By Ayomide Tayo
Album- Upgrade
Producer – Yung D
Record Label- Dem Mama Records
Number of tracks- 14
Year of Release- 2012
Has Timaya changed? This is the question you might ask yourself when listening to his fourth solo album Upgrade. The music warrior from the creeks of the South-South has ‘upgraded’ his sound, trading in K-Solo’s ‘tinkolo’ beats for Yung D’s Euro-pop influenced instrumentals, although on his third album De Rebirth he also employed the services of various producers. The relatively new producer is the sole beat maker behind Upgrade. The one-producer format has worked well for Timaya over the years, and on his new LP, it’s no different.
The album’s singles ‘Sexy Ladies’ and ‘Bom Bom’ reveal the album’s stylistic leanings – ghetto and lewd chants over Euro-Pop beats. Timaya’s brother-in-arms in terms of sparse lyrics, Terry G, makes an appearance on ‘Malonogede’-a gospel-influenced track dedicated to ‘enemies.’ Timaya goes for the lewd on ‘Go Down Low’ where he chants ‘fun mi doggy/fun mi doggy…baby girl do the dutty/make me want to ejaculating’ while ‘Bobby’ is a party track whose hook is targeted at women’s mammary assets.
One of Timaya’s finest moments on Upgrade can be heard on ‘I am sorry’ in which The Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa opens up and admits that he has done his girl wrong. ‘Girl I’ve not been good to you/I’ve been rude to you/disrespecting you-not been true to you/girl I’ve been cheating on you/ doing bad things to you…Ohhhhhhh girl, I’ve been messing up lately I know’ sings Timaya on Yung D’s Reggae instrumentation. Another shot at another love song ‘Love and friend’ goes awry.
Ever the controversial act, Timaya has on the album a song called ‘Illuminati’. Instead of creating a dark song with weird sounds and demonic chants, Timaya crafts a bouncy song that addresses the rumour that his wealth is from the notorious occult group which has permeated pop culture within the last few years.
The album has its share of duds. ‘I have it’, ‘Club on fire’ and ‘Good life’ featuring Vector weigh the project down. ‘Good life’ with a forgettable chorus and cheesy rhymes (my money smelly smelly/I’m cruising my Bentley/my girlfriend hot like she fight like Jet Li) is unfortunately the LP’s closer. Fortunately, Timaya adds the remix of ‘All the way’ featuring Attitude which bolsters Upgrade.
As the saying goes, ‘The more things change, the more they remain the same’- Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr.
On this LP it is evident that while Timaya has upgraded his sound, his content is still the same. This is not a total overhaul. If True Story, Gift and Grace and De Rebirth ran on Timaya Version 1.0, Upgrade runs on Timaya Version 1.5 instead of 2.0. The artiste tweaks a few things here and there but still leaves some bugs in his system.
Rating- 3/5.
9 comments
I still dey feel you anytime. Make the haters go to hell e.g NET. 2go @iamsammy tweet @iamdsam
Timaya! U tyt! Hataz go die. NET stop hatin! Mtchee
Make u leave dis boy alone an, clubs are hot dis period bcause of 4 hot tracks buchi dis guy wat else do u want frm him na, haters go club wen bum bum n sexy ladies dey play no dance just dey vex, check n see all d big artists hw many are making us dance dis period n hw many songs can we dance with azonto
timaya na number 1 4 9ja music.dat is my favourite musician in nigeria.i like him to d point dat i buy his album every he release his album.am happy 4 timaya.we tank GOD HE IS A FATHER NOW.GOD HAVE BLISS HIM WIT A BABY GIRL.go on timaya.na u be nigeria lil wayne
Don T, whichever thing u do remains d best. Ur progress will continue 2 drive dem gaga…….cant stop listening 2 ”go down low”
I love this album so much. My nigga s done it agin. U rock hommie.
All our top artists are getting tired but timaya keeps firing. u too much my brother, bobby and be my honey is my fav.
K solo was givin him almost d same beat n smtimz I get pissed wif d songs, bur rite nw, I tink YOUNG D wil take him places. Just kip doin wat u knw ow to do best. Can’t stick nt listenin 2 sexy ladies n bum bum in a day. Glad k-solo aint producin 4 u anymore. I love d new produders style.
Job well done,nix music wit strickin and nix beat keep it up God almighty wil see u through.remember if no body talks about u r nobody so dear dey must talk but b focused.wish u d best.