African Rapper No 1

Jude (M.I) Abaga, that Jesse Jagga bruva, dropped his debut album that boomshakalak alaba. One very fine M.C and lyricist, gifted with words and very creative.

I heard his “crowd mentality” and was like hmmm!!... Something fresh and different  let’s watch. And when “Safe” came out… mbok! I couldn’t  get  enough off the track, steadily on auto replay. The hip hop scene wasn’t  safe no more, all the rappers went  into hiding. And for the ladies, he told them he was a “girl teaser” and guess what? They loved him.

I told myself, self  this is how you wanted to be dropping them rhymes and flows, because no idea is original. Too bad… my loss, his gain well never mind that.

Yeah! So what if his style is a cross between lil’ wayne and kanye west. If you don’t like it go drop your own album or 16 bars. You go know say “no be beans” like my man terry tha rapman said.

He now up the ante with the street banger  “African rapper No 1”, “Numero uno”, “Ichi ban”. With the powerful hooks from flavor the “na bania” crooner. Now that’s what am talking about, creativity and skill all rolled up in one.

Me and my fellow hiphop heads have argued regularly about who is Naija’s best. Mode 9’s name  will always come up as bad and tight, yea he’s aiite. Granted, he is a bad mutha broda on the mic with all the ciphers and them. But to me M.I is more rounded with commercial success and mass appeal, he now drives around in a “bullion van”...hehehe!. The chairman as he calls himself nowadays, has elevated to CEO status of chocolate city records.

May be one day we will trade ciphers on a track, after  I have dug up my manuscripts from the archives…so real heads will “wreckonize”

ADA - ONLY YOU JESUS | The Official Video

Okay,i know you must have seen this video and heared this song.But if you haven't then let me bless you with this wonderfully composed song.I love the feel of the song,the message;lyrical content and the video colorful.

"Only you Jesus" a song that i came across on you tube at the perfect time in my life that brought me healing,brought me comfort and peace of mind.I have always believed in divine intervention and this song was it.

I thank God for using you Ada as an instrument to send annointing with your voice and do wonderful and beautiful things.To God be the glory as you spread the gospel and uplift the spirit of people.Thank God also for your gift and the grace to exhibit it.

More power to your elbow and may you never run dry of songs...the sky is your limit.

POWER OF THOUGHTS

Perhaps, if we desired something badly enough…We can achieve it or get it. As in immediately or in the nearest future; tomorrow or a week after. “Badly enough” in this context signifies the intensity, urgency or gravity of the reason, for the need or want that was desired for.

The thought process in the mind would have to dwell on it continuously and ceaselessly. That it will in turn attract the forces of like thoughts, and situations surrounding or relating to the subject.

A positive thought process that is unwavering, creates the atmosphere for wonderful and unimagineable things to happen. Which is mostly magical or as I would best describe it “Miraculous”.

“There can be miracles, when you believe” as beautifully sang by the late Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Yes!, the magic word is “ belief ” and it is either subjective or objective. It also has two universally accepted angles to it; Religion and Science.

Religion which is also divided into two, majorly Christianity and Islam.

And there are various minor religions practiced in different nations and divers races. While Christianity is a belief in Christ as the son of God and savior of the world and practice different doctrines, Islam on the other hand have their belief in the prophet Muhammed and they follow his teachings and ways.

Generally speaking they believe in “God” or “Deity” also the demigods. And the way to communicate  and supplicate is through prayers.

Mad world - the voice of china

I have lost count on the number of times that I watched this stellar or epic performance. Never in my young life have I witnessed such powerful control of voice and emotions. Asians are known to have flat and squeaky voices, but this young lady … Still speaking about her rendition of the song, it always has a way of invoking strong emotions in me.

I searched  for the original song and played it, but her cover of the song  is epic. People are truly gifted. I mean blessed beyond reasonable doubt. Check out how she mesmerized the judges, all of them bedazalled. You couldn’t  tell what they where thinking, but you could tell they were thinking. From their facial expressions and body languages.

Finally, they were not fair with their response. Maybe out of shock from hearing such enthralling voice got them confused. She deserved all four response and possibly winning the competition. I don’t know, I guess that’s just my honest opinion.

SIA - Elastic Heart (Leroy Sanchez Cover)

This cover of  “elastic heart” is not necessarily my best. But there is just something I find captivating in the young mans voice. His attempt at trying the raspy singing style of Sia is commendable.

