Wassup folks!!! Good music lovers and even haters alike, been a while since I wrote anything concerning music, pardon me,I’ve just been caught up in the studio making beats (hope say una miss me sha).
Anywayz I was listening to the radio sometime last week and Reminisce’s new track ‘Local Rappers’ was premiered(that was the first time I ever heard it) The joint features rap heavyweights Olamide & Phyno – drugs stuff I must say, the beat was banging and …. and …. and …. well basically that was it for me, the beat. OK let me be honest,all three MCs delivered correctly(as they usually do) but my turn-off was the message being passed, the message condemning/criticising and trying to belittle punchline rappers. Wait a minute!!! Ain’t these three niggaz punchline rappers? YES THEY ARE !!! Abeg wait, I dey perceive something *sniffs in the air* Yeah I perceive hypocrisy !!!
They used lines like ‘punchline no dey bring money’ Olamide & Phyno rapped those words in Yoruba and Ibo respectively and am like , why would punchline rappers of their status verbally poo on one of the elements that made them stand out as lyricists in the first place? also those lines seem like subliminal disses to every rapper out there who has ever made use of a punchline(including themselves) Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!
I picked out another line from ‘The Man Of Year’ Phyno , he said rappers speaking ‘phonetics’ should tell him what they mean. That line led me to believe that he was referring to ‘English rapping’ MCs. All three indigenous lyricists on the track made it clear that ‘Local’ rappers are the ones ‘eating’ now. I agree and disagree at the same time.
I agree cos rappers like Nigga Raw,Olamide,Jah Bless,Zoro,Dagrin,Lord Of Ajasa,Phyno,Reminisce,Hype MC,MC Loph,Slow Dogg etc who all rap in their various native tongues have done well with their careers(though on different levels of success and longevity) and I disagree cos rappers like Sauce Kid,Vector,Mode 9,Iceprince,Young 6ix,Jesse Jagz,Ruggedman,Eldee Tha Don,Freestyle,2Shotz,Sasha P,Naeto C & M.I Abaga(who is probably Nigeria’s most successful rapper) don’t rap in their native tongues and they did/are doing very well with their careers(still , on different levels of success and longevity) hold on … as am even writing this article now sef Emmy Gee’s hit song ‘Rands & Naira’ is being played right now on Sound City !!! You wan tell me say the song no blow? The song wasn’t done in Ibo,Hausa or Yoruba , there was barely any pidgin English on it sef, it’s just a cool jam that people love and even you Phyno(Yes You) dem feature you for the remix na, abi na lie? Or is ‘Rands & Naira’ a so-called ‘Local’ jam? No it isn’t , but you rapped on the remix bro, you did, same type o’ jam y’all criticized on ‘Local Rappers’ So you see the reason why I just don’t get it.
Y’all shouldn't get me wrong ooo! (well I really don’t care if you do) I have nothing against native tongue rappers,i actually love the new dimension they brought to Naija rap music, am a fan of Reminisce and a bigger fan of Phyno(maybe cos am Ibo) but for the first time since I’ve known Reminisce & Phyno, I did not dig the content of their lyrics (Hold on, you guys must be wondering why I didn’t say am a fan of Olamide abi? ) Badoo !!! *In Olamide’s voice’
Here’s the thing, all 3 MCs on the track(Reminisce,Olamide & Phyno) are A-List Naija rappers who have millions of fans and influence on the hip hop scene in this part of the world so up-coming rappers(who rap in English) would have their work cut-out for them if the average,myopic,inside-the-box,follow-the-trend fans out there have been brainwashed to believe that their style of rap ain't cool,thereby knocking their hustle and killing their creativity(that’s if they’re not tough enough) Knocking another man’s hustle wasn't cool back then,it ain't cool now and it will never be cool a billion years from now.
I be hip hop head,you sef be hip hop head,whether Mr A raps like this and Mr B raps like that or Mr A uses this type of beat and Mr B uses that type of beat, it doesn't matter, to each man his own, do what works for you and let the next man do what works for him,no need throwing shots(whether direct or subliminal) cos at the end of the day we’re all Nigerian rappers, LOCAL thinking GLOBAL so why local go dey fight local?
I guess that’s why rap in Nigeria will always be 2nd best to other genres. You can’t hear Iyanya criticizing Banky W’s type of music but rappers go dey criticize other rappers , that’s HORSESHIT !!!
In 2009 I featured Terry Tha Rapman on a song titled ‘Oyibo Man’ and it addresses this issue thoroughly (I suggest you Google search and download it by the way,it’s on so many top Naija music blogs and the joint is drugs !!! – that’s if you don’t already have it)
Yo Reminisce, Phyno, Olamide am looking forward to some new drugs joints from y’all , bangers like Ise Yen,Too Much,Alobam & Ghost Mode … Cos ain't banging ‘Local Rappers’
With that being said lemme finish my beer (before e hot finish) while I listen to M.I ‘s ‘BAD BELLE’ . You know why? Cos is ALLOWED
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