I just got that new Ikechukwu album Life & Times of Killz Vol 1 and I gotta say my favorite Mo Hits groupie is quite bold… The name of the album sounds suspiciously like Vol 3… Life and Times of S. Carter doesn’t it (I’m serious, think about it for a minute) and even the album cover seems to be inspired by Vol 3. Oh well, can’t knock a guy for imitating his heroes can you? Anyways Ikechukwu occupies a very weird space in Nigerian music, being recognized by his peers and fans as a talented rapper but perhaps due to label pressures was forced to take a slightly different approach to his music resulting in a huge gap between him and his fans. And then there’s the issue of him being seen constantly in other peoples videos and regularly contributing such profound lines like “ei!” on his World Famous Academy partners album. This album is supposed to be his redemption, his statement of who he is, what he stands for and to prove once and for all that he’s not a sidekick. Its also supposed be a concept album, in that every track is an “audio-movie”.

Check out his official site

VEXING

I have no idea what he’s ranting about and it just feels like he’s trying to get you pumped up for the album. Unfortunately the beat is just wrong. It doesn’t match the energy he’s putting out and actually has a comical feel to it. Why do you call him Killz? Funny I would have sworn he’s the only one who calls himself that…

DA INTRO

Unfortunately flat partially due to the odd voice he raps in. The story itself is interesting but like the beat does little to get you in his mind frame which I’m guessing was one of the intents of this track.

FINDING KILLZ

The story is nice and while I’m sure it’s been garnished just a lil bit, its still interesting and vocally he’s able to pull it off. Unfortunately though the production is terrible and the mixing is even worse. There’s voice levels randomly rising and falling. Oh wait! One mic? naahh… he didn’t… did he? Nas did it with his voice not by turning nobs.

ITS YOUR LIFE (SHEYKPEY)

Interesting song especially when he flips styles on the third verse. The first verse sounds an awful lot like D’Banj learned how to rap though. Still a generic track though, good production, better than average lyrical content but still lacking that oomph and emotional content.

NO MORE MR. NICE GUY FT. NAETO C

Versatility is a good thing but there are limits… Its not bad, its just confusing and the style on the last verse matches the energy and feel of the track best. I like the concept of the song and execution was almost perfect except for the weird whispering style used on the first verse.  TyMix is so far responsible for the two bearable tracks on this album. The Naeto C hook is what really made this track stand out. This should have been the intro track.

KILLZ

I was impressed right until the hook which sounds like the girl’s trying not to laugh at the ridiculous lyrics she has to sing and which was followed by the reason Ikechukwu has credibility problems. Are you a hardcore east coast style rapper or a comical 2shotz? There is glaring lack of confidence exposed by this track and I think Ikechuckwu has indeed “found killz” but is afraid to commit. Lets just imagine Puffy doing DMX’s verse from Mase’s 24hrs to Live… Get the picture?

GIRLFRIEND

The beat is sick and this is a well crafted song but it’s just kept a few agonizing inches away from a truly genius track because there’s no conviction in the delivery and the production just looses some details. The muffled effect is slightly overdone but the trippy almost psychedelic trance feel of the track is great for clubs and I can see this getting some club play. Compare with Shobeedoo. Where’s the quality control?

SHOBEEDOO

Well this has justifiably been all over the airwaves and in the clubs. Great concept, execution and production even with the corny lyrics and all.

LIKE YOU FT. WANDE COAL

Ikechukwu seems more a home and often does his best work when doing fun songs like this than trying to be all serious. Verse two really sounds like D’Banj started it… had to check the credits again to make sure…

OGODO FT. EKENE

I have no idea what she’s saying but it sounds good and still no shortage of different delivery styles by the king of personalities.

BACK TO YOU

Has a late 90’s Jagged Edge R&B feel meets Justin Timberlake feel which is quite interesting on its own and he somehow manages to pull it off without sounding hella corny. That’s an achievement on its own.

SUMMER TIME FT. NAETO C

We got two seasons in Naija. Rainy and Dry. I can’t relate to this summer time in New Jersey sturvs. I don’t think its a bad track I just feel it’s quite irrelevant to the market he’s trying to sell it to. I just can’t relate…

WONDERFUL

Interesting euro dance like production. I find myself ignoring his voice though and just bobbing my head to the beat… makes a huge difference…

RACE FT. THEMBI

A little Neo-soul with Thembi, I’m liking this but there’s always a but with Ikechukwu right? Yes. But whats with the aggro subject matter that just feels so out of place on a nice chill track like this?

