In 2020, Jeriq caught the public’s attention for the first time, following the release of his debut EP ‘Hood Boy Dreams,’ a refreshing trap oeuvre that sees him chronicle the tapestry of his life in the hood while displaying his range as an artist. With ‘Hood Boy Dreams’, he left early fans spellbound by his inimitable spin on the Trap genre, which saw him rapping in the Igbo language, resorting to a brazen cadence and a gauzy vocal style as his primary mode of delivery.

 

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His debut EP immediately cemented him as one of the most exhilarating rap talents in the country and reeled in his first set of loyal fans. Since then, Jeriq has only doubled down on improving his skills. Following a relatively quiet stint punctuated by a smattering of singles, he returns rejuvenated with his dazzling debut album, ‘Billion Dollar Dream.’

Jeriq has shown himself to be capable of folding in disparate sounds into a refreshing flourish. ‘Billion Dollar Dreams’, his debut album is the perfect stage for him to display this in earnest. His debut EP was defined by the motif of aspiring to achieve his dreams, going by the title of his debut album, there’s enough to suggest that this thread cuts through this project.

In usual 1-listen review fashion, all reactions are in real time while the music plays. No pauses, rewinds, fast-forwards or skips.

“Billion Dollar Dreams”

This is quite the way to flag off an LP — brazenly establishing the ethos of the project. He casually asserts that he is broke till he touches a million dollars, which basically encapsulates the spirit of this project. The beat is so infectious, I can’t help but bob in lockstep with the ominous 808 beat. Whoa!

“Chukwuebuka”

The beat of this cut is distinct from the previous track but they are cut from the same cloth. The swagger of this song is incredibly infectious. Feels like a soundtrack to a movie about stupendously rich drug dealers, its ominous ambience and his lyrics lend themselves to this effect.

“Back To Basics”

The energy of this one is a notch higher than the previous two. Jeriq has a penchant for spinning tracks from stories of his days in the hood, this is one of the tracks where he toes this arc. I’m a sucker for exciting stories from rappers, so I already know this is going in my playlist.

“Trapping”

Even without listening to this track I already knew it would be fire, I mean Psycho YP and Jeriq, what else could come out of this link-up. I’m barely halfway into the track and I’m completely won over. Psycho YP is a monster rapper, cos what the hell? This is hands down my favourite cut so far, this one is going to get loads of spins from me. Apart from the sleek flows and punchy lyrics another interesting feature of the record is the dynamic production, it keeps mutating, leaving no room for a dull moment.

“Financial Konji”

The ambience of this one is more serene, he’s more introspective. So far, I’ve been impressed by the thematic consistency of the project. He talks about his lofty financial dreams and declares that he’s never going back to the trenches. So far, he’s basically stuck to the theme, finding creative ways to relay the same message. Brilliant!

“DND”

As soon as I saw the title, my mind darted to the beef between dndSection and Psycho YP, safe, the record has nothing to do with that. Sonically speaking, this record is probably the most alluring cut I’ve heard so far. The thumping beat and the shimmering keys blend to give rise to an immersive listening experience. Jeriq is still on theme, relaying his message with thrilling stories from his days in the hood. This project feels like a movie.

“Cartel Business” ft. Kofi Jamar

Okay I guess I spoke too soon, this song is the most sonically exciting track I’ve heard so far. A mutating mix of Traditional Igbo sounds and Trap, layered with a hazy ominous background sound. This sound is evil. Jeriq is nimble and smooth on this one, peppering it with all sorts of cheeky lines. Like when he says “I’m never afraid to take an L, cos after L is M”, smooth!

“Oluoma” ft. Flavour

For the first time on this project, he veers off from telling his stories through a twinge of nostalgia and looks through a sunny lens. On this one, he taps Flavour for a high life-inflected Afropop record. This is the type of record that soundtracks weddings, it’s extremely refreshing but conversely, it feels jarring. From rapping about dropping bodies to dishing out a wedding soundtrack, just like that?

“Backdoor” ft. Alpha P

This is easily the smoothest track I’ve heard so far, Alpha P upstages Jeriq and completely owns this track. I’m suddenly aware of how much I’ve missed Alpha P’s music. I can’t wait for his next drop.

“Airplane Mode”

I’m ten songs into this project and I don’t feel the least bit jaded. Props to Jeriq for this one. Barely one minute into this track and I’m sure it’s going to be one of my favourite tracks. An aura of opulent inertia mixed with introspective rapping, my type of song. “I have to get rich ASAP, maka my mama waiting” cheee! That’s one for the culture. The sheer amount of captions that can be extracted from this cut is staggering, definitely going to be giving this a lot of spins.

“True Life Story”

I’m beginning to believe that Jeriq left the best for the last cos the last few tracks have been simply stellar. He bares his story on this one, talking about how he used to sell weed in school and steal kerosene in his block to assist his mum who was struggling to make ends meet after she lost her husband. Super poignant.

“#1” ft. Dremo

This track is super hard but it doesn’t sound like the closing track of a project this stellar. However, I will say what better way to close a project than to knock em’ dead with a number like “#1.” Dremo’s verse is a bit short but explosive while Jeriq ends what has been an incredibly satisfying project with a bang.

Final thoughts

‘Billion Dollar Dream’ is the work of a raw gem that has undergone the refinement process and emerged as a dizzying lustrous spectacle worthy of our hearts and ears. On his debut project, Jeriq’s growth as an indigenous rapper is palpable. His sound is more nuanced as he layers a Trap sensibilities with shards of R&B, Highlife and Traditional Igbo Music, and conjures a refreshing concoction of awe-inspiring sounds.

His stories are substantive but not overbearing and the confidence in his voice is palpable, almost infectious even. On ‘Billion Dollar Dreams,’ Jeriq is a maverick giving shape to his lofty ideas while imbuing his unique spin to trap, infusing it with a gamut of familiar local sonic elements. All in all, with his debut album he shows that he is capable of ascending into the ranks of the biggest acts in the country.

Stream ‘Billion Dollar Dream’ below.

Featured image credits/Jeriq