I remember getting set to leave home one fateful evening in 2012 to hang out with friends in my neighbourhood.I had never been one to turn off the Tv till I was practically heading out and being that way payed off for me that day because just as I finished getting dressed, this guy popped up on Soundcity with a song that held me spell bound.That guy was Phyno and the song-SHUT DOWN.It was something like I had never heard before.It just oozed a genuine understanding of the art of rap.
Dude wasn't just about his ibo lines, he had some propane english bars as well.He spat punchlines tighter than those of any of our local 'foreign' rappers and he made it all sync with the dominant ibo lines without pissin off any of the audiences.It wasn't a hardcore rapper trying to go commercial nor was it an indigenous rapper trying to broaden his fan base.It was just Phyno.
You just knew right there and then that he had carved out his lane and anyone coming afterwards was going to be a subject.To use his words, he "flowed spiritual" and i add: with the right incantations.He struck me as a guy who wouldn't just be content with bullying every rapper in the East and one who will write his own chapter in the history of Nigerian music.That was long before I found out he had produced for some stars and even had an all star remix to his MULTIPLY song.
I called a good friend of mine I went to Law school with in Enugu, Hillary Asiegbu and asked if he knew Phyno.He replied in the negative and I told him to go check the song out, this guy was going to rule the airwaves soon.A King was born in his neck of the woods.
You find yourself rooting hard for guys like Phyno at the jump that have the potential to redefine Nigerian music and hope they don't get overcome by the challenges in the industry so it was nice to see him yet again on Tv much later with GHOST MODE and this time he was featuring Olamide.I guess a lot more people than I thought had felt SHUT DOWN because word then was Illbliss had dragged him into his Goretti/Capital crew and that came with the luxury of having super director Clarence Peters shoot his videos.The video for the song was top notch and it promoted the song in no small measure.
The whole world stood up to salute GHOST MODE and from then on, there was no turning back.Indigenous rap music no longer meant only yoruba rap as the East had staked a solid claim.Just about everyone wanted to have Phyno on their song coz he could pretty much adapt naturally to whatever thing it was you were cooking.He became a bonafide star and an instant industry darling.
Then came MAN OF THE YEAR and it was more or less making an entrance via the same route but only this time, with the respect he deserved.He was King of the East and had earned a legitimate bragging right which he showcased in elegant style.What were those lines again-'East coast N*^#@ now am banging in the West.....Y'all should be afraid of what am gon do next!!'.
Lynxxx said the song was going to be huge because Phyno made Ibo sound like Spanish but it was way more than that.What that song actually did was cop him a ticket to legendary status.I'll walk you through.Last rapper from the East to gain our attention was Mr Raw and you could safely pin down his success on the pop elements more than anything else.His hits had catchy choruses that appealed to a market that just wanted to sing along, dance or do both.
Phyno is a rapper that pays attention to every detail from the beat down to the most important; lyrics.To dare to hit the mainstream on those terms and prove he wasn't a flash in the pan or someone every body ran to just because he added something different meant he was already a legend on some scorecards.History will never forget the guy who re-invented ibo rap and paved the way for cats like Tidinz and Zoro who didn't have to struggle too hard to have us look their way.
The NO GUTS NO GLORY album dropped much to everyone's anticipation and he didn't disappoint.Survival was no longer a question as he had proved he had what it took to last in the game.That was the dopest album by an Ibo Mc and it cemented his status as the most 'hip hop' indigenous rapper in the land.
A lot of guys doze off at the top and work less on their art.You start to feel taken for granted by their verses because they feel they can just shove anything down your throat.They have 'grown' past that stage where they worry too much about keeping the fans happy and with much less hunger, drive and motivation, no real effort goes into improving themselves.
With Azubuike Nelson aka 'Phyno tha playmaker, it was much different.He stayed him like he always had but never seemed close to boring anyone.He didn't have to think about making slow songs or getting foreign features, he was still blowing minds with the same style from complementing a rapping Banky W in a most impressive manner on Dj Jimmy Jatt's E TO BEH to spitting the tightest verses alongside Vector on Black Magic's AFRICA (Remix).
To kill boredom at the top, he pulled a most audacious stunt; one we won't ever forget.Phyno decided to go pop and No, he wasn't biting the game to do that, he was going full scale pop and he did that to devastating effect.Every single has been a huge hit so far; From CONNECT to E SURE FOR ME.
It amazes how he doesn't have to struggle with his new self, it just seems like he always had it in him.It was pulling a Drake but only better because while a lot of people question Dreezy's singing abilities, Phyno's skills are not up for debate.
CONNECT was basically a street boy that never lost touch with his roots.Its a turn up song that kicks in the right mood with a great 'We here now' vibe and just the right type of message the average nigerian music lover loves to relate to: beating the odds.
The sing along element is at its very best and the power of delivery was at its mightiest because half the people I know love the song just as much even without understanding the lyrics.The pace of the rendition could almost pass for a sorrowful pitch sometimes before he hits you with just the right dose of adrenaline to join the 'Wo teh Collat' chant and not stop there.
CONNECT was one of the biggest hits of 2015 and the experiment (if you would call it that) was successful.Everyone wanted to see what the King of the East was going to do next-was he going back to conquered territory or seeking to expand the Kingdom?.
When FADA FADA (GHETTO GOSPEL) dropped, you knew it had gone beyond experimentation, it was more skoolin' pop boys on the basics.Nigerians love God and if you get the song right, it will cut right through every market.
The ibos have always had the better potential to make nationally accepted gospel songs and the way he tapped into the key elements of their songs was genius.
You just had to love how that snare hits twice and the way he sits right after with a matching delivery.You got a penny for the intriguing title as well-'I'm living large, I get 10 girls for my ghetto, never forget where I come from na from ghetto'.He had waded into pop and was heading right for the throne.
The dust hadn't fully settled before he released E SURE FOR ME.Its still fresh outta the oven at the time of writing this but like every other Phyno song, I don't need anyone to help assess the quality.Its going to be just as huge as his two previous cross-over singles.
Having stumbled upon the gold mine called 'Nigerians Love For God', he seems hell bent on exploiting it to the max.The song is a more matured gospel song that will appeal to a much older listener just as it would the average youth.The strong highlife feel makes you understand just why our non-ibo parents loved the Osita Osadebes a lot even without understanding a word of what they were saying.Its a 'feel cool' jam you can count on to soothe the nerves and there are no lines on big booties and champagne to distort that element in any way, its just a grateful guy glorifying Almighty God from start to end.
The message to his peers is something like those lines off the first song I heard-"If I pass you, you salute coz I pass you and anything wey you fit do, make you know say I fit do am times 2!!'.
Phyno has conquered 2 worlds in an unprecedented move in the Nigerian music industry and it takes a truly great person to do that.
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