Hip-hop is now the cusp of pop culture and has influenced most genres of music in the past 25 years. Its influence can be felt in fashion, style of music, movies, dance, other forms of art and even Broadway, a big shout out to Hamilton for creating a powerful synergy between hip-hop and Broadway and garnering multiple Grammys and Tonys in their rise to legacy.
It is astonishing, who would have thought that a genre of music developed in the United States by inner-city African Americans and Latino Americans in the Bronx borough of New York City in the 1970s would become a global phenomenon. In all sincerity, hip-hop is today a key stakeholder in the culture of music in the world and has now become the language of the unknown, a platform for activism and a means to help make the world a better place.
In terms of global pop culture, hip-hop has been the most influential branch in pop culture over the past 10 – 15 years on a global scale and Nigeria is not left out. Hence the need to shed light on the Nigerian Hip-hop story in this article.
The Nigerian hip-hop journey began in 1981 from the mind of a protesting On-Air personality, DJ Ron ‘Ronnie’ Ekundayo who decided to fire a shot at the disco rap trend which was then the rave of the moment. With the release of “The Way I Feel Rap“, Ron “Ronnie” Ekundayo became the proponent of hip hop and rap music in Nigeria. His album, ‘The Way I Feel’ consisted of similar Kris Okotie‘s pop tunes, just like Run DMC jumped on rock tunes in 1983 and beyond.
The first place hip hop gained popularity in Nigeria was in Lagos State. During this time (the 1980s), Nigeria was under a military regime. This period of military dictatorship brought about the crisis in Nigeria which involved the devaluation of the currency, loss of jobs and persistent unemployment especially for new graduates from the University. Hip-hop during this time was used as a means of escape by youths from the country’s crisis. It was made popular by using Nigerian languages in the lyrics along with traditional hip-hop beats.
The global phenomenon witnessed a new drive in the next decade. The year 1991 saw the introduction of a generation of Nigerian hip-hop artists who brought a new sense of localization to the style. “Which One You Dey?” by the trio Emphasis, “Monika” from the duo Junior & Pretty and the four-man Pretty Busy Boys’ “Big Belle” all eschewed the established practice of mimicking American accents, rhyming instead in the common West African patois of pidgin English, weaving humorous narratives about love and life from a contemporary Nigerian perspective with a relaxed, easy-to-understand lyrical flow.
It should be noted that the group Emphasis gave birth to the genre “Nigerian Hip Hop” by choosing to deliver their lyrics in pidgin which is the true language of the streets in Nigeria. They delivered their lyrics in a lay backflow and with elements of drama. It was quite painful that neither Junior & Pretty, Emphasis nor the Pretty Busy Boys would remain in the game for long, but their paradigm-shifting and pacesetting exploits would influence the development of a sui generis “Naija” hip-hop style for the rest of the decade and forever. The 90s were marked by the emergence of acts such as Ruff, Rugged & Raw, The Remedies, The Trybesmen (who critics have hailed as “the Run-DMC of Africa”), androgynous female rapper Weird MC, and Plantashun Boiz (featuring vocalist 2Face Idibia, who would go on to become the genre’s biggest star in Nigeria).
Even though hip-hop remained a niche taste, not a pop genre with a broad-based appeal for Nigerians of all stripes. By the early 2000s, most of the mainstream popular styles such as highlife, juju and reggae were in decline and hip-hop slowly began to take its rightful place in Nigeria. It is noteworthy that diss tracks and beefs between Nigerian hip-hop acts have contributed to the growth of Hip-hop in Nigeria. In fact, hip-hop itself is based on a lot of egos, personalities and bragging.
One great moment in time was in 2002 when Michael Ugochukwu Stephens popularly known as Ruggedman released his single ‘Ehen pt 1 which tore the landscape of Nigerian hip-hop. Though other acts and especially Eedris had done this previously in the past. Particularly when Eedris dissed Plantashun Boiz. But this was one of a kind, as Ruggedman not only went to war with top tier artists like Eedris, Rasqie, Maintain and then power label, Kennis Music, he dissed everyone that mattered in Nigeria’s hip-hop scene then and it also kicked off a phase in Nigerian music, where what was being said was valid.
His subsequent singles like Big Bros, and Baraje, cemented his status in the game and his success gave visibility to younger rappers. However, in 2007 he became a one-man army, he was hip-hop personified as he had his own label, clothing line, style and credibility. The track “Ruddedy Baba” featuring 9ice saw him take his crown and was the song that summarised the conversation of the fusion of hip-hop and indigenous languages.
Nigeria’s hip-hop history would be incomplete without mentioning greats stars that held their own in the early 2000s and mid-2000s these acts include Thoro Breds and Nigga Raw in the East 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, Azadus, Zaaki Adzee, Kemistry, Bouqui, Da Trybe, Big Lo, The NDT squad that had Magnum, Cashino and D’Black, Nuff Noyz, The Kaliphates, 2Shotz, Sauce Kid, Naeto C and Ikechukwu
We should not fail to venerate prominent publications like Ayo Animashaun’s ‘Hip-hop World Magazine’, African Beatz, Blast and Bubbles magazines and online blogs, TV and radio programs dedicated to its promotion across the country and beyond.
It would be a shame if I fail to highlight the year 2010 which many music aficionados have reputed to be the golden year of Nigerian Hip-Hop. This also coincided with the popularity of Nigerian pop music that Wande Coal debuted with his contemporary pop shaping ‘Mushin To Mo’Hits’ album and popularized by Wizkid with his teen pop swagger which is now a yardstick for creating dope pop albums.
Acts like Modenine, Mr Raw, Sasha, Ice Prince, MI Abaga, Jesse Jagz, Olamide, DaGrin, Vector, Phyno, Illbliss, Reminisce, Yung 6ix, Show Dem Camp, Teeto, Kel, Iceberg Slim, Mc Loph, Kelly Hansome, Falz, Lil Kesh thrived in their rights and even new hip-hop stars such as Ladipoe, Blaqbonez, Zlatan, Naira Marley, Zinoleesky, Dremo, Boogey, Paybac and a host of others have ushered in a new wave assisted by the evolution of the internet, is helping these new young and sonically driven champs gain ground across boards. Hip-hop has to a very extent influenced the celebrity lifestyle of many Nigerian pop stars and some critics argue that Nigerian pop stars are hip-hop stars in their own rights.
Hip-hop has truly come a long way. It is vital to understand that hip-hop is fundamentally an African thing and is here to stay.