Buju: A Sound Worth The Wait
Every human is beautiful. But sometimes, it takes some other eyes or ears or nose to smell that awe. The journey of an average human is a truckload of music albums - of different beats, rendition and lyrical content. It's reggae for some, it’s blues for others. Many people enjoy the hip-hop feel of life’s trajectory and it’s House on some days - loud, energetic and continuous. It may however take another special body to feel the heat coming from the other, especially when it's so cold outside. The beauty underneath every man calls for one thing - to just be understood and when it is, it becomes music to many ears.
When Buju went on a Spiritual walk with Zlatan in 2019, he wasn't breaking charts. He had registered his name - the usual first step in the journey to stardom. Some artistes have come in Nigeria and broken the chains of patience. They went straight into the space ship and went on a time travel. Some of them crash-landed, others are still discovering new abodes in their celestial pursuits, reaching for the stars and gatecrashing the moon’s party to steal a glow. It's a book written by many, and the choice of delivery is determined by talent, efforts and the local parlance for a pleasantly misunderstood ascent - grace. Buju is a meshwork of all.
Daniel Benson has been out seeking the bread for some time. From being sent packing during an Industrial Training for the love of music to getting signed by Spaceship Records and how that period panned out, his rise has been steady, more assured and less mercurial. Buju is what Jamaicans call bread and he has sought butter all his life to have a hand on a good meal. It's a new wave that should leave nobody out. Every bread must be buttered.
A combination of local cultures has underpinned his relevance. Born and raised in Lagos, and from Akwa Ibom, he knows what it means to be successful better, but that hasn't come without its challenges- typical of a young Nigerian.
Buju is hitting the roof, breaking the ceiling, penetrating hearts, minds, ears, bodies and souls, a tune at a time. His sound is effervescent, yet calm, with a combination of imprints that underline his eclectic nature.
Buju/Instagram
In Kilometer, he uses a Yorùbá saying that will make a speaker who understands the language listen twice. “Sorry! Where's Buju from again?” has to be the question that follows. His sun is out and it’s not dried the wet clothes yet. It's a season that's seeing a lot of rains, some torrential, others Drizzle like his first name, but Buju is making hay from his sunshine. It's out.
When L’enu dropped with Burna Boy, it stole the airwaves and took every listener to a certain height. Burna Boy had his ears glued to the sound and said it made him float. That's not a rare assertion. Buju’s sound is capable of that. If there was a doubt about the quality of his vocal range and flexibility, he smashed every twitched nose with “Feeling” where he was featured by a lyrical beast, Ladipoe. He completed Poe’s brilliance with his wavy touch. It was a match made in Lagos. Probably the best hook in 2021, it proved the coming of a man many had heard but only a few knew about. When he apologised with EP “Sorry I’m Late”, the only choice was to accept. No lover of good music would want to be left out of what Buju is all about and has proven to be.
There's fire in his eyes and the reason is not far fetched. For knowledge, he said he sacrificed his fears; a situation that will resonate with many youths seeking a step up. It's a lonely journey to stardom, with a few arrows pointing at the next destination. Some of these directions are wrong, regardless of how promising they look but the lessons make the expedition more worthwhile.
In Alubarika, where he featured one of the important names in his journey, Zlatan, he reminds listeners that whatever sounds like a fault in ears is technical. It’s a deep reflection of mistakes made and what they mean to his journey.
Buju’s finest sounds have been heard in hooks. His eminence was made, formed and declared in them. It's not a strange place to be as that was the path many young artistes towed before getting to the stage where ignoring them becomes a sin. In “I do”, he brags about his quality as he goes on a soulful, doubt-wrecking escapism from the realities of a pop life. Like he's reading a sticker note on the wall of his room, he says he can achieve whatever he puts his mind to. Sorry I'm Late is Buju telling a story of where he's coming from and every song is sending a message out. Of allure and affection to lovers and reminders of mental readiness to detractors. In both messages, he's sorry he's late. To exude his brilliance, or give a light warning.
‘For Here’ explains a young lover boy revealing his admiration to a woman in a roundly sonorous and relatable tone. In soft, watered-down, local-sensation sultry vibes, he goes on a vocal rendezvous with a lady, like he's showing off amid a sea of beautiful divas that he got the best of them.
Th Cavemen have rejuvenated the highlife feel in Nigeria. It's surreal what music can remind people of. About their past, and present especially and in Ogechukwu, Buju took his sound to the cave. Slow, sweet, and savory with a blend of local percussion. The vibe in the song is truly endless and Buju tries to explain the source of his masterful artistry. There's a path where both sounds crossed, but it birthed a union that'd last some time in our ears. Pure highlife to wake the dying nightlife of any people.
In recent time, there's arguably a sound that has gained the attention Amanpiano has garnered in Nigeria. Every artiste is getting a dose of the magic bullet. Making hits on hits and pushing their lyrical range to the fore. In Something Sweet, Buju set his eyes on the bread and proves why his music is the dough.
Buju/Instagram
There's nothing better than finding courage in oneself and the confidence that travels Buju’s larynx is a significant recipe for greatness. He's not stopping and he can't stop telling us.
A hybrid of Burna Boy and 2baba is both international and local dominance with evry accolade there is, waiting on the wings. A sprinkle of Khalid and Frank Ocean is the perfect ingredient for a career that will be remembered for the sound of a brown-bearded, specially unique singer.
In an age where independence is a lesser risk in music, Daniel Benson is clear in his head, and he sees the products of preparation, journeys, and the road. He never shies away from reminding himself that quality is resident in his career. Probably he truly came late with giving us a sense of his clear organisation, pattern and consciousness, but every sound softens the heart. Apology accepted Buju, you're worth the wait!