DECEMBER 2014
HTTP://WWW.SMACKCOMMS.COM IG: @SMACKCOMMS
Ifeanyi ‘Fecko’ Ibegbunam twitter & instagram: @thisisfecko
In this relaunch edition of Africa's first (free) hip hop e-zine, we'll be delving into the spooky world of a beat making monster that has worked with Canibus named TeckZilla. It feels like Halloween in Christmas! Season's greetings y'all. Yeah, we don't follow the norms.
E.C.H.O dares to be different. Funny enough I have granted several interviews to various publications through out my career as an artiste, and now tables seem to have turned. I now get to ask all the questions. (shines teeth).
By the way, I am not a Nigerian - I am an African. I tried shedding more light on that statement in an article I wrote as touching the role of Hip hop in berthing the 'United States of Africa'. Other sections include Hiphop Facts, Music Reviews, Bubbling Under plus lots more. E.C.H.O is here to stay. We will be publishing regularly (On a monthly basis for now). Join the Afro urban hip hop community today by subscribing to our newsletters and advertising in our subsequent editions. I wanna say a big thank you to everyone that contributed to this edition. And to our dear readers - your feedback will be highly appreciated. Enjoy!
twitter: @echoitout
This edition is 100% African hip hop. Spreading our tentacles across the continent. Some African rappers have been missing in action lately - get to find out who they are and what their future plans are. Also get to know what most African youths wanna hear in hip hop songs these days.
facebook: EchoItOut
Quickly, may we try doing something practically unusual? Look for an isolated building in your area... (errm, something similar to those abandoned ghost castles in Scooby Doo). Found one? Awesome! Majestically walk inside and then say 'ECHO!'. Now, also scream out 'Feckoooo!!!' (until aliens feel your vibration from outer space). Abeg don't loose your voice in the process of doing so and please make sure none of your friends are watching you (your bold action might be misconstrued for madness...haha). Anyway, what's your observation? An echo with the same rhyme pattern, right? (If you have a wrong result then you did it wrong). Technically that experiment goes to show that I am on the same page with the E.C.H.O movement you dig? It spells out Energy, Culture, Hip hop and Originality. And these are noble qualities I don't only possess, but I also believe our uber-energetic target audience share as well.
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Yo!! It's your boy Sean Martin Luther Tha P....and yes I know the name's long, ain't my fault but my real names are Oluwaseun Jeremiah Pepper, 100% Kogi state citizen. Started blogging way back in 2012 because I got tired of the crappy music called rap I was always listening to on the radio and I knew I wasn't the only one. We all know we love meaningless lyrics
and a banging beat in Nigeria but to me music was way beyond kindergarten flows, it was more like an education, more like something that inspires. So I opened a rap & rnb blog called undergroundmusicng and the URL is www.undergroundmusicng.co m where you can download real rap and rnb both locally and internationally. It didn't stop there, day by day,
I fell more deeply in underground/unsigned hype raps, then I started to connect with the artistes and all I kept hearing was they always got turned down by promoters because of the genre of music. So I thought why not host a yearly mixtape and shoot videos for them, promote it for them to encourage them and that's when the DOPE UNIT MIXTAPE volumes was conceived. I dropped Dope Unit Mixtape Volume 1 in February 2014 and it featured alot of great acts and we shot 2 videos off it. I also did a mixtape release party at Ozone
Lounge and there was a mad turn out and everybody had hard copies of the mixtape. Did I tell you it was a 2 CD mixtape... yeah yeahh!! first in Naija history. The event was hosted by Paragunn Blao and hyped by Rapmaniac Tha X. I also did a producer battle which the best producer went home with a brand new Nokia Lumia phone. After 2 months into the release, people called me up to do another one which we have started and dropped 3 singles off it called StopMakingWackRappersFam ous, Apprentice 2.0 and Strong Room. These songs featured the likes of Kel, DTruce, Fecko, T.R, Tupengo and so on. We have also shot 2 videos and hoping to shoot 2 more. Volume 2 would be dropping next year January/February by Gods grace.
