Coming out at the top of the Hennessy Artistry VS Class remains the highest form of recognition an underground rapper in Nigeria can receive. Year in and year out, the competition is stiff, way too stiff to doubt the credibility of whoever survives the rigorous process. In June 2022, multi-talented rapper PDSTRN emerged as the best in the 8th installment of the competition, which received over 1000 entries. PDSTRN displayed all the qualities M.I Abaga, Vector, and Ladipoe deemed necessary to be a champion: punchlines, flow, content, breath control, etc. But as difficult as the competition may have been for the Hennessy crown, an even bigger challenge awaits PDSTRN now. Of the 7 winners before him, only Blaqbonez has managed to sustain relevance in the music industry. It begs the question, will PDSTRN be able to break the curse and go on to build a full music career? The evidence suggests he just might.
Born Bennett Obeya on July 27th 1999, PDSTRN’s upbringing was not the usual. He was raised between Toronto and Lagos and grew up under the influence of multiple cultures. The foreign rap influence exceeded the local, as he often cites the likes of Drake, Kid Cudi, and J. Cole as his biggest influences. His first foray into writing raps dates back to his high school days when he was part of a group called Higley Town Heroes. But it took many years after that for him to develop his craft into the more refined form you can bear today. The first evidence of that was on WeTalkSound’s “LOFN 4” mixtape, where he contributed the song “Toxic” to critical acclaim.
There are many factors that contributed to PDSTRN’s eventual ascent to the top of his VS class. The foreign influence on his style is the more obvious, but look closely, and you’ll find hints of Burna Boy, Adekunle Gold, and WurlD there, too. During the competition’s finale, he impressively spat a fire verse that told deep stories of the #EndSARS movement while retaining the appeal of contemporary flows. It had Vector gushing, and it was probably at that moment that he won the contest. It is not often you see someone display such a wide range of ability on just one verse. And it is perhaps that range of ability that puts PDSTRN at a better chance of making a smoother transition to mainstream media than his predecessors.
For his first release since his triumph, he put out a two-pack single titled “The Prologue” on the 26th of August. It includes “Prelude” and “No Home Training.” On the former, he establishes himself as a pound-for-pound rapper, going in on the delectable beat with no remorse. On the latter track, he proves to us that he is and can be so much more. He mixes elements of Dancehall and Afrobeats and shows us he can be an efficient singer too. What exactly the single is a prologue to is unclear, but we can at least see that this artiste has a lot in his arsenal and can do a whole lot with his baritone voice. These qualities will surely serve him well in the unforgiving industry he is reintroducing himself to. He will be tested, but on the evidence of what we have seen so far, he will pass those tests eventually.
