2008 was a big year for the Nigerian music industry. It was the year that showcased the different ways you can blow, over here. There was the singer whose voice wasn’t too good, but who still held it down (9ice), there was the “short black boy” who breathe fresh air to rap, in the country(M.I Abaga), there was a pop star, who came checking(2Baba), there was also the one who didn’t follow any of the rules (J Martins). ’08 was all their year. Bigiano, Nigeria’s biggest one-hit wonder, appeared that year, Rasqie, did his own too. Lord Of Ajasa was there, giving inspiration to the guys to come after him. Faze did a hot one. Blackface wasn’t sleeping. Everybody’s year was 2008. And, no doubt, that year produced some of the best classics, ever in Nigeria.
Mp3Bullet.ng presents you 18 of the albums turning 10 (or may have turned 10) in 2018. That means those albums are 10 years old! Some are still fresh, some are almost forgotten, but all made 2008 memorable. Oya come make we go.
1. M.I ABAGA – TALK ABOUT IT
M.I, born Jude Abaga, stormed the scene in 2006, holding down everywhere from Jos, his hometown, to Lagos. His single “Crowd Mentality” started off being popular in J-Town, before “Safe,“ which had Djinee (and sampled all hot pop song then), came. “Safe” changed the game, in a “scary” way. Still from the album, a shot called “Fast Money Fast Cars,” first introduced Wizkid, before Wizkid went on to become Nigeria’s hottest. In many ways, the album was a ground-breaking one. And, these days, it’d take the intervention of Afro beats, for a rapper to sell as much as M.I sold, then. Even M.I can’t remake the magic. Nigeria’s hip-hop community won’t be forgetting “Talk About It” anytime soon.
2. 9ICE – GONGO ASO
9ice definitely had to do a whole album called “ID Cabasa!” In 2008, 9ice worked with ID Cabasa, and he made the best album of that year. The albums birthed hits we won’t forget including “Gongo Aso,” “Pamurogo,” “Party Rider,” “Street Credibility” feat. 2Baba and more. Now, who says 9ice ain’t G.O.A.T?
3. D’BANJ – THE ENTERTAINER
D’banj, before 2008, was a star, no doubt. BUT, “The Entertainer,” marked a big era for the pop singer – and, yeah, he’s not just a singer, he’s an entertainer. The Entertainer. And, this is one of the biggest albums in Nigeria in the last two decades.
Hit singles like “Mo gbono feli feli,” “Olorun Maje,” “Kimon,” “Suddenly,” and the monster hit “Fall In Love,” all came from the album. Infact the whole 10 tracks on the album, were hits. And, it was in that same year, 2008!
4. 2FACE – THE UNSTOPPABLE
2face does RnB, really, but he was the one who really championed pop, in those days. He has a lot of pop records, to say the least. And “The Unstoppable,” further showed us that Innocent Idibia was unstoppable.
Due to some brouhaha, the album was poorly distributed in 2008, which prompted a re-release in 2010. It was called “The Unstoppable (International Edition).” 7 tracks from the original were added to the new one.
“Enter the place,” was from the album. The hit “Rain Drops,” too. And “Excuse Me Sister.” What an album!
5. TIMAYA – GIFT AND GRACE
Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa is a veteran, too. Timaya isn’t all these new dancehall acts’ mate kwanu. His album “Gift And Grace,” came in 2008. It has 14 songs which included hits like “I don blow,” “Dem Mama Anthem,” “Hey,” “God You Are 2 Much,” and “Ogologomma Remix.”
It was a big year for Tim.
6. NAETO C – U KNOW MY P
Kini big deal, kini big deal, shebi shebi we’re on fire…
One of the earliest dope rap records, in Nigeria. Naeto C was almost written off as an Ajebo, who’s not fit for the industry. C wasn’t having any of that. And this album “U Know My P,” took him to greater heights. Nigeria paid attention. “Kini Big Deal,” which featured Ikechukwu was sort of the hottest rap record in town, at that time. Other hot tracks include “The Devil Is A Liar” and “This Is What I Do.”
7. FAZE – ORIGINALITY
Just like D’banj, and 2face, Faze had his third studio album released in 2008. And, it’s success was undeniable. Even after the break of Plantashun Boiz, he could still hold it down solo. Not to forget, how the album was anticipated, and it came in October.
