Lagos Stori Plenti: Urban Sounds From Nigeria

[coll]: Lagos Stori Plenti: Urban Sounds from Nigeria
Reviewed by Sadie O., 3/26/07
African urban popular music, this time all from Nigeria. As per usual with Out|Here, it’s almost all stuff you just can hear here (but hugely popular there) with excellent documentation in the liner notes.
I only caught the one FCC, right at the start of track 3.
Tracks 5, 8, and 11-14 are terrific, others good to great.
1. 4:38 *spoof of Eminem, reality rap in English, funny and disturbing at once. FCCs pre-expunged for your broadcasting pleasure.
2. 4:04 ***bouncy midtempo riddim, sounds a bit Latin, group vocals in both African language and English, singing and rapping. Basically just about girl looking cute when she dances, but lovely sound.
3. 4:54 **FCC right at intro “shit”. Downtempo political diatribe in English by one of Nigeria’s best known urban artists. Play it – just cue it to after the “shit”…
4. 3:32 *uptempo dance riddim, female rapper and chorus – sounds very American at first, but then they start going in African language.
5. 5:25 *****a few seconds rather quiet intro, then very compelling midtempo riddim that isn’t quite Reggae, English and African vocals, several voices. Oooh, extra star for the talking drum! Another star for Dede’s killer vocals in last minute!
6. 4:10 **long spoken intro, slightly downtempo hip hop, American sounding but describing Nigerian angle on email scam.
7. 4:25 ***great midtempo bouncy dancehall riddim with a touch of soukous, lyrics in the local patois.
8. 5:15 ****rooster crowing, then midtempo ragga with something extra in the riddim, male vocals in patois, political dancehall rap.
9. 5:10 *downtempo hip hop in English, dance rap. Nice bit of percussion in middle.
10. 5:08 **spoken intro, slow riddim something like ragga, solo breakthrough cut from a boy band member, sung in patois. Nice dubby bit in middle.
11. 4:07 ****hand percussion and spoken intro, then midtempo ragga and male dancehall vocals in patois. Very cool sounds, almost a bit Bhangra.
12. 6:15 ****talking drum and spoken intro, cool uptempo groove called “Fuji”, raps in English and African language, jazzy horns – nice merging of modern and traditional instruments and styles.
13. 8:18 ****great uptempo Afrobeat from big star, acolyte of Fela Kuti (and it shows). Call for unity, fine band and chorus, terrific front vocals.
14. 4:58 ***xylophone intro, downtempo and downbeat hip hop, rap in patois.