Local Rappers: Meet The Artists That Buried Real Hip Hop In Nigeria

The year is 2015. Reminisce – back to present, please – was very hot.

A time when Olamide was the hottest on the Nigeria-planet, and the freshest out of Lagos. Phyno, too, was King.( Assuming Enugu is a Kingdom.) And, yeah, indigenous hip hop was at it’s peak. Then, these three rappers – at least, rappers, then – took advantage of all these to bury our beloved hip-hop. Why?

Some people tagged them “Local Rappers,” and this didn’t go down well with any of them, especially Reminisce – who at that time, had his stuffs go international. Olamide was shuttin’ down London, too – and Eko Hotel. And, Phyno, in his own right, was King. Ezege,  Beast of the East. Seriously, it’s awkward tagging them “local.” Indigenous was already enough, and a lot of rappers out of here rap in their dialect. Local, has to do with the demography – grab your dictionary – of people listening to their music, and in this case, it wasn’t suitable. For a man, who could go in and win Best Rap Album at The Headies, or someone whose album landed on The Billboard -this means they’re listening to it in the U.S. Understood. BUT, is that an enough reason for “Local Rappers ?”

Like, Reminisce took a hip hop beat, and brought Olamide and Phyno – then, best rappers in their territory – to come and do the funeral of hip hop. If only Uriah knew what was in the letter David sent through him, he won’t have delivered it. Uh? I mean, “Local Rappers” should never have become a hit. But, can we help it… Alaga, Baddo and Ezege ?

Reminisce came on in angry tellin’ them to call him number one. Then, he went over to say a slang – which later became popular when Olamide threw shots at Jazzy at The Headies 2015 – ; “Street ti take over,” then he added “Tucking in o jawo mo” which I interpret to mean; “Decency doesn’t pay any more!” And, he fuvked everything up when he spat out; “Wordplay o Jaworski mo.” What does this mean?  A rapper, renowned one, came to tell us “wordplay” – one of the most widely used devices in hip-hop, doesn’t pay again.  Actually, it’s a synecdoche, and wordplay represents hip-hop. Look at that? Then he went on and delivered a hot verse which capitalizes on the fact that street pays over hip hop – his latest hits shouldn’t come as a surprise, then?

And, you know what?
He ended with a very humorous and witty line; “Awon fans ti jara won, n***a, won ti bo pampers.” Who else noticed the Metaphor?

Then Olamide came, Jesus. This guy can rap! And that skraaaaa, that now reminds me of Big Shaq ? Then, he boasted, there are many commercial s*x workers (Olosho), always waiting for an opportunity to jump at him. Point is, even as a yoruba rapper, he’s freakin’ rich! BUT, I don’t really mind

If he’s rich, if he didn’t say; “Punchline o jawo mo,” seriously he said it ? Olamide issa king, and his pronouncements are final, and I guess his declaration killed hip-hop in Nigeria?  OK, maybe hip-hop isn’t dead! But, the fact that they’re mentioning “Wordplay,” and “Punchline,” actually means they’re against that intelligent and lyrical part of hip hop? Why
should they gang up, and do this? Just ‘cos they were tagged “Local
Rappers!”

Phyno came and added his own flavour (pun intended!), and finishing touches, making it a balanced equation. He rapped hard, buttressing the fact that lyrical hip-hop doesn’t pay, up to doing what the street says. That’s why hardcore rappers are broke!

And, things never remained the same for hip-hop in Nigeria, anymore. This is what y’all should expect when Reminisce, Olamide and Phyno, join forces to do stuffs. For instance, if they all released a reply to M.I‘s “YouRappers Should Fix Up Your Lives!” Well… the rest will be his story!

By Tylz, aka Quasar, aka @tylzdavinci!!!