Hot tracks like “Originality,” “Play Ball” and “Story Of My Life” managed to gain prominence, then.
8. BANKY W – MR CAPABLE
This was RnB at it’s peak. The EME head honcho, packaged 14 banging tracks for the album. The guest features was one of a kind with Danny L, Sauce Kid, eLDee, Donnie and Tynie. It was a good time for Banky.
And his nick was apparently from this Era.
9. iLLBliss – DAT IBO BOY
In hip hop today, Illbliss is still one of the most underrated. Probably ‘cos we still have him around. The Igbo boy, who was a member of one of the pioneering rap groups Thoroughbreds, is one of the best lyricists and his flow is cool, too. Revered from the streets of Lagos, to the nooks of Enugu.
His album “Dat Ibo Boy,” is 10 years, and you won’t forget “U Go Wound,” or that “Enuf Space” which had Terry G on. Or will you?
10. eLDee – BIG BOY
In the year 2008, if anybody deserves to be called “Big boy,” it was Eldee. The big boy of hip-hop. What do we call him 10 years after? Big man, I guess?
The album had songs like “Bosi Gbangba,” “Big Boy” and “Go.” It boasts of appearances from Banky W, Iceberg Slim, Keno, Proto and Rukus. Big boy, indeed!
11. DURELLA – KING OF ZANGA
Somehow, Durella’s career sank, before he could reach the heights D’banj reached. And some call him a “one-hit wonder.” BUT, still, he has an album (King Of Zanga) which was commercially a hit.
The singer born, Oluwadamilare Okulaja (nothing close to Durella), released the album in 2008. And, it has hot songs like “Enu Ose,” “Shayo,” “Queen Of My Zanga,” and that “Wizkolowiska!”
12. BLACKFACE NAIJA – ME, MUSIQ AND I
Blackface, like 2face and Faze, also dropped an album, “Me, Musiq And I,” and it was critically a dope album. Maybe even better than Faze and 2face’s own? Maybe not. But then, he still made something iconic with that piece.
13. LORD OF AJASA – SECOND TURNING BY THE RIGHT
Today, you may respect Dagrin, as the progenitor of Yoruba rap, and Olamide as the one who took it commercial. BUT, you can’t deny it, Lord Of Ajasa rapped in yoruba. 2008, his album came and it has hit singles like “Le Fenu So” (feat. Konga, 9ice, Jahbless), “Esa Lo Bade” and “N’Gba Tawa Ni Kekere.”
14. KLEVER JAY – THE BEGINNING
Klever Jay ain’t a popular act in today’s pop, but sometimes around 2008, he had two singles that scattered the dance floors; “Koni Koni Luv,” and “Igboro Ti Daru.” If you don’t know those two songs, you weren’t in Naija, in 2008. They were from his album, The Beginning, released that same year.
15. MODE9 – THE PARADIGM SHIFT
Modo might not have made hits from albums, but he did prove “we no fit sell hardcore for Naija men” wrong. Extraordinary hip-hop at it’s best, the Yoruba MC delivers one of the best rap projects in Nigeria, ever. And yeah, he sold! It won’t be nice to ignore the fact that he actually had top-notch guests; Banky W, Sound Sultan, Eve Urrah, Mallam Spicey, Bez and more. “Death Blow,” that amazing beef song aimed at Ruggedy Baba was from the album, too.
16. J MARTINS – GET SERIOUS
Being authentic and unique can really get you to heights you might not reach by aligning with the crowd. Doing what is called “urban highlife,” isn’t the best of stuffs, then, but it did made J. Martins a star.
His debut, “Get Serious,” which had singles like “Good Or Bad,” “Cool Temper” and “So Fly,” was a commercial and critical success. It’s 10 years, this year.
17. SOUND SULTAN – SS4
Call him alternative or whatever, Sound Sultan remains one of the bests, ever. SS4 is his fourth studio album, and it has the jam “Aimo Asiko,” which featured 9ice and Lord Of Ajasa.
18. PRAIZ – P.R.I.D.E
Before “Rich and Famous,” Praiz had an album you probably never heard of. And it’s 10 years, since then. The album called “P.R.I.D.E” housed 9 tracks.
What other album, is 10 this year? Bet we listed them all!