Nigerian artist Efi Cruise sharpens his vision of ‘Southern Afro-Jazz’ on “Flavour”, one of the singles taken from his new album If You Were Me You Would Be Dead. Born and raised in Lagos, he has built his reputation on a hybrid sound that unites jazz improvisation with afrobeat, highlife, funk, and hip-hop.

Efi Cruise describes his style as “Southern Afro-Jazz,” a blend of jazz, afrobeats, highlife, hip-hop, and funk. Central to his performance is scat-singing, a vocal practice associated with jazz and bebop, which he uses as his signature approach. His work has been shaped by growing up in Lagos and by a desire to bridge traditional West African forms with improvisational methods.

The track reflects the wider character of If You Were Me You Would Be Dead, released on 26 August via Bayside Records, which follows his 2023 debut Mirrors. That album established Efi Cruise as a Lagos-rooted innovator, and his latest release expands that reputation with its mix of survival narratives and celebratory tones.

Stream the new album HERE.