This was not the first time Jovi has gone viral; his debut single, “Don 4 Kwat” did. Neither was it the first time he had something to do with a virus; his debut album was titled “H.I.V“. Not that lethal virus that causes AIDS, but “Humanity Is Vanishing“.
“H.I.V” remains Jovi’s magnum opus and a game changing classic that really elevated Cameroonian hip hop.
The record also proved that the new, self-assured emcee with street credibility could deliver high voltage rhymes, a plethora of punch lines and a wildly inventive flow – with bars afters bars after bars. Kondengui style.
In his sophomore album, “Mboko God“, Jovi cemented his legacy as the god of street rap and paramount producer of eclectic gong and bell sounds which has now become his signature. He also presented his new crew at New Bell Music, his newly formed record label. After a couple of EPs and a third album, “16 Wives” which barely delivered, many critics stated that the Jovi era was finally over. His recent hits were not as hard hitting as his early hits.
It is an issue he addresses in songs like “Piss am” and “God Don Kam“. It seems Jovi is back once more to prove his doubters wrong in this album; that he cannot only still rap well but can also produce songs incredibly well. Unlike “Mboko God” where his artistic approach is laid back (he gives room for his crew to express themselves), Jovi steers the ship almost solitary this time. Reniss and Tatapong Beyala are only minimally in the background. The wide range of the songs is remarkable. The tunes mostly sound different.
The sampling is genius. Jovi has long known that the magic in sampling is in picking the right sample. He is not only great at picking the best Makossa, Rochereau, Eko and Fela song(s), but also great at reworking the samples so rigorously that they work well in almost every song.
However, he does it more clinically in this album. Every sample is ample. And they are not easy to decipher, unlike the ones in his previous albums and EPs. Also, most songs have background vocals; some weepy, some unique, some downright indescribable. Some tunes incorporate auto tunes. Some songs have his signature gongs. Other songs flaunt funk and flutes and xylophones and traditional music.
