2017 'BEST' LIST

Like every other year,2017 had its good,bad and ugly sides.I am grateful to have made it to the finish line.
These are my bests and worsts.

BEST MOVIE

The BET 3 episode New Edition biopic was awesome.Watched it quite early in the year and that the effect it had on me lasted to this point is a testament to its quality.
It was great watching a comprehensive walk through the careers of one of the most memorable boy groups ever.From the early deals to the fame,from the drugs to the girls and finally,the split.

BEST MUSICIAN

Shawn 'Jay Z' Carter.I was fascinated not just by the quality of his album but also by the elaborate promotion this genius put in motion.Before releasing the Magna Carta Holy Grail album, he inked a $20M deal with Samsung that involved the tech giant purchasing 1 million copies of the album and making it available to all galaxy users worldwide 3 days before it dropped.It effectively made him the first artiste to go platinum before releasing his album.
There had always been talk of Jigga dropping an album in 2017 and knowing this man,there just had to be an XXordinary twist in place.Well,in another unprecedented move in hip hop,he had 4:44 plastered all over buses in New York.The intrigue woven round that had everyone buzzing till it was finally confirmed as his album title.For a man that just had to give the whole world a date and watch the pre-orders begin,that was stepping things to a whole 'nother level.Mortals do what mortals do and Kings do what Kings do.Good just ain't good enough for some.

COUPLE OF THE YEAR

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.The royal house settled not only for a hollywood actress but one that was once married.Prince Harry must really love her.Meghan isn't looking to cash in on her new status in hollywood,she is quitting acting.She must really love him.
They must really love each other.

TEAM OF THE YEAR

The Super Eagles of Nigeria.We saw a rejuvenated side under Genart Rohr.The Eagles were the first african team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and they finished undefeated in the qualifiers.For post-stress routine,how does seeing off the Argentines in a friendly sound?

ARTICLE OF THE YEAR

"Justice Onnonghen,Dangiwa And The Prospects of A Southern CJN" by wait for this...Femi Fani Kayode.It came at a time President Buhari was clearly taking for granted,sensitive issues having direct impact on the unity of this country.A lot of northern elders back then were either supporting him or staying mute.
Femi Fani Kayode is known to spew the most absurd rubbish possible but then he got it perfectly right this time.There indeed were northerners who were genuinely displeased with the President's unfair bias for the north and disdain for the south.

COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR

Aderonke Bello.Most people know her as the number one female soccer enthusiast and columnist.She recently took up the job of the Daily Sun's online editor.Earned every one of her stripes.

COACH OF THE YEAR

The Super Eagles technical adviser,Genart Rohr has stood out immensely.A lot of people,having just tasted the late Stephen Keshi's policy of unearthing and cleaning up gems from our local league,highlighted his lack of knowledge of our football in criticizing his appointment.But he has proved them wrong with his outstanding performance.Without totally shutting the door on local talents,he has rigorously chased down unheralded nigerian and half nigerian talents abroad and this has yielded positive results.

LEADER OF THE YEAR

The Kaduna state governor,Mallam Nasir El-rufai takes this without much competition.A lot of us have been advocating for a drastic change to our approach as far as education is concerned with particular emphasis on the foundation; the elementary stage.In a move straight out of an article i wrote in 2014,El-rufai sacked 21,780 primary school teachers for failing an aptitude test comprising questions they should ask their students.That some parents cannot afford to send their wards to private school does not mean they don't deserve quality education.Only the government can change that and El-rufai is moving in the right direction.
El-rufai has embarked on quite a number of infrastructural projects with some of them completed even before his 2nd year in office.Personal observation has revealed his is a non-hypocritical goverment that does not focus only on major roads in the metropolis to hoodwink the people,he has taken his projects to even the most obscure parts of the state.
Love him or hate him,you have to accept he is doing a sterling job.

BEST BOOK

THINK LIKE AN ENTREPRENEUR,ACT LIKE A CEO by Beverly E. Jones.Greatness comes most to those prepared for it.Fabulous read.

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR

The only thing missing from Kevin Durant's NBA career was a championship ring.He had led scoring for 4 seasons straight,being an NBA All star 5 times and season MVP once.He was portrayed as disloyal and opportunistic for crossing over to the Golden State Warriors in search of the elusive ring but all that talk vanished when he led the Warriors to the 2016/2017 championship.
For icing,KD clinched the finals MVP too.Typical movie stuff.

BEST MOMENTS

I started writing music reviews this year and wrote my first law article as well.Probably the only person in Nigeria with articles on politics,governance,football,music and law.Lol.
A big thank you to everyone who sent me a mail or showed me love on social media.God bless you.
I also made a lot of comedy skits and even had one of them acknowledged by the legendary Ali Baba GCFR himself.The feedback i got was mad and i thank God for that.

WORST MOMENTS

I lost an elderly neighbour in Kaduna i fondly referred to as 'papa'.We joked a lot and i was very much pained by his death.Guess we all have to go someday.

MAN OF THE YEAR

Nigerians have a problem and it is that we whine too much with little or no effort at addressing the common problem head on.Reason why we owe SERAP a whole lot for their attempts at ensuring there is transparency and accountability in government.
One man,however has taken it upon himself to mobilize nigerians to protest government's insensitivity to the plight of its people.That man is Adeyanju Deji.
Contrary to what a lot of people think,he kickstarted the #ResumeOrResign protests that chased President Buhari back to the country from London.
He allowed Charly boy take all the credit for the success of the movement and that put paid to any doubts as to the genuineness of his motive.He pushed for the prosecution of Deziani Allison Madueke,the former petroleum minister soon afterwards and the EFCC started giving regular updates the very next day.
If by January 3rd 2018,the fuel scarcity is not ended,he will lead protesters to the Aso Rock gate.On behalf of your fellow countrymen,i say thank you and God bless you.

WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Aisha Jumai Alhassan,the Honourable Minister of women affairs pledged her support for Atiku Abubakar come 2019.One,it proved even the closest people to the President had lost trust in him and secondly,it spoke volumes of her character.It takes a very strong woman to go against her employer and tow the path she did.Especially when that employer is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Wish you all a Happy 2018.

MY TOP 20 SONGS OF 2017

1.YOUNG-THE CHAINSMOKERS

2.MULA GANG-LIL WAYNE FEAT EURO,HOODY BABY AND JAY JONES

3.THANK GOD I GOT IT-DESIIGNER

4.CRYING IN THE CLUB-CAMILLA CARBELLO

5.THAT RANGE ROVER CAME WITH STEPS-DJ KHALED FEAT FUTURE & YO GOTTI

6.MAMA-JONAS BLUE

7.SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS-THE CHAINSMOKERS

8.GOZIE-TRAFIC FEAT 2BABA

9.BUMPA-DJ NEPTUNE FEAT FALZ & YCEE

10.RAP UP 2016-UNCLE MURDA

11.LADY HAITI-WYCLEF JEAN

12.HEARTLINE-CRAIG DAVID

13.MANS NOT HOT-BIG SHAQ

14.NTSWEMPU-D'BANJ FEAT BUCIE

15.TOP-ACE HOOD

16.I PRAY FOR MY ENEMIES-YOUNG DOLPH

17.WO!-OLAMIDE

18.TRENCHES RELOADED-PEANUT DA DON FEAT TI

19.BAD HUSBAND-EMINEM FEAT X AMBASSADORS

20.GUCCI GANG-LIL PUMP

REVIVAL ALBUM REVIEW:EMINEM IS A LEGEND AND REVIVAL UNDERSCORES THAT

One thing we learnt from Eminem's BET 'The Storm' Freestyle was just how much good shutting down does for an artiste.The unanimous verdict was an Eminem homicide when in all honestly,there was nothing spectacular about it.No exquisite lyrical showmanship,no catch power,just stuff he could have easily said in an interview.Who makes a freestyle taking 'pace' breaks?.But we were all glad to have Marshall Mathers back and that drove the immense love he got.

We had been looking forward to an Eminem album before that and why his subsequent single didn't exactly rip through the charts,we knew what we knew;and that was that a good song off his album could very well turn out one of the best made this year.Eminem is that good.The best to ever do it on a lot of score cards.

Everyone had something in common after Revival dropped,it didn't matter if the BET freestyle and Beyonce assisted single made you lower your expectations or not,they surpassed whatever expectations you had for it.He made a great album.

Lets take a walk through the tracks.

1.WALK ON WATER feat BEYONCE

The only single off the album.It originally started as a chorus written by co-producer Skylar Grey and she describes it as the song she's been trying to write since she was 6.Walk on Water passed him off as having gone stale.It was vintage Em whining about the same old things-hate,inner struggles and overcoming them.Perhaps switching up the tempo a notch would have remedied the disconnect between great verses and a great hook.

