On October 17, 2025, Blaqbonez finally released his fourth studio album, No Excuses. The album was initially slated for release on August 22, 2025; unfortunately, it’ll experience an almost two-month delay before its inevitable arrival. It’s Blaqbonez’s fourth studio LP and arrives two years after his third LP, Emeka Must Shine.
This writer is not the biggest fan of Emeka Must Shine. Not to say it’s a bad album by any stretch of the imagination, but the album leaned towards pop and embraced sounds like dancehall, reggaeton, and highlife gyration infusions, failing to sufficiently offer the hip-hop side of Blaqbonez that a lot of fans, this writer included, enjoy.
Emeka Must Shine was an exhibition of Blaq’s range and versatility, a significant trait every rapper must possess if they are to enjoy commercial success in Nigeria’s music landscape; however, the album failed to connect with this writer as well as many hip-hop fans who did not fancy Blaqbonez’s attempt at crafting a pop album.
What No Excuses does very well is strike a balance between Blaqbonez the rapper and Blaqbonez the pop star. “Is he a rapper or singer?” he asks on the hard-hitting intro Everlasting Taker, which was released as a prereleased single. Over a threatening beat created by Ragee, Blaqbonez crowns himself ‘the last real nigga’ while reminding listeners that no one does it quite like him. He doesn’t forget to fire some digs in the way of peers, separating himself from pretenders with lines like “This is no quick fame; this is a career,” effortlessly switching flows across the record’s two-minute runtime, which receives an energetic and invigorating outro from Prettyboy D-O.
Prettyboy D-O’s contribution doesn’t stop there; he provides the intro for Consistency, which features British rapper AJ Tracey, one of the standout records on this album. Employing laid-back flows, Blaqbonez celebrates his success, declaring himself the ‘MVP’ and the ‘greatest ever’, flaunting his expensive jewellery and his ability to pull the most exotic women from Drake’s hometown of Toronto. He rightfully mocks those who told him he would have only one hit song, noting that he has far exceeded that number and there are still more hits stacked in the hard drive. Blaq delivers a stellar performance, and AJ Tracey maintains the energy, delivering the best guest performance on the album. His smooth flows and polished lyricism make for a terrific listen, bringing a level of maturity to the record. AJ Tracey makes it 2/2 on Nigerian features, delivering an equally terrific performance on Rema’s FYN.
With features like AJ Tracey, Pa Salieu and Leostaytrill, Blaqbonez seems to be making a play for the UK market as he looks to expand his audience and reach. Mary Mary, alongside Leostaytrill, may not do well to help his cause; it’s a forgettable single that sees Blaq lamenting about a woman who exudes an air of superiority while he is captivated by her sassiness. On the flip side, Aura4Aura featuring Pa Salieu is one of the most interesting singles on the album; the beat sounds like a fusion of pop, amapiano and mara, with Blaqbonez and Pa Salieu rapping over the chaotic beat with reckless abandon. The result is a record with immense potential to provoke wild moshpit-type responses, especially with Detty December looming and raves becoming a thing in Nigeria’s party culture.
One record that is surely going to dominate Detty December is the fiery trap cut ACL, a diss record aimed at Odumodublvck and his Anti-World gangsters crew. On the record, he lands a series of deathblows on the Abuja-based crew, mocking their rapping abilities and inability to make any impact on the mainstream. In the second and third verses, he shifts his focus to the Anti-World gangsters’ frontman firing well-aimed shots at him, mocking his musical style, his age, his shape and more. ACL is a callback to his battle days and a reminder that while that era is long gone, he can still flip the switch if need be.
To fulfil commercial expectations, Blaqbonez delivers a range of singles that cut across different genres while retaining the hip-hop core that makes him compelling. Records like the electric Amapiano cut Nati, featuring Olamide, are bound to reverberate in club and party circuits. The YBNL head honcho steals the show, delivering a devastatingly good hook, and while Blaqbonez doesn’t quite match his energy, he does enough to see the song through. Ghanaian sensation Mellissa flexes her enchanting vocals on the exciting single Good Time, featuring the rave of the moment, Fola doesn’t quite excite this writer, with Fol, delivering familiar melodies, while Blaq’s singing doesn’t quite bring the song to life. However, the combination of both acts will reflect well on streaming platforms.
Bizzy Body, alongside twin duo The Kazez and Jamaican artist Valiant, is a dancehall banger in every sense of the word. It’s a sultry anthem that combines Blaq’s witty storytelling with Valiant’s patois-laced Caribbean swagger. The bounce is irresistible, and the melodies are smooth, creating a record that’s seductive and carefree.
While the album’s diversity makes for an enjoyable listen, it’s the hip-hop cuts that pack more punch. Just Hustling $$$ is a fine socio-cultural commentary mixed with Blaq’s signature humour and wit. California Issues is a reflective trap record that follows his experience with an Ethiopian woman. The song’s emotionally charged lyricism blurs the line between pleasure and consequence and captures the tension between freedom and attachment and how indulgence can easily become dangerous. Prayers Up leans towards emo-rap, with the quartet of Blaqbonez, Kindlynxsh, Brotherkush, and Wavestar delivering a record about perseverance, success, and gratitude. The lyrics paint pictures of young men who have risen from hardship to glory and are a reflection of how far they’ve come.
The prereleased singles, Go Crazy, W for Wetego featuring Young Jonn and Phyno, and ‘Louder’ featuring Ayo Maff and Bella Shmurda, slot in seamlessly into the album. Go Crazy is one of this writer’s favourite songs on the album, with Blaq delivering an exceptional melodic rap performance over an Afropop instrumental. On W for Wetego, he gets bodied by Young Jonn and Phyno, while Ayo Maff delivers a masterful performance on Louder.
Stacks $$$ featuring Barry Jhay brings the album to a close. It’s half commentary and half braggadocio, with Blaqbonez delivering some of his best rapping on this album. “Imma get paper, stack paper till I can’t no more,” he croons on the chorus, reinforcing his desire to secure more success. He flexes his pen game, mocking clout-chasers, and positions himself as an artist focused on legacy rather than gimmicks. His confidence is rooted in skill, not hype. “Those who don’t get skills have to focus on just numbers,” he raps. He declares himself the best rapper, saying, “There’s an infinite possibility someone is better than me, but not in this reality,” while offering words of motivation to his listeners with lines like, “Get paper, no excuses, and when you get paper, don’t misuse it.” Barry Jhay delivers a typical Barry Jhay verse, employing a breezy flow and delivering lines laced with spirituality and street philosophy. It’s a befitting closer to the album.
Blaqbonez’s creative genius has never been in question, and with hands like A-Q and 10Ten guiding him, his albums are more likely to be exceptional than anything else; this album ranks high in his discography. No Excuses offers a rich exploration of his diverse creativity, range and versatility. He masterfully moves across different genres and topics across 16 songs; no song on this album feels out of place, and even the records that fail to connect don’t stick out like a sore thumb thanks to proper sequencing and arrangement. No Excuses is a triumphant bounce back from the underwhelming Emeka Must Shine. On this album, he displays his range and offers the best versions of himself, of every side of him that exists, and that makes for a truly compelling listening experience. Take a bow, Blaqbonez.
