In the 18 months since Shallipopi blazed his way to the top table of Afropop, the Benin-born singer has remained as insouciant and non-conformist as he was when he originally emerged with his 2023 smash hit, “Elon Musk”, a pseudo-tribute to the tech entrepreneur. A series of hits has followed and made the singer as unavoidable as he is prolific. His first project, Planet Pluto, birthed the hugely culturally resonant “Obapluto”—an anthem that hinted at a serious streak beneath the jocular personality that Shallipopi presented to the public—as well as “Speedometer” and “Ahead Ahead”. Shalli’s debut album, Presido La Pluto, arrived in November 2023 bearing a rich fusion of his unique spin on hip-hop and amapiano that cemented his position as the year’s breakout star. Keen to keep that winning streak going, the singer is kick-starting his 2024 with another project. Inspired by a running joke on the Nigerian internet that ironically weighs Shallipopi’s writing style alongside English playwright William Shakespeare, this new extended play Shakespopi is a distillation of the trippy style, humour and deadpan songwriting that has worked for the singer (born Crown Uzama) so far. Shallipopi’s go-to producer, Busy, takes a backseat here with production mostly handled by rising beatsmith Producer X and larrylanes. Together, they tease out a melodic edge from Shallipopi that elevates Shakespopi without diminishing any of his characteristic mischief. Across the nine songs of Shakespopi, Shallipopi leans into several roles: going from cultural emissary to philosopher and party starter at a dizzying pace while maintaining the clarity of his vision. “New Cat”, accessorised by a gorgeous horn riff, is a light-hearted retort aimed at doubters of Shallipopi’s staying power and an official flag-off for a new era for him. The singer takes an introspective turn on “Dey”, giving a glimpse into the strain of his blistering rise to fame but the indisputable highlight of Shakespopi is “ASAP”, where he artfully orchestrates another cultural meeting point between the past and present while winking conspiratorially at his online mythos.