by Esther Sorkpor
Throughout my life, I’d been surrounded by Hip-hop music though I became aware of it as I grew older. I have distant memories of going to parties as a child and participating in dance competitions with Weird MC’s “Ijoya” or Mo’cheddah’s “Ko Maa Roll” playing. These were the times when female rap artists kept the parties popping and had everyone singing along. As hip-hop started to leave the Nigerian mainstream, these names started to fade as well. Today, when conversations surrounding the pioneers of Hip-Hop in Nigeria come up, their names are hardly mentioned.
WEIRD MC
The “Ijoya” crooner, Weird MC who was born Sola Idowu is a rapper, songwriter and producer. Her hit single “Allen Avenue” released in 1996, made her the first Nigerian to release a self-produced music video. This was included in her album “Simply Weird” which is the second-ever full-length hip-hop album. It earned her the first award for Best Hip Hop Album at the Award for Musical Excellence in Nigeria (AMEN).
Her second album “After da Storm” features the adrenaline-pumping party bop, “Ijoya” which is described as a monster hit. It became the first animated music video in the Nigerian music industry and one of the first few to play on MTV Base when it launched in Nigeria in 2005. The song received an AMEN award for the Most Popular Song and a Channel O Music Video Award for Best Special Effect.
EVA ALORDIAH
The first time I remember seeing Eva Alordiah on TV was in her music video for “Friend or Foe” in 2020. This was after a 4-year hiatus from music. Before then, she’d released two EPS, one mixtape and one album. One of the most consistent Nigerian rappers, her work spans for over a decade with her first official single being released in 2009. In 2014, she organized the first-ever rap competition for female rappers in Nigeria to promote her single “Deaf”.
Eva was featured in the Lagos edition of BBC Radio 1xtra’s Live Lounge alongside M.I, 2face Idibia, Wizkid and Iyanya where the artists were asked to freestyle. Eva collaborated with Burna Boy, Endia, Yung L, and Sarkodie on an unreleased song that was initially intended to be the theme song for the third season of Shuga.
A multiple award-winning rapper whose accolades include the Young Entertainers and Music (YEM) award for Best Rap Single “I Done Did It” in 2012, Nigeria Entertainment Awards (NEA) Most Promising Act 2012, nominations for Female Artist of the Year at NEA in 2014 and nominations for “Deaf” at the Headies for Best Rap Single in 2014.
Eva has featured on numerous hit singles while bagging endorsement deals including the Guinness Made of Black campaign and being a judge on Nokia’s Don’t Break The Beat Rap Competition. Her most recent work is the 2022 8-track EP titled “Evarything Good”. She is also a serial entrepreneur.
MUNA
“Beauty queen turned rapper. They said I couldn’t make it, I should turn to the pastor” Muna raps on her single “Here to Stay” featuring I.B.K. A track off her unreleased debut album, “The Goddess, The Hustler”. The 2007 MBGN Winner kick-started her hip-hop career performing as a part of the rap group, The Specimen A in the city of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. In 2010, after years of collaborating with various artists, She signed with Ayo Shonaiya’s RMG company. You will hear her impeccable flow and incredible wordplay on Waje’s “So Inspired”, which she co-wrote. She was on the remix of the hit single “Lagos Party” by Banky W adding to her catalogue of remarkable records. She also performed as a guest artist with the rap group, Ijaw Boyz under the name Babyrella.
Muna has been a presenter on numerous shows including the Malta Guinness Street Dance Africa, Mr. Nigeria Pageant and The Nokia Don’t Break The Beat multi-city Rap Battle contest. She was one of the female rappers to feature and represent Nigeria on the BET Cypher for the 2011 BET Awards – alongside Zee, Sasha P, Eva and Blaise.
BLAISE
One of the greatest femcees in the Nigerian hip-hop community, Blaise is a trailblazer for this industry. At the peak of her career, she was leading the pack with a couple of singles, and guest appearances on several tracks without an EP or a full-length album. She was a part of the male-dominated, Da Trybe collective when they formed in 2000. Her breakout song was a feature on their hit single “Oya” in 2002. A lyrical genius, her unique delivery can also be heard on songs like “Blaze” remix by MI (a track off his Talk About It album), DJ Jimmy Jatt’s “Too much” remix, and her 2014 release, “Osika” featuring Orlando Julius. She showed her impressive production skills on the song “That Sound” which served as the intro to Mode 9 ‘s album “Insulin”. Her impact on the game is remarkable having also participated in the 2008 MTV Base/Zain Advance Warning Rap Competition, 2009 Hennessy Nigerian Artistry Competition and the BET Cypher in 2011.