The 30 Best Flavour Songs

We comb through the iconic Nigerian artist’s catalog for 30 songs that embody his genius and longevity.

Flavour has made an enduring art form of the neo-highlife genre.

Photo courtesy of Flavour.

Flavour’s legendary status is undisputed. For the better part of two decades, the Nigerian showman has been a dignified flagbearer for neo-highlife, a movement that is largely centered on his efforts. By blending core highlife elements with contemporary aesthetics, the artist born Chinedu Okoli has kept his generational legacy alive, consistently breathing new fire into the ever-evolving scene of African music.

It’s therefore an error to exclude Flavour from the conversation about giants of modern African music. He’s not only the finest practitioner of a unique form, he’s a collector of moments that are distinctly Nigerian, and Black, given the far-reaching brilliance of his catalog. Since emerging from the rich cultural scene to Enugu in the early 2000s, a long cache of hit songs and excellent visual curation has made Flavour an undeniable force, and is the exact reason why a list like this is inevitable.

Woven across several tapestries of sound, but returning often to the Igbo-sourced well of highlife, these songs represent the sprawling genius of Flavour N’abania — one of Africa’s most beloved musicians ever.

“N’abania” feat. Nigga Raw

Even as a debutant, Flavour’s ability was quite apparent. It was the confidence in his tone and the ease with which he moved through the hypervisual material of Enugu’s nightlife. With these qualities, he made his claim on the music industry, memorably showing across that first album, N’abania, that there was a lot he could do musically.

“Nwata”

If you passed through a bar-laden street in the late 2000s, anywhere across the East and South of Nigeria, it was impossible to not hear this record. Its sweet delirium was realized through its sprightly production, which Flavour rode with the narrative style of highlife. Titled after an electric girl he’s seeing, the Igbo intonations serenade beyond that mission. A nostalgia-candy, its better qualities however remain fresh and florid.

“Nwa Baby”

With this song, Flavour moved some steps closer to a national audience. Perhaps it was the stripped form, its simple drum patterns which allowed his voice better space to show off. Whatever it was, it was definitely catchy and endeared him, especially to women — both young and old. It’s no surprise he chose to update the song when he was better known.

“Oyi [Remix]” feat. Tiwa Savage

In 2010, it made a lot of sense for Flavour and Tiwa Savage to get on a duet like this. He had established himself as an icon of homegrown forms and she was newly returned from the States. And, in a shared quest for romantic intimacy, the now-classic performance delivered by both came to life. It was made even more memorable by the strong chemistry depicted on-screen.

“Adamma”

Portraiture is an essential element in highlife. Its early purveyors told tales within a recognizable narrative structure, which is headed by the character’s name. Flavour has done this throughout his career, and one of his most striking remains “Adamma.” Its purity, effervescence and originality are high marks of its evocative quality, but at the core, it’s really just a good groove.

“Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix)”

With more urgency added to the drums of “Nwa Baby,” a refreshed vibrance was realized in this record. We can ascribe that to the yet-developing confidence of Flavour, who was sure about how he intended to move the dancefloor. By taking this word which had hitherto been a derogatory one, and turning it into a women’s anthem, he proved his ethos of inclusivity.

“Ukwu” feat. Stormrex

Not long ago, Desperate Chicks were trending online and, for the sound, but also their branding as young-at-heart women who didn’t care about societal expectations. Stormrex, the star of that group, features in this risque record. Alongside Flavour, the ethos of “Ife di n’ukwu” — “there is something in the waist” — is upheld. The production’s flamboyance matches the theme, an alliance Flavour was always keen on.

“Kwarikwa (Remix)” feat. Fally Ipupa

Two icons who’ve consistently remodeled the genres of their countries, it was quite fitting that Flavour and Fally Ipupa would collaborate. On “Kwarikwa” their signature styles of serenade are on display, crafting a love record whose sentimental appeal still strikes with surprise. Love being a central feature in Flavour’s music, this yet stands out.

“Chinedum”

When an artist creates a song inspired by their real name, that song becomes close to their heart. For Flavour, whose musical journey started in church and whose music has always flowed along those glorious tides, “Chinedum” is a tender rendition onto God. Meaning “God is leading me” in Igbo, he indeed makes an art of surrender and sonorous praise.

