gone number one. The first one was a surprise album, nobody knew what’s coming out, it went number one. On the albums, you hear Rap, Grime, you hear EDM, you hear Gospel, you hear R&B. It’s insane, and that can really be done by the machine.
ODUMODUBLVCK tells Apple Music about the cultural references to soccer legends on the album
I don’t want hip hop to always have that violence nature, I want hip hop to also have the children can gravitate towards it. I want my kids to be singing ‘BAGGIO’ and ‘MARADONA’. I want them to know stuff like that. If you check THE MACHINE IS COMING, I had this song called ‘Kylian’, that was track nine, he was number nine, as at that time, number nine for Real Madrid. Then I have been just on this album number seven, Maradona, number 10, and Roberto Baggio, number 18. It’s just an extension of myself. I love football so much. I love football more than music, that’s how crazy it is. So I must let people know my love for football that, yes, it’s real.
ODUMODUBLVCK tells Apple Music about collaborating with the likes of Wizkid, Skepta, Stormzy and Davido on the album
That was one of the most important things for me, the community building and the fact that everybody can go on the album and they have something for themselves. When I say I made my album 23 tracks, that Gen Z will not understand, I’m not taking a jab at them. It’s just reality. I made the album this way, because this is how albums are meant to be made.
ODUMODUBLVCK tells Apple Music about the single “Pay Me” feat. Stormzy & Zlatan
“Pay Me” was all about entering the next level. It was like a statement-maker. There are songs that you make for the radio, there are songs that you make for the charts, there are songs that you make for TikTok, this is me speaking in reality. I’m not going to sugarcoat anything. I made it to show everybody that I’m not where I was before. I’m not with big man. For me to have the big mic on the song, that means I’m not with big man, that means the machine has arrived. That’s to show you that the features on the album, it’s not fluke, it’s not luck, it’s grace, but I was born out of respect. Respect that came out of my diligence, you get what I’m saying? I’ve worked so hard. “Pay Me” was a statement-maker. Not everybody can get Stormzy on a song, and by God’s grace, it’s on the radio, it’s on stage, it’s going crazy.
ODUMODUBLVCK tells Apple Music about the inspiration behind the single “Banza Boy”
It took me three weeks to make “Banza Boy”. Yeah, normally, I just go into the studio, I pray, I record, it’s done. It’s about girls who go to the club and they have money, and guys are looking at them and thinking that they need them to spend. Yeah, I made that song with my girlfriend and her friends when they go to the club and guys are trying to stunt on them and they’re like, “Get away from my face, we have money.” Yeah. |
