Olamide is not just ‘Baddo’, or some self-acclaimed King (or Voice) of the Streets, Nah.
He’s the real OG and every album since his 2011 debut “Rapsodi” has been an addition to his now-classic catalog, an improvement on his artistry and a testament that nobody’s got nothing on him.
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SEE ALSO: Olamide – 999 (EP)
Even the recent ones that are not critically sound as you’d expect from a don like Olamide (“Lagos Nawa”, “The Glory”) are not light, in the sense of it. When it is time to do hip-hop, Olamide won’t ‘carry’ last. And either he’s gyrating or just bouncing on some sick afrobeat, you just know this is someone that knows what he’s doing.
I don’t think there’s anyone who drops singles like Olamide either. He drops hits, every now and then and he’s not even going to add them to his next album like most artists would. He’s got more than enough. The streets will say “o por, it’s plenty.”
Olamide 999 EP Review
We weren’t expecting “999” or a new Olamide album, not in February anyway. Last year, 2019, the YBNL boss didn’t drop any project, making it the first in seven years that he didn’t drop at least one album. In 2018, he still put out the YBNL Mafia Mixtape and appeared on it, multiple times.
So “999” is like a revival, whatever. And that’s the point, he didn’t have to hype this. The music should hype themselves. People should decide if they still want to listen to Olamide in 2020, or maybe his music is now boring to their ears. Let’s evaluate, then!
The album (or as they call it, EP) starts with “No Time”, a hip-hop track where Olamide just spits some rhymes, definitely no storyline whatsoever, but it’s not a miss. His voice isn’t the same as before, studio work, maybe? It’s definitely not a befitting intro for an Olamide project.
The progression into bassy electronic hip-hop instrumental by Pheelz is magical. Phyno rapped hard, better when he was saying English, but doesn’t really matter. Rhatti and Snow had their shine. It was enough to convince us they’re good guys.
“Billion Talk” featured Olamide’s son, Milli’s voice and started on a high note. The beat is trap hip-hop, and Olamide wasn’t really dropping anything unconventional. Just normal auto-tuned voice and a catchy hook. “Money sweet like candy” after all.
Three other songs had features, “Dance With The Devil” with Sosa-E and Jackmillz, “Demons” with Jackmillz and “Mojo” featuring Jayboi. Olamide is one of the big guys that puts up-and-coming artists on in this industry, so yeah, it’s not too much of a surprise. What is surprising however is how all these guys are rappers. I meant who’s gonna say Olamide is not doing enough for the culture?
“Wonma” which circulated a day before the release is kinda like the highlight of the Extended Play and well, honestly, it is very vulgar and people who speak Yoruba already complained. Although it’s more funny that it is ‘stupid’. Olamide just doing his thing. What’s even crazy is how most people will hear the song, laugh and then say “it’s true sha.”
The last two tracks on the project, “Prophesy” and “Rich & Famous” are also hip-hop. On “Prophecy” he rapped, did a hook, nothing we’ve not heard before. “Rich and Famous” is like it’s Lil Wayne. I’d say nothing we’ve not heard before, but that will be boring, like some of the songs on the album.
You’d think if Olamide was going to do an album after all those street songs, “Choko Milo”, “Oil and Gas”, “Pawon” and “Gobe”, it was going to be streetical. But here we are, listening to Olamide doing hip-hop like it’s ’11. Olamide for President!
Rating: 4/5 (Smoking!)