Originally from Nigeria but now living in Montreal, Canada, T-Klassiq takes pop music and instils in it the iconic afro-beat sound of his home country. Taking inspiration from Western artists, the likes of Michael Jackson, and Akon, along with fellow African creatives such as Fela Anikulapo, and Kuti, T-Klassiq has melded for himself a beautiful Afro-pop sound, which is perfectly showcased in his new single, ‘Overcome’.
T-Klassiq started out aged 7 in his church choir in Nigeria, but didn’t get fully into music until he was studying in Canada, whereupon he released singled under the name of T-Classic, including ‘Logbayipe’, ‘Winner’, ‘The Source’, and ‘Omo Oodua’. 2020 however saw him redefine his branding and the name change is just the beginning.
On his T-Klassiq debut, ‘Overcome’, the singer is accompanied by Nigerian rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem, and Montreal-based Makossa artiste, Kevin Boy. Although “Jaga Jaga” singer Abdulkareem was unable to appear in the video, Kevin Boy is right there, making ‘Overcome’ his second collaboration with T-Klassiq.
‘Overcome’ is self-explanatory. Inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic, the song is an anthem of reassurance and a beacon of hope for those days when we can feel overburdened by the saturation of headlines and news flashes of doom and destruction. The sunny afro-beat and high spirited horns instil in the listener a feeling of joy and happiness, while Kevin Boy makes a multi-cultural performance, singing in French while proudly waving the Cameroon flag. Extras are dressed in cultural clothes and bright prints, cleverly distracting from the newspaper backdrop. The message is clear: while it’s important to keep abreast of all that’s going on in the world, it’s just as necessary to keep in mind that there is a future, and there will be victories for us.
Watch and be inspired by ‘Overcome’. You can find T-Klassiq online on his official website.
