Jules Renard said something we would never forget, and it seemed the quote had found its way into PapaRaZzle’s life. “Just add three letters to Paris, and you have paradise.” – Jules Renard. PapaRaZzle found himself in the most beautiful city in France; Paris, for an impromptu schedule that lasted a week, and decided to dispense a melodious souvenir to his fans through his new EP, ‘I’m In Paris And I Miss You.’ The EP contained seven mellifluous and energetic tracks that weaved together an enthralling mix of Afrobeats, R&B, soul, dancehall, and pop music.
Ridhwan Babatunde Shittu, popularly known as “PapaRaZzle”, is a London-based afro-fusion sensation who has carried the world of music on his shoulders, contributing his honourable best to the fast-rising Afrobeats genre that is taking over the world rapidly. The legendary artist who hailed from Ibadan, Oyo state in the western part of Nigeria has constantly reshaped the music landscape with his innovative sound that earned him critical acclaim from powerhouses like MTV, Wonderland, and BBC 1Xtra, just to mention a few.
His breakthrough in the United Kingdom earned him several top spots on the iTunes chart across Europe and Africa. From Russia to Belgium, without leaving Malawi behind, his songs have never been boxed in a particular genre. His music has set him apart among his peers and carved a place for him in the hearts of music enthusiasts worldwide, with his last single ‘Sunset And You’ and other songs like ‘Angel’. His constant push towards musical boundaries has earned him over six million plays online and poised him to forge a legacy of inspiration with his energetic music.
He successfully got the platinum-selling French producer, Lisa Tz on board after he first connected with her via Instagram DM, and created an electrifying magic with other French producers, Saan and Racy J. His long-time collaborators, Nahz Rashid, Jaemally Beatz, and HBEATPRO were also in on the production of an appealing collage of soundscape that birthed a masterpiece of several beats, genres and euphonious EP.
The title track ‘Pilot’ with the electro, urban/Hip-Hop and R’n‘B vibe expressed the artist’s feelings as he experienced the beauty of flying higher across borders to find the love he had always yearned for. “Let me be your pilot / Let me take you higher / I’ll make you fly high / I’ll make you fly” portrayed his artistry of comparing the joy and feeling of love to the flowery feeling of being in the cloud. He mentioned “I’m here for the music, and I’m here for the love,” voicing his intention of not losing out on both desires. The elegant and calm track showed a flair of beautifully reverberated percussions that gave the song a magical and dreamy feeling with a serene Paris sunset as the backdrop, like a love movie shot in Paris.
Moving to ‘Paris,’ which showcased the beauty of the African genre, copulated with electric guitar sounds to produce an energetic pop backed by piano and synth, the artist confessed that he just wanted to give the love of his life a good time. “Kilode kilode omoge / make we dey dey dey / we go need sometime away” sneaking in some rhymes at the last stressed syllables of his lyrics. This only proved his professional lyricism and worthiness as a composer and songwriter.
PapaRaZzle took us through an exciting ride on the ‘Miata’ track. The track made mention of the Mazda Miata which is a two-seater car perfect for a summer ride. “Make we link up / make we fit take a ride in Mazda Miata”. Mentioning that they are his motivation and the museum that inspired him, ‘Angels Singing’ captured the joys of a campfire night with friends while ‘Come Back Home’ carried his pain of lost love through the soulful sounds accompanied by heavy rain downpour in the background. “You are supposed to be here taking over the world with me, but you dey with someone else / oh my baby, come back, come back to me”.
“Love don show me pepper / I get high and I fall down / but I still want the romance / I want the love of my life,” portrayed him as a hopeless romantic who will never give up on love, even though he has experienced several disappointments in the past. He closed the lush and ground-breaking EP with the track ‘Music makes me feel better’. The superb track made of a mix of alternative and electro-pop with the accompaniment of choirs relayed his message of wanting happiness all his life. He confessed his desire to only enjoy himself throughout his lifetime, which is one of the wishes of mankind.
PapaRazzle got a beautiful gift from Paris and shared it with the whole world. We can only expect more of his melodious songs in the future. With over six million streams on Spotify, he has solidified his feet in the music garden, and it is safe to say that he is not stopping anytime soon. As you go about your day expecting a text from a lover, looking forward to a vacation with friends or family, ‘I Am In Paris And I Miss You’ is worthy of accompanying your activities to ginger you all through.
