With an overarching theme of gloom, the aptly titled EP “20 10 20”, is dedicated to victims of the Lekki toll gate massacre. “My new EP is dedicated to all those that lost their lives at the Lekki Toll Gate massacre”, Wisdom declared in a tweet last month.
Growing up in Nigeria, Wisdom was exposed to a wide variety of music. Like several other musicians, Wisdom honed his soulful voice amongst other musical talents by performing with his church choir. Graduating with a degree in Petroleum Chemistry and Engineering from the America University of Nigeria in 2011, he decided to give music a real swing in 2016, working with Nigerian artists Maire, King Mufasa, and Dammy Krane. In 2019, outdoor his debut album dubbed “Not Just A Man”, which housed well-received singles “Stay” and “Happy”.
Although the latest compilation project by the Houston-Texas based artiste houses only four tracks, the moody project manages to successfully incorporate elements of afrobeat, dancehall, and even emo-trap to its pop base, and touches an array of dark issues such as social injustice, tragedy, and even suicide.
In line with the album inspiration, the lead single, “Japa” sees Wisdom reunite with fellow Texas-based afro-fusion artiste of Nigerian descent Marvy. The duo previously gave us the afro-infused love duet “Stay”, taken off Wisdom’s debut album. On “Japa” however, the duo recounts the regrettable events surrounding the Lekki Toll Gate massacre in his homeland Nigeria.
Overall, “20 10 20” is a congruous body of work that stays true to its overarching theme of gloom and tragedy from start till finish. With this EP, Wisdom successfully delivers a touching tribute to all those affected by the regrettable events of the Lekki Toll Gate disaster.
Watch the music video for “Japa” below:
