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Throwback Thursday: When M.I Abaga Dropped The Movie.

M.I

Nigerian veteran rapper, M.I Abaga is no doubt one of the most prolific Nigerian rappers to ever touch the mic. A status he did not only clinch but has consistently proved for decades.

M.I. is one of those stars that can Write, Sing, Rap, produce, Freestyle and even Executive produce for other talents. For years he ran the affairs of the biggest African independent Hip-hop label and continued to make it grow even bigger and better.

M.I’s consistency is without a doubt at the top across any genre of music across Africa, he seats at the top of the consistency table with the likes of Khaligraph Jones, Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Fally Ipupa, Donjazzy, 2Baba and the P Square brother.

M.I. has been in the game for 19 years, delivered 5 albums, 4 mixtapes, and 2 EPs and has featured in one compilation album since he kickstarted his career fully.

M.I. has won numerous awards, including bagging a BET award sometimes in 2010. The rapper who has showcased how iconic he is, has played major roles in the careers of stars like Brymo, Ice Prince, Jesse Jaggz, Blaqbonez, AQ and a lot of others.

Throughout his career, he has also been involved in quite several controversies, from feuding with Kelly Hansome over his lyrics on “fast money, fast cars.”

He also got dissed in a song by Iceberg Slim, which led to M.I. releasing “Somebody Wants to Die” with his label mate, Ice Prince which led to IceBerg releasing a more direct song he called “Assassination“. M.I. has also been involved in a feud with the king of Lafiaji himself, Vector.

M.I. “THE MOVIE” ALBUM

2010 saw M.I. release one of his most discussed albums to date. The prolific rapper released “THE MOVIE”, an album that was one of the most highly anticipated Projects of that year.

The album had every blow element from production to lyrical capacity and even the choice of features. M.I. was without any iota of doubt the biggest dawg in the game then, he could easily get any African superstar to jump on his record.

TOP SONGS ON THE MOVIE ALBUM

The Movie without any doubt has a lot of dope songs, however, these are some of the top songs on the project.

M.I Abaga – Number One FT Flavour

Number one was one of the most talked about tracks from the album. The song although boisterous, was well composed and put together.

Looking back 13 years later to what the song did for the culture and how many accolades the song received upon release, it is okay to agree that M.I. was number one.

On Number One where he featured eastern Nigerian Highlife superstar Flavour, the chorus which was delivered by Flavour himself depicts M.I as the number one rapper in Africa, what else do you expect from a rapper who will later take home a total of 5 highly coveted awards home.

M.I Abaga – Nobody FT TuFace

In 2010 having a record with 2baba was like having a record with Jay Z of the American Hip-hop industry.

The Benue State descent singer had everything from fanbase, swag down to being friends with every top politician in the country.

Nobody was prolific for many reasons, one being the level of star presence it held. The song also featured classic instrumentation and had a clear message.

Nigerian rapper, Dremo will later revisit the song in 2019 while recording a remake of his Reminisce Original song titled “Ajigijaga“.

M.I Abaga – Action Film Ft Brymo

Action Film is probably the song with the most resonating beat on the project. Brymo’s voice on the hook is easily the swiftest flow of delivery on the album. M.I. came in hard delivering his verses with a formula that can only be done better by Lil Wayne.

READ ALSO: Cassper Nyovest and Ryan Tedder Collaborate for ‘Sprite Limelight’ Season 2

The song showcases how big he has come from being down to make it to the top of the Nigerian Hip-Hop assembly and almost becoming the one to control the food chain.

You should check out this song today.

M.I Abaga Beef

Beef is where M.I. adorns all his opps with a well-put-together response. He calls out everyone from Iceberg Slim to Kelly Hansome. The prolific rapper will later dismiss reports about him beefing with these rappers, by saying they were just trying to make the rap scene pop.

M.I Abaga – Undisputed

Undisputed is our 5th pick on the project. On the record, M.I. adorns himself with praises. While rapping over a hook that sternly acclaims that nobody can do rap like him or deliver flows like him. M.I. is a huge fan of self-praise, as he flowed with a clear cadence while delivering on this record.

CONCLUSION

Without a doubt the whole “The Movie” album slaps, however, M.I. has probably not made an album like this one since releasing this in 2010. Although he has a better project, the level of self he puts into this project probably repeated itself when he released his Judah Ep in 2020.

The Movie album should be one of the starter packs for anyone looking to get into the Nigerian Hip-hop sound.

[Interview] LingaThe Boss Is Using The Powerful Force Of Music To Influence Her Generation

Tennessee based Zambian gospel rapper Linga TheBoss is making a name for herself in Christian rap. She recently just released her EP “One Of The Few”, this project features some of the best women in Christian Hip Hop and together they produce a sound that cannot be recovered from. On an interview with our gospel Editor James Uwe here are some of things she had to say.

So here’s Linga TheBoss. for the uninitiated.

Q: So for those who don’t know about you, and are hearing your name for the first time, who is Linga TheBoss., and what is the passion that drives you to music? 

A: I am a Christian rapper, based in Nashville, Tennessee! I’ve been an artist for the last 10 years and I love creating hip hop that is hype and energetic, and strive to write impactful lyrics with a motivational, positive message!  

Q: You recently just released your EP “One Of The Few”. What does “One Of The Few” mean and what led to the birth of this project?

A: My project, One Of The Few is based on the verse Matthew 7:13-14 which says “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and they way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few”.

I want to empower people to live lives marked by holiness and righteousness. I want to champion a generation that we CAN take the path that requires work— refinement and perseverance are necessary processes we need to go through to accomplish the things we are called to do. We don’t have to take the easy way; we can do hard things! So many people are focused on following the crowd, or following trends, and setting aside their standards in pursuit of platforms and influence.  Not us. We are willing to rebel against the status quo. We defy conformity in pursuit of what matters most: the things of God. Many are taking the wide and easy way… The path that leads to destruction. But this EP is for anyone who is willing to be one of the few; that takes the path that leads to life. 

Q: Why does the project “One Of The Few” have an all female future and do you think it has achieved its purpose thus far?

A: My project, One Of The Few, has all female features because, especially in light of women’s history month, I wanted to intentionally collaborate with the talented women in the Christian Hip Hop space who often get passed over or counted out. All my life I’ve been surrounded by incredible women who’ve inspired me and invested in me and I wanted to do the same with my debut EP. The women featured on my project are talented, and I believe the project will make waves, but more than that; I hope that the project will set an example to the men in our space that opportunities often go to first. I hope it reminds them we’re talented, we’re here, and we need them to make room for us. 

Q: What lessons have you learnt during the process of putting together this project?

A: I have learned to trust the vision that God has given me, even if others don’t understand. I’ve also learned to fight for my sound and advocate for myself when working with producers and designers— even when they have incredible expertise, I still get to voice my concerns and make sure that my artistic vision is being correctly depicted because at the end of the day, I have to be committed to the vision that God gave me.  

Q: What’s your favorite song of the EP and why?

A: My favorite song on the EP is “STILL STANDING”. The song was written after a super difficult season of my life that many people were convinced was going to break me or “take me out of the game” but God is faithful and he carried me through, and the song feels like a victory lap.  

Q: What are your expectations of this project and what do you hope it’ll achieve?

A: I want it to put Zambia on the map; being from Zambia, I know that it can sometimes seem like we can’t “make it out” of Zambia, let alone accomplish the things we dream of. I want every Zambian kid to see this project and realize; they can do anything! I want my project to spread hope! I want it to reach countries all over the world. I want my project to encourage people to trust their process and stay committed to the dreams and goals they’ve set out to accomplish; knowing that God will carry them through. 

Q: Is there a specific moment in your life so far that made you say, “I’m meant for this? I’m going to chase this music dream?”

A: I used to serve at a youth camp every summer where thousands of youth and young adults would come to encounter God, and I was always asked to perform at the camps, and people used to think we were just jumping around having fun and having a party but that I wasn’t impacting anyone — but week after week hundred of students would come and tell me they felt inspired by me, or impacted by the lyrics of my songs, or felt like they were motivated to follow God more passionately because of something I said on stage. I realized then; it’s not just hype— hip hop, when used correctly, can be a powerful force for good! 

