Nigerian rap provocateur Blaqbonez is turning the clock back to where it all began. On his new single “Hustle Kpa,” featuring Artsalghul, the Chocolate City star strips away the theatrics and revisits the raw hunger that powered his ascent from underground battler to one of Africa’s most dynamic hip-hop voices.
“Hustle Kpa” arrives as the lead single from the forthcoming No Excuses (Deluxe), scheduled for release later this month, extending the narrative of Blaqbonez’s fifth studio album No Excuses, which dropped in October 2025 and has already crossed 100 million cumulative streams across digital platforms. The original project delivered standout records like “ACL” and “Despacito” featuring FOLA, both of which individually surpassed 10 million streams, reinforcing the album’s commercial and cultural impact.
But while “No Excuses” celebrated the results of Blaqbonez’s relentless ambition, “Hustle Kpa” focuses on the grind that made it possible.
Over a hard-edged, streetwise production, Blaqbonez raps with the urgency of someone who still remembers every sleepless night and every dismissed dream. The record channels the spirit of his formative years — when he was sharpening his pen in Nigeria’s battle rap circuit, freestyling relentlessly, and pushing his music through sheer willpower. Artsalghul complements the record’s ethos with a performance that underscores the song’s central theme: the unglamorous labour behind success.
t’s a reflective but triumphant moment for an artist whose career has been defined by reinvention. Born Akumefule Chukwuemeka George, Blaqbonez began rapping at 13 and first gained traction while studying at Obafemi Awolowo University, where his freestyle culture and online presence built a cult following. His early dominance in Nigeria’s battle rap scene — including winning Terry The Rapman’s Zombie competition and the Hennessy VS Class of 2015 — signaled the arrival of a formidable lyricist.
His trajectory accelerated after signing with Chocolate City Music’s 100 Crowns imprint, where he released “Bad Boy Blaq,” a project that debuted at #1 on the iTunes Nigeria Hip-Hop chart and marked the beginning of a prolific run. Over the years, Blaqbonez has continued to expand his sonic universe across projects like Sex Over Love, Young Preacher, and Emeka Must Shine, blending hip-hop, Afrobeats, drill, and alternative influences while cultivating a reputation as one of the continent’s most inventive personalities.
By the time No Excuses arrived in 2025, Blaqbonez had already become more than a rapper — he was a cultural strategist, an internet-savvy provocateur, and arguably one of the most visible champions of African hip-hop’s modern evolution.
With “Hustle Kpa,” he reminds listeners that before the accolades, endorsements, sold-out shows, and viral moments, there was simply the work.
