Factors used to grade artists are:
A reasonable level of mainstream success.
At least two solo albums or two group albums should have been put out.
Some degree of social influence.
Longevity (years of relevance in the music industry)
10. Eedris Abdulkareem
So I know a lot of real rap heads are going to be a bit disappointed but truth is whether you like it or not, Eedris Abdulkareem deserves to be on this list. There is no way you would talk about Nigerian hip hop for this past decade without mentioning Eedris. He has been in a great group (The Remedies), which honestly is one of the first hip hop groups in Nigeria to achieve mainstream success, he is one of the few Nigerian hip hop artists who has dropped up to five albums, which yielded mega hits like Mr. Lecturer and Jaga Jaga (this even got the attention of the president and was consequently banned) and has garnered a lot of publicity with controversies: not to mention the silly feud with 50Cent. So yes he might not have punchlines, metaphors and complex multi-syllabic rhymes, but this guy has definitely left an impact on the Nigerian music scene this past decade.
Albums: Pass (Pain and Success, 2002), Mr. Lecture (2002), Jaga Jaga (2004), Letter to mr. President(2005), and The King is Back(2008)
9. Overdose
Born David Adogo, this Kaduna (shout out to Croc City) emcee, is a true wordsmith. Finally getting some attention thanks to his third album HOD (Hustle or Die), this guy has got crazy metaphors and his punchlines are mind blowing. Although not as commercially successful as some other emcees on this list (that’s gradually changing considering he’ll be starring in a Nollywood movie soon), he has sealed his legendary status in the game having remained active since 2001. If you love punchlines, don’t mind gritty beats and simple hooks, go cop his second album Don’t Hate. If you however like catchy hooks, party-like beats and are not too particular about punchline after punchline, you would love HOD.
Albums: Lyrical Overdose(2001), Don’t Hate (2006) and HOD (Hustle or Die, 2010)
8. Ikechukwu
It’s Mr. Killz himself ladies and gentlemen. And yes he makes the list because he’s dropped three albums since 2006 which yielded monster hits like “Wind am well” and “Shoobeedoo”. He also has a mixtape on the way (titled “Okhello”) and let’s not forget that he is the main man and CEO of World Famous Academy (WFA), which has produced talents like Naeto C. So he might have had some misunderstanding with the Mo hits Crew and might have fought with a club bouncer, but Killz has surely done well for himself this past decade.
Albums: Son of the Soil (2006), Life and Times of Killz Vol. 1(2009), The Alliance Reconstructed
7. Terry Tha Rapman
Also known as Joe Spazm, Terry has also had a considerable impact on the hip hop scene this past decade. Having been affiliated with the group Swat Root, he has dropped three albums and 1 mixtape, and has been in the game for a decade now. Like fellow rapper Overdose (who is a longtime ally), his last album “Boys are not Smilin” was a bit different from his usual “strictly rap” albums, enlisting the help of artists like Terry G to give the album a commercial outlook, without neglecting real lyricism in the process. He can also be credited for popularizing the “Boys are not Smilin” movement. The term is now a regular catchphrase among youth in the country and the t-shirts (which we are authorized distributors of) has done pretty well too. How’s that for social impact.
Albums: Rapmanifestation (2002), Tha Rapman Beginz (2007) and Boyz are not Smilin (2010)
Mix-tape: The Joe Spazm Mixtape(2009).
6. Naeto-C
Does Naeto make this list? Yes Boss! Mr. Naetochukwu is one of the first rappers in Nigeria to really appeal to the masses. I mean, I heard girls who hated rap listening and bumping their heads to “Kini big deal”, not to mention the kind of acceptance and attention the song garnered in the entire African continent. And let’s not forget his 2 MTV awards and 1 from Channel O as well. Beneath Naeto’s swag and cool persona, he is also well educated, having obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Dundee. I believe Naeto is a living example that education and show business do not have to be mutually exclusive. So he’s got commercial success, good lyrics, a Master’s degree and catchphrases that have become household vocabulary. Super C is definitely ten over ten, that’s the “P”.
Albums: U know the P (2007) and Super C Season (2011)
5. 2Shotz
You probably were not paying too much attention to rap in Nigeria, early in the 21st century if you don’t know joints like “Carry am go” and ”Delicious”, off 2shotz debut album Pirated Copy. They were huge back then. It wasn’t easy back then as hip hop was still struggling to find its way into the mainstream culture of Nigeria. 2Shotz also took the business aspect a step further by being one of the first artists to directly collaborate with merchants in Alaba in order to directly earn from his record sales. It’s going to be kind of hard to swallow but 2Shotz is probably the most consistent on this list. He’s been affiliated with two groups: Foremen and Da Trybe, let’s not even talk about his 5 albums which have each had at least one prominent single. Some might argue that he’s not hardcore but his status in the game is definitely legendary. As said in his single with M. I. (I am William): “I am the definition of longevity”, couldn’t have said it better myself.