2.BELIEVE

You'll want to apologize for ever doubting the current state of his skill set after listening to this.Beast mode stuff.He thumps with the singing on the hook in that way only he can and it soaks you into his message with little or no effort.All that to complement some flawless lyricism.The new 'pause-go' delivery style he showcased on the BET freestyle works perfectly here.Naah,he never lost it.I BELIEVE,Em!!!.

3.CHLORASEPTIC feat Phresher

You have to wonder if Denaun Porter's beat would have been good for anything other than what Marshall did with it.Just the right knocturnal feel for Em to get on some 'cut-throat' vibe.Its "I'm truTV,you too PG" in a nutshell.He gets on some really savage delivery mid-way through the last verse-"What kind of nut drives a Budweiser truck,finds a slut,tries to suprise her,cuffs her...".Anything would have sounded great on that mode.Breath taking.

Em flew 8 hours to New York from Detroit to record with Brooklyn Mc,Phresher and he was worth every bit of the stress.He was fabulous with the brassy hook.

4.UNTOUCHABLE

Em tells it all from a white supremacist perspective.Before the 6:15 min song ends,you're bound to think Em is dropping the facade and embracing the fact that he is first and foremost a white boy.But then he gets to preaching about the system and racism.

He gives a very strong take on police brutality and killings but Marshall exudes so much passion playing white boy,you feel he was 'cleaning out his closet'.(Pun Intended).

5.RIVER feat Ed Sheeran

Ed got a call from Eminem's manager asking for ideas on the album they were putting together and he gets into a studio in Rusell Crowe's Australian home to couple up some drum and piano patterns plus a super great chorus and sends it to him.Em feels it and lays his verses.A little info just incase you are wondering how he got to rapping about love triangles.

A truly great song.That must be said.

6.REMIND ME

Everyone who missed the real Slim Shady more than they missed Marshall Mathers will love this joint.."Screwin our brains out like changing a lightbulb/Thats why i like ya coz am crazy just like ya/Now every time i get brain/You screw mine up/I barely can think straight/Your head game is a mind fuck..Crazy.

7.REVIVAL (INTERLUDE)

I really had to make mention of this 0:51 sec skit.The singing by Alice and the Lake on those keys was sheer magic.Perfect scenery for something deep and i feel Marshall should have made a whole song of it.

8.LIKE HOME feat Alicia Keys

Unarguably the most 'accepted' best song of the Revival album.Em celebrates the greatness of America and goes ballistics on Trump.Alicia Keys was splendid on the hook.In a few words,he gets everything right to make a truly outstanding song.

9.BAD HUSBAND feat X Ambassadors

This is one of those songs that never really get the props due to them.Its my personal favourite.Eminem reveals himself like no rapper in the game and this is one of his most gripping introspective offerings yet.

The story telling absorbs almost to the point to tears.Its that powerful.

Em remorsely looks back at the tumultuous relationship he had with his high school sweetheart and 2 time wife, Kim Scott.."Why are you a good father,great dad but bad husband".The X Ambassadors hook was mind-blowing.To state the very very obvious,Eminem is a musical genius.

10.TRAGIC ENDINGS feat Skylar Grey

Skylar's singing was super fantastic but Em's verses don't quite sync with it.There is some distance that leaves you longing for the hook to come back on.A sober Marshall delivery and some little adjustments to instrumentation would have done muchgood.

11.FRAMED

The most vivid display of Em's slim shady persona.He's talking about killing females and having Ivanka Trump's corpse in his car trunk.Good to know Marshall never outgrew slim shady.The wackiness is still on that same adorably intense level.

12.NOWHERE FAST feat Kehlani

I lack words to describe this song.Its a masterpiece that will definitely go down as an Eminem classic.Everything works; from his lines to Kehlani's chorus and then you get a Tyson K.O when he caps it off with some signature Em singing.

This will never be forgotten.

13.HEAT

The Slim shady pops up again on this rock-inspired cut but he doesn't quite make the desired effect.Not to write it off totally,its a decent song.It just sounds a bit too white.Lol.

14.OFFENDED

Em gets to know Illa da producer made the beat for Phresher's 'Wait a Minute' and has Paul Rosenberg reach out to him.He sets him up with just the right beat to go on a flamboyant lyrical spree reminiscent of the 'Rap God' song.Em nails it bad.

15.NEED ME feat Pink

It always feels dark and twisted when Em waxes on about love.Always.Theres same sides to the man you will never get bored of.It almost feels like he's daring you to sometimes.He is that good an artiste.

He allows Pink just enough room to hypnotize you before dropping his lines.Great cut.

16.IN YOUR HEAD

He samples the Cranberries' 'Zombies' for this introspective look on the challenges of being him.Nobody does that better than Eminem and we all know that.

17.CASTLE

A good song but at this stage,you are starting to feel perhaps Marshall personalizes his songs a little more than he should.

18.AROSE

You just have to love how this is deep almost as much as it is twisted and how its a farewell to the listener as much as it is to his family on his death bed.The right delivery made that happen.

Sadly,he caps it off with the last verse from Castle and it gets a bit haphazard.

MY TOP 1O SONGS OF LAST QUARTER 2017

1.HEARTLINE-CRAIG DAVID / MANS NOT HOT-BIG SHAQ

2.POR FAVOUR-PITBULL FEAT FIFTH HARMONY

3.COMO ANTES-YANDEL FEAT WISIN

4.NIGHTMARE-METRO BOOMIN FEAT OFFSET / EASY (JEJE)-REEKADO BANKS

5.SAID-NASTY C x RUNTOWN / LA FÉTE-FALZ

6.BELIEVE-EMINEM

7.ARE U DOWN-POE FEAT TIWA SAVAGE / LIKE HOME-EMINEM FEAT ALICIA KEYS

8.SKRT SKRT-TORY LANEZ / I DO IT-FALZ / SOMETHING LIGHT-FALZ

9.BAD HUSBAND-EMINEM / CARRY ON-WYCLEF JEAN FEAT EMELI SANDE / NOWHERE FAST-EMINEM

10.YAGAGA-OLAMIDE

THE $1BN SONG,THE REMIX AND THE SAD LYRICS

When Gov Godwin Obaseki of Edo state announced that the governors of the 36 states had resolved to donate $1bn out of the excess crude account to the Buhari administration for it to fight the boko haram insurgency,either 1 of 2 things was bound to happen.Either Buhari and his loyalists blame Jonathan and the PDP for making the war very expensive instead of telling us how the funds were going to be spent or they will try to justify what is practically unjustifiable.They chose the latter.

But selling it was none easier than finding a Nokia 3310.Particularly noteworthy was the lack of vigour that accompanied the defence by core Buharists.The lies are starting to get embarrassing.Public opinion was a one way traffic with the overwhelming summation that the Buhari administration is no different from the one before it.

Vice-President Yomi Osinbajo understood the damage done and moved to mitigate it by telling us the funds were not meant for the war on boko haram alone but also for 'security issues' in all the states.That hasn't seem to have done much good.Rather what it has only proven is that even the government is starting to find its own lies ridiculous.

One thing is obvious however-every narrative from who should know including Osinbajo's,places boko haram at the fore front.

The same boko haram Buhari promised to squash within 2 months if voted President and the very same boko haram he has come out to say is defeated.

The boko haram sect currently has no captured territories or camps and that technically implies the bulk of the work would revolve round sourcing intelligence.The government certainly doesn't intend to install CCTV cameras everywhere in the North East so even a quarter of a billion dollars is too much for that.Osinbajo's damage control could come much cleaner.Not that he could do much anyways,because no matter the form,it would still appear a knee jerk reaction to the most plausible explanation offered by Gov Fayose and the PDP that the money is intended to be used as campaign funds for 2019.

The government will not yield to the many calls for a break down of how the money would be utilized because it is not being honest with us.

A government that prides itself on ear-marking record breaking sums for capital expenditure but still can't boast half what the government we 'changed' could at this stage.One that still won't let us know why President Buhari said there was no Abacha loot when the Swiss government is about to send us the latest instalment of $321M.

Interestingly,the $1bn donation provided an insight into why President Buhari is not serious about looking into why some states still owed 6 month salaries despite the Paris club refunds.He turned a blind eye when the Bauchi State governor went as far as saying he wasn't obligated to pay wages owed civil servants with the funds.Perhaps PMB knew they were going to be quite useful.When i compare the Buhari we thought we knew to the Buhari we now actually know, i can't help labelling him the biggest scam ever pulled.

If it smells like a fish,then its a fish.There is something not right about the $1bn song and even the remix hasn't fixed it.

WHY ATIKU WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT

Atiku is a founding father of the PDP, the ACN and the APC.The promiscuity is legendary.If he wasn't rich enough to dole his way to the heart of things every time he has had to move in with one of his 'off springs',he would quite easily have been the most hated politician in Nigerian politics.It was barely 72 hrs into his PDP return before word spread that he had taken over the campaign expenses of Prince Uche Secondus,a party chairmanship candidate and just over a week later,reports emerged that he had donated $10M to the coffers of the party.