@Reemtos Here is a list of 10 Nigerian Hip-Hop songs released between the year 2012 till present. This is a compilation of songs that hip-hop heads shouldn't sleep on. I mean, if you claim to love and support Nigerian Hip-Hop, you just gotta have these songs on your playlist. N.B. These songs may or may not be your best songs and shouldn't be mistaken for what it isn't; and all views expressed in this piece are of the writer's opinion only. However, the list goes thus: @Reemtos
WAITING GAME – Paybac feat. Yvng Po' and Boogey : Off “The Broken Speaker Symphony EP” released by Charlie X and Paybac comes this awesome joint. Unarguably my fav track off the EP, each cat brought their top game to the table. You don't wanna sleep on it. Nope!
TROUBLES – Makiller (aka MAK) : This track is no doubt my best MAK track still. Its got this different feel from the usual Nigerian rap and the rapper gave his best on this one. You definitely should have this on your playlist.. Definitely!
3 KINGS – Mr. Renegade feat. Lord V and Rukus : You may be unfamiliar with these names but these new school cats could make A-List rappers have a rethink of their career. This is the kinda track that gets stuck on replay when it comes on; heavyweight bars is all this track's got!
WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR (WWF4) – GRANDSUNN : I stumbled on this track on somebody's TL on twitter and I loved it instantly. The track, in its brilliant storytelling form, speaks about the present state of event in Northern Nigeria and is totally different from the norm. It's a masterpiece!
EVERYDAY – BEAZY FEAT. EFA AND YOYE : Off the #BeazyMusicMond ay series by veteran and highly-underrated rapper Beazy, comes this solid hip-hop grind. This joint sees Efa spitting his best rap verse ever (in my opinion) and shouldn't be swept under the rug.
WE WANT WAR – BLAQBONEZ AND EMEKA FT. A-Q AND BBJN : Blaqbonez (winner of TR's Zombie competition) features his alterego Emeka, revered lyricist A-Q and BBJN on this solid hip-hop single which sees A-Q spitting his illest lyrics ever. Both emcees delivered heavyweight bars on this one, you gotta sit tight.
FANS MI – TR (FORMERLY TERRY THA RAPMAN), PHEROWSHUZ AND OVERDOSE FEAT. REMINISCE : This track is unarguably one of the best hip-hop singles released in 2014 as it sees three of Nigeria's finest and highly underrated rappers spit deep verses on a Yung6ix produced track accompanied with a dope hook and verse from the #Ibile crooner; and need I add, Reminisce murked all three veterans on this one (no disrespect to all 3 of em).
CYNTHIA ROTHROCK – MISTER RAE, FECKO AND AL KAN-I : Str8 Buttah's Mister Rae, Fecko and Al Kan-I (of Zambia) deliver this raw hip-hop single, named after female martial arts actor “Cynthia Rothrock”, and produced by legendary hip-hop producer – Teck Zilla. As a hip-hop head, you mos'definitely don't wanna sleep on this track. Nope!
Superhuman – M.I. feat HHP
Osadebe – Illbliss
WAZOBIA – MORELL FEAT. REMINISCE AND PHYNO : Talk about rap delivered in its finest form and in different languages, this track is the first ever of its kind. Morell repped for Hausa, Reminisce for Yoruba, and Phyno for Igbo; and all three produced a dope joint.
Sanctum – Boogey
Deaf – Eva
Let It Go – Modenine and XYZ
THE CASE – JESSE JAGZ FEAT. SHOW DEM CAMP (SDC) : Off the “Jagz Nation Vol. II : Royal Niger Company” album released this year by Jesse Jagz comes this raw hip-hop single which features Ghost and Tec of SDC, and all three emcees delivered strongly as expected.
