Mr 2kay creates a personal mainstream foundation in "Count It All Joy"

Artiste – Mr 2kay

Producers – Ayzed, Orbeat, Chordless, Teamsalut, Hans Mills,

Record Label – Grafton Entertainment (2016)

Duration - 32 minutes

A lot has happened for Mr 2kay, leading to this EP. The boy from the slums (waterside) of Port Harcourt was signed by Grafton Records, where via hardwork and dedication he hit the big time with ‘Bubugaga’.

That success was followed by his ‘Bad girl special’ hit song featuring Patoranking. While many thought he had reached his peak, he amped up the melody on the remix of the single with Seyi Shya and Cynthia Morgan providing the necessary power. Subsequent singles ‘Who no like better thing’, and the smash hit with Timaya ‘Moniegram’, has positioned him for true greatness.

9-song and possessing variety, ‘Count it all joy’, the title track of his EP puts all of these in perspective and inspires an infectious feeling of gratitude. This is the song for celebration and a track that cuts through every demographic. 2kay is a storyteller, that who internalizes the mundane happenings around him to make art. This tale-bearing is personal in ‘Count it all joy’, and he extends it to a conscious level in the melodious Highlife tune ‘Ladder’. The percussion is live as 2kay discusses about burning bridges, and not forgetting your past in your time of great success. ‘Who no like better thing’ is also the general gravitation of humans to material wealth over lofty ideals such love, hustle, and patience.

2kay’s storytelling is poignant. Here we have creation become entertainment become storytelling become lessons become emotion. 2kay entertains and educates via his conscious subjects and underlining moral lessons. And he makes it all become breezy, very danceable and fun on ‘Moniegram’.

Another theme of this work is love. It litters this work in many forms. 2kay comes through with a vacant dancehall romantic rhythm on the opener ‘In the morning’. “In the morning, na your face I love to see, girl you know, na your smile dey bright up my day.”

Love also comes through in the underwhelming ‘Wombolombo’, a song which Mr 2kay’s strengths are not suited. But he atones with with the bonus hit single ‘Bad girl special’ (remix).

The jewels of this EP are all thrown into ‘Woods’, a song that blends every side of Mr 2kay into a caressing joy of a single. 2kay brings love and storytelling together, on a slow tempo PBR&B track.

“Count It All Joy” is a balanced EP which panders to both conformist radio and independent, substance-driven music. 2kay takes on a record, evolving with each sound to fit into the dictates of mainstream demands while also retaining his strength and showmanship which has elements of South-South Nigeria. He offers everyone a range of his talents, and by this act, creates a solid foundation for his true launch into a musical force.

Rating: 3/5

Ratings

1-Dull

2-Boring

2.5-Average

3-Worth Checking Out

3.5-Hot

4-Smoking Hot

4.5-Amazing

5-Perfection