Gossip & Gists: The Top 10-Nigerian Rap Songs From 1999

Trybesmen – eLDee, Freestyle, Kaboom

10. Na Beans by Terry Tha Rapman 

One of Terry Tha Rapman’s great assets is taking everyday pain and struggles and delivering them in a comical way. Being a member of the now defunct SWAT ROOT, Terry remains one of the few who perfectly blend with the Hip Hop crowd and mainstream crowd. ‘Na Beans’ is the perfect example of this trait. Clever, funny and witty Terry Tha Rapman scored his first national hit.

9. Delicious by 2 Shotz and Big Lo 

Probably the best rap song by a duo in this country. This song which was crafted by 2 Shotz and Big Lo is one of the most accepted rap songs in Nigeria’s mainstream scene. The Igbo-centric rappers took off in 2005 where Junior and Pretty stopped by dropping a hip-hop party jam fused with comic delivery that shook the nation. Delicious, with its hunting Igbo flute, burnt dance floors from Ikeja to Gusau. In 2006, Big Lo and 2 Shotz were the first recipient of the Hip Hop World Awards as they rightly went home with the Best Collabo award. Shame they later had beef which severed their relationship.

8. Pon Pon Pon by Dagrin 

While Yoruba rap was nothing new to the country thanks to Lord of Ajasa who is widely regarded as the progenitor of Yoruba rap, Dagrin was the artiste that gave it credibility. The street anthem ‘Pon Pon Pon’ blazed through the industry without a video. The song produced by arguably Nigeria’s best rap producer Sossick was so hard and raw that millions of people embraced the song’s autobiographic hustler tales. Unfortunately Dagrin passed away on April 22, 2010. Death however promoted him to an immortal status.

7. Ki Ni Big Deal by Naeto C 

Before Naeto C dropped Ki Ni Big Deal on us, a whole lot of people felt he was a rich kid with a foreign accent who couldn’t rap. His earlier singles ‘Sitting On Top’ and ‘You Know My P’ hardly won him any fans either. Well all that changed when he dropped the instant classic ‘Ki Ni Big Deal’. The song which was produced by TY Mix changed the perception of Naeto C faster than any international PR firm could.

6. Stylee by DJ Jimmy JATT feat. Modenine, 2face Idibia and Elajoe 

When it comes to DJs in Nigeria, only one is legendary and that is DJ Jimmy JATT. In 2007 he brought out the first mixtape by a Nigerian and ‘Stylee’ was the first single. The song was forceful; bursting it way into the charts, streets and clubs. Stylee remains a major anthem which boasts of Modenine’s most popular verse and 2face at his prime. Heads will never stop rocking to this.

5. Ehen by Ruggedman 

Whether you hate him or like him now, one thing is for sure Ruggedman kick started this whole thing. Prior to Ruggedman, wack MCs reigned supreme and real rappers had little or no chance. Tired of the mediocre state of the game, Ruggedman released ‘Ehen’ which was a mega-diss track aimed at the most popular wack rappers of that time- Maintain, Rasqie and the mighty Eedris Abdulkareem. It was what the game needed, eyes were opened and the Nigerian rap scene has fared much better. Take a bow, Ruggedman.

4. Safe by M.I 

The mass appeal that M.I’s debut, the critically-acclaimed ‘Crowd Mentality’ couldn’t achieve, ‘Safe’ did in blistering speed. Wanting you to know that he was an artiste capable of connecting with the masses, M.I concocted a song based on all the popular hits at the time which showcased his lyrical dexterity. Everything about the song screams classic from the way M.I lyrically waltzed around the track and Djinee‘s laugh at the beginning to his hooks (which are not really hooks in the actual fact). Despite the slick lines, average Nigerians who don’t like rap music know this song word for word.

3. Oya by Da Trybe 

You can’t write the history of Nigerian rap without mentioning this song that’s arguably Nigeria’s hardest posse cut. Da Trybe was made up of Trybesmen and their associates [Sasha, Blaise, 2 Shotz, Del, Timi, Double O, Dr Sid). With eLDee on the beat, this crew created a song so mean that it ruled both the streets and the clubs.

2. Elbow Room by Modenine 

Elbow Room is the apex of lyricism in Nigerian rap. Even though this song is 9 years old, it remains unmatched by any Nigerian rapper. Modenine packed punchlines upon punchlines on this song with flawless delivery and menacing flow. Modenine hands down is Nigeria's best lyricist and ‘Elbow Room’ is his magnum opus.

1. Shake Bodi by Trybesmen 

Every rapper seeks to find the perfect balance between street credibility and mainstream appeal. It is a never ending search for many rappers, only a few have been able to pull it off. Notorious B.I.G is a perfect example. In Nigeria, Trybesmen (the now defunct group consisted of eLDee the Don, Freestyle and Kaboom) found that holy grail by blending top-notch lyrics with Nigerian lingo and parlance. ‘Shake Bodi’ happens to be one of their greatest works where they flaunted their crisp and clear rhyming with Nigerian flavour. As Nigeria's rap scene develops daily, Trybesmen, a group that was ahead of its time, is now getting full credit for building the foundation.