Review: “Obeena’s Obeedient EP”: A Portrait of Ambition, Faith and the African Hustle

Review: “Obeena’s Obeedient EP”: A Portrait of Ambition, Faith and the African Hustle

There is a certain honesty that comes with music made from lived experience. For Obeena, that honesty forms the foundation of Obeedient, a five-track EP that captures an artist negotiating ambition, uncertainty, faith and the relentless pursuit of a better life.

Released in November 2022, the project runs for approximately 14 minutes, but its brevity does not diminish its thematic ambition. Across “Awareness,” “Money No De Do,” “Hook (Big Fish),” “Pray for Grace” and “Dreams,” Obeena presents a musical diary of sorts ,one shaped by the realities of the African hustle and the aspirations of a young creative determined to make his voice count.

What makes Obeedient particularly interesting is its refusal to treat the pursuit of success as a straightforward celebration. Obeena recognises the glamour associated with making it, but he is equally conscious of the uncertainty, sacrifice and spiritual dependence that accompany the journey.

The EP begins with “Awareness”, “Awareness” extends beyond the immediacy of celebration, presenting communal love as a deliberate and mutually nourishing experience. The song embraces the beauty of genuine friendships and collective joy, while advancing the idea that blessings acquire greater meaning when they are shared. Obeena frames success not merely as a personal victory, but as an opportunity to gather the people who have been part of the journey, creating a space where gratitude, fellowship and celebration intersect. In this sense, “Awareness” becomes a warm reflection on togetherness,an invitation to recognise the people around us and celebrate the grace that makes the journey worthwhile.

That consciousness develops into the more immediately relatable “Money No De Do”. The title itself carries the familiar language of everyday Nigerian experience: money is necessary, but obtaining it is rarely simple. Obeena turns that reality into a musical reflection on economic pressure and aspiration. The song speaks to the young African trying to build something meaningful in an environment where dreams frequently collide with financial limitations.


“Hook (Big Fish)” is a meditation on perseverance in the face of adversity, capturing the discipline and dedication required to remain committed to the process despite struggle and uncertainty. The hook ultimately embodies the triumph that follows sustained belief, positioning success not merely as an outcome, but as a testament to resilience and an example for others navigating their own journeys. Beneath its motivational core lies a candid reflection on financial freedom and its profound capacity to provide a sense of fulfilment, security and personal satisfaction.


Yet Obeedient does not allow ambition to become arrogance. “Pray for Grace” introduces a spiritual dimension to the project, acknowledging the role of divine favour in a journey where hard work cannot always guarantee the outcome. The track adds emotional depth to the EP because it exposes the vulnerability behind the ambition. Beneath the confidence is someone asking for strength, direction and grace.

The closing track, “Dreams”, brings the project full circle. If “Awareness” represents consciousness of the journey, “Dreams” represents the destination. Obeena leaves the listener with the fundamental motivation behind the struggle: the belief that tomorrow can be better than today. The song therefore works not simply as an ending, but as a statement of intent.

There is also something distinctly contemporary about the EP’s worldview. Obeena does not present the African hustle as a romantic adventure detached from reality. Instead, he places himself inside it. His songs speak from the perspective of someone attempting to turn aspiration into tangible progress.

This is perhaps where the title Obeedient becomes most intriguing. Beyond its playful relationship with Obeena’s artistic identity, the title can be interpreted as a philosophy of persistence — remaining committed to one’s purpose despite distractions, setbacks and uncertainty. It suggests obedience to the dream itself.

Musically, the project occupies the Afropop/Afrosound space while allowing Obeena’s personality to remain central. His approach reflects the increasingly fluid boundaries within contemporary African music, where melody, rhythm, conversational songwriting and street-informed expressions can coexist without being confined to a single category.

What ultimately distinguishes Obeedient is not an attempt to manufacture a perfect image of success. It is the opposite. Obeena documents the road before the destination,the doubts, financial realities, prayers, confidence and dreams that accompany an emerging artist’s journey.

In that sense, Obeedient is more than a collection of five songs. It is an early artistic statement from an artist determined to document his evolution while creating music that reflects the realities of his generation.

Several years after its release, the EP can be viewed as an important piece of Obeena’s artistic foundation: a project built around awareness, aspiration, faith and dreams -four forces that continue to define the psychology of the modern African creative.

Obeena may still be on the road to the destination, but Obeedient makes one thing clear: he intends to get there on his own terms.