A-Q's bleeds his heart out on "The Definition" EP

Artiste – A-Q

Record Label – Hustle Ink (2016)

Duration - 17 minutes

“Rest in peace old Shady, Rest in peace Nomoreloss, now we feel no more loss.” A-Q comes in on a somber note as he opens ‘The Definition EP’.

Last year A-Q saw a lot of activity in his corner, most of it self-inspired. He dropped a mixtape , a project he wrote his heart into. He fixed the price at N50 and held a Hip-hop concert in Lagos. That concert packed considerably underground Hip-hop heads in the industry. In an industry where genre-specific audiences are dwindling, and radio sounds are king, A-Q continues to push, perspiring for a shift in audience mindset, rappers’ mentality and industry politics. He returns this year with a first project, one which is meant to serve as a warmup for more activity.

AQ’s mixtape discography is impressive. He has 6 mixtapes and EPs, all of them interspersed between 2006 and 2016, a colossal 10-year duration. All of those years have been peppered with conversations on the movement, and the influence of Hip-hop. He is black, he is flagrant, and his is explosive.

The rapper waxes conscious on ‘Dasuki’s Gate, a remake of M.I Abaga’s ‘The Box’ off his “Illegal Mixtape 3”. Here he is most comfortable, expressing anger and frustration at an anti-people governing system in Nigeria that allows for the powerful to reap illegal benefits, at the expense of the governed. ‘Rose is Coming’ also hits some this fact, but spreads its net through a number of wrongs – unjustly muredered friend, religion, social media’s distortion of truth and many others.

Thematic reality makes for interesting listen as a ferocious delivery from A-Q and Jayso become hustlers, dreamers and defenders on ‘God bless the hustle’. As with so many projects of rough-edged Hip-hop delicacy, it’s built on deep-seated discontent and self-esteem issues. That’s why the best work of this album is a brilliant narcissistic reassurance of skill and relevance – ‘Legendary’. ‘The Definition’ falls along this path too.

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