By Ayomide Tayo
Album: Wazup Guy
Artiste: Falz
Guest Appearances: Olamide, Dipo, Sir Dauda, Poe, Yemi Alade, SDC, Oyinkansola
Producers: Adey, Studio Magic, DJ Woske, Spax, JRS, Epic Tunes (Spellz & Spax), Tin Tin, Crown Prince, Kid Konnect
Record Label: Bahd Guys Records (2014)
Duration: 1 hour, 4 minutes
Falz The Bahd Guy started all this. Started what exactly, you ask? The razz Yoruba flow. Way before Ajebutter broke through with ‘Senrere’, Falz had already scored a sleeper hit in 2009 with the single ‘Shakara’ off the mixtape of the same name. Falz’s calling card, which is rapping in the local Yoruba accent complete with ‘H-factor‘ and common-man humour might be mainstream today, but the son of the famous Nigerian lawyer Femi Falana was one of the pioneers of the style.
‘Wazup Guy’ is a lengthy 18 track album which showcases Falz’s ability to craft songs and deliver conceptual tracks without burdening the listener. On the surface, his LP can be described as a bunch of songs made up of synth-pop production. Studio Magic, masters of laser like electro production are very much present on this album. ‘Currency’– a Studio Magic production is an electro and Fuji-mash up. Even his ‘rap’ track ‘Wazup Guy’ is synth heavy. On this song, the lawyer reveals he has solid roots in Hip-Hop despite dropping bars such as ‘they can’t fit in my shoe-they can’t wear canvas/they are rap babies men-they wear pampers’, and the more humorous ‘me I go hin-they don’t know the hentrance’.
Judging from the production angle, this album is a party and groovy affair (‘High class’ and ‘Hold something‘). There are sub-themes of lust (‘Toyin tomato’) and love (‘Right now’ featuring Dipo). ‘Toyin tomato’ is the obligatory runs song girl that seems on every Nigerian pop or rap CD these days. ‘Right now’ boats of a beautiful and soulful hook from the elusive and consistent, but highly talented Dipo.
I could stop here, and say this is all Falz offers on his first outing, and it would still be a good album. It shows why he is the progenitor of this sub-genre, and employs rich and innovative production.
After the party hangover, Falz wakes up the next morning and asks serious questions on the state of Nigeria in ‘How far’ featuring Sir Dauda (whose vocals can also be heard on the stirring ‘Satan must fall’ by M.I featuring Terry Tha Rapman. ‘Area boys plenty-dem no see job/why dey no go carry gun and begin rob?’ asks Falz on the above average conscious track. On the next song ‘Senator’ Falz pulls a master stroke by using a slightly futuristic highlife beat to mock the extravagant spending of the political class. He might be entertaining the movers and shakers, but he notices the Naira bills falling from their pockets.
Back to the partying, ‘Jessica’ sounds like what King Sunny Ade will be doing today. The beat is juju, and Falz’s flow is Fuji. He even raps on the third verse. This has mainstream hit written all over it. More amazing production comes up. ‘1,2,3‘ featuring Oyinkansola boasts of a Fela sample and little electro influence. He even flirts with pop-rock on ‘Oh God’. The song flirts with the concept of marriage – ‘come and take the last name on my passport’. However when it comes to relationship issues on this album, ‘Marry Me’ featuring Poe and Yemi Alade takes the cake and the icing. The song is a conceptual gem about women who force men to marry them because time is ‘running out’. Poe’s lucid flow and Yemi Alde’s emotional contribution helps Falz create another single worthy track.
For the rap lovers, Falz reserves ‘The advice’ produced by Kid Konnect. Falz uses a sweet flow over Konnect’s menacing beat. ‘I’m going in like a frapas or maybe like a wedgie/ladies know I too pack even though I am not Machiavelli’ he raps humorously. Aware of his influence in Nigeria’s rap game, Falz boasts ‘because of me razz, can be cool’. The only flaw on this album is ‘O pari’ featuring Olamide which feels conceptually lost on this album. Olamide is still tired from churning out so many songs in three years.
Wazup Guy is a lovely album by the godfather of the razz Yoruba flow. With this album, people will know who started this movement- Falz The Bahd Guy.
Rating – 4/5