But money has never gotten him anywhere.The only time he managed to cop himself a presidential race ticket was when he formed his own party and he was excluded by INEC from that race in 2007.That was the closest he has ever gotten to his dream and again,he will lick his wounds when all is said and done.These are the reasons why.

1.BUHARI'S SHORTCOMINGS DEFINE HIS VISION

Thanks to the social media,politicians no longer have to issue press releases or arrange interviews before they can get across to us.We are just a click of a button away.Atiku is one of the busiest politicians on twitter,airing his views on one thing or the other.What annoys however,is how he keys into Buhari's misgivings to 'sell his market' rather than draw us clear road maps to economic sustainability,diversification or a vibrant health sector.The desperation is sickening.

If Buhari's 97%-5% dividend-sharing proclamation is highlighted,Atiku will jump up to paint himself a man of all peoples.When what is popularly referred to as Buhari's 'northern agenda' leads to calls for restructuring,Atiku will strongly align himself with those voices.If the aso rock rat invasion is raised again,i bet Atiku will tweet to let us know he and his family are clean people.

The thing is this man was once vice-president of Nigeria.If he spent half as much time enlightening us on his efforts at making Nigeria better when he had a chance to instead of degrading a man he helped bring into power,maybe he would score real points and not ones that pass him off as an opportunist.

2.A MEMBER OF THE OLD ESTABLISHMENT

Like he rightly pointed out in his letter to comedian, i go dye, his generation of leaders have failed us.Atiku was there at the commencement of PDP's 16 year impunity.Nobody remembers him for criticizing Obasanjo for the Odi and Zaki Biam massacres neither do we remember him for resigning over the trillions taken out of our coffers all in the name of improving power supply.

The only real reason some chill was placed on the 'recycling same old leaders' vibe is because most mindsets as regards 2019 tell an 'anybody over Buhari' story and Atiku is reaping off that like no man's business.But wait till he gets some serious competition.

We'll remember how PMB; the very best of the old school turned out the worst president we have ever had.

3.THE PDP RETURN FACTOR

Like a number of people have already pointed out,the APC was a haphazard arrangement set in place with the sole aim of kicking out the PDP and as soon as that goal was reached,that arrangement came back to hunt them.There were Saraki/Buhari and Atiku-Tinubu/Oyegun factions in just over a year as ruling party with no convention to fill up vacant positions in the party exco till date.

Atiku would have stood a much better chance if he was moving to the APC than the other way round.

The PDP has proved managing power and the different personalities whom it revolves round is not an easy task.Despite having its own fair share of problems,the PDP is more formidable an entity than the APC.

When the welcome parties end,Atiku will find it hard selling his candidature ahead of loyal members of his new family; the proud lot used to handing over their chaff to the APC.

Mark these words: Atiku's return will prompt a lot of PDP members in due time, to wax righteous about party loyalty and having more pride than the APC.Even those eating everything he offers now.I don't think dishonour in the PDP would take anyone by suprise.

4.LOSING THE NORTH

This is probably the main reason why Atiku will not be president in 2019.Buhari may have drawn bad blood from other regions for unduly favouring the north but capitalizing on that to curry their support only leaves him exposed where it matters most; the north.The one region whose voting power gurgles up that of other regions combined.

The northern electorate are a very sentimental bunch.Despite performing dismally, PMB still enjoys a lot of love there because the average man on the street has been programmed to see him as not only pro-masses but one with his best interests at heart.

It would have been okay if Atiku had vouched for reconstruction and gone ahead to sell it peacefully but tweets about how dilapidated houses in the north were compared to the east that had survived a civil war doesn't suggest he fully understands the long run consequences of appearing an enemy.

The entire Atiku machinery at the moment seems geared towards other regions; the very enlightened ones who already understand the need to change the present status quo.The real task lies in selling his candidature to his people and that i doubt he can do.

LAGOS NA WA IS OLAMIDE'S BEST ALBUM EVER

Which would you rather have,an album you can always listen to from start to finish or one where a monster jam or 2 knock you senseless enough to pardon the artiste for the other average or so tracks?.If you would rather have the first,then you'll have to agree Lagos Na Wa is Olamide's best album yet.Its a 17 track voyage with no skippables,it runs its natural course.

Baddo won with a monotonic play card,his mood over the 48 hours he claims to have recorded the entire album perhaps and what it proves side by side with Glory,his previous album is that we were bored by a sober Olamide.WO!,the hit single off the album already proved he knew when to fall back on a winning formula and he sticks to up tempo with heavy emphasis on the singing aspect of that formula.

Songs like Enimimomi and Everyday Is Not Christmas will get even the stiffest legs moving but the pick of the groovy lot has to be Mo Je Dodo.A party starter cheffed in typical Baddo street humour.

The positivity of Oropawpaw makes it appealing to all grades of listeners and that makes it the main contender for huge hit status.Credit really must go to Young John for the wonderful production on this album.

The instrumentation on Radio Lagos and Lagos Na wa,the album title track were superb.The modesty afforded Baddo just the right scenery to make 2 'throw back to now' tracks.Timeless is the hallmark of great musical minds.Dr Dre and Jay Z are probably the only rap artistes to make albums for these times while staying true to their eras.It is that sacred a gift.

Baddo would win most polls on the best nigerian indigenous rapper but on Lagos Nawa he stakes a huge claim for the afro-pop category as well.SaysayMaley and Shanko Baby are mad cuts that testify to pop depth.

You also have to respect the shrewdness on guest features.They were huge names no doubt,but all 4 artistes were only on to make the songs better.Someone was smart enough to know the perfect icing to FineFineGirls was a sonorous voice and even an 'off day' Tiwa Savage could do no wrong.

Reminisce and Timaya both delivered great verses on Bend It Over with rarely seen sides to their art.His regular collaborator,Phyno was on hand to help him nail On A Must Buzz as well.

He makes sure you don't get it twisted as to the current state of his rap skills on Shine and The One.Whats new however is his fabulous ability to craft a slow song.His singing version of WO! which he refers to as 'spiritual' is simply breath-taking while Yagaga is sheer magic.Its a love song made in the skies.

Don't get mad at yourself for ever thinking Olamide had lost it.If it always takes that to get him to this level,please do so again.

LET US NOT DECEIVE OURSELVES, CORRUPTION IS WINNING

'Corruption is fighting back'.That phrase has long assumed cliché status.As a lot of us have learnt,it is the easiest way to justify a hypocrital war on corruption.Corruption isn't fighting back when Buhari sits on the SGF probe or refuses to look into how some states are still owing workers 8 months salaries despite bailouts and huge Paris Club refunds, it is winning.

Over the last week,we have been treated to one revelation after the other on how an EFCC fugitive and Former head of the presidential taskforce on pension reforms under President Jonathan,Abdulrasheed Maina was recalled to the ministry of interior affairs.Maina got away right under the Presidency's nose and its lame attempt at saving face by ordering his sack wouldn't buy back even an ounce of lost integrity.As we watch with keen interest the blame game on who helped the Attorney-General 

Of the Federation perpetrate this contemptible act between the Minister of interior affairs,Abdulrahman Dambazzau and Head of Civil service,Florence Oyo-Ita,it is also important questions are asked of the EFCC boss,Ibrahim Magu.The same Magu who was indicted by the DSS for hobnobbing with questionable persons and corruption.Where was he and the agency when a person wanted by them was employed as a director in a ministry?.Just before Mainagate,the EFCC had approached a court seeking the forfeiture of properties belonging to an NGO belonging to the former first lady,Dame Patience Jonathan.Not forgetting it has successfully gotten an order on a 5 storey hotel of hers.For the umpteenth time,why is the EFCC scared of prosecuting the woman if it has any compelling evidence against her?.Why hasn't it as much as invited her for questioning if indeed it is serious about 'investigations'?.Admittedly though,it would be expecting more than we should of an agency that didn't do that after her public claim to ownership of $15M in a bank.The EFCC wound up being sued by her instead.Add the audacity to her recent claim of witch-hunt by Magu which was countered by the Presidency and you'll have to conclude she not only has the EFCC by the balls but President Buhari too.Maybe she and her husband know something about Buhari we don't.President Jonathan was never questioned about his role in Dasukigate despite being named by the man himself.

In what many deem a technical foul, the wife of the president,Aisha Buhari slammed the state house clinic for not having a single syringe.That clinic has received an average allocation of a billion naira annually over the last 10 years.The President kept mute and didn't order an investigation into how a clinic that couldn't treat his ear infection with a billion naira budget utilized its funds.

