The African Gentleman (Deluxe Edition)

Rising Nigerian singer/songwriter Ric Hassani’s latest album is a revelatory Pan-African musical experience—blending African rhythms with contemporary pop composition. Hassani’s sweet, R&B-tinged vocals perfectly balance with the album’s sense of wistful yearning—and on tracks such as “Gentleman” and “Marry You” Hassani offers a take on love akin to legendary contemporaries like Craig David. Elsewhere, uptempo numbers—like “Oge Na Ga” and “Sweet Mother” (the latter backed by the distinctive shimmer of Mumba Yachi’s guitar)—hold a joyous exuberance that marks Hassani out as one of the most compelling voices in modern Nigerian soul.