Nigerian hip-hop icon Olamide has taken fans by surprise with the announcement of his new project, ‘Ikigai.’ The YBNL boss revealed the news on his social media account on June 26, 2024, just hours after a surprise performance at Davido and Chioma’s wedding.
The 7-track project, titled ‘Ikigai’—a Japanese term meaning “reason for being” or “life’s purpose”—features YBNL superstars Fireboy and Asake on the track ‘Uptown Disco.’ Olamide also collaborates with former YBNL associates Pheelz, Young Jonn, and Lil Kesh on ‘Synchro System.’
Ahead of the announcement, Olamide teased a song on his Instagram story, which turned out to be ‘Hello Habibi,’ the fifth track on the new project.
This announcement comes as a surprise to many, as Olamide had previously hinted on his X (formerly Twitter) account in 2023 that his last album, ‘Unruly,’ might be his final project. ‘Ikigai,’ set for release on June 26, will be Olamide’s 10th solo project and 15th overall in his discography.
Olamide has consistently delivered hit records, with his last project featuring popular tracks like ‘Trumpet’ with CKay, ‘New Religion’ featuring Asake, and ‘Jinja.’ Fans eagerly anticipate the YBNL reunion on ‘Ikigai’ as Olamide continues to add new chapters to his legacy in Nigerian music.