Ray Charles – Pherowshuz feat. TR and Beazy
Africa is the second largest continent in the world with a population of 1.0billion people and a total number of 54 sovereign states “countries”. Is it me or is Hip hop not playing a major role in terms of bridging gaps between all the geo-political zones in the continent. Hence, giving birth to what I call the “United States of Africa”. As I write this article, I am seated at a windy balcony listening to “All In” by Camp Mulla featuring Manifest and “African & Proud” by Banky W featuring L-Tido, Camp Mulla, Vector and Sarkodie. For me, it spells out one thing and that's 'Unity'. I am glad to see a lot of cross-border collaborations within the continent. If you have been a long time follower of my music, you will recall that I released a song with a similar concept, titled 'Raw African Poetry' which featured various rappers from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Kenya. The track was even mentioned in SA's number one Hiphop magazine, HYPE. I also released a sequel to the track which got featured on Chuck D's radio show. If African artists keep chunning out collabs like
that, perhaps someday you might bump in to Nigerians in diaspora speaking Swahili eloquently and also find Kenyans conversing in Pidgin. It is our duty to embrace and nurture our different cultures. Hip hop shouldn't be the only music genre saddled with the responsibility of uniting Africa. What about Pop, Jazz, Reggae, RnB, Afrobeat or Kwaito? Won't it be awesome to hear Asa and Freshly Ground on one song? Or imagine Femi Kuti teaming up with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. I am sure there is a newer generation of music lovers that crave a breath of fresh air in the kind of songs they listen to. Apparently, the African music industry is fast evolving and this is evident in the way most record companies operate these days. For instance, Kenyan-based record label Taurus Musik has Zambia's award-winning group, Zone Fam, under its stable. To further illustrate my point; Kenyan songstress, Victoria Kimani is signed to Chocolate City Music (Nigeria). Distance is no longer a barrier, especially when A&Rs are dealing with pure talents.
Label executives now go all out! So it is seemingly possible that I could get signed by Sony Music Africa someday…'you never know!' Late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikpolakpo Kuti once said “Music is a weapon…” Senegaleese singer Youssou N'Dour knew he held this power in his hands and decided to organise a concert for the release of Nelson Mandela in 1985. N'Dour also discovered Somali rapper, K'Naan during a speaking engagement before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1999, where K'naan performed a spoken word piece criticizing
the UN for its failed aid missions to Somalia. N'Dour's goodwill was not only restricted to his home country, but was felt in other parts of the continent. He believed in the 'United States of Africa'. I was interviewed on a radio station in Malawi a while back, where I extensively talked about 'Unity in Africa' and the need to produce more African Hip hop TV shows. The media can serve as a catalyst in the process of bridging gaps. Don't you think it will be better if the next BET cypher in Africa features different African rappers under one umbrella? Just a thought! The world is looking at the motherland for inspiration. Viva Africa!
“WORKING WITH CANIBUS WAS MY FIRST HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MR XI OF SMACK STUDIOS
Who is Teckzilla? Teckzilla used to be an emcee. He is a producer, beat maker, sound engineer, DJ, and I write as well. That's a whole lot Yeah, plus more! I'm not gonna say more. You're also a Chemist right? Yeah. I studied Chemistry. Although I won't say I'm a professional chemist. I would say I have a degree in Chemistry. I can work in a lab. I still know Chemistry, so am good. So was it in the process of carrying out an experiment in the lab, you fell into a toxic chemical. Hence an experimental accident occurred and then you became Teck-Zilla like we see in most Marvel comics? Laughs. Yeah. That's another story I don't usually tell people. Fecko summed it up. Laughs. Alright, how has the journey been so far? It's been good. It 's been bad. It 's been hectic. It's been smooth. It's been rough. Everything. Highs and lows man!
So are there more highs than lows or is it the other way round? Well, I always look at the positive. I would say there were more highs than lows. Every year is like a step for me. So any highlight(s) this year? This year has been insane. Dropping a song titled 'Super Human' with Canibus and Modenine was like the first highlight of the year. How did you hook up with Canibus? I was in Canada then. My friend Calibre called me when he was in the U.S and was like 'Teck blah blah blah, Canibus blah blah blah', and I was wondering why he called me out of the blues and was telling me about Canibus featuring and stuff. I was not really enthusiastic. The beat of the song was actually meant for Mister Rae. When I started talking to Canibus' manager I kinda saw they were pretty serious. I was like let's do this. And Calibre actually likes Modenine alot. And was like Modenine has to be on the song. We put it together. I sent him the beat. It took a while for Canibus to record. Like how long?
