Recorded 2014 Length 03:36 Writer(s) Ayodeji Balogun | Genre Afrobeats Label Starboy Entertainment Language Yoruba, English | |
"Ojuelegba" is a song by Nigerian recording artist Wizkid from his self-titled second studio album, Ayo (2014). It was written by Wizkid and produced by the record producing duo Legendury Beatz. The song shares its title with the metropolitan subsection of Lagos Mainland. It highlights Wizkid's struggles as an underground artist who roamed the streets of Ojuelegba to support his recording interest. The song received numerous airplay on all major radio stations in Nigeria, and peaked at number 1 on Capital Xtra's Afrobeats Chart for February 2015. The official remix for "Ojuelegba" features vocals from Canadian rapper Drake and English grime artist Skepta. It made its premiere on OVO Sound Radio in July 2015. The song was ranked number 12 on the list of the 107 Best Songs of 2015 compiled by The Fader magazine. Prior to the release of the official remix, Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie released his rendition of "Ojuelegba".
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Background
The accompanying music video for "Ojuelegba" was directed by Clarence Peters, and uploaded onto YouTube on January 5, 2015. The video features a scene of a bus conductor calling out to passengers to board his vehicle to Ojuelegba. Wizkid is seen boarding the bus. B-roll scenes of Ayilara and Itire roads were also included in the cut. The video depicts the dramatic and realistic perspective of community life in Ojuelegba. It also story-lines Wizkid's upbringing in the town of Ojuelegba, and highlights the singer's journey from grass to grace. Moreover, the music video portrays the message of goodwill and family support needed to ascend during times of hardship.
Reception
Critical reception to the music video was mixed. Joey Akan of Pulse said that the video is not a true representation of the song because it lacks inspiration. On the contrary, Joda Afolabi of Nigerian Entertainment Today said that the video "depicts a thorough and true reflection of what the song preaches; already the audio of the song has a story and Clarence did well to complement it with a strong visual storyboard." Bukola Adegunle of Royal Times gave the video 3 out of 5 stars, adding that "creativity was displayed, which gave meaning to the video. The scenes were well arranged, and there was a great link in all the scenes." Jim Donnett and Jimmy King both gave the video a 3.8 rating, stating that the video's simplistic factor stood out.
Live performances
Wizkid performed the song along with "Jaiye Jaiye" at the Indigo 02 Arena on September 26, 2014.