The Ajebo Hustlers are Claiming All Their Flowers on ‘Onorato’

Ajebo Hustlers are deeply connected to Nigeria’s unique conditions. The group’s unusual name was coined to reflect the polarizing sides of socioeconomic standing (“ajebo” is Nigerian slang for someone born into wealth), especially as conscious artists emerging from the Port Harcourt scene. Ten years into their official formation, with several iconic moments and a wealth of outstanding records behind them, Ajebo Hustlers have shown no signs of relenting, consolidating their reputation as one ofAfrobeats’ greatest duos.

On a recent weekday, OkayAfrica caught up with the duo individually known as Piego and Knowledge, whose new EP has just arrived on streaming platforms. Titled ONORATO, which is Italian for “honorable,” Piego wastes no time telling us about the title choice. “When we were done with the EP, we were kind of just brainstorming,” he explains, “what is it like? How do we feel at the moment? Because half the time, it’s just how we feel at the moment — that’s how we come up with the titles of our projects and names of songs and whatever we do. We felt like we’d worked hard to be here and deserved more with the music. We’ve put out quality music and are worthy of being here.”

Since then, Ajebo Hustlers have grown into a slicker, pop-supplied style, weaning back political commentary for its exciting social variant. Expanding their collaborative base, they’ve worked with everyone fromSarkodietoOmah Lay, moving closer to the cross-continental acclaim that has been the dominant mark of Afrobeats’ spiraling relevance in global circles. On that note, ONORATA aims to strike at the pulse of this positive movement by centering the qualities that make Ajebo Hustlers unique.

A subtle tale of unbridled attraction vivifies “Movie Star,” a track emboldened by colorful percussion. It’s closest in sound to “Yan Yan Po,” where the duo score the iconic feature ofTimaya, one of the greatest Port Harcourt-bred artists. Another standout is “Ave Maria,” which, although released in late 2024, would become one of the year’s most impressive records.Victony’s sing-song vocals and the nuanced perspective of Ajebo Hustlers were enough to make it a hit, but placed in the new EP, it shines even brighter.

An emphatic “yes” emerged from Piego when I asked if their abilities had been underrated due to being in a group. “We live in a world where people are selling content,” he affirms, “so it’s like people need to connect with you. There’s so much happening on the internet, and I think sometimes, with being a group, there’s almost too much going on. Sometimes you see people tweet they want more verses from Knowledge, but then it’s just three minutes you have in the song [laughs].”

On “Velvet,” the penultimate track on ONORATA, the sleek-tongued Knowledge finally gets two verses in. It’s a grand ballroom-evoking production that showcases how far Ajebo Hustlers have come from Ideas From My Voicenotes, their 2018 album whose realistic portraits influenced a gritty, retro style. “Velvet” skates from the melodic mastery of Piego into his partner’s luminous bars, all the while sketching the figure of a femme fatale. Immense social material and sonic relatability — it’s not the easiest pairing.

“There’s no rules to it,” Piego tells us about the group’s creative process. “We’re living our individual lives in between the music. Whoever sends in beats, [Knowledge] forwards to me, and whoever sends me a pack, I forward to him. And we don’t necessarily record in the same space; it’s like we’re scouts — you know how you’re searching for gold type thing… and sometimes we’ll be in the same space and work with the producer and create from start to finish.”

Before the release of ONORATA, the Ajebo Hustlersaccounton X (formerly Twitter) engaged in an ingenious promotional tactic, sharing years-long clips of the artists freestyling. Often flexing Knowledge’s bars, those videos reveal the grit and sustenance of the journey, from both artists meeting at a restaurant to working together under their individual aliases. Now, they’re undoubtedly worthy of artistic honor.

“It’s as real as it comes,” says Knowledge about the influence of Port Harcourt in their narrative. “We try as much as possible to depict what’s happening in our environment, and when you grow up in the city, some things stick with you. So we try as much as possible to inculcate it in our music and still educate the people over there as well.”

With Knowledge often sparking conversation about the merit of rap in Nigeria, he doubles down on his art form. “I feel like what they call real rap music in Nigeria is American music, and they’re missing the plot,” he says after a cheeky laugh. “The people that they call the best lyricists, and so, they don’t even reach out to the common people. So I don’t rate most of those conversations ‘cause they’re just being biased.”