Meet the leaders of Nigeria’s alternative rap scene through Omofolarin Omolayole’s lens

A nation culturally diverse in most facets, the arts remain one of Nigeria’s unifiers with music at its epicentre. In keeping with the changing times, the local music industry has undergone several transformative eras. Be it highlife, which begun to emerge in the 1940s and for which Bobby Benson and Fatai Rolling Dollar are famed, the rise of afrofunk in the 1960s championed by The Funkees, Wrinkars Experience and The Strangers, or Fela Kuti’s afrobeat of the 1970s onward.

One of the most colossal of all Nigerian musical eras came with the global popularity hip hop in the 1980s, first sparked locally by Ronnie’s experimental 1981 record The Way I Feel Rap. From there, Nigeria’s rap revolution was birthed with a succession of artists continuing to evolve the scene including Trybesmen, Ruff Rugged & Raw, Jazzman Olofin, Rasqie, Sasha P, Mode 9, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Sauce Kid, Naeto C, Ruggedman, Ice Prince, M.I, Jesse Jags and Ill Bliss.

Today rappers such as Phenom, Erigga, A-Q, Ladipoe, Vector, Blaqbonez, Ycee and Loose Kaynon have taken the reins of rap. Yet, as Nigeria’s afrobeats / naijapop sound garners global recognition, the once-revered rap industry now sits in its mighty shadow. Notwithstanding, the Nigerian music industry is experiencing another transformative era with the emergence of alte (a derivative of the word alternative). The scene sees artists merging the tenets of afrobeats and rap with a wide range of styles ranging from dancehall and rock to soul and R&B to create a new hybrid existing outside genre classification.

Photographer Folarin Omolayole, inspired by the work of legendary hip hop photographer Chi Modu, has delved into this fluid and ever evolving landscape and captured a few rappers from his perspective. “I plan on shooting the whole Nigerian music industry. I enjoy collaborating with artists to bring their vision to life,” he explains. Here we profile his first pick of the leaders of alte.

DRB Lasgidi
“Underappreciated” is how Teezee of the illustrious group DRB Lasgidi describes the alternative rap scene. “I feel like people don’t see the value in it but it’s getting better,” he continues. For many who grew up in Lagos in the past decade, DRB Lasgidi barely needs an introduction thanks to singles such as Toyin, Shakara and 3Kingz. They credit themselves as one of the pioneers of the movement alongside artists like Black Magic, Ajebutter22 and palmwine duo Show Dem Camp.

With a new album entitled Pioneers on the way, DRB Lasgidi -comprising Teezee, BOJ and Fresh L - show no signs of slowing down and continue to inspire newer generations of alternative artists. “What we did for the scene was a lot,” BOJ declares. “It wasn’t until it blew up in 2016 that we realised this shit is bigger than us. Shout out to Odunsi, Santi and Lady Donli,” Teezee chimes in of the latest wave of talents.

Dap the Contract
Dap the Contract is an all-round talent. Besides rapping, singing and producing, he holds an ABRSM diploma in piano, studied jazz and improvisation at Berklee College of Music, and is currently a law student at Columbia University. Having grown up in a house full of classical pianists, his understanding of music is built on a strong foundation. This is evident given his ability to take apart different genres to create music that stands out in its purview.

Dap (an acronym for Dolapo Akinkugbe Productions) started out in the duo The Contract with rapper Shane Chubbz before going solo. He’s released five mixtapes since 2014 including last year’s Goodbye for Never (5 Yrs). “It’s very hard to trust people in the business,” he says. ”I’m extremely protective of music, perhaps sometimes to a fault. But accepting that a leap of faith is necessary is the hardest thing for me to come to terms with.” The artist seeks to one day to use his law degree to amplify artists’ rights: “I love music to death, and that’s what it would take for you to take my rights from me.“

KA$H
Having grown up listening to Outkast and Lil Bow Wow, Atlanta-based artist KA$H was certain he wanted to rap. “When I was like 10 years old I wrote my first song. I was so proud of it,” he recalls fondly. His early indoctrination into rap music eventually led to the formation of the collective Traplanta.

What began as a lyric off his 2014 single Christmas Miracle featuring SV quickly spawned a T-shirt line and eventually a group with members being KA$H, Folabi Xan and OBA. “We were just the weird Nigerian kids that didn’t fit in but we were also like… I don’t want to say cool… we were just so intriguing. And we became brothers through the music,” he says. Their latest track, Goin2, is awash with smooth swag. Meanwhile as a solo artist, KA$H’s music is characterised by his buttery flow and compelling storytelling as well as a sleek blend of Lagos and Atlanta culture. It all comes together on his new album, Reborn.

Prettyboy D-O
Listening to Prettyboy D-O for the first time, what strikes you is the vibrancy of his delivery, whether passing social commentary on Chop Elbow or duelling the haters on Pull Up.

A boyhood fan of Naeto C, the artist started recording during his college days in the US. “In the beginning I was making music with trap elements because I was in America. The music I made was revolutionary for Nigeria at that time, which was 2012-2013. It was trap but it was afro-trap,” he explains. Since then he’s been busy working his way into the Lagos mainstream, which can be a Herculean task. “Coming up in a country like Nigeria is not easy,” D-O declares. “I feel like Nigerians don’t respect or value artists. But I understand that if you really believe in something, you’ll fight your way up the ladder.” With is latest, Same Energy, that ladder is looking easily scaled.

Maison2500
Maison2500’s music is a direct reflection of his edgy personality. The rapper fuses trap and rock elements to steer listeners through his fascinating sonic world. “The inspiration behind my sound is a mixture of artists like Scorpions and Marilyn Manson with a desire to feel free like a bird with my body and voice,” he says. In just about two years of making music professionally, Maison2500 has created a satisfactory discography featuring standout alte artists like Santi and Odunsi. Check out his current cut, Mood Swings / Molly + Fast Cars.

dndSection
DndSection is majorly invested in communicating through rap with total authenticity. “It’s important to me to tell my story so people can know who I am and try to find some correlation in their life,” he says. The artist originally learnt to build lyrical narratives through poetry as a means of expressing himself as a kid. This coupled with influences from R&B artists Styl Plus set him on the path of making music.

dndSection’s music enjoys a fluid intersection of his Lagos roots and Atlanta base. “Lagos is a one-of-a-kind place and honestly the amount of creative energy you experience in that city for just a week can influence you in so many ways.” Hear this heady mix on his current release, Love Lies Bleeding.