After basking in the successes of last year’s Detty December anthem ‘Gimme Your Love’ featuring Olamide, with over 20 million global streams, the fusion-focused superstar returns with this inspirational offering set for release on October 17 via his label Zanku Records in partnership with ONErpm.

On Symbol of Hope, Zlatan offers a kaleidoscope into the multifaceted struggles that border his grass-to-grace journey, from his gritty hustles across Lagos’ restive Ikorodu suburbs, to world stages that cement his superstardom, providing fuel for everyone still on their grind.

Spinning with Zlatan’s typical high-octane hip-hop anthems, Symbol of Hope widens the lens on the ambitious Nigerian spirit, sprawling with relatable themes of hustle, resilience, street wisdom, and self-growth. The album unfurls as a memoir for the progressive thinker, lush with candour, hope, and faith, tucked neatly within his world of melodic street hop. “I made it out of the hood, and that means anyone can make it out too”, he notes, reflecting on his inspiration for the album.

‘Payday’ opens the album in victory-lap mode, while ‘Oyoyo’ flips rejection into a sing-along triumph, and ‘Better Life’ sketches an aspirational blueprint that values peace and purpose as much as money.

He takes a brave left-turn on ‘Demons’ with afropop princess Qing Madi, stripping back the gloss to address mental pressure, self-doubt and the weight of being a provider, and on the audacious bop ‘Hip Hop Messiah’, Zlatan links up with his longtime counterpart and collaborator Davido once again to deliver a bold statement anthem from two of afrobeats’ leading torchbearers.

The album continues with Zlatan and Mayorkun’s poignant takes on the hard-hitting street pop fusion ‘Paypal’, delivering with the same rent-due momentum that adorns their stellar discographies. Romance takes centre stage on the afro-R&B joint ‘Diamond’, which sees Zlatan leaning into his Loverboy persona, while cleverly paying tribute to the 2005 Lagbaja cult classic ‘Never Far Away’.

Symbol Of Hope hits second gear with ‘Odeshi’, which toasts to the soft life, and invokes divine protection from evil doers. It then hands the baton to the praise-filled anthem ‘Till Thy Kingdom Come’, before deepening its reflection on joy with the ovation-rousing ‘Get Better’ with Fola, and ‘Happy Day’, polarizing the album with the emotional duality of daredevil resolve and contagious joy.

It closes with the Bhadboi OML-assisted ‘Alpha & Omega’, where Zlatan sprints down memory lane to his first ever studio session in the bustling suburbs of Ketu in Lagos, selling everything, including his only phone, to fund his purpose, and rising through the ranks to become the effervescent symbol of hope for every promising talent still trapped within the anxious chaos of the underground.

Blending street-hop bite, gospel uplift, afropop sensibilities, and dance-floor energy with raw, unfiltered reflection, Zlatan turns his story into a soundtrack for motivation and perseverance on Symbol Of Hope.

The album rings as a dancefloor therapy, tuned to uplift the soul and elevate consciousness. Zlatan brims with sweltering braggadocio, channelling all his personas, as motivator, serial hitmaker, street preacher, cultural conduit, and whatever his listener needs him to be. He offers his story as a muse for anyone determined to write their own.

Crafted with his longtime producer Chechdaproducer, the album soundscapes swell with catharsis, brimming as a happy potion while inducing an inward search for truth and purpose. For his day-one believers, this album is the Zanku DNA levelled up, and for newcomers, it’s a front-row seat to the engine of Lagos street culture.

Beneath all this is Zlatan’s thesis for life – resilience is teachable, hope is contagious, and courage is currency. It is the pulse of Symbol Of Hope, with Zlatan urging everyone to keep pace, trust the grind, and never second-guess their next stride.