With the burgeoning growth of afrobeats and the daily influx of new talents into the Nigerian music Industry, it has become increasingly difficult for emerging artists to imprint their names and affirm their presence in the hearts and minds of listeners, which has created the need for artists to find creative ways to stand out.
Kold AF, fully conscious of this reality, has hacked an impressive pattern of not only ensuring recognition as an artist, but thriving, in this saturated and competitive market.
Aninooritsewarami Oritsesan, popularly known as Kold AF, is an artist who finds solace in exploring multiple genres of music, including RnB, Dancehall and Reggae fusions, to drive home her message. A unique trait of hers rests in her ability to constantly create and birth new ideas with other artists, which at different points in her career has resulted in a joint EP — with the French producer BGRZ, a 2-pack single with Aema, and beautiful songs with artists like Tim lyre, Kaey & Mogunz.
Asides her collaborative knack, Kold AF prides herself at the level of consistency in which she releases new projects. Hence, at any given period, you are sure to hear a new Kold AF feature, single, or Extended Play. Her creative spark is one you can’t help but notice, even in its most subtle form — a clear reference being how she has become accustomed to interchanging the letter ‘C’ with ‘K’, which matches her stage name, and has been deployed severally in her project titles, including “Kold Szn”, “Kollide” and her latest work, “Kaution“.
In her interview with Culture Custodian a few months before the release of this project, she hinted that her next project [This EP] would, to a large extent, be a dancehall project, which she has clearly fulfilled. With the release of Kaution, Kold AF displays dexterity and profound artistry in knitting dancehall, reggae and RnB, to create her desired outcome. This 6-track EP and her second project, comes right on time for Kold in her career, as it achieves the aim of strengthening the brand she has actively built for herself in the last two years.
Kaution starts off with an energetic burst on the intro, “365”. This dancehall-infused track immediately takes you back in time, to the days of one of Kold’s revered artists, Cynthia Morgan. The play on words is evident, the rhythm is contagious, and the beat pushes you straight to dance mode. On this song, Kold AF talks about how she is constantly working “365” [everyday], to make her dreams come true.
She takes the more familiar Afrobeats route on the production of “9 Lives”, which comes with the mix of Dancehall and Rnb. Kold AF is not alone, as she recruits the emerging Nigerian Hip-hop star, Bkay Eastgaad on this song. It is a well written song, with an impressive delivery from both artists.
Produced by the multi-talented music producer; Remy Baggings, “Manyana” is a song that touches on the stress faced by musical artists. For Kold AF, she is determined to move past all of these by being happy, and precisely, dancing. She makes this known in the lyrics; “Manyana Manyana, make we dance to Manyana / take a little break from the drama, cause nobody wants wahala”.
On “10 Toes Down”, Kold AF creates the perfect blend of Reggae and Rnb to deliver a beautiful tune. She sings about her confidence and tenacity, and how she continues to stand firm, regardless of life’s uncertainties. “When everything don go south, I dey ready ten toes down / when they push me to the ground, I always stand up”. This tune serves as motivation for anyone at the brink of giving up to remain steadfast, with hopes that all will be well.
With the constant pressure on artists from fans, friends and even family, Kold sends a solid reminder on “My Way”, stating that she has resolved to do things her own way and however she pleases. Produced by Major Bangz & Remy Baggings, this tune is one that resonates deeply with artists and really, everyone.
The outro to the project, Cycle Must Break, features Uncommon Prophets, produced by Bigfootinyourface & Remy Baggings. The intro to this song takes you back to a time when we had artists like General Pype exploring this sound, and popularizing it in the Nigerian music scene. Kold AF slides on the beat of this song and creates a soothing tune, as she labels “hatred” the “Cycle” which ought to be broken, for love to take its stead.
Kaution EP shines through in several ways including; lyrically, in its quality of production, and song arrangements — with each track seamlessly flowing into the other. In my humble opinion, Kold AF, in usual fashion, has delivered an amazing EP and one that deserves the spotlight.
Chukwuebuka Mgbemena is a writer focused on the Nigerian & African entertainment industry. He loves fashion, art and is a staunch chess player.