WE GO HARD FT. MI

Nigeria’s first musical ashawo is here and he doesn’t disappoint. Sounds like something I’ve heard before (Jay-Z?) but I can’t place it. This is where Ikechukwu’s versatility saves him. I find his constant bragging about his rapping skills and putting down other rappers quite annoying though after all he’s been singing and doing all sorts of non-rapping thingies all over this album.

IGBO BOYZ FT. NAETO C

Crazy production here, the beat has the bounce, the swag and the right attitude. Damn near perfect production that manages to have a distinctive Naija feel to it. I’m feeling the Igbo boy swag. Should have had Dat Ibo Boy aka Ill Bliss on this to complete the track. This is perhaps the best track on the album.

MO FOWO SERE FT. ALAYE

WTF? HA! I love the jazzy beat. Its real nice but Ikechukwu has no idea how to use it and ends up with is odd song.

WIND AM WELL

Been out for a while. Good song but sadly it feels more like he’s a guest on his own track. I’m sure most people think that’s exactly what it is. The beat is sick and its one of my favorite’s and Ikechukwu does hold it down its just the star power of both D’banj AND Don Jazzy that outshines him.

EXPLODING

He might think he’s a rapper but this track proves otherwise. Ikechukwu has lots of musical talent and I think it shows best when he’s not trying to be Mr. Killz, hardcore rapper. This is the most honest expression he has on this album. It’s raw, unrefined and fantastic. The instrumental backing is unbelievable and he harnesses that power and channels it. Trippy.

FINAL WORDS

Life & Times of Killz Vol 1 is a terrible mish mash of random tracks most probably written and recorded years apart. The production quality on the album is as inconsistent as our power supply and Ikechukwu as an artist still has not found himself and therefore can not express that through his music. All the talk about Life & Times of Killz being an audio movie feels more like marketing jargon thought of long after the songs where recorded. The album comes off more as a super mixtape. The kind an artist releases right after he signs with a record label, designed to introduce him to the public rather than the work of an established artist. The lyrical content of the album also leaves much to be desired as the “multiple personalities”, an excuse in my opinion, for sloppy composition and laziness in following through with a musical concept. There are a couple of great tracks on the album and quite a few that perhaps with just a little bit of extra work and attention to details could really be classified as classics.  All in all, its a decent album but it will soon be forgotten.

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS

EXPLODING, GIRLFRIEND, NO MORE MR. NICE GUY, SHOBEEDOO, RACE, IGBO BOYS

VIDEOS

SHOOBEEDOO

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z616NY5yleQ

WIND AM WELL

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpHZKDmZxbE

LIKE YOU
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inANlsnb_h4

No Longer At Ease landed on my desk unsolicited. I had heard of Nneka prior to this but while what I heard was good, I wasn’t too impressed. I felt she was trying too hard to be relevant and “conscious” so I was initially reluctant to listen to it. That is until a comparison was made with Asa’s album. The fact that the CD packaging was standard, not the usual paper envelope crap that most Nigerian CD’s are forced to use, was definitely a big plus. 

Unlike previous reviews, I’m not going to go track by track because that format simply won’t work in this case. No Longer At Ease is an album is meant to be listened to and digested as a whole. It maintains a consistent and occasionally raw perspective on life. In fact this paradigm through which she views the world occassionally had me wondering just what pains this young woman must have gone through.

From the title of the album which I’m sure is reference to Chinua Achebe’s classic by the same name, since a lot of the same themes are evident throughout this album, to the album cover art which portrays an innocent optimism tempered by experience and an indomitable spirit, to the choice in musical styles which range from her own take on reggae, to hip hop to jazz to a little 70′s style surf rock. 

My only grouch with  No Longer At Ease is that the emotional range is too narrow, but thats countered by the suprisingly diverese production and vocal styles used. And talking about production; the quality is superb. The intrumentals are always at the right balance with her voice, never overpowering and always complementing her voice. 

Creativity, passion, talent, depth, awareness, hints of a channeled and focused anger, a sprinkling of humor, almost childlike energy and innocence at times and a self confidence created like a diamond in the intense fires and pressures of life are just a few of the elements that contributed to making No Longer At Ease a true work of art.

In my opinion it is one of, if not, the most innovative, artistically consistent and complete albums of our time. No Longer At Ease sums up the nigerian musical and cultural renaissance. There is much to say about No Longer At Ease and I’ll have to come back to it once I’ve fully digested it.

