Review

February 6, 2020 marked the beginning of King Coal’s most relevant year since his sleeper hit, “Iskaba” was released in 2016. “Again” was released on that day and was instantly acclaimed as one of the best songs of the year.
Followed by the more clubby “Naughty Girl”, it seemed like King Coal was on a roll. We presume this was what influenced sustaining momentum by releasing the 6-track project, Realms.

On Realms, we see Wande Coal having fun. This plays out on “Check”. The Lekka Beats produced wonder is reminiscent of prime King Coal. The track is impressive because Wande Coal ticks all the little boxes (honesty, sound and that “Shokoyokoto Ajinomoto” reference). “Ever Blazing” aspires to slow-burner status, you get that dancehall feel with very good vocals to boot. “Ode Lo Like”, might seem like the best “new” song on the project. However, both this track and “Vex” were released in 2019. For perspective, both racked up serious streaming numbers on Apple Music.

Asides the beat, “Vex” and Sarz’s “Celetronic Riddim” have something in common, to properly appreciate the record, you need a club or really loud speakers. Also, “Again (Remix)” is a tad conflicting. On the one hand, the subtle additions in the production are welcome but the transition into Wale’s verse could have worked better. Nothing can reduce the quality in “Again” though. It’s that good a song.

In all, Realms feels a little rushed, Wande Coal attempts to capitalize on his moment in the sun but seems to have lost the structure that made Wanted and Mushin 2 Mohits classic projects. The journey through Realms showed Wande Coal’s versatility. Interestingly, everyone already knows this.