Name of Artiste: Jude MI Abaga

Record Label: Chocolate City

Album Title: The Chairman

Previous Work: Talk About It, MI2

Let me first mention that this is not an opinion of InfoNubia as a blog but just my opinion as a lover of Nigerian music and a contributor on this blog.

Jude Abaga (born 4 October 1981), better known by stage name MI Abaga, is a Nigerian hip hop recording artist. He has won several awards including the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009. He was nominated in the Best International Act category at the BET Awards 2010. He rose to prominence in 2006 when his song “Crowd Mentality” became popular in his hometown of Jos. He is a music executive at Chocolate City. On 11 December 2008, M.I released his critically acclaimed debut album, Talk About It. (Wikipedia, 2012)

Enough of history, I guess you just want to know what to expect on the album following all the hype preceding its release. The album itself has generated a lot of controversy; while some say MI just reaffirmed his position as the best Nigerian rapper, others say he has not done enough to be pronounced the best.

If you ask me, I will just say I enjoyed every bit of the album. Is it not amazing that the best albums we have heard in a while have been from the Choc boys (except Ice Prince sha)? I’m talking Jesse Jags and Brymo.

Anyways, enough story ….. Lets go to business

The Beginning/ Nobody
We have always known M.I to be very expressive and dramatic from his earlier works. For other artists, the intros are usually a bunch of gibberish….in most cases a funny skit with no meaningful direction. Here MI introduces his album with an expressive satire of bane of Nigerian education; where a frustrated principal attempted to pass down his frustration to his students deeming any ray of hope they might have becoming someone in life. It is a social issue in Nigeria with teachers underpaid and students frustrated; the few that make it through this ordeal then find it difficult to get jobs. Great intro from MI to set the pace of the 17 track journey; I should not be grading an intro but I am giving this a 7.5/10.

Monkey Ft Chi Gurl
Satire at its finest! You see how this man uses the comical events in Nigeria to bless this track….You all remember the “na only you waka come” saga of the Nigerian first lady? MI effectively builds his verses around this saying as he passes a huge message to his haters. We cannot take anything away from the production on this track too… and he ends the track on high “I am insured mehn, I am state farm…..howz neck mehn, oya take balm” And you know the sweet thing is; you can dance shoki to it….7.5

Rich Feat Koker
Easily one of my favorite. Production, delivery, mix…..the song got every. The message here on is very prayerful and prophetic. The hook itself is a prayer that we will all be rich while his verses are more of the description of that state when we finally get there. Track itself might not have all the bad punch lines of other tracks but it does have a message and a theme well-defined. I love it! 8/10

Mine Feat Wizkid
If you have always listened to MI you will remember he featured Wizkid on his first album (nobody knew him then I guess). The title of the track was “Fast Cars.” Compared to this, you will see how both artistes have grown. The hook and the verses are kind of cheesy but it is still a solid groove with some great lines to. Check this out …“I know your ex left a bad taste, but I am toothpaste, this is a new phase…how did that taste” 7.5/10

Shekpe Ft Reminisce
A visit to the streets I will call this one… he displays his ability to be “razz” and I think it is fun to find out he can be less serious. And of course, Alaga Ibile displays in a fantastic way….. Yoruba floetry sentence after sentence. Haha I must not forget to mention that nursery rhyme “10 green bottles” remixed. Nice production too. 7.5/10

Bad Belle Ft Moti Cakes
This is one track I had to listen a few times to understand its theme. He says bad belle is allowed but I was wondering if the he was the originator of the bad belle or he was the target of the bad belle. By the second verse, he does show that he is the origin of the bad belle (in a good way, cos he does make some valid points). Delivery is decent so also is the production. 7/10

Wheelbarrow ft Emmy Ace and Beenie man
Emmy Ace and Beenie man on a track provides MI the pedestal he needs to delve into some dance hall. Emmy Ace delivering such a sweet sing along hook, MI not failing to deliver on his punch lines oscillating between regular english and the jamaican lingua. Of course, we all know what Beenie man is capable of doing when it comes to this rastafara things. 7/10

Brother Ft Nosa And Milli
Yoooo!! This is a brilliant rendition. For those of you that have followed the Choc Boys saga….MI shells out his pain and how he feels about the whole thing. MI proves to be a master storyteller and peddles words to deliver this inspirational piece. Nosa can definitely be to chocolate city what they missed in Brymo …. He adds flavor to the track. 8/10

