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.