I always say the Buhari government became a failure the very first day we started comparing it to the Jonathan administration.That we fared better under GEJ makes our case more pathetic.Buhari may very well be the biggest scam ever pulled.If we start to compare him to Jonathan on corruption,the most prominent reason why we opted for change,then we are in more trouble than we can imagine.While it is true most facts start to reveal themselves after governments have stepped aside,the little we have seen so far of our anti-corruption crusader suggests we would be fooling ourselves to think he is playing clean. Senator Isa Misau just days ago alleged the IG of police bought 2 SUVs for the President's wife after a request was sent in for a Toyota Sienna and a hiace bus.The police subsequently claimed the cars were for the security in her convoy and this much was corroborated by her Director of information. I couldn't help wondering if the DSS were the ones who bought the 'personal' car she rides in.Does the police actually buy cars for a Presidential convoy?.

Considering she is holding that office contrary to a breach of campaign promise by President Buhari to Nigerians, one would expect her to thread with some caution.But sadly,that hasn't been the case.The woman wore one of the most expensive wrist watches at the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New York.A £10,000 choppard diamond wrist watch.
The biggest lies are ones we tell to ourselves.Corruption is winning and we have to accept that.

YOU RAPPERS SHOULD FIX UP YOUR LIVES: MI NEEDS TO DO JUST THAT TOO

2 things to take out of MI's You Rappers Should Fix Up Your Lives-1.SA rappers are slaying everyone out there and 2.MI himself needs to fix up his life too.

But every avid hip hop listener already knows both these facts,its no news.What however is most noteworthy is that on a day MI Abaga decides to go Kingin on wax,the biggest question he raises is 'U don baff'?.Nasty C,Casper Nyovest and Aka all appeared on Sway and even went as far as dropping dope freestyles to do SA proud.Where was our 'King'?.

The message on YRSFUYL is as disgustingly self-aggrandizing as its hypocrital.MI may be the best nigerian rapper ever but he doesn't sound half as good as he used to and he has been so for about half a decade.

Safe to say he knew he was going to get gone at from all quarters while making this joint and that should have been enough motivation to spit his best bars but i can point to half a hundred underground MCs who would have dropped tighter lines than he did.Its a call to order in a baby's voice.Its going to infuriate more than intimidate.

He goes at rappers for 'singing to get popular' in what may just be a subtle Ycee diss but he forgets SA rappers do too.And even a bird from his flock, Ice Prince.MI switched up major with the pidgin flows in a bid to conquer the market at a time he really needed to so why he is he hating on others for jumping on trends?.So is he going to hate Drake too?.

SA rappers ain't killing us coz we singing,no.They are coz no matter how drastic the switch up,they stay true to the vital aspects of the art in a way nigerian artistes don't.They make hip hop songs laced with tight lyrics and don't have to worry about dance or a sing-along chorus unlike the average nigerian rapper.

Some may say MI has always been the type to drop a project and vanish till its time to push a new one but fact is,he'll be judged on existing ones.The Chairman album didn't generate much buzz and his last known effort, the final installment of the Illegal Music post-album Mixtape series was so wack you probably don't remember it.

MI is speaking to everyone including himself-"You rappers should fix up your life".

KACHIKWU AND OTHER TALES: TELLING THE TRUTH EVEN WHEN WE LIE

Questions people were supposed to ask:

-So all Kachikwu alleges are true only because he thinks so?

-Has Kachikwu actually said $26 billion was stolen?

-Has anybody,whether from the NNPC board or not,corroborated anything Kachikwu said?

President Buhari's pathetic leadership style is fast shutting the doors of objectivity in the mind of the average nigerian and when the government can no longer do anything right, it automatically means it has become the number one enemy of the very people that voted it in.Days ago,a letter by the Minister of state and Chairman of the NNPC board, Dr.Ibe Kachikwu to President Buhari was leaked to the press.In it,Kachikwu alleged acts of gross insurbordination and total disregard for due process by the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru.

If giving a dog a bad name is the fastest way to hang it,then Nigerians aren't afraid to do that.Not that the President didn't already have a dog named after him any way.Never have i before seen such blatant misintepretation of the very explicit contents of a document.We actually have more answers than we do questions.

-Kachikwu blew the whistle on a $26 billion theft

-Buhari refused to see Kachikwu when he reached out to him in person because he was shielding Baru

-Buhari is conniving with Baru to steal money

Happenings over the past few days,have given an insight to the wonders of the human mind and how it can choose only what to understand.Hal Roach once said-

"Every man should have a wife because there are some things you can't blame on the government".

But nobody needs a wife with a President like ours.In his Independence day address Buhari said he was disappointed in the leaders of places where 'hot-headed' secessionist youths resided for not calling them to order.Less than an hour later,the internet was agog with stories of how Buhari was blaming the South Eastern leaders for the Biafran agitation.

Facts as they really are:

1.Buhari didn't specifically blame the ibo leaders.There have been approximately 3 agitations for separate states since Buhari took over: IPOB for a Biafran state,Niger-Delta Avengers and others for an Ijaw nation then a coalition of Yoruba groups for an Oodua nation.

2.Buhari may have said he was working with the South-South leaders towards improving the region but the most 'hot-headed' agitation has come from the Niger-Delta avengers who bombed a lot of our oil installations.

3.In essence, Buhari was advocating for a united nation and calling on leaders (elders) who witnessed the sad outcome of the Civil war to educate youths on the possible implications of their actions.

Facts as they were understood:

1.Buhari was blaming ibo leaders for Biafra

2.Buhari northern supremacist agenda will never allow him want peace

3.Buhari meant to incite the South East with his remarks

PMB helped justify agitations by promising to favour those who voted him en masse ahead of those who didn't in what has come to be popularly known as the 97%-5% formula.He lived up to his words by not appointing a single south easterner out of over 35 non-ministerial appointments.As a matter of fact,Kachikwu,a seasoned veteran of the oil sector,was removed as GMD of the NNPC for a northerner when criticisms of his lopsided appointments were most vociferous.

Kanu's bail was revoked and the army went to get him while the FG never even bothered to as much as keep Nigerians updated on its efforts to arrest and prosecute the arewa quit notice issuers like it promised.The ibo hate song singers were never arrested too.What is good for Kanu isn't for them.Why?.Buhari doesn't deserve justice too.

Kachikwu's letter was written since August 30th and the President neither deemed it wise to invite him nor agree to see him.A Maikanti Baru probe should have been well under way.Buhari was practically dragged into probing Babachir Lawal,his suspended SGF and perhaps it may never have happened had optics not become vital when the DG NIA,a Jonathan appointee had reason to be probed as well.The report of that committee we may never see.Baru was in the clear till the Kachikwu letter leaked.

So yes, one need not alter or shut out any fact with regards to the President fighting a hypocritical war on corruption.

Nigerians are simply tired of the suffering,the lies,the incompetence,the favourism and the hypocrisy.Nigerians are tired of Buhari.He is deservedly guilty until proven innocent.

SIMPLY BREATH-TAKING: A REVIEW OF WYCLEF JEAN'S CARNIVAL 3

Wyclef Jean was the most prominent member of the Fugees group that revolutionized hip hop in the 90's before they broke up.They were arguably the first to quote the legendary Krs-one; who "bit the game to go pop".They had a never-before-seen extra edge to their game and broke down just about every barrier with their dexterity.They rapped different from the norm with some good singing while at it and infused far-fetched elements like soul and reggae into their styles whenever they felt like.

That in a nutshell is what Wyclef is as an artiste.He is just so different at doing the same thing everyone does.The Preacher's son cannot be confined to a genre.Wyclef is soul,R&B,Pop and reggae just as much as he is hip hop.

The J'ouvert EP released on February 3 2017 was his first project since 2010 and it came with a rider that he was working on a full length album.J'ouvert had I Swear feat Young thug as its stand out track.He had earlier on blessed Thugga's banging cut, Pop Man off his No,My Name Is Jeffrey album in amazing fashion.The sum total of the sudden Wyclef resurgence was-whatever he had cooking was worth waiting to get a taste of.

The Carnival 3 album is here.Lets ride along.

1.SLUMS feat Jazzy Amra H1dahook and Marx Solvia

He opens with a song that assures you its same 'ol Clef.He raps decently and adds a good dose of singing which Jazzy Amra complements superbly.He gets everything right except the singing on the chorus.There are times hoarse just won't work and in this case it robs the hook of robustness.

2.TURN ME GOOD

This song reminds of Wyclef Jean's classic,911 featuring Mary J. Blige.Its a soothing love balad that sees Clef weave through a slow instrumental with some excellent story-telling.Whenever the lady pops up with her supplementary vocals at the bridge,she drives you into thinking how fabulous it would have been if he had taken her along for the chorus.Or even allowed her do the walk alone.It would have been a legit 2017 version of 911.Regardless though,this is a great song.

3.BORROWED TIME

An inspirational song powered by some wonderful singing.From the beat,the rhythm,down to the rap verse,everything combines seamlessly to work for the powerful message he delivers.This is a flawless cut that will go down as one of the best songs of the album.

