Olamide’s “Carpe Diem” Is The Best African Rap Album Ever — Do You Agree?

Olamide’s career trajectory has changed a lot since the beginning of 2020.

First, he gave us one of the best hip-hop EP’s we’ve ever heard, “999” in February of 2020, just before the global pandemic and the beginning of a completely new era — for him and the industry.

What followed was the best year in Nigerian music and the history of Afrobeats. The year everyone will remember as the year everything happened. Olamide was a big part of that history.

It’s crazy because Olamide has always been part of that Wizkid and Davido conversation, even as a rapper. No other rapper even came close to those two guys, it’s practically impossible. But Olamide has always been different.

Summer 2020, when he released “Carpe Diem,” it was clear what Olamide was going to become after that. “Carpe Diem” wasn’t just his best album yet, but it undoubtedly was a perfect Olamide show. It might even be impossible for him to ever top that. That’s how good the album is!


In short, the year 2020 saw Olamide drop what is probably his best album yet, “Carpe Diem,” a 12-track LP that chronicles his foray into Afrobeats. Olamide transformed from street rapper to pop star on that album.

The album, which has since been followed up by 2021’s “UY Scuti,” was one of the best Nigerian albums of 2020—the same year “Made in Lagos” and “Twice As Tall” dropped, yeah. Olamide’s biggest hit ever, “Infinity” came from that project.

To be honest, all there is to be said about this album has been said. It has a direction, and a refined sound. Olamide understood the assignment, and he delivered like a midwife.

And not too long ago, this album became the first rap album from an African to surpass 100 million streams on Spotify. What this means is, at a time when there is an underappreciation for rap music in Nigeria—and Africa, Olamide’s triumph in the music industry continues.

It doesn’t matter that Olamide brought on the highlife singer in him to do the album (he did the same with “Eyan Mayweather” and others). What matters is, that it’s essentially a rap project and it has been classified as such.

Not just a rap project. But one of the most successful ever, the evidence of which is his recent Spotify record. I’m curious as to what this means for the rap star. Does this mean “Carpe Diem” is now the best African rap album released in recent years?

Well, what do you think?
Do You Think Olamide’s “Carpe Diem” Is Now The Best African Rap Album Ever?

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