When people generally talk of Naira Marley, it’s hard not to roll your eyes about one of the most controversial Nigerian artistes right now. It is evident in his mannerisms, music clips, or Instagram clips. But for Naira Marley, all he has ever done is to speak up.
Born and bred in Agege and Peckham, Marley is influenced by a criss-cross of similar but distant gang-related identities. In a 2020 interview, he admits to witnessing gang raids in Queens street in Peckham. This is very similar to experiences in Lagos, where pickpockets are burnt in the heat of the moment and made to pay for their crimes.
His fans could have sworn that the Olamide and Lil Kesh-assisted single “Issa Goal”, which became the theme song for the Super Eagles at the 2018 FIFA World Cup was his first single. But Marley‘s first venture onto the music scene was “Marry Juana” in 2015, assisted by Twigs. To date, Marley thinks his verse on that song was the icing on the cake of his early success.
“I just took my friends to the studio. There was space on a song. I jumped on it. We released a song, and it went viral. That was the first official afro trap, afro swing whatever you want to call it.”
The 2014 song typified Marley’s life in Peckham since he relocated from Nigeria aged 11 to complete his education. Reminiscing about his verse on the song, we find out that he dropped his exact location seven years ago while freestyling to the beat. This was the birth of the lewd lyrics that characterized the Yoruba English rap Marley premiered.
Running with Nigerian Government
Marley’s major breakout on the music scene was with the hit single, Soapy. Marley and the other video extras are seen mimicking a dance similar to masturbation for an adult male in the video shot in prison. Marley denies that the song promotes illicit sexual activities as it can be similar to rolling a dice. He said, “There was not one word in the song that said wank. That’s how people think it is.”
Soapy was highly controversial. The lyrics were obviously worse than anything he ever said on Marry Juana, Issa Goal or Japa.
Marley has maintained that the song was a response to his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2019 for alleged internet fraud. This was also the time he released his sophomore album “Am I a Yahoo Boy.” Marley was slammed with fraud charges and termed a Yahoo Boy, a name for young boys involved in internet fraud. His case is ongoing and adjourned for October 5th later this year.
Responding to the accusations, he said, “They just name everything to do with fraud “Yahoo.”That one is wrong in the first place. Nigerians are not even the biggest scammers. We are not even in the top hundred, but we are the face of it. What is a Yahoo boy? What is that like? I was arrested for no reason. I was just talking to my Instagram. Some people have definitely got a problem with me. It’s some people. Some people are always going to have a problem. This is Nigeria where they are like, arrest him.”
Marley’s successes
But Naira Marley wasn’t going to stop. He just began. He had a breakout season in 2019 where he went all out to produce a six-track EP titled Lord of Lamba. The Extended Play has amassed over 11.8m plays globally. The comments have been explosive, praising his lyrical abilities.
Marley’s style is different from the usual Dagrin inspired English-Yoruba afro rap style. It is lewd and blunt, near cringe-worthy if we want a term to explore his music. But it goes beyond that into the lyrics and videos. It’s obvious that the Marlian Record boss is into women, drugs, “alcohol,” and what have you.
He does not aspire to be a Vector on “Early Momo”, clutching those adlibs or MI’s baritone on “illegal music” or “Anoti,” he doesn’t even do the urban Ice Prince or the phenomenal Drake. It’s his voice, no autotune, just as real and normal as it gets, yet it hits you at the core and could elicit a laugh or a giggle when you listen at your leisure. In there, you would make a discovery and then a semi-likeness of his rather raunchy lyrics. When the video is out, a new dance is recreated, and like “Tesumole” or “Opotoyi,” there is always something to look forward to.
Marlian Records
In 2019, Marley announced Marlian records after spending the years before that building an absurd personality as the honest guy who was generally misunderstood. Marley is every right an activist, especially with “Koleywon” and “Am I a Yahoo boy,” songs dedicated to re-educating the Nigerian perspectives of social justice. This informed his perspective of choosing four label mates to join him in late 2019.
Marley saw himself in them in unveiling Zinoleesky, MohBad, Fabian Blu, and C-Blvck as label mates and is now teasing for a second album. He said, “Not after the money, I got a voice and my empire. My family, my members.” Stressing that he was never after money but an empire.
