On 21st, October 2022 Afrobeats virtuoso Wande Coal announced via his social media that his debut album ‘Mushin 2 Mo’hits’ was now available on streaming platforms. 13 years after its release, the album which is considered the greatest debut album in Afrobeats was finally available for listeners whose lives it sound tracked and for others who were perhaps too young to have experienced its peak.
Amidst the rush of nostalgia the album sparked and the corresponding conservation it generated, the subject of Wande Coal’s legendary status was tabled, and some persons displayed a painful lack of depth as they erroneously concluded that Wande’s legendary status was up for debate.
On this week’s Pulse Afrobeats throwback, I will be revisiting Wande Coal’s debut album, its impact, and his undebatable legendary status.
In April 2009, Wande Coal released his debut album ‘Mushin 2 Mo’hits’, an era-defining body of work that was unprecedented in Nigerian mainstream music or Afrobeats as it’s famously known.
Known for his breathtaking vocals, his unmatchable ability to mold melody, and his flawless delivery, Wande Coal was able to take the smooth sonic arrangement of western Pop and R&B and combined it with Nigerian cadence to create a pop sound that will forever alter Nigerian Afrobeats soundscape.
The album delivered timeless hits like the chest-thumping street anthem ‘Bumper To Bumper’ with which he announced himself as a hitmaker.