As sure as the sun will rise in the east and set in the west, conversations about the state of Hip-hop music in Nigeria are sure to break out, twice or thrice in a year. It did again last week following show organizers decision to shun all rappers at Rick Ross Live in Lagos concert. The discussion inevitably spun to what the Hip-hop acts needed to do to win the affection and listening ears of the public. The answers that were churned out included relatability of lyrics, originality of content, and an indigenous feel to the music. Extensively scan our rappers against the checklist provided by the public and it becomes evident there are a good number that meet the criteria laid out by the public. High up the list of the qualified MCs is Odumodublvck.
A rapper with a skillset as fearsome as his stage name sounds, Odumodublvck is yet another product of the Hip-hop community based in Abuja. But unlike the others, he is a man whose enigmatic style and presence has been forged by multiple cultural influences. He displays his identity as an Igbo man loud and proud. He will almost always be found wearing the okpu agu headgear of Igbo warriors and garnishing his heavy bars with his local dialect. Even his chosen moniker is a reference to a popular Igbo masquerade. All of that overlaps with the swagger and finesse that comes from the influence of Abuja, where he spends most of his time in the company of the remarkable creative community developing in the capital city. And one cannot discount the impact of the streets of Lagos, where he spent his early years and completed his university degree in. Odumodublvck is as close to a complete Nigerian as there is, and his ability to infuse all those influences into his music is part of the reasons why he is able to fears the top-notch rap music that he does.
Odumodublvck, alternatively known as “Big Gun”, is now into year 5 of his music career having dropped his first single in 2017. Scrolling through his catalogue on Apple music or Spotify, one will find what is already an extensive discography. Although he primarily lays down his bars on drill beats, Odumodublvck can bring it on any genre. His latest solo single “Domitila” features Mizzle and is mid-tempo, smooth Afrobeats record. But on most of his solo tapes – “Time & Chance”, “Odiegwu”, “T.A.B.S”, “The Trenches” – he is more often than not describing his real life experiences on hard, grimy drill sounds. Odumodublvck is a man that enjoy collaborations, and that’s a key reason why his discography is packed full of tracks. He is part of a supercollective called the ANTIWORLDGANGSTARS and he regularly puts out music in the company of his fellow comrades. There’s projects like “Anti-World Gangstars” with Reeplay and “The Drop” with B.O.C Madaki as well as numerous singles with other acts inside and outside of the ANTIWORLDGANGSTARS.
So if you’re faced with the question of where the future of Nigerian Hip-hop music lies, the answer is with rising acts like Odumodublvck. He gives you lyrics that are relatable but not lacking the bite and punch that should characterize proper rap music. His preferred sound may be a foreign import, but the end product that he shares with consumers is very much Nigerian. What more do you want? Stream Odumodublvck’s music today and enjoy his refreshing perspective on what proper rap music should sound like.