Ajebutter 22 will get there Anytime Soon [Album Review]

By Ayomide Tayo

Artiste: Ajebutter 22 x Studio Magic
Album: Anytime Soon
Guest Artistes: Midnite, BOJ, Wizboy, Taymi B, Platinum Toxx, Dr. Sid
Producers: Studio Magic
Record Label: Born Kings (2014)
Duration: 53 minutes

Ajebutter’s music is as slick as his name suggests. It is as smooth as butter, and easy on the ears like cotton bud. His bars are neatly stacked like loaves of bread, and his deep voice hovers on the beats crafted by the London-based Nigerian producers known as Studio Magic.

Ajebutter presents his music in an immaculate way (similar to New York rapper A$AP Rocky), that you might easily categorise his alternative style of rapping as featherweight. His breakout single ‘Senrere’ featuring Taymi B, and follow up single ‘Omo Pastor’ featuring BOJ, are new school groove dance cuts that place Ajebutter as another random party dude. However, when dissecting his album ‘Anytime Soon’ done in conjunction with Studio Magic, Ajebutter reveals his emotional depth.

‘It’s deeper than surface/my mother wants me sitting down in office/why should I strive and do 9 to 5/when singing some lines will get me more profit‘ muses Ajebutter 22 on the album’s opener ‘Humble Guy’. Anytime Soon is pretty much what you would expect from an artiste of Ajebutter’s age. The album is split between Ajebutter’s thoughts on life, love and family, and blatant turn up music.

‘I’m in the club, and I like what I see/fine girl and her friend, I see they are looking at me/…looking for a wingman, Ajebutter is riding with me‘ raps Midnite on ‘No Story’. Midnite and Ajebutter employ a back and forth flow on the bouncy track. On this song, Ajebutter continues his penchant for funny punch lines as he spits ‘we go do you bad thing/ Put lines in your head bi side pattern.‘ Platinum Toxx and Headphones (Studio Magic) spray ‘Alangba’ with their patent electro rap sheen as Ajebutter coolly declares ‘I need that magic’.

‘It’s deeper than surface/my mother wants me sitting down in office/why should I strive and do 9 to 5/when singing some lines will get me more profit,’ muses Ajebutter 22 on the album’s opener ‘Humble Guy’. ‘Anytime Soon’ is pretty much what you would expect from an artiste of Ajebutter’s age. The album is split between Ajebutter’s thoughts on life, love and family, and blatant turn up music.

‘I’m in the club, and I like what I see/fine girl and her friend, I see they are looking at me/…looking for a wingman, Ajebutter is riding with me,’ raps Midnite on ‘No Story’. Midnite and Ajebutter employ a back and forth flow on the bouncy track. On this song, Ajebutter continues his penchant for funny punch lines as he spits, ‘We go do you bad thing/ Put lines in your head bi side parting.’

Platinum Toxx and Headphones (Studio Magic) spray ‘Alangba’ with their patent electro rap sheen as Ajebutter coolly declares ‘I need that magic’.

It’s not all laser light sounds and schizophrenic synths with Studio Magic. In a bid to capture the older crowd, they create a new age highlife beat on ‘Dancing Competition’ that allows Ajebutter to glide effortlessly on it with his chilled voice. This track will achieve the desired results if pushed properly.

Ajebutter and Studio Magic have been able to create a new vibe of party music in Nigeria, but despite the chemistry, the partners in crime fall short a number of times on the album. ‘Follow The Leader’, ‘Gbono’ and ‘Omo Mummy’ are standard party tracks that are entirely skip worthy. Also, ‘Omo Ibo’ featuring Wizboy is a predictable Eastern highlife song that draws the album back.

Fortunately, when Ajebutter leaves the party terrain and starts touching on heavier topics, his artistry starts to shine.

‘Don’t give me another chance. I am scared I will mess up again/Play around with your trust again. Make you feel like the worst again,’ sings Ajebutter. Like a drug dealer who knows his customer is already hooked on his product he asks ‘Am I difficult to shake off?’ Ajebutter revisits the current relationship with his ex on ‘What Are We’. His willingness to touch on contemporary subjects shows that Ajebutter is indeed one of the new school acts. What makes his unique is that it is not all party with him. He is ready to put in work, and knows that success doesn’t come in one day.

‘I celebrate the things I don’t have yet, ‘cos I will have them anytime soon,’ declares the new kid on the block on ‘Celebrate In Advance’.

Apart from the rookie mistakes on the album, ‘Anytime Soon’ is a cool album filled with dance tracks and reflective songs made by a freshman willing to put in work to be one of the best.

Rating- 3.5/5