Albums: Pirated Copy (2004), Original Copy (2005), Commercial Avenue (2006), Music Business (2008) and I Am William(2010)
Group Albums: The Big Picture (Da Trybe, 2005)
4. Mode9
It’s Modey!! Arguably one of the best lyricists on the continent, there’s no doubt that Mr. Segun Babatunde deserves a stellar honor on this list. In fact, if this list was based solely on lyricism, he would undoubtedly be number one. If you listened to “Malcolm IX” or “Pentium IX”, your head would have probably been bursting in amazement of the amount of punchlines, both in terms of quality and quantity. The rewind button on your Discman (for those of us who used one) would likely have had problems because you would have used it so many times, trying to decipher his punchlines. With lyrics like Mode’s, it’s no surprise that rap heads that had a feel of his mix-tapes have been hooked and loyal ever since. To top it all, Mode is always working on one project or the other. He already has a mixtape titled “Blood and Milk” which came out last year’s August. Although Mode hardly makes commercial tracks, he’s still been able to reach the mainstream audience (and winning a bunch of awards in the process) in Nigeria based solely on his lyrical skills. Now that’s greatness.
Albums: E Pluribus Unum (2006), The Paradigm Shift (2008) and Da Vinci Mode (2010)
Group Album: Pay Attention (Modenine &Alias, 2010) and Golden Era (Modenine & Mills The Producer, 2010)
Mix-tapes: Malcolm IX (2004), Pentium IX (2005) and 09 09 09 (2009)
3. Ruggedman
Mr. Controversy himself! I believe Ruggedman recorded the first most popular diss song in Nigeria. Regardless your opinion, the strategy paid off and had the entire media in a frenzy at the time. Having three albums to his credit, the Baraje master has remained active on the scene since 2004 and has done well for himself in the business sense, securing endorsements from heavyweight companies like Nokia in the process. This engineering graduate seems not to have lost his touch for being linked with one controversy or the other, as seen recently in the whole Nice and Toni Payne issue. So not everyone might approve of his tactics but Mr. Ugochukwu is still smiling all the way to the bank and makes this list for his impact on the Nigerian music scene.
Albums: Thy Album Come (2004), Ruggedeybaba (2007), Untouchable (2010)
2. M.I.
Hush hush. I can hear people screaming foul already because they believe Mr. Abaga should rank numero 1 on this list. There’s no doubt that Jude is quite the talented rapper. But truth is he still has an elder in the game. If he keeps up at his current momentum, there’s no doubt that he’ll definitely top a future version of this list. What’s the short black boy right to ill? He is the first hip hop artist in Nigeria to FULLY satisfy both hardcore rap heads, while at the same time meeting the needs of party freaks. His Classic mix-tape, “Illegal Music” is simply fantastic to say the least and should be on the shelf of every true rap head. Of course I don’t have to say much about his ground breaking debut “Talk about it”, which apart from being a huge success, served as a springboard for the careers of artists such as “General Pype”, “YQ”, and of course “Wizkid”. With yet another wonderful album (MI2), this J-town rapper isn’t showing any signs of slowing down: we all hope he doesn’t. More grease Jude!
Albums: Talk about it (2008) and MI2 (2010)
Mix-tapes: Illegal Music (2009)
1. Eldee Da Don
Clear your eyes properly because it’s not a mistake: Mr. Lanre Dabiri is the greatest hip hop artist of the decade based on NX research and analysis. Stop shouting! Cool down and let me explain. First of all, Eldee founded Trybesmen, which some people refer to as “The Run DMC of Africa” (really). I believe the group was the first to blend afro beats and “real rap” together in such a way real rap heads could feel, while retaining the true essence of African music. I mean songs like “Shake Bodi”, remains a classic till this very day and songs like “Ya heard” still boasts of more potent lyrics in terms of rhyme schemes and punchlines, compared to a lot of garbage we hear today (KB’s verse was ill by the way). Don’t believe me? Google up the song and judge yourself. In addition, El dee extended this group to a much larger family simply known as “Da Trybe”. Da Trybe released the album titled “The Big Picture” and introduced some talents who are still relevant in the industry today: People like Sasha, Blaise, 2Shotz (who’s also on this list) and of course Dr. Sid (who’s currently a member of Mo hits). If the person who put together such a team isn’t great, then who is? Despite all the accomplishments above, Eldee has still had a very successful solo career. With four albums (a fifth one is on the way), loads of hit singles and international collaborations (having worked with Yung Jock, Chiddy Bang and Bigz). I know he does more of singing than rapping now but if you have any doubts about whether his rap skills are intact or not, please go listen to “Ba mi jo”, Dr. Sid’s Single which also features Ikechukwu and M. I. Sincerely tell me who has the best verse in the comments section below. So he’s not the best lyricist but truth is it takes more than just lyricism to be great: it requires hard work, consistency and dedication (let’s not forget God’s grace), to stay relevant for over ten years. As a matter of fact, there are only a handful of people in the Nigerian music industry who have remained relevant for so long (regardless the genre), and believe it or not, Mr. Lanre Dabiri is one of those exceptional few.
Albums: Long time coming (2004), Return of the King (2006), Big Boy (2008) and Is it your money? Vol. 1 (2010)
Group Albums: L. A. G Style (Trybesmen, 2000) and The Big Picture (Da Trybe, 2004)
Mix-tapes: The Trybe Mixtape (2008) and The Champion: The Hits (2009)
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