Let me issue a warning now. If what you seek is the typical bubble gum, formulaic compositions that so many artists musicians are drawn to, you will be disappointed. 

My recommendation? Buy it, enjoy it, study it, appreciate it and keep it safe. 10 years from now you’ll be glad you did.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1n4gHp2t20

INTRO

Dr. Ninestein comes out the gate swinging on this one. The production is decent and compliments the track well.

BIG BOY RAP

Modenine doesn’t disappoint lyrically on this and the concept is tight. I’ll admit now that I’m a sucker for instrumentals like this and the violins are just plain heavenly and evoke a lot of emotion. Sadly though, talking about “Big Boy Rap” does not compliment this and in my opinion dramatically reduces the power of this track. I understand the underlying message but it just does not sit right. This should have been his next Contradiction, instead it ends up feeling weird like I just saw the Pope dancing galala… yeah…

TALKING TO YOU FEAT. BANKY W

Not too much more can be said about this track. Straight up classic and Banky W was on point like he was sitting on a scoreboard… Powerful.

SPARTANS

Modenine is seriously starting to remind me of Canibus… good track but in my opinion this kind of rap belongs in the 80’s or early 90’s. Good for making you feel really old…

YOUR GIRL

Another dated track.  Hip Hop has evolved. Get over it.

KICK YOU

See above. Good track though. “Try to block us (blockus) and na there we go kick you” Heh that’s tight.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART

I get what he’s saying, I really do. But the album could have done without this track.

HIP HOP

Another “classic” track. Not bad at all. Got that Preemo feel to it.  Definitely a “complete” track.  It’s really just a throwback and should not have been his first single.

IMPERIAL

Got me bobbing my head and all. Modenine does what Modenine does best: Spit tight lyrics. I like the way he takes control of the track.

FIYAH BURN FEAT. MALLAM SPICEY, OSE SENSE & ROCK STEADY

Definitely not what I expected on a Modenine CD but it somehow manages not to sound too out of place, quite a refreshing break from the classical Modenine.

MY SKIN IS BLACK FEAT. SAGE

Very spartan instrumental but it works well for the track. Just listen to Mode 9, bob your head and think about what’s being said… Love the Nina Simone sample on there.

BUSH GIRL, TUSH GIRL

Didn’t he already do this and call it Nigerian Girls? How the hell do you put this right after a track like My Skin is Black? Talk about shitty arrangement.

FORBIDDEN LOVE FEAT. ROCK STEADY

Reminds me of this Last Emperor track… can’t remember the name right now but anyway someone needs to talk to dude about how he arranges his tracks… nothing wrong with the track itself but seriously… check the sequence of tracks…

A HERO COMES HOME

Hmm… We definitely need a Nigerian Hip Hop hero but unfortunately its not going to be you dude… I respect Mode 9’s skills but this kind of music was phased out years ago. The only people who still listen to Mode 9’s type of music are a bunch of old guys like me trying to hold on to what was hot when they were kids or a bunch of kids who think its cool to like “old school” music. The song itself is masterfully crafted and Modenine shows the depth of his skill once again.

NINE

This. Is. A. Classic. Track. Props to Jesse Jags production skills on this one. He almost succeeds in modernizing Mode 9. This is perhaps a glimpse into the future? More tracks like this?

CRAZY FEAT. MALLAM SPICEY

Is this supposed to be a club track? I should have known better than to expect a track that would build up properly on the previous.

MATHEMATICAL SEGE

Title says it all.  It’s nothing more than Mode 9 dribbling everyone including himself on the mic. Boring. I want something more.

GREEN PASSPORT FEAT. SOUND SULTAN (REMIX)

Sob stories just don’t sound right coming from Modenine. Sound Sultan and Mode 9 could have done much better. They are both very talented artists and I don’t think this track does either of them justice.

THE GAME NEEDS ME

Now this is  great track. Yes boss the game needs you.  No one does what you do like you do and when hot production and meets Mode 9 lyrics, this is what you get. I’m even sensing a little emotion. It sounds like he’s trying to convince himself.

STILL I LOVE YOU

This just doesn’t sound nice.  All the individual components (beat, hook, verses) are good but it together its just not wekking fe mi

DEATH BLOW (COUP DE GRACE)

I’ve heard a lot about this track and how Modenine supposedly ethers Rugged Man on this track… I won’t say he didn’t lyrically tear him like 6 (or 7) extra assholes (excuse the French) but this is not on the level of Nas’s Ether. It’s a decent lyrical smack down but the production is rushed and that takes a lot out of the track for me, especially since it’s on an album not a mix tape.