It took like almost three months. He was on tour. So there was a lot of back and forth. Eventually Canibus did his verse way before Modenine. Speaking of Modenine. I recall you once told me that he turned down some of your beats once. So did he decide to work with you this time because you were gonna get Canibus on the song? No. Had already gotten Canibus so I could have easily gotten another person to rap. It made a lot of sense to put Modenine on it considering he was like a legend in Nigerian Hip hop. Although at first he was like why would I send him the beat and what if he doesn't like the beat? I was dead sure he was gonna like the beat. I sent it to him and he liked it. So there was no reconsideration. No doubt. It was a banging beat and everybody did their thing. Shout out to Canibus. I was a huge Canibus fan and am still a huge Canibus fan. The battle with Dizaster doesn't change anything. Apart from Canibus, which other renowned international artist have you worked with? I worked with rapper Big Pooh
from Little Brother. I actually interviewed him before because I write for thewordisbond.com. I am working with Sonyae from North Carolina. So when did you get back to Nigeria? I got back in 2013. I have been working since. I dropped the song with Canibus which got me on The Source. I also dropped a single with Sonyae, the Son of Sade EP. So what are the challenges so far since you got back to Nigeria. Did you observe anything that got you vexed? Well there are alot of politics. It's kinda one sided. Everybody just wants to do one thing. I am cool with all these club tracks and everything. I can do club tracks. However I like to do stuff I can listen to. The new sound I have been doing with Chocolate City is insane. Also the electricity slows my work pace and efficiency. And traffic! Jesus Christ! So is there anything exclusive fact about Teck-Zilla that you would love to share? Is there a fact? Right now I cannot even think of anything. I'm boring. That's it. I just wanna
be alone and make beats. [Laughs] You are not dating anybody presently? Erm, when I was in Canada I was in a relationship which has now dissolved. I am not gonna name the person. You actually know the person. Really? I don't know the person. You know the person. And the person knows you. We are still kinda like friends. Wow. Have I actually met the person? Anyways, moving on. You know the person. [Laughs]. So what are you working on now? I am working with a female rapper from Chocolate City named Pryse. My compilation album is coming out next year. Audio Chemistry Volume One dope! I am working on an EP with Ms Chief. I just did an EP with singer Maka. Wow. I am working on so many things. You are even working with me too. Yeah. I am working with Fecko as usual. We've been always working.
Speaking of which I googled your name once and stumbled upon my picture on the search results that appeared on the first page. Some people found that hilarious. Well it goes to show how long we have been working. Not surprised. We are in the same field. Most times when you google Teck-Zilla you will find Zone Fam, you, Sonyae, Mister Rae and Str8 Buttah. We've been working for years and I hope we continue to work for years. So are you still cool with Str8 Buttah? Yes. Str8 Buttah is before music. These are people I grew up with. I haven't seen them in months though. We will always be cool. Are you guys gonna still drop an album? No. I am stating that candidly. We are not dropping anything. We are kinda like doing different things right now so it's very difficult getting everyone in the same place, at the same time, in the same country. On a final note what's the way forward for African Hip hop?
The way forward is diversity. We need to open more doors for upcoming acts. We need to get the necessary infrastructure. Better avenues for people to showcase their craft - that is what we need. And of course we need the sponsorship. Corporate bodies. We need to expand. South African Hip hop is booming. SA's been the best to be honest cos they have the structures in place. They have the elements. But here we just rap, there is really no graffiti, no b-boying. Even with DJs, like to be honest. There are few Hip hop DJs and I am one of them. So apart from Kongzilla, the song with Sonyae and apart from the EP we did together, what other songs can we find on ur iPod right now? I have been bumping to a lot of diss tracks, old school r & b. M.I's Bad Belle. M.I's album is dope. Sorry to those out there that disagrees with me. I like Allen Poe, that guy is something else. I have also been bumping to Bishop Neru and Black Milk's last two albums. It's insane. And I think Wale and Drake.
