In this post, I’ll be translating the lyrics of the song ‘CBN’ into the English language. The song was recorded in Yoruba language majorly with a bit of Nigerian pidgin and English language too and there are some French words too.
I’ll be translating all the non-English lyrics into the English language. The song is by Skiibii featuring Seyi Vibez, Teni, Reekado Banks, and Mayorkun and it was produced by Runcheck and Fancybeat.
[Intro]
Runcheck
Fancy beat, baby
Sheri
[Skiibii]
T′oba l’owo, je kan da e mo
Je kan da e mo, je kan da e mo, yeah
(je kan da e mo, je kan da e mo, yeah)
T′oba l’owo, je kan da e mo means if you have money let them recognize you. The song is about living a lavish lifestyle and here Skiibii is saying if you have money, don’t go and try to be humble or be frugal, spend the money. Let your money be loud and let it bring attention to you.
[Seyi Vibez]
Them wonder why I get mansion
What am I working for? (What am I working for?)
You see my money long (you see my money long)
I go fly you to Paris, o ma lo, Mon a mi
Iwo l′owa l’okan mi,
would you tell me what you need
(iwo l’owa l′okan mi,
would you tell me what you need)
Here Seyi Vibez is saying people are wondering why he has a mansion, but at the end of the day, that is what he works for. He works hard so that he can make money and then use the money to live lavishly. So now his money long, meaning his money is plenty now. Seyi Vibez here is still on the same page with Skiibii who said in the beginning that money is to be spent lavishly and not sparingly.
I go fly you to Paris, o ma lo, Mon a mi means I will fly you to Paris, you will go, my friend.
Mon a mi is a French word that means My friend.
Iwo l′owa l’okan mi means you’re the one on my mind.
[Chorus – Skiibii]
Dem dey wonder how I spend, ayy-ayy-ayy
Je m′appelle, Efeleme
(je m’appelle, Efeleme)
Dem dey wonder how I spend, ayy-ayy-ayy (ayy-ayy, ayy)
Je m′appelle, Efeleme (je m’appelle, Efeleme)
Dem dey wonder how I spend, ayy-ayy-ayy
Je m′appelle, Efeleme (je m’appelle, Efeleme)
Dem dey wonder how I spend is Nigerian pidgin and it means they are wondering how I spend. Like people are surprised and shocked how he gets to spend so lavishly despite the hardship most people are facing in present times.
Je m′appelle, Efeleme
Je m′appelle is a French word and it means My name is. So Je m′appelle, Efeleme means ‘My name is Efeleme’.
Efeleme here is referring to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
Before the end of his tenure as the Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele redesigned the Naira and made policies that made life very difficult for Nigerians. During that time, Nigerians were complaining bitterly. One lady made a video ranting about how Emefiele has made life difficult and during the video, she butchered his name and called him ‘Efeleme’ and that video went viral. Since then, some people still call the former CBN governor, Efeleme. Here is the video.
Godwin Emefiele was the governor of the Apex bank in Nigeria, CBN, from June 2014 to June 2023. In the history of Nigeria, no one has held that position for that long. So Emefiele has been controlling money for a long time. So Skiibii is making reference and saying that people are wondering how he spends so much and he went ahead to say his name is Efeleme “Emefiele”.
Teni Makanaki, I be VIP till I RIP, yeah
Still on still, dem dey feel the beat
Ogologo (ogologo), clear for presidency
I’m moving with a bullion van (on God)
Orin d’owo (orin d′owo), orin d′ola (orin d’ola)
Spending naira but I′m collecting dollar
“Teni Makanaki, I be VIP till I RIP,”
VIP means Very Important Person and RIP means Rest In Peace and Makanaki is Teni’s nickname. So Teni is saying that she is an important person, a very important person for that matter, and she will remain an important person till the day she dies.
“Still on still, dem dey feel the beat”
Dem dey feel the beat means they are feeling the beat.
“Ogologo (ogologo), clear for presidency”
Ogologo is an Igbo word that means ‘Long’. If you have ever seen the president of Nigeria in motion on the road, then you will understand this line in the song. The entourage of the president is usually very long and before the president arrives at a place, while he is still a long distance away, security personnel will already be clearing the road in anticipation of his arrival. So Teni is saying “Long, clear road for presidency”.
“Orin d’owo (orin d′owo), orin d′ola (orin d’ola)”
This line means Music is money, music is wealth. You don’t need anyone to convince you that there is so much money in music. The lifestyle of successful musicians tell that story very well.
“Spending naira but I′m collecting dollar”
Considering the current exchange rate, this line is such a flex. If you are earning in dollars and you reside in Nigeria, you are a big boy/girl.
