EP REVIEW: WHAT FOR THE CULTURE HAS IN FLEXIBILITY, IT LACKS IN CUTTING EDGE

Terry tha rapman and Pherowshuz share a similar musical journey.Both started off being local champions in Kaduna before moving to Abuja en route the final migration to Lagos.They are hardcore lyricists of the same era who acknowledged a need in the mid-2000s to infuse a commercial edge to their craft for mainstream acceptance.

The transition to a more marketable artiste has been more effortless for Terry tha rapman than it has for Pherowshuz, who owes any recognition he may have garnered outside being on tha rapman's Ekwe remix to the backing of his former label,KD World records.

Remarkably however,Terry has always carried his 'home boy' along for the ride and asides being a platform for Terry, an artiste fast slipping into oblivion and Phero,an artiste still struggling to make a name for himself to impress, For the Culture,as deducable from the title, also suggests more or less an opportunity for both artistes to loosen up a bit and worry less about 'market standards'.

The EP commendably has a quite flexible overlay.The artistes cover virtually every width of expression available in rendering 9 songs.From the energy of Grafitti,the room temperature On The Wave,the trappy Ba Su Bayani to the subtle Black Is Beautiful.The boxes this EP ticks,it does really well.Grafitti is a fabulous groovy rapfest and some of the best lines were on Cold.

Fellow Kaduna veteran and former X3M music artiste, Overdose deserves special mention for the Future-esque input on the On The Wave and the commanding presence on Ba Su Bayani which are quite captivating songs.

But for the most part,what For The Culture has in flexibility,it lacks in cutting edge.The Stoopid Freestyle is set up beautifully to allow both rappers flex some lyrical weight but they really don't do anything out of the ordinary in their comfort zones.Black is Beautiful is up there with the best songs on display but 'powerful' in hip hop doesn't translate to soul-stirring female vocals alone.A little more effort should have gone into making the verses lifting.

The beat is an essential ingredient of a dance track and though Dammy Krane delivers a super solid chorus on Sexy Lady,he does so on an up-tempo beat from as far back as when Terry and Phero were hardcore rappers.It doesn't quite stick.

Most hip hop lovers would at first glance interprete a Joe Spazm and Pharoah the great joint EP titled For The Culture to mean a highly lyrical showcase.One perhaps inspired by the exploits of Pusha-T's grammy nominated Daytona or the critically acclaimed Crown by AQ and Loose Kaynon.But it could very well be argued for them that it is a depiction of the game in its current state rather than what it ought to be.

The pre-EP single Messi and Ronaldo may not have given us much to look forward to considering the quality of both rappers' verses especially Pherowshuz's but its much better to lower expectations and surpass it than the other way round.

Overall, the good outweigh the bad.For the Culture doesn't disappoint.