"Bobo" (also known as "Shakiti Bobo") is a song by Nigerian rapper and recording artist Olamide from his fifth studio album Eyan Mayweather. Produced by Young Jonn, the song was released on May 2, 2015 through YBNL Nation.[1] With a view of promoting "Bobo", a dance style called "Shakiti Bobo" was named after the song.[2] "Bobo" was nominated in the "Song of the Year" category at The Headies 2015.[3] American music magazine Billboard ranked it #23 on their list of The 50 Best Afrobeats Songs of All Time.[4] In May 2015, singer Olowu Taiwo, known as LT, alleged that the dance associated with the song was taken from his earlier "Yobo" dance, which he said he had shared publicly before the song’s release. LT claimed he released the audio of his own song on 22 April 2015 and a related video on 6 May 2015, shortly before the dance gained wider attention through Olamide’s single. There was no response from Olamide's management about the controversy.[5]
"Bobo" was the first solo single by Olamide after the release of the joint album 2 Kings (2015) with Phyno.[1] In a 2015 interview with filmmaker Tunde Kelani, Olamide said the title and chant of the song were inspired by a local nursery rhyme he heard while growing up in Bariga.[6]
Reception
"Bobo" was met with positive reviews among music critics and numerous airplay. Tola Bolaji of Nigerian Entertainment Today described the song as a combination of "rap and poetry" and further went on to state that: "This song obviously goes beyond the leg jumping to meet the hand rhythmic dance steps. It has a message. Next time take more time in listening to the message of Nigerian songs. You might just be lucky to meet one, just like a song writer in Naija said, one in a million".[7]
Henry Igwe of 360Nobs stated the song was "mellow, catchy, and carries tingly features that can freeze the industry heartbeat today, and get the people listening". As for the video, he concluded that it was "super cool material that should keep him relevant some more in the mix".[8]
Music video
The music video for "Bobo" was released on 7 May 2015. Directed by Mr. Moe Musa, the video which features cameo appearances from then-label mates Viktoh, Lil Kesh, and Chinko Ekun, was shot on location at the Lagos Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island.[9] By July 2015, the video reached one million views on YouTube.[10]
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