By Ayomide Tayo
Album- Omo Baba Olowo- The Genesis
Artiste- Davido
Producers- Shizzi, Jay Sleek, Maleek Berry, Gospel, Spellz, Dokta Frabz, Davido and Theory Soundz
Features- Naeto C, B-Red, Sina Rambo, May D, 2Face Idibia, Kay Switch and Ice Prince
Label- HKN Music (2012)
It has just been a little over a year since Davido released ‘Back When’ featuring Naeto C, his debut single.
The 19-year-old, thanks to his cameo on Sinzu’s ‘Carolina’, his smash hit ‘Dami Duro’ and big-budget videos, has risen to the top faster than any Nigerian artiste before him.
O.B.O is what you will expect from a teenager who has suddenly found fame and (more) money. It is a celebratory album. Money, girls, balling and fame are the four themes that make up Davido’s debut. Thanks to Davido’s cheque book, some of the biggest beat makers in Nigeria (Shizzi, Jay Sleek, Maleek Berry, Gospel, Spellz, Dokta Frabz, and Theory Soundz) were enlisted to craft his eagerly anticipated album.
This young baller is clearly aware of the fake friends around him because of his wealth which he addresses on ‘Dollars in the Bank’ featuring Kay Switch – ‘I’ve got a couple of million dollars in the bank/and now they want to be my friend/and now they want to have my time/and now they want to spend my money’.
On ‘Video’, Davido’s swag is on point as he charms a fan into shooting an adult film with him. ‘She says she wanna to play me on her stereo/I turn the lights down, let’s make a video/she says she wanna ride me like a rodeo’ he sings on the hook. It seems Davido has a thing for bad girls (Sonia La Bomb?).
‘Mary Jane’ shows his predilection for the type of girls that burst his membrane, but in the presence of an elder, Davido tones it down. 2Face appears on ‘For You’, and on this song, he tells the love of his life they are ‘like Will and Jada’. 2’s verse isn’t stellar, but an average verse from him on this song balances everything.
On this album, Davido claims he represents the new school. ‘New Skul’ featuring B-Red and Sina Rambo doesn’t offer anything that will make us believe that Davido and his HKN brethren are about to usher in a new musical sound or philosophy. With a heavy reliance on beats and no attempt at deep lyrics (‘I’m not a small boy-kekere/I no dey craze like Denrele’) they continue the trend made popular by Terry G when he dropped ‘Free Madness Part 2’.
Shizzi proves what he did on ‘Dami Duro’ wasn’t a one-off, as he replicates his magic on ‘Gbon Gbon’- the obligatory cut dedicated to rump shaking. It doesn’t have the laser-like sound of ‘Dami Duro’ but uses drums that induce booty shaking.
Davido is an ambitious boy. Ambition is good but it can also be bad especially when you don’t have what it takes. On ‘Sade’, David Adeleke actually tries to sing, and while it’s a good attempt, it would have been better if he actually had the voice to carry it.
‘No Visa’ featuring his HKN comrade Sina Rambo is a merger between Euro-Pop and Azonto groove. Just like on ‘Dami Duro’, Davido uses his ‘na na na na na na na na na’ chant to fill up bars where he thinks words are unnecessary. The song is still successful even with Sina Rambo’s poor delivery and elementary rhymes ‘familiarity swag- they don’t know me/I’m like a hot plate, they can’t hold me’.
‘All of You’ reveals a cocky Davido, who sees himself as a victim of unfair criticism. With all the perceived attacks on him he ends up claiming ‘I’m bigger than all of you’. He might come off as arrogant on this track but it’s a very good song, one of the best on the album, and gives us a glimpse into Davido’s mind.
On ‘Feel Alright’ featuring Ice Prince – a song about the ups and downs of a relationship and weed – Davido sings again. Fortunately Dokta Frabz’ orchestrations help to cover his shortcomings. ‘Feel Alright’ is a laid back quality track, in stark contrast with most of Davido’s frenetic songs.
Davido delivers on what he knows about – money, fame (the highs and the lows), balling, and women. He has a beautiful cast of producers but they fail to cover his up his failings as an artiste – his songwriting skills could be better and his voice could be better groomed
Having said that, O.B.O is a satisfactory album from a 19 year old boy who succumbs to the thinking of most teenagers – money can solve anything.
Rating- 3.5/5.
41 comments
He came up fast. I hope he controls.Kudos to him.
this album’s gona cause a lot of controversy…fact is Davido’s album has bn reviewed unfairly bcos thes reviewers expected too much due to e fact tht his singles had created a lot of buzz,b4 e album ws out…look at it frm another angle,e guy had a few singles but he ws already making international tours,evn to places sch as Canada…n u must also rmember this is Davido’s debut album….c’mon people im from Zimbabwe bt i still like Davido together wt a couple of homies,i sing along to some of the nigerian lyrics whose meaning i don’t know…so tht shld tell u a lot about Davido’s talent
i knw God wi guide him 4rm al enemy,al bcos of money.i go mak am 1 day…..davido wadup
LOl..
