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It was almost inevitable that award-winning rapper OdumoduBlvck would have to defend his position as the protagonist of Nigerian hip hop.
After rising to mainstream success, becoming a superstar, and rubbing shoulders with the leaders of Nigerian pop music, the rapper and his hypermasculine flows, genre-bending melodies, and heavily domesticated writing have taken Nigerian hip hop to new heights.
With great power comes not only great responsibility but also great adversity. For OdumoduBlvck, adversity is a fuel he draws from.
He battled and triumphed over opposition in Abuja. He has matched and outwitted social media trolls. However, friend turned foe, Blaqbonez, presents a different type of adversity.
The beef between both rappers is getting more heated with Blaqbonez teaming up with Nigerian rap veteran A-Q to release the record ‘Who’s Really Rapping’, which aimed clear shots at OdumoduBlvck.
The beef has generated the expected giddiness from fans who are thrilled at the prospect of two of Nigeria’s leading rappers battling.
However, this clamour for a rap battle begets the question: Does Nigerian hip hop need a rap beef?
Does Nigerian hip hop need a rap beef?
Rap beefs are a core part of hip hop. The history of rap music in America is intertwined with black political consciousness, which births defiance and confrontation. On the other side is the harsh realities of the lives of the socially disadvantaged black population, which led to street, gang, and prison culture whose common denominator is respect, honour code, and interminable disputes.
Rappers battle for sport, glory, and pride. This is the same in Nigerian hip hop, where several iconic rappers have duelled over both musical and personal reasons.
In an industry dominated by pop music, hip-hop rap beefs among mainstream stars are among the few moments the genre and community get their time in the sun.
Nigeria’s foremost pop culture curator, Ayomide Tayo (AOT2), points out that rap beefs are vital in shaking up the scene and spurring creativity.
“The rap beef can shake things up and spur creativity. We need more rappers to wake up and stop being lukewarm,” while AOT2 appreciates the impact of these beefs, he also insists it must be in the interest of the culture.
Another renowned voice in Nigerian music media WhoIsTunde also think the current beef could do Nigerian hip hop some good by awakening fans interest in the genre.
“A lyrical heavyweight clash in the Nigerian hip hop might be what is needed to shake up the scene. People who hadn’t cared about bars in years were suddenly quoting lyrics, picking sides, and dissecting punchlines, and that kind of energy is good for the game, especially in a country where hip-hop music is not the main genre.”
Hip Hop podcaster and a prominent figure in Nigerian hip hop, Day Genius, is particularly excited about the beef. |
“It’s human nature. People love competition because it’s entertaining. When the biggest rapper engages in a beef, more people, even outside Nigeria, also get interested in the music. Rap beef has given us iconic rappers and songs, so it’s always exciting.”
Undoubtedly, OdumoduBlvck and Blaqbonez's beef will bring attention to the rap scene, and attention is premium currency in this era of digital consumption.
Culture Journalistic Chinonso Iheakire believes that Nigerian hip hop could use a beef but it needs far more than that.
“Nigerian hip hop needs the drama, but there needs to be more. There’s a need for creativity and inclusion”.
Nigerian hip-hop can use rap beef as a jump-start. However, it needs more than that to keep the genre running in the mainstream.
Last year, there was some sort of beef among Nigerian rappers that even spilled into Ghana, yet it had no tangible impact on the scene or the careers of the respective participants.
Hence, the question that interests this writer and should interest Nigerian rap fans is how mainstream attention can be sustained beyond the rush of rappers battling.
What Does Nigerian Hip Hop Really Need?
Today, Nigerian hip hop has been reduced to a constantly shrinking handful of mainstream stars at a time; this was not always the case.
There was a time when rap stood next to pop, both in popularity and number of stars. Rap disses could launch the careers of new stars, and rap beefs had far larger impact than they currently do.
Rap music is currently thriving in the East thanks to the same domestication that has allowed it to flourish in the West. The hip hop community must end its purist warfare against the indigenous rappers whose skill has interpreted the music for the appreciation of the average listener.
To reclaim its position, Nigerian hip hop needs to build stronger communities that draw from regional strength to combine for a national front.
When rap dominated the scene, it had structures to support and amplify the music. These structures must be rebuilt with a deliberate focus on attracting a new generation of participants.
While the music might not be dominating the mainstream, core communities provide support that drives creativity, events, and economic opportunities. Perhaps, this is a lesson hip hop can learn from the Alternative music whose community has contributed significantly to OdumoduBlvck’s success. This is without mentioning the legendary rap duo SDC, who are tall figures of the alte community.
This writer would go as far as to say, the Alternative music community is better positioned to break out the next hip hop star. One only needs to look at the crop of rappers aligning with the Alte community to appreciate that an achieved blend of mainstream/street elements into their music will likely deliver a big moment.
The hip-hop community in Nigeria needs to ask deep questions about its identity, which is often subject to inconsequential debate about purity.
Perhaps this is why the biggest stars who should align with hip-hop have instead pitched their tent with pop stars. While mass attention and funding are the lead motivations, the constant dismissal of their status as rappers couldn’t have been very encouraging.
A shortage of investment is the overarching challenge of Nigerian hip hop. Investors would only pour money into genres that command mainstream demand, and hip hop is sadly not currently top of that list, albeit OdumoduBlvck is enjoying huge commercial success.
Navigating this challenge requires building communities while aligning with rappers who have successfully domesticated the sound for commerciality.
Rap beefs are a core part of hip-hop culture. It’s thrilling and provocative. While Nigerian hip hop could use this rush, it needs more. It deserves more because all that Afrobeats is today is owed in no small part to Nigerian hip hop.