WizKid - Made In Lagos [Deluxe Edition] (2021) [Hi-Res]

Having built a profile throughout the 2000s with co-writing credits and feature spots, Wizkid made his name as an Afrobeats legend through his first three LPs, Superstar (2011), Ayo (2014), and Sounds From the Other Side (2017). Yet it’s his fourth studio album, 2020’s Made in Lagos, that’s cemented him as one of Nigeria’s greatest cultural ambassadors and placed him at the vanguard of a global Afrobeats wave. His anchorage to Africa is evident here, with the instrumentation and lingo born of his hometown fusing seamlessly with hints of R&B, pop, and reggae, all culminating in a body of work that both tackles societal challenges and easily transcends borders. The album’s collaborations do the same, roping in the likes of Burna Boy, Ella Mai, Skepta, H.E.R., and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, among others. Released in 2021, the deluxe version adds four new songs to the mix: “Mood,” where he’s joined by rising Afrofusion singer Buju; “Anoti”; “Steady”; and a remix of his Tems collab “Essence” which also enlists Justin Bieber.