On a December 18, 2023, episode of the Zero Conditions podcast, Peruzzi waxed lyrical about his fourth album, Sabali, announcing that it was slated for release in January 2024 and name-dropping a host of featured artists. The album never arrived in January 2024 – in fact, it didn’t arrive at all that year. Still, Peruzzi never stopped teasing it.
Word on the street is that the album had to be rerecorded due to a couple of circumstances and some of the features originally on the album had to be dropped. American singer Fridayy, Qing Madi, and an unnamed OG were among the original names featured on the album. Unfortunately, things happen and plans change.
The album eventually dropped on October 10th, 2025, more than a year after his blockbuster podcast appearance on Zero Conditions, and as it often is with long-awaited albums, the first question on everyone’s mind is: was the album worth the wait? Peruzzi answers that question across 17 tracks with features from Davido, Dremo, Zlatan Ibile, Kemuel, The Flowolf, Jeriq, Mayorkun, Bella Shmurda, Terri, Timaya, Jujuboy and Nana Kwabena.
Since coming into mainstream prominence in 2018, Peruzzi has made a name for himself as one of the best songwriters in the game, with his creative input being sought after by the best of the best. In fact, he’s the only artist Burna Boy has ever publicly acknowledged as having written for him. If there’s one thing we know about Burna Boy, it’s his insistence on writing his own lyrics. So, his public recognition of Peruzzi’s contribution to his creative process speaks volumes about the potency of Peruzzi’s pen.
When you combine such potency with the sort of elastic talent he possesses, what you have is an artist with the ability to effortlessly shapeshift across genre lines while maintaining a high level of lyrical dexterity and relatability. It’s no surprise he is one of the most in-demand talents in the game.
His latest album, Sabali, is yet another showcase of his sonic flexibility and lyrical dexterity. Like his previous albums, Huncho Vibez and Rum & Boogie, Peruzzi explores a range of genres across the album, like Drill on El Sucio Guapo, Apala on Apala Drill, Hip-hop on Nuff Respect, and Reggae on Ectasy.
“It’s time for me to do some magic / it’s time for me to burst the market / say they need a revolution / them don dey find me make I solve the mathematics,” he sings on the blockbuster intro Die It. The consensus on social media, X to be specific, is that Afrobeats needs a sonic reset (whatever that means), and it seems Peruzzi is taking it upon himself to push the reset button. After all, he has the talent to execute a reset if need be.
The record continues Peruzzi’s fine run of flawless album intros following Destiny and Juba on Huncho Vibez and Rum & Boogie, respectively. The Ducktor Sett produced a record built on Igbo Gyration, with Peruzzi delivering the hook in Igbo and employing chants in an emphatic embrace of culture and heritage while he documents his journey and reminds listeners of the bundle of talent that he is.
He puts on his rapper cloak on the Hip-hop cut Nuff Respect, where he pays respects to the OGs before, while demanding respect from the ones behind him. Jesse Jagz delivered an ‘alright’ verse on the record, but Peruzzi already did the heavy lifting. Jagz’s inclusion on the record feels like an afterthought in a bid to pay homage to Hip-hop and its forebearers. The same can’t be said for Zlatan Ibile, who comes in guns blazing on the explosive Drill cut El Sucio Guapo, which translates to “The Handsome Dirty Guy.” He embodies a hardened Colombian drug dealer, explosively delivering bars that would make his opponents tremble in their boots.
PsychoYP would have been a more suitable and strategic inclusion on this record. The Flowolf contributes nothing sonically or commercially.
Hip-hop is modestly represented on this album. There are two Hip-hop cuts on the album, while rappers, Dremo is featured on Perfect Situation and Jeriq is featured on the mid-tempo Afro-Highlife fusion Cooking Pot, where Peruzzi celebrates an upturn in status. ‘Them don dey gather for my cooking’ pot he sings on the hook while reinforcing his relentless chase for the money.
Peruzzi spends a significant chunk of this album dealing with matters of the heart. He is a preacher of love who sometimes uses sex as his vehicle. The Neo-Highlife record Mad Oh, alongside The Cavemen, sees him singing passionately about the intoxicating madness that comes with being deeply in love. On the bouncy Afropop and Reggae fusion Legalise, he delivers a 2Baba-esque masterclass performance adulating his love interest with sweet words.
If Legalize flirts with reggae, The highly sensual Ecstasy with Jujuboy and Nana Kwabena embraces it completely as Peruzzi continues to show how easy it is for him to glide across genre lines. The slow-burning record captures the heat of the moment between lovers, with the lyrics painting imagery of seduction and intense chemistry. Similar sentiments flow through the Lamba-driven A Night to Remember featuring Timaya.
With nearly a decade in the industry, Peruzzi has cemented his place as an established act, steadily inching toward OG status. Aware of this, he uses the album to spotlight a new generation of rising stars. Kemuel and Esoterica deliver memorable performances on You and Time of My Life respectively. Not to forget Jujuboy’s compelling delivery on the aforementioned Ecstasy. He also gives Terri’s flailing career a jolt of energy with their infectious chemistry alongside Bella Shmurda on Normal Person.
Frequent collaborators also leave their imprint on this album. Davido makes his mark on this album on Apala Drill and Perfect Situation, which also features Mayorkun and Dremo, a DMW 1.0 reunion of sorts.
Peruzzi leans on familiar creative chemistry to deliver some of the most compelling performances on this album. Apala Drill commands listeners to surrender to its infectious vibe and ignites a sense of movement that’s difficult to resist as Peruzzi and Davido’s chemistry continues to yield excellent musical offerings. Unfortunately, Perfect Situation doesn’t quite recapture the magic of prime DMW 1.0.
In 2025, the Nigerian music audience has been treated to an incredible volume of albums. However, one recurring issue with these projects is that they often adopt a single sound and explore it in depth throughout, leaving the albums lacking in diversity and sonic expansiveness, which makes for an unexciting and tedious listen. Peruzzi’s Sabali shines on the strength of its diversity. The album takes a panoramic approach to sound, weaving through Afropop, Reggae, Hip-hop and R&B with fluidity. The results are one of the most memorable and exciting Nigerian albums of 2025.
The most talked about weakness of Peruzzi’s last album Rum and Boogie, was its length (20 tracks, one hour, two minutes), which proved to be a laborious listen for many. While Sabali isn’t too different in terms of length (17 tracks, 52 minutes), the key difference is that there are no throwaway records on this one compared to the significant number of throwaway records on its predecessor. Sabali offers no dull moments and keeps the listener engaged throughout. Even supposed fillers like One Thing and Mi Corazon are fantastic records.
There’s nothing left to be said about Peruzzi’s pen. The songwriting on this album, despite its simplicity and relatability, doesn’t fall flat. Peruzzi conveys his thoughts and feelings in a way that is relatable and appealing to listeners across different demographics and classes and the sonic diversity of this album ensures there’s something on this album for everyone.
In short, Sabali is a lavish exhibition of Peruzzi’s range and versatility. It’s a brilliantly crafted album that displays just how easy it is for him to shape premium records across a spectrum of sounds and styles. He moves through sounds with a natural grace. He is truly one of the best the industry has to offer, and this album is evidence of that.