FINAL WORDS

I really like Mode 9 but he honestly needs to upgrade evolve his game. Lyrically he’s untouchable (I dare anyone to challenge that) and he proves that over the course of the Paradigm Shift’s mind boggling 22 tracks. Modenine appears to be trapped in his own world like Canibus though, with a hyper aggressive flow and content a majority of potential fans can not relate to. The Paradigm Shift is a solid effort that provides nothing less than the minimum fans have come to expect from a lyrical Modenine but at the same time offers very little new material in terms of style and flow. Through out the album, Modenine comes of as if he is trying to prove how good he is and thus he focuses too much on delivering killer punch line after punch line and often forgets to make a song.

The Paradigm Shift is also not quite an album as the only connecting thread between all the songs is Mode 9’s lyricism and the arrangement of tracks leaves a lot to be desired, consider the sequence of tracks that takes you from promoting black culture, to the completely out of character R Kelly pedophile like material. Considering Modenine’s intensity, aggression and favorite subject matter, there simply are too many tracks.

That Mode 9 is an intense, intelligent and extremely skillful lyrist is evident through out the Paradigm Shift but he absolutely has to get a lot more creative with his music and find a way of evolving with the times without dumbing his ability down. Yes, he can.

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS

Nine, Hip Hop, My Skin Is Black, Talking To You, Imperial, The Game Needs Me, A Hero Comes Home

VIDEO

HIP HOP

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WNiyMKnPaQ

eLDee, Big Boy (2008)

First things first, I was really disappointed with the CD and the packaging (i.e. they were really cheap). It not right that a CD from a Big Boy like elDee should be sounding like a damn boeing jet about to take off… I was afraid it would explode in my drive and that’s not the kind of feeling any musician should target. So it didn’t, but I ripped it to my drive just in case and its never going back in.

Eldee’s come a long way and you can not talk about the history of Hip Hop in Nigeria without mentioning his name, on the business side, he’s responsible for a lot of the opportunities all these young cats have nowadays and as far as is known is responsible for developing the current model the music industry uses. Creatively also he showed Nigerians that we too can do music without simply jacking foreign beats and created a distinct sound and niche. When you hear an elDee produced track you know. I don’t know much about the history of this album or what mind frame he was in so my only reference are his previous works.

INTRO
This autotune crap is getting really old now. Can someone please come up with something new everyone can copy… Please? Pretty please with sugar on top?? He pretty much sets the tone for what to expect on the album with this track, i.e. he’s doing it for the check. I hope its still as good otherwise that check will likely by missing a significant number of 0′s

BOSI GBANGBA
I definitely understand the “for the check part”. Not bad though. elDee never boxed himself in like some artists, he simply makes music. Certified naija club banger.

WAMBI NA
More autotune mess. Eldee can sing so I wonder why he insists on doing this to himself.

BIG BOY
Straight fire. Seems his time in ATL was well spent. I swear he must have written Olu Maintain’s rhymes and wow i think Del just killed eldee on this track…“tear rubber everything… well almost everything” Some classic lines in this track…

GO
So some dumb b*tch couldnt be smart enough to be a gold digger.

EVOLUTION (BEAUTIFUL THINGS)
OMG this is too much gayness for one track… Is this supposed to be deep or something? I Go Yarn was deep this on the otherhand is just gay.

MAMA
Touching… but I’ve heard much better, especially for mums…

REWIND
Cheap southern rap imitation. I see it’s produced by Dokta Frabz, whats was this? His throwaway material?

GO (REMIX)
Damn who was this broad? Marginally less gay thanks to Dokta Frabz. Waste of a good track. Coulda been so much more… ooh the possibilities…

BIG BOY (RAP REMIX)

Iceberg Slim sounds like a slightly retarded Jay-Z (that’s not necessarily bad ), Rukus has done way better than this and Proto who I thought was gonna save the day disappoints, I would be impressed if Rugged Man came up with these lyrics but not on an Eldee track called “Big Boys” This should have been called “Big Clowns: the bastard child of Big Boys” Even Olu Maintain outclassed these guys on the original…

I KNOW BAD PEOPLE
He should have listened… the gayness of this album is unbefitting of the champion…
And he says it himself “I used to spit fire…”

PROFESSIONAL

wtf? No. Seriously WTF????

