Nigeria and UK-based NATIVE Records have teamed up with Def Jam Recordings in the first worldwide joint venture partnership of its kind. One of the label’s top performers is rapper ODUMODUBLVCK, who Finally releases his first solo single of the year titled “Declan Rice.”
Since making his debut on the scene in 2017, ODUMODUBLVCK has built a significant following with his successful hits such as “Picanto,” which was featured in Nigeria’s premiere music charts for twelve weeks straight, with a No. 1 on Apple Music’s Alternative Charts.
With his sights set on global domination, the influential Drill artist from Abuja, Nigeria has released a new single under NATIVE Records titled “Declan Rice.” The track is named after the captain of West Ham United, one of the English Premier League’s most historic football teams.
In this song, he pays tribute to his community, with shout-outs to members of his crew, including NATIVE Records co-presidents, Chubbz and Teezee, and visionary visual artist, Slawn. “Declan Rice” narrates a team bond that cannot easily be broken.
He also describes himself in this song as a hard-tackling midfielder, leading his team to the promised land. “Declan Rice” is the second single from his upcoming debut EP on NATIVE Records/Def Jam, “Eziokwu” (meaning truth in the Igbo language).
The EP is set to feature a string of hard-hitting raps and melodious anthems, presenting ODUMODUBLVCK’s self-defined genre, Okporoko – a form of Hip-Hop that takes influences from grime, Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, and progressive R&B.
He has received co-signs from notable figures such as Skepta, Slawn, Fireboy DML, Omah Lay, Buju, Rema, Davido and Wizkid, and was recently dubbed “[the] pioneer of Nigerian Drill…[and] the hottest new Rap voice in the country” by Dotty on Apple Music One’s The Dotty Show.