I have heard other songs he did a cover for, and am quite impressed. Sky’s is the limit for such a talent as his and I look forward to hearing his own songs.

Nothing dey happen!

Innocent “2face” Ujah Idibia one of Africa’s finest literally and artistically. One of my all time favorite Nigerian artiste, and guess what we share some characteristics plus am also “Jos-tified”.

The most successful of the defunct “ Plantashun  boyz”  singing  group and also a pioneer of the new Nigerian music industry. With the likes of remedies, azadus from def-o-clan, ruff, rugged and raw and you know the list.

A lot of people will want  to attribute his success to his talent. Well, as much as I agree that he is talented. I beg to differ and say it was more of his humility and hard work.

From the grapevine, we heared he signed an almost slave deal with kennis music. But he weathered the storm, paid the price and now he is the boss. Head honcho of  hypertek digital that is home to recording artists such as victor uwaifo, Dammy krane and RockSteady.

As a group from my point of view, most of their tracks were dominated by blackface(I gbadu that guy) and Faze had that killer voice that always made the ladies go hmmmmm!!When  2baba is Solo choi! he over does it and over kills it. And has consistently been in the entertainment circuit for a while now.

2baba’s “grass to grace” album was a classic and evergreen album that i jam in my car stereo till tomorrow. I can relate to most of the songs and its already a part of  me.

I won’t call “African queen” as one of my favorite of  all his songs in as much as I love it. “True love” and “Right here” kills me when it comes to matters of the heart. And there is “For instance”, “One love”, “Catch the vibe”, “Hate what you do to me” from the last album and the track with Fally Ipupa “Diaspora Woman”.

What I would really want from my guy 2baba is for him to perform more of  his indigenous songs; the ones with his local dialect in international gigs. Let him sell and promote our culture, tradition and language just like Phino Nwanem and Olamide baddo are doing.

Picture 2baba performing “Odi ya e” at the Kora event with traditional idoma dancers, dressed in colorful attires. I have a picture of it in the ROM capacity of my brain…awesome! Check out Salif  keita, Yousou  N dour, Papa Wemba,  Awilo and even the youthful Fally Ipupa. They all sing in their dialects and are international acts.

Well, ’nuff  said you deserve a crown because you are a living legend who stood "face to face" with the music adversity. And "ascended" from "grass to grace", because you are "unstoppable". If they don’t get it , I suggest they "rewind select and update".

I look forward to making a song with you in the future. So we can pick up that much desired Grammy award together.

I know the KoKo!

"Music is the art of combining sounds in a manner agreeable to the ear”. I take pride in quoting my music teacher in junior secondary. If  I say I love music, its an understatement. Matter-of -factly I can talk about music for hours without getting tired or bore you.

The reason behind this niche; so I can talk shop, non-stop from reggae to hip hop.This is not your average music blog it gets “deeper than the mind of Minolta”, so this might just be your new addiction.

Let me start with this very intriguing discovery I made a while ago. About this two dynamic Nigerian artistes “Don jazzy and D’banj” I have their picture posted up.They took the music industry by storm with their creativity and  artistry, churning out hit after hit. Little wonder their music label name was called “Mo-hits”.

Was it “tongolo”, “soco” or “Why me” ? You just couldn’t help the sonorous background vocals of  Don jazzy  or the stage presence of the koko master. Now speaking of what I discovered.

They came up with a concept where Don jazzy only speaks to D’banj and D’banj translates.Up till now nobody knows what d koko is, brilliant you’ll say but then check this out.

They picked two biblical characters in the person of  Moses and Aaron his brother. Don jazzy is Moses and D’banj is Aaron. Moses was a stammerer and Aaron had to do the talking, same for our guys. Moses had a staff and Don jazzy had a walking stick.Moses performed miracles through Aaron, Don jazzy gave us hit songs through D’banj. I bet you didn’t think about it until now right? Thank me later…

Don’t ask me how I know, I just know call it a chidinwamama theory and it sure makes a lot of sense. Just like a D’banj without a Don jazzy is a “No-hit|” there is just no miracle, if you catch my drift. The synergy was everything so please guys do us a big favor in the future and drop one “Mo-hit” and let me have the priviledge  of  breaking the good news on my blog.

You guys rock and there is no Nigerian music history without both of you, because you took it to another level after 2baba and  kennis music. Big up!