ToluDaDi’s Stimuli: Album Review

Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Massa Red, Dear Music fan, and lover – This is Cyan Music; take a seat and breathe …

What is up, people! We’ve got a classic review today, and it may raise a few eyebrows, but we’re still sticking to our guns. We knew this guy was fire and nothing short of special when he came out with his This Side EP in 2019. Maybe, just maybe, his sound was ahead of its time. ToluDadi was born and bred on the streets of Nigeria. He dropped his 11 track project titled Stimuli record in July, his first full-length album after his EP in 2019. The record runs for a little over half an hour with features from an entourage of greatness who spill magic on the songs they appear on. Let’s get into it.

Personal sentiments, Content and Lyricism, Vocals and Production in no particular order …

The opener to this record, F*cking Expensive, provided context enough for us to realize we were going to witness a masterpiece in the making. It’s very obvious to note that ToLuDaDi’s sound is very, very advanced. There’s a sense of maturity and perfection that comes with the sound. Its colorful tone matches every element that comes to any of the songs. Mama was enjoyable with its immersive nature sustained from the opener. It captures the same approach that Worlasi & Senku Live used for the man & the god. Push takes things to a whole other level with the most intricate vibe matching a rich and dense instrumental. The amazing thing is the fact that you can imagine Burna Boy delivering a verse on this record, but the featured artiste is so technically good that she carries the rest of the song away with her deft tone and harnessed sensuality. 

Tell You Something was the point at which we were asking ourselves why God would bless us with such an album. ToLuDaDi’s sound cements itself here. His charisma and vocal performance here was nothing short of phenomenal. The instrumental was sizzling, especially with the horns and the way they ended the song on such a beautiful note vocally. As if it couldn’t get better. Then comes Accra Love, where the artiste exhibits a bit of lyrical dexterity. Is there something this man cannot do? I mean, the featured artists just kept adding firepower to all the tracks, and the vocalist here was flawless. Now, if you think you’ve been hearing near-orgasmic sounds on Stimulate, ToLuDaDi pushes into uncharted territory. I mean beyond the mind’s capacity of understanding how whatever sounds were coming together to create the music he created. Using that childhood lullaby to lay the foundation of the song was absolute brilliance. The interlude that featured just vocals and the keys were breathless and captivating. It’s like a rollercoaster of emotions from one extreme to another on the record. Koko below brings the energy to groove level as we’ve been soaring for quite some time in the listening experience. It’s a simple record that one can nod their head too. Again, great instrumentals, bearing a resemblance to the beginning of Twitch 4eva’s Daada on is Lost EP. Agbalabi follows in the same vein, keeping the energy and advancing the course of the vibe as the album draws to a conclusion. Keresi ended the album on a very calm note, which we’re grateful for because it balanced everything out for this album.

Concluding … 

We could go on and on about how good this record is. But words would fail even us to capture every emotion. It’s hard to think there’s this much talent sitting in one person. ToLuDaDi is destined for greatness, and you’d be blind not to see it from this project. Everything from vocals, instrumentation, lyrics, and the featured artists was stellar. Big ups to the producer BabaWvD. The magic he harnessed on this tape was fantastic. It’s a must-listen for anyone who truly adores colorful music. 10 over flipping 10. 

The Signature Sign Off … 

Big thanks to Mr. Blue and Massa Red for their input and insight and much appreciation to you, our reader. What do you think of the album? What do you think of this review? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts, Cyan Music, Music Review corner.

Paapa’s Technical Difficulties Volume 3: Album Review

Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Massa Red, Dear Music fan, and lover – This is Cyan Music; take a seat and breathe …

From the moment he dropped Dear Grace and came out with Solar, Paapa won hearts all over the country. His musicality, his vocals, his lyrics, his bars, and wordplay were both phenomenal and heart moving. After Solar, he dropped Songs for Kuukua which was also warmly received. He’s been off the scene a bit, but in recent years, he started a Technical Difficulties volume series and he’s already dropped 1 & 2. This happens to be the 3rd installment, 9 songs in total and 30 minutes run time. He features only one artist, Trevor Williams, on the song Different. Now, let’s get into this. 

Personal sentiments, Content and Lyricism, Vocals and Production in no particular order …

Don’t Know sets the tone for the volume classic. The musicality is enjoyable; the instrumentation is explosive, and the vocals on the record are immaculate. The production is spotless, with the use of a variety of instruments that complement the colorful direction Paapa went for. The ‘He’s got the whole world in his hand’ interpolation was sweet and seamlessly fit into the record. Paapa’s performance on here is nothing short of confidence as he ends it like a classic showman. 10 000 Stories continues the stride, with the consistency in sound being kept. Paapa’s lyrics are interesting to listen to as his vocals carry the song and the message he’s trying to convey. It was very enjoyable too. Now on Pedestal, Paapa snapped. That first verse was vintage Paapa on his lyrical grind. Damn near reminiscent of the Solar version we all fell in love with. The way the song starts sets the verse up nicely. The bass and keys mesh so well to carry the record as it matches the direction of the song. The hook is one you can bop your head to. And the vocal performance is just phenomenal. Then the song gets better when the beat breaks down into this experimental music passage, with unique sounds coming in, with the end on a high.