Who is your number one producer? That's a tough question to answer. I would say I am really digging Black Milk. What about back home in Africa? Sarz is doing his thing to be honest. I have heard alot of stuff from him and it's insane. I would say Tintin aswell. I heard his stuff with Eva, that shit is insane. So any final message to your fans? Watch out for my stuff dropping in 2015 - Audio Chemistry. Go and get KongZila. The EP is on iTunes, GooglePlay, Spotify, Amazon. It's every where. Also look out for the ArtFro B.E.A.S.T EP with Fecko. It's still ongoing. I am working on a lot of stuff. 2015 is gonna be insane for me. I have tons of projects am still working on. So am trying to push everything next year. So that's it. Follow me on Twitter @projektcancer, and @teckzilla108 on Instagram. Then type 'Teck-Zila' on Facebook to find me there. That's all. What else? [Laughs]
As an entrepreneur, before you venture into any kind of lucrative business you don't only discover what your target market is lacking, you also need to find out what they want. Technically, this same principle also apply to those that go into Hip hop for commercial reasons (ofcourse I am now one of such of artists…passion alone don't pay bills). And as such the afforementioned question becomes inevitable. Honestly I think most African youths do not have time to listen to conscious songs. Only few don't find such type of songs boring and depressing. My friend Duncan Sodala (Zonefam's manager) actually took the words out of my mouth when he answered that question. He said they just want to Turn Up! (Oya turn up *singing in Olamide's voice*) I also couldn't agree more with Modenine who told me "money, b*tches, jewelries and cars" are things they want their favourite MCs to rap about these days. True! "About Africa and African history" - that was the reply from one of my Twitter followers. Well I couldn't help but laugh when promising Nigerian rapper Boogey replied that tweet and candidly said the dude was just speaking for himself. [haha]. Well other young hip hop enthusiasists also shared their opinions in this interesting and insightful vox pop. Read on.
Chris Swizzsz Ubewanne Kemjika Miracle “About thier past live and experiences"
Steve Orlawale Alvarez
“Girls and money...I think"
“Meaningful lyrics with a well orchestrated beat. Opinion differs."
Anthoni Twaine Uzuh “What most people want is watered down, simple minded subject matters. Nobody wants to hear a line that would warrant the use of the dictionary or any other educative means to be able to understand it. That's the problem with music in general, and to me that's an issue."
Victor Jlyricz Jones “Reality, Inspiration, Motivation... not hoes, money, they don't have and fantasy..."
Temitope Monsurat Sanusi Marque “Firstly, youth nowadays are just blind, they don't wanna see the truth! Secondly,they just wanna listen to songs that make them do stuff they are not suppose to! Thirdly, all they wanna hear is songs that get them wasted and out of control! FIN!!!"
“It isn't about what we wanna hear, it should be what the rappers wanna talk about. The lyrical content for most rappers doesn't go beyond money, sex, alcohol drugs etc. All these rappers end up potraying a false lifestyle to naive youths who are quick to accept that that's what is obtainable in the society. I don't expect all rappers to sound like Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Common etc But at least have some sense and be yourself. Rappers are leaders. Your fans end up becoming STANS who want to look, act and dress like you even if they don't have the means of doing so. These rappers will be popping champagne in their music videos only for them to be soaking garri in their one room apartment. At the end of the day, all I want is GOOD music! Ok, bye!"
VANS ERA
CONVERSE ALL STAR HI TOP SHOES CHUCK TAYLORS
TIMBERLAND NIKE AIR FORCE
SUPRA SHOES
NEW VERSACEMEDUSA HEAD HIGH TOP SNEAKERS
I'm not a diehard fashion freak, but I know all hip hop heads must have at least one pair of these kicks, why?... well I don't know and all I can say is that they are all super fly and rep street sense any time. by @its_MarQue
AIR JORDAN 5 INFRARED 2014
by @its_MarQue
Well I was sitting and thinking to myself, “do hip hop artistes really need to brag about the freshest clothes and stuff?” Because to me it seems really vain and all that, but again many of these rappers do come from really tough backgrounds so coming out to show they have made it is forgivable though… anyway was thinking about which rappers out there really strike with their dress sense limiting them to only ten, and in no particular order so you won't go all gangsta on me because I didn't choose your best dressed rapper. You might say one or two of these guys I chose try too hard but I say they kinda nailed it for me either ways. Hook up with me on Twitter if you think you wanna blast me about my choices… that could be some fun!!!
Keinan Abdi Warsame better known by his stage name K'naan, rose to prominence with the success of his single " Wavin' Flag", which was a theme song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. To be candid, he is the only rapper we know putting Somalia on the map. Well another Somali rapper I recently stumbled upon online is female rap sensation Miski Cajiib. Apart from the gossip stories about his relationship with Lupita N'yongo, the last time I actually heard anything newsworthy about K'naan was in 2012 when he featured Nas on a song titled Nothing to Loose. His last album 'Country, God or the Girl' received generally favorable reviews from contemporary music critics. It's the fourth studio album by the philanthropic hip hop artist and it was released worldwide on October 16, 2012. Wondering if he still has plans of releasing another album in 2015.
