Portable’s sophomore EP is titled after his breakout single, ‘Zazuu Zeh.’ His debut EP was his effort, Wanted.
Portable’s sophomore EP, ‘Zazuu Zeh’ showcases his incredible talent, but screams for proper structure [Pulse Review]
He’s definitely more talented than street legend, Small Doctor. He just needs a little direction.
Nigerian artist Portable [Instagram/PortableOmolalomi1]
Inbred in Portable is a depth of talent that seems honed and perfected through street freestyle, busking and years of practice. A cursory look through his social media pages, and one would find freestyles, where he just keeps going and going. As acts like Wande Coal, Burna Boy, Lojay and more have proven, the true hallmark of lamba is the ability to never go dry.
Portable might not belong in that class of talent yet, but his natural talent suggests that he could be. He sounds like a classic Fuji or Apala singer in Contemporary Afro-pop, by way of Rap music, which explains his technique, rhyme schemes and cadences.
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Yet, his music is an acquired taste, because most people can’t process the slang and lingo of his lyrics. However, when you understand what he’s saying, you know that he’s actually coherent.
That said, his sophomore EP is a forgettable effort that belongs in the deepest parts of Narnia, never to be seen again. After ‘Zazuu Zeh,’ the pressure on him increased with visibility. So did expectation and a benchmark for quality, which was far off on this EP.
Characteristically, Portable has depth and lyrical coherence, even when he becomes inventive on a track like ‘Gasolo,’ but the overall musical output itself lacks great production, great sound engineering and a great A&R. Overall, his topics are filled with gratitude, aspirations and the good life, filled with women, women, partying and great cars.
While the EP sees Portable appreciate his journey so far, the persistence with aspirational themes, suggest that he understands that he's only growing, and hasn't reached his peak.
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But it feels like Portable and his team lack direction and a sense of quality. Thus, they just went into his archive to pull out whatever was there, with no understanding of standards of quality.
The sad part is that records like ‘My Way’ and ‘Oro Owo’ could have been great with better production and better sound engineering. ‘Gasolo’ could have been another hit, with better sound engineering. Put Portable in a room with great producers, great sound engineers and a great A&R for months, and he will make magic.
That’s the biggest takeaway from this forgettable EP. Despite all his quotables, the music is nothing to write home about. However, there’s still a chance for Portable, if he gets a great team that can actually help him make music.
He’s definitely more talented than street legend, Small Doctor. He just needs a little direction.
Ratings: /10
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• 0-1.9: Flop
• 2.0-3.9: Near fall
• 4.0-5.9: Average
• 6.0-7.9: Victory
• 8.0-10: Champion
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Pulse Rating: /10
3.5/10 - Near Fall
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