Rema – Baby (Is it a crime)
Afrobeat superstar, Rema has released his Sade-sampling single “Baby (Is It a Crime)”, Produced byP Priime, who was heavily involved in HEIS, the “Baby (Is it a Crime)” beat makes a soothing tease of Sade’s voice, amplifying its wistful atmosphere with a vocoder effect that makes it sound baby-like. Amidst the drums and sonorous horns, Rema creates an enchanting portrayal of desire from the vantage point of his celebrity lifestyle. “You know say you match my steeze / you know I’m a G,” he sings in the early parts of the record, just before segueing into other markers of exuberance.
He first teased the single back in November with a 1-minute, 21-second clip of him smoking while nonchalantly vibing to the track. “Baby/ Baby sunmoni/ You know say you match my steeze/ You know I’m a G/ Shawty I’mma always keep it real/ I no dey for too much whining/ Dey for too much whining,” the Nigerian hitmaker sings.
Sade’s 1985 smooth jazz classic “Is It a Crime” is the first track on the band’s sophomore album Promise. It reached No. 32 on Adult Contemporary and No. 55 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Rema was spotted carrying the Promise vinyl out of Amoeba Records in Hollywood, California earlier this week.
Rema’s unique ability to twist mundane expressions inside out makes him a very interesting songwriter. That skill is evident in “Baby,” the second verse is especially vibrant and rhythmically intense. In it, one hears Rema in his typical brilliance, seamlessly picking unpredictable vocal pockets while keeping the topic relatable.
On HEIS, there was a necessary ploy by Rema to spotlight the foundational influences behind Afropop. From the loud, swaggering drums to the Pidgin-suffused verses, the project was divisive upon its release, but with time, it was heralded as one of the best releases of last year and a turning point for Nigerian music.
Listen to “Rema – Baby (Is it a crime)” here
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