DJ Spinall heats up pop music in "My Story"

Artiste - DJ Spinall

Guest Appearances - Ojokoro Mass Choir, M.I, Byno, 2face Idibia, Wande Coal, Niniola, Reminisce, Sojay, Kimz, Olamide, Yimaya, Mafikizolo, Ice Prince, Tekno, Rayce, Wande Coal, Burna Boy, yemi Alade, Sean Tizzle, Pheelz

Producers- Spinall, Spellz, Don L37, D’Tunes, J-Fem, E-Kelly, Pheelz, Drey Beatz, Tekno, Killertunes

Record Label - State Of Mind Entertainment (2015)

Duration - 53 minutes

DJ Spinall has the wind in his sails right now. Coming in from his trip to SXSW, down to his recent lucrative endorsement deal with Smirnoff, he is a man who the heavens have smiled on, and his efforts at music are on a good path.

But it hasn’t always been this way for TheCAP. His journey to this place has been one of hardwork, twists and turns, with stints at Eko FM, Ray Power FM, and Beat FM. DJ Spinall has shown doggedness at every point through this travel.

“My Story” is the culmination of this journey to the top. It has been arduous, rocky, there have been bumps and potholes, but Spinall has persevered, held onto his focus, and come out smiling through it all, his prize in his hand, and on our playlist.

A 20-track work which scratches the essence of Nigerian music, and takes form with each track, “My story” seeks to move past the hampering practice of DJs showing preference to A-list artistes for collaborations. The talents on it are spread through the grades. The labels A-list, B-list, C-list, and more fail to matter here. Everyone gets a place at Spinall’s table.

The work kicks off rather sonorously with a short title track which samples the great Protestant hymn, ‘My story’ which captures the journey to this point. M.I and Byno then dovetail on the next track ‘Oluwa’, a trap cut. This ushers in play time for the giants 2face Idibia and Wande Coal, who serenade on ‘Money’.

There’s more heavy-hitting collaborations, with Reminisce guiding the hands of his prodigy Sojay, and Kimz through ‘Fiyenle’. Ice Prince happily flows through Mafikizolo’s exotic magic on ‘The Way’. Such is the beauty of the collaborations on this project. There’s balance, progression, and a melding of talents.

Individualist performances from the acts then take over, with many coming to the table with their best foot forward.

Like a couple of its predecessors, ‘Excuse me’ has more in common with the current club singles upon which Nigeria’s pop culture rests. If anything, the connection to other songs stretching back to Timaya’s personal hits is even more evident, and it is currently making its way through charts as one of the singles. ‘Attendance’ is built on a muscular bass groove and a kick, with Olamide’s vocals doing backflips over the top.

If anyone is making more vibrant Dance tracks right now, they’re keeping very quiet about it. ‘Shoutout’ with Wande Coal has been championed by the public and it’s not hard to see why. The progressive rhythm, smooth keys and vocals smartly resides up there with the best from Africa. ‘Pepper dem’, meanwhile, takes the vibe further with some Yemi Alade signature vocal movements, strummed guitar and close harmonies.

This album is a win for Nigeria’s pop movement, as it offers genuine contributions to our feel-good moments. On a personal angle, it is a victory for DJ Spinall who has through hard work, belief and consistency, told his tale of music and parties with this project. This album is a teachable project for the industry; Focus and get the story right.