Bella Alubo has always blurred the line between genres. Born and raised in Jos in Nigeria’s culturally diverse middle belt, the singer (born Mabel Alubo) encountered a number of sonic forms while growing up. That helped her develop a knack for poetry that informs the emotionally resonant lyricism and textured melodies that are her calling card. Late Night Vibrations, a daring collaborative tape with former labelmate Ycee, arrived in 2018, announcing Alubo on the national stage. A series of follow-ups (2018’s Re-Bella and 2019’s Summer’s Over) set the stage for her debut LP, Bella Buffet, a stirring showcase of her growth and ability. On her 2023 project Lagos 101, Bella pays homage to the city that has borne witness to her artistic evolution. Operating within a genre-fluid framework that pulls fragments from neo-R&B and soul, Lagos 101 takes stylistic inspiration from the cadence, subject matter and flow of hip-hop while spotlighting Bella’s relationship with money, romance, feminism, bureaucracy and public life. Project opener “Lagos 101” is an instructive look at the frenetic pace of life in Lagos over skittering percussion, with Falz delivering a humorous yet instructive verse on navigating the rough edge of existence in the city. “G.O.A.T.”, a previously released collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign and deceased American rap icon The Notorious B.I.G., sits sweetly alongside “Party Gyal”, an airy dancehall-inspired track that codifies Bella’s commitment to enjoying life to the fullest. In keeping with her knack for experimentation, “Critical” explores a hidden romance while looping in electronica basslines over a fizzing instrumental, while “Moonshot” takes influences from fragments of Afrobeat and 2000s-era Afropop to detail her desires from a sneaky link. Across the nine songs on Lagos 101, Bella Alubo makes music that’s intimate but communal in scope while giving a conspiratorial wink to hip-hop in its 50th year.