As far as the mainstream Nigerian music scene is concerned, Zlatan Ibile is a stay lite.
The young rapper has become a phenomenon, on the streets and everywhere that matters to the industry. In other words, he’s a star.
And being a star around here, means a whole lot of music, singles, collaborations, albums, EP’s, hitting us back to back, left right and center. And that, really, has been the case since Zlatan Ibile first hit us with the “Zanku” wave, which ultimately laid the foundation for a new generation of street music, honcho-ed by him and Naira Marley.
That’s that. Based on the reception from fans, critical analysis, and commercial success, we at “Mp3bullet.ng” rank Zlatan Ibile’s best ten songs of 2019 featuring, Davido, Burna Boy, Naira Marley, IVD, Tiwa Savage, DJ Cuppy, Tekno and Zinoleesky.
-
DMW – Bum Bum ft. Davido
Is this a DMW song? Who cares. “Bum Bum” is just Davido and Zlatan Ibile, coming together to deliver their best yet. The song, which quickly became a hit and even spurred a Challenge on Instagram, was produced by Rexxie.
And it’s by all means, Zlatan’s biggest effort. Considering that OBO performed on this, and it was kind of his follow-up to his “Zanku” and “Killin Dem”, both of which were released, last year.
Audio Player
-
Bolanle ft. IVD
The significance of IVD on this track can easily be undermined, given that most people don’t even know who that name belongs to. But still, Zlatan put in his sauce and made yet another big hit that disturbed the streets.
“Bolanle” has a content, storyline, if you will and also got that Zlatan vibe that is kind of contagious if you think about it.
Audio Player
-
Shotan ft. Tiwa Savage
Zlatan Ibile also has his way with collaborations, and right from the beginning when he rocked Chinko Ekun’s “Able God” hit and went on to release a killer with Burna. So, yeah, if it’s collaborating, you can trust that Zlatan is down.
“Shotan” which has a more Afro feel, features Queen Tiwa and has her vibing that ‘Savage’ vibe, as Zlatan, raps his way in and out of the song. For one, it’s an iconic collabo.
Audio Player
-
This Year
This is his biggest major solo hit, and one of the few tracks that quickly told us Zlatan Ibile was here to stay. Unlike many of his recent tracks that don’t have a full street feel on them, “This Year” sounds like a radical one. And, it made it on his “Zanku” album.
Audio Player
-
Naira Marley – Am I a Yahoo Boy
Naira Marley and Zlatan Ibile got chemistry, and they know it. And since they came to limelight, almost at the same time, they hooked up and did stuff together. One-off that big stuff would be “Am I a Yahoo Boy”?
On the one hand, it’s the song that got EFCC on their tail. And on the other hand, it has quite an interesting backstory. Plus, Naira Marley did say he’s not a Yahoo Boy.
Audio Player
-
Gbeku ft. Burna Boy
While this might be too long a stretch because it tried to introduce another dance, which may or may not be related to Zanku. It’s still a vibe, and the fact that Burna is on it means magic had to be done.
“Gbeku” which preceded the album, is now a big one on the streets and really, it’s gonna be big this December. So, that’s a win, there.
Audio Player
-
DJ Cuppy – Gelato
DJ Cuppy is the daughter of billionaire mogul, Otedola, while Zlatan is just a boy who the streets favored. But that didn’t hinder collaboration between the two when the time came.
“Gelato” is no doubt a hit, and not only on the streets, on the charts, too. It also showed us that Zlatan’s music can serve a wide array of listeners.
Audio Player
-
Yeye Boyfriend
Also from the recently released album, “Yeye Boyfriend” is a street single about, obviously, yeye boyfriends. Before the release, even the snippet was trending online. And when it finally made its way out as a single, the reception was massive. Maybe Zlatan Ibile just can’t lose?
Audio Player
-
Tekno – Agege
For a street artist with so much potential, Zlatan had a lot to prove. And while his versatility had to be put to test, it was also only a matter of time before other artists who needed some credibility begin to call on him for stuff.
“Agege” is like Tekno’s first hit in a while, and that’s all thanks to Zlatan Ibile, who although didn’t make the track better per se, but whose appearance was enough to make it a trend.
Audio Player
-
Zinoleesky – Money
Zinoleesky is that young Instagram rave, who quickly became a sensation after a couple of his freestyles blew up. And he did link up with Zlatan for this one. To be honest, one of Zlatan’s best rap performances this year is on this track, “Money.”
And some people are wondering why Zlatan didn’t get the Next Rated award?
Audio Player