“Most High” feat. Semah

In 2018, Flavour worked on the Divine project with Semah, a young Liberian who’d been born blind and who Flavour would later adopt. Before then, listeners got to hear his utterly scintillating vocals on “Most High.” A gospel song and one of the most transcendental across Flavour’s catalog, it’s a fine reminder of the powerful ability of art to move.

“Awele” feat. Umu Obiligbo

The duo of Umu Obiligbo perform a more rootsy strain of highlife than Flavour, but to cross over to national relevance, they had to blend theirs with his urban perspective. The result is “Awele,” a song so successful, it soundtracked the December home travels many Nigerians make. The trio also created an EP titled after this initial record.

“Ololufe” feat. Chidinma

Duets are a strong point of Flavour’s artistry. A memorable one is created here with Chidinma with whom he shared a strong chemistry (they were once rumored to be lovers). If anything, “Ololufe” sparks that flame abuzz, a lush middle-ground where the distinct sensibilities of both artists meet. When their vocals collapse into “Ife, ife, ife, you are the angel of my life,” the feeling is akin to sticking one’s head outside a moving car.

“Golibe”

Balladry, the beauty! Among his quintessential forms, the maturation of this one confirmed Flavour as a heartthrob. Nowadays “Gollibe” would be acclaimed for its utility during weddings but at heart, it’s really just a fine soulful record. A lone piano stalks the character, endowed with the eye of the beholder, and Flavour wielding the sleek poet’s tongue.

“Wiser” feat. M.I. & Phyno

The pitfalls of a relationship are so crushing and yet so common several artists have albums-worth of breakup songs. It’s not as widespread in Flavour’s catalog, but when he curates a fall-out, he makes it count. Here, he calls up two rappers with a knack for narrative, crafting a heartfelt chorus about being wiser on either side of their verses.

“Mmege Mmege” feat. Selebobo

As an important figure in the Southeastern scene, Selebobo jumping on a song with Flavour is more significant than many people realize — an industry heavyweight meeting the quintessential breakout superstar, uniting over the sound they both share. “Mmege” is mostly perceived as a Flavour deep cut, but its vibrance strikes original, quite close to the artist’s roots.

“Her Excellency (Nwunye Odogwu)”

Just as Flavour praises men, so does he women, even if he does it here through the prism of marriage. “Her Excellency” is, however, a song that appeals to its immediate audience, which are Igbo women around the world. Warm with fine touches of passion and reserve, it’s a feel-good capsule that wraps the world around the woman.

“Big Baller”

By now it’s quite known how closely Flavour aligns with the Igbo worldview. As espoused in the novels of Chinua Achebe, that worldview upholds achievement as a prerequisite for acknowledged masculinity, a lane Flavour plies here. Bubbly, engaged with contemporary language, it’s the commercial cornerstone of African Royalty, his latest album.

“Fearless” feat. Ejyk Nwamba

As he did with Stormrex and Selebobo, Flavour again returns to the Southeast scene, this time collaborating with its most famous Ogene proponent. Ogene, a sound named after its percussion instrument, is indeed the propelling force in this song. Even as Flavour infuses his signature soothing tone, it’s the rustic colors of Ejyk’s musicality that make this a quite distinct record.

“Number 1” with M.I Abaga

Before other rappers understood Flavour’s potential on pop-rap records, M.I. had already released one of the most penetrating records of its time. “Number One,” like Flavour sang on his verse, is a hip-hop and highlife combination. For its generation, it showed how those sensibilities could be blended, and whereas M was typically brilliant, the assured vibrance of Flavour’s hook was the catalyst for its national domination.

“Black Is Beautiful”

Reggae is a genre Flavour has explored sparingly throughout his career. But being a branch of the Afro musical tree, his adeptness in its form was always there, and he beautifully showcases that in this record. It is, as the title infers, an anthem for Blackness: tender, lovey-dovey, and charismatic, in the ways Flavour has been for long, it’s a soulful song that continues to stir whenever it’s played.