On Different, the tempo settles in a groove. You get the idea that for this song, although Paapa continues to push beyond the boundary sonically, the focus of this song is the message, talking about how we may look different, but we bleed the same. The feature from Trevor Williams was a welcome one as he channels the song with a unique energy that carries the song over the line beautifully. Better starts on a very colorful note, and the drum intro gave it a pleasant tone to begin. The song is inspirational, encouraging listeners that things will get better. However, the twist in the latter part of the song is that Paapa is also saying to the listener that maybe the change need not come from the external but us ourselves. That’s a profound thought. Paapa’s consistency vocally has to be applauded, to be honest. The backing and instrumentation come together nicely.

Fool Speed is an interesting record just because of the route it takes. The complexion here is different, mainly because it has a romance element sprinkled in there with how the song is presented. The jazz elements do their bit to bring the story to life. Tired and The Fire are probably the most relatable records for us all. Paapa is soulfully pouring out a cry we all share in particularly about how this year has gone. The keys and bass combined perfectly to carry the message, especially on Tired. It’s the song that you can play every day to get through the motions. The Fire picks up as the sequel, but with a richer instrumental this time. And this time, it has a gospel element to it with the way they arrange the instrumentation. The closer, Sleep, starts with a very choral aura and then switches up to a more African sounded instrumental. The drums and sounds used produced the traditional effect we are accustomed to in this part of Africa. The song is almost like a lullaby, but also a pseudo-slow-moving Jamma song. There’s just a special way he presents this song that sounds like a beautiful prayer as the record ends. It’s just unique and ends the record on quite the note.

Concluding …

Volume 1 and 2 may have been the metaphorical prepare ye the way. Volume 3 was well put together, from production to vocals to features and delivery. Paapa set out on a journey when he started the Technical dIfficulties series. And this is by far the best of all Volumes. We have one request: Paapa, please rap more.

The Signature Sign Off …

Big thanks to Mr. Blue and Massa Red for their input and insight and much appreciation to you, our reader. What do you think of the album? What do you think of this review? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts, Cyan Music, Music Review corner.

Kwaw Kese’s Victory: Album Review

Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Massa Red, Dear Music fan, and lover – This is Cyan Music; take a seat and breathe …

We are keeping it real and keeping it moving as another review comes your way. Today we look at the one and only, Kwaw Kese AKA “Fa Wo nsa bɔ wo tirim na ka sɛ Abɔdam!” as he dropped a full-length album titled Victory. The album was teased with the single “Trap House” mainly and took some time before they released it last month. Emmanuel Kofi Botchwey dropped this album on the 28th of August, with 10 records on the full-length record, with features from Stonebwoy, Kwesi Arthur, Quamina MP, Sarkodie, Medikal with the list going on. The album runs a little over 30 minutes.

Personal sentiments, Content and Lyricism, Vocals and Production in no particular order …

The mad time entertainment founder is slowly but surely shedding off the “Abɔdam” persona in his music. Partly because of going through adversities like getting a divorce, going to prison, and the death of his father as detailed on the title track victory. The song is a gospel song, plain. From the choral chants of “Onyame”, laced into the song, and Kwaw Kese’s expression of gratitude to God for his life and divine endowment materialistically, “me Gucci down ɛna me hilltop.”

On Victory, Emmanuel Kofi Botway dips his toes into multiple genres from Hip-Hop to Afro-pop to Reggae. This formula is relatively commonplace in Ghanaian albums as it increases streams and placates multiple customers. For Kwaw, it only exposes how painfully limited his range is as a rapper. On “Mente Mpo” where he tries his hands at Afro-pop, it’s the strength of Mugeez’s feature that carries the song. Verses from Sarkodie and Medikal inject life into “Dondo” and the album. Kwaw Kese is at his best here, rapping over 808s, horns, and some synths engineered into a traditional rhythmic Adowa pattern. “Love and Affection” has a production where tone choices do not mesh and performances from Black Prophet and Kwaw Kese that make for a forgettable dancehall song.

The project continues the downward spiral with “Trap House”, a single released before this album. The song was not made any better with the addition of a patois verse by Rygin King. Kwaw Kese delivers a lackluster hook over an equally dull Afro-pop beat, and Kwesi Arthur’s star power is not enough to intrigue even the most attentive of fans or lure the most gullible to the trap house he is rambling about.

