On Linda Highlife,
the narrator began an ambitious prelude to Jinmi's
singing by saying “when the New Age and
the exposed elite came back…” Jinmi
Adbuls' music however, is not elitist in any form. Instead, he takes on
complex themes and presents them in the simplicity of a Lagos storyteller,
enough for a dazzle bereft of the superfluous.
The second installment of his JOLAG (Jinmi of Lagos) EP begins on that miracle of simplicity.
Featuring a voice over from his mother, Jinmi
brags calmly on Folarin, his voice
floating above the piano as he vows to become “the greatest in the world.”
Much of the album's description portrays Jinmi as a leader of the New School and
true to tag, his sound weans itself of the norm. He however, name checks on Do Re Mi, mentioning A - listers,
crooning to a girl about singing to her like Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, Michael Jackson and Lagbaja. Pop culture appreciation and referencing has always been one of his
stronger abilities, as Linda Ikeji can probably attest.
Jinmi's
girl wants to visit Kualar Lumpur, the Malayasia capital. As usual, Jinmi's sound is breezy and upbeat; the second adjective perfect
for Blessed, the pre EP released
single. Don't fall for the title: Blessed is a love song. Sped up, this beat
could rock a Lagos club.
The Rookie of the Year Teni drops in on Once Twice, a duet that promises to be the
best offering of the EP. Jinmi's
first verse leans on wordplay and the disco feel of the record melds into the
synergy between the two young acts.
Horns and live percussions trail the steps of Sisi Eko,
the Highlife sound domineering. Like Linda before her, Sisi Eko has Jinmi Adbuls madly in love and for
songs like these, we need him to keep loving. Just before the final refrain, he
drops street wisdom: if a Lagos girl loves you, she loves you. If she doesn't,
she go waka waka...pepeye.
However, Jinmi's
loves are not perfect. On Eko, he
evokes nostalgia in a desperate plea to get a lover to return to him and a
geographical representation of their love. "I've
been walking on a bridge that is build on lies, full of hate..." is
repeated by both Jinmi and his
feature Dami Oniru to give a deeper than surface meaning to the tension between
our lovely Jinmi and his lover.
Lagos will not always agree with you, Jinmi Adbuls seems to
say on Stronghead, an applaudable
closer (there's a bonus track Shako)
which steers away from the usual appreciative end. On Stronghead, Jinmi Adbuls taps into his inner Fela to present a tip of what his
revolution means.
The creator of Jinmi
of Lagos 2 is a growing young man who like many of his peers, has loved. His
life pours onto every record like liquid gold and even when he is not singing
from first person account, his voice renders every word a truth. On JOLAG 2, his dominant sound is a fusion
of Afro Pop and Highlife but true to his claim, ("cos you be genius, and I be smart") Jinmi Adbuls productions are so simple you can try to make them with
kitchen utensils.
Lagos is immortalized and is a muse to the young man. On Eko, he sings repeatedly about Isale
Eko and everything must happen someplace and one of the leaders of the New Age
has been chosen by Lagos to write its story on the sands of time.
Jinmi Adbuls is
here to stay.
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