Olamide – Unruly (2023)

Unruly is the tenth studio album by Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter and YBNL Nation founder Olamide. Released in August 2023, the album arrived more than two years after UY Scuti and continued Olamide’s evolution into a versatile Afrobeats and contemporary African pop artist while still making room for his hip-hop and street-oriented sound.

Released through YBNL Nation and EMPIRE, Unruly contains 15 tracks and runs for approximately 40 minutes. The album features collaborations with CKay, BNXN, Asake, Fireboy DML and Rema.

Album Details

• Artist: Olamide
• Album: Unruly
• Released: August 2023
• Label: YBNL Nation / EMPIRE
• Number of Tracks: 15
• Runtime: About 40 minutes
• Genres: Afrobeats, Afropop, hip-hop, street-pop
• Featured Artists: CKay, BNXN, Asake, Fireboy DML and Rema
• Producers: Magicsticks, P.Priime, Eskeez, B.Banks, LNK, Niketaz, Alex Lustig and others

Background

Unruly followed Olamide’s 2021 album UY Scuti. The project represented another stage in his musical evolution, with Olamide balancing his established rap identity with the contemporary Afrobeats sound that had become increasingly dominant in Nigeria.

The album was originally expected to arrive in July 2023 but was delayed before its eventual August release. Olamide explained that the rapidly changing Afrobeats scene influenced how he approached the project and encouraged him to make sure the album connected with the current musical landscape.

Unruly Tracklist

1. Celebrate
2. Jinja
3. Problem
4. Gaza
5. Doom
6. Trumpet (feat. CKay)
7. Come Alive (feat. BNXN)
8. New Religion (feat. Asake)
9. Shibebe (feat. Fireboy DML)
10. Mukulu (feat. Rema)
11. Hardcore
12. Supplier
13. Life Goes On
14. No Worries
15. Street Jam

The 15-song sequence is consistent across major streaming listings.

The Sound of the Album

One of the defining characteristics of Unruly is its balance between different sides of Olamide.

Songs such as “Hardcore,” “Gaza,” “Doom” and “Street Jam” showcase his rap and street-oriented side, while songs such as “Come Alive,” “Shibebe” and “Mukulu” lean further into contemporary Afrobeats and melodic songwriting. Apple Music specifically highlights this contrast, describing the album as moving between boom-bap rap, street-inspired records and more sensual collaborations.

Rather than completely abandoning his earlier sound, Olamide uses Unruly to demonstrate that he can move between hip-hop, Afrobeats and street-pop without losing his identity.

Notable Songs

Celebrate

The opening track, “Celebrate,” sets an energetic tone for the album. It introduces the confident and celebratory attitude that runs throughout parts of the project.

Jinja

“Jinja” continues the energetic opening of the album, with Olamide delivering a catchy, rhythm-focused performance.

Gaza

“Gaza” is one of the records that brings out Olamide’s harder street-oriented side. Apple Music highlights its “foreboding bounce,” contrasting it with the more luxurious feel of “Doom.”

Doom

On “Doom,” Olamide delivers a more rap-focused performance, filled with confidence and lyrical bravado. Together with “Gaza” and “Hardcore,” the song demonstrates that the rapper had not abandoned his hip-hop roots.

Trumpet feat. CKay

“Trumpet” features CKay and was one of the two singles released ahead of the album. The collaboration combines Olamide’s experience with CKay’s melodic Afropop style.

Come Alive feat. BNXN

“Come Alive” features BNXN and takes the album into a smoother, more melodic direction. The song showcases Olamide’s ability to work naturally with artists from Nigeria’s newer generation.

New Religion feat. Asake

“New Religion” features Asake, another major YBNL-associated artist. Produced by Magicsticks and B.Banks, it was released as a single before the album and became one of the project’s key collaborations.

The collaboration was particularly significant because both Olamide and Asake represented different stages of YBNL’s influence on Nigerian street-pop and Afrobeats.

Shibebe feat. Fireboy DML

“Shibebe” reunites Olamide with Fireboy DML, one of the most successful artists developed under the YBNL umbrella.

The song takes a more playful and sensual direction, showing another side of Olamide’s contemporary sound. Apple Music specifically points to “Shibebe” as one of the album’s sultry collaborations.

Mukulu feat. Rema

“Mukulu” features Rema and combines the distinct styles of two generations of Nigerian pop artists. The track has one of the longest runtimes on the album and adds another modern Afropop dimension to the project.

Hardcore

“Hardcore” is one of the clearest reminders of Olamide’s roots as a rapper. The boom-bap-influenced record gives listeners the more traditional hip-hop side of the artist.

Supplier

“Supplier” continues the project’s energetic and confident mood. It is one of the tracks that helped maintain the album’s balance between street sensibility and modern Afrobeats production.

Life Goes On

“Life Goes On” introduces a more reflective mood. Instead of focusing purely on celebration or bravado, Olamide examines the realities of life and the need to keep moving forward. Apple Music identifies the song as one of the album’s more introspective moments.

No Worries

“No Worries” continues the reflective side of the album. Its message centers on accepting life’s ups and downs while maintaining faith and optimism.

The song provides a calm contrast to the harder records earlier in the project.

Street Jam

The album closes with “Street Jam,” bringing Unruly back toward Olamide’s street-oriented musical identity.

Its placement at the end gives the album a full-circle feeling: after exploring contemporary Afrobeats, romance, reflection and collaborations, Olamide finishes with a sound closely connected to the culture that built his career.

Features

Olamide keeps the guest list relatively focused, with five featured artists:

• CKay — “Trumpet”
• BNXN — “Come Alive”
• Asake — “New Religion”
• Fireboy DML — “Shibebe”
• Rema — “Mukulu”

The collaborations also demonstrate Olamide’s position as a bridge between generations of Nigerian music. He works with younger stars while maintaining his own artistic identity.

Production

The album features production from several prominent Nigerian and international producers, including Magicsticks, P.Priime, Eskeez, B.Banks, LNK, Niketaz and Alex Lustig.

The variety of producers contributes to the album’s changing moods. The project can move from rap-heavy records to Afrobeats, sensual pop and reflective songs without sounding like a single-style project.

Singles

Two songs were released as singles ahead of Unruly:

• “Trumpet” feat. CKay — released in April 2023
• “New Religion” feat. Asake — released in June 2023

These singles helped establish the album’s contemporary sound before the full project arrived.

Reception and Legacy

Unruly was an important album in Olamide’s later career because it demonstrated how comfortably he could exist between Nigerian hip-hop and Afrobeats.

The album also continued his role as a connector within the Nigerian music industry. Collaborations with Asake and Fireboy DML reflected YBNL’s influence on the new generation, while collaborations with Rema, BNXN and CKayexpanded the album beyond the traditional YBNL circle.

The project reached No. 1 on Nigeria’s TurnTable Official Top 100 Albums chart, showing its strong domestic performance.

Conclusion

Olamide’s Unruly is a confident, versatile and contemporary album that captures the artist at an important point in his career.

With 15 tracks, the project successfully combines Olamide’s rap foundations with modern Afrobeats and street-pop. Records such as “Hardcore,” “Gaza” and “Street Jam” preserve his hip-hop identity, while “Trumpet,” “Come Alive,” “New Religion,” “Shibebe” and “Mukulu” show his ability to work with some of the biggest names of the new generation.

Following Carpe Diem and UY Scuti, Unruly confirmed that Olamide’s evolution was not a temporary experiment. He had established himself as an artist capable of continually adapting to Nigeria’s changing sound while remaining unmistakably Olamide.