Hip-Hop Today.

Looking at the present state of Nigerian Hip-Hop and comparing it to the days when the likes of Mode9, M.I, Terry, Ikechukwu, NaetoC, DaGrin, Jagz were all in their prime, dishing out first rate Hip-Hop material; one would say the bubbly era of Nigerian Hip-Hop is gone.

The Hip-Hop faithfuls miss those days and occasionally, they make attempts to revive the culture. In 2017, a lot has been done in the hope of reawakening the Hip-Hop spirit of the Nigerian music industry.

Here is a list of 5 defining moments of Nigerian Hip-Hop in 2017

1. M.I Controversial Verse On Fix Up Your life

Like Kendrick Lamar’s 2013 Control verse, M.I’s Fix up your life verse turned the Nigerian Hip-Hop table and it got people talking about the state of rap music in the country. Majority are of the view that Nigerian Hip-Hop is dying, fingers were pointed at the rappers and their blame is for compromising the quality of their music for commercial acceptance.

Hip-hop stakeholders gave defensive explanations, popular rappers feigned ignorance while the young cats raised their hands. In the end, M.I shook the Nigerian Hip-Hop community and got people talking, suggesting and brewing hope of a renaissance.

2. Osage Alonge & M.I Hip Hop conversation

The exchange of views between M.I Abaga and Editor-in-chief of Pulse NG, Osagie Alonge, had a major impact on the Hip-Hop community and the entertainment industry as a whole.

It was a discourse between an entertainer and a journalist. Using majorly, satires and sarcasm, M.I stressed the importance of the media and how it can be used to promote the African culture and although Osagie agreed with M.I’s point, he emphasised the need for African entertainers to play their part by putting out quality materials for the media to promote.

The bottom line of the conversation between the two revered figures, which happened on an episode of the Loose Talk Podcast is that there is a need for the entertainment industry and the media to share a healthy relationship.

3. The importance of YCEE’s Juice to Nigerian HipHop

YCEE’s Juice is the silver lining for the dark cloud of Nigerian Hip-Hop in 2017. In a year that saw only few Hip Hop records on major labels and even these few tracks got bounced off the charts hastily, YCEE’s Juice stood out as a major statement for the Nigerian Hip-Hop culture.

The commercial success of the song holds promise for Hip-Hop music in Nigeria and it sets a good example for rappers looking to balance commercial appeal with musical quality.

4. M.I- Vector Social Media Spat

Perhaps the only popular rapper to openly reject M.I’s criticism is V.E.C. Vector’s reaction to M.I’s Loose Talk interview, created a tensed atmosphere between the two rappers on social media and it almost turned into a face-off, if only M.I wouldn’t restrain himself from attacking a battle-ready V.E.C.

So many people have said that a Vector-M.I collaboration is the best Nigerian Hip-Hop track that never happened. I think the bloodiest Nigerian Hip-Hop beef that never happened is a Vector vs M.I beef.

The two represent the best of two generation of Nigerian Hip-Hop and we, the fans, almost had the show of the year.

5. 2017 Hennessy Cypher

The annual rap battle has become part of the Nigerian Hip-Hop culture. The Hennessy Cypher has become a platform for popular rappers, up and coming wordsmiths and the aspiring rhyme spitters to congregate in the spirit of Hip-Hop.

At the Hennessy Cypher arena, the best of Nigerian rap is put on display and for the year 2017, the platform produced the likes of Blaqbonez and Tentik who have been tipped to lead Nigerian Hip-Hop to the promise land.

Written by Ogbeni Lagbaja

Ogbeni Lagbaja is a character created by a man who used to be an atheist; a man who was once in love, a man who once doubted himself. He can be reached via writelagbaja@gmail.com