They Call Him “Mr. Incredible”

The new rap icon and self proclaimed hip-hop “demi-god with the pen”

Since his initial foray onto the Nigerian music scene with “Crowd Mentality”, off his “Pyeri Boy” album, he has been held in high regard, sparking a cult of eager followers, hip-hop heads and the lyrical neophytes alike, across the globe from KD to Connecticut and from “Maryland, Lekko to Maryland in Yankee” (Shout out to eLDee for that line).

Jude “M. I.” Abaga blesses every track with a rare consistency in lyrical proficiency, leaving his listeners with the “whoa-did-you-hear-that??” effect, over and over again.

His albums, “Pyeri Boy” and “Talk About It”, set the stage, showcasing his unique lyrical versatility, but nothing could have prepared us for the [lyrical, sensory, mental, emotional] onslaught that he unleashed in his most recently released album.

Aptly titled “Illegal Music”, this album makes use of samples from Dorothy Moore, Gnarles Barkley, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Nina Simone, Lenny Williams, Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, even D’banj, sometimes doing more justice to the beat than the original artist, (no names called here, please and thank you), hence the album being entirely free, due copyright laws and other associated legal matters that you wouldn’t want me to get into.

Illegal music is, in a few words, the most perfect combination of words, beats and a microphone. Period.

Right from the start of the album, sampling Misty Blue, Dorothy Moore softly sings in the background, setting the tone of the rest of the album which only increases in intensity, through the Gnarles Barkley sample and the popular Gbono Feli Feli sample.

Enlisting the help of KD World* rapper Pheroshuz, the Nina Simone sample of feeling good offers a more subdued, side of MI, with it’s laid back undertones.

His work on Jay-Z’s 99 Problems is a masterpiece, with the instrumentals tweaked ever so slightly, giving it a sort of “smoky lounge” vibe, and the unexpected Yoruba/Pidgin English hook making it a highly delightful fusion of both cultures.

In the Lenny Williams sample, MI delves into the consequences of success, surrounded by people who know your name, not who you are…loneliness, the “one true companion.”

In Choc Boyz, the Jesse Jagz (i’ll get to him later) twist on Jay-Z’s Roc Boyz sample, exposes a barrage of talent from Ice Prince, Jesse Jagz himself and MI, cementing his position in the hip hop world as we know it.

In the final track of the album, M.I. enthusiastically reps Jos, (there’s more to the Nigerian hip hop scene than Lagos, people) instead of decamping to the south.

Just as he says in “Safe [ft. Djinee]“, he is undoubtedly “..the most incredible, out of Naija..”

Download M.I.’s Illegal Music Here

Track Listing

1. Misty Blue-(Dorothy Moore Sample)
2. Pen-(Gnarls Barkley Sample)
3. Drop It Like It’s Hot-(Snoop Dogg Sample)
4. Gbono Feli Feli-(D’banj Sample)
5. What 2 Do-(Simon Webb Sample)
6. Can’t Tell Me Nothing [ft. Pheroshuz of KD World]-(Kanye West Sample)
7. Feeling Good-(Nina Simone Sample)
8. 99 Problems-(Jay-Z Sample)
9. The Darkest Birds [Exclusive Club]-(Nine Horses Sample)
10. Am Illie-(Lil Wayne Sample)
11. Beautiful
12. Lonely-(Lenny Williams Sample)
13. Choc Boyz-(Jay-Z Sample)
14. Loopy Ballers [Rise]

Shout out to NotJustOk.com for the hook up.

*Speaking of KD World, whatever happened to OD and the rest of the squad?

Tags: Music, Reviews