''16 Wives'' is the third full-length studio album by

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

ian rapper, composer, and producer, Jovi. Released on

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...

on February 16, 2017, the 16-song album was produced by Jovi under his pseudonym, Le Monstre. ''16 Wives'' was recorded, mixed, and mastered at New Bell Music Studios in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and released on his record label New Bell Music. The album was listed as a best-seller on

during its first week of sales, and released on iTunes and other digital platforms on February 24, 2017.

Background and promotion

''16 Wives'' contains lyrics in

Pidgin A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn from s ...

, English, French,

Douala Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region (Cameroon), Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Ai ...

, and Ngemba. The album follows the style of Jovi's previous 5 EPs and 2 LPs, which he calls "Mboko", characterized by mixing traditional African rhythms and instrumentation (such as

Bikutsi Bikutsi is a musical genre from Cameroon. It developed from the traditional styles of the Beti, or Ewondo, people, who live around the city of Yaoundé. It was popular in the middle of the 20th century in West Africa. It is primarily dance music. ...

) with contemporary genres such as hip-hop, RnB, pop, and electronic. On November 16, 2016, Jovi released "Mongshung", the first video to promote the album. On December 7, he released the cover art for the album. Jovi released the second video "Ou Même", on February 17, one day after the album was released.

Critical reception

''16 Wives'' was generally well received by music critics in Cameroon and internationally, particularly the production of the album. According to Koko Aldo Tsague of Le Bled Parle, Jovi's "epic production of the album perfectly combines African musical traditions with contemporary hip hop" (translated from French). In reviewing the album's single "Ou Même", Sebastian Bouknight of

Afropop Worldwide ''Afropop Worldwide'' is a radio program that presents the musics of Africa and the African diaspora. The program is produced by Sean Barlow for World Music Productions in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. It is hosted by the veteran Cameroonia ...

states that Jovi "combines his witty social commentary with premium production skills to craft a unique sound that has roots in hip-hop, trap, R&B, and local ''bikutsi'' rhythms." In

Jeune Afrique ''Jeune Afrique'' (English: ''Young Africa'') is a French-language pan-African weekly news magazine, founded in 1960 in Tunis and subsequently published in Paris. It is the most widely read pan-African magazine. It is also a book publisher, unde ...

, Mathieu Olivier states that Jovi uses his engineering skills "acquired in India, to deliver a high-quality, technical album" (translated from French). Paris-based Oodar Africa reviewed ''16 Wives'' and called Jovi "one of the best producers on the African continent" (translated from French). The tone and lyrical content of ''16 Wives'' has been described as more sensitive than his previous two LPs. Jovi sings more on the album and addresses more personal subject matter in songs like "Free Music" which talks about love, and "Mad Love/Hospital Bills", which tells a story about the death of a girlfriend. ''

This Is Africa ''This Is Africa'' is an English-language bi-monthly business publication owned by ''The Financial Times'' Ltd and edited in London. It examines African business and politics in a global context and seeks to make sense of the relationships that Afr ...

'' contributor Nchanji M. Njamnsi agrees that in Jovi's previous albums looking for tenderness is like "looking for a needle in a haystack," but he states that the experimental sound "poses the danger of narrowing his audience to only a small group of connoisseurs and people who have a rich musical culture like himself."

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 2017 albums Jovi (musician) albums