Are you not supposed to be a man
Why you crying I don’t understand
– Tec (Show Dem Camp) on ‘Duade’, 2019.
The above lyric represents the reality of many men around the world, particularly in Africa where toxic masculinity reigns supreme. Many times we have heard things like “Be a man. Don’t let them see you cry. You are not a woman” From a young age, we are taught to bottle our feelings of sadness or despair. As such, we grow up bottling our feelings, being unable to express them properly for the fear of showing our vulnerability. Instead, we find comfort in our hobbies, jobs, and of course, music. For a lot of men, music is a way to live our pains without feeling weird about it. This is the case for some Nigerian rappers who have expressed their deepest emotions in their music, pouring their vulnerability into their songs. Below are five Nigerian rap albums that explore themes of mental health and vulnerability.
The Biggest Tree (2018) – Paybac Iboro
Paybac Iboro stands out for the authenticity and originality that he puts into his music. On ‘The Biggest Tree’, he laid himself bare in a way that I have never heard from a Nigerian rapper. The 12-track album contains songs like ‘A Naira to My Name’ which addresses poverty; ‘The Month End Song’ which depicts the hand-to-mouth lifestyle of many Nigerians and ‘House 22’ which tells the story of Paybac’s fall from grace. He explores darker themes like depression and suicide in ‘Demons’ and ‘A Song About Suicide’ respectively. ‘Help Me!’ is a literal call for help from a man who is not ashamed of his woes, while ‘Seed of Faith’ with Boogey is a song about desperation and loss of faith. ‘The Biggest Tree’ is an album that is truly melancholic yet so beautiful.
Hungry To Live: An Audio Documentary (2018) – Ikon Ekwuyasi
Ikon Ekwuyasi is a legend in his own right, producing some of the best deep cuts to emerge from Nigerian hip-hop. Unlike Paybac Iboro, Ikon Ekwuyasi raps about his pains on ‘Hungry To Live’ from a place of hope. ‘Hungry To Live’ is an emotional rollercoaster, as it features themes of love, loss, and finding peace.
‘Solomon’ is the standout track on the album and features a bible recitation rendered in his native Idoma. On ‘Solomon’, Ikon raps about his encounter with depression and a lack of will to live; eventually finding God and self and his will to live. On ‘Solidify’, he raps about finding God through Lynxx, while sharing the pain of losing his brother on ‘Lost’.
Incognito (2016) – Boogey
Boogey is one of Nigeria’s most talented wordsmiths and is critically acclaimed for his skills. On ‘Incognito’, Boogey is the average Nigerian artiste and man, scared of not “blowing” or finding success. It is a brutally honest body of work that reflects the reality of many Nigerian rappers. On ‘Devil Beans’, Boogey muses about leaving rap for the corporate world, like many guys that he started hip-hop with. People Always Leave is a loner’s gospel on lost relationships. On the Lady Donli-assisted ‘Celebrate’, Boogey raps about wanting his flowers and recognition while he’s alive. On ‘Last Words’, he paints the picture of a weary man who ends up taking his own life. ‘Incognito’ is probably the darkest album on this list, and that is a testament to Boogey’s ability to paint vivid pictures with his lyrics.
Blackmagic Version 3.0 (Starving Artist) – Blackmagic
Seven years after making us dance and make love to his hit song, Repete, Blackmagic came with ‘Starving Artist’ in 2020. The third installment in his eponymous album series, Starving Artist tells the story of Blackmagic’s struggles during his hiatus. It is one of the few Nigerian rap albums that discusses mental health and struggles from a personal perspective. On Koole, he raps about betrayal from friends and industry colleagues. ‘Dreams’ and ‘Ordinary Man’ tell the story of his daily troubles as an average Nigerian man. The album peaks on ‘Strong Man’, a song on which Blackmagic admits to feeling pain even though he tries to be strong. In many ways, Starving Artist represents a creative’s struggle with the burden of his talent.
A Study On Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl – M.I Abaga
A discourse on Nigerian rap albums that address mental health, is not complete without mentioning ‘Yxng Dxnzl’ by M.I Abaga. Yxng Dxnzl is not crafted from a personal perspective like the other albums on this list, rather it is an excellent commentary on finding self-worth. On I Believe In You, You should too, Believe in You, for example, M.I Abaga raps about his success story using it as a tool of inspiration. While the other albums help you to understand your pains, ‘Yxng Dxnzl’ aims to help you deal with them.
The expectation of men to be the strong one,
Is a hell of an expectation.
It’s actually terrible because,
What do you do with all the real human vulnerability?
– M.I Abaga, Do you know who you are? Take some time and meditate on you (2018)
Vulnerability and emotions are part of every human’s makeup, and these rappers have proved that with these albums. It is okay to speak about your feelings, Happy Men’s Mental Health Month.