RAP IS NOT DEAD : A Torchlight Into The Nigerian Rap Scene
A few weeks ago the Nigerian Twitter space was awash with news that a particular African artiste made an assertion that rap is dead, especially in Nigeria. The artiste in question is arguably Africa's best afro pop sensation Wizkid. The afro sensation posted on his Instagram handle that he thinks rap hiphop is a dead genre as rappers have refused to evolve over time like their contemporaries in other genres.
This statement was seen by many rappers and rap lovers as an affront and insult on the music genre and everyone involved. It became a hot topic both on social media and mainstream media. It was expected that rappers would converge to put out a United reply on wax and take the singer to the cleaners.
But instead of falling into the trap, the post only elicited mild social media replies from the likes of MI Abaga, Ladipoe and Blaqbonez. Because of that, the frenzy died down quickly and the music scene returned to it status quo. However, it is believed by many that the post by Wizkid was an attempt at clout to revive interest in his album which many believe to be subpar.
This article though isn't an attempt at unraveling Big Wiz's reasons for saying what he said, but a torchlight at the prevailing conditions of the rap music scene in Nigeria. As a big fan who have followed the genre for almost one and a half decades, I have experienced the boom, the gloom, the beefs, the decimation, the revival and all the trajectories associated with the rap scene in the country.
The Nigerian rap scene has had its own version of ups and downs from the times of Eedris Abdulkareem, Modenine and the likes to the boom heralded by the MI Abaga's arrival in 2008, which paved the way for the likes of Vector, SDC, Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince, Ladipoe etc. This was the boom era for the genre with rap artistes dominating the airplay.
Then the lull era set in between 2014 - 2017. The release of the controversial track You Rappers Should Fix Up Your Lives by M.I seemed to stir the creative waters in rappers all over the country as replies kept flying in from all angles. The rap veteran then took the lead by releasing the critically acclaimed and quite classic album A Study On Self Worth: Yxng Denzel
The stage was revived and rappers emboldened to swagger along with the latest trends in the industry. Spirits raised, pens bleeding and inscriptions seamlessly taking shape with every stroke, rap was back on the map. The likes of A-Q, Jesse Jagz, Vector Tha Viper, Ladipoe, and Show Dem Camp have been on a different pedestal.
This wasn't a mono trajectory old school snare and heavy kicks rap hiphop rage, but there were ample experimentations with Ladipoe testing afro pop waters, SDC playing with highlife, Jesse Jagz doing dancehall and rapping in patua, Vector tagging up with Masterkraft, and A-Q alternating with Brymo.
The rap hiphop scene has been awash with beautiful bodies of work that are lyrically rich, metaphorically stimulating, and punchy. There are stories, beefs, self extrapolation and general entertainment in the different projects. From A-Q's God's Engineering, to Ladipoe's Providence, to Jesse Jagz's Odysseus.
Or should we should talk about others like this year's The Guy by M.I Abaga, Ethos by A-Q and Brymo TESLIM by Vector, The Lost Boy by Erigga, Behold The Lamb by Loose Kaynon, A-Q, MI, and Blaqbonez, The Young Preacher by Blaqbonez, Palmwine Music 3 and even the YPSZN3 by PsychoYP. These are all rap projects that are rich in content and conveys conscious messages.
Looking away from the mainstream rap scene as dominated by the egg heads, there are up and coming blood that are spitting fire underground, ready to take up the baton from the legends. Some have been in the business for years but are only recognized by core rap hiphop fans due to the nature of the music business in Nigeria.
Rappers such as Boogey, Paybac Iboro, BarelyAnyHook, Payper Corleone, Phlow, and Alpha Ojini are legendary figures underground. These are Emcees who are not appreciated by music lovers not because they're not good at what they do, but because they've decided to stick to the culture and not deviate from the true gospel of hiphop.
It is testament to this fact that Paybac was nominated for Lyricist on the roll in 2019 for his verse on Implode, a track off Lost and Found, his collaborative work with Boogey. And then in 2021 his album CULT was also nominated for album of the year. So much for being underground and competing with the elites.
The evolution of genre worldwide has also opened up doors for other acts on the up and coming scene to explore and try out new waves of themselves and their music abilities. The likes of PsychoYP, Zilla Oaks, Jeriq, Odumodublvck are richly talented rappers who are alternating between trap, drill and grime in their music journey.
These are artistes who's artistry is on par with what is attainable elsewhere but who are still relatively lowkey because Nigerians prefer to bump and grind. They are more inclined to just dance away their sorrows instead of quieting down and deciphering metaphors.
The truth remains that if the Nigerian music market really appreciated lyrical content over groovy beats and repetitive cliches, then rappers would be rich while artistes like Wizkid would've lost his status. The industry is set up to reward lyrical mediocrity while those with creative craft are left to rot and burn away with the embers of their creativity.
Rap hiphop in Nigeria might not be on the same reward pedestal with afrobeats, but that doesn't mean that the genre is dead. If anything, the seeds of yesteryears are beginning to bear fruits and the future looks bright for the industry. In due time and perhaps with the evolution of the market to appreciate lyrics over beats, the rap genre might regain and exceed its vigour of between 2008-2013.
In all, hip-hop is not dead, it is alive and spitting!
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