Cobhams Asuquo (born 6th of January, 1981) is well known for his exceptional vocal prowess and amazing music production abilities.
Cobhams Asuquo has been into music for more than a decade; be it singing, writing songs, or producing, the man didn’t let his defect stop him.
He started as a music producer as far back as the early 2000s also doubling as a background singer for some of the artists he produced for.
It wasn’t until 2007 he became publicly known as a singer and performing artist when he featured on what became the wildly popular Nigerian campus favorite, Mo Like Jesu Gan by Dekunle Fuji.
Later on, he featured in the song’s music video, officially introducing himself to a very adoring Nigerian public and finally gaining some recognition. In 2008 he produced and dropped a verse on Lagimo which became another fan favorite, for the gospel duo Rooftop MCs.
In 2014, he released his debut hit single, Ordinary People which has gone to achieve status as a timeless classic.
The multi-talented singer clocked 39 years old on the 6th of January and to celebrate the music icon, mp3bullet.ng has compiled a list of songs you didn’t know were produced by him.
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Darey- Not the Girl
‘Not The Girl’ would forever be remembered as one of Darey‘s best timeless pieces. The emotional R&B love ballad sees Darey sing about the painful knowledge that his love interest’s heart no longer belongs to him.
The song is taken from Dare’s sophomore album ‘unDAREYted’ and was written by him and Cobhams.
Rooftops MCs- Lagimo
Rooftop MCs consisting of the duo, Soulsnatcha, and Sokleva came into the spotlight with their hit song, ‘Lagimo’ which ruled in airwaves from radio to television between 2007 and 2009, totally redefining what gospel music has been known to be prior to RoofTop MCs.
When roughly translated as a whole from Yoruba to English the chorus means, “if my head will swell up in pride, beat it back into humility”.
Cobhams apart from producing the song also featured on the song in which he dropped a powerful verse.
Modenine- Cry
‘Cry’ which features the soulful vocals of songstress Nnenna, is the second track on Modenine‘s 2007 album E’ Pluribus Unum released under Questionmark Entertainment.
‘Cry‘ is his most successful award-winning single to date. The song brought him on the radar of even non-hip hop listeners.
The song tells of two tragic stories, one of a new mother who becomes a widow the same day she gives birth and two friends turn archenemies due to being in rival gangs.
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Asa- Jailer
Cobhams and Asa both rose to international acclaim as a result of their collaboration on Asa’s platinum-selling debut album, “Asha“.
One notable song off that album is the Socio-political commentary song, “Jailer“. The song is a reflection of the political climate in Nigeria and the rest of the world.
It has also been interpreted to be a metaphorical commentary on how society has become prisons and some selected people have become ‘Jailers’. Cobhams is credited as a co-writer of the song.
Omawumi- If You ask Me
“If You Ask Me (Na Who I Go Ask)“ is a soulful yet socially conscious track that tells the story of an abused child.
The song’s chorus which takes the call and response format has become a popular slang used on the street whenever someone is asked to narrate a befuddling story.
Banky W- Strong Ting
‘Strong Thing’ is a romantic ballad off Banky W‘s 2009 “The W Experience” album. The song alongside the hit classic, ‘Lagos Party‘ was released before the full album.
Chidinma- Kedike
After winning the third season of Project Fame West Africa in 2010, Chidinma launched her career with the Cobhams-produced, ‘Kedike’.
The song was the third single off her self-titled debut album, “Chidinma“. The name translates to “Heartbeat”.
Djinee- Ego
Djinee released the impressive Afro-R’n’B song, ‘Ego‘ way back in 2006. The song which rocked airwaves at the time of its release is a timeless classic.
Maintain- Catch Cold
Way before Olu Maintain had people dancing to his classic, “Yahooze“, he and his cousin Tolu under the group name Maintain had released a number of hit songs, and ‘Catch Cold” is one of them.
“Catch Cold” which was produced by Cobhams samples American rapper, Ludacris‘s “Area Codes” song.
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Shola Allyson- Eji Owuro
Shola Allyson came into the limelight with the hit song Eji Owuro (2003), which was the soundtrack album for a film of the same title.
The song also led to the release of a full album of the same title that produced other hit songs. The song’s lyrics have been sampled in different hit songs which tells of how huge the song is.
Top 10 Classic Nigerian songs you didn’t know were produced by Cobhams
- Darey Art Alade- Not the Girl
- Rooftops MCs- Lagimo
- Modenine- Cry
- Asa- Jailer
- Omawumi- If You ask Me
- Banky W- Strong Ting
- Chidinma- Kedike
- DJINEE- Ego
- Maintain- Catch Cold
- Shola Allyson- Eji Owuro