

Since his 2014 debut, Kizz Daniel has continuously shown an astute understanding of his audience. He gives them what he knows they’ll enjoy even when it calls for him to slightly colour outside the lines of trending sensibilities in Nigerian music. And the result? Fun, unlikely chart-toppers like 2023’s “Buga (Lo Lo Lo)” or 2024’s funky North African-inspired “Marhaba”. On Uncle K: Lemon Chase, we see his efforts take on a more refined form. This EP, like many offerings in Kizz Daniel’s discography, is light-hearted and fun, yet sombre when it needs to be. Project opener “Black Girl Magic” is a warm love song packed with the one-liners Kizz Daniel’s become known for. Who else would possibly think up a quippy line like “Make I be your Joseph knack you like carpenter”? By the time we get to the Zlatan-assisted “Secure”, we enter an edgy, thumping world where money rules everything, especially on a Friday night. “Al-Jannah” takes a detour from the formulaic tropes of love and money as Bella Shmurda and ODUMODUBLVCK soliloquise on their experiences with grief and loss. The soulful “Police”, with its humorous lyrics and engaging melodies, taps the legendary Angélique Kidjo and is produced by M.O.G Beatz, BlaiseBeatz and Johnny Drille.