On the closing track Bottles, Kwaw seems to go ahead of himself and envision a concert where people repeat “bottles” at the end of every bar, and that’s about the entire appeal of the song. The song is phoned in as he, at a point, rhymes “bottles” with “sister Akos w’ayɛ ama me de atwɛl adane wo tottle” just because… Let us just end it here.

Concluding …

Though Kwaw Kese’s intention on Victory was to celebrate his success that came despite unprecedented adversity, it is undercut by his clumsy performance and uninteresting composition. The production is in large parts as disjointed as Kwaw Kese’s performance on the album. We cannot say anymore than this.

The Signature Sign Off …

Big thanks to Mr. Blue and Massa Red for their input and general insight and much appreciation to you, our reader. What do you think of the album? What do you think of this review? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts. Cyan Music, Music Review corner.

Jay So’s 0106 Volume 5: Album Review

Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Massa Red, Dear Music fan, and lover – This is Cyan Music; do take a seat, and breathe …

Good people! Blue and Green here, and we’re bringing you another review on Jay So’s 5th installment of 0106. The rapper who started this series has had the most talented producers and artists on the come up on the previous 4 records, and these cats have proved their potential through their vocals, their bars, and production. It wasn’t different for this particular volume. Too many good songs that Jay So oversaw and delivered to perfection, and it was indeed a good listen. 8 songs, 21 features, and playtime of almost half an hour. Let’s get it!

Personal sentiments, Content and Lyricism, Vocals and Production in no Particular order … 

The 0106 record starts with a sound bite from Jay so detailing the experience of putting this tape together, working remotely, and featuring artists. The fact that he produced that particular skit on the date of his first child. In a sense, it rather expresses what inspired the record and the kind of sacrifices that had to happen. He credits the producers, gives a message of caution as the pandemic rages. Also, it happened to be the perfect setup for the next record, dedicated to his first kid, born during this pandemic. Like every doting father, he pens down an open letter to his son with advice concerning relationships, treating women like the queens they are, friends, and living for a purpose and not for material things. The production compliments the complexion of the record and blends the baby’s cries into the background perfectly. We have found that records like this are more personal first and from the heart, setting them up to be dedicated to the one it concerns. Opeimu is the song that kicks things off properly for this tape. The record starts on a decent note with the instrumental giving context on how the first rapper delivers his verse, which is good. The hook, well, we will take it. It feels a bit laid back and minimalistic, but it meshes with the song perfectly. Jay So’s verse is flawless as he comes in with his usual exotic exuberance. Copta did not cut it sound-wise, with his flow coming off as goofy rather than inventive, especially seeing the tone of the song. On any other song, he bodied the verse, but just the ominous nature of the record makes his voice seem out of place. We have a jazz-lounge record anchored on the theme of love that follows Opeimu in right here, right now. Titi Owusu’s delivery is perfect, to be honest, and she carries the song perfectly. I would think a song like this was early in its appearance on the record as we are still getting things warmed up. The other supporting cast of Kwame Swerve and Kev the Tooic on this tune were a match made in heaven. Their content, their delivery, and how they approached the record were all flawless. 10/10. 

Right after that, absolute insanity follows. Disaster does not even sound Ghanaian. The instrumental composition, the sounds used by the rappers on this, and their deliveries are a cut above. J Town set the pace with his charisma and flow, and EL had no choice but to take the baton and run with it. Jay so coming in to end the record with his seeming braggadocio flow adds the cherry to the cake. Jay is not peer pressured into trying to rap like his compatriots, and that is okay as far as his verse delivered 100% edge, it fit in perfectly. Fit for a queen follows with its afro-beats core sees scintillating vocals from artists G-West and Harmaboy against an equally compelling instrumental, and the hook delivers all you need to know about the vibe of the track. Relative newcomer, Dan, did an excellent job, stayed on topic, and did not pull his punches. Jay so came in to finish it off with his signature. That is signed, sealed, and delivered. 

Now, the meat of it all; the cypher. We will say this; no one was bad. Everyone was good. The problem was that all the rappers approached the instrumental in almost the same way. Maybe that was the objective, but when you have a cypher with 3+ rappers, they all can’t adopt the same style or same approach. Someone has to switch it up. Shouts to Elsie Raad for the English to Pidgin to Twi transition – that was nice. We feel it could’ve been way more explosive, and these cats have the firepower to have made it happen. Maybe next time. The record rounded up with No Mess featuring La Meme gang native Spacely. We can appreciate the approach of this song as it’s coming off the back of a 6-minute rap cypher, it was probably for the best to take things slow, which is what Spacely came to do basically. He kept it interesting with his style to a degree, but at this point, the record is over, and this is more or less saying grace to end it all.

