Suspect95, whom I’ve talked about a couple of times before now, is an iconic Ivorian rapper making big moves right now. Based in Abidjan and signed to Universal Music Africa, he’s been releasing music consistently for the past 11 years. He just released a new EP, Démosthenè, which I assume is a reference to the Greek orator Demosthenes, a prominent speaker on ancient Greek politics and leader in democratic ideology. Because the project is so new, lyrics and translations haven’t been made available, but I imagine, especially with the sonic energy of Djamanan and Suspect95’s history of making political statements, that the lyrics are socially charged. Hence, why Suspect95 compares himself to Demosthenes makes perfect sense. My favorite songs from the project include Djamanan, which has a lot of similarities to some of the Western rap being released right now, and Petit Pas, which I thought had more of the Maïmouna and coupé- decalé influences crucial to the Ivorian style. Djamanan has some more hardcore elements, giving it a super rowdy sound that I love. It feels very much like a fight song.

One thing I always appreciate about Suspect95’s songs is that they seamlessly blend the melodic elements of Maïmouna with the strength of the Western drill sound, and they offer a lot of variety, some leaning more towards the afrobeats vibe and some more towards the drill and even trap-esque sounds. I’ve now listened to two of his projects back-to-back, and the experience is never boring. So many rappers nowadays release very flat albums, with each song differing only slightly from the last. There is a fine line between having a consistent sound and being a one-trick pony. Suspect95 is consistent yet versatile, which I really appreciate. Djamanan features another prominent Ivorian rapper, Kadja, who has also worked on music with Himra, both of whom I plan to delve deeper into in later blog posts. With each release, these guys strengthen the network of Ivorian musicians and bring light to each other’s music, which I think is so cool. By working together, they strengthen the subculture of rap music in Abidjan and Côte d’Ivoire as a whole.