I won't forget when I traded bars with Sinzu, Illbliss and Tha Rapman some years back on a live radio show in Lagos hosted by HNIC Doc Gee. Sinzu aka Saucekid was one of the hottest Nigerian rappers at the time. Even one of Africa's most visited blogs mentioned him in a list tagged Top 10 Most Gifted Nigerian Rappers. The list sparked a lot of controversy online. Fast forward to 2014, Sinzu's absence is being felt in the rap industry to a significant degree. Although he released a music video in August titled 'Fashi' featuring BiLs. Well the Self made general has to drop more materials in order to earn him more stripes that would make him remain relevant in the game. Can the insatiable appetite of his listeners be satisfied? Time will tell.
C.R.I.$.I.$. aka Crisis Mr. Swagger is a Zambian born Hip-Hop Artist/Producer/CEO of his own independent music label called Diamond Chain Services in Lusaka, Zambia, Africa. 35,000+ CD's and Cassettes sold in Lusaka alone, C.R.I.$.I.$.'s album Officer in Charge (released January 2005). First hiphop record, produced and released in Zambia by a Zambian artist. Second album, The Diamond Chain Mixtape reached another milestone by becoming the first Zambian Mixtape to be released commercially in Zambia. Well Mr Swagger is planning a comeback in December. He announced his forthcoming album on Twitter with the hash tag #QuietDon #TheChoosenOne. Anticipating.
Tuks also known as Tuks Senganga by many continues to pave way for a lot of Setswana rap artists. The Motswako rapper has had successful hits since his career took off in 2005. His debut album Mafoko A Me earned him an award at the SAMA's for Best Hip Hop Album in 2005. Amongst his many achievements Tuks won at the Metro's and The Hype awards. "Bona Fela was a song I made to project my feelings towards the negativity I went through after my hiatus. After I released monopoly I went quiet people didn't see much of Tuks on TV. I disappeared from radio, people were not hearing my songs because of the content that I had put out. The subject matter on Monopoly put me in a space where I was restricted from certain radio stations and shows. Bona Fela is basically me saying I must be doing something so right that in my absence people still speculate about my whereabouts and just letting people know that throughout this negative staff I have been able to keep my head up." - Tuk's response in an interview with YouthVillage
Simon Kimani, more popularly known as Bamboo, is an emcee who represents Kenya and currently lives in New York City. He was raised in Inglewood, California by parents of East African descent, and at the age of 17, his parents sent him to Nairobi , Kenya to eschew the potentially dangerous life they feared he might have if he stayed in Inglewood. Bamboo transferred the success he was beginning to have in California to Nairobi, acquiring a record deal and producing his first album, Nairoberry, with his group K-South in 2001. He formed the record label Project 254 in Nairobi with Kenyan emcees Tim Waindi and Attitude. Bamboo has been a noshow for a while now, but Ringtone's erratic behavior on NBC's The Trend seems to have pulled him from the woodwork
The first time I heard a Zimbabwean rap song was when I listened to a mix tape hosted by Africanhiphop.com in 2009. Synik's lyricism and delivery on that song grabbed my attention and we ended up working together on a song. Gerald Mugwenhi has been nominated four times at the 2012 Zimbabwe Hip-Hop awards, and he also won. He still remains one of Harare's most respected lyricists. I suggest you listen to his Syn City album. Thank me later. Synik toured Europe in August, 2014. He has been working with an Austria-based producer on new tracks. 2015 looks very bright for the talented African rapper.
Siki started rapping at the age of 14 in junior high school when he got inspired by his senior brother and gradually learnt the basics of rhyming and word play. Mostly inspired by Eminem, Reggie Rockstone, Dr. Dre, Obrafour (where has he been too by the way?) and Snoop Dogg. Siki came into the limelight when he was featured by Under Melody of R2bees on “Azonto” and Sarkodie's “Ye Balli”. In 2013, he was involved in a car accident. The Ghanaian artist who now makes gospel music recently opened up about his pornography and weed addiction.
