The Ghanaian rap monument is living life to the fullest in visuals for “Labadi”, announcing his upcoming eighth studio album.
After many successful collaborations like on “Can’t Let You Go”, “ CCTV” or “Anadwo”, Ghanaians Sarkodie and King Promise are back again with the melodic “Labadi”. The song is the first single from rap giant Sarkodie’s upcoming album titled Jamz, coming out November 11.
The tropical instrumental is signed by Coublon, a prolific Nigerian DJ and beatmaker. The producer was already on Sarkodie’s 2021 seventh album No Pressure. Sarkodie was then desperately trying to rekindle an old flame on the melancholic “Non Living Thing”, featuring the “Ku Lo Sa” sensation Oxlade.
However, he does no such thing on “Labadi”. The song is a “good vibes only” anthem, and Sarkodie and King Promise are all about enjoyment. In the music video shot in Mykonos, Greece by Capone and Babs Direction, the two artists are celebrating on a boat under the sun. For Sarkodie, this track is a sweet escape : “‘Labadi’ is a gateway song. It’s about fun times with loved ones. I was inspired by the idea of a boat party with some good people, just taking time off to enjoy life on the ocean. The melodies in the song are intended to bring out the positive vibrations in us. You just have to put all your worries away for a second and enjoy ‘Labadi’.”
This first single could fit the theme of the rapper’s eighth studio album, ten years after the iconic “Rapperholic” : a feel-good project to make summer last longer. About the creative process around Jamz, Sarkodie simply explains that “it was made based on how I feel”, like a “collection of songs that is like your favorite playlist”. An abstract description for what should be one the biggest releases this year on the Ghanaian rap scene, surely packed with high-profile features.
Listen to “Labadi” in our Songs of the Week playlist.