Mohbad
In the video of Mohbad’s song, “Marlians Anthem,” Naira Marley makes a cameo. He is seen passing a blunt to Mohbad with the words, “It’s your time.” It is a simple gesture that many fans overlook, but indirectly, Marley tells his signee to get ahead and shine. This is in a world where there is tension between a label owner and his signee.
In another song titled “Instagram” which has Fabian Blu featuring the Marlian boss and label mate Mohbad, Marley is on point again to deliver a very iconic verse that really sets the pace for the song. In the past year, Naira Marley has appeared on features with one or more team members to promote them and push their music to the audience.
In “Ponmo,” another song with Mohbad, Naira Marley, and Lil Kesh, they establish a link between the vagina and ponmo, a delicacy derived from beef. The hook stresses that ponmo is not bitter, which leads to a double entendre for the listener. The lyrics are no different from the values Naira Marley embodies. The delivery is the same- free advice, lewd lyrics and women.
Mohbad continues his interesting run with Marlian Records releasing an eight-track album tagged Light. His breakout season was his appearance on Rexxie’s Ko Por Ke (KPK) in 2020. The song’s visual dropped in February 2021 and went well in announcing Mohbad as a star singer on the label. KPK has become a slang widely used to refer to almost anything. He recently dropped “Feel Good” as a follow-up to his new album.
Cblvck
Cblvck, in a 2019 interview, admits that Naira Marley, Dammy Krane, and Zlatan Ibile were strong influences in his career. He has not released any albums yet, but he has appeared on several hit songs with Zlatan and DammyKrane.
Marley had incredibly given Cblvck an opportunity to wear his dread and act like him. Marley’s verse on C Blvck’s hit Ogologo is iconic to the song’s importance. He offers him an opportunity to rap on Tingasa, one of the hits songs of his six-track EP released in 2019. He also affords him the opportunity to feature on BabyKingsWay, Pump your party, and Dido Lobo.
Marley also offered CBlvck and Mohbad a sort of rap-song training that is part of Marley’s identity. On some days, he identifies as the singer for a catchy hook. On other days, he is the star rap artiste the beat is waiting for. A couple of times, Mohbad and CBlvck have had to play double roles as singers and rappers. This is a very distinct quality Marley has created.
The lyricists- Zinoleesky, Fabian Blu, Emo Grae and Tori Keeche
For Zinoleesky, the star lyricist of the team, his style and delivery have been an extraordinary blend. He’s a bit removed from those cringe-worthy lyrics Mohbad and C Blvck thrive on to create a street pop anthem that is acceptable to all. On Kilofeshe and Ma Pariwo, Zino establishes this. Zino and Emo Grae and the label’s first lady Tori Keeche have created a second direction for Marlians who are used to the usual rap and blunt Marley.
Emo Grae and Tori Keeche, obviously following Zino’s shoes, have taken to an R&B genre to show versatility and diversity in music premiered by their boss. Fabian Blue is also not left out of this mix, with three singles to his name.
Naira Marley, the panegyric song
The biggest honour for the Marlian boss, asides from the fact that his label is becoming a hub for variants of good music, was the song magnifying his name titled Naira Marley.
Zino writes Marley a panegyric and praises Marley as his benefactor, the link to Don Jazzy and several big names in the industry. Of course, there is a special mention for MohBad, Fabian, Emo Grae and CBlvck, the family winging it since 2019.
Marley is all smiles in the video, which is an emblem of a rewarding partnership to come. So far, Marley has played the role of the big brother his label mates never had.
Zino traces Marley’s history to his birthplace in Agege and tells him that:
Oh my God, I wish I knew
Oh my God, I wish I knew
That it was all love mama showed me, yeah-ah
Oh my God, I feel brand new (ooh-ooh, ooh)
Omo t’oni “mama oun o shey toh”
Kan mulo si Agege, k’ori b’oshey le toh
Omo t’oni “baba oun shey toh oh.”
A ri pe agidi ko lofin n le’ko oh
These two verses try to elucidate the importance of Marley to his life and his visibility in the industry, which everyone can see. Marley, on his own, is back in the studio for a second album after his LOL EP and teased “Coming” in a raunchy video in 2021- to portray what is to come. Marley tries to equate climaxing during sex to the sound he brings to his fans.
