MUMBAI: Strap in for 7th Obi’s ‘Love & Goodluck’ album. The 11-track project shows the Ireland-based artist fully finding his feet, delivering a futuristic sound that’s grounded in both UK and US rap. Drawing out his trademark autotuned vocal to form elaborate melodies, Obi’s sound is fully formed on his debut full-length.
Longtime collaborator LHK contributes production to three tracks on the album including ‘Highschool’, which lays down a block rockin’ beat with exploratory piano keys, allowing for Obi to treat his auto-tuned vocal like an instrument over the top. Elsewhere, cuts like ‘Tesla Navigation’ employ deep bass lines for 7th Obi’s vocal to soar over, taking you on a ride like no other. Rising Chinese-English rapper GZ Tian and the Grammy-nominated Rmb Justize have guest slots on the record, lending vocals and production to 7th Obi’s sky-high, cosmic rap soundscapes.
Hailed by TRENCH and Dummy magazine, the rap upstart has his gaze set firmly on the future. Born in Nigeria before moving to Waterford, Ireland, he’s an artist steadily securing his stake on the rap scene. Originally birthed by SoundCloud and therefore tracing the same path as many rappers before him, 7th Obi fuses all kinds of genres from jazz to trap and hip-hop, touching on influences like Pi’erre Bourne, Travis Scott and Lancey Foux and creating moods designed to take listeners out of their day-to-day lives.
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Obi’s time spent growing up in Ireland gave him what he terms his “superpower,” in that being the only black kid meant that he was automatically singled out and made to feel different. Now, his lack of need for validation means he’s secure in making whatever out-there sonics he likes, confident in his own abilities, and his Irish peers like Rejjie Snow and Jafaris became role models to look up to in the music game. With his eyes set on the future, 7th Obi is just getting started.
