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By Emmanuel Daraloye
Afro-pop will always be ingrained in the stitching of Afrobeats; it is one of the genre’s deepest roots. This bubbly sub-genre draws from a wealth of lived experience, translating everyday survival into different rhythms and melodies while grounding the sound in a way that its glossier counterpart Afro-pop cannot. Afrobeats producers are the custodians of this sonic DNA, and in today’s fast-moving music industry where streaming charts and social trends reign supreme, architects are becoming more central than ever. One of the front runners of the new age, Orobzz, has earned his stripes to position himself at the crossroads of the mainstream and the street-level underground, crafting beats that bridge both worlds in masterful fashion.
His work on Zugo’s “Cover Me”, is a fine example of his skill and mastery. This high-energy anthem has Orobzz’s fingerprints everywhere on the record. The production dictates the approach the artists have on the song, as well as its direction and urgency. In many ways, “Cover Me” is a carefully curated street-hop experience, with Orobzz as its unseen conductor.
The drums, like many other Afrobeats bangers, form the backbone of the track and demand your attention. Afro-pop thrives on rhythm, and Orobzz knows how to create infectious ones. The drum patterns are crafted to propel the song forward, a deliberate energy that can’t be ignored. These drums transform “Cover Me” into a body of work that calls listeners to move their bodies, and in doing so, they turn the song into a definitive entry point for anyone seeking to understand the energy of Afrobeats.
Orobzz balances the density of percussion with elements that provide lightness to the song. The airy and melodic flutes float above the grounded drumming, giving the feeling of a cool breeze passing through intense heat. They give the record breathing space and provide a gentle contrast to the song’s intensity. Around these central elements, he sprinkles other percussive details that elevate the rhythm without overwhelming it. It’s layered, not cluttered. Orobzz’s attention to detail is what separates him from other producers.
He paints a perfect backdrop fit for Zugo to do their thing. Their verses, which switch between gritty and uplifting, are brimming with energy, yet this is only possible due to the canvas Orobzz lays out. Zugo opens the track with his melodic flair, but it’s the production’s warmth and openness that allow his delivery to bloom. Zugo then takes that energy up a few notches, rapping with urgency over drums that move in tandem with his breath work. Without the careful design of Orobzz’s beat, the chemistry between these two artists might not have landed with the same power.
What “Cover Me” shows, above all, is how production can define a record. Afro-pop thrives on urgency but Orobzz brings a sense of deliberate action to it. He knows when to add intensity with the drums, and how to make the music feel both grounded and expansive for local and global audiences. In doing so, he honours the sound of Afrobeats while pushing it forward.
Making records like “Cover Me” is not easy. Technical skills and cultural understanding are the ingredients for such a recipe. Orobzz has demonstrated that he possesses the ability to capture the sound of the streets and make it listenable for everyone. With his growing discography, you get the sense that Orobzz is not content with being a background player but one intent on carving his own imprint on the culture.
