Afropop Star Cheque Delivers on New Album “Bravo”

Nigerian rapper, singer and songwriter Cheque released his debut album Bravo through Penthauze Records and Empire on September 23rd. A multitalented artist who first rose to prominence due to his unique fusion of emo rap with Afro-pop, the 13-track debut project takes listeners on a sonic journey through his honeyed vocals and melodious rapping, with crisp, exciting beats from producers such as Andyr, Uncle Cameron and Layz Beats among many others.

Bravo is the culmination of Cheque’s many hit singles throughout his career, including History featuring Fireboy DML and LOML with afrobeats phenomenon Olamide. An album stacked to the brim with tracks that could all be made lead singles, it’s obvious that Cheque had no room for filler. Touching on topics such as love, self-esteem, struggle and dedication, the project offers words of wisdom and encouragement, with its name Bravo fitting the end of the long journey Cheque has been on to this point.

Hailing from Osun State, South-West Nigeria, Akanbi Bamidele Brett, who would later opt for the distinct moniker Superboy Cheque had always been curious about music as a young boy, however he didn’t become determined to carve his own path in the industry until he was much older. While studying Chemical Engineering in his home state, he began making impromptu tracks, and one of his freestyles found its way to rapper Phyno, who promptly signed the artist in 2019. In July 2020, Cheque had released his first project, Razor EP, to critical praise. The project spawned some of his most notable tracks, including Zoom and Loco.

Now an established musician in Nigeria, Cheque’s merging of hip-hop, emo rap, trap, pop and afrobeats is amassing him a following abroad, with Bravo being the perfect introduction into his artistry and what he’s about. An experimental, multi-layered project, Cheque’s array of musical influences are made clear alongside his solemn, introspective lyricism over vibrant production. He jumps from the romantic, classic slow afrobeats ode Pray to the emotional stream-of-consciousness that is Free; the variation of mood and tone in Bravo is assured to repel boredom.

Check out Bravo on streaming platforms now: