Singer delivers the most from Don Jazzy’s ‘Mavin 2.0’ project

When Don Jazzy unveiled his latest crop of recruits in 2014, few would have given Reekado Banks a chance. The boy had a rawness about him, looked street savvy, and contrasted sharply against his new peers. While Korede Bello had a Jheri-curl and stole the hearts of the ladies with a killer wink, and a hugely popular playful disposition, Di’Ja was exotic and novel in a way the industry wasn’t accustomed to. She quickly became a darling. These two had a head start that was not afforded to Reekado.

He was tipped in many quarters to be the least successful. He wasn’t exactly handsome in the real terms, with many people pointing out, rather shallowly, that he possessed the least physical appeal to make the market more accepting.

Then came the individual stands. Dija’s ‘Yaro’ sparked but failed to catch on. Korede Bello found a hard time getting his debut Mavin single – ‘African Princess’ – out in the sun. Reekado had a loose one with Tiwa Savage, titled ‘Turn it up’, which didn’t fly too.

But the talent was there. A hit machine, Reekado Banks is cut from the highest of artistic cloths. Versatile on the mic, with a commercial voice that just fits in with the dance scene in the country, and a head for finding melodies and killing hooks, the singer could blend with anything, everyone, and every song. That was his strength, and he knew how to use it. Songwriting was also his forte, as he penned some of the best moments from ‘Dorobucci’, ‘Looku looku’, and ‘Adaobi’, three songs which blew the collective.

But then personal projects needed more time and attention. And that is where Reekado has outshone his peers. Korede Bello can hold on to the phenomenal ‘Godwin’ as a good win, and ‘Romantic’ as a sleeper hit, but ‘Mungo Park’ and ‘Laye’ have not marked huge progress. Di’Ja scored heavy with ‘Aww’, and have since had other familial matters occupying her mind. That has affected her progress in the music industry and slowed down her momentum, and song release curriculum.

But Reekado Banks have been special. Super special. He has developed into a hit-machine. What makes Reekado special isn’t his ability to drop earth-shattering pop songs. He exists just below the top of the food chain, dropping B-list hit songs that have a longer staying power on radio, and has a lot of performance lifespan. Let’s read some out. ‘Chop am’, ‘Corner’, ‘Katapot’, ‘Sugar baby’, ‘Standard’, and ‘Oluwa ni’. That’s 6 solo hit songs, since his entrance, and it excludes all his collaborative works with other artistes.

That prolific streak has resulted in an album, “Spotlight”, the first project from the Mavin 2.0. It’s fitting that it came from Reekado Banks. Mavin Records is witnessing another superstar in the making, and one with the brightest prospects that can penetrate any front, and adapt to changes in the industry. They have their man now, and he is delivering for Mavin Records. Korede Bello and Di’ja are special talents in their right, but Reekado Banks is cut from ‘super special cloth’.