4.FELA KUTI

This song is named after the legendary King of Afro-beat and its probably the best Fela sample i have ever heard.It actually sounds more rock 'n' roll than afro-beat.He gets the tempo just right and its amazing how he uses the Fela pieces to brilliant use.He raps with a carribean sun feel to Fela's trumpet,sings beautifully on the hook and traps it all up for a Fela "O pati piti bole Orile" knock out.Fabulous piece of work.

5.WARRIOR feat T-Baby

A slow and breezy reggae cut like only a genius would.Its so well composed, the single line "You are a warrior" chorus never turns stale.If anything, its the perfect sauce.

6.SHOTTA BOYS feat STIX

If you manage to stick through the almost one minute phone call intro (which should have been a skit before the track), he references his Shottas movie role in a braggadocious display of street cred.His guest STIX drops some really insane bars on it-"Compare me to my whip coz if you push,i start/No Whitney Houston here don't need no body guard/Dat poker face don't help,don't make me pull your card".A great song no doubt.

7.DOUBLE DUTCH feat DL Hughley

Well,we all expected Clef to talk about police violence and he did.He had being doing that way before it became fashionable and this here falls into the 'oppressed thug' category.He gets on that laid-back rap we've all loved since his Fugees days and keeps it simple yet exquisite with the waltz through rhythms.Its deftest at the bridge through the hook when he steps things up a notch.The Preacher's son preaching the ghetto gospel in some style.

8.CARRY ON feat EMELI SANDE

I  would describe this song in one word as classic.The inspirational theme rubs off on you as soon as it comes on.Clef delivers his best vocal performance of this project on this song and Emeli Sande's singing was heart-stopping.Watch out for Emeli Sande.Great talent.

9.WHAT HAPPENED TO LOVE feat LUNCH MONEY LEWIS AND THE KNOCKS

A groovy tune that kicks in a euphoric love vibe.Love is joy,Love is high spirits and Love is over the moon.Very masterfully made.Reminds you of the very natural feel-good songs rarely made anymore.

10.CONCRETE ROSE feat Hannah Eggen and Izolan

The flawless streak finally comes to an end.Wyclef drops some tight bars along the way and Izolan's french lines sound great but the chorus is a huge let off.He looks to be biting the rhythm to Rozay's BMF hook at the start and ends up with a tasteless 'World is Yours' chant.He is human after all.

11.TRAPICABANA feat Riley

Clef chefs an infectious tune with some latino spice.Again,the composition is superb.The delivery on the verses,the catchy hook and the little spanish bridge all sync impressively to keep you breathless from start to finish.A maestro at work.

12.THANK GOD FOR THE CULTURE feat Marx Solvila,J'Mila and Leon Lacey

A sublime tribute to the hip hop culture.It comes complete with not only how hip hop has impacted his life but also with shout outs to the notable names that have shaped the game over the years-Jay Z,Cash Money,Badboy,Lil Wayne et al.The instrumentation is quite impressive.Great song.

Wyclef Jean made a fabulous album.You gotta hand that to him

POLITICAL DRAMA SEASON: THE ATIKUS IN APC,THEIR REHEARSED LINES AND REALITY

No,you are wrong.No one could have possibly predicted that political drama season would premiere with a serving minister endorsing another candidate in his sitting room over her principal,the President.She hasn't claimed to be misquoted or 'videoshopped' and the president's continued retention of her services has kept suspense at ice chill level.Are a select few privy to some existing agreement to step down after his first tenure or is he just playing matured statesman?.Ratings are through the roof.

By virtue of her position as Minister of Women affairs,Hajiya Jumai Alhassan's open support for Atiku Abubakar is a firm ratification of the failure and incompetence of President Buhari's government.No one tells the smell of a husband better than the wife.

Things took a rather predictable turn from then on with Atiku capitalizing on that epic moment to say afterwards, the Buhari government had let him down.Now with the adrenaline at a controllable level,you get a chance to adjust moods and use a clear head.

Atiku's theatrics aren't top notch.As a matter of fact, the 'Buhari has let him down' speech had been prepared since 2015 just as it has been prepared for everyone to beat him in an election; primary or general.He is a political hustler who craves power and will go to any length to get it.

Before the next surge of excitement in the drama series of ours,we must seize this sober period to warn ourselves of the need to prepare well for the new season and what it portends.The need to remind ourselves that the chief protagonist and much heralded bearer of the torch of change has turned out the worst president we have ever had.We may not even have a country again come the next elections.Its that bad.

Every candidate will harp on the dismal performance of President Buhari and everyone will appear good but we must be most wary of those that helped sell him to us.For one, their sense of judgement is what they themselves drag into question when they tell us 'Buhari has let us down'.What were those promises again?.A boko haram annihilation in 2 months,a $1-N1 exchange rate,N5,000 monthly stipend for indigent citizens and free feeding for students in primary schools.All appeared unrealistic and that anyone would expect an unintellectual and philistine Buhari to come through on all that bearing in mind oil prices had been on a steady decline since 2014 doesn't speak too well of those in the APC fold.A party that has been described as a more formidable opposition to itself than even the PDP by embattled lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin.

That some are already clamouring for an Atiku presidency means the desperation to want to see this government leave could very well expose us to a certain type of vulnerability.The vulnerability of settling for anything other than the Buhari government and that might ultimately translate to settling for less like we did with it in the first place.

Atiku may capitalize on the fact that this administration decided against extending probes past the Jonathan administration to dare anyone to provide any proof of corruption against him but that won't change what we know.

Though the Buhari administration may make any other before it appear indefectible,we know Atiku helped Obasanjo oversee a government Nigerians deserved more from and only fell out with him because of his presidential ambition.

We must keep our emotions in check,memories vivid and expectations sharp.Enjoy the drama but hold on firm to reality.

MY TOP 10 SONGS OF 2ND QUARTER 2017

1.THAT RANGE ROVER CAME WITH STEPS-DJ KHALED FEAT FUTURE & YO GOTTI

2.MULA GANG-LIL WAYNE FEAT JAY JONES,HOODY BABY AND EURO

3.MAMA-JONAS BLUE

4.7MIN FREESTYLE-21 SAVAGE/TOP-ACE HOOD

5.GOZIE-TRAFIC FEAT 2 BABA

6.PICTURE PERFECT-WIZKID

7.RUN IT BACK-TYGA FEAT YOUNG THUG

8.GET A BAG- G EAZY FEAT JADAKISS

9.NTSEWEMPU-D'BANJ FEAT BUCIE & BUSISWA

10.EA$T SIDE GHOST-ASAP TWELVYY

THE MUSIC FINALLY DOES SOME TALKING FOR THE MAN: A REVIEW OF D'BANJ'S KING DON COME ALBUM

Of all major nigerian artistes,D'banj has thrived more off the viability he has engrained into his brand than the quality of his music.As a matter of fact,Dapo Oyebanjo alongside erstwhile producer and business partner,Micheal 'Don Jazzy' Enebeli taught the Nigerian music industry the full art of musical branding.They rocked the first platinum chains, made friends in the highest places,bought the flyest cars,set the 7 figure A-list minimum wage and basically introduced the rockstar element to our music industry.

Building a wall around themselves and keeping interaction and working relationship with other artistes at the barest minimum didn't get them hated,it deified them.Even P-Square who had more hits than their entire label combined couldn't boast being so much a force.

They both got signed onto Kanye's GOOD Music before breaking up and after that for D'banj came endorsement deals with Beats by Dre and Ciroc,rumours he was dating billionaire daughter,Adama Indimi,being received by a bevy of sexy ladies at London's Heathrow airport ahead of his UK tour and more recently,a secret marriage and child birth.He has managed to keep us talking about everything except the music which hasn't been quite impressive to say the least.Yet he signed a global distrubution deal with Priority Records and had an interview with Ebro on beats1 before this album dropped.That is how potent the D'banj brand is.It does the talking more than the music ever does.

The biggest question King Don Come had to answer was whether we were going back to talking about the man's music or stay talking the man without the music.

Lets see.

1.ITS NOT A LIE FEAT WANDE COAL AND HARRYSONG

This was released as a single a couple of months ago and it gave the impression that he had been working really hard on his craft.It was an out-of-the-box effort that ticked all the right boxes.The man once said he was not a singer or rapper but an entertainer.What way to prove that than talking magnificiently through the whole first verse.Harrysong blended the highlife element into this song perfectly and having him on the song was a nice touch.

2.BE WITH YOU

Another single we heard just before.Its no secret; D'banj can't ACTUALLY sing.Having him base content on his chord-pulling abilities wasn't a wise decision.Its a very weak effort.One that leaves you feeling you deserve to be rewarded for listening to the end.

3.TE NECESITO

Banga Lee was onto something with the concept for this song and its really sad it doesn't get properly breathed life into.The latin and french on the chorus have a great pull that he fails to sustain afterwards and leaves you feeling dropped from a skyscrapper high.