Q: What’s the best part about being a young female artist?

A: The opportunity to influence a generation positively! I get to be part of the change I want to see in the world.

Q: What’s the worst part about being a young female artist and what change do you hope to see?

A: Sometimes I’m automatically underestimated just because I’m a young woman- I wish that more people would believe in us from the jump and see our potential. 

Q: What is your 5-year plan for music and artistry?

A: I want to continue to grow! I want to tour, release 2 more albums, and have a goal to put together a huge event/conference that is Christian Hip Hop focused and speaks to a generation in the language and music style that they understand best! I want to continue to release dope merch that is high fashion but also innovative and cool. 

Q: Anything else you’d like to add or say?

A: If you haven’t heard my new EP- listen to it now! And check out the music video for FINISH ft. Kidd Lee on my youtube channel! 

Q: Any advice or message for fellow artists?

A: Keep God first — keep your eyes focused on the vision God gave you, and invite trusted voices in, we can’t do life alone! 

Listen to One Of The Few below:

Follow the rapper on social media @lingatheboss

Shrap over the rest: The new sound of urban Kenyan rap

Rap music has transversed barriers to establish itself as one of the most popular genres in the world. This is attributed to its versatility and ability to inspire creative twists to the sound of artists dedicated to the craft.

As a culture, hip-hop has dramatically influenced the Kenyan music scene, giving birth to inventive sonic trends with a large young fanbase.

Shrap, a localization of Trap and drill, is one such trend that has been making waves on the scene. This vibrant part of Kenyan rap is driven by the rise of a new brand of creative artists representing the urban youth.

They intend to create a sound that resonates more with the local audience.

The pioneers, including Jovie Jovv, Musau and Boutross, describe the sound as a fusion of Swahili rap, trap and pop to represent Kenyan culture. It is designed to be blunt and hard-hitting with bravado and braggadocio while highlighting various aspects of Kenyan life equally. 

Jovie is credited with coining the phrase shraplife, referring to the use of sheng, the local slang language in the delivery of bars. His release of the hit song Kiasi established him as a significant wave to reckon with. With his laidback delivery and clever punchlines, Jovie emerged as one of the top shrap artists and cemented his place on the scene.

He refers to himself as the “Shrap OG”, and deservedly so, considering his immense contribution to the sound.

Boutross Munene is another notable artist determined to carry the sound to greater heights. A pioneer who has elevated himself to become the face of shrap music.

He began rapping at a young age before breaking out with hit songs such as shrap over the rest, yea yea, yea and Angela, among others. He is credited with manoeuvering the industry gatekeepers to establish himself as shrap’s most successful story.

His aptitude for catchy hooks and engaging storytelling with an alluring delivery made him an integral cornerstone of the subgenre, topping his peers. He is commonly referred to as the “ShrapGod.”

Ladies are also not to be left behind with representation from Groovy Jo. She is a dynamic and outspoken rapper who commands respect with her lyrical precision and refusal to self-censor.

Groovy has blessed shrap with her infectious energy, a rich vocal timbre and measured, audacious bars capped with a fantastic catalogue.

The subgenre is growing as more and more artists begin to explore the sound. With a vast collaborative potential, these rap artists are able to work with other diverse artists.

The pioneering collective created an event dubbed the ‘shrapnite’, bringing together all fans, artists and enthusiasts to celebrate the culture. One of the major successes is collaborating with the “nyege nyege festival”, a unique East African-themed event, to create an amazing showcase.

Artist Boutross on stage entertaining fans at the Nyege Nyege Festival.
Artist Boutross on stage entertaining fans at the Nyege Nyege Festival.

Shrap has yielded a culture of flamboyance and bravado that is centred on fashion and excellent rap. It, however, goes further to embed itself as a top voice in advocacy.

While themes of success, luxury and flashiness are consistently explored, the art goes further to speak on real issues facing the youth. It postures as a galvanising factor to bring young people together in addressing these issues.

