By my first year in the University, Kennis Music had every big artist in the country, (okay, not every. Kennis Saint Brown didn’t qualify as big. I wonder what is it with that woman? Even Jesus would have trouble selling her) so, it was only expected that I bought my first and only ever Tony Tetuela’s “My car” album (looking back now, I think that was his best effort ever) and Eedris’s “Mr. Lecturer” album. Of course, Eedris Abdulkarim was the biggest thing back then with songs like “Oko ashawo” and “Wakawiki MC (I still remember the video, it was the coolest thing)” He was so big that he got to carry the Olympic torch when it came to Nigeria. (I still can’t wrap my head around that one, they said it was Nigerians that voted, but I know I didn’t vote same as my friends. So who did? Hmm, fishy right? Well that’s history now.) Do you remember raising “one leg up” to the song Oko Omoge? Well, I almost got a limp from doing that at every party back then.
Naija music by then was becoming all about the clubs (still is) so when the “Naija Ninja” Sound Sultan from Festac came on the scene, it was long over due. His album was my next acquisition. As a Festac boy, we had to promote our own (where una dey? FTT for life!). That particular album was different, it was not about parties and girls, no, it was socially and politically on point. From that album one could see that Fela Anikulapo-Kuti had a strong influence on him, the ever famous “Mathematics” “Koleyewon” and “Kenge.” were all hits from that album. It was clear that this was a brother that was using his head. At this juncture permit me to take your minds back.
“...Every body oya o join jagbajantiz slove mathematics, ko ma da ba ru our continent... ooo... oyinbo say na BODMAS we go use take solve mathematics....oya carry biro...”
So, when Baba Dee (Sound Sultans elder brother) came out with that smashing single featuring Tuface and Sound Sultan “Sodi e’” I had to get it.
Between 2002- 2003, all the groups were breaking up. First, was the Plantashun Bioz, then the Remedies and finally the Trybesmen, but it was only the beginning. They had done their parts and taken Naija music to a new level. The Trybesmen before they broke up decided to leave us with a farewell album titled “The Big Picture” which had a compilation of their solo efforts and songs like “Oya” “Ruff play” and “Watch me”. With everyone going solo, it was expected that the artists from these defunct groups would try to prove themselves. Freestyle from Trybesmen was the first to drop his album “Free at last” and as usual, yours truly was there to grab it. Remember the song celebrity? Oya make I sing am; “...when I hustle my money, you go follow me chop am, na me bring you come lagos abi I resemble your father...” Every guy loved that song back then because it spoke our minds. (Ladies don’t hate) I even got the beef song that Eldee da Don dropped in response to Freestyle’s song “bragging right” (guess you didn’t even know a song like that existed.) which wasn’t in Eldee’s solo album “Return of the King” in 2006. Timi “The Black One” of “Da trybe” also released his only existing album “Na flash” till date. That album spoke to me, it addressed the issues that came with the newly introduced GSM’s to the country like “flashing”, phones and recharge cards. It also talked about girls that were too demanding. My best line from the song Free me was that of him hating the month of February because it was his girlfriend’s birthday, their anniversary and of course Valentine. For any guy in the university back then that was interested in any chick he could relate to these lines “...Ladies, why are you so damn expensive, your cost price dey make boys hypertensive. Sorry, you can’t have me unless you spend a million or two, Shuu! You wan make I become a mumu for you? You no know say I be sharp guy, once bitten twice shy....” and “...Timi I’m hungry let’s go to TLC, haha, what the hell is wrong with the school canteen...” Now you can understand why I loved that album, it provided solace for a two hundred level student back then- Me. ....
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