Middle Ft Olamide and IJ
IJ had the hook, MI and Olamide on them verses. However the track sounds like one of Drake’s song…. “started from the bottom.” Okay, maybe that was in my head when I was listening. But that does not take away from MI’s delivery on this track. Listen “who the best rapper; omoh that one go depend…I am not the one to ask , ask number 2-10″…. And Olamide brought back memories of Dagrin; this is what Dagrin would sound like on this track…. Listen “…won form bad guy, ammunition o si….. Flow so easy, awon fi shan si”….. This is a decent track and we can only take a little from it. 7/10

Enemies Ft Patoranking
You know what? This is the only track I skipped on this album after the first listen. Not that the track was not good in itself, but I could not find anything that stood out for me. However, MI does advice that we be careful in this life ooo….always watch your back cos you do not know who your enemies are. At least, the song get message…… better than “are you gonna dance ooo, if I show you my money” (no subs intended) 6.5/10

Bullion Van FT Runtown, Phyno and Storm Rex
Run town, Phyno and Storm Rex are the current power house from the East (Flavor used to be but he has been silent for too long) MI takes us on a trip to eastern Nigerian on this song;. The track is laced with a traditional eastern Nigeria rhythm and Phyno killed it (even though I no understand Igbo, the thing sweet my belle)… listen ” baby you should get used to this, there are levels to this and this small boys tryna rock you, there are pebbles to this.” Thumbs up MI! Beautiful collabo! 8/10

Always Love Ft Seyi Shay
We would have loved to have a “one naira” standard love song on this album but we all know that might be like asking for too much cos that track was on another level. “Always love” is definite worth the listen too; and Seyi shows how sweet her voice can sound on this love songs. However, with the so many transition in beats going on I kinda lost track tho….well… 6.5/10

Millionaire Champagne Ft Ice Prince, Sarkodie and DJ Lambo
Plain fire on this track my people. MI throwing this lyrical punches like he is fighting Jay Z. Ice Prince too showed up on this track, even with his cheesy lyrics, he still managed to deliver with passion. Sarkodie also lived up to his name….But MI floored everyone; punchline after punchline… Track made me feel like I was listen to some BET cypher…… the hook is so groovy and you might not know when you will use your salary to buy drinks at the club listening to this. 8.5/10

Yours Ft Milli and Debbie
This is for his Fans. He is sets out appreciating those that have brought him thus far, especially his fans. The hook shared by MI and Debbie made it sound so good. Cool, relaxed jam for the soul. Milli was decent but you know….we have better features even on this album especially because he deviated from the theme of the song. 7/10

Beg Ft Morell and Loose Kaynon
Did you ever listen to “Sex and Scotch” by Jesse Jags? Here is a remix (as far as I’m concerned). Beats similar, and even the message. The difference you ask me? MI was on one….Jags was on the other. Both tracks are fantastic though! Morell can do more things than just sing hook though. I felt he was underused. Kaynon says “beat it up like am…fighting for a cause” haha…7.5/10

Human Being Ft 2Face, Sound Sultan
How MI got two superstars to manage two verses on one track surprises me. Sound sultan only got outro sef. You know how we expect this artiste to live larger than life, This track explains how of humans they truly are. Sometimes they are broke even when they drive seemingly big cars and look all nice and rich. Message received MI. This is what sets this dude apart from all other artistes, he addresses issues that we can all relate to…. social, political and even religious. He is a genius! 8/10

The End (ft Oritse femi, Frank Edwards and Nanya)
Brings the album to a close. Following the disappointment from “the beginning”….after how the principal tried to bring him down, MI is bursting out in praises at this point. Listen to this …. “we get patience for goodluck to make sense, but still our parents they struggle to pay rent”…. 8/10

For those of you that intend to buy this album you cannot go wrong. I have listened continuously since I dropped my $9.99 on itunes. I was not sure what to expect but MI did not let me down. With this album, he is able to get a handful of more listeners that would rather want to hear something "less oyinbo rappish" and at the same time provide something that "African American Twitter" can relate to.

Overall rating: 7.5

http://infonubia.com/2014/11/album-review-mi-abaga-the-chairman.html

Bad belle is my besT track

I luv monkey and wheel barrow

You can listen to a very inspiring episode with Jude Abaga (aka MI) at myafricapodcast.com where he give his view on his life. Worth an hour while you're stucked in traffic...