Bella Shmurda explores the pain of loss on 'R2 Sept 12' EP [Review]

After losing his dear friend Mohbad, Bella Shmurda's pain was palpable and to document this feeling, he turns to music.

'R2 Sept 12' EP is a heartwarming preamble to his forthcoming album that will further celebrate the legacy of his friend the late Street pop maestro Mohbad.

Bella Shmurda conveys his state of mind in an EP that embraces familiar Street pop influences of Konto, indigenous music, and Garage/Swing beat.

Faced with the heavy pain of loss, Bella Shmurda had to contend with feelings of despair, loneliness, anger, and even distrust. However, he accepts fate and finds solace in memories that he intends to keep alive.

"I just dey lie if I say I'm fine," he says in the opener 'Blessing' before turning his supplications to God in the upbeat record that bears his quintessential hitmaking traits.

While on a tour of the UK, Bella Shmurda in an interview talked about being a loner even when surrounded by people. He shares this thought on the Konto bounce of 'Loner' where his loneliness exerts more emotions from listeners when one remembers the loss of his bosom friend Mohbad.

Bella Shmurda is a hitmaker and he expressed this desire to offer listeners a good time on '1999' on which he deployed Konto melodies made Ajegunle on the Swing bounce alongside the complexly creative Bloody Civilian with whom he restates his laser focus on his goals of leading a good life. He taps Zlatan who has been on a fine feature run and Indigenous rap star Jeriq who brings the needed South Eastern touch to the Ogene-driven chest-thumping record 'Oghene'.

The pain of losing his friend Mohbad is palpable on the tear-jerking tribute 'My Brother' where he relives the memories they share while also grappling with the meaninglessness of life.

It's for the memory of his beloved friend that Shmurda chose to drop his next album on the 1st anniversary of his passing. This beautifully crafted EP is Bella Shmurda's way of keeping Mohbad's memory alive in the hearts of listeners as all roads lead to September 12 where he will again immortalize his dear friend.

On 'R2 Sept 12,' Bella Shmurda expresses the pain of loss while also offering listeners a good time that balances out the EP's sombre effect. It's perhaps this deeply personal yet quintessentially Bella Shmurda that listeners should expect from his forthcoming LP.