Bra Kevin Beats was born in Accra, Ghana in May 1989. In October 2010, bra Kevin Beats released his first ever video, 3 Headed Beast (Freestyle) which has received massive airplay on TV throughout Ghana and is also in circulation on the continent on such premiere video channels such as MTVBase and Channel O. Earlier this year, the rapper who is now based in London couldn't resist jumping on Joey B's smash hit song 'Tonga'.
If you had the impression that the list so far exudes male chauvinism, at least seeing the name of a female rapper now should make you realise that we are unbiased. With a successful career spanning a decade, Sasha P popularly referred to as Africa's FIRST LADY of Hip hop has been one of the most visible female rappers on the scene. However, she has not been really consistent lately in terms of churning hot hip hop songs that can top 'Ewa Bami Jo' and 'Adara'. I recall when she released 'Authentic' in 2012 (produced by DJ Klem), I was forced to tweet 'Sasha is back!' Well I don't know what really happened afterwards. Has she decided to rest on her oars because she is now Ekiti State's Cultural Ambassador? Perhaps!
Gino revolutionized the game when he dropped his instant classic video 'No Be God' and later released his debut album (which many regard as being one of the best rap albums in Nigeria) Pain Plus Work. The album also generated another hit Farabale which was a club banger. While many thought the rapper took time off, he was actually in the booth taking his time to record a body of work. He later announced a comeback after dropping a track that featured YQ and Naeto C titled I'm So Fly. In 2011, rap fans anticipated The Good Year (tentative album title) from the Edo rapper but it seems he later changed his mind and ended up going on hiatus again. Will 2015 be a good year to drop The Good Year.
S.T.O is one talented music producer and sound engineer to keep a look out for. Segun Tosin Adeyeni aka S.T.O beats hails from Osun State, but presently based in Lagos. He started producing in 2005 and he has worked with Nigerian artistes such as T.R, Kel, Rooftop MCs, Samklef, Karat Kid just mention a few. Producers that influenced his style include Mike Will, Sarz, Master Kraft, Flow and Swizz Beats. The name of his production outfit is Primepath Studios. Connect with S.T.O via Twitter (@STObeats_music)
He's a creative designer by day and a rap artist/producer by night, tonicode trails a path of art that has brought him thus far on a journey unraveling the very depths of creativity. He's currently an independent artist and is working on a music project titled 'OPUS' set for release this year.
by @Reemtos
2011 was the year we last had a whole piece from female rapper Elohor Eva Alordiah, simply known as Eva, and it was her debut Extended Play (EP) titled GIGO-which is an acronym for Garbage In Garbage Out. Since then, its been singles and videos. Well, this year (2014), she decided to drop another EP,
a very short one though, to serve as a prelude to her debut album, 1960. The EP, titled “Eva, the EP”, consists of four tracks which are “Back From The High”, “100 Percent”, “Double Double” and “Eva Says 14”, in that order. Leading the EP, Back From The High is one of those tracks where an artiste gives
a little insight as to what their journey to stardom seemed like. She preached about how she had started with the 'then' Choc Boiz, how 'The Chairman' had praised, encouraged and challenged her to put in lots of work, and what a success story she'd be later on in the future. She also expressed disappointments on the hype of stardom saying “it's a place a little sugar-coated”, having attained it. 100 Percent on the other hand, provides an 'allemotional' Eva Alordiah, who relentlessly expresses to her unfaithful and uncommitted lover, her craving for 100 percent love and attention. Double Double, which for me is the best track on the EP, sees the rapper spitting deep verses, showing off her lyrical prowess, talking about how she's doper than her counterparts – male and female (veterans inclusive). The track which is a sample of Rihanna's 'Pour It Up', sees Eva proving how much of a 'Rap Goddess' she is in the industry. Lastly on the EP is Eva Says 14,
a spoken word rendition which sees the rapper exposing her poetry skills and expressing herself freely on different aspects of her life, like she was putting up a journal. The EP in summary, is a 'simple' piece of work with 'top-notch production' and 'beautiful display' of her rap skills and also, a perfect way to keep her fans on the lookout for her debut album, which is slated for January 2015. I'd give the EP a 3.5 out of 5 rating, but considering the EP cover, which is creatively awesome by the way, a 4.8 should do. Chao!
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