Nigeria's music industry is incomplete without mentioning the name Zlatan. Being a street artist, he has evolved in the industry, becoming a force to be reckoned with. With his forthcoming EP, Omo Ologo, fans are excited and eager to find out what Zlatan has in store for them. Before the release of the much-anticipated EP, we enlist Adeayo of Pulse NG, K-d of Turntable Charts and Dennis of NativeMag to answer four crucial questions:
- WHAT KIND OF COLLABORATIONS SHOULD WE EXPECT IN OMO OLOGO? Zlatan is one artist who has given young budding artists a chance to shine by featuring in their songs. He recently teased a collaboration with Odumodu Blvck and Jeriq. What kind of collaborations should we expect from Zlatan?
ADE: Zlatan has already shown that he can work with anybody. So, Zlatan is very unpredictable. Today, you can see him working with Seyi Vibes, and the next day you can see him working with Chike. He is very malleable, elastic, and can fit into any box. With Zlatan, you are always in for a surprise. With this EP, I think we get in Seyi Vibes on the EP. And I also like to see him surprise fans with unexpected collaborations. He shines on collaborations, so that's what we want to look after.
KD: I will love to see him work with an artiste like Adekunle Gold.
Dennis: So far, we are aware of Odumodu Blvck and Seyi Vibez on the project and these artists signify authenticity in Nigerian music. The kind of collaboration we should be expecting is a collaboration that is full of authenticity and bold.
- WHAT ROLE DOES OMO OLOGO EP PLAY IN ZLATAN’S CAREER GROWTH? Some of the things fans have come to love and appreciate about Zlatan are his music style, delivery, and recently, his brand growth. How does this EP fit in his trajectory of growth and what kind of unique twists he is going to add to captivate his listeners?
ADE: I think Omo Ologo is coming at the time when Zlatan is at his most comfortable. He has done a lot; He has gone from scratching the surface to becoming mainstream in the industry and becoming one of the most recognized voices in Hip Hop. So, with this EP, he's just establishing himself as a heavyweight in Hip Hop, as one of the people that has held hip hop down, as a legend in his own right when it comes to street pop in Nigeria, he has evolved the sound with his zanku sound. He propels street pop in Nigeria. And right now, with Omo Ologo, he is at his most comfortable with no pressure, just trying to do what he likes, play around with the sound experiment here, and give fans a bit of himself that is not as competitive as glory hunting or as desperate for it as he might have been when he was younger.
KD: I’d love for Zlatan to just make music he enjoys. He recently made a tweet about his favorite Zlatan songs and I kinda agree with him on some of them. So, I’d love for him to do more of the music he enjoys. He’s a great artiste to collaborate with— so I’d love more collaborations too.
DENNIS: As far as career growth, Omo Ologo will be an example of what a great Zlatan project will look like. He hasn’t been looked at as a project artist but the way this project is shaping up, this looks like one of those albums that will probably be remembered as Zlatan establishing himself as an artist that can put together projects and hopefully that translates into something bigger.
- DOES COMMERCIAL SUCCESS MATTER TO ZLATAN AT THIS POINT? At age 28, Zlatan has already achieved massive success in his career, ranging from music to brands, and now his latest acting role on “Gangs of Lagos”. Does he still care about commercial recognition or is he more focused on creating art?
ADE: For every artist wants to enjoy commercial success, especially when they make mainstream music. But for Zlatan, there's no pressure. You can see from the type of music he is releasing, and the artist he is collaborating with, he's giving fans a different piece of himself. From ‘Omo Ologo’ the single, he was telling his come-up story from the streets of Ikorodu to being one of the biggest artists in the country. With ‘Let There Be Light’ ft. Seyi Vibez, Zlatan showed people he is still a hitmaker and can deliver as a rapper. He is going to enjoy commercial success because he can deliver on that level. I don't think he has any pressure to chase commercial success. I don't think he has any pressure to want to score hits that would dominate speakers like that. There's no pressure and you see that's why he's dabbling in different things. He performed fantastically well in Gangs of Lagos displaying that dimension of his artistry and showing that there's more to him than meets the eye. The EP will enjoy commercial success, although that might not be the predominant state of mind.
KD: Why not? One of the biggest international successes from Afrobeats last year was a street-pop act. Unless he feels different personally, every artiste should still be interested in having commercial success. If not, just pack it in and focus on other things.
DENNIS: I think commercial success matters to artists, for Zlatan, yeah definitely, there’s a growing balance, there’s a song with Seyi Vibez that was a great hit song just because Seyi Vibez is on it and there’s also Omo Ologo that is not necessarily a hit single that did well. He is finding that balance for himself of creating songs that cater to the masses and also making music that is very significant to him and to his fanbase, people that care about him. Commercial success matters definitely to Zlatan but there’s a balance to it.
- OMO OLOGO EP: IS THIS A GAME-CHANGER FOR NIGERIAN MUSIC RELEASE AND RETAINING FAN ATTENTION? Zlatan has moved towards gaining fan attention by releasing singles over a while. He has been able to constantly be in the fan's ears while giving each track to make way to their hearts. With four out of six tracks already out, how will fans receive this EP has the EP been received by fans, and what does it say about the state of the Nigerian music fan retention?
ADE: The EP is going to be an easy listen for listeners because the songs are already familiar. From Jaboti to Astalavista to LTBL and now Omo Ologo. These are songs that have been around for a couple of months now, so they are familiar with the songs. The addition of two more songs will make it more refreshing, and make a better listening experience. Zlatan is known for his consistency. He has been able to release songs in periods and utilize content to amplify his reach and this EP is no different, choosing to drop four songs is Zlatan showing that there's no pressure. Artists can do this when they've paid their dues when they've achieved a lot and that's what it's all about right now. Omo Ologo EP is an important EP for Zlatan and the fact that the songs have been out would not necessarily make the EP less important or less interesting for listeners.
KD: Four of six tracks out kinda feeling like a wasted chance to consolidate on good press and the recent run of singles he has been enjoying. I would have expected at least three new tracks.
DENNIS: We have to wait and see. That’s all I can say right now. It is not that easy to tell when you are witnessing history at the moment.