Last year, Scotty Olorin’s presence in the industry was defined by a steady output that peaked with his collaboration with Straffitti, “Te Wo,” which marked him as one of the more compelling figures in Nigeria’s underground scene. The scene has always been a springhead of wonder-makers, with a tight-knit community and innovative sounds. But in 2025, its vitality roared back, setting the tone for a moment brimming with creativity and demanding attention from anyone lending even a passing ear. Riding that wave, Scotty Olorin built momentum that he looks ready to carry confidently into 2026.

 

His first release of the year, “Deela,” is a cute love song, named after its muse, the rapper herself. This isn’t new territory for him; across most of his work, he has already shown himself to be something of a loverboy. At the same time, he continues a pattern most glaringly exemplified by the three-pack ‘Asherkine‘: flipping pop culture references into cheeky influences for his work, and he brings that instinct here. Referencing women as symbols of admiration is a familiar move in popular music, but it is still rare to hear dark-skinned women centred so plainly as muses.

Olorin, like many of his peers, has a famously wacky and experimental sensibility; anything is on the table. Joeyxcv’s production is both tuned into Afropop’s current trends and eager to push them in unexpected directions. He stitches next-gen footwork rhythms to underground Rap microgenres, folding recognisable elements like the Jersey club bounce into something hazy and collagist. Across a lean, two-minute runtime, Scotty Olorin uses his loose, singsongy flow to paint with a warm, lively palette. Though “Deela” plays as a love song—complete with tender promises and flashes of the luxury money can buy—it also captures Olorin at his most assured: clear-eyed about his appeal and unafraid to say so.

 

“Deela” is a loose feel that makes it a nice way to begin the year. It captures an artist with a lot of promise settling into himself as the scene around him continues to come into focus, and what follows from here feels worth paying attention to.