Published: December 19, 2025
A lot of lies can hide inside the truth. That hit me like a stray bullet as I sank into the dead weight of a song that should have been the reintroduction of an A-list artist we once celebrated, only to be swallowed by lyrics that exposed the poor state of his mental health and artistic expression.
When you create music from the gift of being alive, every moment becomes a tool to tell your truth beautifully. Whether it’s joy or pain, listeners respect the honesty. They feel the investment you put into a sound they can live with.
But what happens when you make music just for the sake of it? No pure truth attached. You walk into the studio because you feel forced to. There’s no real story left to tell, so you hide behind the producer’s brain, say anything you think will bounce on a nice beat, just to make sure fans can vibe when the DJ plays your song at an event or when they add it to a playlist.
Music is spiritual. As much as it can bend reality, it also exposes the true state of mind of an artist, no matter how hard they try to hide it. Everything in life is built on frequency and vibration. The source of an artist’s energy can be traced, even when they sing the opposite of what they actually feel. The heart is an electromagnetic field that reads energy clearly, unlike the brain, which can be easily tricked by a fancy beat and a catchy vibe.
When Kobazzie dropped “Am Back” four months ago, we all clowned him for not realizing how bad the song was. Bloggers, TikTokers and social media influencers took turns at him. People joked that if he no longer had time for music, he should just quit.
He is a big boy now, rolling with global stars like Davido, Stonebwoy, Peruzzi and others. But he doesn’t seem to understand that the industry has moved on. New kids like King Dennis, J Boy D Prophet and SIO are not playing with their craft; they are giving it everything. Kobazzie no longer looks like he cares about giving us great music the way he once did.
Is that really the case, or is there something deeper going on — something beyond pride and fame? Because right now, Kobazzie is a nobody at the MLMA Awards. No nomination. No reference. No remembrance. Something is wrong.
In 2022, I spent almost a week in a creative camp with Kobazzie at his personal residence. He had invited J Slught and his then-management, Native Breed, to work with him. I was Native Breed’s head of A&R/PR strategist and a songwriter. That position allowed me to see into Kobazzie’s mind — as a music creator, entertainer, celebrity and everyday guy.
First thing I will tell you: Kobazzie is a very humble and accommodating soul. Bazzie, as he’s fondly called, is so level-headed he sometimes forgets there’s a crown on his head. He embraces everyone’s opinion without classism. You would think that with everything he has accomplished, he would be distant. But no. Bazzie is usually the first person in the room to ask for your point of view on anything.
I remember how we recorded one of his hit songs, “Kill a Man.” J Slught asked him to play through some beats so he could pick one to work on that day. Kobazzie randomly clicked on an amapiano beat on the laptop. He started nodding his head, smiling, clearly interested.
As soon as Sydney (a member of Native Breed) heard what Kobazzie was freestyling, he liked it but had a better idea. He quickly pulled me into the kitchen to share it. I won’t lie — it was one of the best hooks I’ve heard as a talent manager. We rushed back to the sitting room to pitch the idea. As soon as Kobazzie heard it, he fell in love with the song instantly and demanded that we start the session right away.
Kobazzie is also a fantastic songwriter. His pen game on “Drinks on Me” featuring CIC is still praised today. But one song I begged him to release — a song he played for me in his car — is an unreleased track with global icon Davido. That song, in my view, would make a bigger impact than their first collaboration, “Bounce.”
In fact, I honestly believe that if this second song had come out before “Bounce,” Kobazzie wouldn’t be struggling the way he is now. The world wouldn’t see him as a Liberian artist simply trying to ride Davido’s spotlight. He would have been appreciated more for his own talent, and there would be no ceiling on his potential.
I suspect the reason the second song isn’t out yet has to do with clearance issues. But the question remains: does Kobazzie feel he has to hide behind stardom again just to be seen?
So what’s the way forward?
Millions of songs drop every day, and not every artist gets visibility. If Kobazzie wants to survive this new wave, he needs proper brand direction. The artists building real legacies today are doing it by telling untold stories about their lives. Fans want to connect to a personality, not just a playlist. That emotional bond keeps them listening no matter what you release.
Every artist reaches a point where hitting the restart button is the smartest move. A rebirth doesn’t erase the old you. The sun sets every day just to rise again. Kobazzie needs that kind of reset — a genuine reconnection with the people.
How can he do this? Instead of coming out bragging on “Am Back,” he should have linked up with the new wave — SIO, King Dennis or J Boy D Prophet — just to stay connected to the local scene. Visibility is the new currency, and right now these guys are cash-rich.
An emotional song with traditional vibes featuring J Boy D Prophet would make perfect sense. Follow that with a club banger featuring SIO and King Dennis, and you’re looking at a track that could easily become the number-one song in the country.
When it comes to the global market, what Kobazzie really needs is a unique PR strategy, because the songs to back it up already exist. He just has to step back, return to the drawing board and ask himself a hard question: Who is Kobazzie?
Whatever answer he gives himself will decide his future — whether we get a global icon reborn, or a forgotten Liberian superstar who once trended with Davido and then disappeared into memory.
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