Take out that part and its a numb walk through what had the potential to be a much better song with a little more focus on depth.

4.EL CHAPO FEAT GUCCI MANE AND WANDE COAL

A truly stand out song.D'banj solicits the artistry of top american rapper,Gucci mane and it pleases to see he doesn't disappoint.You get absorbed by the guitar strings at the onset in time for eja nla to drop the very infectious-"Picture me flossing,Big fish rolling am frosty/Wo ni mo bossy,just because they cannot touch me/Feeling like El Chapo,Holy Grail El Chapo/PATRON PATRON PATRON!!!".Gucci couches a tight verse in a boss frame in line with the subject but did Wande Coal really have to rap?.Sounded very distasteful.But not enough to rub on the quality of the song though.

5.AS I DEY GO

Bangalee whips up a very commanding rhythm to create this feel-good song.And thats basically what this song has going for it.D'banj's seamless waltz through rhythms in a style reminiscent of the old kokomaster.Its also remarkable how the afro-beat element was harmonized in perfectly.A good song that misses Don Jazzy's back ground vocals.

6.TURN DOWN FOR WHAT (FOCUS REFIX)

Technically an afro-beat freestyle.The lady singing at the background and D'banj's strong vocals are what make this a mixtape material at best.It would take a whole lot more to score a hit out of a 100% afro-beat song.

7.EGWEJI FEAT PHYNO

Nothing works here.Not the beat,not the lyrics not even Phyno.A ridiculously pale effort.

8.THATS WHAT I MEAN

A jam for the dance floor.The 'Thats what i mean' chants don't sit too well and its really sad because that forms an essential part of the song.Other than that,eja nla does well.Plus it has a very groovy chorus and Kayswitch's impressive verse to help make you overlook that.

9.NTSWEMPU FEAT BUCIE AND BUSISWA

This has to go down as the best D'banj song in a long while.The South African connection was magic-Oskido with the mad beat and songstresses Bucie and Busiswa with their scintillating singing.The man said it all-"D'banj okpe meji (No 2 D'banjs)".This isn't just flawless,its Classic.

10.EMERGENCY

This song is about 2 years old.The instrumentation is stunning and D'banj opens well with the first few lines and things start to get less sticky from there on.Its an average effort.

11.OLIVER TWIST

What was D'banj thinking?.Oliver Twist was first released 5 years ago.Only logical reason would be he wanted it released in the States after signing a distribution deal recently.It was never released by GOOD Music there when he was on the label.Anyways,Oliver Twist is a great song that had everyone optimistic about D'banj and Don Jazzy's chances of conquering the world.Felt good to hear the 'lebete',the 'labata' and the 'zebede'.How time flies.

12.SHOULDA

Shoulda is a great piece of work.Does some fabulous singing on the verses before switching the tempo in heart-stopping fashion to render a very arresting chorus.He also plays his harmonica to marvellous effect.We already know on his day,D'banj can make a really good love song.He was in that zone.

ACE HOOD MAKES A RATHER LAME STATEMENT WITH TRUST THE PROCESS

Trust the process is Ace hood's first album since leaving DJ Khaled's We The Best Music and whether he severed ties with Khaled because he wasn't getting due respect or because he wanted to 'do his own thing' like he claims,what is for sure is that he had a point to prove.

Between the guy that made one of the best albums of the decade thus far in Trials and Tribulations and the guy who tried toning down to a 'gangster drake' level just afterwards,he had to find a winning combo somewhere.

Ace doesn't quite live up to expectation on this project and more astonishing,is how he plays like there is nothing to lose.In the plainest terms,he needed to play at scoring a hit in the mould of Hustle Hard or Bugatti and the bravest go at that was Ego trip.Decent as it may sound,it lacks some real taste and is just too loose to hold the intended catchiness.

He opens with To whom it may concern,a soul baring message to the listener.Ace tells a contradictory story of strength with a chorus that starts by asking-"If i give you all of me,would you give me all of you?/If i told you i was annointed,would you see the proof?".In as much as its a mere letter to his fans,worrying what anyone thinks of him chunks out what we are supposed to relate to-strength.With verses containing only occasional glimpses of lyrical class,only thing you are bound to remember is that he's left Khaled and critics want beef but he's not feeding them.

At a time Ace had to win like his life depended on it, the industry's finest hands were expected to handle production for this project.

No metro boomin,no murda beatz, no london on da track,he had Foreign Teck produce his entire album and that didn't seem an entirely good decision.Passion was the closest reminder to the hard hitting delivery Ace hood was noted for in his hey day but he sounded like he was doing the right thing on the wrong beat.His hook sits well on the flutes but the drabby base takes the sting off some tight verses.

Life after tells better Ace's sad predicament-an artiste not at the top of his game having to contend with production even his contemporaries who are would struggle to make anything meaningful out of.Its a ridiculously shallow effort with Ace spitting nothing out of the ordinary on a beat dead-on-arrival for what he had in mind.

Get to me is however, a perfect pointer to just how the bulk of the blame lies with the artiste.He exudes some class with the laid back delivery and even lets you in how much he understands whats at stake with the lines-"Gotta find my grooving again,gotta get back moving again/Gotta get that half in again,step on they neck for the win/Gotta add that ace to the end",but if you could excuse the stagnantly repititive hook at the begining,it gets harder to do that later on.Its a 15 line hook with just 11 words and whatever sing-along bite it has wanes out before mid-way.

This album will get a couple more knocks than usual from critics largely due to the disparity between the good songs and the bad ones.Not forgetting also the part played by the sudden buzz built round his We the best departure.A lot was expected from him.But for emphasis,he did make some really good songs.

Blessed and Came wit the posse are tight cuts though not quite reflective of the urgency involved.He gets set up to wax righteous with that all too familiar key pattern on Blessed and he does that quite well albeit a hook that seemed more the first take of a 'fooling around in the studio' session.A little more work on depth would have done much good.Foreign made a good beat for Came wit the posse but its as monotonic as having a virtually inconspicious divide between hook and verse.Would have been just perfect for verses laced with the reputed fast and hard delivery to help switch things up.

He gives us a dose of that though in the breath-taking Play to win .Ace somehow always manages to keep you hoping for a return to his best with a song or two on all projects since Trials and Tribulations.His singing works on the catchy hook and he fires on all cylinders in the verses."Me and the gang gang lit/Pull up in a new thing with a new thing let the Lu-Kang kick".Definitely one for the archives.

In Top,he made perhaps the best work of this project.Its pretty much copacetic stuff as everything combines perfectly to spawn off this awesome track.He drops some really sick lines-"Made our way from Broward/Drippin so much sauce,i might need a towel/I can't hold my bowels,shittin on you cowards/You can still be p***y with all that money and power".And hows this for some wit-"If she got some jelly,this a muthaf**kin jam!!!".

Overall,Ace hood made an album,you wouldn't call bad,it just falls below the levels set for it.

WO!:OLAMIDE'S BLUE-RIBBON PLOT FROM HOME

Olamide's Glory  album was a compilation of good songs that lacked anything close to a vicious cutting edge largely due to his decision to let go of some groove for more sobriety.The little popularity enjoyed by the Pepper Dem Gang song was powered more by the Olamide brand itself rather than its quality.

Being unarguably the most conspicious A-list artiste out there, the album helped trigger off a contemptous feeling towards Nigeria's number one indigenous rap act.With features at a second-to-none rate and a release-freak reputation,the one exception to the excess familiarity rule appeared very vulnerable and for the first time since he broke into the limelight, we were starting to get tired of him.

A 911 attempt at salvaging the situation turned him to Davido for Summer Body and that didn't quite work out well.If anything it only underscored the point that he may have come full circle.

But like they say no place like home.Olamide has always been about the groove.First of all and Omotoshan opened more doors for him than an Eni Duro ever did.

His latest single WO! doesn't just clear all doubts as to whether he has lost it,it makes you fall hard back in love with him like it was the first day.Its a street recipe served on an irresistible dance platter.Baddo weaves impeccably through an infectious Young John beat to make the safest bet for next big hit of 2017.

WO! is quite honestly, the easiest review anyone would have to do because what Olamide gets right is everything.Nigerians love to dance and a chorus is almost always your whole song down here.Baddo exploits that handsomely to transform an everyday yoruba word into a sing-along lyric on a very catchy hook with a barrage of breathtaking lines to match.

WO! is a strong thrust back to the artiste you loved and respected for having no strategy surrounding the artistic aspect of his brand,its features and releases all year long.All he has to do is measure up to the WO! standard.

WHAT EXACTLY IS WRONG WITH OUR PRESIDENT?