Concluding …

Volume 5 was a good record. The production on this was tiptop, and the talent here is insane. Some of the featured artists are already mainstream, making it happen big, and others are still laying the foundations. Overall, Jay So gave us magic again. 

The Signature Sign Off …

Big thanks to Mr. Blue and Massa Red for their input and insight and much appreciation to you, our reader. What do you think of the album? What do you think of this review? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts, Cyan Music, Music Review corner.

Joey B’s Lava Feels: Compilation Review

Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Massa Red, Dear Music fan, and lover – This is Cyan Music; do take a seat, and breathe…

We’re here with the review vibes on our side and today we take a look at Joey B’s ‘Lava Feels’ record that came out this month. Darryl Paa Kwesi Bannerman-Martin, icon, fashionista, model, singer, songwriter, and rapper has been a phenomenon since his Tonga single hit the streets. He has indeed built a reputation for himself in the industry and he’s pushed music to far heights with his experimental approach to it. Joey is an influencer and it shows because a lot of new artists with similar styles have been able to step into the limelight because of what he’s been able to achieve. Like every artist, he has his scars from battling the music scene here but it hasn’t stopped him at all. Joey’s experimental nature is what has pushed him to be where he is. Always looking to try something new and flawlessly execute it after many errors. He’s come a long way and we give him props for that. Lava Feels is a 9 track album with a run time reaching 25 minutes. It features popular artists like Stonebwoy, M3nsa, Ko-Jo Cue, Pappy Kojo, E.L, Bosom P-Yung, RJZ, Odunsi, and Sauti. Quite the list for dope guest artists. Well, let’s get into it and see what we have here.  

Personal sentiments, Content and Lyricism, Vocals and Production in no Particular order…

Before anything, we have to address the album art because.. we don’t know what was happening. It looked more like a PlayStation 1 action game rather than an album art. Red had this to say:

Sigh, to begin with, I’m very disappointed in Joey for coming out with such lazy work with regards to his cover art for this project. Little or no at effort at all was put into it.
It looks like the designer ripped a cool picture of lava and found a cool font and just put them
together. Well, to give him the benefit of the doubt I guess this quality of cover art was produced
because of the type of project Joey put out, it is just a compilation. But regardless a little effort
could have been put into producing cool cover art for the project

– Massa Red on the Cover Art of Lava Feels

The album starts with the album title, ‘Lava Feels’. The sound Joey B has adopted and has been experimenting with is growing with time and this album feels like something he’s using to show us how much progress he’s made. Lava feels provides this smooth, easy on the ears sounding instrumental with a very laid back delivery from the artist. You can tell he’s in his zone with this record and it’s a classic opener for the album. Then comes ‘La Bamba’. Honestly sick of hearing lines about time, ‘Rolex’, and ‘Hublot’. It’s getting really old. This song is also a very laid back record. Sark’s delivery was okay. No weird lines but no ‘wow’ factor about it. ‘Silicon Valley’ with P-Yung. I don’t care what anyone says, that hook was trash. It was clumsy, goofy, and lazy to be honest. There was so much more that could have been done and the concept could have been worked on to make it’s delivery better. And the ending to the song was, well, it was Joey B. Dunno what to say about it. ‘Paa Kwesi’ features RJZ of La Meme Gang fame and Joey B starts the song paying respects to legend Daddy Lumba, and you can detect the Lumba feel and sound in the record with the approach to the vocals and lyrics. The hook is pretty catchy as well. A good record overall. ‘‘Over You’ was also a decent record. ‘Affection’ sees Stonebwoy brings a livelier vibe to the record as the previous ones have followed a certain pattern so far. Stonebwoy did justice to his feature and it’s an enjoyable song. Now ‘Far Away’. That record will probably not get the props it deserves. 

Blue had this to say about that particular record:

‘Mensah had the best verse on the album. Period.’ 

The song in itself is perfect, vocally, sonically and it does justice enough to prove Joey’s mettle as a top artist. Because the song doesn’t even sound Ghanaian, and that’s how fresh the sound is. This song undoubtedly opened up the path for ‘Hard Knocks’ with Ko-Jo Cue to settle into the album. Without the other, just one of the tracks would have felt out of place a bit. Joey’s delivery on this record too was flawless and the feature only served to complement a masterpiece. The vocals on this record were also good. The outro to this album was classic and pretty upbeat. All artists delivered the goods and signed off on the album decently. The instrumental was unconventional but it still worked out in the end and that’s what matters. 

Concluding… 

This compilation had its flaws but still came out okay with a lot of very very classic records, a few hitches here and there but all in all an interesting record from Joey B.

The Signature Sign Off…

Big thanks to Mr. Blue and Massa Red for their input and general insight and much appreciation to you, our reader. What do you think of the album? What do you think of this review? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts. This has been Cyan Music, Music Review corner.