Personally, I think dz album shld be rated 2.5/5.
Just very few nice tracks, it felt like a freestyle album.. The producers helped him on this tho.
But I learnt davido promised not to include No Visa in his album cos it was dat he stole d beat from Skuki’s Move it. Na wa for all these artistes…any how, congrats.
Nice review but what did u mean by ‘balling’?
too good davido wish u good luck but dont forget that u are just starting try to put ur carear first
i luv de gal. GOD hep him so dat he can go beyond his imagination
hey wad up dis is nelly vee……i love davido but i wana feature him in my new track so kindly email me his contact plz…..
Few nyc tracts ♓̣̇ε̲̣̣̣̥Ṛ̣̣̣̥̇ε̲̣̣̣̥ man,try on improve on U̶̲̥̅̊я rythms cos its as if U̶̲̥̅̊U̶̲̥̅̊ have jst one pattern of muzik,all †ђξ same man, †ђξ sky is U̶̲̥̅̊я starting point
I Like davido……Keep it up
Davido u M̶̲̥̅γ̲̣̣̥ man,album on check.talking about producers being d helper,fuck dat,music is fucked already,its all abt ur beat and I still think davido ommit dat on some trackz.d only success wizkid is aving is success 4rm hot beat and hw 2 lay on every beat.davido needs style anyway .album 4/5.its on check
Thank GOD for your life but please don’t let Money and Women distract you from your golllllllll
its def a freestyle thing.. menn let him just stay aii.. if he minds too much, dem go talk, if he does his own dem go talk, and if he does their own them go still talk.. the album is ok
writer you so stupid go and sing your own davido olore
wish u all d best
I love this write up-kudos to its writer. As much as I love davido…if we truly love him, we should not fail to open his eyes to his shortcomings, they are not meant to break him, but to make him a better person. Anyhow e go be…Davido is on point. Thumbs up.
The album is not bad atoll.keep it up bro
Keep pushing ok. I overheard a presenter on a radio station saying he keeps talking about his father’s wealth.hmmmmm pls how many tracks did he mention dat “deer” presenter.Wether beat or not all its music-combination of sound
I need a sponsor pls nija am ur boy felele pls help to go high u can call me on 07034419910 thank u and God bless u all.
I must commend ur insightful album review…Nigerian Music is generally on the decline.There is less emphasis on well-thought out lyrics and vocal delivery.It’s all about the beat these days…Davido delivers an album for the young,wild and free.It’s definately not for the mature minds…Still…It may likely do well commercially(that’s d essence…Isn’t it?)…I rate it 2.5/5…3.5 is too high.
i dont mind davido but album to cocky and childish!! itz
for 19yr olds to enjoy. tot he could do better than that
tho”. sha!!! more grease to his elbows.
Must everybody in this industry mention Denrele’s name? I recall the ChocBoiz doin that before on the ChocBoiz anthem……na wa o! That Denrele just dey everywhere sha.
What the writer said is true but the album is still a good one. Thumbs up Davido! 2go @iamsammy
Nice 1…davido on point…
Davido i see u,critise will only making u strong.well done bro
watch ur back bro,i’m comin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The album was poorly produced and contains poor lyrics. I’ll rate it 2 stars out of 5!
Ride on Davido
Davido u ar always welcome
Music isn’t just about Voice , its about all the major component of sound making , for davido to have worked with all this wonderful producers then surely he knows what he is doing , if you can do this as your first album , and make fame just on 2 major singles then he is surely tha BomB, this dude is a very good producer but he didn’t even produce 2 many songs on his album , just back when and that gave him a huge stand in the industry, thumbs up bro , most artist can’t afford to spend so much on there first album, Keep doing what you know how to do best !!
Dint see Ekuro in the writeup, anyways, i heard a couple of his singles on radio and they’r cool, the album go too sell also i got some 2 cool singles you should check out on tubo.bandzoogle.com or reverbnation.com/tubo
If your around Abuja and environs, And you need hot mad beats, music productions? contact Most Def_ 07039137286. BB26FD6739.
Davido is trying atleast he is a starter,hell to those who comment badly.
Hei. Remember they’re a lot of talents but they all don’t make it to the movie industry no matter how they compose cool lines and rythms. Only those very ‘conversant’ with music admire these songs. I love music including the lyrics n stuff, but grow up sweetie, in naija, music is all about the marketing and the charisma used to pull of songs performed by artists. U could go and play Tuface the Legend’s first album and tell us the difference now. Its so cool that this is his own little beginning.
Davido ft pheel will make sense
O.B.O. is one of the best albums I’ve heard in ages. To a point that some of your criticisms annoyed me immensely. It’s an injustice that people like you are hired to talk that common talk, that few (e.g. *Davido*) can walk. Davido is Loc’ God Bless that dude and I eagerly await the second part of the theme song to my God fearing, christian life.
A slinter in a brother’s eye! Shame on you CRITIC!
I once to in H K N.wo can i join
e no get money na die man dog fuck all HK