Following the success of his 2020 hit single ‘Tesinapot’ featuring the legendary rapper Olamide, burgeoning Nigerian rapper Jaido P has released his eponymous EP titled “Shopla”. With this project, he touches on the experiences and struggles of living as a youth in this part of the world while keeping hope alive, chasing and living his dream simultaneously, as he also subtly unveils his loverboy persona. The 7-track EP features Olamide and Joeboy.
Below, We ranked all 7 tracks:
7. Omolomo.
Producer, Type A lays a patterned mid-tempo afropop instrumental background for this project’s opener as Jaido P approaches it with a befitting silky execution. His vocals are rightly laid-back and chill but his message here is brash and confident. He’s in his most hubristic zone with lyrics like, “money long like anaconda…Dripping so hard, they can never sun dry”.
6. My Level
The second track of the project. It continues with the audacious tone of the intro track albeit the tempo picks up and the mood is groovier. For the most part of this track, Jaido expresses newfound confidence and asserts that nobody’s on his level.
5. Brokoto
Imagine a Nigerian owambe party with loud music and party jollof. That’s where Jaido P wants to take you with this nasty record. The verses on this one are elite but the brilliance of this song is the restraint of Jaido on the refrain, repeating the same words and allowing the beat to do its magic.
4. Mamma Mia
Amazing producer, Pprime understood the assignment and came correct on this one. Joeboy’s input on this was quite uninspiring making Jaido P king on this one. The hook and Jaido’s verse has elements of Fireboy DML (Southy Love comes to mind – Pprime is the connection). Infact, DML would’ve definitely delivered better than Joeboy did on this track.
Sonically, this record is very infectious and should do well as a single.
3. Survive
Jaido P and Olamide turn to love for survival on this beautiful ballad. Jaido raps softly over mellow piano rhythms, subtle guitars, gentle kicks and hi-hats. His verses are seasoned with cheeky wordplay with lines like “Rolex for my baby, we’re spending rich time”, ” we getting couple goals, where their goalkeeper?”. His delivery is however top shelf and his melodic rap attempts reminds one of Vector especially on that second verse.
Olamide presents the hook in the familiar fashion he has taken on in his recent releases like “Omo x1000” & “Julie”(off his UY SCUTI Project). Coincidentally or not, “Survive” dropped as a single few days after the release of UY SCUTI.
2. Tomorrow
The most reflective track on the project. Its position on the tracklist does it more harm than good as it is sandwiched between two uptempo tracks (“Mamma Mia” & “Brokoto”). Anyways it’s one of the most lyrically, sonically and thematically rich songs on this project.
- Tesina Pot
Jaido P’s breakout single. “Tesina Pot” is a beautiful record. A smash hit. The clear favourite and most memorable record on this project. It is sonically eccentric and lyrically explicit. Jaido enlists Olamide once again and their intentions are clearly expressed with remarkable delivery. Cracker Mallo is however the MVP on this one.
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