Nigerian rapper and singer Blaqbonez recently joined Nandi Madida on Apple Music 1’s Africa Now Radio to talk about his new single “ACL”, his fourth studio album No Excuses, and the mindset that’s shaped his run so far.
He spoke about building a legacy on his own terms, staying true to himself in an industry obsessed with trends, and the pressure that comes with surpassing his own work.
The pressure to stay great
“I’ve made three albums already, and it felt like I had set a crazy standard,” he said. “With each album, I have to try to outdo the other albums. I was like, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure I keep this standard.”
Blaqbonez says the name of his new album, No Excuses, came from how seriously he takes his craft, and that that determination shaped the entire recording process. “One day, I saw a book titled No Excuses, and I was like, this is exactly what I’ve been doing this whole time. Creating the best thing that I can so that when I put it out, I have no excuses, no regrets.”
The title ultimately sums up both his work ethic and the attitude he brings to every release. “People are already calling it one of my best projects,” he said. “That’s exactly why I put in all that work.”
“Four certified crazy albums”
If there’s one thing Blaqbonez doesn’t downplay, it’s how proud he is of his discography. “It’s one of my proudest accomplishments,” he told Madida. “The fact that I can always say, look at what I did. And nobody can question it because each one is just amazing. And this one just takes it to a different level. It’s four now, four certified crazy albums. I’m so proud of myself.”
The rapper has always positioned himself as someone who stands apart from his peers, experimental, bold, and intentional about every move. That confidence, however, often gets mistaken for marketing.
It’s not PR. It’s legacy
When asked whether his public feuds and outspoken moments are part of a PR strategy, Blaqbonez was quick to clarify. “No,” he said plainly. “For me, it’s just building my own legacy and the type of rapper that I want to be seen as. It’s not really PR; it’s just me saying whatever I do is for the legacy I intend to build. It’s for the image I create for myself, for who I believe that I am.”
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For him, the loud persona, the boldness, and even the controversies are part of the art. “That’s how I carry myself,” he said.
His themes are personal
Speaking on one of the standout tracks, “Everlasting Taker,” Blaqbonez said some of his best work comes from moments that feel beyond his control. “Sometimes I feel like I’m writing, but something else is writing through me,” he said.
When asked about the themes that run through No Excuses, Blaqbonez said the album is built from his everyday life. “It’s just me living my life and telling the story of my life,” he explained. “If something crazy happens today, I’ll tell you. If today’s a chill day and I’m emotional, I’ll tell you. If somebody is billing me too much, I’ll tell you. So, that’s just the themes of the album. It’s just my life and all the different things that I go through on a daily basis.”
Pushing the sound forward
Beyond lyrics, Blaqbonez says No Excuses is his proudest project sonically. He made sure it sounded as global as his ambitions. “I didn’t cut any corners,” he said. “I worked with the best producers”: Jae5, Blaze Beats, Tellz, Ramoney, Ragee. “Sonically, I’m so proud to play this album anywhere because I know that production-wise, this is crazy already.”
For him, being different isn’t a gimmick; it’s the whole point. He ended the chat by reflecting on what that means to him now. “I’m proud of who I am,” he said. “I feel like I’m one of the few people who is not engineered, in a way. I’m still myself…In everything I do, I want it to represent me in the way that I actually am.”
