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.