[Chorus – Skiibii]
Dem dey wonder how I spend, ayy-ayy-ayy
Je m’appelle, Efeleme (je m′appelle, Efeleme)
Dem dey wonder how I spend, ayy-ayy-ayy (ayy-ayy, ayy)
Je m’appelle, Efeleme (je m′appelle, Efeleme)
Dem dey wonder how I spend, ayy-ayy-ayy
Je m’appelle, Efeleme (je m’appelle, Efeleme)
The chorus has already been explained.
[Reekado Banks]
As we dey chokirichocho, oh my dear (oh my dear)
Na your matter
make me want to dey show myself (show myself) (Reekado)
dollar, euro, baby, gba k′oje (gba k′oje)
If dorime na the highest, baby, hold my beer
Make I ball you, C. Ronaldo
Calling me olowo
They no reason me when I no get, or any set
“As we dey chokirichocho, oh my dear (oh my dear)”
This slang ‘chokirichocho’ isn’t a popular one. The first time I heard it was in the song ‘Cho Cho’ by Zlatan featuring Davido and Mayorkun. In this context I think it means are we are having a good/swell time.
“Na your matter
make me want to dey show myself”
It means it’s because of you that I am showing off.
“dollar, euro, baby, gba k′oje (gba k′oje)”
It means: dollar, euro, baby, take and squander it.
That is, whatever currency she wants, she can collect it and go and squander it.
“If dorime na the highest, baby, hold my beer”
In Nigerian night clubs, between 2021 to early 2023, if you buy expensive drinks in the club, the club lights go off as bottle girls bring the expensive drinks to your table and the DJ plays this song “Ameno” by ERA as this goes on. Now they can that Dorime because of the lyrics of the song ‘Ameno’. So Dorime can also mean lavish spending.
So in this line, Reekado Banks is saying if that is the highest, then hold my beer. Hold my beer is an expression that is used when someone wants to free up their hands or wants to be given way to go ahead and do something outrageous. Doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a beer in their hand.
So Reekado Banks is saying if Dorime is the highest then baby hold my beer, baby watch me go off and shock you.
[Chorus – Skiibii]
Dem dey wonder how I spend, ayy-ayy-ayy
Je m’appelle, Efeleme
(je m′appelle, Efeleme)
Dem dey wonder
how I spend, ayy-ayy-ayy (ayy-ayy, ayy)
Je m’appelle, Efeleme (je m′appelle, Efeleme)
Dem dey wonder how I spend, ayy-ayy-ayy (oh-oh)
Je m’appelle, Efeleme
(je m′appelle, Efeleme)
[Skiibii]
T’oba l’owo, je kan da e mo
Je kan da e mo, je kan da e mo, yah
Ayy, oba, mm, jen gbeje
O l′owo, o de le j′aye oh, what are you working for?
(What are you working for?)
“T’oba l’owo, je kan da e mo”
Means if you have money let them recognize you
“Je kan da e mo, je kan da e mo”
Let them recognize you, let them recognize you.
“Ayy, oba, mm, jen gbeje”
Ayy, king, mm, Let me take it and eat
“O l′owo, o de le j′aye oh, what are you working for?”
Rich man but you’re not chopping life or you are not living lavishly, what are you working for?
[Mayorkun]
Lowkey money sweet my body, belleful (belleful)
Omo toh ta l’efu
No make me look like a fool (ahn-ahn, ahn)
Them dey wonder-wonder
how I pack my money dey put for bullion van
(dey put for bullion van)
Na my matter-matter dem dey talk-talk for adugbo
Kilode gan-gan, gan-gan? (Gan-gan, gan-gan?)
Efeleme l′omo-l’omo (l′omo-l’omo)
Owo lan na-na, na-na oh (na-na, na-na oh)
Idan gan-gan, gan-gan, oh awe
(Oh awe, oh awe)
“Lowkey money sweet my body, belleful (belleful)”
Means Low-key money sweetens my body to the max/maximum or money makes me extremely happy to the max.
“Omo toh ta l’efu”
Child that is sweet.
“No make me look like a fool”
Don’t make me look like a fool
“Them dey wonder-wonder
how I pack my money dey put for bullion van”
They are wondering how I gather my money and stack up a bullion van.
“Na my matter-matter dem dey talk-talk for adugbo”
It’s my case or rather I’m the topic of discussion in the neighborhood.
“Kilode gan-gan, gan-gan?”
What is it exactly?
“Efeleme l′omo-l’omo”
The child or the person is Efeleme exactly.
“Owo lan na-na, na-na oh”
Means money is plenty.
“Idan gan-gan, gan-gan,”
Idan means magic or also magician in Yoruba language. But these days, on social media, it is now used as a slang that also means boss or an idol, or someone held in high esteem.
So Idan gan-gan means Real Magician or can also mean Real boss or real idol.
For more lyrics translation and explanation, please subscribe to our YouTube channel here
Leave a Reply