The rumour mill has been agog with stories that President Buhari could be returning back to the country any time soon.This is coming shortly after photos of him with some visiting governors were greeted with wild excitement by his supporters.On the other hand,there couldn't be a more rueful time for the patriotic nigerian who places the nation first.That nigerian is more concerned with the unanswered question-What exactly is President Buhari suffering from?.Over the last week,that nigerian has had to contend with imbecilic comments about how Buhari is overcoming death and how those who have dared to ask questions will die in his place.

We already know his medical costs are expensive enough to be tagged a 'matter of national security' by Lai Mohammed,the minister of information.The same Lai Mohammed who demanded daily updates on the late President Yar'adua's health from the ministry of information when he was receiving treatment abroad.The country reportedly pays as much as £4,000 daily for the presidential plane parked in London while £1,000 per day is been bandied around as the official sum and even at that rate,we have spent over N43M on just having a plane ready for him alone.

While the nature of the President's ailment is serious enough to be kept secret,it bothers the true nigerian with the best interests of his nation at heart whether he is coming back to stay indoors,sit out FEC meetings and take pictures with files in his office in an attempt to hoodwink us before heading back to his doctors or if he is coming back to face the rigorous job we voted him to do.

His performance while on seat has been lacklustre at best and it baffles me why anyone would overlook the extra burden we have had to contend with.The man simply isn't fit to be in office.

I still can't seem to get my head around how a man would plunge his people into hunger,run the country to the brink of disintegration,have them cover his medical expenses and yet return home to a thunderous ovation.

Our number one priority when and If he does get back is to have him disclose to us what he is suffering from.If he conveniently justified his incessant trips abroad in the early days of his administration with claims he was courting foreign aid and investments,then it is important to know not only if he is going to be around, but also strong enough to do things as 'important' as that.

If the Federal government thinks medical costs are 'matters of national security', then it would be sheer madness to classify the nature of Buhari's ailment as such.We need to know in emphatic terms, not only if he is capable of carrying out his duties but also exactly what we are spending our money on.No one expects him to resign any more like he once said he would if he fell very ill because of the luxury of having to treat himself with taxpayers money.

A medical report surfaced online before the 2015 presidential election indicating President Buhari was battling prostrate cancer and some of his photos,especially ones taken since his last return have shown vivid signs of a man undergoing chemotherapy.But all these have stayed in the realm of speculation,we need to be told unequivocally exactly what our ailing president is suffering from.

TERRIFIC ALL ROUND DISPLAY: A REVIEW OF MEEK MILL'S WINS AND LOSSES ALBUM

Meek Mill's Meekend Music 2 EP dropped a day after Tunechi's In Tune We Trust and though Tune's Mula Gang was by miles the dopest song of both 4 track  EPs (Wayne only laid a verse mind you), Meek had the better mixtape with 3 good songs out of 4 in Organized Chaos,Save Me and Young Nigga Dreams as against only one solid for Wayne in Mula Gang and a 'well,well' track in Loyalty.

Meek rightly earned our anticipation for the Wins and Losses album and when it dropped, it blew to bits.Not that Meek had been a bad rapper prior,its more down to the sheer quality of this work.
We witnessed a huge Meek step up in Dreams Worth More Than Money where he worked on his weaknesses and utilized his strengths to become a better all round Mc.In Wins and Losses,he sounds accustomed to being just that and even goes on to try his hands at new things.Yea,Meek sings now.
He opens the album with the title track,Wins and Losses and like it suggests,Meek has elevated from a dreamer to being thick in the mix.He chops it down in thumping Meek fashion.."Wins and losses come with being bosses....Top of the food chain,head of commission,we breaking niggas without permission".You should get the memo.
He sounds far more comfortable speaking from deep and on Price and Heavy Heart,we see a Meek speaking introspectively to captivating effect about the challenges being him and not only the long ride to where he's at like old Meek would.
1942 Flows is a lot like both songs albeit a bit more edgy.He has being on a lyrical ascent since DWMTM and he puts that to good use as he tells you a gripping tale with a strong message for his haters.He renders what is perhaps the best singing performance of 'grown' Meek on the hook and he drops some lines on his ex-Nicki Minaj as well..."Ain't doing no interviews,i'm busy,nigga we litty/So when you see me out don't ask me about no Nicki/F**k i look like telling my business on Wendy/Niggas gossip like Queens,we was serving fiends".He jumps on Jigga's Momma Loves Me Instrumental alongside The Dream for YBA (Young Black America), an arresting walk through the tribulations of the young black american.A single off this LP and it played a huge part in the anxious wait for Meek.Epic stuff.
He takes grieving to new heights on We Ball where he reminisces on Lil Snupe and his other lost soldiers by doing it major for them.He solicits Young Thug for this great tune and Thugga did get his 'sober' on real nice.Further proof of Meek's comfort in the growth zone is packed in Never Lose which is one of the best songs of the album.Meek gets on beast mode delivery and his guest,Lihtz Kamraz supplies him a bomb of a hook.Meek reminds you he is one of the very few rappers in the game with a distinctive style and it happens to be one that places less emphasis on lyrics and he makes you very appreciative of him for going through the trouble of dropping enough catchy lines.Watch out for Lihtz Kamraz.Cut out for really huge things.
Meek drops some really tight bars on Issues and matches it with some great singing.Save Me off Meekend Music 2 already gave a hint as to a more versatile Meek and it felt great to see him sync the new and old aspects to his game on this song.
And talking about old Meek, he reassures you he still speaks up tempo just as fluently as anyone in the game.He recruits Quavo for Ball Player and he puts his talents to stupendous use.Hard to stay put when this comes on.
Lil Uzi Vert joins him for the trappy Fuck That Check Up where Meek struts major with a classy hook to match.Glow Up completes the roll call of 'built for speakers' songs that make you want to bribe a DJ before clubbing on a Friday night.
He brings his street soldier status to the fore on the hard-hitting Connect The Dots where he features Yo Gotti and Rick Ross.It oozes a mind-blowing grittiness with all Mcs firing on all cylinders.Gotti has been killing major features lately and he follows up his outstanding verse on DJ Khaled's That Range Rover Came With Steps with another one here.Hows this for an opener-"Lets talk about the trap,lets talk about the streets/You looked up to Jordan,we looked up to Meech"?.
Meek softens up that mode for Made It From Nothing and boy,does Teyana Taylor pull those chords?.Ross was again on hand to help make this beautiful tune.
'For the ladies' may have hit a rough patch in Whatever You Need feat Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ which certainly doesn't measure up to his previous Breezy collabo, All I Wanna Do but he makes up for that in the amazing Fall Thru where he flaunts his singing in breath-taking fashion and even ups the ante to baby making level on Open with Verse Simmonds.

Basically,Wins and Losses is an album you could bump from start to finish without skipping a single track.Meek has come of age and he deserves respect.A whole lot of it.

GOOD COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: A REVIEW OF WIZKID'S SFTOS EP

Who releases a 12 track EP in 2017?.A Nigerian musician.Wizkid to be precise and perhaps this was what Seyi Shay meant by 'Electronic Package'.(lol).

But on a real,its just another pointer to the fact that this incredibly talented young man needs to understand the 'biz' in showbiz better than he already does.There couldn't be a better illustration than letting 4 songs and a video leak with an RCA/Sony Music deal to protect.

Without a doubt,Wizkid is Nigeria's largest ever music export and Sounds From The Other Side (SFTOS) is the only bonafide afro-international release by a Nigerian artiste.

But in the end, it all boils down to the quality of the music.Walk with me.

1.SWEET LOVE

If the goal was to score big at the onset, then Starboy did just that.He weaves his singing prowess round heavy Fela and Bob Marley influences to make a great afro-beat song.On his day,when he rides the tempo perfectly all the way to the chorus,Wiz can make you sing along to just about anything.

Theres a slight let off at the end however, when he refuses to stop at Fela's original Shakara lyrics but goes on to distort it with a scream and some out-of-tune words of his own.Nonetheless this song speaks impressively of Wizkid's ability to soar in the International market on his own terms.Afro-beat with some Marley says a lot.

2.COME CLOSER (feat Drake)

This would have been the most anticipated song of the EP or a perfect 'days before' single if a leak hadn't necessitated an early official release.Upping the ante doesn't come any better than Dreezy on a track.

To the topic, this would have been a much better song if Wizkid had gotten his verses right.The beat and hook suggest Wiz had Drake in mind all through the cooking process but when Drake comes on, he reminds just how much he puts into songs like this to make them work and Starboy needs to learn a thing or 2 from that.The first verse which isn't as horrible as the second highlights just how key delivery is.There were a few catchy lines that would have sounded better with the right modus.An average ragga verse and a way-out-of mark second help Wiz put a great beat and infectious chorus to awful waste.A singing Wiz on the second verse would have helped switched things up for the better.

3.NAUGHTY RIDE (feat Major Lazer)

Is it just me or is there anybody else who couldn't seem to find Major Lazer any where on this track?.Trust me i tried real hard.

