“This Was a Great Year for the Genre”: MI Abaga Continues to Defend Rap After Wizkid’s Controversial Comment
- Popular Nigerian rapper, MI Abaga, has continued to defend rap music after singer Wizkid made a controversial statement about it
- Wizkid had caused a massive online buzz after he claimed that rap is dead and noted that he no longer listens to it
- In a new development, MI spoke on how rap as a genre has always been criticised and how he has suffered in the game
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Popular Nigerian rapper, MI Abaga, is in the news again to speak on rap music after Wizkid described the genre as being dead.
Recall that Wizkid caused a massive buzz in the Nigerian rap scene after he made his controversial statement during an interview.
In a video making the rounds, MI Abaga was seen defending the genre as he noted that it has always been criticised.
Source: Instagram
According to him, people get upset whenever he speaks authoritatively about HipHop. He reminded them that he is MI and he has suffered in the game for it to be where it is now.
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He said:
“People get upset when I talk with an authoritative voice about Hip Hop. But listen, I am MI, na me don suffer for this game for where e day now, It’s undisputed. So when I speak, I am speaking with experience, with the weight of my contribution and I want to say this was a great year for the genre.”
Speaking further, MI noted that Hip Hop has always been criticised, and he came into rap through criticism. However, he noted that he does not want to focus on the criticism and loves Hip Hop because it’s against the grain.
See the video below:
Nigerians react as MI speaks on Hip Hop always being criticised
Read what some netizens had to say about the rapper’s video below:
victorolasuyi:
"We love you MI… Wizkid was just saying nonsense without listening to the genre… Naija Rap to the World … it’s already worldwide, gonna be greater next year "
__omotee__:
"We all get criticize one way or the other ...regardless we muveee"
shuuga.baebii.awele:
"Make una rest abeg."
alimiabiodun76:
"Nigeria people and Violence nah 5&6 I no be wizkid fan oo but let say the truth most of this music celebrity get hatred for mind becuz normal Wizkid don’t mention any country we have many rapper in many different nation many different sector of country but why be say nah only Nigeria people Carry ham head like Diz."
hairaddicts_beautylounge:
"Our Popsy will drink your tears."
daddy_ziv:
"This thing still dey pain una???"
cos_cosmos:
"Big shot of all time ...dnt stress it ...U owe no one explanation, d real OGs knows d story...."
MI made English rap cooler - 8tch
Fast-rising Nigerian rapper and entertainment writer, 8tch, shared his take on MI speaking on the rap conversation in a new video after Wizkid's comment on rap being dead.
While speaking with Legit.ng's Owolawi Taiwo, 8tch noted that MI has every right to react seeing his impact on the Nigerian rap industry. The upcoming star noted that MI made rap cooler.
He said:
"Regarding this MI video, he actually has all the right in the world to say everything he said. He is somebody that made English rap cooler. Before MI, it was the local guys that were actually running the scene them Nigg*a Raw, 2Shotz, Lord of Ajasa and more.
There were English rappers, but they were always too technical and always too western-infused, it was like a copy. Someone like Mode 9 for instance, he speaks too much English and not rapping our own reality so it’s hard to connect.
Before then, I had been wanting to rap, I had been writing poetry, but when I decided that I will actually rap was when I heard MI’s Safe because it was clever. MI will have punchlines and deliver them in the simplest way and it will still be like hardcore and relatable unlike someone like Mode 9 that was all technical."
MI has dominated for almost 2 decades, It's not beans
Speaking further, 8tch noted that since MI's break into the industry, he has dominated for almost two years seeing as he released his Talk About It project in 2008.
"Most of his mates had already stopped rapping and he is still here putting out projects. Yes he has the bragging right and when you deep what he’s saying, it might be shallow for people on the internet but when you’re on the rap scene, you’ll feel his pain", 8tch said.
8tch went ahead to talk on how the rap path is hard like MI said and that many rappers will still consider adding singing to their craft just to remain accepted in the society we are in.
According to him, even celebrated rappers like J-Cole would find it hard to thrive if they were Nigerian because this space would have drained them.
In his words:
"Someone like J-Cole who is a respected rapper, if he was Nigerian, he’s not going anywhere. Skepta, who is also a topnotch UK rapper, has not headlined one show in Nigeria because he knows you people will not come, people will not pull up. It’s actually better for the new age rappers now because they’re more melodic. But people like Wale, J-Cole, it’s traditional rap that they usually do. So if they were in Nigeria, they cannot be big as they are because this place would have drained them."
The typical Nigerian rapper is trying their best
Speaking further, 8tch added that Nigerian rappers work very hard and that musicians have it easier because coming up with their lyrics is not as tasking as it is for rappers who have to think of every single line for it to mean something.
"The typical Nigerian rapper is trying their best. Do you know how long it takes to come up with a rhyme? In a typical studio session, singers write their verses way faster than rappers because for rappers, every line has to mean something. People that want to listen to you, because it’s a rap verse, they are paying attention to every single line but as a singer, they’re not really paying attention to the lyrical content, they are paying attention to their melodies, their singing prowess because that is what they’re bringing to the table but as a rapper, for every single line you rap, it has to make sense. People have to be able to ask you the meaning of your words and it cannot be basic."
On a final note, 8tch concluded that Wizkid was capping over his comment on rap.
"Their FC popsi is capping but then, conversations like this are needed sometimes. Anytime conversations like this happen, it brings talk around Nigerian rap. Even the media too didn’t remember Nigerian rap until Wizkid said something about it."
Next time don't mix business with pleasure, fans tell Wizkid's Jada
Popular Nigerian singer, Wizkid’s partner, Jada, once again got fans talking about her relationship with the singer over her recent post.
On December 5, 2022, Jada took to her official Twitter page to note that she was no longer going to force things.
Wizkid’s partner’s post on not forcing things anymore left a number of netizens believing it was about her relationship with the singer.
Source: Legit.ng
