Album: W.E.E.DArtiste: SolidstarGuests: 2face Idibia, Timaya, Mr Eazi, Patoranking, Tiwa Savage, Zoro, Jojo, Falz, Phyno, Flavour, Diamond Platnumz, Oritsefemi, Duncan Mighty, Reminisce, Davido, Attitude, Small Doctor, HarrysongProducers: Pbanks, KukuBeat, Del’B and OrbitDuration: 68 MinutesRecord Label: Achievas Entertainment (2016)
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It’s almost inexplicable why Solidstar is underrated. The singer is a hit-machine who have had immense success churning nationally accepted singles and underground hits. With one foot in the contemporary Highlife sounds, and the other in Dancehall, he carries his music admirably.
But all of these has failed to make him a more recognized star, a status that he deserves based on the strength of his music and the acceptance that his records enjoy. At every point in the past 5 years, there has been a solid Solidstar song on radio, elbowing its way through spins and playlists, screaming to be adored and bumped to. Right now, it’s the refix of ‘Wait’, a record that features Patoranking and Tiwa Savage, and stands as the brightest point of this album.
It is this Dancehall and Highlife that the singer sticks to all through “W.E.E.D” project. Solidstar sticks along his comfort zones, maintaining a one-dimensional bounce and flow, which seldom leaves the mid-tempo confines.
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Staying within his optimal environment gives him both highs and lows. This style is imperious as a novelty in opener ‘Emergency’, and finds new ways to play with syncopation on the Mr Eazi assisted “Trigger Me’. But he sounds comfortable and languid on ‘Legit’ a song that based on his collaborators (Phyno and Flavour) would have been a surefire hit on paper. You could taste this complacency on many records, but it becomes minimalist art on Duncan Mighty-assisted ‘Sharp’.
He does this every featured guest on this project, as they are forced to conform to the template of the work imposed on them. This inevitably fails to inspire them, bringing out ordinary performances from them. Zoro is brief and tepid on ‘Ebelebe’, but Falz just about registers a good verse on ‘Mama’. Just.
There are brilliant flashes of what could have been if the comfort zone was shunned. Diamond Platnumz flies in from Tanzania with a verse on the sweltering ‘Money’, which is aided by a welcome increase in tempo. ‘Elegba’ has Small Doctor, and rapid dynamism. Sadly, this is rare on an album, that will take pride in being a ‘mid-tempo’ standard.
Solidstar has reached a place in his artistry where he has defined lines, rules of engagement, instrumentation preference, genre idiosyncracy and tempo-addiction. He brings all of this on this project and wields a tight control on the creative process, with 18 songs (out of 21) produced by PBanks. But the final product is one dimensional, and sometimes, too monotonous to make a lasting impact.
Rating – 3
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1-Dull2-Boring2.5-Average3-Worth Checking Out3.5-Hot4-Smoking Hot4.5-Amazing5-Perfection
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