ID Cabasa’s “Unfinished Business”: A Nostalgic Afrobeats Masterpiece Drops Tonight, Bridging Eras with Star Power

Lagos, December 4, 2025 – As the clock strikes midnight into December 5, veteran Nigerian producer and Afrobeats architect Olumide Ogunade, professionally known as ID Cabasa, unleashes his long-teased sophomore album Unfinished Business – a 14-track odyssey that feels like a love letter to the genre’s golden era, wrapped in the fresh sheen of today’s hitmakers. Dropping under his Coded Tunes/Ziiki Media imprint, the project isn’t just a release; it’s a cultural reset, blending remakes of 2000s classics with original cuts that pulse with the wisdom of a producer who’s shaped icons like 9ice, Olamide, and Fireboy DML. In an industry often accused of chasing trends, Cabasa’s move harks back to his mantra: preserving the “experience and wisdom of the old” while infusing the “youthfulness and inspiration of the new.”

At its core, Unfinished Business is a remix-heavy affair, with seven reimagined anthems that pay homage to Afrobeats’ foundational sounds while flipping them for 2025 ears. The album opens with the explosive “Photocopy (Reimagined),” a high-octane redo of 9ice’s 2008 street banger, now turbocharged with Vector’s razor-sharp bars and 9ice’s soulful return – a full-circle moment that clocks in at 3:45 of nostalgic fire. Transitioning seamlessly, “Olufunmi (Reimagined)” – first teased in late 2024 – unites Fireboy DML’s velvet croons, BOJ’s introspective vibes, and Odumodublvck’s gritty edge over Styl-Plus’ iconic hook, transforming a lover’s lament into a genre-bending slow-burner that lingers at 4:12.

The remakes don’t stop there. “Bere Mi (Reimagined)” revives 9ice’s heartfelt plea with the OGB himself guesting alongside Cabasa’s signature keys, adding layers of maturity to the 2008 original. “Anytime (Reimagined)” enlists Bella Shmurda, Ayo Maff, and Ajebo Hustlers for a street-anthem glow-up, while “Apa Ti Jabo” taps into raw energy with uncredited cameos that hint at Cabasa’s Rolodex depth. These tracks, produced entirely by Cabasa, showcase his evolution: the warm, percussive beats of yesteryear now laced with subtle trap hi-hats and auto-tuned ad-libs, proving the 47-year-old isn’t just reminiscing – he’s innovating.

But Unfinished Business shines brightest in its originals, where Cabasa steps from behind the boards to claim the mic on half the runtime. The title track, a brooding opener at 3:20, features Cabasa reflecting on unfinished legacies over a sparse piano loop: “Years in the lab, unfinished business / Ghosts of the hits that built this.” Collaborations elevate the stakes – Olamide drops a reflective verse on “Street Gospel,” channeling their 2010s synergy, while Reminisce brings battle-tested bars to “Coded Tunes Cypher.” Standouts include “Midnight Reflections,” a solo Cabasa cut blending spoken-word poetry with log drum rhythms, and the closer “Legacy Link,” a posse cut with Banky W, 2Shotz, and Lord of Ajasa that feels like a Coded Tunes reunion tour de force.

Thematically, the album grapples with unfinished chapters: mentorship’s toll, the grind of production, and Afrobeats’ global ascent. Cabasa’s lyrics, delivered in his gravelly baritone, weave personal anecdotes – from discovering Olamide in a Lagos studio to mentoring Fireboy through heartbreak – into broader calls for cultural continuity. Production-wise, it’s a masterclass: lush strings on ballads, thunderous 808s on bangers, all mixed to perfection for streaming’s crystal-clear demands. At 48 minutes total, it’s concise yet comprehensive, avoiding filler in a year bloated with 20+ track behemoths.

Pre-release buzz has been electric. Singles like “Olufunmi (Reimagined)” have racked up 5 million Spotify streams since October, topping Apple Music’s Naija charts, while Cabasa’s X announcement – a simple graphic with “Out Tonight. Unfinished Business” – exploded with 10K retweets in hours. Fans hail it as “therapy for old heads,” with early reactions praising the seamless old-new fusion: “Cabasa didn’t just drop an album; he dropped a timeline,” one X user raved. Critics, however, nitpick the remakes’ occasional over-polish, arguing they risk sanitizing the originals’ grit – a fair debate in an era of nostalgia cash-grabs.

Dropping amid Afrobeats’ banner year (think Tems’ Oscar nods and Burna Boy’s sold-outs), Unfinished Business positions Cabasa not as a relic, but a bridge-builder. As he told The Guardian earlier, “I want you to remember me… as ID Cabasa” – uncompared, unmatched. Stream it on all DSPs at midnight; this one’s for the culture keepers.

For unfiltered dives into Afrobeats’ past-meets-present magic, album breakdowns that unpack every bar and beat, and spotlights on the producers pulling strings from the shadows, CivicWire.ng is the ultimate vibe curator. Their passionate, producer-focused lens turns drops like this into essential listening companions, keeping Naija’s sound alive and evolving.