By Chiagoziem Onyekwena
ALBUM TITLE – Untouchable
LEAD SINGLE – She ‘n’ My Swagga
PRODUCTION – Cookbeat, DTunez, E Twinz, P Square, Puffy Tee, K Solo, Kash 11, Samklef, SARZ, Sossick, Tyrone
GUEST ARTISTES – 2 Face Idibia, Chinaydu, Dagrin, Flavour, Geneline, Hakeem, Iceprince, Mallam Spicey, M.I., P Square, Recobah, Samklef, Vino
RECORD LABEL/DISTRIBUTION – Rugged Records/Obaino Music
Live by the sword, die by the sword. And while I’m in no way trying to imply that Michael Ugochukwu Stephen’s career in rap music is dead, there’s no doubt that the decorated emcee is nowhere near the artiste, who at the peak of his career, was widely regarded to be the biggest rap star in the country.
Ironically, it’s his penchant for using controversy as a marketing tool; the same tactic that saw him rise to fame in the first place, that has backfired on Ruggedman today. A fiercely contested but inconclusive battle with fearsome lyricist Mode 9 exposed Rugged’s weaknesses, while being fingered by sections of the press as the chief catalyst for the disintegration of 9ice and Toni Payne’s marriage has turned Ruggedy Baba into a deeply divisive character. Today, listening to Ruggedman’s music without any bias is practically impossible.
With 9ice either keeping mom or choosing to play victim in the three-way separation triangle from the onset, public sympathy has never really rested with Ruggedman, but the embattled rapper still sticks to his story of innocence nonetheless. On A Word Is Enough for the 9ice, ushered in by a General Prince Adekunle sample, Ruggedman speaks to 9ice candidly, more as a brother and a pained friend than as an enemy. And even though Rugged might be seeking a lot more credit for Adigun’s success than he is actually due, it speaks volumes for Rugged’s maturity that he was able to rise above everything and pen a song with so much clarity and devoid of any malice. Sadly, whatever maturity Rugged might have displayed on A word Is Enough was soiled on the very same album. Rugged retrogresses, giving his protégé Chinaydu the license to talk recklessly (on 9ice the Ingrate) about the same situation he had addressed so coolly only a few minutes before; way to ruining your ‘Bigger Man’ moment Rugged. Well done.
Away from all that however, Untouchable explores relatively new territory for Rugged, like his newfound readiness to embrace his Ibo roots on the Flavour-assisted Ebemsi and who would’ve ever thought that the egomaniacal Ruggedman would actually sing about Heart Break? What’s more, he did it without the use of autotune! While on Walk Away the Abia state indigene takes new school Nigerian hip-hop fans on a quick orientation course, ‘no be me carry Goliath knack am for floor? So how can I battle Aki n’ Paw Paw?’ Ruggedman is a deeper rapper than people give him credit for and with all that baggage, it’s actually easy to forget that this man shaped modern day Nigerian hip-hop almost singlehandedly.
Ruggedman’s perceived vacuity was fed by the rapper himself, his determination to align his brand of hip-hop with mainstream music at all costs means a lot of compromises are made in his final product. Take for instance the P Square-featured club record Low, a mismatch on paper that doesn’t get any better in reality. Interestingly, it’s the songs on Untouchable with the bigger names that are the more disappointing. The rock-tinged Because of You features 2 Face Idibia and M.I and between these three genuine music stars, a song not worthy of two stars was born. In contrast, it’s when the energy doesn’t feel forced that Rugged actually delivers like on the hard-hitting E Mi Ni where Dagrin gives yet another sterling performance from the great beyond and Rugged rides Kash 11 raucous beat with ease.
In conclusion, if you’re able to divorce Ruggedman the rap star from Rugged, the man from the tabloids, you’d find that Untouchable is actually a pretty neat album. However, if you are unable to do the separation, you’d probably listen to Untouchable with your mind already made up. So regardless of how brilliant, or mediocre, the album may be in reality, you’d end up hearing exactly what it is you want to hear from Ruggedman anyway.
ALBUM RATING – 3.5/5
4 comments
good album review…
d song wit 2face.mi very tight
am at abuja trying in a hard way words ma ways moves side 2 side. hopes an prayers a doors plidded rone d ruck hard words please my help me out please in god we trost is aii 4 hel 4 weed please my dance asked wen i cood pls mbakwe my