Best 5 Nigerian Rap Verses of the year

In 2015, one of the hardest conversations to have in Hip-hop was the rise of indigenous rap music being projected by the ‘Local Rappers’ trio of
Olamide , Phyno and Reminisce.


In that song, they took shots at lyricism as an art and upheld the commercial gains of street rap.
But street rap doesn’t have to be bland, street can be dope. Hip-hop, can be made relatable and dope. Lyricism might have slowed down in the singles, but as an art form it is alive.
From Ice Prince (yes, Ice Prince) to Boogey, we have had a year blessed with rappers spitting art from the heart, the soul and the dome. We have had rap songs that read like a verse from a holy book of poetry and knowledge, and lines that only heaven could have dropped.
Pulse Music, the repository of all things music, have dug deep into the game, and we have the best 5 verses that stand tall and proud in the midst of all these meme raps and watered compositions.
Here they are.
M.I Abaga – We all for down (Verse 1)
A legend of Nigeria’s Hip-hop, M.I Abaga is as poetic, knowledgeable and skilled as they come. A king of rap verses, and lyricism, it is easy to forget that he dropped “Illegal Music 3” earlier in the year to round off what has been an incredible series of mixtapes.
Through his savior-complex and braggadocio, one song stands out as the ultimate rap gem on the project, and it is “All For Down”.
An introspective track, the first verse which captured the inevitability of success’s cycle should be printed, framed and hung on walls as a poignant but real prophecy of life. We grind, we rise, we retire. That’s how the world is conditioned, and this is what M.I had to say:
Never said I was perfect
I never said I was awesome
All I know is I’m worth it
All I know is that am gotten
I’m tryna pursue my purpose
I’m tryna bring home the lost ones
Spoke to Jesus this morning he told me proceed with caution
Told me there’s many people with no truth inside em
He told me with no blemish still they crucified him
I said those people are sick should I euthanize em
He said your in charge of what you see (sea)
Your the new poseidon
Just try to do your best then try to do it better
Set aside a little cash
For those you know could use the cheddar
When they need the sun just loose your sweater
Yeah, cause when the vultures come they soar together
Yeah, and so I gathered up my loses
Close the leaky faucets
Never said it’ll be easy in the fine prints
And I read the clauses
Everybody will receive the crosses
Even bosses
You cannot deceive the process
No matter how high
Reminisce – Asalamalekun (Verse 1)
One of the ‘Local Rappers’ creators, Reminisce and his best rap voice is the ultimate promethean artiste who creates from a deep place of knowledge, but ultimately finds new ways to let it flow out as simple and entertaining, with a delivery that is both authoritative and hard-biting. ‘Asalamalekun’ has to be the best Hip-hop single of the year, but he carried on through with deep lyricism, written in both Yoruba and English, and designed to tension the young rappers and ‘haters’ who understand only the superficial about the culture.
He attacks thus:
Asalamalekum waleikum salam
Wan ni mo lagidi pe owun de lopa sadam
Molepo mo Al-nasir ain’t talking remmy salam
Mo’n so Nasir le lama Ti eyin pe mallam
Allow me breath n!ggas emalo jekin fo
Flow with a lotta ease n!ggas what you hating for
I’ll not stop you n!ggas would not breath
Mo ma last gan am packing enough hit
Wan ishe yen bad gan but shii sounding not fit
Tin ba ever bo crown gan it will not fit
Grown men only kon she kidding mission
Only place to ti ma rimi lori television
This kid says they hustling
They say they getting money
What’s ya be smoking on
Mehn that shii is really funny
You talk about getting bvtches
Like i ain getting non
You talk about counting money
Like i ain counting non
Let’s talk about the Gucci
You say is a feragamo
Versace belt forming up to old my fokin ammo
Awon vain they don’t want me to prosper
Boogey – Show you something (Verse 1)
Boogey hardly ever gets the mainstream recognition that he deserves, but he keeps breathing in air, and breathing out genius for the world to consume. In 2016, he has been nominated for the Headies ‘Best Rap Single’, a political victory for the underground movement who are regarded as the custodians of Nigeria’s real rap culture. He comes through on ‘Show you something’, on the first verse, where he is laden with nostalgia about his upbringing, something that we can all relate.