ONE IN A MILLION
Not bad at all… But then I’m not sure if its just because I was so scandalized by the tracks before… Only question now is wtf was that verse Proto did on big boy? Think about that while I ponder the remaining mysteries of the universe…

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m extremely disappointed with eLDee and this album perhaps if he was due to go to jail like T.I. he’ll step up again because it’s so obvious he has lost that hunger that is usually responsible for good music. My opinion is that he needed some extra cash so he picked out a couple of tracks from his archive, tossed in one or two well thought out and produced tracks and then released it. I tossed it out the window but every album has fans. I’ll be waiting for his next album.

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS

BOSI GBANGBA, BIG BOY, ONE IN A MILLION

VIDEOS

Tuface Idibia - The Unstoppable (2008)

I decided to forgive 2face for that insult he called an album mid last year, I cant remember what it was called because I launched it into orbit somewhere around Sanusi Fafunwa.
Well I have “The Unstoppable” here with me and I’m hoping 2Baba can redeem himself with this effort.

INTRO
This is kinda nice but it does feel a little overdone and the little thug harmony thang just feels wrong for 2face…

JUNGLE DON MATURE
I got the message; You’re trying to promote your new record label: Hypertek. The sad thing about this track is that while it could possibly have been a great song, the lyrics and in fact the entire song ends up sounding quite forced and unatural.

TAKE IT BACK
The production on this is actually quite decent. I can see it getting some good air play but, there’s nothing spectacular about it. It’s a very generic formula track. The rapping by some dude called ?Carter? is also decent, though to be honest he sounds more to me like a less lyrically gifted and more shallow version of Zion I Come to think of it Nigerian DJ’s will probably assault me in the club with this.

OUTSIDE
What the effing hell is this gay ish???

CANT DO WITHOUT YOU
Marginally less gay but still very weak… I can certainly do without this song in my life. This Melissa Briggs chick got a decent voice. We could have done without Tuface.

FREE
This song has Marley (Bob, Damian and all a dem) written all over it. Still its quite refreshing from the gayness of the last two tracks and oh wow 2face is actually trying something a little different vocally… hmm I think Dare was a good influence on him… Maybe a quick class with Mode 9 or MI so he can learn to stop using corny ass lines like “zoom zoom zoom… i’ve been to the moon…”

PAKO
Ok this song will probably get mad air and club play its the kind of wack stuff Nigerians gobble up…man this guy is lyrically anorexic…get your weight up son…

SO PROUD (REMIX)
ooh Chaka Demus and Pliers… Seems more like their song featuring 2face rather than the other way around wtf? He just barely managed not to get completely outclassed and outshined on his own song…

FLEX
R. Kelly just regurgitated something he did like in the early 90’s or something. Quite weak on all counts and the lyrics are just plain lame… Random question who do you think has more kids? Get it? 

OH PAPA
Over dramatic. The track is way too powerful for 2face.. Completely overshadows him. I keep wishing he would shut up and let me listen to that piano.

GO DOWN THERE
Whatever. Lame.

EXCUSE ME SISTER
Just how gay is he going to get on this album??? Damn…

APPRECIATE IT
hmm.. now we’re talking… this is 2face. nice? track.

ENTER THE PLACE
Can anyone say Kolomentality… ok I’ll let this slide cuz they all started out together so their styles must cross at some point. Sound Sultan didn’t add anything to the track but I can see a club banger here…

FEELING YOU (SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE REMIX)
Produced by B.Howard (USA) so what? The USA beside the production credit is supposed to lend some credibility to this wack track?

I SING
Aiight straight of the bat I’m feeling this beat. Pity the lyrics are lame.

SEE IT COMING
Some people have been listening to too much Damian Marley. but not bad. Ok this is really sad I was feeling the track till 2face came on. So  sad…

FLY
Fly, Fly, Fly, Fly out of my life

OUTRO
whew its over.

Tuface Idibia - The Unstoppable (2008) Album Cover Back

Tuface is a long way from being The Unstoppable and this is by far the weakest of his 3 albums (I refused to acknowledge the existence of that thing he released last year). The Unstoppable is a good album by most Nigerian standards but not mine. I look for innovation, creativity and passion and this album gives me none of the above. 5 years ago, maybe even 2 years ago this would have stood out especially with the big names he has on this album but honestly this album is dated. This cat has got the itis right now and its dulling him seriously, but fans of Tuface will most likely love it.