Today marks the first step towards Obongjayar’s highly anticipated debut album with the release of ‘Message In A Hammer’ – an enticing taste of what’s to come.
With it’s pulsating rhythm and urgency, ‘Message In A Hammer’ finds the Nigerian-born, London-based artist at his most frenetic and energised, with a nod to the rich musical textures of his African roots, he adds a multitude of influences to create his own genre defiant sound. Speaking about the track, Obongjayar writes;
“Message In a Hammer is about fight, and fighting against the powers that take and steal and rob from us, and calling them by their name - thieves and murderers.”
The new track is accompanied by a cinematic Rollo Jackson directed video that draws influence from essential late 90’s gangster films, casting Obongjayar a vengeful driver for an unruly and poisonous crime boss who has wronged him for the last time.
2021 has been far from quiet for Obongjayar, today’s release follows show-stopping features with Little Simz on the track “Point and Kill” and with Pa Salieu on “Style & Fashion”. Additionally, Obongjayar released a full EP with influential Nigerian producer Sarz entitled “Sweetness” – a run of activity that culminated in him winning an Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for his song “God’s Own Children.”
Next year, Obongjayar will take his incendiary live performance to stages across the UK and Europe, further to these show’s he’ll be main support for Little Simz’s tour next month. Presale begins on Thursday through DICE with general sale beginning at 10am on Friday.
Tickets and more information can be found here.
20 April Leeds Belgrave Music Hall
22 April London Venue TBA
23 April Bristol, UK Thekla
24 April Nottingham, UK Rough Trade
26 April Brighton, UK Patterns
27 April Manchester, UK BOTW
29 April Paris, France Point Ephémère
30 April Brussels, Belgium Botanique
01 May Amsterdam, Netherlands Bitterzoet
03 May Berlin, Germany Lido