''A True Champion'' is the debut studio

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

by Nigerian producer and songwriter

Rexxie Ezeh Chisom Faith (born 10 November 1994), professionally known as Rexxie Also known for the tag (''Yo! Rexxie Pon This One''), is a Nigerian record producer, DJ and songwriter. He is popular for creating the Zanku sound, and producing Naira Marl ...

. It was released on 28 June 2021 by Hitxlab and distributed by Dvpper Music. The 17-track album features guest appearances from Davido,

Naira Marley Azeez Adeshina Fashola (born 10 May 1991), known professionally as Naira Marley, is a British-Nigerian singer and song writer. He is known as the president of his controversial fan base, "Marlians". Education At the age of 11, he moved to Pec ...

, Teni, Zlatan, Peruzzi, MohBad,

Bad Boy Timz Olorunyomi Oloruntimilehin (born 13 August 1999) professionally known as Bad Boy Timz is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of the song "MJ," and a follow-up remix which featured Nigeria singer Mayorkun. He ...

, Zinoleesky,

Bella Shmurda Abiola Ahmed Akinbiyi (born 27 January 1996), professionally known as Bella Shmurda, is a Nigerian singer. He rose to prominence with the release of the song "Vision 2020", and a follow-up remix which featured Nigeria rapper Olamide. Early l ...

, BNXN fka Buju, Oxlade, Lyta, T-Classic, Blanche Bailly, Sarkodie, Ms Banks, Moelogo,

Kida Kudz Olukayode Odesanya, better known as Kida Kudz, is a Nigerian Afropop singer based in the U.K. He gained recognition after winning the second edition of the ''Peak Talent Show'' in 2010. He has collaborated with Ms Banks, Burna Boy, and Octavian ...

, and Midas The Jagaban. The album combines elements from

Amapiano Amapiano ( Zulu for "the pianos") is a style of house music that emerged in South Africa in the mid 2010s. It is a hybrid of deep house, jazz and lounge music characterized by synths and wide percussive basslines. It is distinguished by high-pi ...

, Afropop with

Neo-soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contem ...

percussive rhythms.

Background

recorded ''A True Champion'' after series of producing hit songs and collaborations including songs off Grammy award winning Twice As Tall album by

Burna Boy Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album, ''L.I. ...

. He released his second single titled ''All'' featuring Davido on the anticipated debut studio album A True Champion,

Composition

The album opens with "Frenemies," a composition by Oxlade that relies heavily on percussion and uses a brief acoustic solo in the song's closing seconds to reflect on harmful rivalries. On "Boi Boi," Teni delivers a catchy tune and preaches the don't-be-stupid gospel over a keyboard-heavy beat reminiscent of Dr. Sid's "Pop Something." Sarkodie delivers two aggressive verses in his native Twi on "Mofoti 2.0," while Naira Marley adds some spice with a chant that transforms the song from a passable filler to a possible club hit. On "Banger," a song that depends on samples of South African club music and has minimal lyricism, Rexxie enlists Asake's assistance.

Critical reception

''A True Champion'' received mixed reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

. In review for Thenet however, says there is still a lot to be saved, it would be good to see South Africans shifting to the "KPK" Remix, and "Motherland" is evidence that Rexxie can be versatile with his production. Okayafrica says that Rexxie is most recognised for creating "afropiano" by fusing aspects of amapiano with the zanku sound in Afrobeats. The first sample of the sound was "KPK," which has achieved numerous outstanding milestones since its release in December 2020, including garnering over 50 million streams across all streaming platforms.

Track listing

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:True Champion, A 2021 debut albums Albums by Nigerian artists