Born in Nigeria and raised in the Middle East, Bouff has always had an ear for sounds. Growing up inspired by older music written long before he was born, Bouff often fantasized about being able to write and produce his own beats someday. Most importantly, he longed to prove himself as another figure amongst the evergrowing world of diverse talent that can be found within the music industry.
Since residing in Toronto, this Afro-fusion artist has seen much success. His debut single, “You Fine”, came out in 2020, and offered listeners a melodic, tasteful blend of his western influences, mixed with an Afro-inspired rhythm. Shortly thereafter, Bouff’s debut EP dropped in Sept. 2021, and received positive reviews across the board. Being able to use music as his outlet helped to push Bouff further, allowing him to release a sophomore EP late last summer. His tenacious efforts to pay homage to each of his inspirations through music still stands true, even as he’s growing as an artist daily.
So, that’s exactly what he did with this track. “Ozimba”, his latest release, was inspired by a song from the 70s; You Are The One, by Tony Grey & The Ozimba Messengers. The original track was written about a girl that makes [him] feel good and shows off for [him]. With Ozimba, Bouff wanted that same message to resonate in the lyrics. When he went to produce the song, the word “Ozimba” kept up until recently, had no meaning. So, Bouff created his own meaning by pulling inspiration from the older, original song. Throughout the song’s entirety, he references “Ozimba Jibaby”, which [in his words] translates to “Shout out for me, my baby.” With “Ozimba”, Bouff was able to rap the lyrics while infusing a little bit of ‘melodic, modern-day rap flow’ into the beat; hence, creating this unique track of Afro-fusion.
Bouff’s approach to crafting “Ozimba” is almost magical; the song starts off quick and upbeat, and upon first listening to it, you notice there’s a lot going on. However, everything from the rhythm of tune, to the instrumentals, even down to the lyrics all flow perfectly together, creating the perfect example of modern-day Afro-fusion.
While Bouff’s other tracks are just as expertly curated, there’s something really unique about Ozimba; if you ask me, I’d say it makes me want to dance like nobody’s watching, especially if it’s being played at maximum volume. Despite everything else he’s capable of, Ozimba is the kind of song that proves just how talented Bouff really is.
