Omokehinde Oluwasanjo Abayomi, or Kehinde as he prefers to go by, is no newbie in the local Nigerian music landscape. He confidently speaks on his seven-year experience and a brief but impressive catalog of released music, at least as far as quality and direction are concerned. Kehinde boasts a very grounded inventory of music. Kehinde’s previous work begins from his debut EP ‘Celadior’ to his debut mixtape ‘Yung’ on Soundcloud. From his first single ‘Destiny’ to a follow up single titled ‘Wild for a Night’, to his sophomore mixtape ‘Expert Life’ and his third and most recent mixtape installation titled ‘Thank the Lord’.
Born and raised in Lagos, Kehinde is influenced by the sounds of the city which includes genres like Fuji-Apala, Afro-Soul and Afro-pop. Kehinde says that his affiliation to the city of Lagos, influences his content a lot. He considers his content to be relatable and hard to forget. Often adding his native Yoruba language and character to the mix, Kehinde is no stranger to using the cultural influences around him. This is made remarkably obvious in his new single – “Dem ah Chat”, a crossover of some sort to his new location. In 2021, Kehinde moved to the UK and sure enough, his first official single since his move reflects his strength in the adaptability department.
‘Dem ah Chat’ is typical Kehinde, but with the obvious influence of the UK musical scene, an interesting dynamic. This dynamism should prove to be a powerful tool in the oncoming latest wave of Nigerian music on the global front. According to Kehinde, ‘Dem Ah Chat’ is the result of the blurring of musical lines currently going on in Nigeria, and a new wave of musicians who have come up. He describes the song as “stylistically progressive”. Produced by the duo of Ej Fya and Hvrry, ‘Dem Ah Chat’ has the potential to be a record that depicts the renaissance era Nigerian music happens to be in at the moment.
