Olamide is preparing to release Time & Space, a 10-track album scheduled to arrive on 16 November 2026. The project will be the Nigerian rapper’s 13th studio album, adding another instalment to a catalogue that has followed his evolution from one of indigenous rap’s defining voices into one of the most influential figures in contemporary Nigerian music. Among the details already drawing attention is the album artwork, which Olamide painted himself.
The self-painted cover introduces a personal dimension to the project before listeners have heard a single track. Olamide has spent much of his career shaping how his music is presented, from the language and imagery of his early street-rap records to the increasingly expansive sound of his later releases. Taking the brush to the album artwork extends that creative involvement beyond the recording studio. It also gives Time & Space a visual identity directly connected to its creator, rather than relying solely on an external designer’s interpretation.
The album’s lead single, “Burukutu”, arrives with a music video directed by TG Omori, one of Nigeria’s most recognisable music video directors. The collaboration brings together two figures whose creative partnership has contributed to the visual language of modern Afrobeats. Omori’s work has helped define the presentation of numerous Nigerian music releases, while Olamide’s catalogue has consistently drawn on strong visual identities to accompany its musical direction. “Burukutu” offers the first public indication of the world surrounding the new album.
FOLA is the only featured artist identified in the album details released so far. The singer appears on “Jaiye”, bringing a new voice into a project led by an artist whose influence on the careers of younger Nigerian musicians is well established. Through YBNL Nation, Olamide has played a significant role in the rise of several acts, helping to shape the careers of artists including Adekunle Gold, Lil Kesh, Fireboy DML and Asake. His decision to include FOLA also places the album within an ongoing conversation about the relationship between established stars and the next generation of Nigerian talent.
The title Time & Space invites questions about perspective, movement and the place an artist occupies at a particular point in his career. Olamide has moved through several phases since the release of Rapsodi in 2011, building a body of work that spans indigenous hip-hop, street-pop, Afrobeats and broader contemporary sounds. Albums such as Baddest Guy Ever Liveth, Eyan Mayweather, Lagos Nawa!, Carpe Diem, UY Scuti and Unruly have each captured different moments in that progression. His 13th album arrives with the weight of that history, but its final direction will be determined by the music itself.
There is also a business dimension to Olamide’s continued output. As the head of YBNL Nation, he occupies a position that combines the work of a recording artist with the responsibilities of a label executive and talent developer. His releases draw attention to his own catalogue while keeping the wider YBNL ecosystem in view. The presence of FOLA on Time & Space offers another opportunity to connect his established audience with a younger act, although the album’s full track listing and the extent of its collaborations will provide a clearer picture of that relationship.
With 10 tracks and a release date of 16 November, Time & Space is set to arrive as a relatively concise addition to Olamide’s extensive discography. The self-painted artwork and “Burukutu” video have already established two creative points of interest, while FOLA’s appearance on “Jaiye” gives listeners a reason to look beyond the album’s headline name. The next measure will be the music: what Olamide has chosen to say, how he has chosen to sound, and what this latest body of work reveals about an artist still shaping his place in Nigerian music.
