“1 Million Dollars”: Unlocking C Flex’s Charismatic Melodic Rap Groove
By Emmanuel Daraloye
WHEN it comes to melodic rap across Afrobeats, one is always eager to hear a breath of fresh air, especially with how saturated the scene is today. On my recent spin for underground gems, one track caught my attention: “One million dollars” by fast-rising rapper C Flex. The aspirational Hip Hop record, which was first released in 2021 and featured in the Netflix series Ololade, strikes sharply with compositional intrigue, carrying the song with a distinct indigenous direction and enough rap braggadocio that sets the rapper apart from his peers.
On the surface, the song rings with a monotone 808s, while C Flex’s lullaby flow breezes over its linear chords-heavy arrangement, dragging his hopeful affirmations across two verses. Yet, behind the groove, C Flex’s thematic direction and relatable lyricism help emphasise his core message. “Make una tell me where una dey see this money?”, he stretches his tenor over the chorus. “I dey call the man e no dey pick dem say e comot/ Even if na One BTC or Doge, e no go too much,” he continues his money-minded crash out, while quipping his resolve to persevere in his grind.
His lyricism unlocks a strong emotional duality that lingers throughout the song, one part a subtle lamentation that trails a nerve-pinching reality check on the cost of being poor, and the other a comforting hope from his daring resolve to keep dream chasing. The catharsis swells through the melodic rap tune, leaping from C Flex’s satirical poetry. The song paces along the same lines of Rick Ross’ “Champagne Showers”, slow-burn with melody, gritty and ballsy with the bars.
While its linear composition helps to amplify the solemnity of the song’s overall aspirational theme, its pianic monotone does not ring with enough shock value that could heighten its enjoyability. Its arrangement needed a twist, perhaps an adjacent melodic interlude like a guitar, or an instrumental interlude, anything at all that could have induced melodic contrast. It feels slightly laidback, with its adagio minor chords that overwhelm the composition. However, the sonic shift arrives at the outro, with a cliff-hanging descrescendo that enliven its overall delivery and playback value.
Overall, C Flex’s emotive sing-rapping and melodic rap shine brightly on “1 Million Dollars”, elevating the song’s catharsis and functionality as an aspirational anthem. It rings with catchy lyricism, and an introspective, feel-good and light bopping groove that keeps it fresh and distinct across the library of new jams on rotation. It’s best enjoyed like a house-cleaning companion or a slow evening drive, brimming as a mood-lifting jam.
Born Chukwudum Peter Umeevuruo, C Flex is a fast-rising Nigerian musician with a deeply immersive romance-leaning catalogue that captures diverse experiences on love, heartbreak, mental resilience, and identity crisis.