Well, its a quite decent effort where Wiz tries to match his real elements with the need to sound global in awesome style.A throwback to the Wiz that could rap,sing and chant a single line all day and still have you love the song to bits.

But Starboy is making Sony type music for an international market and it would help if he tones down on our 'accepted' repetitive singing pattern.The really nice 'ride naughty ride' chorus starts to give off a shallow and lazy feel when you hear him say it more than thrice.

4.AFRICAN BAD GYAL (feat Chris Brown)

Sarz is a producer i have a lot of respect for but the beat for this song was to put it in the mildest terms, too much of everything.The only point where it doesn't gurgle up the great vibe Wiz was on is at the start of the chorus where he obliges you a little window to enjoy something at least before he reverts back to status quo in time for Wiz to say "Feelin ur dancing" and shout him out for a badly done job.

And for the record, Chris Brown murdered Wizkid on an afro-pop song.Ain't that something?

5.DADDY YO (feat Efya)

Contrary to what the big labels may lecture african artistes on altering their sounds to fit into the international market, no one necessarily has to go reggae or calypso.The Latin Americans penetrated the global music scene on their own terms with reggaeton in a manner that intrigues me to no end and i was thrilled to see Wiz put its elements to awesome effect on Daddy Yo.That all too familiar drum on kick mode and a 'Latin' Efya on the chorus captivates you from the jump.

I'll still say Wiz neglected a key element to making reggaeton work; the 'Punch' factor.This song really needed that and if ever he chooses to tow this path again, i hope his voice won't sound too soft.A great effort nonetheless.Speaks volumes of Starboy's artistry.

6.ONE FOR ME (feat Ty Dolla $)

Starboy steps up his lyrical game a notch and keeps his delivery 'disciplined' to keep you enthralled from the mumble at the start to his very last words.You get a K.O at the bridge with the 'In my life' lines.From a Nigerian perspective,its pretty much one of those very rare occasions when you look forward to an artiste's verses more than you do his chorus and from a global market perspective, i would say the Ty dolla $ hook sounded a bit too slow and 'choirish' to hand the song a little more ordinary feel than it deserves.

7.PICTURE PERFECT

Wizkid blends his singing perfectly into an air-tight instrumental to drive you nuts and hit repeat on what may pretty much be the best song on the EP.His laid back vocal prowess is so out of here and its bound to have you 'feeling the wave' all through.International stuff.

I hope the eggheads at Sony's A&R department have suggested shooting a good video for this song to Wiz.It could just be the catalyst for major global recognition.

8.NOBODY

Its all good till Wiz pulls some really strung-out chords on the 'I will hold you tight' part.He spends more than a whole  minute remedying the grave misdeed only to repeat it again.Yanked a chunky piece of flavour off what is otherwise a very good song. 

9.SEXY

 Sexy is a pretty infectious tune that underscores Wiz's position as the best Fela prototype of his generation.It kicks in that 'good feel' vibe and seems destined to be a DJ favourite.In as much as i must say Spellz set Wiz up nice with a good afro-beat instrumental,we musn't forget how key the heavy use of instruments were to the acceptability of this genre home and abroad.A saxophone just had to fit somewhere in this 3:07 mins track to spicen things up.But it only played in my head.

The lady screaming an unwarranted 'Sexy' at the background was a let-off as well.I'm afraid there may be a day when Starboy's genius may not be able to make up for some shabby aspects of his composition.

10.ALL FOR LOVE (feat Bucie)

He recruits South african singer Bucie for this house music special.While i admire Wiz's balls for striving at versatility by trying out different genres, i can't help but say here he had a great idea that wasn't properly breathed life into.

Its so ridiculously shallow,you feel you can count his whole lyrics on your fingers.He owes Bucie loads for her attempt at giving it a little more life.

11.DIRTY WINE (feat Ty Dolla $)

Ty did come through for Wiz on this one in some style.He complements him on a hook made for the dance floor and Starboy was tight with the verses.

Production could be much better though.There is a sad loss of synergy between the beat at the verses and at the hook.The surge of extra life at the chorus sounds rather too abrupt.

GBESE (feat Trey Songz)

Add the lacklustre display by Wizzy to the awful beat and you have what may very well be the worst song of this project.Who makes a beat like this in 2017 anyway?.Sad.

It totally robs this song a chance of spawning a positive at the very least.I really must shout out Trey Songz for his humility because i would ordinarily think an artiste of his calibre won't be caught dead recording on an instrumental like this.

After all said and done,Wizkid made a good EP that could have been much better.

LUIS ENRIQUE: MOVING ON FROM SUCCESS AT A SAD COST

Luis Enrique won a treble in his first season as Fc Barcelona Coach and in the process, went on to shatter the club record haul of 40 victories in a debut season held by the only other person to have managed such,Josép Guardiola.He had won an impressive 9 out of a possible 13 trophies by the end of his 3 year stint at the club this season but what many may not have noticed is that he left the club in its worst state in years.

Altering Barça's footballing philosophy came at a huge price.Whatever fears that arose from doing so in his first year on the job were wiped out by the epic treble he won but the harsh realities have caught up and there is no running away from them.

Luis Enrique shed some of the close and compact passing for a looser style that allowed for longer passes and swift counter-attacks bolstered in large by the fact that half the job was getting the ball forward to any of the devastating trio of Messi,Neymar or Suarez. Barça no longer enjoyed the uninhibited luxury of closing down opponents in record time which came from having more men in spaces around the ball and keeping passes short.The defensive aspect of their game became more individualized.

Players who perhaps wouldn't have made it on board in the last dispensation were recruited especially in the midfield because they added more physicality and in all of Enrique's 3 years in charge,no player from the club's world acclaimed La Masia academy broke into the first team largely down to the fact that they were accustomed to barça's customary tikitaka style of play.No one says Ivan Rakitic,Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal aren't good players,its just that they don't belong in a club like barça.Only Rakitic would as much as get a fringe role if one must be picked.

There is far more less creativity in the middle and if not for the prolific trio of Messi,Suarez and Neymar who create and bury most of their chances, things would have gotten out of hand.

The Xavi Hernández-Andreś Iniesta partnership was one of the best the game had ever seen and it was always going to be hard to have Iniesta hit those heights with any other player but the players he has hard to work with have proved grossly inadequate.While Rakitic and Turan are better defensively in a way both aren't ,none has come close to the string-pulling genius of Xavi or Iniesta's incredible ability to weave through the opposition and create space for the attacking trio when he isn't looking to give the final pass himself.What happens is barça going forward with an Iniesta that has assumed Xavi's old role and another player behind the pointsman who compared to those before him, is a little too passive to be true.He adds nothing other than grabbing an occasional goal.

By Enrique's final season in charge, Barça had become astonishingly easy to stop as more teams had learnt to exploit the weaknesses of its style.It became much easier to defend against as all its opponents had to worry about were just the movements of MSN and it also became much more easier to attack against with a looser marking style and a porous backline to further compound its problems. Barça has always been vulnerable at the back and ironically, it was Enrique who seemed to have solved that problem in his first year but over time, Gerrard Pique has returned back to his erratic self while Jeremy Mathieu has not replicated the brilliance of his debut season and the little details still give Javier Mascherano away as an 'unnatural' centre-back; positional skills et al.Samuel Umtiti has looked promising but still needs time to mature into the perfect centre-back.He has faltered in very key games notably the one against PSG and none of the aforementioned 3 have proven capable of providing him the right leadership.Something a Carles Puyol would have done quite well.

Barça's transfer policy under Enrique was geared towards ensuring the viability of his style and now that he is no longer there,the club is left with players a lot of fans would want to see go-Paco Alcacer,Arda Turan and Ivan Rakitic(i dare say).

That Marco Verrati is the club's transfer priority to complement Andres Iniesta in the middle tells that the heirachy understand the direction things should take.Verrati is the closest in world football to Xavi in terms of style and it would be great to return back to the good old days.

Allowing Dani Alves leave (he said he wasn't made to feel wanted by the way) without Adriano or Douglas to fall back on has to rank among the most outrageous transfer decisions in world football but Sergi Roberto has stepped up to fill the vacuum in great style.His excellent performances nonetheless, he would better serve the blaugrana in a midfield capacity.The club seems to have jettisoned the idea of signing Nelson Semedo,the benefica right-back and portugese international (whom suits its tikitaka play perfectly well) for Hector Bellerin,the Arsenal defender.That is a good step towards making things right but it is important some changes are effected in the central defence as well.Off loading a reportedly agitated Mascherano and Jeremy Mathieu could raise funds to get a quality centre back.

Ernesto Valverde is a quite good coach and i hope he is the man to restore Barça to its rightful place as Europe's best team and ensure the entrenchment of a better playing style if not a full reversal to the old one.No club in the world rivals the effective utilization of players from its lower ranks like Barcelona does and Enrique's disregard for that was a huge low.Valverde must learn from that as well.

Visca El Barça.