“Orobo (Remix)” with Sound Sultan

If a Nigerian musician was ever going to release a body-positivity record, it was surely going to be Flavour. On this classic collaboration with the late great Sound Sultan, plus-sized women are celebrated, lifting the titular term from the country’s local parlance. A vibrant song whose appeal underscored Flavour’s ability to subvert sensitive topics, it gave both artists a stronger rein of popularity upon release.

“Ada Ada”

It goes without saying that Flavour did something special on this record. Beyond his fame, beyond the well-directed visual, it was the pristine element of its songwriting that made it stick. Flavour sounded truly in love, and that trueness of tone cannot be replaced. This is the kind of song that entire careers are built upon, but being a magician with many tricks up his sleeve, Flavour has continued to create records in this ballad style. Quite tellingly, none has matched the brilliance of Ada’s song.

“Chinny Baby”

A quaint reggae groove permeates the core of this record. As a genre associated with revelry and consciousness, it makes the perfect conduit for Flavour, who with a poet’s melancholy charts the course of a lover-gone-away. “When are you coming back home to me?” he asks on the pre-chorus, wistful and searching, portending one of his most touching moments on wax. No perspective exceeded Flavour’s grasp.

“Ifem N’eli”

Beer-parlor music is a popular staple of uwa mgbede — nightlife — the cultural ethos Flavour consecrates into his music, especially his early music. Its golden qualities are prevalent on “Ifem N’eli,” a song that takes a lustful approach to meeting up with a woman. Casting the hue, its production immediately takes the listener to Enugu, in a lovely bar drinking with friends, and suddenly a beautiful woman surfaces.

“Wake Up” feat. Wande Coal

Few songs demonstrate the crossover potential of Flavour as well as this record. Created during the peak period of Wande Coal, it brings the maverick’s pomp into the highlife-supplied vibrance of Flavour, realizing a mix that made it an instant smash hit. Popular across Lagos and its neighboring environs, it proved how malleable Flavour could be, both in sound and in songwriting.

“Ikwokrikwo”

A rolling drum pattern introduces this record. It’s an earthy embrace in line with listeners who heard Flavour across the Blessed album, most popularly considered to be his best. Well, “Ikwokrikwo” does make a strong case to be the best song on the album, finding Flavour at his most confessional. How does he blend lust so brilliantly into love? Where does the communal segue for the private? Flavour knows just how, taking the eye of perspective to several angles across this song.

“Iwe (Tribute To MC Loph)”

In terms of pure emotion, no song in Flavour’s catalog touches this. A dirge for the late MC Loph — who died in a car crash in September 2011 — it was released some days after the rapper’s death. Somber, sorrowful, it narrates the brotherly relationship between Loph and Flavour, with the latter singing peace into the hearts of those who loved him. The title means anger in Igbo, but more than that, it is mercy which the listener most feels. A deeply humane composition.

“Oluoma” with Jeriq

Perhaps the greatest signifier of Flavour’s longevity is getting on a record with Jeriq, a rapper who’s two generations removed from MC Loph, whom he gave the sterling hook of “Osondi Owendi”. On the praise-laden “Oluoma,” the drowsy flow of Jeriq is purposefully evolved through Flavour’s hook, which then became one of the biggest moments on Billion Dollar Dream, the rapper’s debut album.

“Turn Up” with DJ Jimmy Jatt

Known for creating the most unassuming records with superstars, Jimmy Jatt scores one for the ages on “Turn Up.” Over a languid beat with audible highlife influences, Flavour reaches deep into his bag of tricks, taking the record in great stride. From the verses to the chorus, he’s in fine form, showcasing why he’s the first name on any collaboration that has a highlife influence. Because nothing is out of place sonically, this is one of the most well-loved Flavour deep cuts.

“To Be A Man”

Before Flavour began creating braggadocious bops for men, he was empathizing with the situations that forge a victor. Essentially, the fire before the sword, the raw metal of creation. That is what this song represents. More than just beautiful music, it is purposeful. It is story-laden, in touch with reality on a deeper level than most contemporary musicians would care to understand. This is why Flavour stands out: because of his unwavering dedication to realism in all its colors.

From Your Site Articles

10 African Music Projects You May Have Missed This Year

Site Navigation