With nearly a decade in the scene, Mayorkun’s punchy jabs over up-tempo beats and R&B melodies that float over mid-tempo rhythms have delivered multiple hits.

His hitmaking ability lies in the versatility of his melodies which he molds with lyrics that combine Afrobeats peculiarities, a rapper’s wit, and Afropop dexterous delivery.

This is the case of his third LP ‘Still The Mayor,’ where he shows the range of a star skilled in molding Afrobeats records with all its defining peculiarities, while equally showcasing his range. However, while the project is true to his artistry, it offers little innovation and desire to step beyond the norm.  

Everything Mayorkun does on this album, are levels he has consistently hit across his career. He doesn’t attempt to take it a notch higher.

Whether it is his punchy delivery on the opener ‘Keep On Rockin,’ where he samples the Yinka Ayefele and Sean Kingston classic, or ‘Diamond,’ the sensual R&B cut featuring Fireboy, Mayorkun doesn’t go beyond the first gear.

The two songs on the album that offer something refreshing whether in delivery or theme, are the fuji melodies on ‘Konko Below,’ where he samples the famous Lagbaja joint, and the conscious ‘Reason 2 Japa’, where he addresses the issues of mass migration informed by the increasing hopelessness amongst Nigerian youths.

Beyond these records, the album is filled with songs that have several similar references across his catalogue. While this doesn’t rob the records of their appeal, they also don’t offer the excitement derived from music that pushes boundaries, whether artistic or personal.

On the log drum punctuated ‘3:45,’ he links up with American Nigerian star Rotimi for an Afropop cut that communicates his desire to offer love with a good time in true Afrobeats lyricism that speaks to the everyday listeners who keep up with street lingo.

Mayorkun caters to the dancefloor on ‘Blessings on Blessings’ featuring Davido. However, in their victory lap, they struggle to rediscover the spark they used in delivering hit records in the past.

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While the song lacks the cutting-edge required to retain listeners, it holds up Mayorkun’s compelling range in the form of his swaggering second verse and the fine details of his vocals, which delightfully pop out in the backup.

Even when he links up with Ghanaian hitmaker King Promise and fast-rising star Olivetheboy on ‘Hold Body’ and ‘Would You’ the songs offers nothing beyond the typical Ghanaian Afrobeats strain that has successfully deliver some hit records in the past 3 years.

The folk drums of ‘Woman’ take listeners on a trip across Mayorkun’s discography to a song like ‘Mama’ where he allows his vocals to do the heavy lifting as he pours out his heart to his love interest with the same intensity he did 8 years ago.

On his hit single ‘Geng,’ Mayorkun’s industrious raps provoked a posse cut. He leans into this hip-hop influence via storytelling on the interlude ‘Industry Girl’ where he’s joined by former label mate Dremo, The Flowolf, and Michii for a song that tells the familiar story of industry groupies with the same disregard for accountability on the side of the constantly whining stars.

‘Still The Mayor’ is a compilation of familiar songs that listeners can enjoy even if they pale in comparison to their references in this catalogue.

However, it’s not a compelling listen, nor does it hold the imposing quality that matches its chest-thumping title.

The song selection doesn’t appear to have a core beyond its surface appeal. The album sounds half-hearted and motivated by necessity, perhaps to offset a contractual burden rather intentional.

If Mayorkun is still the mayor, it’s for his past work, and not for this album.

SongTools, the fast-growing platform empowering music creators with one-click marketing and ad tech solutions, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with M.A.D Solutions, Africa’s largest and most influential music distribution company, with a roster that includes notable artists from across the continent including Simi, P–Square, Mercy Chinwo, 2nite Flavour and Liya to renown rapper Dej Loaf, and global legend Akon.

This strategic integration brings SongTools’ powerful marketing toolkit featuring one-click playlisting, digital ad automation, smart links, and real-time performance analytics directly into the M.A.D Solutions dashboard.

Artists, managers, and labels across Africa will now have unprecedented access to seamless, data-powered marketing tools, streamlining release campaigns and maximizing visibility from a single platform.