The sound boasts of being authentic and homegrown with an appeal to the largest audience in the country, considering age. It has positively contributed to the country’s hip-hop culture, emerging from a crop of young artists eager to disrupt the industry’s setup.

It can be described as a way of life and expression for a majority of the young urban youth, making it a considerable force to reckon with in the country.

Hiphop Africa also shared an interesting update on “Immaculate Taste Presents #Sauce Featuring “The Best Rappers In Africa.”

Read more: Shrap over the rest: The new sound of urban Kenyan rap

WOMAN CRUSH WEDNESDAY: Femcee-Evangelist, B.O.U.Q.U.I

Our WCW is the legendary Nigerian femcee from the 2000s. Bouqui or B.O.U.Q.U.I (pronounced Bukky) is a Nigerian-American rapper, singer, songwriter, on-air personality, fashion designer and author. Born Bukola Folayan on February 18, 1979, Bouqui was one of the premier female rappers on the Nigerian hip hop scene in the 2000s alongside Sasha P, Blaze and Kel. She won the Award for Best Female Act at the 2007 Award for Music Excellence in Nigeria (AMEN) with her self titled debut album.

The femcee who is popular for her works with Nigerian gospel music group Midnight Crew, also garnered nominations for Revelation of the Year and Best Rap Album at The Headies 2007.

Her video for the single ‘Take You Away,’ won the award for Best Mainstream Video at the 2010 Nigerian Music Video Awards (NMVA).

These days, at 44 years old, Bouqui has let the rapping take a backseat and is more focused on evangelism She was ordained as a Reverend in March 2019 in the United States and is presently the youth pastor of Victory Christian Fellowship in Delaware.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Bouqui began hosting an Instagram Live session titled, Bouqui’s Place, where she has interviewed notable Nigerian celebrities including MI Abaga, Waje, Stella Damasus, Ruggedman and more.

In April 2022, her first book titled My Naked Part was published. In May 2022, the femcee-evangelist graduated with a PhD in Marketing, Advertising and Faith-based Initiative from HBI University, Connecticut.

This made her the first notable African rapper to obtain an academic doctorate degree.

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Myk Millah: The Newtown Rapper With Big Dreams

Micheal Ackah Blay popularly known in his city as Myk Millah is a young rapper and songwriter born in Newtown Accra, Ghana. The city is known as a tough places to grow up and thus it breeds talents and hardworking creatives which has been evident over the years, Accra Newtown has produced arguably the biggest artist in Ghana over the years in Shatta Wale and more young artist are following suit as chasing their dreams and Mike Millah is one of the few pushing his craft to the top.

The rapper who put out an anthem to promote his hood, just released the remix almost a year after the original song and it features La meme Gang’s $pacely and RJZ.

The Anthem Accra Newtown has been received with open arms in the city as they stair up the young rapper and show support to him for promoting his craft and his community.

The young rapper released his debut EP OLIVER TWIST on February 25, 2023 and the 4 track EP features the remix to his hood anthem Accra New Town. Listen below on Spotify

Activities in the hood all the time, encouraged me to do something telling everyone about my hood and how proud I am to be here. Music being my only option, I decided to do a song and title it Accra Newtown.

Myk Millah

Follow the rapper on social media below to stay in touch

Insta: _mykmillah
Tiktok: mykmillah666
Twitter: myk_millah

Ntatao Premieres U.N.I Know Music Video

Ntatao revisits Fighting Futility, his project from late August 2022 with a music video for the Alex Sono-assisted song, U.N.I Know.

The Lesotho-born rapper, having caught my attention just last year, is on a steady rise to mainstream popularity, helping carry Lesotho rap to new heights.

Released this past Sunday, the rapper’s latest visuals are shot in a wooded park where he, Alex Sono (who also directs the video), and his cameo crew perform the song surrounded by tall trees and a field of grass.

Ntatao recently appeared in the Circus EP by fellow Lesotho rapper, Circus Recipe. He’s also just been announced as the next emcee to be featured in the Sotra Cyphers premiering on Monday, 8 May on the SPeeKa RSA YouTube channel.

We look forward to seeing more of him on our screens and in our playlists.

