Blaqbonez’s “Back In Uni” music video is filled with too many gems and Easter eggs, and there is a high probability that some might be missed…
By Daraloye Emmanuel
The music video of Blaqbonez’s new record, “Back In Uni,” was released during the week. In the video which was directed by the budding Perliks Films who has worked with the likes of L.A.X, Zinoleesky, Lyta, Seyi Vibez and more, Blaqbonez cosplays different characters within three minutes and twenty-nine seconds.
On the song, which serves as a preview to his next album, Young Preacher, Blaqbonez rides on melodious lyrics to sing about his past relationship antics, breaking girls’ hearts, and “doing them dirty,” while also reserving some words for his adversaries.
From claiming to be one of the few who’s truly rapping in the Nigerian music industry, he has switched up styles in recent times. Right now, he has been fully submerged in preaching the Sex Over Love mantra. His soon-to-be-released album is a build-up on that; the same as this single.
As if he knew what this video – which earned one million streams within twenty-four hours on Youtube – would cause online, Blaqbonez had been building anticipation with his fans on Twitter a week before its release. It began with a message he shared on Twitter, in which music video director, TG Omori, charged him 30,000 dollars to shoot the video. His financial incapability led him to direct the video by himself, with co-director, Perliks, who, meanwhile, has worked with him on “Go Home,” his previously-released track.
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The video opens with the grand exit of a couple and their families and friends with Blaqbonez driving in, and taking a bunch of flowers from the bride’s bouquet. He then takes a photograph with the said bunch, mimicking the way Wizkid did his on the cover art of “Bad For Me.” This is his concise tribute to his idol. It is obvious that the bride is not glad about this gesture, as she responds with a wild glance. She retains this countenance ueven when Blaqbonez returns the bunch to the bouquet. The people around her, as well as the groom, wear questioning looks that ask, “why is he here?” This question remains unanswered. There is more to battle with as the second scene comes up. The bride then tosses her bouquet to her maids of honour, and Blaqbonez catches it and holds on to it as the women try to take it from him.
In the next scene, Blaqbonez is seen trying to paint a model. This scene quickly shifts to Oxlade’s cosplay where he is adorned in a black sleeveless leather jacket and a gray-coloured booth. It’s an ode to Oxlade’s “Kulosa,” performance at Color studio. His positioning and gestures in this video are hilarious. As he performs, a model on a ladder attempts to cut with a pair of scissors the dangling microphone wire. This is symbolic of attempts by women to truncate his musical shine.
Nigerian music artiste, Burna Boy, and his ex-girlfriend, Stefflon Don, have been on each other’s throats in recent times. While one has crafted the unofficial summer song in which he laments about their break up (translated as “breakfast”), the other has countered some of the accusations via interviews and cryptic comments on social media. Blaqbonez pays homage to them in the next scene.
At the 1:24 mark, a model with similar buttocks shape as Don is captured in what seems to be a photo shoot, and she gives the photographer different body postures while the photographer, voiced over by Blaqbonez, moans, “give me more.” One of her still shots gets shown on the television he holds in the next scene. In this scene, Blaqbonez cosplays Burna Boy’s photo in which he is styled in dark trousers and long, thick dreadlocks for Dazed Magazine.
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Ruger and Bnxn had the next cut at 1:40. It starts with a cosplay of Ruger’s “Snapchat” video. In this cut, Blaqbonez is encircled by various ladies of different body shapes and colours. It later switches to his cosplaying Bnxn who wears a pink pullover. As soon as Bnxn shows up, all the girls leave “Ruger” and go to the side of “Bnxn.” “Ruger” is in shock while this is happening.
“God Abeg,” popularised by controversial singer, Portable, has nearly become the second most popular saying after the Lord’s Prayer in Nigeria. Blaqbonez replicates a cut from one of Portable’s writing sessions at the 2:10 mark of the video. The “Machala” crooner and ace Instagram skit maker, Carter Efe, and Blaqbonez were recently involved in a Twitter scuffle, he seems not to have let this quarrel slide as he incorporates one of Efe’s most popular skits into the music video. In this scene, a farcical character that mimics Efe is seen tearing away the white singlet he wears.
In the video of “Rush,” Ayra Starr let’s s her wine overflow from her cup into a swimming pool. Blaqbonez also replicates this in the video, even wearing something closely resembling the wig Starr wore.
Surely, Asake never saw Blaqbonez cosplaying him in this video. he wore grills, and does the signature blink just as Asake on “Bandana.”
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Back In Uni video ends with Blaqbonez serving as a mediator between Ruger and Bnxn when his voice comes off screen saying, “You people should stop fighting, you can always share.” At the end of his speech, “Bnxn” signals to three of the models to move to “Ruger’s” side. When they finally did, Blaqbonez sticks his thumb up in appreciation.
Blaqbonez’s “Back In Uni” music video is filled with too many gems and Easter eggs, and there is a high probability that some might be missed. It’s an alluring, excellently colour-graded music video that shines through. Much of the video is only a replica of what has been seen before in other videos, and while some fit into their originals, others failed. However, the extent to which Blaqbonez sought to achieve accuracy is unknown. Nevertheless, Blaqbonez delivers impeccable mimicking to cover up for any lapses, and to elicit good-natured humour.
A collage of cinematic, pop culture, and trend-driven cuts, Blaqbonez and Perliks bring their brightest creative ideas to life. The video shows Blaqbonez’s innate ability to think out of the box, create something out of nothing, and keep his name in trending industry conversations.
Video rating: 7/10
Emmanuel Daraloye is Africa’s Most Prolific Music Critic. He has over 450 album reviews in his archive.