Liberian hitmaker CIC returned on July 23, 2025 with his sophomore album Local Champion, a 15-track project that has already made waves across Africa’s streaming landscape. The album features a handful of guest appearances, including Nigerian rapper Dremo, Ghanaian lyricist Lyrical Joe, and rising Liberian star STUNN. While these collaborations shine, the limited number of features—similar to his 2019 debut 1994 The Throne—feels like a missed opportunity for CIC to showcase dominance alongside other A-list African artists.
At its core, Local Champion demonstrates CIC’s musical growth. His ability to fuse Afropop, hip-hop, and his signature Gbema sound is one of the album’s greatest strengths. Songs like “Haven”—which climbed to #1 during Liberia’s Independence weekend—alongside “Happy” and “Pearjay”, display CIC’s knack for crafting hits that are both radio-friendly and culturally rooted. Stream highlights, such as “Congratulations” (107K on Spotify), “Happy” (23.6K Spotify / 307.9K YouTube), and “Dahtor” (46K Spotify, charting in Kenya, Congo, and Gambia), further prove his ability to connect across borders.
However, the album isn’t without flaws. The decision to include older singles like “Dahtor” (released in 2023) and “Congratulations” boosts streaming numbers but dilutes the freshness of a 2025 release. For fans expecting a completely new body of work, this approach leaves the album feeling partly recycled. Paired with the limited guest list, the project at times lacks the expansive energy needed to cement CIC as a pan-African force on par with heavyweights like Davido or Burna Boy.
That said, Local Champion still stands as arguably CIC’s best-structured body of work. It balances celebratory anthems with introspective cuts and showcases his ability to give Liberia’s music scene a global identity. His Gbema-infused rhythms remain the heartbeat of the project, giving songs a uniquely Liberian flavor that no other artist can replicate at his level.
Verdict: Local Champion is bold, polished, and a testament to CIC’s consistency. While the reliance on older tracks and lack of heavyweight collaborations slightly weaken its impact, the album reinforces CIC’s status as one of Liberia’s most important voices—an artist pushing full-length projects in a single-driven era.
Grade 8/10
