Black Sherif – IRON BOY: The Review

Black Sherif’s sophomore album ‘IRON BOY’ is here after over two and half years from dropping his critically acclaimed debut ‘The Villain I Never Was.’ As an artiste, dropping another project following the immense success of the first might seem daunting, but not for Blacko. The new album echoes the popular saying, “a second chance is not a repeat; it’s a fresh start with greater wisdom.” Listening to the tracks on the album, one can see how the now 23 year-old has grown in his artistry, personal life and most importantly wisdom.

The album kicks off with ‘The Victory Song.’ As the track name denotes, the rapper sings about how he has been able to triumph over his personal struggles paired with an emotive production led by church organ chords. This is indeed the perfect precedent for the album, giving a glimpse of what to expect on this 15-track sonic journey. This is quickly followed by ‘One,’ which supports the message in track 1, told with Black Sherif’s signature sound, storytelling and an introduction to his rockstar persona.

‘So It Goes’ appears to be an attempt at scoring a hit record, but that would be for time and the fans to judge. It features Nigerian singer Fireboy DML and was the third single released before the arrival of the album. Right after comes ‘Top of the Morning,’ a hard-hitting record to ward off the opps. Then from warding off the opps we move to the dance floor with ‘Body.’ This particular record is just a trend or dance challenge away from becoming a ravenous TikTok record, with beautiful women shaking their derrieres to the rhythm of the beat and the repetitive “body, body, body…”

Sticking to the theme of hitting the dance floor with the tracks on the album, we chance upon ‘Sacrifice.’ It’s a shift from the signature Blacko sound we are used to. On this very song, he sings along to the infamous Ghana bounce rhythm which sucks you into enjoying mostly the instrumentals rather than the song’s content.

On Track 7 ‘Soma Obi,’ we are introduced to the “Blacko 2.0.” We get a glimpse of how life has been for the rapper ever since his debut and an invitation to explore his current headspace. The track title in Twi loosely translates as “send someone,” so there’s no surprise he’s imploring God to grant some of his heart desires such as vanquishing his enemies, giving him a long and fruitful life, and a cool headspace to manage all his worries.

At this point, you can’t help but notice the incredible track sequencing done for this project. Right after ‘Soma Obi’ you get into ‘Dreamer,’ which carries the same sombre lyrics as the former. It’s also a very aspirational song to carry anyone with lofty dreams through the motions of chasing them. It appears the next track also carries the same aspirational theme, but the standout on ‘Rebel Music’ is the production. It comes as no surprise that it took 5 producers to make that record; a very special one as a matter of fact.

Next up is track 10 ‘Where Them Boyz.’ The thumping 808 layered drums provide the perfect base for Black Sherif’s gritty and confrontational bars to all his detractors. He had words for every single one of them. That’s what is expected of a rapper; no subliminal tweets, no pillow talking, no scathing interviews, just put everything on a song!

Another song that stands out because of the production is the album titled track ‘Iron Boy.’ The main chord progression in the Sol note paired with the airy nature of the keys gives off a nostalgic feel. It’s quite ironic, given the title of the song, that this happens to be one of the songs where Blacko does the most singing to adequately express his vulnerability. Track 11 is poised to be one of those underrated fan favourites, same as track 12 ’Sin City,’ featuring Nigerian singer-songwriter Seyi Vibez.

At this point if you haven’t figured out what that one record is, then track 13 should be it. Everything about ‘Eye Open’ screams, “wheel it up again!” Black Sherif’s infectious melodies, coupled with the groovy Afrobeats rhythm and chord progressions provide the perfect canvas for him to paint this vivid picture. For someone who tasted worldwide acclaim at the age of 20, it kind of makes sense for him to be wary of who has good intentions for him and the ones out to get him. He admonishes we keep one eye open despite the urge to keep both closed when resting because on the contrary, there’s no rest for the wicked. 

The album comes to an end with ‘Changes’ and ‘January 9th’ as track 14 and 15 respectively. These two songs see Blacko’s longtime collaborator Joker Nharnah show off on the production.

Listening to this amazing body of work contextualises how much growing up Black Sherif has done over the past three years right in front of our eyes. We do not necessarily see a hungry young artist fighting to get his voice heard but a rather matured artist exhibiting every single trait synonymous to a bonafide superstar. It is a Blacko world, and we are fortunate to be living in it!