Coming off the heels of the 90s Nigerian music scene dominated by beats like Juju, Fuji, Afrobeat, and Reggae, the Nigerian music scene in the early 2000s was invaded by Hip hop. The genre didn’t only dominate the Nigerian music scene, it also brought along its culture including break-dancing, graffiti, fashion, dj-ing, dance steps, and “attitude”.
It was a whole lifestyle and the third episode of Showmax’s Journey of the Beats explores the “Hip-Hop” decade/era. Supported by a Spotify playlist containing hit songs from the decade, here are five interesting things learnt from the third episode of Journey of The Beats
Form of expression and extension of the African roots
The early men of HipHop or the “millennia men” as they were called, expressed themselves through the genre. Their medallions, fashion, samples, and song lyrics reflected their personalities. The artists infused their Africanness as their songs reflected their background, stories, and current situation, adding the African quality to the genre.
The Social media that pre-dated the current social media
While it was a form of expression for them, it was also a form of voice for the artists. The genre served as a form of voice to tackle societal and political issues. They passed their messages to one another and the audience through the songs’ lyrics and tone.
The Help of Technology
Technology has always been a big part of the evolution of music and its advancement has helped ease music production through software.
While some musical experts argue that the technology’s advancement has watered down music quality over the years, it was a saviour in the Hip-hop era. It helped artists in the early 2000s simplify the workflow and capture organic sounds with better microphones, mixing consoles, and smaller and portable units.
The town that birthed the legends OR The Town of Legends
Born 45 years ago with the commemoration of the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts tagged FESTAC’77, it’s no surprise that Festac birthed the most prominent artists of the 2000s decade with its musical history. Legends such as Black Tribe, Hazardous, W4, and most notably The Plantashun Boiz and the late Sound Sultan ruled the Nigerian music scene – and continue to.
The Abuja Boys VS Lagos Boys
Lagos is the largest black city in the world and while the do-or-die attitude helped the city boys boost the game, there were the underdogs who came out of Abuja. The capital city birthed some of the biggest hits and acts of the millennium namely Six Foot Plus, Mode 9, Terry The Rapman, SoloDee, and Brooklyn.
The Journey of The Beats explores many rich and different facets of the Afrobeats genre, and the story continues in the next episode of Journey of The Beats dropping on Thursday 14, July 2022. Visit www.showmax.com and subscribe for as low as #1,200. You can also follow the conversation with the hashtag #JOTBShowmax on social media.
