''Shoki Shoki'' is an album by the Nigerian musician Femi Kuti, released in 1998. The album was released in the United States by

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...

in 2000. A remix album, ''Shoki Remixed'', was released the same year.

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

's military government banned the album's second track, "Beng beng beng", due to its objections to the sexual subject matter.

Production

Kuti is backed by his band, Positive Force; the album was produced by Sodi and engineered by Mark Saunders.

Critical reception

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' thought that "as basslines, horns and sprightly riffs spiral in a million directions, he also proves keen to continue Fela‘s fight against a range of foes, particularly the Nigerian authorities." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' stated that Kuti "brilliantly forges a link between Afrobeat and James Brown, spicing his percussive stew with acid jazz, hip-hop, and soul flavor while remaining true to his roots, proving himself an able ambassador to all rhythm nations." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' opined that "throughout the showy ''Shoki Shoki'', he treats Afrobeat's basic rhythm formula as sacred, adding only slight embellishments and updates." The '' Windsor Star'' concluded that "while Fela's music often flew off into extended groove workouts, Femi packages his songs into neat arrangements with carefully punctuated horns, call-response vocal dynamics and locked-in polyrhythms."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote that "like his father, he never lets the lyrically conscious material get in the way of pushing irresistible grooves."

Track listing

# "Truth don die" – 6:17 # "Beng beng beng" – 4:43 # "What will tomorrow bring" – 5:40 # "Victim of life" – 6:14 # "Blackman know yourself" – 5:15 # "Look around" – 6:00 # " Sorry sorry" – 6:37 # "Eregele" – 7:15 # "Scatta head" – 8:20

References

{{Authority control 1998 albums Afrobeat albums Femi Kuti albums

Production

Critical reception

Track listing

See also

References