Watch his new music video below:

Odumodublvck Bags Another A-List Collaboration, with Joeboy and BNXN

It’s been less than a month since ‘Declan Rice’ broke records on its way to number one on the Nigerian Apple music charts, and had the whole country on a chokehold. Nigerian alternative rapper Odumodublvck has been enjoying the spotlight with Zlatan’s new single ‘Oganigwe’ where he is featured alongside another Nigerian alternative rapper Jeriq.

The self proclaimed ‘Ekelebe Stunna’ still has no plans of slowing down as he took to his IG to share a screenshot of a file that suggests an upcoming collaboration between himself and Nigerian singers Joeboy and BNXN, formerly known as Buju.

The Igbo traditional bucket hat wearing rapper is known for his large catalogue of collaborations, so it’s no surprise he has just bagged another one of 5hose bad boys.

Nigerian social media has been buzzing since the revelation that the collab will drop on the 19th of May, 2023.

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OdumoduBlvck Links Up With Flavour In The Studio

Flavour

OdumoduBlvck has continued to be all over the place, but in a positive way. The New school Nigerian rap king was recently spotted in the studio, recording with Highlife singer, Flavour.

It is no doubt he is gearing up to release his new EP, however, his choice of artiste to work with has so far been applaudable.

A record with Flavour will not only become a hit but will have the potential of being accorded an evergreen status, especially in the eastern part of Nigeria.

In the video he shared online, Legendary producer, Masterkraft was also spotted in the studio with them.

READ ALSO: Odumodublvck Bags Another A-List Collaboration, with Joeboy and BNXN

Fans trooped to Odumodu’s page to celebrate him and Flavour making a record. The Prolific rapper has continued to prove that he is here to stay.

Since blowing up he has recorded with the likes of Wale, Fireboy as well, and Wanlov The Kubolor.

OdumoduBlvck’s EP is expected out before the summer of this year and has so far shown that the EP is something to watch out for.

Let’s keep our hands crossed and watch what the superstar stores for us.

PsychoYP Shares His Favorite Song At The Moment

PsychoYP Godfather

Nigerian Hip-hop superstar PsychoYP took to Twitter recently to share his favourite song at the moment.

Surprisingly, PsychoYP is feeling Davido’s GodFather. GodFather is a record of the Afrobeat singer’s new Timeless album.

The record which boasts of a super alarming instrumentation has been a favorite for a lot of people since the project dropped.

PsychoYP is known to never joke with his production and is highly respected by fans for his beat selections, a perspective that Davido also takes very important.

READ ALSO: Youngsta CPT Drops Freestyle on AKA’s ‘Mbuzi Freestyle’ Instrumental

It will surely be a great deal if PsychoYP and Davido linked up to make music in the future, especially because they both share a lot in common.

They both started making music commercially at a very young age and have both been able to climb up the ladders of success in their various genres.

Let’s keep a close tab and see what the future holds. After all, they share a few common friends in Dremo and Zlatan.

Youngsta CPT Drops Freestyle on AKA’s ‘Mbuzi Freestyle’ Instrumental

Cape Town’s finest emcee and lyricist Riyadh, most popularly known as Youngsta CPT has hopped on the instrumental of the late AKA’s ‘Mbuzi Freestyle,’ one of the most energetic and lyrically fueled songs on the late emcee’s posthumous album ‘Mass Country,’ to drop a freestyle of his own.

‘I am Kiernan’s revenge’ the 31-year-old rapper rapped in a bid to honour the slain SA hip hop legend who was assassinated on the night of February 10, 2023, on Florida road, Durban.

The track ‘Bok Freestyle’ is full of lyrical punches like the few quoted below.

“No disrespect to the friends and the family, I know that you mourning in private. If we were with Kiernan that night and they shoot him? I’m telling you now there is more of us dying!!!”

“Nadia and Kiernan could have been the Carters… we all know Kiernan is the Goat…

Youngsta and Kiernan had worked together in 2019 on the song ‘Main Ous’ and always showed each other mutual love and support in the industry.

The ‘For Coloured Girls’ rapper has also released the track, titled Benni McCarthy, dedicated to Benni McCarthy, in memory of AKA.

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