On January 26, 2022, legendary Nigerian rapper, Reminisce, teased the title to his eponymous sixth studio album, Alaye To Seh Gogo with a new single.
Story behind Tetuila’s ‘Omode Meta,’ sampled on Reminisce's ‘Alaye Toh Se Gogo’? [Pulse Explainer]
The funniest thing, both artists were signed to Kennis Music throughout the early days of their beef, during which it had heat and social currency.
Eedris Abdulkareem, Reminisce and Tony Tetuila. (Punch/LesRoseRouge)
The BeatsByQue-produced record deftly and excellently samples ‘Omode Meta,’ the classic Tony Tetuila record, which features the legendary 2baba, who was only 27 at the time, with minimalist expertise. The record was released on his debut album, Morning Time, when he was an artist of the Kenny Ogungbe and Dayo Adeneye-led Kennis Music.
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After Reminisce released the record, he took to his Instagram page to write that, “Happy to be doing this one. It's a song that brings back so many memories as it allows me to speak on fair-weather friends, family, expectations of fans and changed priorities.
“Thanks to baba @kennyogungbe for Clearing the record SEAMLESSLY. And to the legends who gave us such an iconic track @tonytetuilaofficial & @official2baba 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 #ATSG is coming in hard!”
What’s the story?
1999 was the turning point in Nigerian music: a pivotal divide between the past, the present and future. It was the intersection between the Disco/Electro Pop-infused music of the 80’s, the R&B-Hip-Hop-led sound of the present and the Pop sound of the future. It was a moment that merged all three eras into one and showed a clear picture of where Nigeria was headed.
The late 80’s and early 90’s saw a lot of US and UK returnees start businesses that pioneered and revolutionized Nigerian entertainment - but in this case, Nigerian music. A lot of this had to do with the dysfunctional post-military state of Nigeria, that scared foreign investors and foreign labels away. It left a huge gap in Nigerian music, which Storm Records and Kennis Music duly explored and succeeded.
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More on this when Ayo Shonaiya and Bankulli release their respective documentaries.
In the 90’s, boy/girl bands/groups were the in-thing in Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop and Rock. And it duly translated to Nigerian music. People like Daddy Showkey were initially in groups. By the mid-90s, Kennis Music launched The Remedies and Plantashun Boiz, groups which changed the course of Nigerian music forever.
The Remedies consisted of Eedris Abdulkareem - who was a Kaduna transplant in Lagos, looking to make a living through music, Tony Tetuila - who was a university star that was seemingly on the cusp of making it in music and Eddy Montana - a good looking act, who cemented the group.
Abdulkareem was the gruff and rap of the group, Tetuila was the not-so-great vocalist, who understood the art of making hit records while Montana was the silk, who blended it all together. Together, they became The Remedies. They got off to a flier with ‘Shakomo,’ which interpolated Michael Jackson’s classic, ‘Liberian Girl.’
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It was a Hip-Hop-infused Pop record about a transformation of fortunes. They then released Peace Nigeria, their debut album, which produced other songs like ‘Sade,’ ‘Belinda’ and ‘Yarinya.’
But in 1999, Tetuila left the group to launch a solo career and he was successful, and became one of Africa’s biggest artists of that time. Different sources reveal to Pulse that the group never really had the greatest personal chemistry, it was just built on mutual respect from an ability to potentially release hit records and achieve success together.
After that, Tetuila tapped Paul Play Dairo, to produce his debut album, ‘Morning Time,’ which became a success. The lead single to the album was ‘Omode Meta,’ a Hip-Hop record. Most importantly, the record kickstarted what became one of Nigeria’s greatest beef: Eedris vs. Tony Tetuila.
It was a straight up account of what happened to the group. ‘Omode Meta’ became one of the greatest posse cuts in the history of Nigerian Hip-Hop. Abdulkareem, who was also preparing for his debut album, released ‘Wackawikee MCs,’ a classic Nigerian Hip-Hop record, which dissed all the rappers that Tetuila featured on ‘Omode Meta.’
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Abdulkareem didn’t stop there. In the epilogue of ‘Wackawikee MCs,’ he called Tetuila’s name, “Yo Tony, you gotta thank God first and you gotta thank The Remedies. Without The Remedies, you ain’t sh*t. Plantashu Boiz, you gotta thank 2face. It’s the Plantashun, y’all n*ggas are the boys. Without 2face, there is no plantation. And you 2face, don’t let it get to your head.”
The beef extended into the 2000s. But first, during the pandemic, Paul Play told this writer that, “After I produced ‘Morning Time,’ Eedris and everybody also wanted me to produce their album, but I really couldn’t continue.”
Such was the Tetuila then resorted to his own calling on his 2002 hit record, ‘My Car.’
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He didn’t only call Eedris’ name, he had someone impersonate the star rapper by wearing his signature towel around their head. He then made that character play a character who bashed his car. In a satirical manner, Eedris’ character in the music video then started speaking ebonics.
Much later, the beef outlasted itself as both artists grew and more Nigerian stars became big.
The funniest thing, both artists were signed to Kennis Music throughout the early days of their beef, during which it had heat and social currency.
In the opening sequence of ‘Wackawickee MCs’ video, Eedris announced himself by reminding everybody of his beef with Tetuila. He then proceeded to refer to Tetuila and Montana as, “My brothers…”
Make of that what you will.
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Also importantly, Faze followed Tetuila’s blueprint with ‘Omode Meta’ to release ‘Faze Alone,’ his debut solo single, after the Plantashun Boiz split in 2004.
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