Mboko God
| Mboko God | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by Jovi | |
| Released | May 20, 2015 |
| Recorded | Yaoundé, Cameroon |
| Studio | New Bell Music Studios |
| Genre | Rap, Hip Hop |
| Language | Pidgin English, French, English |
| Label | New Bell Music |
| Producer | Le Monstre |
Mboko God is the second full-length studio album by Cameroonian rapper and producer Jovi, released May 20, 2015. Entirely self-produced under his producer alias, "Le Monstre", Jovi composed, recorded, and mixed the album in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Mboko God incorporates musical genres such as Cameroon's Bend Skin, Bikutsi, Makossa, Essewe, and Bottle Dance; Congolese Soukous and other influences across Africa; and electronic, hip hop, industrial, and other Western influences; creating a sound he refers to as "Mboko."[1] Fader Magazine describes Jovi's trademark sound as combining trap bass and heavy snares with traditional Cameroonian sounds.[2] Jovi gained prominence in Cameroon by being the first rap artist to use Pidgin English (Pidgin), which is not a formal language in Cameroon, but is widely spoken throughout the country. Rapping in English, French, and Pidgin, Jovi's Mboko God also features appearances by artists who sing/rap in Ngemba, Douala, and Limbum dialects. The cover art is Adinkra cloth from Ghana, with the center symbol being “gye nyame” in the Asante Twi language, meaning “except God” or “supremacy of God.”
Critical reception
According to Bakwa Magazine, the release of Mboko God "marked a new era in the evolution of piracy in Cameroon, and made Mboko God the fastest (and first) album by a major Cameroon-based musician to be leaked on the internet, a phenomenon which highlights the birth of a new kind of consciousness in Cameroonian piracy..."[3] Jeune Afrique called Mboko God an "essential album" and "probably one of the best rap albums in recent years."(translated)[4] Je Wanda magazine described the first track on the album "Mboko God (Positioning)" as a "true celebration of African musical identity and its traditions."(translated)[5] After releasing three videos off the album ("B.A.S.T.A.R.D", "Cash (Mets l'argent à Terre)" and "Et P8 Koi"), Jovi was nominated for a 2015 MTV Africa Music Award (MAMA) for Best Francophone artist,[6] and Mboko God was nominated for a 2016 Kora Award for Best Album.[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mboko God (Positioning) [feat. Reniss, Shey & Tilla]" | Ndukong Godlove, Kien Rennise Nde, Shey, Tilla | Le Monstre | 5:47 |
| 2. | "Nyongo Money" | Ndukong Godlove, Abracadabra | Le Monstre | 3:51 |
| 3. | "B.A.S.T.A.R.D (feat. Reniss)" | Ndukong Godlove, Kien Rennise | Le Monstre | 3:16 |
| 4. | "Beat Tape Sessions (feat. Tilla, Teddy Doherty, Pascal, & Inna Money)" | Ndukong Godlove, Tilla, Teddy Doherty, Pascal & Inna Money | Le Monstre, Chavez | 5:28 |
| 5. | "Comme Moundi" | Ndukong Godlove | Le Monstre | 3:53 |
| 6. | "Mboko God (Status)" | Ndukong Godlove | Le Monstre | 3:46 |
| 7. | "Top Level" | Ndukong Godlove | Le Monstre, Kiloh | 2:25 |
| 8. | "Cash (Mets l'argent à Terre)" | Ndukong Godlove | Le Monstre | 3:01 |
| 9. | "Man Pass Man Part 2" | Ndukong Godlove | Le Monstre | 3:22 |
| 10. | "Et P8 Koi" | Ndukong Godlove | Le Monstre | 3:43 |
| 11. | "Jungle Book (feat. Shey)" | Ndukong Godlove, Shey | Le Monstre | 5:02 |
| 12. | "Mboko God (Reality) [feat. Reniss]" | Ndukong Godlove, Kien Rennise | Le Monstre, Kiloh | 4:34 |
Total length: |
49:00 | |||
References
- ↑ "ATL To The Motherland: The Rise Of Afro-Trap". Vibe. 2016-06-28. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
- ↑ "Meet Jovi, The Do-It-All Rapper Putting Cameroon Back On The Map". The FADER. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
- ↑ bakwamagazine (2016-02-04). "Mboko Leak and a New Era of Online Piracy in Cameroon". BAKWA. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
- ↑ "Rap camerounais : "Mboko God", de Jovi, album incontournable ! - JeuneAfrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). 2015-05-22. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
- ↑ "Musique : "Mboko God" - LE voyage céleste de Jovi (Review) |". www.jewanda-magazine.com. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
- ↑ Okumu, Phiona (2015-06-15). "The playlist: African pop – Olamide, AKA, Youssoupha and more". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
- ↑ "Nominees revealed for 2016 Kora Awards". 2015-12-07. Retrieved 2016-11-23.