Love Remain shares ‘Is What It Is’ EP, reveals poignant tribute song to Gboyega Odubanjo

Love Remain has shared his new EP ‘Is What It Is’, revealing its first track is a tribute to the late Gboyega Odubanjo.

The British-Nigerian writer and poet was first reported missing at Shambala Festival in August last year. His body was discovered a few days later by police, who ruled out any suspicious circumstances in his death.

Now, Love Remain has released a new EP ‘Is What It Is’, with its first track paying tribute to Odubanjo. The anonymous producer was reportedly friends with the poet, and features his vocals on ‘LDN GRLS – Gboyega’s Theme’.

“This song means so much to me,” said Love Remain. “I was sitting on the instrumental for about a year, then during a studio session I had an idea that only yega would really get, his energy was the light that the song needed, and it came at a time when we were both in a place of Joy, we had so much fun throughout the process of putting it together, and they are memories I will cherish forever”.

He continued: “I’m so grateful we were able to have something that is reprensative of the time and place we were in and where we grew as friends.” Listen to the new tune below:

Following the news of Odubanjo’s passing, his family have started a fundraising campaign in honour of his memory. The money will go towards supporting low-income Black writers and continuing Odubanjo’s legacy. You can still donate here.

Odubanjo was an editor at Bath Magg (“a magazine of new poetry”), along with being a Roundhouse Resident Artist. The poet also won the 2021 Eric Gregory Award for his New Poets Prize Pamphlet Aunty Uncle Poems.

One of his pamphlets titled While I Yet Live, was published by Bad Betty Press in 2019. His 2021 poem Oil Music was also featured as poem of the month in The Guardian. He was studying for a PhD in creative writing at the University of Hertfordshire, and was also working on an upcoming collection called Adam, inspired by the unsolved murder of an unidentified boy dubbed “Adam” who was found in the River Thames in 2001.

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