A-Q’s Purple Doesn’t Exist marks his transition from being a proficient emcee to a major influence on the continent’s rap scene.
By Frank Njugi
It is a known fact that as artistes grow older, the intensities of youth are replaced by the forbearance of experience. While the pressure to create might feel weightier for younger artistes, more experienced ones possess the knowledge that the world they create is in a constant state of flux. There exists the need to sometimes take that backward step, similar to what a judicious artist may do in order to see a canvas steadily and fully, to assess and ensure that what they are creating aligns with the legacy they want to leave.
This is what Nigerian rapper, Gilbert Bani, popularly known as A-Q, seems to do in his recently released music. This is a man for whom releasing quality music matters. An artiste who has, over time, given us commendable songs such as his 2016 single, “Agu Ji Ndi Men”, 2019’s “God’s Work”, and the 2021 record, “Breathe” featuring Chike, his music mainly excels in the quality of its lyricism and delivery – a prowess he seems to still retain as he acquires the forbearance of experience.
A-Q’s recently released music comes in the form of an album, Purple Doesn’t Exist. This album contains ten songs that are works of art in terms of the verbal wizardry and intricate rhyme patterns he showcases—a gold standard that rap artistes should strive to reach.
Purple Doesn’t Exist, whose title A-Q interpolates from the scientific fact that purple is not a colour, because there is no beam of pure light that appears purple, kicks off with the song “3rd John,” featuring singer, Wizard Chan. Curated as a prologue to the other songs, its message is that Purple Doesn’t Exist is ‘a testament to dreams pursued relentlessly’.
This track also acts as an early indication of the sonic direction A-Q mostly takes in the album, with nods to the ’90s, featuring a canny mix of deep rolling bass, P-Funk-indebted grooves, and soulful vocals that smooth the uncurbed nature of rap, accompanied by lyrical depth.
A-Q’s adroit lyricism shines brighter in “Old Head”, a song that explores the sense of condescension new rappers have when questioning the relevance of the veterans. With a meticulous blend of melody and bass, A-Q talks of how he, an ‘Old Head’, is painted as a maniacal villain, allegorically touching on how instead he might exist as the bridge between Hip-Hop’s ‘past’ and ‘present’.
Its follow-up “John Travolta” sees A-Q collaborate again, this time with former label mate, Chocolate City’s Blaqbonez. Groovy jazzy samples inundate this track, with Blackbonez using an Afrobeats-like method of lyrical delivery—there is prominent use of Pidgin English alongside accented offbeats. The two sing about their infatuations with a female third party.
In “Flex on You”, featuring fellow Nigerian rapper, Cheque, A-Q discusses the cyclical nature of his success and achievements in life. While Cheque’s vocals wow the listener as he sings for most of the song, A-Q makes his brief entry proficiently, with a flow that is both ferocious and laid-back as always, and his lyrics are both menacing and inviting over the beat, which features prominent kick drum beats and a bass line.
“Down on My Knees” brilliantly samples and plays with the lyrics of James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”, featuring a female voice singing a rendition of this 1980s classic as the sonic backdrop to A-Q exploring how he is too prolific to ever be brought down by challenges. This works in a way that it is impossible to not get swept up in the familiarity of the lyrics in A-Q’s background.
The second half of Purple Doesn’t Exist begins with “Colour Blind Pt 1”, featuring City Monster. The two discuss how money and the struggle to find it determine most of the happenings in life. Sonically, the song has a laid-back tempo, with the lyrics and the rappers’ voices standing out more than the track’s soundscape.
The follow-up track acts as a continuation, titled “Colour Blind Pt 2”, but this time A-Q goes solo. He taps into activism, rapping about political awareness and the current socio-political state of Nigeria. “Colour Blind Pt 2” has the same laid-back flow as its predecessor.
“Already Rich” featuring Bkay EastGaad, is similar to “Flex On You” in terms of theme. Both artistes sing about not being held back by anything in the quests they undertake. The transition between the two rappers is deftly orchestrated and energising, as an exciting bass line that is as thick as ever sets the mood, drives the song’s rhythm, and suits their rap flow. The penultimate single, “Purple Rose,” features Evelle, whose phenomenal vocal talent shines, bringing a soulful aesthetic to the track. A-Q is introspective, discussing his family and the people close to him.
He remains introspective even on the album’s last track, “All Boys Out”, where he raps about how his life has unfolded so far and how it continues to unfold. This final track has a slow-flowing tempo, which makes for a chill ending to the album, but A-Q remains as casually great lyrically as he has been throughout the album.
In the African musical sphere, where the perception of English rap—and arguably Hip-Hop in general—is largely lukewarm, A-Q’s Purple Doesn’t Exist stands out. This is an artist experienced enough to release a project that does so while lying within a genre overshadowed by others that have massively secured global currency—Afrobeats and Amapiano.
Purple is not considered a real colour, as there is no light wavelength that corresponds to purple. We see purple because the human eye can’t tell what’s really going on. Using this profound figment of the human imagination, A-Q proves to be an eclectic storyteller who remains groovy in his lyricism and delivery. If by chance the songs in Purple Doesn’t Exist ride through your playlist, they are sure to shape certain perceptions you hold regarding existing rap talent in Africa.
A-Q’s prowess is unquestionable; from using imaginative samples that are sure to inspire other Hip-Hop artistes to broaden their palettes, to crafting sinuous rhymes that encourage rappers to extend their verses and enhance their intelligence. A-Q’s Purple Doesn’t Exist marks his transition from being a proficient emcee to a major influence on the continent’s rap scene.
Lyricism – 1.6
Tracklisting – 1.7
Sound Engineering –1.7
Vocalisation – 1.5
Listening Experience – 1.6
Rating – 8.1 /10
Frank Njugi is a Kenyan Writer, Culture journalist and Critic who has written on the East African and African culture scene for platforms such as Debunk Media, Republic Journal, Sinema Focus, Culture Africa, The Elephant,Wakilisha Africa, The Moveee, Africa in Dialogue, Afrocritik and others. He tweets as @franknjugi.