Juls – “Ojekoo” EP Review

In summer 2017, we had the pleasure sitting down with British born Ghanaian producer Juls for an interview during a promo run for his Leap of Faith EP. During our interview, I dubbed him “Mr. Chill-Vibes” due to his persona and calmness he always has, which mirrors the numerous feel good collaborations he has put out since he hit the music scene. He promised us a surprise EP before the end of the year, but we had to keep it under wraps. With so much music being released by some of our favorite afrobeats act these past few months, he decided to bless his fans with a 7-track EP, Ojekoo, featuring Adekunle Gold, Bisa Kdei, Nonso Amadi, Moelogo, Burna Boy and more.

“Agoro” (Feat. Adekunle Gold & Bisa Kdei) – WHEN JULS ON THE THING YOU KNOW ITS A PROBLEM!! Juls reminds us what to expect when it comes to his production – crazy soft drums & guitar-led baselines. Adekunle Gold was the right feature for this song singing, “Add the Jollof, any kind, whether Ghana or Naija”. Adekunle emphasizes the Jollof rivalry between Ghanains and Nigerians wont matter or stop him from having a great time all night long. Bisa Kdei was unnecessary but a harmless addition at to finish off this already lovely tune.

“Oshey” (Moelogo, Siza & DJ Tunez) – This one is serious, I love it! Moelogo entered this track and carried it from the beginning to the end. Siza – a fresh face in the musical scene, did a very impressive job providing the background vocals. Don’t know too much about her but she may have a bright future in this music industry. It will keep your body moving for sure in clubs, kickback, etc… isalé ní Ijó Wá. MY FAVORITE!!!!

“Your Corner” (Feat. Nonso Amadi) – WOW another one from these two! From working together on records like “Radio” & “Early“, Juls and Nonso Amadi came together once more to orchestrate another masterpiece for us with this song. Watch out for Nonso 2018 if you still sleeping on a bicycle. The boy is truly special.

“December” (Feat. Culan Luke & Tay lwar) – Things hit a Caribbean note on “December“ where Tay Iwar and Culan brought that island vibe. This track makes you want to hit the club floor with that special someone and dance all night long. Tay and Culan are not household names but they both paint the perfect picture with Juls’ instrumental.

“Gwarn” (Feat. Burna Boy) – “Gwarn” – a patois vocal sample derived from a Jamaican slang meaning ‘Go On’. Burna Boy rides the beats so effortlessly while teasing his love interest to ”come get this good love” from him. Burna Boy is definitely one of those artists who can do justice to a Juls production – a perfect marriage. A stand out track and definitely a fan favorite also.

Overall, the production was very solid and featured artists that brought on their A-game to the table. Juls continues his progression as a producer by taking a “leap of faith” in redefining and experimenting with different sounds and knowing what artist to pick for his collaborations. However, even though this is only an EP, it didn’t really garner as much attention, produce any major hit (“Gwarn” is arguable), or raise the bar, compared to Juls’ last effort. This is a still a very complete project, but no where as close to Leap of Faith

Rating: 3/5