EMPIRE signee Ayo Maff links up with Marlian Music’s Zinoleesky on “Malaria,” produced by Shallythechampion.
The full title concept running across his 2026 output also deserves credit. “Malaria” arrives as the follow-up concept to his earlier record, feeding into the wider “Love na Malaria” narrative – a play on the popular saying that love, like malaria, will catch you one day whether you prepare for it or not. So the record is not just a standalone song. It sits inside a creative thread Ayo Maff has been building deliberately. That kind of conceptual continuity across releases shows real artistic thinking for a 21-year-old still in his earliest career chapter.
Zinoleesky is the right pick for this record. His sweet melodic delivery and street-pop credibility built through “Caro,” “Naira Marley,” and his Marlian Records journey give him a specific vocal identity that contrasts perfectly with Ayo Maff’s grittier street-poetry approach. So both artists bring different textures to the collaboration rather than blending into one indistinguishable sound. That contrast is what gives “Malaria” its listening depth.
Shallythechampion’s production also earns its credit here. Crisp percussion, infectious rhythms, and layered vocal harmonies give the record a modern Afrobeats sound that sits comfortably on any playlist without sounding generic. The instrumental foundation never overcrowds either performance – so both voices land clearly throughout.
For Nigerian music fans who have been following Ayo Maff since “Dealer” with Fireboy DML broke his name wide open, this collaboration with Zinoleesky is exactly the step forward that this chapter of his career needed.
Stream “Malaria” on all platforms right now and tell us – does Ayo Maff and Zinoleesky make the best collaboration of the week?
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