Kizz Daniel, the Nigerian hitmaker who’s been bending the Afrobeats curve since his 2014 debut “Woju,” has at all times had a knack for bottling life’s fleeting joys and aches into earworm anthems.
His newest EP, Uncle Okay: Lemon Chase, a seven-track prelude to his forthcoming album Uncle Okay, is not any exception.
Launched in late Could 2025, this challenge is a compact but sprawling meditation on life’s dualities—candy highs, bitter lows, and the messy in-betweens. With a star-studded solid of collaborators and producers, Kizz Daniel delivers a piece that’s as introspective as it’s infectious, cementing his place as Afrobeats’ stressed storyteller.
The EP opens with “Black Lady Magic,” a love letter to Black ladies that’s equal components reverence and cheek. Kizz Daniel’s signature wit shines by means of in strains like “Make I be your Joseph knack you want carpenter” a quippy, playful nod to his knack for turning the mundane into the mythic.
The monitor, co-produced by Reward Beatz, Bando, and Blaise Beatz, is a heat, melodic embrace, its lush instrumentation cradling Kizz’s vocals like a sunlit Lagos afternoon. It’s a daring opener, setting the tone for an EP that refuses to shrink back from massive feelings or greater hooks.
What makes Uncle Okay: Lemon Chase stand out is its emotional vary. Kizz Daniel has at all times been a grasp of steadiness, weaving party-ready bangers with moments of quiet introspection.
On “Eyo” produced by Reward Beatz, he channels the bubbling spirit of Lagos, mixing nostalgia with pop rhythms that really feel each timeless and pressing.
The monitor is a love letter to town’s pulse, its horns and percussion evoking the chaos and allure of a Friday night time in Yaba. But, it’s adopted by the Zlatan-assisted “Safe,” a bass-heavy ode to the hustle the place money reigns supreme. Right here, Kizz trades his romantic croon for a streetwise swagger, proving he can dangle with the brand new college whereas staying true to his roots.
The EP’s coronary heart lies in its quieter moments. “Al-Jannah,” that includes Bella Shmurda and Odumodublvck, is a uncooked meditation on grief and loss, a stark departure from the EP’s extra celebratory tracks. Bella’s soulful rasp and Odumodublvck’s gritty supply add layers of texture, whereas Ayzed’s manufacturing retains issues sparse, letting the lyrics breathe.
It’s a gut-punch of a track, one which showcases Kizz Daniel’s willingness to lean into discomfort—a rarity in a style typically obsessive about escapism. Equally, “Peace I Selected” with Runtown, is a young reflection on discovering calm amidst chaos, its light guitars and Kizz’s understated supply making it a standout.
The nearer, “Police,” is the place Kizz Daniel pulls out all of the stops. That includes Mavin Data’ Johnny Drille and five-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo, the monitor is a romantic, whimsical flourish that seems like a victory lap.
Kidjo’s ethereal harmonies and Drille’s soulful croon elevate Kizz’s efficiency, making a soundscape that’s each cinematic and intimate. It’s a daring transfer, pairing Afrobeats with international music royalty, and it pays off, providing a glimpse of Kizz Daniel’s ambition to transcend borders.
Behind the boards, the manufacturing group—Reward Beatz, Blaise Beatz, Magic Sticks, Bando, and Ayzed—crafts a sonic world that’s as various as Kizz’s emotional palette. From the pulsating beats of “Titi” (that includes Fola) to the soulful grooves of “Oshe” (with Sauti Sol), the EP is a masterclass in Afrobeats’ versatility, mixing dancehall, R&B, and indigenous rhythms with a polish that by no means feels overdone. Every monitor is meticulously crafted, but there’s a rawness that retains issues human, a nod to Kizz’s insistence on authenticity.
If there’s a critique, it’s that Uncle Okay: Lemon Chase can really feel like a teaser relatively than a whole assertion. At simply over 17 minutes, the EP is a fleeting style of what’s to return on Uncle Okay, leaving listeners hungry for extra.
Some tracks, like “Titi,” whereas infectious, don’t fairly attain the emotional depth of “Al-Jannah” or “Police.” However it is a minor quibble in a challenge that’s so intentionally compact, designed to whet the urge for food relatively than satiate it.
Kizz Daniel has at all times been a storyteller, however Uncle Okay: Lemon Chase sees him peeling again extra layers than ever. Reflecting on the EP, he mentioned, “When life offers you lemons, you make lemonade out of it. I needed this challenge to really feel like actual life—candy, bitter, complicated, stunning.” That ethos permeates each monitor, from the playful to the profound. It’s a testomony to his progress, not simply as a hitmaker however as an artist unafraid to reveal his soul.
In a 12 months the place Afrobeats continues to dominate international charts, Kizz Daniel stays a step forward, not chasing traits however setting them. Uncle Okay: Lemon Chase is a reminder of why he’s endured for over a decade: his capacity to make music that’s each common and deeply private. It’s a journey, one which invitations you to bop, replicate, and really feel the burden of life’s lemons was sonic gold.
Now over to you 👇
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