“This partnership represents a major milestone in our global mission to democratize access to impactful marketing tools,” said Danny Garcia, CEO of SongTools.

“M.A.D Solutions is a force in the African music industry, known for elevating some of the continent’s most exciting artists. We’re honored to align with them in giving creators the tools to grow smarter, faster, and more efficiently.”

With a rapidly expanding music market and a global spotlight on African talent, the partnership between M.A.D Solutions and SongTools comes at a pivotal moment.

By integrating campaign automation, playlist outreach, and paid media tools directly into M.A.D Solution’s ecosystem, the collaboration removes technical barriers and empowers artists to focus on what matters most: the music.

“At M.A.D Solutions, our mission is to power the future of music,” says Bugwu Aneto–Okeke, CEO of M.A.D Solutions.

“Through our label and services division, Engage, we’re proud to introduce Engage Pro a cutting-edge digital marketing and playlisting solution developed in collaboration with Songtools. This platform is built to equip our artists and label partners with smarter tools to amplify their reach and grow their global impact.”

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The integration will officially roll out to all M.A.D Solutions clients at the end of the month.

ABOUT SONGTOOLS

SongTools is a cutting-edge platform that empowers creators with intuitive tools for one-click marketing solutions.

Designed to simplify the modern music marketing workflow, SongTools offers automated playlisting, one-click digital ads, landing pages, SEO, and data-driven insights all in one place.

By automating the technical marketing work, SongTools helps creators grow their audience, save time, and make every release count.

ABOUT M.A.D SOLUTIONS

M.A.D Solutions is Africa’s largest music distribution and artist services platform, empowering the next generation of African stars with cutting-edge tools, global partnerships, and on-the-ground industry knowledge.

Representing a diverse range of genres and voices from across the continent, M.A.D Solutions is dedicated to showcasing African talent on the world stage.

Nigerian actress and filmmaker, Omoni Oboli, has weighed in on the ongoing conversation about originality in the global film industry, asserting that Nollywood surpasses Hollywood when it comes to storytelling.

In a recent interview, the 47-year-old Edo-born actress argued that Nigerian filmmakers consistently produce unique and compelling narratives, dismissing the notion that Nollywood films are overly predictable.

“Our movies have become so much better than they used to be. We’ve always had good stories, so stories have never really been our problem,” she said.

Oboli further emphasized that originality is one of Nollywood’s strongest assets. In contrast to Hollywood, which she suggested frequently recycles narrative tropes, she believes Nigerian cinema offers fresher perspectives and untapped storylines.

“I feel like this part of the world, we have actually more original stories than outside of Nigeria. I dare say that Nollywood has more original stories than Hollywood,” she declared.

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Addressing recurring criticisms that Nollywood plots can be formulaic, Oboli was quick to challenge the standard. She pointed out that many Hollywood films, including blockbusters, follow clear and predictable patterns.

“I hear people say, ‘Oh, the movies are predictable’. I’m like, name five or ten Hollywood movies that are not predictable. We all know the superhero is going to win the day. If it’s a romantic comedy, you know the girl is going to get the guy or the guy is going to get the girl,” she noted.

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For Oboli, the essence of a great film lies not solely in its ending but in the depth and richness of its narrative arc.

“So it’s not about the predictability of a film, what you’re watching is the journey. If the journey is not interesting, then you can say it’s so predictable. But if the journey is interesting, it keeps you glued,” she added.

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She also praised the increasing global appeal of Nollywood, citing data from platforms like YouTube that reflect a growing international audience for Nigerian content.

“We have a lot of very original stories, and the audience, not just the Nigerian audience but all over the world, are loving it,” she said.
“YouTube is special in a way that it can show you where people are watching from, and people are literally watching these movies from all over.”

With over two decades in the industry, Omoni Oboli remains a vocal advocate for the power of Nigerian storytelling, and a reminder that even in a world of franchises and formulas, originality still matters.

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