Jovi releases his highly anticipated second album, Mboko God. The Cameroonian rapper has created a musical journey that transcends cultural, linguistic, and geographical boundaries. Mboko God is
a hip hop album full of influences from around the continent and takes
listeners into unknown territory. Produced by Le Monstre, the
multi-layered album effortlessly fuses Cameroonian rhythms, languages,
and harmonies with musical influences from regions throughout the
country. From the very first song, the beautiful “Mboko God –
Positioning”, with Ngemba and Nliimbom dialects deep with meaning
finished with an epic, unexpected trap flow by Jovi, it’s clear that the
album is bringing forth a new genre of hip hop. The second song,
“Nyongo Money”, continues with crunchy, electronic shakers, Congolese
Soukous chanting, and lyrics that take the listener back in time “before
calendar man bi di look na moon/sun for morning time no dey like sun
for afternoon.” In many ways the Mboko God album gives a feel of the past, present, and future of Africa. The chanting, dialects, and rhythms laced throughout Mboko God
celebrate African sound and tradition and elevate it to the foundation
of the album. The trap-inspired bass, snares, and lyrical flows in songs
like “Top Level” and “Et P8 Koi” draw heavily on inspiration from the
popular trap movement throughout the U.S., while the makossa guitar in
songs like “Comme Moundi” and “Jungle Book”, and the bikutsi flavored
“CASH” open listeners up to the modern day musical vibe of Cameroon. A
futuristic texture permeates the album with electronic, metallic, and
industrial noises that evolve into melodies on songs like
“B.A.S.T.A.R.D”, “Mboko God – Status” and “Mboko God – Reality.” Jovi balances his rap bravado with social commentary and dark,
reflective, humorous lyrics in Pidign, English, and French. He brings in
singers Reniss and Shey, rap artists Tilla and Pascal, and producer
Kiloh from New Bell Music as guests on the album. He also brings in
rappers Teddy Doherty and Inna Money from LifeStyle Music on “Beat Tape
Sessions”, Abracadabra singing Soukous, Mt. Cameroon (Tonye Francois
Thimothee) playing guitar, and Essomba Brice Roger on the keyboards. The
cover art is Adinkra cloth from Ghana, (originating from the Akan of
Ghana and Côte D’Ivoire), with the center symbol being “gye nyame” in
the Asante Twi language, meaning “except God” or “supremacy of God.”
Jovi’s adept ability to spit bars in his signature Mboko rap style
coupled with Le Monstre’s stunning electro-trap production creates a
special piece of art that is all at once for Cameroonians, Africans, and
lovers of hip hop all over the world. Click here to download Jovi’s new album, Mboko God!