Get Divided

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