“Born in the mid eighties, raised in the nineties..
.. when they played this shit daily, 808s will remind me..
..of my daddies peugeot Five-0-Five
I was about 5 oh my
..eyes closed I..
..try to remember being a little kid in the barracks, my parents keeping me away from that okoko maiko life
Officer quarters, daddy was fast rising
Dreams of making captain but the ship capsized and..
..that's a story for another song
1990 saw my little brother born, where the fat little bugger from?
But even after her second son born..
.. Mom made sure the first never left the front porch
Unfortunately turned me into one shy kid
Folks try to protect kids from life within shells
It tried to get into the one I hid in
Just hoping it would crack like some dry lips and..
.. It didn't at the time”
A-Q – Political Science (Verse 2)
A-Q won this year with the rebranding of his music and the release of “Rose,” album, where he balanced the pursuit of artistry with the demands of the industry. But he kept things real in the lyrics department, and in ‘Political Science, all his birds came home to roost. A song about the industry and its inherent politics, A-Q went in, delivering quotable lines on the media, the hype and the game.
But it is the third verse that sticks tighter than the rest. And he did all for the culture:
The media would tell you just anything, a
For the money they'd tell you anything
Like Jesus wasn't born on the 25
Or its healthy to eat baby shit (laughs)
Controversially they tell you controversy sells
And put you on everything
The controversially they use the same controversy
Against you like boomerangs
Same people that tell you Hip-hop ain’t here,
Would tell you Mode 9 is too old to be rapping,
Then they tell you Olamide is the best,
I just sit back and watch the reactions
I'm not saying anything,
I'm just saying what i saw on the blogs and the daily captions
And they know Hip-hop much more than you do,
So whatever you do gets the same reaction.
The game is a shame, still every rapper is king,
What kinda game are you playing?
Banky W keeps slaying y’all rappers, he should not bring it my way though
He knows I’ll smack his R&B ass back to the canoes
I might be playing, don’t take me seriously,
though on a serious note, rappers are broke,
so who crown you paupers as kings?
They ripping you off, 70% of your publishing goes as soon as you sign,
They’re sticking you up, so who can you trust?
And you rappers got the nerve to claim that you’re best
Hanging on twitter with cheap BIS
While telecommunications endorsing Afropop artists
And local rappers are rated as next, y03= our trending on twitter at best.
Ice Prince – 2AM in Chevron
Ice Prince won this year with his best ‘rap’ album. The rapper brought out the bars in “Jos To The World,” and created some of his highest-quality rap songs. But the best of them all is ‘2AM in Chevron’, a song inspired by the location of his personal house which he recently just completed before he clocked 30.
An introspective record. The song has Ice Prince plumbing the depths of his soul to bring forth the most honest and true raps that he has ever released. From doubts about his skill, affirmations and beliefs he inspires, reveals, motivates and entertains.
Paybac – Tales By Moonlight (Verse 2)
One of the most underragted projects of the year, “Face Off” by Boogey and Paybac (The Lost & Found) is Nigeria’s best shot at a lyrical project. With harddlines, party vibes, poignant compositions, and general wordplay, the duo have an album that is both refreshing and rich to listen. So, it is with great difficulty that we go the way of Paybac in this song about life.
“ He was the biggest tree in the jungle
The village couldn't cut him down
The king couldn't cut him down
The witches and the babalawos
Whispered about the uncorruptible
Seed sown in the underground
A tale searched for for years but never found
Forgotten they never cared about
Discovered wait till they hear him out
Baring strange fruit
Something they ain't seen in ages
Something that'll unify all races
The fruit of good and evil split in half
Go on taste it
Now go and tell it to the world to different places and faces
Tell em pour libation
Give some to the Gods
Let the ladies whine waist
Let the drummer drum his drums
Its a conundurum
When you running from
What you need to be number one
You see the seed needs shine to grow
But needs to grow to shine
And life goes on and on
Now i heard mama ebuka used the leaves to make soup and now ebuka has gone to the abroad
I heard mama osanobua used the branches for firewood and now the doctor said there's cancer in her lungs
I heard 2 little girls used to steal its fruits
And now ones a lawyer and one's a loot
It seems like you get what you give as always
Now gather in a circle pass the pami round while we all say