The evolution of rap in Nigeria

Just like in America, Hip-hop in Nigeria has passed through several phases over the years, with different actors and iconic moments.

The genre is believed to have gained its first footing on the motherland in the 80s with names like DJ Ron ‘Ronnie’ Ekundayo credited with recording the first rap album in the country, ‘‘The Way I Feel.’’ Then came groups like Emphasis and Sound on Sound which had singer, Mr. Kool as a member, but what they did wasn’t exactly rap, it was more of disco/Afro-funk sprinkled with a few rhyme impressions from some of their favorite acts.

As the 2000s came into view, America and Nigeria’s cultural exchange boomed even further after the switch from military rule to democracy. The music styles simultaneously grew, with Nigerian rappers mirroring their counterparts abroad. Rappers like Mode 9 and Ruggedman garnered massive airplay with songs like “Elbow Room” and “Baraje.” At this point, it was evident that hip hop had come to stay in the Nigerian music scene; the audience was there, and the record labels offered some support. However, while there was significant growth, rappers in the country were more or less cult figures compared to their pop and afrobeats counterparts. All of this changed when M.I Abaga came on to the scene with his album Talk About It in 2008. For the first time, a rapper had found the perfect balance between first-class lyricism and commercial appeal. Incorporating pop into his songs through his hooks and flows while remaining true to the hip hop tenets like rhymes and punchlines, he pushed rap consumption past the usual market into new demographics. In one sweep, he was loved by hip-hop heads and pop-loving fans at the same time

Then sometime in 2002, Michael Ugochukwu Stephens popularly known as Ruggedman appeared and tore the landscape of Nigerian hip-hop. With his single ‘Ehen pt 1,’ Ruggedman not only went to war with top tier artists like Eedris, Rasqie, Maintain and then power label, Kennis Music, but he also kicked off a phase in Nigerian music, where what was being said actually mattered.

With support and platform, more names became prominent. From members of the Swat Root clique [Modenine, Terry Tha Rapman, OD, SixFootPlus, Rule Clean, Pherowshuz], who held it down for Abuja to Dr. Fresh, Abounce, KageThaGrimChild, K Show and Six O, Kemistry, Bouqui, Da Trybe, Big Lo, The NDT squad that had Magnum, Cashino and D’Black, Nuff Noyz, The Kaliphates, Sauce Kid, Naeto C and Ikechukwu, with majority enjoying some measure of success.

Then came 2008, another landmark year in Nigerian hip-hop, as it was the year that saw the coming of the short black boy, M.I Abaga. M.I dropped his single ‘Safe’ and Hip-hop became an unsafe terrain for other rappers.

2010 was yet another pivotal year in this evolution. It was the year that Ice Prince who for years was the golden boy of rap introduced himself with ‘Oleku’, but more notably, it was the year that we lost Da Grin and the year that Olamide emerged. ‘Ibile United’, initially captained by the likes of U.K based rapper A.Y and Lord of Ajasa soon took over the baton and has never looked back since then.

Again, that era ushered in the arrival of fresh names like Vector, Reminisce, Yung 6ix, Jesse Jagz, Show Dem Camp, Teeto, Kel, Phyno, Iceberg Slim, late Mc Loph and more.

Fast forward 2019 and Rap is Nigeria has again gone through further stages in its quest to determine what exactly works or doesn’t, this time getting fractured in the process. Indigenous rappers like Olamide and Phyno are two of commercially successful names on every list, a vibrant generation of emcees like Blaqbonez, Boogey, Paybac, Poe, Erigga, Falz, Lil Kesh, Eva have become staples on the scene, assisted by the evolution of the internet, but sadly, there are no longer structures or record labels in place, and despite having more talents on the scene, Hip-hop has further fallen down the rung of top genres in the country with the fans who a decade ago were more welcoming, now becoming more cynical and apathetic to a genre, that has fallen short of what it promised and struggles to show any expression of ambition or hunger for growth.