Nurturing his personas as a gritty rapper and emotive R&B and soul vocalist is something Suté Iwar continuously takes up in different moments in his career. On the compelling the gift EP, the Nigerian artist delivers a refined medley of both personas, leaning on the strength of his pen and a willingness to reshape the rules to fit him, rather than the other way around. the gift is a clear-cut mixture of Iwar’s flavours—equal parts playful and thoughtful. Its five tracks play out like a modern love story with Iwar as its introspective, lovelorn lead. He is vulnerable and unafraid to admit his faults one minute, then switches gears into a less intense and carefree zone the next, and spares no mind. The curtains open with “second chances” where he directly addresses the subject of his desires as he makes a case for his changed behaviour. “I need you for my peace of mind/A girl like you is hard to find,” he sings. “[escapism]”, a dancefloor number with a lurid bounce, quickly follows with its flowery pop nodes and lyrics that signal Burna Boy’s 2012 hit, “Like To Party”. Somewhere in between, Iwar still makes space for social commentary on the track. “Country hard, situation bad/If I gauge am I fit go mad,” he declares. By the end of the project, listeners get wind of a more self-indulgent Iwar. The spirited lover boy on “myfavourite” takes a back seat for the “far from typical” guy trying to “double up his funds like the fuel price”.