Afrobeats has always been a fun genre. Full of energy and bounce, we’ve come a long way in its evolution and it continues to change dynamically, affecting how it’s presented in Nigeria and to the world at large. The bounce is an important element of the way we feel about Afrobeats, and without the ingenuity of the producers that exist under its umbrella, it just won’t hit the same. Afrobeats is at its best when showcasing its shape-shifting qualities, and we’ve seen a rising number of producers who opt to slow down the vibe and offer something different.
Governor is an example of this mindset change within the genre. While it still keeps its fun, bubbly energy, the record highlights the more sensual aspects of the genre which producers are making more effort to tap into. A mid-tempo record like this has to be executed with precision, and producer ATB Selectas — known by birth as Oluwadamilola Atunbi — teamed up with artist Bliizzy and another producer Olumba, coming together to create a soothing but captivating bounce. The result is a record of high replay value, which is usually measured by the intangible metric of enjoyability.
One of the elements of the song that add to this enjoyability is definitely the drums. The drums make up the major framework of the production, in line with a typical Afrobeats record which usually has a varying degree of drum patterns. But this song gains its uniqueness from the way the drum patterns on Governor are laid out. There’s a playful edge to it, which makes the song stick with you. The producers understand the soundscape more than most, creating this instrumental with the knowledge of what makes a listener move to the music. ATB Selectas and Olumba use this knowledge to their advantage, using the drums as a framework around which other elements of the production exist.
For example, the 808s on the song add a layer of intensity and emphasis to Governor, adding to its bassline. The drum pattern coupled with the intensity of the 808s evokes head bops but not a lot of high-tempo dancing. It’s a song that sets a chill vibe, one that would find a home at a kickback or as the soundtrack to a fun night. ATB Selectas, along with Olumba, showed skill and expertise in crafting this record the way they did, adding more stars to their growing discography. The importance of producers continues to grow within the world of music and it is awesome to see.
While producers can do a lot, they can’t do it on their own. They need fire artists to create a synergy with artists who can create pictures that the production can’t paint. Bliizzy did that to great effect, weaving patterns within the song with playful expertise. He finds pockets within ATB Selecta and Olumba’s production, laying braggadocious bars that gave birth to the Governor title. His producers empowered him to give this convincing performance by creating an instrumental that gave him space to unearth infectious melodies.
The measure of a producer’s skill extends beyond expertly crafting an instrumental. It also involves knowing the best artist who can do justice to a song that they’ve created. Governor shows that Bliizzy was the perfect choice for this song.
