The afro-cultist music genre may be alien to some people, but it has gradually gained traction in the Nigerian music industry with its acclaimed pioneer, Odumodublvck, consistently raising the bar.
The contemporary music style is an offshoot of the Afrobeat genre of music. This assertion, however, is a consequence of the natural feel of some afro-rhythm in the sounds that the artist dishes out, and this is peculiar to his style, which he has proven beyond reasonable doubt to be unique.
The afrobeat music genre is ordinarily a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles from mainly Nigeria, such as traditional Yoruba and Igbo music and highlife, with American funk, jazz, and soul influences. It was founded and pioneered by the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti, a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and one of the most famous Nigerian music makers in the 1960s. He is also the father of Femi and Seun Kuti, two prominent figures in Nigerian music.
In recent years, the afrobeat genre of music has gained global relevance with the influence of present-day global afrobeat music icons such as Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, and Rema, amongst others, becoming a sound that music artists across several divides seek to tap into. Yet, several artists are gradually unveiling their unique versions of the sound. For instance, Burna Boy calls his sound afro-fusion, while Rema calls it afro-rave.
On the other hand, the acclaimed afro-cultist genre is a slight derailment from the original afrobeat genre. It introduces the interplay of drill, hip hop, highlife, and the original Afrobeat sound. Afro-cultist, however, is an unofficial description of the singer’s violent style of music, which he uses to deliver punchy storylines peculiar to his beliefs. He originally called his kind of music “Okporoko rhymes.”
Unlike many other artists who just follow pre-existing standards and still expect to make it large in the industry, Odumodublvck’s unexpected breakout into the limelight shows that the place of creativity and uniqueness cannot be underrated if one must succeed in any field of human endeavor.
He has always bragged about his success in the music industry without going to pursue a music career in Lagos, which most people believe is the only place one has to be to succeed in the music industry in Nigeria. The Picanto crooner defied the odds, shooting himself into the spotlight right from the city of Abuja, where he is based.
One lesson to learn from his story is that in today’s highly digitized society, a person’s location is not a barrier to success, especially in the music industry. Knowledge and access to relevant resources can project an artist from any part of the world into the global music space.
That is one-factor Odumodu has leveraged to project his Okporoko rhymes, aka afro-cultist sound, to an international audience. One peculiar feature of the afro-cultist genre is the violent tone with which the artist expresses himself while often employing slang and vulgar language. He is, however, often accused of being a misogynist, and this is a result of the content of his lyrics, which many times are alleged to belittle the female gender. Despite these claims, the afrobeat offshoot continues to infiltrate the music market, building a resilient fanbase for the artist.
